Just the melody.

[John A.]

Double stops are cheating.


Just kidding, sounds great. That organ backing track is a fun one, isn't it?

Yeah, those Phil Wilkinson tracks are the best ones out there.

[John A.]

Here's Here's that Rainy day. On the whole minor vs major -- I like to begin the head in major, end on a minor as an ending.

[ragman1]

This is a nice simple tune but it's really in the improv that there's a chance to explore stuff. And I suppose the video is just a way of watching my hands or something. I agree, it is very impressive.

I've noticed on YT transcriptions that they rarely play it like the lead sheet. They change the chords and go all over the place. Ah, well.

[AllanAllen]

I like to sub the Dm7b5 for G#9 makes it easier. I like the Cm at the 8th fret, but not the 10th fret Dm7b5.

[ragman1]

I was just doing shells and I think the highest was C7 at the 8th. But shells make it all pretty easy. It wasn't that fast either.

[pamosmusic]

Be -bop Ch.Parker's melody with short impro.
Barbados:

loooove this tune

[lawson-stone]

Took a shot at Autumn Leaves, here in G/Em. I think I'll also try it in Bb/Gm. Strange, the things we notice. I thought I was playing pretty high up on the neck, but looking at the video, I was pretty much in the middle. I have the folksinger's habit of not wanting to venture past about the 5th fret....

[Mick-7]

Took a shot at Autumn Leaves, here in G/Em. I think I'll also try it in Bb/Gm. Strange, the things we notice. I thought I was playing pretty high up on the neck, but looking at the video, I was pretty much in the middle. I have the folksinger's habit of not wanting to venture past about the 5th fret....

You were playing at the 7th fret and up, which is relatively high for a ES-175. I tend to play higher up on the fretboard on my solid-body guitar with its longer scale than I do on my hollow-body guitar. This is a downside of shorter scale guitars, they can deter you from playing at the 9th to 12th frets and so you're liable to not know that position as well.

P.S. - Your shirt nicely matches the song selection.

[ragman1]

Why are you making it so complicated? Keep it simple. You can go crazy on the soloing :-)

[lawson-stone]

Why are you making it so complicated? Keep it simple. You can go crazy on the soloing :-)

Are you talking to me? I didn't think I'd made it complicated at all. What's your problem?

[pamosmusic]

Kind of preferred Lawsons actually. If that’s allowed.

The fills were in good taste and didn’t disrupt the flow of the melody. Trickier than it sounds.

[John A.]

You were playing at the 7th fret and up, which is relatively high for a ES-175. I tend to play higher up on the fretboard on my solid-body guitar with its longer scale than I do on my hollow-body guitar. This is a downside of shorter scale guitars, they can deter you from playing at the 9th to 12th frets and so you're liable to not know that position as well.

P.S. - Your shirt nicely matches the song selection.

The difference in fret width between a 24.75” (or closer to 24.6” in the case of Gibson and 25.5” scale) beyond the first few frets is vanishingly small. It’s only .03” difference in spacing between 8th and 9th frets. I can see the limited fret access due to the body design of a 175 discouraging upper-fret playing compared to something with easier upper-fret easier access, but not the scale-length.

[John A.]

Took a shot at Autumn Leaves, here in G/Em. I think I'll also try it in Bb/Gm. Strange, the things we notice. I thought I was playing pretty high up on the neck, but looking at the video, I was pretty much in the middle. I have the folksinger's habit of not wanting to venture past about the 5th fret....

Nice one Lawson.

[mr. beaumont]

Nice one Lawson.

Agreed, sounding great Doc Stone.

[John A.]

C'est une chanson qui nous ressemble ...

Anyway,here's to ornamenting the melody and not just playing it in one straight line ...

[Mick-7]

The difference in fret width between a 24.75” (or closer to 24.6” in the case of Gibson and 25.5” scale) beyond the first few frets is vanishingly small. It’s only .03” difference in spacing between 8th and 9th frets. I can see the limited fret access due to the body design of a 175 discouraging upper-fret playing compared to something with easier upper-fret easier access, but not the scale-length.

