Mickey Baker's Complete Course in Jazz Guitar

[Banksia]

Yes that's correct.

[Simonny9]

I just saw on your forum that Tommy Harkenrider offers a Mickey Baker course on a monthly subscription. https://tommyharkenriderguitar.com/shop/mickey-baker-employee tracking-subscription/It's super cool, thanks a lot. This is exactly what I was looking for

[android]

I just saw on your forum that Tommy Harkenrider offers a Mickey Baker course on a monthly subscription. https://tommyharkenriderguitar.com/shop/mickey-baker-employee tracking-subscription/It's super cool, thanks a lot. This is exactly what I was looking for

Just submitted
Looks interesting

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[Halifax Steve]

Check out Tommy Harkenrider Tommy Harkenrider Blues & Roots | He has video's on book 1 and 2. I complete book 1 with his lessons.

[Macbeth]

Dear all,

I have a few questions:

1. On lesson 16, how do you transcribe / interpret the changes? With G7 > C7, I thought of it as II7 > V7, so in the key of Ab, it's Fm7 > Bb13 > Bbm7 > Bbm6. G7 > Cm confuses me more. I tend to think of it as III7 > vi. Or should I think in V7 > i?
2. I can understand the substitutions intellectually because I know of the common notes. However, sometimes I have a hard time matching the substitution to the original chord when I hear them, simply because they can sound so different. Should I try to learn to match them in my ears? Assuming the answer is a yes: how do I go about that? Play and listen more?
3. There was a link that lists jazz standards without substituted chords so we can practice jazzifying things on our own. If someone could provide that link, I'd be very grateful.

Many thanks and cheers

[Halifax Steve]

G7 to C7; This is quite common in jazz - dom to the dom. There are key changes needed here, G7 is V in C and C7 is V in F.
You can put a II chord before the 2nd dom to make a II V

The G7 to C7, in blues, is a 1 to IV, it can also be a III to VI, ie changes
The G7 to Cm can be VI to II or a III to VIm ie all of m

good luck with you studies.
cheers

[AllanAllen]

Do you know about the Jazz and Hot Guitar Website? It's basically a study guide for the book

I think the website you asked for in 3 is The Vanilla Book.

[Macbeth]

Do you know about the Jazz and Hot Guitar Website? It's basically a study guide for the book

I think the website you asked for in 3 is The Vanilla Book.

Yes I've been reading that website. And thanks for the link, that's it!

[Kirk Garrett]

Selfish bump. Is anyone here currently Bakering? That is, systematically going through the book/s?

[Kirk Garrett]

Well, there is a romance in knowing that finally, I will be going through Mickey Baker alone. Sort of like a Ray Bradberry story or a twilight zone episode. The last man on earth.

[rbcampbell1]

Well, there is a romance in knowing that finally, I will be going through Mickey Baker alone. Sort of like a Ray Bradberry story or a twilight zone episode. The last man on earth.

I've been through both books and think they're great! I'm happy to have a go at any questions you might have

BTW have you seen this?

Mickey Baker Jazz Guitar | Rob MacKillop ~ Musician

Good luck!

[wolflen]

Well, there is a romance in knowing that finally, I will be going through Mickey Baker alone. Sort of like a Ray Bradberry story or a twilight zone episode. The last man on earth.

I did just that..went through the book as instructed by Baker,,that is one lesson a week (52 lessons) ..write out some of the lessons in all keys (this was my learning to read and write music in all keys) and when reaching lesson 52--Start from lesson ONE again and go through to lesson 52 !!

So if you really want to get the full benefit of the book..its a TWO YEAR course !

Now in addition you should study songs and harmonic/melodic theory and some additional more advanced chord studies

After the Baker book I studied theory and diatonic harmony and standards. I also played with other musicians as much as I could and learned from them.

I was still hungry for more and was fortunate to be able to study with Ted Greene for two years.

These days I study the works of modern players and some of Bakers basic lessons work in some of these settings

Good luck on your journey

[Kirk Garrett]

I've been through both books and think they're great! I'm happy to have a go at any questions you might have

BTW have you seen this?

Mickey Baker Jazz Guitar | Rob MacKillop ~ Musician

Good luck!

Yes, these vids are a helpful sampling of the lessons.

My main question is how to apply the Baker approach to the vanilla versions of songs, which I think will come with time as I go through the book. The Real books sort of do everything for you without giving you a foundation, so I think using them with Baker is a good approach.

[rbcampbell1]

My main question is how to apply the Baker approach to the vanilla versions of songs, which I think will come with time as I go through the book. The Real books sort of do everything for you without giving you a foundation, so I think using them with Baker is a good approach.

