The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    Hello guys. I've been constantly reading and hearing about all the great players like Rollins, Parker, Coltrane, Pastorius, etc, etc... that back in their days used to to study music and their instruments between 8 and 15 hours EVERY DAY..! If you use mathematics it's something like 3650 hours in ONE YEAR and 36500 in 10 YEARS... Compare to the time i spent studying, like REALLY studying (for me, i don't count as studying just noodling with the guitar, playing things that i already know, playing the major scale up &down, etc,etc), it only gets to 480 hours ONE YEAR, 4800 IN 10 YEARS...

    So comparing, this guys studied in one year almost the same amount time that i will have studied in 10 YEARS!!! if i keep up like this it will take me like 100 years to get to be like them..!!!!

    There's a big difference also in the fact that right now we have more efficient and elaborated tools and resources to learn and study, so we should be able to learn the same amount of knowledge in lesser time that what all this masters did by themselves..

    So, i'm determined to change this and to implemente a daily practice & study routine, of at least 6 hours (minimum, the ideal would be 8h). This is pretty exciting but the problem is: What to study? How to distribute the time? What are the priorities..?

    So, in this post we should all try to develop a daily practice routine -everyone should post their own thoughts and ideas about it- and out of all the possible ideas and schedules posted, everyone should be able to make their own routine that adapts to their needs, goals and time available for study..!

    This will be a great help for all the guys like me who are willing to make a change and an effort to make themselves better musicians, but just don't know where to start??? , don't know what information, material or content from AAAALL THE THINGS AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW to use ???, don't know wich areas are more importants than others??? how to distribute the time available between all the things to study????etc,etc...

    I haven't created mine yet, but i have a few ideas. I'll write them in a priority order:

    Ear Training
    Theory (Scales, Harmony,etc,etc,)
    Music Reading
    Improvisation
    Transcribing Music
    Technique

    So thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to read this, and the time to share their experience, knowledge, thoughts and ideas..!

  2.  

    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2
    So Jamey Aebersold mentions two books regarding this subject:

    "How To Practice Jazz" by Jerry Cooker
    "Practicing Jazz: A creative Approach" by David Baker

    Has anybody read any of this..? Are they worth reading..?

  4. #3

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    I have gone through both books over the years..both very good...

    Listen to the great jazz players...

    study your scales over the entire fingerboard..

    study chords and how they are formed and play the chord in every position you can on the fingerboard...

    improvise over the changes to a song of your choice...I sometimes spend 20 - 30 minutes on just one tune...

    reading music is a must for most of us...so you can play the heads to the tunes...and books on improvisation...etc..

    technical exercises to improve your articulation...now that you can read music...find used violin or clarinet method books..they have great technical exercises...

    check out bert ligons site at the U of South Carolina....great stuff...

    time on the instrument..pierre

  5. #4

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    If you really have 6 hours a day to dedicate to practicing - you are one lucky person.

    I would focus on tunes. I would spend at least 3 of those hours on learning and really internalizing songs from the repertoire. Spend an hour a day each on 3 songs for a total of 3 hours.

    The other 3 hours I would spend on transcribing, sight reading, and scales/chords/arpeggios. I've already got the music theory and ear training under my belt - so if you don't, definitely spend some time doing that as well.

    And to tell the truth, it never hurts to get fluent at the piano. :-)

    Make sure you don't burn yourself out. The drive for practicing must come from within, almost like a compulsion - you feel a little guilty if you don't get in your time every day. Take a look at Douglas Niedt's "secret vault" of articles - he has a whole section on practicing. Guitarist Douglas Niedt. Technique Tip of the Month. The Vault

  6. #5

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    "I would focus on tunes. I would spend at least 3 of those hours on learning and really internalizing songs from the repertoire. Spend an hour a day each on 3 songs for a total of 3 hours."

    3 a day may be pushing it for me. But if there is anything I have it is time. I have too much time that I still don't think I am using properly. I could spend the 3 hours on two tunes a day perhaps.

  7. #6

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    Some psychologists speak of The 10,000 Hour Rule. That's the amount of time it takes to master a skill. That's a lot of "time on the instrument," as Pierre says. But not just 'any old time,' it must be focused. Really, we're learning when we're paying attention to our mistakes and correcting them.

