The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #26

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    I recorded exercise 5, 6, 7, 8 on this video.

    My initial challenge was working on the rest stroke chord playing (exercises 6, 7, & 8). Then I found another challenge, muting unwanted strings from continuing to ring. For the muting I was using the pad along the edge of my right hand. The muting becomes more important when playing electric as they sustain more than acoustics.

    Critique, my chord rest strokes are clumsy in that they are too heavy handed and not fast enough. My muting is chopping the chord off too soon.


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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #27

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    I'll try and do a recording later in the week. meanwhile I'm totally addicted to pressing on through the book, now that i can see my way to part two. What i find amazing is I go back to these first few pages - and it's still hit and miss whether I hit the right notes. Somehow the faster stuff feels easier.

  4. #28

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    I did this to a backing track. I'm muting all chords with the side of right hand for practice at that technique (night recording, lighting is weak, makes movement blurred, sorry). I went through the exercise twice on the video.

    I've attached the backing track for those that want to use it to practice with.

    Last edited by fep; 01-10-2012 at 10:40 PM.

  5. #29

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    Quote Originally Posted by fep
    I did this to a backing track. I'm muting all chords with the side of right hand for practice at that technique (night recording, lighting is weak, makes movement blurred, sorry). I went through the exercise twice on the video.

    I've attached the backing track for those that want to use it to practice with.

    Thanks for posting this. Some questions and comments (intermixed):
    • It sounds very nice, and thanks for the track.
    • I hear you holding the third beat of the measure longer than beats 1,2, and 4. I like your way better - it sounds more musical - but I don't think the exercise is written that way. I hope you don't mind me suggesting that in general, caution should be exercised when departing from the way an exercise is written.
    • What's up with the B natural half-note at the end of the exercise? You are playing it as a C chord, which makes sense. I have never seen this kind of marking before. The exercise wants to resolve to (end up on) the C chord, so why doesn't Leavitt just write out a C chord? The B sounds terrible to me. What am I missing?
    Thanks again.

  6. #30

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    Quote Originally Posted by HighSpeedSpoon
    Thanks for posting this. Some questions and comments (intermixed):
    • It sounds very nice, and thanks for the track.
    • I hear you holding the third beat of the measure longer than beats 1,2, and 4. I like your way better - it sounds more musical - but I don't think the exercise is written that way. I hope you don't mind me suggesting that in general, caution should be exercised when departing from the way an exercise is written.
    • What's up with the B natural half-note at the end of the exercise? You are playing it as a C chord, which makes sense. I have never seen this kind of marking before. The exercise wants to resolve to (end up on) the C chord, so why doesn't Leavitt just write out a C chord? The B sounds terrible to me. What am I missing?
    Thanks again.
    I don't mind your comments at all, rather, I appreciate them. That is what this is all about. It made me go back and look at the music and give it a listen.

    I just listened and watched... It sounds and looks to me that I'm holding both the 1 and the 3 longer as I'm choking off the 2 and 4. I could be wrong but that's what I hear and what I was trying to do. The muting with the side of my hand like this is new for me, I wishh I could choke it off for less of a duration like a sixteenth note. But it's a pretty fast move. It's quick and actually hard to see in the video, but concentrate on my right hand and you might be able to make it out.

    And that is the way it's written. The commas in the notation indicate that the chords should be choked off and therefore sounded less than the full value of the quarter notes (those slashes stand for playing the chords as quarter note rhythmic values).

    The last "note" isn't a note at all, that large diamond is a chord rhythmic value and it means to hold the chord for the length of a half note (two beats in this case).

  7. #31

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    About the 1 and 3: Yes, it is written that way. FWIW I heard the recording a little differently from you, although it was hard for me to pick the guitar out from the rest of the mix.

    About the diamond: My copy does not have a diamond!! It has a garden variety half note. Here is an excerpt scanned from my book:




    I guess one runs into that. Well, as my daddy used to say: I'm glad we had this chat.


    Thank you Frank.
    Last edited by HighSpeedSpoon; 01-11-2012 at 08:51 AM.

