-
Various things - picking technique (focusing on economy picking). I'm also practising the A section of a tune I've written, and I have a looper pedal which I intend to use to create a backing track for said tune, once I have shedded the tune enough for me to feel comfortable soloing over it. It features some non-functional harmony.
Other than that, scales of course, I take two per day (one major or melodic minor and one diminished) - also, whichever is the major or melodic minor I also use for the exercises given in the first module of Christian's jazz guitar counterpoint course.
And I'm slowly learning the hexatonic scales, patterns and exercises in the first chapter of Randy Vincent's Line Games book.
What's everyone practising? (I actually have a bit of deja vue starting this thread, feels as though we've had similar ones in the past, but oh well, I've typed all this out now).
-
08-19-2025 12:02 PM
-
Recently I was working on learning Dexterity be ear. Now, having checked myself against a transcription, I'm trying to get it confidently under the fingers (I find it really tough to play for some reason). I've started in (re-)learning Misty by ear. And I'm working on some of the Benson lines I recently learnt for ATTYA and putting them into different keys and contexts.
Dexterity:
-
I’ve been concentrating on chords and progressions. Diatonic extensions, altered dominants and substitutions on all the standard two and four bar progressions.
My goal which I am achieving is to be able to play them all equally well and make on the fly choices at a clipping tempo.
The tune I’m working on is Blue Skies
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
-
Cool! I'm currently transcribing Adam Rogers on 'Introspection'. I guess this is a bit different to learning something by ear - certainly there are passages in this solo that would be very challenging to get my fingers around. I think learning by ear implies something requiring more discipline than transcription, since it necessarily involves memorisation at the same time as figuring it out.
Originally Posted by CliffR
I love 'Dexterity'. Probably my favourite RC head.
-
Yardbird Suite
-
The modes of the Scottish pentatonic scale.
-
Long overdue but Donna Lee.
-
Great idea for a thread, thanks for starting it and contributing. I'm really enjoying it so far!
Last night, I had a joint practice session with a bassist who lives nearby. We meet once a week for two or three hours to practice together, usually doing tunes, but for no particular purpose. Last week we agreed to work on "Armando's Rhumba," so I put in a little time on learning the theme. Playing Latin tinged music does not come easily to me, so I need to go back to the basics, and take the theme one phrase at a time, slowly. Very laborious for me.
We tried playing it together for the first time last night. He did better in his prepping than I, but overall it needs more solitary work for us both, and we agreed to continue next week.
Then I noticed something. Here in Japan, we use the 2 volume Jazz Standard Bible (akin to the Real Book). The chart for "Armando's Rhumba" has three sections, an intro, the main theme and an interlude. He was using a hand written chart including the main theme only, which itself has an A and a B section, but his chart matched the main theme in the JSB.
Upon closer examination of the chart in the JSB, we found that the intro and interlude are written on one staff, but the main theme is written on two staves, one in treble clef and one in bass clef. The theme is in two-part harmony, while the intro and the interlude are written in treble clef only, implying unison (or octaves). We fiddled around with each part for a while to get our bearings and to make sure we're on the same page, so to speak, and agreed for next week we'll work on the theme as a two-part harmony, as written. There's also a note at the bottom of the chart about playing the theme, and then cueing for going into solos. Most JSB charts are not as detailed as this one, but I think it'll be instructive to work on as a duo.
For the ad-lib, the chord changes are generally straight forward, more or less Cm based, so the whole tune is made up of single lines that take quite a bit of time to learn, at least for me to learn, after which we can also try playing around with it for some ad-lib. Looking at how others have played it, some versions go by at quite a lively clip, so it'll take some time to get it up to speed, especially with my rather ponderous playing. But I think many would agree that practicing is not reviewing what comes easy. And so I'm looking forward to when it will eventually be fun when we can play the intro in unison, then the theme with the two-part harmony as written and the interlude in unison, and then do some ad-lib on the changes.
