What Are You Practising Now?

[DestinyT]

I just read his book. I'm looking forward to following your journey.

Thanks so much for your encouragement; I really appreciate it.

When I started exploring Marty Grosz’s style, I decided not to learn his tunes directly but to develop my own repertoire using little power chords that capture the feel and joy of acoustic rhythm guitar.

Now I'm focusing on picking out what I hear in Marty's recordings. It’s slow work, but that’s part of the pleasure.

I'm sharing openly because I’m grateful for this community, and I like to remember kind forum members who’ve sadly passed. Even though I never met them, their presence still lingers here.

[GuyBoden]

It Could Happen to You.

[James W]

Now I've discovered that Holdsworth's rendition of the head of Inner Urge goes up to the 23rd fret - E flat - which doesn't exist on any of the guitars I have.

Enough with the excuses already haha.

Obviously a new guitar is the solution…

Et voilà...

[AllanAllen]

I’ve been cramming new tunes for trio gigs, working on Moose The Mooch, and looking over the book for my first pit gig, Catch Me If You Can.

[kris]

Spain

[James W]

Some Holdsworth lines transcribed by Pete Callard.

Funnily enough, I'm finding the picking aspects of the lines the hardest...

[TF]

I like to play the changes on the tunes I know in all keys, while staying totally at or below fret 5. And while maintaining a swinging groove with a metronome.

All Of Me, no problem.

All The Things You Are, no big problem.

Misty, I can play in all keys below fret 5.

Have You Met Miss Jones - well, there's a problem!

I've always liked playing tunes in odd keys - I tend to go for Gb and Db a lot, whatever the original key.

I read somewhere that CP started out by learning Honeysuckle Rose in all keys - something sax players normally didn't do. If it worked for him -

[emanresu]

I am practicing the alt scale. To have something to fire towards the alt dom chords.

But I use the sneaky route. I am trying to find all the beautiful things that can happen in this scale.
And yeah. Much more of that in alt scale once the surface is scratched away.

[AllanAllen]

I am practicing the alt scale. To have something to fire towards the alt dom chords.

But I use the sneaky route. I am trying to find all the beautiful things that can happen in this scale.
And yeah. Much more of that in alt scale once the surface is scratched away.

Christian had a video on Wes Montgomery that had a controversial alt dom example. Over G7alt he did an arpeggio like this. I use it as my basis for Alt7 stuff now, it's easy to remember and you can run up it easily.

[emanresu]

Hm no.
More like alt scale.mp3 - Google Drive

[AllanAllen]

That sounds nice too

[frabarmus]

Very Early. Work in progress, just the harmonised melody using 4 note rootless voicings on top 4 strings over a bass line loop, so far.

[Aiq]

Got a nice transcription of “Delirium” from Montgomery Brothers Grooveyard.

Maybe in five years.

[frabarmus]

Continuing the work on Very Early. In this exercise I'm practicing the changes on the whole form with rootless 4 note voicings on the top four strings in the lower area of the neck, using voice leading. Next I'll do the same thing using three more inversions of the same voicings in order to be able to cover the whole fretboard and, finally, I'm planning to comp normally, “connecting the dots”, along the bassline that I've looped. I'm obviously also planning to workout a solo guitar chordmelody version (maybe Rubato) that does include voicings in root position (perhaps as an Intro). In any case the rootless workout's purpose is for use in a group setting (where there would be a bass player anyway.

[AllanAllen]

Still stumbling over a few parts of Moose the Mooche.

Working on the guitar book for Catch Me If You Can, gig is in 2 weeks.

Metronome exercise with the next page of Speed Mechanics for Lead Guitar. There were 7 positions of a single octave Amin scale. Single note on G string, then 3NPS on B and E. I've been running these Barry Harris style up then down in a single bar. Last night I worked out 3rds, but I pivot back to the bottom of the octave. I do all inversions of a position then move to the next. Takes about 5 minutes and it sounds nice to me. Not really following the speed metal sound of the book, but using the book for inspiration.