Semantics, that's what I meant, but you're right, it's a poor alibi for lacking knowledge of the highest quartal of the first 12 frets of the fretboard, we'll have to come up with another one... my fingerboard only has inlays on the first 7 frets, will that do?

Anyway,here's to ornamenting the melody and not just playing it in one straight line...

No dice, in this exercise, playing chords counts as ornamenting the melody. The challenge is making it sound good without harmonic support, rhythmic variety is key to that.

[John A.]

Semantics, that's what I meant, but you're right, it's a poor alibi for lacking knowledge of the highest quartal of the first 12 frets of the fretboard, we'll have to come up with another one... my fingerboard only has inlays on the first 7 frets, will that do?

Forgive me for commenting on the words you used rather than the thought you meant to express. I’ll try to do better next time.

No dice, in this exercise, playing chords counts as ornamenting the melody. The challenge is making it sound good without harmonic support, rhythmic variety is key to that.

I just plays ‘em like I feels ‘em.

[Mick-7]

I just plays ‘em like I feels ‘em.

Yeah, I know it's hard to hold yourself back and it's quite difficult to make a simple melody sound interesting without harmonic accompaniment, which is why this exercise is much more challenging than it may seem. Playing a melody really fast can work but then when it's time to solo, the tune you thought you knew becomes a stranger.

[John A.]

Yeah, I know it's hard to hold yourself back and it's quite difficult to make a simple melody sound interesting without harmonic accompaniment, which is why this exercise is much more challenging than it may seem. Playing a melody really fast can work but then when it's time to solo, the tune you thought you knew becomes a stranger.

It’s not challenging at all, and I can easily just play a single line. I just didn’t want to, and I think my excursions fall within the spirit.

[Mick-7]

It’s not challenging at all, and can easily just play a single line. I just didn’t want to, and I think my excursions fall within the spirit.

The key point in my comment was "to make it sound interesting."

[John A.]

The key point in my comment was "to make it sound interesting."

if you have a key point it has escaped my understanding. Assume I’m as dumb as you think I am and just say it without all the indirection.

[Mick-7]

if you have a key point it has escaped my understanding. Assume I’m as dumb as you think I am and just say it without all the indirection.

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be cryptic. I'm talking: no safety net at all - single line melody only, no backing track. Making that sound interesting is my personal challenge for this exercise.

[pamosmusic]

For the love of all that is holy, Mick. No one cares.

Unless Mr B designated you the official Melody Thread Police, I think you’re being a little extra over here.

And by the way … your submissions have been … let’s say, rather liberal with the melody anyway.

[John A.]

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be cryptic. I'm talking: no safety net at all - single line melody only, no backing track. Making that sound interesting is my personal challenge for this exercise.

Ok, that’s your personal challenge, not some hard and fast rule for this thread. I took the instructions to be more liberal than that, and I think I’m in good company there. My challenge is “play the melody so that its stands on its own but also sounds like something that could flow into a solo.”
You do you, I do me. How about that?

[Mick-7]

For the love of all that is holy, Mick. No one cares.

Unless Mr B designated you the official Melody Thread Police, I think you’re being a little extra over here.

And by the way … your submissions have been … let’s say, rather liberal with the melody anyway.

I did say that what I described is my "personal challenge," and actually, other than my "no backing track" condition, is in keeping with Mr. B's exercise rule, which was: "The idea is very simple, just play the melody to a tune. Single notes only. Phrase it your way."

My challenge is “play the melody so that it stands on its own but also sounds like something that could flow into a solo.” You do you, I do me. How about that?

I think your "play the melody so that its stands on its own" = my "make it sound interesting." We must each be our own judge of whether what we've played meets that standard. Imagining one's recording without a backing track can make it a little clearer.