Just the melody.

[AllanAllen]

If you ignore his left hand chords and just listen to his right hand melody, he's playing it in octaves, and it's really pretty how he rhythmically offsets the two notes of the octave. It's also cool how he'll sometimes prolongs a note by playing those offset octaves along with the pulse. It totally sounds magical.

I always wondered what was going on there. A beautiful ballad played in a beautiful way.

[pamosmusic]

Well, I was practicing phrasing, not playing does not help with that.

Interesting … playing too much is usually the biggest problem with my phrasing.

Though maybe what Allen is hearing is a squishiness with the time? The really active interpretation of the melody can be cool, but it’s also easy to drop the time.

[AllanAllen]

You ever try to play all blues and someone just starts blues wailing over it. Some things just sound better with space to me.

Also, Misty starts with the same changes as Four. There Will Never Be Another You is like a hip version of these same changes too. Just something I noticed when I was playing the chords.

[Mick-7]

Interesting … playing too much is usually the biggest problem with my phrasing.

Though maybe what Allen is hearing is a squishiness with the time? The really active interpretation of the melody can be cool, but it’s also easy to drop the time.

Actually, I had a metronome going but I think I occasionally played ahead of or behind the beat, and I may have lost half a measure when I hit the bridge. So Allan has a point, I should forget about embellishments because they are not the focus of the exercise. But I have a hard time not embellishing when it's single note lines only. I'll try to be as sparse as I can next time and see how it sounds.

I always wondered what was going on there. A beautiful ballad played in a beautiful way.

Garner wrote the tune though so he probably knows it really well.

[pamosmusic]

You ever try to play all blues and someone just starts blues wailing over it. Some things just sound better with space to me.

Also, Misty starts with the same changes as Four. There Will Never Be Another You is like a hip version of these same changes too. Just something I noticed when I was playing the chords.

Hmm ... not quite the same.

Four is Eb to Ebm Ab7 … then Ab or Fm ...

Check out September in the Rain and the A section is pretty doggone close to Misty. Beautiful melody too, speaking of

[Ukena]

Here is Take 5, with a clam or two. I think I have the melody down pretty well, though:

[CliffR]

Surprising how hard it is to play without mistakes, even with 30 minutes warm up! A couple of places I'm trying to push or pull the lines, and a couple of places I just plain get the rhythm wrong because I'm trying to be too clever and trip myself up. Ideally there'd be more method to the madness and some sort of musical coherency.

[AllanAllen]

Hmm ... not quite the same.

Four is Eb to Ebm Ab7 … then Ab or Fm ...

Check out September in the Rain and the A section is pretty doggone close to Misty. Beautiful melody too, speaking of

I play the first eight bars of four as
|Eb | %| Bb-7 | Eb7 |
|Ab | % | Ab-7 | Db7|

If you cut the time, that's the first 4 bars of Misty.

Do you play the ii V of Four as a minor I?

[pamosmusic]

I play the first eight bars of four as
|Eb | %| Bb-7 | Eb7 |
|Ab | % | Ab-7 | Db7|

If you cut the time, that's the first 4 bars of Misty.

Do you play the ii V of Four as a minor I?

Yeah listen to the solo section and you can hear an Ebm in the bass for bar three.

[ragman1]

Surprising how hard it is to play without mistakes, even with 30 minutes warm up! A couple of places I'm trying to push or pull the lines, and a couple of places I just plain get the rhythm wrong because I'm trying to be too clever and trip myself up. Ideally there'd be more method to the madness and some sort of musical coherency.

Cliff, it's just familiarity. Do it with a backing all the time, many times a day till it's registered in your muscle memory. Then when you play it by yourself you'll hear the lyrics, the beat and the backing even though they're not there. Keep at it till it's like tying your shoelace.

Give your brain a chance to absorb it. We don't give our brains enough space to adjust to new things. Also record your efforts. Playing with the record button on isn't the same as happily knowing you can stop anytime you like. Become used to being recorded.

The other thing I noticed is you kept glancing to your right at something. I hope it wasn't a cheat sheet! It's no use having some of your mind on the playing and otherwise be distracted by something else.

The 30 mins idea is really for those who already know the tune. It's not for those beginning something entirely new. You can't learn anything in half an hour. It might get into your memory superficially but it's gone just as fast. In fact, you're not 'learning' it at all, that takes time. So the 30 mins is just a warm-up/refresher course for tunes, not a trick to suddenly do something new.

[AllanAllen]

Yeah listen to the solo section and you can hear an Ebm in the bass for bar three.

That sounds like a straight up R 3 5 7 arpeggio, I'm not arguing, just surprised it's not complicated. But I'm more interested in what Red Garland is playing. You really can never study a tune long enough.

