Satin Doll - Robert Conti's Ticket to Improv

[Dennygomez]

Here is the full solo, played with fingers.
I have been trying to get a video together of the tune plus the solo played with a pick, if I can I will do that soon, otherwise I will see you on Green Dolphin Street.

I wish I could see this finger addiction, though. I play a lot of fingers.

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[Dennygomez]

I wish I could see this finger addiction, though. I play a lot of fingers.

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oh, I see I it

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[Dennygomez]

I feel this was a good study at a good pace, that I really couldn't keep up with. I hope to catch up beforefor GDS.
I know it's generally decided to keep this pace. That's great. I think there's enough music to learn without going faster. I've learned about a half dozen tunes this week for other projects (comp and lyrics, no solo) so I think any faster would leave me in a lonely place.
I'm going to keep working this and posting till I have it. I guess that means anyone can come over and start it too. The endless study group.

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[MarkRhodes]

I am a huge Tim Lerch fan

Me too! Great player and a great guy. He posts here from time to time.

[snailspace]

I feel this was a good study at a good pace, that I really couldn't keep up with. I hope to catch up beforefor GDS.
I know it's generally decided to keep this pace. That's great. I think there's enough music to learn without going faster. I've learned about a half dozen tunes this week for other projects (comp and lyrics, no solo) so I think any faster would leave me in a lonely place.
I'm going to keep working this and posting till I have it. I guess that means anyone can come over and start it too. The endless study group.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

Absolutely! The "deadlines" are really guidelines to keep us all moving forward, but there is no "ahead" or "behind." Wherever you are is fine, because that's where you are. Can't be someplace you're not.

Great to hear you're staying busy with other projects, too -- post what you can, when you can. We'll all be glad to see it.

[Doublea A]

Hello All,


I am planning on starting up a Study Group in May 2017 based on Randy Vincent’s book “The Cellular Approach”. I figured that we could give everybody a month to check out the book and decide whether or not they would like to commit to the group. The book explores cellular improvisation. A cell is a four note group with at least 3 chord tones. It is meant to lead to building improvisations that are melodic and follow the chord changes logically.


The Introduction reads: “This book is a collection of things to practice on the guitar that will help to develop the vocabulary of jazz improvisation while simultaneously developing and maintaining single-note technique. . . . the focus will mainly be on “cellular” improvisation, which is using very short melodic cells strung together into longer lines. Once we get to the place where we are using strings of cells for “outside” and “free” playing we will move beyond the cellular concept and into some other approaches. I have included many lines and phrases transcribed from the recordings of several master guitarists to demonstrate the validity of the concepts behind the exercises given.”


There are 5 chapters in this book: Chapter 1 - Cycles and II-V Sequences (247 examples). Chapter 2 - Turnarounds (163 examples). Chapter 3 - Longer Progressions (192 examples). Chapter 4 Outside and Free Playing (113 examples). Chapter 5 - More Outside Lines - All Purpose Licks including Chromatic Intervals, Serial Tone Rows, and 23rd Chords (99 examples)


I have had this book on my shelf for the past 2 years but I have only played the first 5 pages. Maybe a group will help motivate me and others to incorporate this concept into my own playing.


The book does not come with a CD (at least my book didn’t). I use iRealPro for backing tracks.

1. My plan right now is to learn 10 examples a month. Each example is only 2 to four bars long. I have completed the first 12 with minimal effort. I would estimate that this is a 1 to 2 hour commitment per month. We may want to change this depending on the pace maintained by the group once it gets going, plus at that rate it would take us 6 years and 9 months to complete the book.
2. Discuss or post your performing of the examples.
3. Discuss or post where to play the “Cells” on the neck of the guitar. Even though Randy does give some indication where he would like the cells to be played, as we know they are always alternative fingerings.
4. Discuss or post the application of these “cells” into Jazz Standards. I think that this is the most vital part of the exercise. A concept is only a concept until it is made a reality (I just made that up. It is not a famous quote)
5. At some point, (maybe at the conclusion) I would combine this with Randy’s other famous book “Line Games” and see how it relates to the playing of great guitarists like Wes Montgomery, Jimmy Raney, Tal Farlow, Pat Martino and Joe Pass

I will be posting this on several threads so I apologize if you seeing this more than once.


Let me know what you think.

[SedanDelivery2022]

Here's a late entry to the group. I've found your submissions and comments from a few years ago helpful as I learn. Committing a take to video was hard. I did a lot of takes, and still hear mistakes and see bad technique. But it is getting better.

It was a fun solo to learn, I think it flows nicely (Conti's composition, not my playing) and is well constructed. I dug the Route 66 double stops .

[MarkRhodes]

Here's a late entry to the group. I've found your submissions and comments from a few years ago helpful as I learn. Committing a take to video was hard. I did a lot of takes, and still hear mistakes and see bad technique. But it is getting better.

Well done! I enjoy that solo.

I have taken a few private lessons (via ZOOM) with Conti lately and they have helped a lot. Have another one coming up just over an hour from now.

The lines he teaches become increasingly complicated, yet they work in their simplest forms. He says it all the time and everyone hears it, but few seem to believe it: you have to get some lines under your hands first. Then you play around with them. And then you come to understand why they work and how you may vary them, recombine them, excerpt them, move them around (as the chords change) to get different sounds.

I should record this solo again and see how I make it sound these days.

[joe2758]

Wow, he must be 80 years old by now!

[SedanDelivery2022]

Hope you had a good lesson. Yes, I have bought 2 of the "ticket to improvs," as well as a couple of the source code videos. Am now just trying to get the lines "under my fingers" as you say.

[MarkRhodes]

Wow, he must be 80 years old by now!

O yes, he's in his 80s. Can still play incredibly fast, though in his teaching he stresses articulation above speed.

One of the misconceptions about his teaching is that because he says, "no scales, no modes", he has no use for theory. But he knows theory. And he teaches it. But he wants students to learn theory according to their needs as developing players. "It's not hard; it's confusing."

[MarkRhodes]

Hope you had a good lesson. Yes, I have bought 2 of the "ticket to improvs," as well as a couple of the source code videos. Am now just trying to get the lines "under my fingers" as you say.

I find out in private lessons that Conti's understanding of "under your hands" is more extensive than mine.

[andyb]

[QUOTE=SedanDelivery2022;1426729]Here's a late entry to the group. I've found your submissions and comments from a few years ago helpful as I learn. Committing a take to video was hard. I did a lot of takes, and still hear mistakes and see bad technique. But it is getting better.

Great Job!! Funny enough I have just started re-learning the Robert Conti material myself.