  8. #7

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    If I had that much time to practice, I'd think a schedule would be extremely important.

    So, I think you're on the right track. Make a scedule and have the discipline to use it.

    Evaluate that schedule at least once a week and make changes to it as you go.

    For myself my 1st priority is always to play 10 tunes from my repetioire. You can get that done in 15 to 30 minutes. Just playing the melody and the chords and maybe improv for a chorus or two. I don't dwell on one tune as the point of this is to memorize my repetiore.

    Then I'll pick a tune and really work on it... melody, chord melody, playing the chords and related scales and arps in one position and then in another position, transcribe a solo, chords with bass line, improv,

    Then I have some scale, arp, lick, picking excercises I might do.

    Then I'll spend some time with a method book.

    Then I might write some licks, a solo, a tune, an arrangement.

    Most days I only play tunes though. I play guitar pretty much every day but somedays only for 1/2 hour.
    Last edited by fep; 02-27-2010 at 12:38 PM.

  9. #8

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    Honestly, I think the most valuable thing you can do is hohn your ear. Listen to jazz greats, and start figuring out what they are doing by ear. Devise licks and sounds in your head and transfer them to your fingers.

    A good ear is absolutely invaluable.

    I've been one that was overly concerned with scales and theory at one point, but I really do believe a great ear is much more important.

    So learn your chords, learn some theory basics, but don't concern yourself with it too much.

  10. #9

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    Hey JJ a lot of good advice...really
    That 10,000 hour rule most recently made reference to by Malcolm Gladwell's "Outlieners", first brought up by Herb Simon in 70's, is based on 20 hours a week, 52 weeks a year for ten years, which equals 10,000 hours, with 400 off, or two weeks a year....or 50 weeks at 20 hr. for 10 years... That's pretty reasonable... The only thing I might add is until you become proficient at the skills you need to get where you want to go, there all important. For example when I was a young lad I was friends with Lee Konitz's kid Joe, we were at berklee, Joe didn't read very well,(normal guitarist), anyway for five or six month he practiced his ass off reading...Got it together, my point is you need to balance your studies or practice schedule to improve at all the skills required to get where you've decided you want to go with music. Goals with time line and check points, pretty standard stuff. Good luck Reg

  11. #10

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    Lately, I've been lucky to get 6 to 10 hours a week of practice. I wouldn't know what to do with 6 to 8 hours a day of spare time to devote to practice.

  12. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by Reg
    Hey JJ a lot of good advice...really
    That 10,000 hour rule most recently made reference to by Malcolm Gladwell's "Outlieners", first brought up by Herb Simon in 70's, is based on 20 hours a week, 52 weeks a year for ten years, which equals 10,000 hours, with 400 off, or two weeks a year....or 50 weeks at 20 hr. for 10 years... That's pretty reasonable... The only thing I might add is until you become proficient at the skills you need to get where you want to go, there all important. For example when I was a young lad I was friends with Lee Konitz's kid Joe, we were at berklee, Joe didn't read very well,(normal guitarist), anyway for five or six month he practiced his ass off reading...Got it together, my point is you need to balance your studies or practice schedule to improve at all the skills required to get where you've decided you want to go with music. Goals with time line and check points, pretty standard stuff. Good luck Reg
    This brings up a very interesting problem that strikes me once and while though. Do you think it's better to focus, the way your friend did, on just the one aspect (sight-reading, ear-training, chords, whatever) at the expense of the other aspects of music, or is it better to divide up time each day among different aspects. The risk with the first (or at least a fear of mine) is that you lose out on working out the other aspects. The risk with the second approach is that get too mentally "distributed" and also overwhelmed on occasion.

  13. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by franco6719
    This brings up a very interesting problem that strikes me once and while though. Do you think it's better to focus, the way your friend did, on just the one aspect (sight-reading, ear-training, chords, whatever) at the expense of the other aspects of music, or is it better to divide up time each day among different aspects. The risk with the first (or at least a fear of mine) is that you lose out on working out the other aspects. The risk with the second approach is that get too mentally "distributed" and also overwhelmed on occasion.
    There is definitely the problem of getting too diluted. Personally, I have *maybe* 3 hours a day to give to practicing the guitar (usually more like 2:15). In the past, I've always tried to cram in everything - scales, modes, arps, chords, inversions, transcription, tunes, improv, chord-melody, sight reading...and I get nothing accomplished. These days I simply focus on 2 or 3 things for at least an hour at a time, every day, for a few weeks, until I feel a little more accomplished at it. Then I move on to my next weakness.

