The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    As a beginner practicing standards I use part of my daily practice time focussing on one standard.

    I apply the chords I am practicing and try to record a loop of sections of the song to improvise lead lines. I listen to different recordings and try different ways of playing with the recording or loops.

    It's very inspiring and I am improving the way I hoped to. The question and difficulty I have is managing my memory (capacity) and my desire to keep learning and expanding my repertoire of standards (input).

    I want to start working on two or three more standards, so I have more to explore and jam with. Maybe as a beginner I am better off learning a standard inside out one by one?

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    a beginner at practicing standards but not at playing the guitar and music, correct?

  4. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by AlexOT
    As a beginner practicing standards I use part of my daily practice time focussing on one standard.

    I apply the chords I am practicing and try to record a loop of sections of the song to improvise lead lines. I listen to different recordings and try different ways of playing with the recording or loops.

    It's very inspiring and I am improving the way I hoped to. The question and difficulty I have is managing my memory (capacity) and my desire to keep learning and expanding my repertoire of standards (input).

    I want to start working on two or three more standards, so I have more to explore and jam with. Maybe as a beginner I am better off learning a standard inside out one by one?
    My guitar teacher used the one-new-standard (song), per week method; I.e. a song that ties to that's weeks lesson.

  5. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by AlexOT
    The question and difficulty I have is managing my memory (capacity) and my desire to keep learning and expanding my repertoire of standards (input).
    You really only need to use memory when learning and practicing tunes because the result you seek is actually internalization which is much more robust and is what you use when playing with others or performing.

    The primary source of internalization is interest, which is your "desire to keep learning", so don't sweat it too much; you already have the source. As long as you are motivated the things you memorize initially to learn tunes will become internalized.

    Whether you get their faster from focusing on one tune at a time or a few at a time is something you need to discover for yourself. People learn differently, different strategies, different results.

  6. #5

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    Many new things below the surface can be discovered
    by digging deep into a single tune.

    Many new things can be discovered by learning the surface details
    of many tunes.

    Try some of both.

  7. #6

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    A standard study plan is 5-6 tunes per "semester", with 3 chosen as final performance pieces. The 5-6 are introduced gradually through the semester. Maybe look at 2-3 tunes on week one with only a little bit of playing, then gradually bring in the others while making progress on their predecessors.

    All tunes should be level appropriate.

    This pattern can be repeated for 8 levels or so. Used in both classical and jazz education.

    If working on your own and with limited time, just stretch the "semester" from 4 months to 6 or 8.

    Cheers.

  8. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by GTRMan
    a beginner at practicing standards but not at playing the guitar and music, correct?
    Correct!

    And thank you all for the replies.

    I will start making a playlist and shuffling in new standards at a slow pace. Adding one per week for focussed listening is one my to-do list!
    Training my ears to hear similarities between them will help me pick up a lot.

    As a sound designer, I have always approached new instruments or tools in a staircase way of learning. The thing I love and that keeps inspiring me with jazz is the staircase is never ending and it's a very personal, challenging and rewarding journey.

    My goal is to start jamming with a drummer and bassist I met before the lockdown, who are open to anything. And add guitar playing to my own compositions and in my sound design. No need for remembering too many tunes yet

  9. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by AlexOT
    Maybe as a beginner I am better off learning a standard inside out one by one?
    YES. Trying to cover too much ground too quickly will result in your not learning any of the tunes well. OTOH, variety is the spice of life. I would suggest trying to balance covering ground against moving too slowly and getting bored.

    You might try something like this:

    - Spend a half-hour per day sight-reading your jazz fakebook of choice. Don't play any tune more than twice, but note which tunes you care to revisit.
    - Each week pick a new-to-you tune to actually learn. Work on memorizing the melody and the changes.
    - Once you know the melody and changes (maybe a week later), work on improvising.
    - Within a few weeks, you will have multiple tunes in various stages of readiness, and you will spend a certain amount of time each day on reading, on memorizing new tunes, and on improvising.
    - With concerted effort you might have each new tune performance-ready within 3-4 weeks. Trying to do it faster than that will be frustrating and possibly counterproductive. Keep it fun and keep it musical.

  10. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by AlexOT
    As a beginner practicing standards I use part of my daily practice time focussing on one standard.

    I apply the chords I am practicing and try to record a loop of sections of the song to improvise lead lines. I listen to different recordings and try different ways of playing with the recording or loops.

    It's very inspiring and I am improving the way I hoped to. The question and difficulty I have is managing my memory (capacity) and my desire to keep learning and expanding my repertoire of standards (input).

    I want to start working on two or three more standards, so I have more to explore and jam with. Maybe as a beginner I am better off learning a standard inside out one by one?

  11. #10

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    One thing that seemed to work well for me. When driving or doing something mundane, I put on a backing track of a new song and hummed a solo on top. Kinda winged it, no clue what the chords were.
    Then afterwards, when learning the correct harmony on the guitar, it seemed much easier to memorize. It felt like hm.. "here was this modulation - oh I see, it was going to F-maj." The feel came first, triggered the memory of the chord names....

    Well, you could internalize many standards without really spending any valuable practice time first this way. Then when you finally have the time to really learn them on the instrument, you already have half of the job done without much hassle.

  12. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by GTRMan
    A standard study plan is 5-6 tunes per "semester", with 3 chosen as final performance pieces. The 5-6 are introduced gradually through the semester. Maybe look at 2-3 tunes on week one with only a little bit of playing, then gradually bring in the others while making progress on their predecessors.

    All tunes should be level appropriate.

    This pattern can be repeated for 8 levels or so. Used in both classical and jazz education.

    If working on your own and with limited time, just stretch the "semester" from 4 months to 6 or 8.

    Cheers.
    A faster variation on this is to take fewer tunes and not wait so long for your performance/recital/jam, whatever. In other words have your performance before the semester ends - like a mid term exam, hehe

    Anyway - something like this:

    Take 3 tunes and make 1 or 2 primary and when ready, perform the one most ready. Perform live, record, whatever. Then move the secondary tune(s) up and work harder on them etc. In other words, make a small assembly line of a few tunes with 1-2 getting the primary focus, nail it/them, then keep moving. Try to bring at least one tune up to performance level about every 6 weeks.

  13. #12
    Just checking in to let everyone know the advice above is shuffled up, taken to heart and working very well!

    I am still exploring my first standard and starting working on the second! Strategically incorporating my exercices into the standards. And I am listening to playlists I made, a lot of listening, there are so many versions, beginner interpretations and analyzes on the web, I can find answers and insights for a lifetime.

    Now it's back to playing, practicing, jamming and lurking on this forum. I have no questions at the moment and enough work ahead of me.

    Thanks heaps and you are all awesome!

  14. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by AlexOT
    As a beginner practicing standards I use part of my daily practice time focussing on one standard.

    I apply the chords I am practicing and try to record a loop of sections of the song to improvise lead lines. I listen to different recordings and try different ways of playing with the recording or loops.

    It's very inspiring and I am improving the way I hoped to. The question and difficulty I have is managing my memory (capacity) and my desire to keep learning and expanding my repertoire of standards (input).

    I want to start working on two or three more standards, so I have more to explore and jam with. Maybe as a beginner I am better off learning a standard inside out one by one?
    How well do you know the melodies?

  15. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by christianm77
    How well do you know the melodies?
    I use a lead sheet for the standards, but try to not look at them too much. Humming and singing vocal lines when I am away from the guitar seems to work for me.
    I am not capable to do that while I play, that might be a good practice point.