The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
Reply to Thread Bookmark Thread
Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12
Posts 26 to 44 of 44
  1. #26

    User Info Menu

    Awesome. Thanks for the help. I started by trying to just invert the root position Drop 2 chord. Didn't really work. haha. Thanks again.

  2.  

    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #27

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by m78w
    One thing you can do is comp through major and minor key 2-5-1's without moving your hand.

    For example

    If you are using Drop 2's on the top four strings to comp through major key 2-5-1's you would do it like so.

    2 - root position
    5- 2nd inversion
    1 - root position

    2 - 1st inversion
    5- 3rd inversion
    1 - 1st inversion

    2 - 2nd inversion
    5 - root position
    1 - 2nd inversion

    2 - 3rd inversion
    5 - 1st inversion
    1 - 3rd inversion

    notice how the voice leading works, the 2 and 1 will always be in the same inversion. This is a good way to get used to seeing inversions without just playing all of the inversions of a chord in a row, which you really wouldn't do in a practical situation.

    Once this is easy, try working on tunes this way. Take all the things you are and try comping with drop 2 chords on the middle or top four strings without moving your hand more than 2 frets in either direction.

    This is a great way to learn chord vocings, voice leading and your neck in general.

    MW
    This is EXACTLY how the method I use (my teacher's) is organized. When you figure 3 shapes for each chord (6th, 5th, & 4th string root positions) with inversions, doing the above gives you a vocabulary of 60 different shapes. Pretty good start on getting a jolt in your chord vocab.

    Next step would be to then apply subs to give you 9ths, and then extensions. Off and running for sure.

  4. #28

    User Info Menu

    Derek wrote: Thanks Matt. I always sweat a bit when trying to put out concepts with all the heavy hitters we have around here. There is enough shaky info out there in the guitar world, I don't want to add to it.

    Hi, Derek!
    You don't have to sweat at all!!! I come from a rock and metal background and I'm in this forum because I want to learn this totally different style!!! Everyone who is in this forum wants to learn what you jazzers have to say. Everything I knew in music is applyable on jazz music BUUUUT I'm learning so much that now I think I knew very little.
    This forum has opened very much my mind in musical terms and I wanna go on like this. Sometimes when I write my opinions I think that they might not be accepted by jazzers since I can't say I have some jazz background and everybody knows that I'm learning it for a very short time ago and I still have very little idea of what jazz really is but I believe I can share my opinions and ideas too.
    Derek, believe, I'm not the kind of forumer who only prints lead sheets, I print a lot of postings that you all guys write here, conversations you all have, etc...so that I can take them home and annalyze them in peace and quiet and take new conclusions from them.
    So, after saying this I have to encourage you to keep on posting your opinions. I like to know what others can offer for my learning.

    Take care

  5. #29

    User Info Menu

    Thanks for the encouragement Claudi. Of all the online groups I hang out on, this one is the friendliest and most helpful.

    A big thanks to Dirk for his continuing to keep this site up.

  6. #30

    User Info Menu

    Definitely thanks to Dirk for all his hard work... but I do have another question for Derek and MW and whoever else can help.

    How do you guys go about moving from chord to chord on a chord solo. I just don't really understand how you take it from being a comp to a chord solo. I think it's an issue of filling space and creating motion. Do you think you might just be able to give me an example. How about this...


    This is the first eight bars of (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons. Aside from the Ab it's just your standard I vi ii V7. How might you approach this for a chord solo? Single notes? Subs? Just throw me some ideas. I'm really just fishing here (and I'm not exactly sure what I'm looking for) so if I'm not making sense then let me know. Anyway...

    For Sentimental Reasons --

    | F6 | Ab7 | G-7 | C7 | F6 | D-7 | G-7 | C7 |

    Something to remember: I practice a lot but I am the kind of guy who'll want to be Joe Pass on day one, so if you guys have already laid it out for me then don't feel bad about telling me to just keep at it and be patient. Thank you guys so much. And again, if I'm not making sense then let me know and I'll figure out a better way to phrase the question.

  7. #31

    User Info Menu

    Matt:

    I played around with your drop 2's and inversions and found them to be a really good way to teach voicing concepts for 2 - 5 - 1 progressions. After experimenting with altered tones and extensions, it is truly an eye opener and a very good study for my (very few) advanced students. thanks for your input!

    best wishes,
    wiz

  8. #32

    User Info Menu

    Errm,
    i am quite ignorant, but i guess the only way to learn is to ask question. Could someone in simplest of terms tell me what are drop 2 chords?
    Thank you so much, and sorry for the intrusion.

    Regards,

    Stefan

  9. #33

    User Info Menu

    You take a chord voicing

    C E G B

    You drop the second note down to the bottom of the chord


    C G B E


    I'm fairly sure that's about it.

  10. #34

    User Info Menu

    That's it for drop 2's, DMB I'll have an example on I love you up shortly to show you how I would play a chord solo over it.

    But in the mean time, the best thing to do is start thinking about the top, melody, note of your chords. Most of us think about the lowest, bass, note when playing voicings in a comping situation. But in a chord soloing situation, and comping if you're Ed Bickert or Lenny Breau, thinking about the top voice will give your chords a sense of melodic direction. It will start to sound like you are playing a line and just happen to be harmonizing it, rather than playing voicings that just happen to have a melody in them.

