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There are many elements that go into being a good improvisor. You've got to have a good command of the melodies you want to create, you've got to have an idea of what your possible options are, you've got to have a natural sense of time so you don't throw yourself off with hesitation, you've got to have a good sense of the fingerboard so you can find the areas of strength for any harmonic (tonal) situation and you've GOT to have a really good sense of ear to hear, rather than read, your way through a piece.
All these things need to be addressed through a balanced regimen of serious study.
Howard Roberts wrote a 20 week program that uses a number of harmonic structures (based on a few well known Standard progressions and variations) that are presented in a weekly format and go from a relatively slow tempo and progress to a pretty brisk tempo by the end.
I bring my book out every few years and go through this. Each time, I'm at a different place in my musical maturity, each time I get something invaluable.
The last time I did this was in a thread I started 6 years ago.
I'm about to run this again over the next 20 or so weeks.
There are a few places on the web where you can get the book, it's out of print but lots of downloads. I'll also cut and paste sections as I go through.
Howard Roberts - Super Chops - Guitar - Free Download PDF
Anybody here interested in participating in this group? I've found that having a community study environment sharing questions and observations encourages the player to keep going, to acknowledge accomplishments, to untangle obstacles and to understand some of the things that might focus our studies so we can perhaps get a little more depth than merely a finger exercise to a study of ideas and how to turn Chops into Solos.
I'll try to add regular tips, thoughtful insights, strategies for sharpening our soloing skills (ideas on shifting, building on motif, hearing a progression, turning a chord into a line that can be developed, connecting ideas, opening up hand awareness by visualizing the fingerboard... things that aren't directly addressed within the book per se but which I've found are great to inform proficiency skills.)
If there's any interest, I'll start this as a 20 week thread. I did this before, and I'll try to address issues from the relative novice to the seasoned player looking for more conceptual walls to punch through.
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02-23-2023 12:15 PM
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I'm happy to do this. I have worked on the book partially a couple of times in the past. I may not be able participate for the first week or two as I'm currently focused on something else but I'll join as soon as I can.
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Well, I must be getting better, I got halfway through that chart before giving up this time.
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A few things I will do differently from the book. I'm not going to say the chords given in the book need to be adhered to as written. If you feel that a solid rhythm track of drop 2 or anything that works for you will keep you on track easier...by all means.
I would like anyone to feel free to chime in on "I don't get it" or "This is too easy" or "I don't feel at all musical". One thing I've gotten from people who've gone through the whole program is "I didn't feel the benefits until I took them for granted and then creative ideas came much faster".
This begins as a movement and hearing exercise and I think for the first half I'll be constantly emphasizing that the more you work with your ear, your eye and your consciousness of the form TOGETHER, the less likely you'll fall into obstacles and pitfalls later.
I would like to make this an integrated approach. That's the greatest benefit I see in the ostensibly tedious and admittedly easier tempos of the first few weeks. It's a time to identify inherent and practiced weaknesses we have in our own playing NOW, and not pander to the strengths we've developed to circumvent those weaknesses.
I'll discuss these things and through the forum format, we can share the walls we hit and use Time On The Instrument to take them down, and have some fun.
Take it or leave it. I'll throw lots of ideas out there. Whether you're steeped in the language of bop or the very idiosyncratic fluidity of Kurt or Holdsworth, the unity of your hands and your ear has the same import.
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I think it's also beneficial to do this exercise just with a metronome (no backing track) without getting lost.
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Originally Posted by Tal_175
There is truly something for anyone and I'd like to encourage anyone on any level to consider realistic goals and use a tune based approach to forge one's abilities into a more coherent improvisational ability.
That's why I do this every few years. It's still humbling.
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It sounds really interesting. I have something else I was thinking of working on, but im going to follow this closely, maybe pick up a little behind the pace in a few weeks.
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So who is playing the chords and making their own tracks? That’s my perpetual roadblock. I wish it started with Satin Doll or a blues instead of whatever that is.
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The first two lessons seem to be based on Cherokee. Not a particularly hard progression, IMO.
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Originally Posted by Tal_175
I never liked the notated chords, I found them awkward enough to play that I didn't get a solid recording. That's why I offered the option of chording it yourself, as long as your chords are NOT so idiosyncratic or obscure as to make hearing the changes (and playing on them) difficult. This is not a studio session, it's an exercise.