[CliffR]

Cliff, it's just familiarity. Do it with a backing all the time, many times a day till it's registered in your muscle memory. Then when you play it by yourself you'll hear the lyrics, the beat and the backing even though they're not there. Keep at it till it's like tying your shoelace.

Give your brain a chance to absorb it. We don't give our brains enough space to adjust to new things. Also record your efforts. Playing with the record button on isn't the same as happily knowing you can stop anytime you like. Become used to being recorded.

The other thing I noticed is you kept glancing to your right at something. I hope it wasn't a cheat sheet! It's no use having some of your mind on the playing and otherwise be distracted by something else.

The 30 mins idea is really for those who already know the tune. It's not for those beginning something entirely new. You can't learn anything in half an hour. It might get into your memory superficially but it's gone just as fast. In fact, you're not 'learning' it at all, that takes time. So the 30 mins is just a warm-up/refresher course for tunes, not a trick to suddenly do something new.

I appreciate the feedback, but to be clear, this is not a new melody for me. I've been working on this tune for months now. I do 'know' the melody, at least in some sense, and play it once a day or so, before I go off and practice improv or lift Bird lines or whatever from it. So yeah, I understood that the 30 minutes was intended as a warm up, not the time to learn it from scratch. It was funny how many different ways I found to screw it up during those 30 minutes .

(And yes, mea culpa, I did use iReal Pro, mostly to be sure I transitioned into the final 8 after the second time around on the A section, which for some reason is something I keep missing.)

[pamosmusic]

That sounds like a straight up R 3 5 7 arpeggio, I'm not arguing, just surprised it's not complicated. But I'm more interested in what Red Garland is playing. You really can never study a tune long enough.

Bass plays 1 2 3 5 then maybe up to the third of the Ab, then the root.

Also Miles starts his solo with G over the Eb, then straight to Gb for the Ebm.

[AllanAllen]

Bass plays 1 2 3 5 then maybe up to the third of the Ab, then the root.

Also Miles starts his solo with G over the Eb, then straight to Gb for the Ebm.

I aspire to have your ear.

[lawson-stone]

Happy Birthday!

Keep pickin' and grinnin' and you should have many more - you must do both though: pickin' and grinnin'.




So we're talking a yogurt-like drink? I always suspected you were off your gourd, Lawson, now we know why.

Yes, the folks I lived with in the rural area of Kenya called it mursik. The boiled the whole milk, and poured it hot into a specific type of gourd that had been burned out with a specific kind of stick (species, that is) so that the inside was coated with a kind of charcoal. They tightly capped the gourd and let is sit for maybe 2 weeks, shaking it vigorously every couple days. The result looked pretty atrocious, like grey cottage cheese with black speckles, but I must confess it tasted heavenly to me, it was fabulous for a sore throat, and was probably 7-10% alcohol so a bit relaxing as well. I loved the stuff. Given that it had been vigorously boiled and treated with charcoal, it was also about the most hygienic thing one could eat out in the rural country.

As for picking AND grinning, no, at 70 I no longer do two things at the same time. My wife would say I pick and grimace; I have a face only a bass player should use.

[ragman1]

I appreciate the feedback, but to be clear, this is not a new melody for me.I've been working on this tune for months now.

Oh, my lord :-)

I do 'know' the melody, at least in some sense, and play it once a day or so

Well, forgive me if I gag a little with incredulity. You've been working on it DAILY for MONTHS and you only vaguely know it 'in some sense'. Are you serious? In that case there's something very wrong with your practice methods. Or there's something wrong with your retention faculties. Or there's something wrong with your interest in playing the guitar at all. Or something I haven't thought of. Maybe other things like work or family are taking the majority of your attention, I don't know.

Weren't you aware of this as you were writing it, that you've been at it for months and still only know it vaguely? It's like saying 'I've lived in this house for five years now and I think I more or less remember the address'. Extraordinary.

It was funny how many different ways I found to screw it up during those 30 minutes .

Well, not so funny really!

(And yes, mea culpa, I did use iReal Pro, mostly to be sure I transitioned into the final 8 after the second time around on the A section, which for some reason is something I keep missing.)

Oh, I knew you were peeking at something. Of course, as long as it's there you'll never learn it. You've got to get it off the page, digital or otherwise.

And what's the point of lifting Bird lines if you can't get hold of a simple tune like this? By lifting do you mean memorising them? Or sort of jotting them down and then forgetting them unless you look at the page?

You're distracted and disorganised by the sound of it. Only you know how or why. Sorry, I know I'm being a little heavy-handed but, really, not being able to play a relatively simple tune like 'All Of Me' after months of daily practice yells problem at me. It should be saying the same to you too.

