The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #126

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    Quote Originally Posted by a_small_coyote
    Ah ok thank you for the help!

    I'm not sure what you guys mean by context in this example, there's not a lot of context because it's such a short hook. I guess you mean which key or scale? I'm still working that part out lol.

    The only two chords in the run are XXX432 and then XXX032, which sound really great together. But I'm thinking the theory of why they sound so good and what else to throw in there is gonna be just beyond my theory reach right now haha.
    By context I mean one of two things:

    1. If playing with a band you have to consider all the notes being played at the time you are playing that chord.

    2. You have to look at what came before and after that voicing. I'll sometimes play several quick chords as all being part of one chord and I'm thinking Gmaj7 stuff. For instance:

    xx5777

    xx4455

    xx3344

    xx3343

    In that context, I'm thinking Gmaj7 and embellishments the whole time.

    Here's a cliche:

    xx354x

    xx333x

    xx131x

    That's a blues F7 chordal lick. One kind of hears it as a related group and I just think F7.

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #127
    That's pretty interesting, and still a little out of my reach. But the good thing is that a little over a month ago I would have no idea what you're talking about, and now I'm actually beginning to make sense of it!

    Also I just reached Page 8 haha. I'm moving glacially slow through this book, but I'm actually ok with that. Creating some pretty cool melodies of my own as well.

  4. #128
    Hi everyone, I just started the Modern method and am having a great time. It took me over a week to get comfortable with everything up to page 17 but I think that I am ready to move on today. I do plan on reviewing the previous material a lot as I move on though.

    I am really impressed with the book so far. So much so that even though it will be a long time before I need them, I ordered books 2 and 3 and the Jazz Songbook I. My only problem/regret is the DVD-ROM that comes with Volume I doesn't play on any of my Macs running Mountain Lion (OSX 10.8.1). I contacted Berklee Press and it looks like they will not be updating/supporting the DVD any more (See quote that follows).

    Hi Anthony,

    Thanks for contacting us. No updates are planned for the Modern Method DVD at this time. Unfortunately, this decision is up to our distributor, Hal Leonard, and we have not heard any word that they plan to update the format. I apologize for this inconvenience. Please feel free to let me know if you have any further questions.

    Sincerely,
    Rob Fusco
    Senior Customer Service Rep
    Berkleemusic


    The only way for me to use any of the DVD material is to navigate to the subfolder holding the little video clips and open each one individually. It is a pain in the butt but it is better than nothing at all. And here I was hoping that they would make a DVD for books 2 and 3. Oh well, what can you do....

    Back to practicing....

    Anthony

  5. #129

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    Better late than never?

    Page 4!

    Some string rattling here: this guitar has very small string spacing (unlike most Eastman archtops), and I'm probably picking too hard.

    Me first video ever:


  6. #130

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    Hey Kojo, it's good to see you posting a recording.

    You showed a lot of discipline working through that at a slow tempo. I find it can actually be more difficult at a slow tempo.

    Thanks for posting.

  7. #131

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    Quote Originally Posted by fep
    Hey Kojo, it's good to see you posting a recording.

    You showed a lot of discipline working through that at a slow tempo. I find it can actually be more difficult at a slow tempo.

    Thanks for posting.
    Thanks, Fep. Some of my other (audio) posts were too speedy, so I wanted to make sure this one wasn't, and it can be tricky playing slow! Years ago, during my "first phase," I played scales at a ridiculously slow tempo for hours, so that helps, I suppose.

    Man, I'm excited about maybe getting to do this thing. More soon.

  8. #132

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    Quote Originally Posted by Adrienne480
    Looks like you guys are off to a great start with this thread! So for this week, we are going up to the Sea to Sea duet?
    Are you jumping in Adrienne?

    About "this week"... you know, I'm not sure whether we'll do one week per lesson, or two weeks per lesson. The original group (yes, The Founding Fathers: ) began with weekly lessons but somewhere around Section Two of the book, went to 2-week-long lessons. I've worked with this book a bit already and I can tell you, the material becomes almost palpably harder with each lesson. Lesson one is ridiculously simple. Wait till lesson four!

    The way I'm feeling about it now is that we don't have a "group" yet. If a couple of us bound forward, then a couple more want to join, then another and so on, it'll be staggered. I'll let you guys & gals figure out how you want to handle it. I'm thinking Sea to Sea ends the first lesson. Maybe we can coast up to that (pun intended) but go no farther until a few people have completed the duet -- it might be three weeks from now. But we'll have a bigger group that way.

    I see nothing wrong with promoting the group on other forum sites. Acoustic Guitar, Just Jazz Guitar - I don't know the names of them, but announce a study group for serious-minded players of any level, though rank beginners will have a hell of a time with this! Let them know it's a several-month-long commitment. Recording the homework is the whole motivational point. If a person doesn't want to do that, audio or video, hmm. It's still an open forum and a free country....

    I don't know -- somebody else talk now.

    kj

  9. #133

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    The timing in this thing won't win any awards, but I'm sleepy and wanted to do a video, but I'm not sure of the best way to overdub while doing that. I'll figure it out. Meanwhile, the audio still works. A stepping stone though: I want this to be video all the way, if possible.

