Your biggest bang-for-the-buck thing to do in the shed.

[emanresu]

I am sorry to even say it but cannot help it. Strat-itis.... every time I glance your name, I read "star-tits"

And to not only to derail but put something useful into the thread:

When soloing, sometimes I try to play consciously in a way that: it is minding the stuff that has already played.
It is a half-story, half baked thought. But it is a start.
For some reason, this thing never gets discussed. Yet it can change the whole way of playing a solo.

[James W]

Yes, I have plenty of practice material for every day of the week, after receiving advice from a veteran Jazz guitarist during the jam session. It's not from a book.

It sounds like you have acquired some interesting secret jazz guitar-lore.

Maybe you should write a book with this information.

Or just tell us...

[Strat-itis]

I am sorry to even say it but cannot help it. Strat-itis.... every time I glance your name, I read "star-tits"

Are those a thing?

And to not only to derail but put something useful into the thread:
When soloing, sometimes I try to play consciously in a way that: it is minding the stuff that has already played.
It is a half-story, half baked thought. But it is a start.
For some reason, this thing never gets discussed. Yet it can change the whole way of playing a solo.

Yeah, many musicians put continuity or even development in their solos, not all tho.

[emanresu]

Are those a thing?

Yeah, many musicians put continuity or even development in their solos, not all tho.

1. they are not a thing
2.yes but it so rare. so rare that I can't remember what was the last time I've seen or heard of this happening. I mean the discussion.
I do hear solos that have the continuity and development occasionally.

The point is, it is not obvious and needs discussions. And it is easy to discuss. Although the vocabulary of our language is not aligned with the vocabulary of music at all.

[Mick-7]

I am sorry to even say it but cannot help it. Strat-itis.... every time I glance your name, I read "star-tits".

Are those a thing?

Sure, think Dolly Parton.

However, a Freudian psychiatrist would speculate that those who exhibit this particular symptom of dyslexia were not breast-fed.

[emanresu]

typoglycemia

[sgcim]

That Danny Gatton exercise I've mentioned about a million times here has given me mucho bang bucks.
And, no, I'm not gonna explain it again. I've already strained my precious typing finger enough hunting and pecking it out.

[AllanAllen]

1. they are not a thing
2.yes but it so rare. so rare that I can't remember what was the last time I've seen or heard of this happening. I mean the discussion.
I do hear solos that have the continuity and development occasionally.

The point is, it is not obvious and needs discussions. And it is easy to discuss. Although the vocabulary of our language is not aligned with the vocabulary of music at all.

It happens all over the place and it’s called motif development. It’s something suggested in almost every beginner jazz improv article and YouTube video.

[emanresu]

It happens all over the place and it’s called motif development. It’s something suggested in almost every beginner jazz improv article and YouTube video.

Yes. It is that obvious that it doesn't deserve a thorough discussion. That was my point.
I've never seen it really happening. "you do that, and your golden, lets move on"

[rpjazzguitar]

I never hear anyone say they want to play like Barry Finnerty though?

I'll say it.

I sat next to him at a jam once. He's a terrific player. I put my guitar down and just listened.

[emanresu]

Btw. Motif development is a "meh" way to produce... it is a good way to produce. Sorry. It is a good way to produce. Yeah, do that.

Now. From OP's "BBB" - rhythm - essential, tone - essential, skill - essential, scales - essential, knowlegdge - essential, ... and some more essentials.

Once those essentials are in your hands, what's there to achieve? Motif development maybe?

What's left is the music you play to mean something.

[AllanAllen]

There must be a language barrier here. I can’t make heads or tails of what you’re trying to communicate.

[emanresu]

There must be a language barrier here. I can’t make heads or tails of what you’re trying to communicate.

Music is hard to talk about with our language. Even with the first.

[emanresu]

I have to go to sleep.


THE biggest bang for buck for me was to admit fully that language was completely useless to describe music in any way. Loud, shrilly etc. yes. but what music really does - not ever possible to describe with language.

