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Anybody check this book out? And if so, what's your take on it?
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11-27-2011 02:28 PM
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The book contains a complete list of note collections, some suggested practice approaches and Wayne's thinking about music and improvisation.
It reads as a dialogue between Wayne and an imaginary musician processing the books ideas and suggestions and is quite funny at times.
Personally I like the book. What are you hoping to gain from it.
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Thanks. I'm just looking for a different perspective and something new to work with. I actually went ahead and ordered it because I found it for $15. I figured I've probably paid more for worse.
Once I get it and get a chance to check it out I'll give my own little review...for whatever that's worth. Lol. Thanks again.
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It's a cool book. Kind of a Mick Goodrick approach in that Wayne gives you a formula, and then you have to do the work to figure it out (which, of course, helps us learn it more effectively).
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I like it a lot. He pulls no punches: 1. Identify every note on the fretboard until you don't have to think about it. 2. Learn to read music.
Originally Posted by alwaysharp
If you're up for doing both, then the book will pay dividends.
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A remarkable little antidote to the ocean of hand holding phrase/genre oriented "lick-tionary" books out there. Most books are boats or cruise liners taking the reader to somewhere the author thinks you should be. The OS is a kick in the ass that drops you in the middle of the ocean.
Lots of exhaustive patterns for you to work yourself into and out of. Lots of fingering and musical possibilities you probably never used or even thought of. Just put out there in list form.
I'd say it's most useful for people who've done their ear training homework and can appreciate the power of new possibilities for making music.
Put it on the music stand next to Goodrick books, it'll fit. It's literally a little book.
By the way, be forewarned, this is a "modern" approach. I dare say it's the kind of book that the Jimmy Bruno/Pass-ters would scoff at. Think of Dave Binney's music on guitar. Better yet, get Binney's new CDs with Wayne on them; it's one glimpse into possibility.
David
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Just for the sake of discussion and my own curiousity, how does Wayne's book differ from Slonimsky's Thesaurus of scales and melodic patterns?
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They're both complimentary sources, both are very good for revealing the various permutations that can be played for 3 note, 4 note, etc. combinations but Wayne's book also addresses the specific demands, questions, ruts, habits, cliches of guitarists working in the "jazz" genre. There are some thoughtful commentaries and suggestions that freely admit that this is not for everyone, but for a modern jazz guitarist looking for approaches in the post Coltrane, Post Shorter era, this is one way that guitarists can break out of the zombie lick pattern rut, by being aware of other note combinations and how they're applicable in a tonal (or not) situation. It seems that horn players work in this realm a lot more fluently than guitarists. For sure, if more guitarists worked with Slonimsky's book, or worked with teachers fluent in the Schillinger system of multiple tonics, or with Goodrick's system of voice leading, that the guitar world would be much broader. Originally Posted by JakeAcci
The OS is a guitarist's systematic offering to different sounds, unique sounds that come in different note combinations. It's akin to Indian Ragas and the scale, intervallic, implied harmonic relational sounds that can be found in those finite sets. It's maybe like the uber-chord scale catalogue. Like Slonimsky but with an eye and commentary from a practicing guitarist's perspective.
As I look these over, they form an awareness of relationships between phrases, notes, and a freedom that comes from being able to identify unique synthetic chord scales as they can be developed in real time during a solo.
Hope this is helpful.
David
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I don't know about others here, but I'd be real happy if I could (on guitar of course) solo over and express the full harmonic vocab of the Coltrane and Shorter era(s). Originally Posted by TruthHertz
Last edited by SevenStringJazz; 10-03-2012 at 08:01 PM.
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Well I finally got around to working with this a good deal over the past week and I actually like it a lot....it's not for everyone, but I can see it really freeing up the fretboard if you put in the work.....
Attempting to make one/two/three note formulas musical with the restricted zones in real time is quite a challenge....
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I finally got a copy of the book yesterday and started reading and like what I've read so far a lot like things I have been thinking over past six months, but appear WK will/has an approach to practicing it.
Any have more comments on the book?
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I am making a video series on An Improviser's OS:
An Improviser's OS - YouTube
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Love this book. I am making a video series about it now but I think that am not allowed to share links here. FAQ part 9 on outside playing is excellent. I learned a lot from trying out random formulas over minor 7 chords and dominant chords. It's completely open how creative one can get with practicing. I find the book really inspiring.
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Practicing the formula 1b235b7, recording and listening back.
Straight 8th feel:
Triplet subdivision feel:
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George Garzone has a similar approach and a lot of material out for anyone interested in these concepts.
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Don't get me wrong I love Wayne's playing. But wouldn't it be better for some folks to learn some standards and practice soloing over them? Just an idea...
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Not always. Wayne is giving us a way to find a different path through improvising on standards. The truly successful jazz musician is the one whose "mother can recognize him on the radio", as Les Paul said. Playing jazz is hard; playing jazz that is recognizably YOUR SOUND is the goal of those on or wanting to achieve Wayne's level. Krantz and Frisell play rock for jazzers, and they kick ass. The Frisell records with Ginger Baker are insanely rocking, but very creative; same with Wayne's work, I've found. Abercrombie was great at that as well. And they all can play standards. Originally Posted by jaco
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Standard tunes and jazz tunes is its own idiom, for good and for worse. It comes with a huge deal of licks, riffs, rhythms, phrasings, reference to ethnicity etc but formulas don't have that. Formulas are blank slates, offer no references to other cultures or ethnicities. What is limiting to practicing formulas is one's own imagination. We as improvisers try to make music within a confined space that is a formula, listen back to what we played, then we try to rectify any gross errors or work on some weaknesses.
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To standard or not to standard?
I dunno. Tbh I’m not sure Wayne is doing many restaurant gigs these days but I suspect he probably has in the past.
Wayne quoted Rilke in a workshop ‘write no love poetry’ in his opinion standards and swing are pretty much on a par with love poetry. Are you Shakespeare or John Keats? No? Then avoid those tropes.
It may surprise people who know my posts here that I see some truth to that.
I envy people who have found their own strong direction with music. That to me is far more important than mere talent. Very hard to find.
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A really nice pickup in a cheap guitar
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