Do You Play Along with Records?

[AllanAllen]

All the time. Probably my favorite way to practice. Especially playing rhythm guitar along with records that didn't have rhythm guitar.

Got any favorites to share?

[AllanAllen]

I like to try to be the guitarist on:

Sonny's "Way Out West" and "Night at the Village Vanguard"
Elvin Jones "Live at the Light House"
Lee Konitz "Motion"
Branford "Dark Keys"
Gerry Mulligan Quartet

Much of the time it feels like being dragged behind a truck. Especially the Elvin record.

Are there changes to Fancy Free? It sounds like a 1 chord vamp, hard for me to really tell with just bass. This is a great album list BTW.

[mr. beaumont]

Got any favorites to share?

Always! Here's a few ive been enjoying...

[enalnitram]

Are there changes to Fancy Free? It sounds like a 1 chord vamp, hard for me to really tell with just bass. This is a great album list BTW.

It only has a couple of chords (the fancy part haha) and a break which is free (lol). It's been a while since I played along with that one (not a lot you can do here...I do prefer more harmonic movement, and there is not a lot of space to fill up. But comping with this record is fun sometimes). It hangs on one chord which I think is G7 ish, and then goes up a minor third, and hangs out there for a bit and then comes back down. That's the form. If you listen to the original Donald Byrd recording and come back to the Lighthouse, you'll hear it.

A couple of other fave non-guitar/piano records that I forgot, are:

Branford "Trio Jeepy"
Motian/Konitz/Swallow "Three Guys"

[AllanAllen]

Always! Here's a few ive been enjoying...

I must be doing something right, those three albums are three heavy sources of inspiration for me.

[BreckerFan]

Big +1 on comping along with chordless trio recordings. A good way to regularly feel bad about yourself, but also ideally to expand your ears hahaha.

Some others to add are:
-kenny Garrett triology
-max roach+4
-first couple tracks on coltrane lush life

[Christian Miller]

Just got Moises….. where has it been all my life?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mr. beaumont]

I must be doing something right, those three albums are three heavy sources of inspiration for me.

Here's another I bet you know. This was my rhythm guitar go to today.

[Tom Wright]

I have long played along with the radio, or internet streaming radio. A DJ choosing tunes and songs forces me to figure out what I'm hearing. I try to match the style, or riffs. It has helped me learn to use my odd instrument (10-string mandolins, acoustic and electric) in several genres. It shows how the voice of an instrument speaks in context.

When playing with radio, I sometimes play against it, having thought of an idea, or wanting to stick with one lick. If playing with the music, it helps me find a groove, is better than a metronome, and the most important thing is a DJ is choosing the music, which challenges me with choices I would not have thought of.

I wanted to replace solo tracks on a recording I had done with a quintet, using electric viola. Playing my electric mandolin to match the exact timing and feel of an earlier session was a real challenge. The practice of playing along with radio helped, I feel.

Playing along with radio is like joining an open-stage jam, but available when I want, daily.