    I'm playing a new (to me) guitar with very close string spacing, and I get a lot of string rattle against the pick, but I'm adjusting.

    This was fun!


    https://www.box.com/s/j70wc4z5l0iq6evcrl14

  10. #134

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    Here are the final exercises for Lesson 1.

    Ex. 2
    https://www.box.com/s/96e1xajof568gw08b4d5


    Ex. 3 & 4


    https://www.box.com/s/min1tynjlme1r3zk52wy

  11. #135

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    Quote Originally Posted by Kojo27
    The timing in this thing won't win any awards, but I'm sleepy and wanted to do a video, but I'm not sure of the best way to overdub while doing that. I'll figure it out. Meanwhile, the audio still works. A stepping stone though: I want this to be video all the way, if possible.

    I'm playing a new (to me) guitar with very close string spacing, and I get a lot of string rattle against the pick, but I'm adjusting.

    This was fun!


    https://www.box.com/s/j70wc4z5l0iq6evcrl14
    Good job, it sounds like you are using rest strokes.

    Your timing is good. My approach was to almost always use a metronome (often times you can't hear it on my recordings as I was recording direct without a mic, but I was using a metronome). For me it eventually got to where it felt easier for me to play with a metronome as I started feeling I was 'groovin' with it. And, all this metronome practice has helped my timing when playing without a metronome, which is the goal.

    Using rest strokes was the challenge for me at this point as I hadn't used the technique before. But to get through this piece, it sure seems necessary as you have to mute the previous notes and you have to play chords on the inside strings.

    _____________________________

    Off topic, have you tried recording with a more traditional mic placement (about a foot away pointing at the fret where the neck joins the body of the guitar).

    Great Acoustic Guitar Tone ? Mic Placement: Mono (Part 4 of 7) | Home Studio Corner

  12. #136

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    Quote Originally Posted by fep
    Good job, it sounds like you are using rest strokes.

    Your timing is good. My approach was to almost always use a metronome (often times you can't hear it on my recordings as I was recording direct without a mic, but I was using a metronome). For me it eventually got to where it felt easier for me to play with a metronome as I started feeling I was 'groovin' with it. And, all this metronome practice has helped my timing when playing without a metronome, which is the goal.

    Using rest strokes was the challenge for me at this point as I hadn't used the technique before. But to get through this piece, it sure seems necessary as you have to mute the previous notes and you have to play chords on the inside strings.

    _____________________________

    Off topic, have you tried recording with a more traditional mic placement (about a foot away pointing at the fret where the neck joins the body of the guitar).

    Great Acoustic Guitar Tone ? Mic Placement: Mono (Part 4 of 7) | Home Studio Corner


    Thanks for all this, Frank -- I was using all rest strokes, and that brought about some of the string rattle as I'd rest on a string and then, when lifting the pick off, I'd hit a string above it that was, with chords, still vibrating. Need to work on that, but rest strokes are great. I'm sold on the whole idea, esp. for acoustic guitars, or big archies.

    Thanks for the mic-placement tip! I have no idea what I'm doing with this recording business. Need all the help I can get. Much of the problem is my inexperience with Audacity; I still have to learn about input levels and how to "mix down" stuff, if that's possible. I have Pro Tools, but haven't make heads or tails of it so far.

    Appreciate the feedback.

    kj

  13. #137

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    ok, I've done a bit of recording and playing today.
    this video is the intro to the C major scale. I play it at 90bpm once as written followed by twice through as if it was quarter notes and then once more as half notes!


  14. #138

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    Hi Clamps,

    Sound pretty much perfect... But, hey I don't remember that last part.

    Time to move on.

  15. #139

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    here it is again, a little bit slower. I played at 60 bpm, if anyone would like to jam along at a slower speed!


  16. #140

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    hi again! I recorded exercises 2, 3 and 4. I did a quick and a slow version of number 1, but my macbook has 23 mb of space on it, and I think it got lost in the shuffle somewhere....

    anyay, here's 2,3 and 4.


  17. #141

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    All sounding good - keep up the good work -- the really easy stuff doesn't last long.

    Kojo

  18. #142

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    hi! exercise 5 from pg 8 @ 120 bpm.




    and here is exercise 6!

    Last edited by Clamps; 10-04-2012 at 12:47 AM.

  19. #143

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    Hey - good work again. You have excellent musicianship; right with the metronome and good note clarity. As I said earlier, enjoy this simple stuff now, because it escalates REAL fast.

    Also, just to say, no biggie: Leavitt intends this Modern Method thing to be a study in *pick style* guitar, and the etudes and exercises are for building facility with a pick - strength and coordination in the right hand.

    I'm *very* tempted sometimes to fingerpick these things - check out Endurance Etude for a good example! Wow, with a pick, that's a killer. With fingers, it's simple. Fep fingerpicked one of the duets in the last group, playing both parts simultaneously; it was beautiful, of course, but still an exception.

    Basically, do your own thing. I'm not anybody's boss - just saying for what it's worth.