Our weekly practice session sometimes also includes a vocalist, so last night we worked on the above tune until she arrived, and then turned to a few vocal numbers. That included "This Masquerade." I know the George Benson version, but she suggested, and the bass player agreed, that we use the original Leon Russell version as our point of reference, so that's our homework for next week. The vocalist also suggested "New York State of Mind," joking that it's for me since I'm originally from New York, so we ran through that a couple of times. We wrapped up this week's joint practice with working on a medley of "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" (the bassist had played in a gospel band when he lived in the States years ago) and "Summertime," for which he wrote out an intro and some transitions.
We've been doing this weekly joint practice thing for a couple of months now, basically as a summer project, and I can say that it's an interesting experience. Practice is usually solitary work (at least in my limited experience), which I do, too, but then in the three hour weekly meeting we practice together. It's not a jam session, nor is it a rehearsal; it's something between, and it seems to add a social dimension to practicing. It reminded me of a sax player who lived here several years ago, and he practiced like that with a bass player.
But I'll need to put the joint practice aside for a bit, because tonight I'll join a weekly open jam session at a regional venue. It's about a 45 minute drive each way, and there's a cover charge and a drink minimum to join, but I look forward to it each week as a kind of a social experience playing jazz. It's similar to the joint practice in that there's some solitary prep before the social dimension, but for the open jam session it's more variable, unpredictable. Although there is a core of regulars, myself included, each week there are different players joining. We also use the JSB as a baseline repertoire, but what get's called is spontaneous. Of course, I practice tunes for the weekly open jams, especially those that I hope to have a chance to call, or which were called previously and I'd like to work on more systematically. A couple of weeks ago, a pianist called "Like Someone in Love," and I really enjoy the way that Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers did that tune, so I'm prepping for calling it tonight.
Most of the available time that I have for practicing guitar is on learning tunes, including prepping for joining various open jam sessions, joint practicing and the occasional gig. I don't really work much on abstract exercises and technique, although I do appreciate the value in that. I also greatly respect those who do transcribing and can learn by ear, but I have no patience for either of those. I'm not really into writing nor recording music, either.
Speaking personally, and for what it's worth, I feel that beyond a basic level of competence on one's instrument, much of what one may need to know to play jazz is embedded in the tunes, in the repertoire. I also see jazz as a kind of a social music, so for me practicing is bound up with those experiential dimensions. Granted, it's just one of many ways to learn.
Finally, I have a solo guitar set coming up next month at a local live house, so I'll also need to do some practicing for that, but that's another story and this has already gotten verbose.
Thank you for reading. I'm looking forward to hearing more about your various practices!
-
Having some one to jointly play together in person seems like a great motivator along with attending a jam session! I have to find something like that. Originally Posted by JazzPadd
The closest experience I have to something like that was when I was at a music store trying out a polytone and this guy started jamming on bass with me.
-
You should have asked for his number. I’m being 100% serious. The next step is getting comfortable trying to connect with people. It can seem like a mountain, but it’s just a curb. Originally Posted by charlieparker
-
Morning warmup, I practise using a Dom scale with added b3rd, b2nd and b7th, linking the whole fretboard, but using Jazz phrases (not a linear scale) and resolving to a Major Chord tone. (Single note)
Then it's comping, comping, comping, comping, comping, comping, comping. comping, comping, comping, comping, comping, comping, comping and more comping. I always try to remember that 'COMPING' is what guitarists do most, not single note solo playing.
I'm sticking with a practise plan and don't keep jumping from one new interesting thing to another.
I ALWAYS TRY TO HAVE FUN WHILE PRACTISING!
-
These might be of interest.
-
Yeah, I'm memorising too, since part of the intention is to improve my repertoire. I haven't really spent any time learning solos this way, though - just heads and melodies. So the approach your taking with Introspection is piece-meal, and actually writing it down as you figure it out? Originally Posted by James W
Yeah, I chose Dexterity for a RC because it's a reasonable tempo and one of the better melodies.
