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This Study Group is devoted to the amazing "The Jimmy Raney Book - a Complete Study of Melodic Line" by Jimmy and Jon Raney, published by Sher Music Co. I got mine on Amazon today in the UK, but they will most certainly be for sale elsewhere. In fact you can buy it here, as well as download the PDF: https://www.shermusic.com/9781883217853.php I suggest you also go there to read the really enthusiastic Endorsements by leading players.
No TAB. No backing tracks, though I am making my own in iReal Pro, and am happy to share my files if anyone is interested, like this for Chapter One:
The book has three main sections: 1. Jimmy Raney's Improvised Line, 2. Background/History, Concepts in Recordings, 3. Primer and Practice on the Elements of Jimmy Raney's Language
Here's the Introductory video my Jimmy's son, Jon:
Having just received the book today, I'm working on the "A" chord variations on page 2 & 3, where a simple melody is presented, then treated to reharmonization and syncopation. Nothing difficult here, but a good start to concepts that will be explored further. I'm using different fingerings and positions, up an octave, etc, keeping in mind the nearby chord shapes. I've also done a little slow chord-melody out of interest, which all helps to make sense of the lines.
Any takers?
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03-24-2026 07:08 PM
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Rob,
I did a lot email correspondence with Jon Raney over the summer.
His posts on his substack and website provide ample supplemental material.
Tried to convince him to record the examples in his book.
He made a guest appearance on my "Pedagogy of Music and Rhythm" thread a while back. I wish folks took the time to listen to what he had to say, specifically about rhythm and melodic invention--instead of dismissing his unique contribution to jazz education. There's very few books about guitar that talk about the intrinsic and unbreakable relationship between melody and rhythm--especially the way Jimmy Raney did.
I've gone through sections, but doing a group study would help motivate me through the challenging bits.
Okay, I'll shut up. Just glad to finally see a study group on the Jimmy Raney Book!
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Good to know, Pick
“Rhythm and melodic invention” - they should never be separated. I think this will be one of the key concepts of the book, and although Jimmy was a great virtuoso, we don’t have to be in order to benefit from the examples.
Glad to have you aboard!
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Should be fun!
I assume there are other forum members with a similar experience -
Some of that book was photo copied and passed out at the Bellarmine jazz guitar clinic in the early 90's. Jimmy told us he was writing a book and these handouts were part of it. I think I still have them somewhere, but I bought the book as soon as it was available. I was really glad to see the it published. To be around Jimmy for the 2 years I attended the 2 day clinic was kind of surreal for me. Hearing him play the examples in the book was really cool.
Despite his hearing problem, his playing was absolutely amazing.
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Good to know, Scott. I have to admit to not having listened to a lot of Jimmy over the years, but I’ve been listening to a lot of his playing on Spotify of late, and am now a fan, for sure.
Happy to hear stories of Jimmy from those who knew him.
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Oh very cool. The book has one of the most useable descriptions of line building that I’ve seen written down which is worth the price of the book on its own.
Really fascinating stuff. I often think of Jimmy as a Notes Guy with also his dense harmonic ideas and stuff, but I swear half the book is on polyrhythms and accent patterns.
Do you have a sense of what you’d want a group to do?
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Maybe some could record ourselves playing the exercises, bit by bit--guided by Rob's cadence throughout the chapters in the book?
There's A LOT that Jimmy and Jon talk about in this book that is RARELY mentioned in the library of jazz guitar studies. We are so stuck on the harmony bit, outlining the changes--that we rarely glimpse anything else in these methodologies of improvisation. Jimmy Raney talks about rhythm, contour, development, counterpoint...
What I said about not getting stuck "worrying about the lives of two eighth notes" came from reading this book, emailing with Jon Raney, and combining these ideas with Mike Longo's pedagogy. As in, we often get stuck describing swing as the relationship between two eighth notes--and we stop there. Even the first few exercises that Rob is investigating in the book. If you play those straight and focused on where the phrase starts, what notes are held, where the phrase ends--you will start to feel the lilt, the swing. The accents come later, with the odd groupings that suggest poly meter (Jon calls it all polyrhythm). We aren't using accents to "imitate the swing" on the offbeats.
Then you bring in the articulation. Pamo has done a lot of study on articulation. While I am not a fan of mainstream horn articulation as a default--not saying you play that way, Pamo--I think you need articulation to add the spice. Even Pat Martino used slurs, hammers, and so forth.
Swing is complex, but that doesn't mean we can't learn it. That was kind of my argument all over the internet, just because something is challenging doesn't mean we shouldn't teach it--what did Ms. Frizzle say again?
There is a lot to glean from Jon's book. Maybe he'll come back to visit this thread, who knows? I'm excited to go through the book, Rob. Maybe I'll just stay here and get back to posting my playing instead of my yapping
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Rob, Perhaps you could upload your iReal Pro files to a file sharing account and post a link to them here, or send them to me and I'll upload them to my box.com folder and share the link here.
Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
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Thanks, Max. I'm trying to upload it to my archtopguitar.net Wordpress site, but failing to do so. How can I do that? Failing that, what do you need from me to place them on your box.com folder?
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From the responses I've had so far, it seems some of you have worked through the book, or maybe focussed on one chapter later on in the book. So, the usual approach of "Let's start at the beginning and work to the end" might not work for everybody. Originally Posted by pamosmusic
My personal plan is to start at the beginning, but don't mind if discussion breaks out about polyrhythms or some such thing from later in the book.
It would be great if some of us are brave enough to contribute video performances of exercises, or just soundfiles, but discussion is good too.
Other suggestions welcome.
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Yes, it would be great to hear some playing - the recorded quality doesn't have to be professional - a simple phone video would suffice, though better quality would be appreciated too. Originally Posted by PickingMyEars
Maybe some could record ourselves playing the exercises, bit by bit--guided by Rob's cadence throughout the chapters in the book?
I'm excited to go through the book, Rob. Maybe I'll just stay here and get back to posting my playing instead of my yapping
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I want to give this a shot. I spent a couple years 'way back learning all the solos in the Aebersold Jimmy Raney volume and I consider it the high-water mark of my technical ability and improvisational growth. Plus, seriously, hearing Jimmy Raney's lines come out of my own amplifier, wow. That amp thought it had been sold to a real jazz guitarist. Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
My life is pretty chaotic right now but I have ordered the book and I like the "start at the beginning" approach.
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I’m a start at the beginning guy too
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Put all the tracks in a playlist, then open the play list and tap the share button (square with an arrow out the top) , tap the iReal Pro Format and then tap copy. If you past that here it will be a live link for us to download your playlist with the tracks. Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
This is how I share set lists with my bass player.
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Doesn’t work for me. I do exactly what you suggest, but I just get an html file that won’t paste here.
On my phone I open the file, click the square with the arrow.
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Well, you can always text or email the file to me and I’ll post it. Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
Doesn’t work for me. I do exactly what you suggest, but I just get an html file that won’t paste here.
On my phone I open the file, click the square with the arrow.
I just tested it on my end
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No, it does not, you need to set the link to public access, i.e., set it to: "General access - Anyone on the internet with the link can view" Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
Right now, I get this message: "You need access - Request access, or switch to an account with access."
To the right of your link in your Google Drive, you'll see 3 vertical dots ... (but vertical), right click on them, and you'll see a "share" option. Click on it and set it to "Viewer." It is now set to Editor which means no one but you can access it.
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I give in! Anyone with iRealPro can write this out in less than five minutes. Hopefully they can then share here..assuming they have more than the three brain cells I was given.
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So, members of this august group include:
Rob (Rob MacKillop)
Pick (PickingMyEars)
Mick (Mick-7)
Scott (ScottM)
Peter (Pamosmusic)
Lawson (lawson-stone)
Allan (AllanAllen)
...and maybe some serious lurkers, who are also welcome.
It looks like most contributors would like to start from the beginning. Good, as that's where I am. Currently working on Pages 2&3, slowly playing the A1, A2, A3 examples through iReal. I start at 75bpm for a while, then again but with tempo increments of 2bpm for each repeat. So I only use the second line of my iReal chart. Sometimes I break off and start improvising, going back to the examples here and there.
Anyone else started?Last edited by Rob MacKillop; 03-25-2026 at 02:49 PM.
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Message me what you want written out and I’ll do it Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
I give in! Anyone with iRealPro can write this out in less than five minutes. Hopefully they can then share here..assuming they have more than the three brain cells I was given.
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Just copying from your first post?
in case you want to try this one?
Chapter One - Jimmy Raney
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Exactly that, Peter. But I think Max is on the case…we shall see.
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A few observations on figures A1, A2 & A3 (pages 2&3)
A1 - I’m sure I’ve heard that melody before, but can’t place it. It’s probably a snippet from something else. Nice.
A2 - after playing A1 for three or four times, I find the rhythmic placement of A2 unusual. It has taken longer than it should have done getting the feel of it. The notes are easy enough, but the phrasing catches me out sometimes - and I like that I think it is mainly the second bar. Ah, maybe it is this: the last three notes of b1 start off the beat, and they repeat in b2 but on the beat (the gb note pushes them along). Also, the 2nd to 5th notes of b2 are sequenced in b3 from the db up to the c. I think this something missing from my soloing, or at least something I should be working on more.
A3 - The opening four notes are 5th Root 2nd 3rd - 5R23 - which Coltrane seemed to have loved (think Giant Steps - which often sounds more like an exercise than it should - to my ears). I like how the constant 8th notes in the first two bars are broken up in the next two. Note also that A3 consists of 5 bars, so if you want to play with a backing track, make sure there is a repeat sign at the end of the 4th bar.
I’ve memorised these three lines, and have made a stab at playing them an octave higher.
How are you all getting on? Too early?Last edited by Rob MacKillop; 03-26-2026 at 02:04 AM.
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Dont seem to open. Originally Posted by Mick-7
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Does this one? Originally Posted by pamosmusic
You would need to open it on a device with iReal installed
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