    Keep posting - I'll have up some stuff soon. : )

    Kojo

  20. #144

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    I just realised my post belongs here and not in the sticky on the beginner's thread
    Here is me doing to the first exercise of vol 1 at 80bpm. Click not audible.


    Please let me know if the group is still going here. If so, I will definitely post more videos of myself going through the course. I have a couple on my hard drive ready to go.

    Self critique:

    • 80 bpm not a spectacular speed but so far the max speed I've been able to execute with both a metronome and no mistakes at the point of making the video. I could probably do it faster, but reading Ten Left Thumbs, 80 bpm might be good to move on for now?


    • Volume could be definitely more even


    • Can't say I was a 100% relaxed


    One question I have: I've been trying to read the whole thread but is there a mark set for when it's time to move on to the next chapters/excersises? A certain speed combined with no mistakes at all or 1-2 mistake slack?

    As of now I'm working on sea to sea duet. 80 bpm was ok and have that recorded but I figured I will only post sea when I have it down at 120 bpm?
    Last edited by Langs; 08-15-2013 at 04:30 PM.

  21. #145

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    Hey Kojo27,

    Your feedback is awesome thanks so much. I think I'm pretty serious about this.

    Do you have the DVD? If so, are you doing "rest strokes?"
    No and no. I looked up what rest strokes are, and I actually do rest strokes in other circumstances. Without knowing what the deal with reststrokes would be in this particular setting, I thought part of the exercise was to let the chords ring fully and then land your fingers properly on the beat i.e. not having much time because of the ringing that went before the landing. I know I could have said it simpler but can't find the words for it right now.

    Anyway here are the other videos up until Sea to Sea at 100 bpm. So after your feedback, I might go ahead and proceed to the material after Sea to Sea duet and review it later.

    p5: exercise 2



    ex3



    ex4



    ex5

    Last edited by Langs; 02-05-2014 at 02:19 AM.

  22. #146

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    Way to go, Langs -- keep it up! Very good timing, which is hard at slow tempos like these, but we all play them slow (or I did) because we're learning to read music. You'll be amazed how extremely diligent Leavitt was in creating this book so that, with every page, the material becomes harder. Just 20 pages in, you'll be playing some challenging stuff. And the book will transform you as a guitarist, in my opinion. I worked through the first two volumes years ago, but went too fast and I'm back to go slower. But just the fast go-through taught me so much.

    So stick with it. You have excellent left-hand positioning. Just watch that you don't arch that wrist too sharply - injuries can happen.

    About Sea to Sea: good playing. Are you going to play the parts separately? I did that for a couple of the duets. Another option is to play along with the DVD guy, do each part with him. Or you can overdub, which is what most of us did, but you don't have to. For that you'd need software (Audacity is free and very good) and an interface such as M-Audio FastTrack, which lets you plug your guitar straight into your computer via USB port.

    Anyway, again, great job. You'll probably do better if you set yourself a general goal, say one lesson (according to the DVD lessons) a week, or every two weeks, ten days, whatever -- and try to move through the book that way.

  23. #147

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    Hey man thanks very much again. I'm all pumped

    Good point you made with the left hand positioning to keep the angle as close to 0 degrees as possible. with the thumb behind the neck it could be easy to overach the wrist in the opposite direction than the one Fep warns for.
    But anyway, yes I pretty much play everything with my thumb behind the neck.

    I could let garageband have me record the two tracks in overdub but for now I'm just going to record separately. Probably tonight I'll have the time to record the melody notes of sea to sea. What you're hearing on the videos I uploaded so far is a line6 usb interface so you're hearing some modeled amp straight into quicktime.

    So again I don't have the DVD unfortunately just the book. No CD either. Think I'm going to stick with the book a bit more and get the DVD.

    Great tip on setting the time as a mark to move on. I'm going to figure out a number of hours per lesson because I've been planning my practice sessions one day prior for a week and I'm liking that very much.

    Talk soon I'll be posting the sea to sea solo

  24. #148

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    Moving on, the Sea to Sea lead part:



    Self critique
    between 0:30 and 0:40 1 note simply missing so skipped it to stay in time. Then 1 or 2 notes that didn't ring. The 2 note harmonics not ringing very well at the beginning either.

    Sea to Sea rhythm:

    Last edited by Langs; 02-05-2014 at 02:21 AM.

  25. #149

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    Good job again, Langs! Your timing is very good. You'd do the duets justice, I think, if you could play both parts together somehow, but that's up to you. I could never get the hang of a click track - need more practice I guess.

    If I remember right, I think missed a note in this thing, too... Sometimes it happens - screw it, you'll get it better as you keep going back and reviewing the pieces. This is the most important aspect of the Method - review. Never stop going back and back. Make a set # of pages (3 or 4) and review that many a day. Fep used to (probably still does) review the whole book in a weekend - that sort of marathon reviewing. He's a learn-a-holic, though - I'm not suggesting you emulate him. Hah.

  26. #150

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    And here's exercise 6 at 100 bpm; actually happy to record with some daylight. Going to try and get the click on record as well in the future.

    Last edited by Langs; 02-02-2014 at 05:31 AM.