  8. #32

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    HSS - looks like you've got yourself a typo there. That's supposed to be a diamond shaped sign, which just happens to live on the middle line. Someone or something has seen it and reprinted it as a B.

    That would sound fairly awful as a B.

  9. #33

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    Actually, I like the sound of that B when (incorrectly) I allow the C chord to continue to resonate - the resulting CMaj7 chord is one of my personal favourites! But even when played as written, I still like the B... just me of course.

  10. #34

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    Thanks guys for the clarification on the rest stroke, it made me realise I overlooked that technique part of the method. I'm note sure I would have understood it correctly without the infos on this thread...

    Quote Originally Posted by fep
    Then I found another challenge, muting unwanted strings from continuing to ring. For the muting I was using the pad along the edge of my right hand. The muting becomes more important when playing electric as they sustain more than acoustics.
    Definitely a challenge! I'll try that right hand method, even though I'm pretty sure it looks easier than it really is to accomplish. Anyway, challenges bring improvement, so it's all good!

    However, there is one bothering thing concerning the diamond you were discussing (I can't read videos for the moment unfortunately, I guess fep's vid settles the matter, sorry to bother but I can't wait to know...):

    - Does it mean that we need to hold the previous chord played for 2 more beats? In that case the second chord would last for 3 beats.
    - Or does it tell us to actually play a third chord that lasts for 2 beats? In this case there are 3 chords played for that measure.

    [By the way, just to let you know, I've changed my nickname (it previously was lvdz), I'm not crashing in this thread like hair in the soup (literraly translated)]

  11. #35

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    Quote Originally Posted by Aant
    However, there is one bothering thing concerning the diamond you were discussing (I can't read videos for the moment unfortunately, I guess fep's vid settles the matter, sorry to bother but I can't wait to know...):

    - Does it mean that we need to hold the previous chord played for 2 more beats? In that case the second chord would last for 3 beats.
    - Or does it tell us to actually play a third chord that lasts for 2 beats? In this case there are 3 chords played for that measure.
    "Hair in the soup." I've never heard that one, I like it.

    That last measure is three strums of the C chord on the 1 2 and 3, the last strum is held for two beats.

    This type of rhythm notation is often referred to as "Rhythm Slashes". Below are two examples of noteheads for rhythm slashes. It seems Leavitt uses the type in the first stave, I like the noteheads in the 2nd stave better. Both of these staves are played exactly the same.

  12. #36

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    Okay. I looked a few dozen pages ahead and saw the proper diamond notation on pages 30, 43, and 45 of my edition, which I bought some years ago. (I don't remember how many years.) Am I the only one with this typo on page 11? :
    Thanks guys.

  13. #37

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    fep, as an already accomplished guitarist, you show a lot of leadership (and guts) by learning a new technique with the pick and putting it out there on video. Thanks for sticking with us while we bumble through the slow process of learning to read. Oh, and I, too, noticed the motto at the end of your videos. Cats can't wag that well, but I will try to purr more.

    HelpImARock, well, that's what I should be doing, putting some recordings online. I notice you play the chords in one quick stroke, right on time. I tend to play them as more of a quick strum, with the last note the "on-time" note. I'd be interested in hearing comments on whether I should be trying to do it more like HIAR.

    TenLeftThumbs, you're a trooper, and your good attitude and enthusiasm is carrying a lot of us right along with you. I'm glad your right hand is behaving better.

    Is everybody practicing?

  14. #38

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    Quote Originally Posted by strumcat

    HelpImARock, well, that's what I should be doing, putting some recordings online. I notice you play the chords in one quick stroke, right on time. I tend to play them as more of a quick strum, with the last note the "on-time" note. I'd be interested in hearing comments on whether I should be trying to do it more like HIAR.
    i was under the impression that we're supposed to post our exercises so that we can get help on them. maybe i'm doing something that sounds right to me, but is completely wrong. otherwise, it seems (to me) that these threads would be less effective.

    as for the strumming, what do you mean by the last note being "on-time". to my ears, it's slightly behind because i'm playing triads instead of whacking through 5 or 6 strings.

    i teach my rock guitar students to strum from the wrist and not push through the strings from the elbow. eventually you get to the point where you're picking with your thumb instead of the wrist. what i'm trying to do in these examples is play rest strokes instead of free strokes. but that only changes where the pick ends up, not the strumming motion.