[kris]

Surprising how hard it is to play without mistakes, even with 30 minutes warm up! A couple of places I'm trying to push or pull the lines, and a couple of places I just plain get the rhythm wrong because I'm trying to be too clever and trip myself up. Ideally there'd be more method to the madness and some sort of musical coherency.

This is a very good take.
There is one small hesitation in the middle, but everything is played in very good time.
Just like some people don't keep time in their recordings, this one is exemplary in this respect.
Best
Kris

[ragman1]

Cliff -

By the way, I've read your posts about coding, AI, and all that. Obviously you're a clever man, knowledgeable and skilled. My partner's a senior systems analyst so I know whereof I speak. So rest assured I'm only beating you up on one level.

If you see what I mean :-)

[pamosmusic]

Oh, my lord :-)



Well, forgive me if I gag a little with incredulity. You've been working on it DAILY for MONTHS and you only vaguely know it 'in some sense'. Are you serious? In that case there's something very wrong with your practice methods. Or there's something wrong with your retention faculties. Or there's something wrong with your interest in playing the guitar at all. Or something I haven't thought of. Maybe other things like work or family are taking the majority of your attention, I don't know.

Weren't you aware of this as you were writing it, that you've been at it for months and still only know it vaguely? It's like saying 'I've lived in this house for five years now and I think I more or less remember the address'. Extraordinary.



Well, not so funny really!



Oh, I knew you were peeking at something. Of course, as long as it's there you'll never learn it. You've got to get it off the page, digital or otherwise.

And what's the point of lifting Bird lines if you can't get hold of a simple tune like this? By lifting do you mean memorising them? Or sort of jotting them down and then forgetting them unless you look at the page?

You're distracted and disorganised by the sound of it. Only you know how or why. Sorry, I know I'm being a little heavy-handed but, really, not being able to play a relatively simple tune like 'All Of Me' after months of daily practice yells problem at me. It should be saying the same to you too.

Ragman, this is the sort of comment I expect from someone who is providing us with consistent excellence.

To be blunt about it, thats not you. The log in thine own eye, etc etc.

Some attempt to relate to another persons small successes and difficulties, or at least a little grace, can go a long way my dude.

[pamosmusic]

This is a very good take.
There is one small hesitation in the middle, but everything is played in very good time.
Just like some people don't keep time in their recordings, this one is exemplary in this respect.
Best
Kris

Right on.

[CliffR]

This is a very good take.
There is one small hesitation in the middle, but everything is played in very good time.
Just like some people don't keep time in their recordings, this one is exemplary in this respect.
Best
Kris

Thanks Kris! Much appreciated!

[CliffR]

Oh, my lord :-)



Well, forgive me if I gag a little with incredulity. You've been working on it DAILY for MONTHS and you only vaguely know it 'in some sense'. Are you serious? In that case there's something very wrong with your practice methods. Or there's something wrong with your retention faculties. Or there's something wrong with your interest in playing the guitar at all. Or something I haven't thought of. Maybe other things like work or family are taking the majority of your attention, I don't know.

Weren't you aware of this as you were writing it, that you've been at it for months and still only know it vaguely? It's like saying 'I've lived in this house for five years now and I think I more or less remember the address'. Extraordinary.



Well, not so funny really!



Oh, I knew you were peeking at something. Of course, as long as it's there you'll never learn it. You've got to get it off the page, digital or otherwise.

And what's the point of lifting Bird lines if you can't get hold of a simple tune like this? By lifting do you mean memorising them? Or sort of jotting them down and then forgetting them unless you look at the page?

You're distracted and disorganised by the sound of it. Only you know how or why. Sorry, I know I'm being a little heavy-handed but, really, not being able to play a relatively simple tune like 'All Of Me' after months of daily practice yells problem at me. It should be saying the same to you too.

Having read years of your posts, I suspect you think you're being constructive, and are expressing a truly-held opinion rather than being confrontational for the sake of it. That said, I don't think it's cool to speculate about my personal life or my 'retention faculties'.

Going further, you're one of the minority of folks on this forum who regularly has 'opinions' on the playing of others. I appreciate hearing the opinions of many here, but some disqualify themselves by posting recordings of their own which, frankly, undermine any authority that their words attempt to claim. I'm not going to lose any sleep worry about what you think of my playing.

[pamosmusic]

I'm not going to lose any sleep worry about what you think of my playing.

Right, there are so many other reasons to lose sleep.

The cats decided it was breakfast time at 4:30 this morning, for example.

[AllanAllen]

[pamosmusic]

Gold medal thumbnail, Allan.