-
Yep. I may learn/memorise it down the line though... Originally Posted by CliffR
-
Major Scale, intervals, arpeggios while limiting myself on various places on the neck. Also classical guitar pieces and and etudes. I switch between those 2 things often and depending on my mood, no structure.
-
Interval and melodic patterns in a diminished scale sequence
Fmin7 pattern C F Ab Eb 5 1 b3 b7
move that pattern in tritones
Bmin7 F# B D A
on all string sets
Played against Ab7 B7 D7 F7 and alterations
Create a progression with those and other chords and think of Scofield
-
Thanks, and it is a great motivator, and fun, too. It seems to add a social dimension to practicing, so much of which is done in isolation. Shedding, or playing in isolation, is important, but there's an area between that and performing gigs that can be filled in with jam sessions and joint practicing. Originally Posted by charlieparker
Sometimes, these things are not easy to find, granted. And sometimes they require quite a bit of effort and can become costly and time consuming. But for me, it's definitely worth it.
One of the jams that I go to came about by accident, a chance encounter, not unlike your impromptu jam in the music store. In my case, the Mrs. and I were at an ice cream parlor, and I saw a familiar face, it turned out to be a trumpet player that I saw performing at a few local venues, and he was there with his family, too. We got to chatting and somehow the topic of jam sessions came up. He asked if I knew about this monthly jam he goes to, which I did not. He was surprised, because he drove almost an hour each way to participate and yet it was five minutes from where I lived! He showed me the name of the venue and the address. And then something clicked. About five years ago, sometime before corona, I was at a venue that focuses on blues and 50s rock, most local bands gigging. We got to talking with others and when someone asked where I lived, they said there was a venue near there that holds jam sessions. They didn't recall a name and I couldn't find a listing. Then corona happened, and everything was shut down for the better part of two years. No gigs nor jams.
But after the chance encounter at the ice cream parlor, which was just a year or so after things started up again, I realized the two brief mentions were one and the same place. So I went to the next jam and found out it was mostly invitation only, but I mentioned my friend so there was no problem getting in, especially after he showed up and talked to the house master. So I got on their mailing list and started going to jams everyone month, where I met new people that led me to other venues that were holding jams. I found out that within an less than an hour driving distance, there were half a dozen venues that hold jazz jams on a regular basis. In the next few months, I went to them all and started seeing the same faces.
Of course, there is the driving time each week, and making time around work and family needed care. And these venues are "pay to play," by which I mean there is an entrance charge and sometimes also a drink minimum to join. That ranges from about 10 to 15 USD depending on the place. So with gas and pay to play with drinks, it can cost maybe 20-25 USD per jam. But to me all that is totally worth it and I still enjoy going as often as I can.
I should mention that I'm in Japan, and I converted the cost from JPY to USD. But that raises another point, that there are local and regional variations in terms of availability. It took me a few years of persistent effort to find all the venues that I now go to for jams, but it all started with some casual banter over an ice cream sundae. So socializing is important, and it's also important to go to gigs, especially involving regional bands and performers.
For the joint practice, after going to the nearby venue for a few years, the house master, who is a bass player, asked if I would to practice together. After comparing calendars and brining it up the following month, we settled on one night a week where the two of us will practice together, sometimes joined by a vocalist, at the same venue that holds the jams.
Joint practice is somewhat different than a jam session. For the latter, there are usually quite few people on various instruments, and we play tunes that are called by participants, and it's unpredictable and spur of the moment. And it sorta resembles a performance. Joint practice, on the other hand, is just 2-3 people and what we play is based on discussion and suggestion to one another, to work on tunes together, sometimes piece by piece, checking with recordings and sheet music, stopping and starting, etc., even having some informal homework, agreeing to work on something for next week and then doing that together at the next practice session. During the ensuing week, I practice that homework in isolation.
So there's a connection between playing in isolation, which can involve technique and exercises as well as learning tunes, and these more social experiences. What the social experiences add is challenging, but it also gives meaning to isolated practicing. There's a goal that's not limited to myself, but it's not as demanding as, say, preparing for doing a gig.
