The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
  1. #1

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    I'm currently working on Fareed Haque's Bebop improvisation and comping course on truefire. After finishing these, what would be good course to work on to improve my improv skills and to go on to the next level? Thanks

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    From the looks of the lesson plan it looks pretty comprehensive. (No surprise, another UNT grad). What I can't tell is what coverage there is for approach notes. 1,2,3, note approaches in particular. You may or may not need to look at a few other sources to explore that in more depth but I think the main thing now is building your vocabulary and application.

    1. Make sure that you have a "workout routine" of jazz language over "common formulae" (long and short II-Vs in major and minor, turnarounds, cycles, blues, rhythm changes, etc). See the "11 common situations" just as one example of such formulae. Play in all keys. Make it automatic. (and don't forget Fareed's chord outlines if you like them!)

    2. Plot out 12 or so bebop and standard tunes to learn at your own pace and begin to apply all the lesson material that you've learned from Fareed. Write out/work out your solos at first if needed (and it typically is). Listen to great soloists and how they approached soloing on those tunes - especially great guitarists. To get inside their thinking and approach to the tunes, learn some transcribed solos too (Wes books, Joe Pass Omnibook, the book below, etc.)

    Bebop Guitar Solos - Berklee Press

    Just my two cents, happy hunting.

  4. #3

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    I'd suggest something like Christiaan van Hemerts youtube/patreon.

    Other than that you can dive into some of the other Truefire stuff, just stay away from Frank Vignola .. He is a great player, but his courses are very basic and drawn out and will be a waste of money if you're at the Fareed Haque level

  5. #4

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    I have taken a number of courses and have a lot of books, etc., so I obviously believe in education.

    But I am also reminded of an interview with guitarist Steve Morse, an ex-music major. His opinion was that it would be best to take a semester of lessons, then take a semester off and apply what you've learned. Stagger semesters with application in other words. His point was that if you are choking down lessons all the time you won't have the time to develop as an improvising player. (I guess the exception would be if you already had the chops and improv capabiity, or if you had 6+ hours per day to practice during the semester. Most people don't).

    In other words, you need some "soak time" to apply what you've learned in the lessons. The risk is that you will be a empty vessell with lesson material passing in through one ear and out the next. As such you will hit a wall, and probably sooner rather than later.

    Just my two cents again. :0

  6. #5
    Two Questions for the OP (or anyone else): I've looked at Fareed's comping course but haven't pulled the trigger on buying it.
    How useful did you find it? How much emphasis does he put on comping rhythms?

  7. #6

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    This is advice that's perhaps incompatible with the era of COVID-19, but if you made it through that course and absorbed the material, it's time to be playing with other musicians and putting it to practice. There is an ear development that only comes from playing songs with other musicians. But at the moment there are some challenges to being able to do that.