Garrison Fewell - progress thread.

[ECHOPLEX]

Did gingerjazz leave the forum ,he does not seem to post anymore.

[jsepguitar]

Unfortunately he passed away. You should read the thread below...

https://www.jazzguitar.be/forum/chit-...ingerjazz.html

[targuit]

I have to admit it - tears welled up in my eyes when I read the post by Ginger's wife. Life hangs by a slender thread, and we must always count our blessings and those of our loved ones. May he rest in peace and, hopefully, play in a heavenly choir.

I was reading this thread with some interest, as I have seen Garrison play with his trio quite some years ago at Chan's in RI. I took the opportunity to buy his CD - a blue deeper than the blue - at the venue, and he was kind enough to autograph it for me. He signed his name as Garrison followed by a triplet of sixteenth notes and a '3'. I have often wondered if that had any significance, as I'm obviously aware of the importance of building chords in thirds. We chatted a bit and he was very kind.

Though I don't spend much time these days reading theory books, I admit to being intrigued by the title. Can someone chime in on their overall assessment of the tome? Is he still teaching at Berklee?

[princeplanet]

With deepest respect for the deceased O.P. (who really did seem like the nicest guy in all his posts) , I wanted to briefly add to this thread. My questions are regarding this approach to "linking" triads horizontally. I notice that many of the lines can be negotiated fairly easily without shifting position. Position shifting is great for getting from one place on the neck to the other - when required- but why do it so often when it's not? For a start, it's much easier to remember all the lines you can come up with when they are compactly located in a few places (ie, CAGED). Easier to conceive, easier to play and easier to transpose. Well, for me anyway, what am I missing?

Also, the idea of using the formed triads upon each chord tone of a 7th chord is well understood and is used in many devices in Jazz, but why is it that triads are usually pushed on us and not the 4 x 7th chords?

And lastly, isn't the logical conclusion of diatonic extensions to be found in the fact that any diatonic 13th chord is also the same thing as any other of the 6 diatonic 13th chords in the same key? A while back I heard a totally unschooled player who hardly plays consecutive scale tones, but instead plays mainly groups of notes in 3rds, or bits of arpeggios from the mother key. Anything goes, he might play d f a c against C M7, or e g b against G9. He always sounds "modern", and has just come to "feel" his way with this way of playing much like pentatonic or modal noodlers do. It inspired me to re think diatonic subs and extensions. Just learn the 13th arp shapes for each of the CAGED positions (theres basically only 2 for each position!) and just learn to really "hear" them in all sorts of situations. You'll find your ear steers you toward the good sounding notes quite naturally. When you hear tension, you just keep going higher up and sooner or later you come back in sync with the underlying chord!

I actually prefer lots of chromaticism in my lines so try to get a blend of all the things I like going on, and I must say I get bored quickly hearing triad or triad pairs based playing that involves little else. Anyway, that's how I feel about this, what do you guys think?

[AlsoRan]

Also, the idea of using the formed triads upon each chord tone of a 7th chord is well understood and is used in many devices in Jazz, but why is it that triads are usually pushed on us and not the 4 x 7th chords?

I can only address this point since the author actually mentions it. Not sure about the page but he states that Wes, Grant Green and others often played with three fingers and liked the triad approach because it was a good match for their 3 fingered approach.

****EDIT****
After referring to the book, I could not find where the above response I gave was written. He does mention the 3-finger approach that many Blues-based Jazz guitarist, such as Wes and Grant use but he does not directly state any direct connection to a triad-based approach.

In the book, his main reason for using triads seems to be for fluency and ease of travel up and down the neck, and in addition, having more a more melodic solo. He states this multiple times.

Sorry about my mistaken quote.

[bingefeller]

Hi guys,

I have the Melodic Approach book and really enjoy it. It has been very valuable to me in helping me to work my way through ii-V-I progressions.

However, what about tunes that don't contain a ii-V-I? Does Garrison's other book cover such progressions?

Many thanks.

[whiskey02]

You can apply the devices you've learned already to any chord changes.

[bingefeller]

You can apply the devices you've learned already to any chord changes.

How would I go about applying them to a blues for example? Take a I-IV-V progression.

[whiskey02]

The diatonic triads derived from the root, 3rd, 5th and 7th of a dom7 chord are:
Root maj
3rd min b5 (half diminished)
5th min
7th maj

So for a D7 chord you could play off of a Dmaj triad, F#minb5, Amin and Cmaj. Mix them up, weave your way from one into another while not forgetting that the F# and C notes( 3rd & 7th) are the defining notes of D7.

Now onto G7 you have Gmaj, Bminb5, Dmin and Fmaj to play with. Maybe you'll invoke the change from l to iv by playing with a C triad on the 3rd and 4th beats of the l chord then flowing into Bminb5 for the lv chord G7

Now you know what you can do when A7 comes around. You can play a minb5 on the #9 of a dom7 and on and on. You can use this stuff on any chord progression, just be sure once you "learn it" to use it musically; don't just play triads up and down like an exercise, make lines with them.

[bingefeller]

The diatonic triads derived from the root, 3rd, 5th and 7th of a dom7 chord are:
Root maj
3rd min b5 (half diminished)
5th min
7th maj

So for a D7 chord you could play off of a Dmaj triad, F#minb5, Amin and Cmaj. Mix them up, weave your way from one into another while not forgetting that the F# and C notes( 3rd & 7th) are the defining notes of D7.

Now onto G7 you have Gmaj, Bminb5, Dmin and Fmaj to play with. Maybe you'll invoke the change from l to iv by playing with a C triad on the 3rd and 4th beats of the l chord then flowing into Bminb5 for the lv chord G7

Now you know what you can do when A7 comes around. You can play a minb5 on the #9 of a dom7 and on and on. You can use this stuff on any chord progression, just be sure once you "learn it" to use it musically; don't just play triads up and down like an exercise, make lines with them.

Thanks for the reply.

So you suggest that I could treat each chord as a separate harmonic box that will give me those three melodic triads?

[whiskey02]

Thanks for the reply.

So you suggest that I could treat each chord as a separate harmonic box that will give me those three melodic triads?

FOUR triads, and later just as Garrison lays out for you, even more opportunities using triads built from b5,#5,b9,#9 on a dom7. This book is HUGE. Some look at it and think its just about playing/mastering the few examples he uses throughout the book; this is dead wrong. Much like Mick Goodrich, Garrison gives you the seeds….. and leaves it to you to plant and harvest the rich rewards. He doesn't give you 20 "licks" to memorize, he gives you the kernels to grow your own endless bushels from a little nugget of wisdom. If there is a single critisism to be leveled at this book, it would have to be that he doesn't spend a whole page insisting that the whole book is about the devices he lays out, not the small handful of "licks" used as examples. He assumes you will travel much farther than what he "shows" you in the book. Mastering the specific examples is the book is of very limited benefit - mastering the knowledge of how to break every chord down into multiple triads, piece them together, along with acquiring the fretboard skills to utilize them at will, is the end goal.
There is a gentleman on the forum, Randalljazz who mentioned working 4 to 6 hours per day with this material for more than a year! "WOW" you're thinking, "I haven't scratched the surface yet"; correct. The deeper you go the deeper it gets. Enjoy the journey.

[bingefeller]

Thanks again, whiskey02. I will look through some of Randalljazz's old posts on this book.