[Christian Miller]

It sounds like you have acquired some interesting secret jazz guitar-lore.

Maybe you should write a book with this information.

Or just tell us...

That secret jazz lore usually turns out to be very straightforward stuff that everyone knows they SHOULD be doing, sad to say.

[JazzPadd]

Some wonderful strategies here, enough for a lifetime of shedding if taken together.

i’d begin, perhaps to prioritize, by asking why is one shedding in the first place? Answers offered thus far include (among many others) improving technique, developing feel or fluency, and understanding what one is hearing.

Given the limited time, I go into the shed for one main reason: To learn tunes so as to enable playing jazz with others. To narrow that a bit, I’m not very interested in formal gigging, and much prefer informal musicking.

So for me it comes down to participating in the local jazz jam session scene. It’s relatively regular in any given month, with 8-10 jams held at 4-5 venues within a reasonable driving distance. Besides a cover charge or food / drink minimum, the entrance “fee” is knowing tunes well enough to join. Some of the jams are lightly hosted, others managed ad hoc by participants. Less frequently, there may be a house band that plays a set.

Beyond a common core of tunes that everyone knows, jams have their own vibe. Some are standards focused, others horn or piano centric, a few are frequented by vocalists, still others are more blues, bossa or fusion oriented.

But I think it’s fair to say that tunes are the common currency, and fluency with tunes contributes to enjoying the social experience of playing jazz. So the biggest bang for the buck in the shed, at least in my case, is learning tunes.

And I’ve noticed that a lot of those aspects of shedding noted above are evident in jams. Knowing tunes in multiple keys? Go where the vocalists are. Gaining some fluency with bebop? Hang with the horn players. Developing one’s ear? Sit out and listen. And so forth.

I realize that not everyone has these opportunities, and I feel fortunate for having them. I’m also aware that such opportunities are fleeting, like many things in life. For example, the whole scene shut down for nearly 2 years due to corona. So if I didn’t have these opportunities now, I’d likely answer the OP question differently. In the end, I’m thankful for the wealth of generous advice, shared experiences and valuable shedding strategies offered so far.

[Strat-itis]

There must be a language barrier here. I can’t make heads or tails of what you’re trying to communicate.

RIP

[DawgBone]

Mashing up the major and minor pentatonics. I was able to find flowing, smooth connecting runs between all the patterns.

[emanresu]

Music is not discussable in common languages.

[Strat-itis]

^ Yes it is. You can explain almost anything. If you want to be all up in intellectual chaos urself then have at it. Don't drag us into it. :P

[emanresu]

^ Yes it is. You can explain almost anything.

To rxplain is hard already. Try to descriibe what a unique piece of music does. What it really does - this is no possible with any words. Any poetry.

[emanresu]

To explain is hard already. Try to descriibe what a unique piece of music does. What it really does - this is no possible with any words. Any poetry.

edit: the quirks of the forum. sorry. cant undo.

[Strat-itis]

To rxplain is hard already. Try to descriibe what a unique piece of music does. What it really does - this is no possible with any words. Any poetry.

Assuming your brain works and you can think of the effect it has on you then you can. If your brain doesn't work in the first place then I guess you can't.

[pamosmusic]

I never hear anyone say they want to play like Barry Finnerty though?

well I guess two things here.

1. He was good enough for the Brecker Brothers so he’s good enough for me.

2. I’m reasonably confident in my ability to tell whether something will be useful to me or not so I don’t feel like I need everything to be by A Name.

[Mick-7]

I never hear anyone say they want to play like Barry Finnerty though?

well I guess two things here.

1. He was good enough for the Brecker Brothers so he’s good enough for me.
2. I’m reasonably confident in my ability to tell whether something will be useful to me or not so I don’t feel like I need everything to be by A Name.

So just not well known enough to be a guitar hero?

He has a long resume as a sideman -- Barry Finnerty Credits | AllMusic

... and he even arranged a Sesame Street album (I wonder how Paul felt about Oscar the Grouch, in a garbage can, replacing him in this Abbey Road album cover parody?)