    You could also try focusing on one thing one day, then another the next, and rotate through everything every couple of days.

    But I feel the important thing is to focus on the task at hand and not get too spread out during one session.

  14. #13

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    Good point... I believe you first need to decide where you want to go with your music. That usually helps decide what skills you need, then set up a schedule that will keep you happy while your on your road...Usually you adjust as you go along. You do need to be honest about yourself so you don't fry..
    Reg

  15. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by franco6719
    This brings up a very interesting problem that strikes me once and while though. Do you think it's better to focus, the way your friend did, on just the one aspect (sight-reading, ear-training, chords, whatever) at the expense of the other aspects of music, or is it better to divide up time each day among different aspects. The risk with the first (or at least a fear of mine) is that you lose out on working out the other aspects. The risk with the second approach is that get too mentally "distributed" and also overwhelmed on occasion.

    Yeah, i think that's the main point of the discussion..! Wheter to distribute a daily routine where you practice ALL the aspects of music and guitar playing in short sessions every day, or to focus and spend as much time as possible on ONLY ONE aspect per day, and the rest in the others days of the week..! Maybe we should a poll about it..! I'll ask my new teachers about their thoughts on that..!

  16. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by franco6719
    This brings up a very interesting problem that strikes me once and while though. Do you think it's better to focus, the way your friend did, on just the one aspect (sight-reading, ear-training, chords, whatever) at the expense of the other aspects of music, or is it better to divide up time each day among different aspects. The risk with the first (or at least a fear of mine) is that you lose out on working out the other aspects. The risk with the second approach is that get too mentally "distributed" and also overwhelmed on occasion.
    Well, I'm a strong believer in the Pareto Principle (80 percent of the results come from 20 percent of the inputs.) I believe a strong ear can compensate for nearly everything else.

    For example, even if you're thinking very theoretically in regard to your improvisation or comping, doesn't your ear ultimately dictate the end result? And if one has a strong ear, can't he break out of the typical scales and chord forms and put what he hears in his head to the fretboard? Does it not enable him to hang on a tune or catch on quickly with a band?

    In the end, I tend to think I've isolated the Pareto Principle in guitar playing, and I think it's the ear.

  17. #16

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    Hey JJ ... Benedetto is right in my Delusional opinion also... Just make sure your ear knows what it's doing. I hear a lot of players coming up with what they believe to be the magical solo and then when they actually hear what they thought they were playing.... Its kind of like playing wrong changes to a tune everyone knows... well anyway I do agree with B. ear training should be large part of schedule... Unless you actually want you want to be able to cover most gigs, you'll need to read well, but like most guitarist don't worry about it...Reg

  18. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by Reg
    Hey JJ ... Benedetto is right in my Delusional opinion also... Just make sure your ear knows what it's doing. I hear a lot of players coming up with what they believe to be the magical solo and then when they actually hear what they thought they were playing.... Its kind of like playing wrong changes to a tune everyone knows... well anyway I do agree with B. ear training should be large part of schedule... Unless you actually want you want to be able to cover most gigs, you'll need to read well, but like most guitarist don't worry about it...Reg
    Agree. I spent a longggg time learning all of the theory and information and it's 99% of it is completely worthless. It's all an attempt to put in to writing what the ear hears, and every single method and book has it's own interpretation. Those things will never substitute a great ear.

  19. #18

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    Re: breaking up your time...

    There are certain areas where I can only be productively learning for a short time period. Others I can be productive for hours, but even still I think you should take a break every hour.

    Ear training ... for me perhaps 1/2 hour is most productive, after an hour I think I'm just wasting my time. I try to do four sessions of ear training a day split between 1) Sight Singing and 2) Practica Musica excercises (dictation, interval recognition, chord type recognition, chord progression recognition). Those sessions are between 15 to 30 minutes each. I'm in a college 4th semester ear training course, I have to spend that much time to survive.