  15. #39

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    Quote Originally Posted by ten left thumbs
    Nah! Dinnae fesh.

    Do you ever use a metronome?
    always.

    i record straight to Garageband and use the built in metronome. but it doesn't print to the recording.

  16. #40

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    Quote Originally Posted by Marty W
    Overall your stuff sounds fine to me. Sometimes the chords could be smoother and are a little loud compared to the single notes ...imo. But so are mine! It's a tough technique and the more I think about it the harder it seems.
    interesting. i've always found that chords are louder than single notes. that's why we have boost pedals for solos.

  17. #41

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    Quote Originally Posted by Help!I'maRock!
    interesting. i've always found that chords are louder than single notes. that's why we have boost pedals for solos.
    Right, 6 strings are louder than 1 string in a band situation. What I meant was for chord melody, where a solo guitarist includes small chords as part of the melody. To my ears you have to strum the chords a little lighter to blend together with the notes.

    Btw... the tough technique I was talking about is the rest stroke.
    Last edited by Marty W; 01-12-2012 at 08:18 PM.

  18. #42

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    Quote Originally Posted by strumcat
    Is everybody practicing?
    Yes, practicing. Just not posting too much. School is back in session. I'm taking 15 hours. Between school, full time job, and having 4 kids (one is 3.5 months old) I don't have a lot of time to post but yes to practicing.

    Fep thanks for the reggae Mon. I got here and found the backing track. Nice.

  19. #43

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    Ok so I've decided to join in the fun and recorded One Two Three Four duet on page 10 - 11.

    My comments - a few warts and timing is off again at the end - I blame the metronome!!

    Here is the link:
    2012_01_13_Leavitt_OneTwoThreeFour.mp3 - File Shared from Box - Free Online File Storage

    cheers,
    fs

  20. #44

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    Quote Originally Posted by Marty W
    Right, 6 strings are louder than 1 string in a band situation. What I meant was for chord melody, where a solo guitarist includes small chords as part of the melody. To my ears you have to strum the chords a little lighter to blend together with the notes.

    Btw... the tough technique I was talking about is the rest stroke.
    the rest stroke is definitely tough. i've not had much success with it.

    thanks for the feedback on the chords. what's interesting to me is that i've actively stayed away from hybrid picking the chords because i want to get the rest stroke down. the hybrid picking definitely makes things more balanced, but it's not the technique we're after here. but i'll work on the dynamics. i didn't really know what we were going for here, so i appreciate your responses.


  21. #45

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    Yep me too, that's my main critique with this recording, the rest stroke chords are a bit raggedy, Ann.


  22. #46

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    Start the chords studies by playing smoothly and evenly, with the top note of the chord being the loudest. The problem to solve is this: when playing chords with a pick, you are always doing an arpeggio, never actually playing all notes at once. As your aim and control improves, you can increase the speed of the stroke so that your arpeggio is so quick that it sounds almost like you're plucking with fingers. A small psychological trick is to time your stroke so that the final, or melody, note comes on the beat. In other words, anticipate slightly, starting your stroke a little before the metronome ticks. To hear this in practice, play the chord sequence in question just using the top notes, then play the sequence with the full chords; the melody should remain rhythmically in the same place. I can recommend listening carefully to the early plectrum stylists, from Van Eps to Eddie Lang, Art Ryerson, Dick McDonough, etc., and also more modern players such as Barney Kessel and Johnny Smith.

  23. #47

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    I recorded your C-diddy last night. Here is the link if you want to take a listen.

    2012_01_12_StrumCat_CDitty.mp3 - File Shared from Box - Free Online File Storage

    It's a bit to slow in the beginning, I was trying to emphasize the low C's as a sort of drone...Anyway I like the tune too.