[rpjazzguitar]

I've been practicing for a singing guitarist gig that I'm hoping to get.

Mostly pop, not jazz tunes, but there's been some benefit that's relevant to jazz.

1. I think singing has been good for my ear. When I sing with another person, harmony is coming more easily.

2. I've never focused on solo guitar, but when it's guitar and voice, the guitar has to do something when the singing stops. I've never been crazy about out-of-time chord melody. In-time chord melody isn't easy. So, I've been trying to work out usable parts. One advantage is that being the only instrument means you can do anything.

3. With just guitar and voice, there's nothing to hide behind. So, the sound of the guitar is very important. Most singing guitarists use flattop instruments, which have a richness that isn't part of a classic jazz sound (although I have heard a few players do it, with good results). Even without a flattop, it seems important to optimize the guitar's sound for this kind of application. That's led to useful experiments with parametric EQ, a pedal (Joyo American) and AB'ing a bunch of gear. Now I'm thinking about a guitar that can cross over -- there's a separate thread on that with some good advice given.

[pauln]

I've been practicing for a singing guitarist gig that I'm hoping to get.

Mostly pop, not jazz tunes, but there's been some benefit that's relevant to jazz.

1. I think singing has been good for my ear. When I sing with another person, harmony is coming more easily.

2. I've never focused on solo guitar, but when it's guitar and voice, the guitar has to do something when the singing stops. I've never been crazy about out-of-time chord melody. In-time chord melody isn't easy. So, I've been trying to work out usable parts. One advantage is that being the only instrument means you can do anything.

3. With just guitar and voice, there's nothing to hide behind. So, the sound of the guitar is very important. Most singing guitarists use flattop instruments, which have a richness that isn't part of a classic jazz sound (although I have heard a few players do it, with good results). Even without a flattop, it seems important to optimize the guitar's sound for this kind of application. That's led to useful experiments with parametric EQ, a pedal (Joyo American) and AB'ing a bunch of gear. Now I'm thinking about a guitar that can cross over -- there's a separate thread on that with some good advice given.

Sounds like you're about to have some fun! I don't sing but I've backed a lot of singers, mostly female. It has its challenges, like when to solo? Most singers don't like to be turning around away from their audience to indicate that so they signal by stepping back from the mic. You have to watch them anyway; a woman in high heels can destroy your instrument cable.

[itsmyname]

I have no other goals actually than taking a guitar, and playing with the birds in the garden in the sun any tune I love, jazz, gipsy, pop, bossa or anything I like to play, and have fun.

There are many Charlieparkers in the trees around me.

,)

[AllanAllen]

On to melodic minor.

Really enjoying the sound of pivot 13th arpeggios restrained to one fingering. Toss in a leading chromatic and it really sounds like jazz.

[pamosmusic]

Pivot thirteenth arpeggios?

[AllanAllen]

Pivot thirteenth arpeggios?

13th arpeggios

R 3 5 7 9 11 13

But I keep them in one of the pictured positions. I can try to make a clip tomorrow.

Maybe I’m not using the right term.

[AllanAllen]

Here's a video of the scale in root position, followed by pivot 13th arpeggio. I repeat this exercise starting on each note of the fingering I'm in, scale up, scale down, then arpeggio. Then move to another fingering position.

I have a metronome going to work on time and once I can get through them all without stopping I'll change the scale. Goal being Major, Minor, Melodic Minor, Whole Tone, Diminished, and Augmented. Worked out on paper and familiar enough to start something like Barry Harris mapping of tunes, but with the pivot 13th arpeggios instead of scale up scale down.

[AllanAllen]

Trying to get Milestones(New) into my groups repertoire.

Really funny that there are 2 Miles Davis compositions called Milestones.

[GuyBoden]

Trying to get Milestones(New) into my groups repertoire.

Really funny that there are 2 Miles Davis compositions called Milestones.

Careful, you don't play the modal Milestones.

[James W]

Trying to get Milestones(New) into my groups repertoire.

Really funny that there are 2 Miles Davis compositions called Milestones.

Except the old one is by John Lewis I think?