Yes, Baker's approach is good for that. Starting from Lesson 3, he writes out the 'old' chords of various standards with the 'new' chords written below. You'll probably notice that the first exercise is the first 8 bars of 'Lady Be Good'. I prefer to play C7 at bar two but Mickey's Gm works too

Anyway, the trick I think is to always have the old 'vanilla' changes in mind while playing the new ones. For example, you'll soon see that Mickey likes to sub minor chords for dominants e.g. Am7 / Am6 / for D7 / / /. Try to remember that you're playing D7, not Am7 or Am6. Mickey talks about this stuff in Lesson 12 and in Book 2.

[Kirk Garrett]

Yes, Baker's approach is good for that. Starting from Lesson 3, he writes out the 'old' chords of various standards with the 'new' chords written below. You'll probably notice that the first exercise is the first 8 bars of 'Lady Be Good'. I prefer to play C7 at bar two but Mickey's Gm works too

Anyway, the trick I think is to always have the old 'vanilla' changes in mind while playing the new ones. For example, you'll soon see that Mickey likes to sub minor chords for dominants e.g. Am7 / Am6 / for D7 / / /. Try to remember that you're playing D7, not Am7 or Am6. Mickey talks about this stuff in Lesson 12 and in Book 2.

This is exactly the kind of stuff I want to know, thank you. Baker doesn’t name the standards. But I realize the goal is to figure it all out as you go.

[MarkRhodes]

This is exactly the kind of stuff I want to know, thank you. Baker doesn’t name the standards. But I realize the goal is to figure it all out as you go.

This is a great point because when Mickey's first book came out (1955, IIRC) he could assume a student was born in the '30s or '40s (if not earlier) and would have grown up on popular songs of the day. It was not obvious at all to me when I first went through that book what songs used those "old" progressions. (And if I got a name, "That's from so-and-so" but I had never heard so-and-so before, it wasn't much help.)

I noticed this with my mom (now 93) that although she grew up loving music from the '30s and '40s she did not have any interest in the notion of standard or of a standard rep. She liked (and played) the songs she liked, with no thought that this one was more important than that one.

Whenever I have a go at Mickey's book now, I don't try to figure out what songs the chords fit but rather try to come up with my own songs to those changes. I'm really selfish about music: "How can I make use of this?"

[AllanAllen]

This is exactly the kind of stuff I want to know, thank you. Baker doesn’t name the standards. But I realize the goal is to figure it all out as you go.

http://www.jazzandhotguitar.com

This website is a great companion.

[Kirk Garrett]

http://www.jazzandhotguitar.com

This website is a great companion.

I haven’t sorted out TabEdit yet, but the site looks very useful regardless. Great stuff.

[Kirk Garrett]

Yes, Baker's approach is good for that. Starting from Lesson 3, he writes out the 'old' chords of various standards with the 'new' chords written below. You'll probably notice that the first exercise is the first 8 bars of 'Lady Be Good'.

I actually had thought it might be “how high the Moon”…


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[AllanAllen]

I haven’t sorted out TabEdit yet, but the site looks very useful regardless. Great stuff.

I didn’t do the TabEdit part, but his insight into the lessons helped me make sense of what I was doing.

[rbcampbell1]

I actually had thought it might be “how high the Moon”…

I think 'How High the Moon' is the second of the '16 Bar Sequences' (Lesson 23, Sequence 9)...

[Kirk Garrett]

I take nearly everything in Mickey's book for "starters". i.e. I take one of the chords, write down its
tones, build arpeggios or take one of his runs (part 2 of the book), build the scale around it and practise.
That book is an endless source.

Here's Mickey...cool

I enjoy his playing, it’s different. I don’t see any obvious relationship between this and his book at this point. Maybe later in the book? Book 2?


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[rbcampbell1]

I enjoy his playing, it’s different. I don’t see any obvious relationship between this and his book at this point. Maybe later in the book? Book 2?

I think this is what Mickey would call a 'Riff Runs' (see Lesson 38) approach to playing the Blues

If you want to get a taste of what Book 2 is about I'd recommend listening to Barney Kessel's playing on Julie London's version of 'Cry Me a River'...

[Kirk Garrett]

I think this is what Mickey would call a 'Riff Runs' (see Lesson 38) approach to playing the Blues

If you want to get a taste of what Book 2 is about I'd recommend listening to Barney Kessel's playing on Julie London's version of 'Cry Me a River'...

Oh jeez, I love Barney and I love that album. Wow! Happy to hear it.


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[rbcampbell1]

Oh jeez, I love Barney and I love that album. Wow! Happy to hear it.

Yes, me too! I like to think Mickey's books are his '1950s take' on Charlie Christian's approach (some Django ideas also) so I hear a lot of Barney, Herb Ellis etc. in his lines...