    MW

  11. #35

    User Info Menu

    Alright lemme see if I can't explain it a little better. If it was the explaination that was confusing you then I'll give it a go. If it was the chord theory talk that was throwing you, then go back to Dirk's website and check out the chord theory lesson. Anyway... here go's.

    Typicallly you're going to arrange a chord in order. As in - 1 3 5 7 -.

    That's the ideal way to build a chord. An example of this would be a Gmaj7 on the tenth fret.

    x
    7
    7
    9
    10
    x
    From bass to treble that's G (1) B (3) D (5) F# (7)

    Pretty easy fingering. But try making that maj7 into a Gmin7. It would look like this

    x
    6
    7
    8
    10
    x

    Pretty awkward. One way that the fingerings can be made quite a bit easier to handle is by rearranging the order of the notes. The most common way this is done is through Drop 2 voicings. What you do is take the second note of the voicing (probably your 3) and "drop" it to the bottom of the voicing. That way you get 1 5 7 3. Now try making that Gmin7 on the tenth fret. Here's what you get...

    x
    11
    10
    12
    10
    x

    Helluva lot easier to grab on the go. Try building those chords on the middle four strings and you'll probably recognize them all. The ones on the four highest strings are pretty cool though. You might recognize them too. When MW first brought up the idea I dug in and got ready for a long practice session, but when I started building the Drop 2's and even a lot of their inversions, I found I was already familiar with them. Just try it out. See what you like. Hope that makes it a little easier to understand. Examples tend to help me out quite a lot.

  12. #36

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by Chrizzia
    Hi

    I was just wondering if anyone in here are improvising using chord shapes?
    (Herb Ellis-style. )I find it to be a very effective way to PLAY MUSIC.
    It has really helped my jazz playing in a great way and maybe there are others in this forum who uses this approach.

    What are your thoughts on this?

    If you are into other approaches to improvising, please dont write in this thread. I am looking for the " shape-guys/girls"
    Chrizzia,

    I used to have a book by Steve Roschinski on the subject, and it did help me a lot at the time. He first gave you a lot of common bebop licks and had you practice them like you would scales. Then he's show you how to apply them using chord shapes. I believe he learned this approach from studying with Tal Farlow (or rather, it's based on Tal Farlow's approach to playing). The book is called "The Motivic Basis for Jazz Improvisation" or something like that.

    This is really how a lot of the old cats approached playing, and it's a good way of avoiding scale-itis. I also think this is Metheny's basic approach, he just adds a lot more chromaticism to the formula.

  13. #37

    User Info Menu

    Hey Dmb,
    now i got it, it seems that my brain got confused, but with the example you gave it's all clear now, thanx man!
    yeah i actually do know many of these shapes,
    Thanks again and best regards,

    Stefan

  14. #38

    User Info Menu

    Yeah sometimes the abstract chord talk can get a little bit confusing if you don't have an example or two to actually look at. Well, I'm glad you got it. Have fun.

  15. #39
    Thanks Ewit... I will check it out

  16. #40

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by m78w
    Go with the Chord Solos book, it's your best bet.

    MW

    Just ordered the book from Amazon today. Along with Pure Desmond.

  17. #41

    User Info Menu

    Just got the Joe Pass book today (unfortunately Pure Desmond hasn't come yet). Talk about an intense book. He just throws it at you and lets you sort through it all. I started working through Misty today. There is some great stuff in there. I've noticed, even in just the first 8 measures of the entire book, he uses the quartal voicings a lot. It was great to see those put to use because that's something that I've practiced a lot but never been able to utilize. Also, MW, the run on that first Abmaj7 chord in Misty is awesome. The way you talked about it I assumed you have the book. If not let me know and I'll write it out for you. Anyway, great book, thanks for the suggestion. I'd reccomend it to any of you guys. Only thing is that you'd better have time on your hands because he leaves a lot to be figured out by the reader. Any way. Just thought I'd let you know what I thought. Thanks again.

  18. #42

    User Info Menu

    I used that book ALOT! when I was first starting into jazz. At one point I could play the book front to back from memory, and alot of those licks have stayed in my playing throughout the years.

    I really like the Blues, Days of Wine and Roses and Misty, those ones have TONS of great material in them.

    Great purchase!

    MW

  19. #43

    User Info Menu

    I noticed that a lot of the reviewers of the book (on amazon) were griping that it was "incomplete". After reading the reviews I couldn't help sitting back and just thinking to myself... "ha... suck it up." I figure that, in Joe's mind, a full 150 page instructional book on those solos cuts out half the learning process. I'm sure his intent was to have the reader play something, think "why the hell does that work?" - and finally go figure out for themselves why the hell it works. Sticks in your memory better that way, and allows you to apply that particular idea to more than just the 3rd bar of Misty (or whatever you happen to looking at).

  20. #44

    User Info Menu

    Well the story behind the book, the one I heard anyways, is that a guy from the publishing company went over to Joe's house one afternoon and turned on a tape recorder and said: " Ok, now do a chord solo over Mist (or the other 4 tune)" and just recorded it first take. Then he brought the tape back to the company, transcribed the solos and made the book.

    Good ole Joe.

    MW