    Cheers,
    fs

  24. #48

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    Quote Originally Posted by fep
    Yep me too, that's my main critique with this recording, the rest stroke chords are a bit raggedy, Ann.

    If you say so We can use this video for reference anyway...

    Quote Originally Posted by strumcat
    I gave "One, Two, Three, Four" a shot too.

    leavitt-vol1-pg10-1234.mp3 by Strumcat on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free
    Sounds very good as well, even though the E note at the beginning of measure 5 for instance is barely hearable, not too sure why... The chords sound very good also, very neat.

    Quote Originally Posted by fs
    I recorded your C-diddy last night. Here is the link if you want to take a listen.

    2012_01_12_StrumCat_CDitty.mp3 - File Shared from Box - Free Online File Storage

    It's a bit to slow in the beginning, I was trying to emphasize the low C's as a sort of drone...Anyway I like the tune too.

    Cheers,
    fs
    Yes ok, a bit slow at the beginning but the overall feeling of the piece is very well rendered, that song definitely sounds good with an acoustic! Nice interpretation.

  25. #49

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    Quote Originally Posted by ronjazz
    Start the chords studies by playing smoothly and evenly, with the top note of the chord being the loudest. The problem to solve is this: when playing chords with a pick, you are always doing an arpeggio, never actually playing all notes at once. As your aim and control improves, you can increase the speed of the stroke so that your arpeggio is so quick that it sounds almost like you're plucking with fingers. A small psychological trick is to time your stroke so that the final, or melody, note comes on the beat. In other words, anticipate slightly, starting your stroke a little before the metronome ticks. To hear this in practice, play the chord sequence in question just using the top notes, then play the sequence with the full chords; the melody should remain rhythmically in the same place. I can recommend listening carefully to the early plectrum stylists, from Van Eps to Eddie Lang, Art Ryerson, Dick McDonough, etc., and also more modern players such as Barney Kessel and Johnny Smith.
    Thanks for clarifying this for us.

    I recorded the duet also, here I give the two parts separately so anyone can play along (the dvd is better, but not everyone has it)
    one two three four pt 1.mp3 - File Shared from Box - Free Online File Storage
    one two three four pt 2.mp3 - File Shared from Box - Free Online File Storage

    The mistakes are quite noticeable. I did my favourite booboo of sticking an open string D under the F chord, making it a much more dramatic Dmin7. Hey, I suppose there is a D in the 2nd guitar part, nevertheless, I *am* trying to play what is written, but this is one mistake my fingers make so consistently I am beginning to wonder if they do it deliberately.

    I could have done it again, and I would just put the mistakes in different places, so I figured I would call it a day.

    Also, pg 11:
    pg 11 rhythm.mp3 - File Shared from Box - Free Online File Storage

    I am really impressed with everyone else's recordings. Strumcat's duet in particular has fallen short of his promise that, by comparison, I would be able to feel great about mine.

  26. #50

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    Quote Originally Posted by ronjazz
    Start the chords studies by playing smoothly and evenly, with the top note of the chord being the loudest. The problem to solve is this: when playing chords with a pick, you are always doing an arpeggio, never actually playing all notes at once. As your aim and control improves, you can increase the speed of the stroke so that your arpeggio is so quick that it sounds almost like you're plucking with fingers. A small psychological trick is to time your stroke so that the final, or melody, note comes on the beat. In other words, anticipate slightly, starting your stroke a little before the metronome ticks. To hear this in practice, play the chord sequence in question just using the top notes, then play the sequence with the full chords; the melody should remain rhythmically in the same place. I can recommend listening carefully to the early plectrum stylists, from Van Eps to Eddie Lang, Art Ryerson, Dick McDonough, etc., and also more modern players such as Barney Kessel and Johnny Smith.
    Sounds good Ron. I'll add that the top note of the chord should be loudest but only as loud as the rest of the melody.

    To anyone that's having trouble. Play an open G note a few times, then quickly strum a C triad (CEG on 543 strings) resting on the 2nd string, making the top note open G. Try to get the single note G to match the rest stroke/strum G.

    Playing the 5th & 4th strings softer than the 3rd string can help but takes a lot of control.