Wishing you all the best in your quest to find some interesting social music experiences!
-
I'm working on rest strokes but with my M and A right hand fingers instead. I am never satisfied with the tone of my A finger free stroke. My hope is that somehow working on the rest strokes will improve the tone for free stroke.
-
I am practicing Airegin but what melody is used seems to be up for grabs for the first part A. Someone help me? Seems like it all depends so don't get any one melody down. The bridge is fine.
-
I'm currently working on a solo guitar arrangement of the Benny Golson classic, Killer Joe. I already play it often at jam sessions, it's a great jam tune, especially with some horns in the house. I've also done it as a trio with bass and drums and I have an arrangement for that, needing a little more than I would play with a full band but not enough for a fully solo piece.
Usually when learning a tune, even in this case one that I know to some extent, I'll go on the net and look for some videos to see how others approach it. For this project, I found a variety of takes. Some are truly masterful versions done for solo guitar, complete with a walking bassline, chord hits, melody and some ad-lib. These players, one of whom is a member here, are phenomenal musicians who have really mastered the art of solo guitar, almost imparting a piano like vibe to their arrangements. There are others in that category, too, truly amazing, but anything like that is quite far beyond what I am capable of doing.
Another category is deploying a looper or a backing track to hold down the chording while playing the theme and doing some ad-lib over that. This approach sometimes appears in a lesson format, including a lesson by a wonderful teacher who is a member here, too. I've used loopers on some of my solo guitar performances, and I'm planning to use one here.
A few versions pursue the approach of doing a full arrangement by playing all of the parts separately and then editing them together, something like a one person band type format. Some of those emphasize more on the funk, even leaning toward rock, side of the tune.
In addition to a few well-known jazz artists doing Killer Joe, I listened to both the original 1960 Benny Golson Sextet cut, and a 1985 Manhattan Transfer "vocalese" arrangement of that Golson cut in which they put words to the solos for each of the different instruments. I found some ideas for phrasing from listening to how the vocalists adopted the Art Farmer trumpet solo and especially some of the lovely nuances of Curtis Fuller's trombone solo.
So there's a whole world of Killer Joes out there with many possibilities for arrangements.
While I have done some straight forward jazz chord melody arrangements, over the past few years I moved into what might be called "impressions" of tunes, something which was inspired by another member here who does truly unique improvisations on various tunes. In my case, I'll cross over into other genres. For example, I worked up a 15-20 minute Beatles Suite and an arrangement of Tired of Waiting for You, informed by the somewhat minimalist approaches of Bill Frisell, and I've also done a solo guitar impression of Watermelon Man.
So, for the past few days, I've been practicing Killer Joe with that sensibility. I have a sort of a flow for these kinds of tunes, starting with something atmospheric and only hinting at the melody, then moving into a section in which the focus is on the original melody, before next moving into an ad-lib section using a looper, but with a short vamp that is derived from, or hints at, the original changes, and glides into something more personal and comfortable.
For the Killer Joe intro, I establish the tonality through rubato glossing bits of the tune. For the melody section, I'll do a poor man's version of something like a chord melody in tempo, but nothing like what the masters are capable of, and more derived from how I play it in a trio format. That includes the A A B A form of the original. For the vamp to do some ad-lib, I usually derive either clusters or chord fragments to loop. For Killer Joe, I'm using a kind of variant on the C7 - Bb7 vamp, but with less stabbing and more lilting. It's based off of the following (these are the strings and note names, not chords): 6G 4E 3G (hinting at C7), 6Ab 4F 3G (for Bb7), back to 6G 4E 3G, then 6F 5Bb 4D. Once the loop is set, I'll do my ad-lib.