    Scales, licks, arps with metronome, working on technique. I practice that maybe a couple times a week. This is also an area where I think I'm wasting time if I go for more than 1 hour.

    On the other hand, composing, arranging, and recording... I can do that for hours a still be productive. But, like I said it's still good to take hourly breaks.

    Just playing songs... I can probably remain productive at this for a couple of consecutive hours, playing songs represents the majority of my practice time. This includes working out solos, writing chord melody arrangements, finding new voicings, etc.

    What I'm getting at here is the Law of Diminishing returns...

  20. #19

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    Fep, I'm pretty much right with you. Alot of people over practice. It's just like weight lifting and nutrition; recent science has shown weight loss can be completely controlled through calorie restriction and muscle building doesn't require any supplements.

    In a way, I think the same goes for guitar. People are practicing things they "think" work, but they're just wasting their time. The goal is to play guitar and enjoy it, not slave for hours to be the best.

    Optimize your time and results using the 80/20 principle and the Law of Diminishing Returns.

  21. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by 82Benedetto
    Agree. I spent a longggg time learning all of the theory and information and it's 99% of it is completely worthless. It's all an attempt to put in to writing what the ear hears, and every single method and book has it's own interpretation. Those things will never substitute a great ear.
    We'll have to disagree on 99% of theory being useless.

    Look at all the jazz greats, it's hard to find one that doesn't have a firm grasp on theory...

    Miles Davis....
    Charlie Parker...
    Wayne Shorter...
    Mingus...
    Metheny...
    Coltrane...
    etc. etc. etc....
    They all knew theory... some of them studied Debussy, Stravinsky etc. They got deep into theory.

    Besides, theory helps to classify and categorize sounds, and that helps you with ear training and helps your ear.

  22. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by 82Benedetto
    It's just like weight lifting and nutrition; recent science has shown weight loss can be completely controlled through calorie restriction and muscle building doesn't require any supplements.
    I'm skeptical that there is anything but a tenuous correlation between lifting weights/nutrition and practicing an instrument. You're not engaging your thought processes nearly as much when pumping iron as you are when playing or practicing music.

  23. #22

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    Quote Originally Posted by 82Benedetto
    Well, I'm a strong believer in the Pareto Principle (80 percent of the results come from 20 percent of the inputs.) I believe a strong ear can compensate for nearly everything else.

    For example, even if you're thinking very theoretically in regard to your improvisation or comping, doesn't your ear ultimately dictate the end result? And if one has a strong ear, can't he break out of the typical scales and chord forms and put what he hears in his head to the fretboard? Does it not enable him to hang on a tune or catch on quickly with a band?

    In the end, I tend to think I've isolated the Pareto Principle in guitar playing, and I think it's the ear.

    ABSOLUTELY, 1,000 % agree!! I understand the point EXTREMELY WELL.
    However, my ear is not the strongest. I have to admit it. Though it can't be that bad, or I wouldn't be able to transcribe anything, even if slowed down. That is why I am constantly looking for ideas on if and how it is possible to make this aspect "strong".

  24. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by FatJeff
    I'm skeptical that there is anything but a tenuous correlation between lifting weights/nutrition and practicing an instrument. You're not engaging your thought processes nearly as much when pumping iron as you are when playing or practicing music.

    The analogy is perfect actually, in the sense that the brain (which is what we are really talking about not the ears) is a muscle. And, just like with weight-lifting, the thing has to worked regularly, but not to the point that it gets overstrained and you end up with a counterproductive exhaustion or stress.

  25. #24

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    Three main things I think: ear training of different forms, tune learning and memorization, technique (so you can play whatever you feel like). Theory is the easy part anyway. Sight-reading if you need it. Arpeggios.............

    Hmm. now that I think about it....I'm back where we started!

  26. #25

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    Hej.
    I try to do 6-8 hours a day and got into a concept by Steve Herberman which helped me alot to organize practise time. You can buy his masterclasses from a site and there is one particulary on practise. I highly recommend this one for everybody, perhaps especially for those with only one hour per day..