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Originally Posted by Jimmy blue note
Substitutions seem to be used to make the harmonic rhythm one chord per bar in the A section. II's added before V's and functional subs (iii and vi) added when there are two bars of major. For linear playing, these subs are just part of the chord material (dominant material, major material etc). At least that's how I'd play them.
I also like alternating comping and linear playing or harmonize some of the lines. But would that defeat the purpose of the continuous 8th note constraint of the practice?
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Originally Posted by Tal_175
Working with your own skillset is always important. And then I'd make it a goal to be able to negotiate position or tonal shifts without breaking eighth notes a goal to be worked on with increased awareness and attention.
It's hoped that this kind of study will help isolate our weaknesses. Sometimes that's done by solving our issues one at a time.
This 20 week program is also an excellent way to establish a good template for working on tunes after the 20 weeks too.
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Hey, "JBN." As you know, I ran through the course with you a few years back. I found it to be a very valuable experience, despite being tedious at times. I've got more going on in my life now since we're not in the pandemic, but I will try to jump in. I like your idea of not slavishly adhering to Howard's chord changes. Perhaps sticking more closely with the actual tunes his exercises are based on is a good way to go, for me at least.
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FYI,
(Per my original 'red cover' book/notes from 1979, $8.95 , No guarantees !)
The SuperChops 'Project' tunes are;
1A 'Cherokee' Bb,
1B 'Cherokee' Db;
2A 'Baubles Bangles and Beads' D,
2B 'Baubles Bangles and Beads' Bb;
3A 'Angel Eyes' Dm,
3B 'Angel Eyes' Am;
4A 'All the Things You Are' Ab,
4B 'All the Things You Are' Eb;
5A 'Blues in C' ,
5B 'Blues in G';
6A "??" in Eb,
6B "??" in Bb;
Continuous, uninterrupted Eighth notes for 1A through 3B. (no rests, no phrasing, no hammer-on's, no pull-off's. No other ornamentation.)
Continuous, uninterrupted Eighth note Triplets for 4A through 6B. (no rests,no phrasing, no hammer-on's, no pull-off's. No other ornamentation.)
Have Fun!
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Hmmm I am going to have a look for copy (pdf printout) of the book.
And there it is. I don’t if I ever made it past the table of contents. So I’m in.
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Originally Posted by D'Aquisto Fan
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Originally Posted by Bach5G
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Originally Posted by MtnCat
It seems that the more I know, the more I can actually get out of this program.
I used to discount the pursuit of sheer chops ability in favour of the lyric and developed compositional line, but this program gives me the chance to build really useful tools to work with. It's always remarkable to me how much more expressive I can be by really getting my technique in control.
We're all evolving beings. Imaginative discipline does nothing but make me a stronger player.
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Originally Posted by AllanAllen
This is the way the serious musician must think of a tune and it's the portal through which a player can really engage in playing a solo. It's more than the ability to play notes without flams, as he calls it, (or clams or hesitation) but putting your chords down pushes you to KNOW the landscape that you're building on.
These are all essential and classic forms and getting to know them by chord and by ear is the most solid way to bring yourself to engage in really satisfying soloing. The pace is well suited for that.
Remember the target tempo markings are just a suggestion. The important thing is you work at your own pace but push yourself a little each day.
Doing your own backing track is an essential part of the process. Just imagine being fearless in your ability to comp, hear and derive creative solo lines that work with the harmonies. Imagine that you can have a solid footing on that in 20 weeks from now.
Just a matter of saying that's what you want.
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I'm going to give it a try. My old hands really don't want to do the Howard voicings, so I'll use my own, maybe do a lot of shell voicings instead.
Recording tracks is pretty much my hobby so yes, I'll make my own. See I'm a beginner piano player, I'll do some of my backing tracks with piano.
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Originally Posted by MtnCat
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Originally Posted by Jimmy blue note
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"Think simple, play fancy."
That's what a guitar teacher told me about 45 years ago.
I'm ignoring the Super Chops voicings and using what I know. I found this makes it much easier to get the progression off the paper. In the first pass of the A section I simplified as much as I could stand, 2nd pass i fancied it up. (Fancy is relative, my fancy might be your simple).
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Thank you for posting this. I thought the A and B on the page meant it was an AABA progression instead of realizing it was chords for exercise 1A and 1B on the same page.
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The tune is AABA (64 bars). The last A is split with a coda. The markings (A and B) on the page indicate the sections of the form (not the lessons).
KA PAF info please
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