I like to use pedals for these solo sets, and for this one I decided to try out some that I don't use much, one of which is the EHX POG2. There was a moment a while back, IIRC, when some of the younger jazz players used the POG2. So with the above loop running, I played around with the POG2 and used a kind of a C dominant scale derived from the chord tones of both chords in the vamp: C D E F G Ab Bb C. It's fun to explore that as a kind of mode, targeting certain tones on certain chords. After some time, I stopped and the Mrs., who knows next to nothing about music, was clapping! She said it sounded great, which she rarely does. I wasn't so sure, but I think that sometimes we can listen to the views of those less inclined toward having expectations of what a version of a song ought to sound like.
So I practiced the intro, melody and ad-lib sections for a couple of days, moving from section to section and getting my two left feet to hit the right buttons at the right time.
But rather than returning to the vamp again to restate the melody, I play the melody as a way to end up the ad-lib section, and apply some delay to the POG2 before stopping the loop. The idea is to create an atmospheric ending, similar to the way I begin the tune, but with some use of the Rubberneck analog delay trails. So far, I'm happy with this approach.
Now that the arrangement for Killer Joe is more or less ready, I need to rehearse it for the set, which will be the first time performing it outside of a combo setting, and also integrate that into the solo performance set list, which will be: Tired of Waiting for You (10mn), the Beatles Suite (15-20mn) and this impression of Killer Joe (perhaps up to 10mn). I cleared my calendar for the next two weeks (including jam sessions and joint practices) to prep for the set, to get into the zone but also acclimate to the guitar I'm planning to use for the set.
For jazz jam sessions and joint practices, I've been using my 1970s Gibson Johnny Smith, straight into a venue backline amp (or acoustically for the practice sessions). But for these solo sets, which I only do a few times a year, I like to use a solid body, along with several pedals, for the fun of it. Last solo set, I played my Beatles Suite for an audience of 120 in an auditorium, using my Kawai Moonsault (with on-board effectors) into a Mad Professor board. For the upcoming set, I plan to use a 1970s Gretsch Chet Atkins "Super Axe," also with on-board effectors (phaser, compressor). The feel and approach for the archtop and the others are quite different, and it usually takes about two weeks to properly acclimate.
On performance day, I'm one of several acts that will each do a 45 minute set for an event at a local venue, for which an audience of up to 50, including the other performers, can be expected. My set is preceded by three other acts, including a duo of a singer/guitarist with someone on cajon doing originals. In fact, the singer, who I know from other venues and events, just wrote to me saying they're looking forward to sharing a stage with me at this upcoming event. So it should be a fun social experience playing music with and for others.
After that, it'll be back to my weekly jam session and joint practice routine with the archtop, playing mostly jazz. Thank you for reading, and wishing you all the best in your practicing!
-
I went through the same thing with Oleo. Learned the Bags Groove version by ear for education and then memorized the real book one for playing at jams. Originally Posted by deacon Mark
-
Probably the Bags Groove version of Airegin too, I would imagine? Originally Posted by AllanAllen
It’s Sonny and he’s also playing in unison with Miles so you’ll get maybe a straighter rendition with no embellishments.
I think if I were talking to a hobby student or something, I’d tell them to probably learn it from the Real Book and check often against that recording. Learn it by playing up to that tempo.
-
I wasn't sure if the big influential version of Airegin was also from Bags Groove. I haven't gone into that tune yet.
-
ESP
I'm an intermediary at best, but I have played enough bop tunes and GASP to kinda make my way through them. Not that it's undying art by any means, but I can sorta make sense.
These harmonies are throwing me off. They move funny. So far I don't know how to make musical sense over them. I can kinda get at the right notes, but I'm struggling to make it feel unified.
-
I'm mapping out Pitch collections for Key centres on the whole fretboard in the most common keys. Resolving to the 3rd, 5th or 7th on the down beats (1 and 3).
Play any notes in any order, but resolve to a the 3rd, 5th or 7th on the down beats (1 and 3). Using your ear and copying Jazz phrases from recordings.
Example below for a C Major Pitch Collection.
Reply With Quote
Recommandations for Hollowbodies for $600 and under?
Today, 05:20 AM in Guitar, Amps & Gizmos