A Tip for Learning BeBop Heads

[Philidor]

Sight reading is a valuable skill, but I don't think it's the most useful skill when it comes to learning bebop heads.

I think one needs to go to the original recordings and work it out. There are multiple ways to finger a melody on guitar, and you have to find the way that lays best for the tune and your hand. That takes time. You also have to know how the masters have treated the song and what the range of possibilities is. More time.

I also think that the most valuable thing about learning these tunes is learning the whole tune, and learning it deeply. Melody, changes, lyrics, classic interpretations -- the whole bit. That REALLY takes time. Learning a tune so that you can play it up tempo, at medium tempo, as a ballad, maybe a latin version, in a rhythm section, as a solo guitarist, as a soloist and as an accompanist requires really learning the tune. Memorize it and internalize it so you never have to read it again. Nobody does that in three minutes. You can maybe get a start on it with one tune in a couple weeks if you practice a lot, and it's a long-term process from there to polish it up and make it your own. But when you've gone through that process you can do anything with the tune. You really know it.

That's much more valuable than sight reading the head. If you work through a series of bebop tunes in that way over a couple years, you will have built up a repertoire of tunes that you can use in many different ways and in many different situations. I admit to not having done as much of that as I would have liked to myself, but I think that's how you build real, substantive musicianship. Going through tunes in that way has been the most valuable thing I've ever done musically. And that's very different than just getting through a tune.

sure, but when it comes to playing original music of the band members, then a lot of times there are no recordings to learn the music from. so you can either check it out in advance, read it at the gig or learn it by ear during the soundcheck. learning it by ear during a rehearsal would probably be the best, but the guys i'm talkin about don't really rehearse anymore.
i totally agree with your opinion on "really getting to know the song". that's for sure the most valuable thing to do. but my whole point really is: if you're quick at picking it up, then you'll have all the time left for building a real connection to the music. you'll be able to go in depth and make some thoughts on the spirit of the song instead of taking all that time to work on "just somehow being able to play it".

since some of you opposed the skill i described to "working in a more musical way" (if it is appropriate to sum it up like that) i'm under the impression that you suspect the people i'm talking about to be great sight readers but not so musical players (at least when they learn a set of music in like 30 mins before the gig).
let me tell you a couple of stories: some years ago i was playing a gig of 3 sets with my trio. we met for a rehearsal, which took one hour. my bass player wanted to treat his fingers with care and therefore played the rehearsal on the piano - not just playing bass notes but chords. about half of the music was totally new to him. within that hour we rehearsed about 25 tunes and the he learned 8-10 new songs by heart (and by ear, there were no charts!). only 3 or so i had to write down and at the gig he would only struggle once to remember the right chords. the new songs by the way were not just blues or rhythm changes tunes or something like that. we played a bunch of unknown horace silver tunes like "barbara" as well.
another night my piano playing friend would show up at one of these trio gigs. he decided spontaneously to feature our third set. we were about to play "nutville" and he didn't know the song. he asked us to play one chorus ahead. when he entered he would play the whole thing without struggling, not even on the challenging sequence of descending dominant chords.i didn't hear a single mistake. later we would play "groovin' high". he said it had been 5 years that he played the tune, so again he would listen for one chorus. by the time of the ending theme he would play a second voice to the melody (which didn't work out perfectly, but for sure was created on the spot).
on another gig he would learn the song "lament" by j.j. johnson within 5 minutes by heart, an hour before the show. he would only struggle once for 2 bars not remembering the harmony.
the only time i've really seen him struggle was when he played double bill with steve coleman. at the gig they decided to play a third set, with both bands playing together. steve coleman would call his own tunes. he had only brought one chart per song. after counting off the tune, the bass player of the other band would get a glimpse for one chorus, then he would hand the sheet to my friend, who would be allowed to keep it for a minute or two. he was really practicing the music on stage and sometimes had steve help him work something out, but in the end he was able to play it.

[gunksman]

I'm working through the CP Omnibook with a teacher. The Donna Lee head has taken a couple of weeks to learn and find ideal fingerings to get the articulation and phrasing down. I'm getting into the second chorus now.

Instead of trying to play the whole thing in different keys I've been writing down little phrases that I like. Then I move them through the cycle. Then I do it again making an effort to start with a different finger to force me to think about what I'm playing. Lastly, I apply the phrase to other tunes and modify for different harmony. The result? I'm recognizing the licks while listening to the tunes. Nothing can take the place of spending a lot of time in the woodshed.

I still suck, but I never thought I'd be able to even attempt bebop. My birthday present to myself last week was being able to play Ornithology at 200bpm!