The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #301

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    Fighting the myth.
    There's a myth that a great solo is something that drops into the hands of genius. But for the most part, the genius is making it seem easy.
    Lots of people have very different things they think of when and while they make a solo. I've known people who are inspired by creating a variation of the head; their internal book is filled with ways to shade, frame and develop what's there from the composer.
    I've known soloists who see soloing as a contrafact or re-writing the head completely, composing a whole new head on the spot.
    I've known soloists for whom it's a collage of textures, each reflecting a mood of the moment as they take the journey through their solo space.
    I've even known soloists who see things you and I can't imagine...and play them. A friend has synesthesia, he plays colours in a tone poem. Another sees a literal story with characters and these characters have themes as they are guided by the tonal areas and forms of the tune.
    Most everyone who has found their voice uses a wide combination of the above elements.
    So the "easy solo" or magic is part myth. You have to work hard, develop tools and boring building blocks, and learn to grab them quickly and imaginatively, and fit them together...that's the craft. Then you need to work with the form to place those elements into ways that make a dramatic or narrative sense when you look back on it...that's the art.
    Keep this in mind as you build the musician in you. It won't come without mastering the building blocks. That's what our 20 weeks is about.

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #302

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    Day 5 50 bpm. Continuing to work with the ireal pro to keep focused on the single line task at hand. Still working on mixing and matching the arps and scales bits and trying to integrate more positions on the neck. Still fighting the lapses and making the recoveries as clean as possible. One more day...

  4. #303

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    I'm not using HR's voicings, opting instead for shell voicings, but I took a gander again today just hear some of the more complex harmonies. What in the heck is going on with that B7b9 voicing in bar 16? The little 5 seems to imply a 5th string B root fingered with finger 2, so I am thinking this:

    x2121x

    with fingers:

    x1231x

    or:

    x3142x

    I can't fathom how or why you'd finger a first-fret C on string 2 with your pinky. Unless that weird •X• means something....open B string? But then...wha?

    Here's a weird one:

    x0150x with fingers x0140x

    This is going to keep me up all night I'm afraid.
    Last edited by wzpgsr; 12-12-2020 at 12:32 AM.

  5. #304

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    I'm on day 5. 65 bpm. I actually went through the whole thing twice. Once this afternoon as I had a rare break from work. Then I tackled it again this evening. I have to admit, I'm getting a little tired of Cherokee. It was never my favorite song to begin with. And I realize next week we have to do it all over again, but in in a different key. Some of Howard's harmony continues to make the tune a bit nebulous for me. I've contemplated going back to the simpler/straight changes and embellishing those chords with my own lines. Bars 9-12 and both turnarounds lack definition to my ears. Once we get to the bridge my interest picks back up. Probably because the harmony moves better, for me anyway. Part of me keeps questioning if I'm doing this whole program correctly. There are some nice moments, but I feel like I'm being awfully repetitive night in and night out. Oh, and I also have to really focus on sticking to steady 8ths. I keep wanting to do triplets or syncopate. Okay, enough for my evening confessional!

  6. #305

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    Quote Originally Posted by wzpgsr
    I'm not using HR's voicings, opting instead for shell voicings, but I took a gander again today just hear some of the more complex harmonies. What in the heck is going on with that B7b9 voicing in bar 16?.
    I know Howard Roberts put those voicings in there for a reason. Personally, I don't necessarily agree. As a matter of fact, it was putting down the chords as he prescribed that kept me from really digging into the book when I first got it long ago.
    For the purpose of eighth note work, I'd say do what ever it takes, and don't get hung up on the chord voicings (but DO keep them essentially simple, don't use fancy grabs just because your hand defaults to them).
    I like putting down my own chord track because it puts me in touch with the form and because recording a good rhythm track is a really useful skill. But it's a skillset unto itself.
    Use modern technology if that gets you going, use your own voicings if that gets you going, or do what ever is necessary. It's also something that can evolve during the weeks that we'll be working on this. ex: you may start with an app and somewhere decide at week 3 that "Hey, I really can get something from finally confronting my comping skills" and start recording at that point. Lots of ways to get there, but the eighth note practice, that's sacred here. Have fun!

  7. #306

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    Quote Originally Posted by D'Aquisto Fan
    Part of me keeps questioning if I'm doing this whole program correctly. There are some nice moments, but I feel like I'm being awfully repetitive night in and night out. Oh, and I also have to really focus on sticking to steady 8ths. I keep wanting to do triplets or syncopate. Okay, enough for my evening confessional!
    Boredom may just prove to be the greatest creative motivator. Hey one thing to check out, have you looked at the PDF of the book in entirety? There's a link to it above in post #263. The book has some great ideas in the Fingerboard and particularly Line Shaping sections. So if you find yourself treading water in one part of the neck, try those same changes in a completely different section of the neck. This has the overall effect of starting and ending lines in different places, expanding your aural perspective and opening up different ways of getting from one "zone" to another.
    For example, different phrases in different positions can be achieved through traveling up one string, or by arpeggiating through a position change, or a complete position shift to an adjacent position, or complete position shift to a distant position, or taking an idea from one change and moving that same idea to a new position in a different chord (motiv), or taking one note and using it as a pivot note for different changes and tonal centres... all those are excellent skills you'll want to have in your fingertips when the speed picks up.
    As far as the weird changes and passages you don't connect with, you might try working with those passages as chordal (comping) passages. TRy different voicings and inversions to see if you can bring out a quality in those areas you may have not heard or felt before. And do try exploring these changes with a note pedal. Triads over bass notes are good ways to find new ways to play and hear elusive changes.
    But, yeah, I hear you. Sometimes something takes time to "click", and when they do, you hear them in different ways. Hunt through YouTube and see if somebody playing Cherokee, or Koko or some related contrafact doesn't make you see the tune in a new way. For me it was hearing Lee Konitz playing it. Lyrical, thoughtful and then I said AHA! THAT's what Cherokee is about.

  8. #307

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    Hey I just found this. Has anyone else watched this? Great to get some kind of overview.
    It looks like he's got other ones too. Nice to have this as "another member of the class" if you want
    Last edited by Jimmy blue note; 12-12-2020 at 12:13 PM.

  9. #308

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jimmy blue note
    I know Howard Roberts put those voicings in there for a reason. Personally, I don't necessarily agree. As a matter of fact, it was putting down the chords as he prescribed that kept me from really digging into the book when I first got it long ago.
    For the purpose of eighth note work, I'd say do what ever it takes, and don't get hung up on the chord voicings (but DO keep them essentially simple, don't use fancy grabs just because your hand defaults to them).
    I like putting down my own chord track because it puts me in touch with the form and because recording a good rhythm track is a really useful skill. But it's a skillset unto itself.
    Use modern technology if that gets you going, use your own voicings if that gets you going, or do what ever is necessary. It's also something that can evolve during the weeks that we'll be working on this. ex: you may start with an app and somewhere decide at week 3 that "Hey, I really can get something from finally confronting my comping skills" and start recording at that point. Lots of ways to get there, but the eighth note practice, that's sacred here. Have fun!
    I hear ya, I’m mainly just using shell voicings. That post was more of an aside just trying to figure out if that specific voicing was a typo because I can’t make heads or tails of it.

  10. #309

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    Quote Originally Posted by wzpgsr
    I'm not using HR's voicings, opting instead for shell voicings, but I took a gander again today just hear some of the more complex harmonies. What in the heck is going on with that B7b9 voicing in bar 16? The little 5 seems to imply a 5th string B root fingered with finger 2, so I am thinking this:

    x2121x

    with fingers:

    x1231x

    or:

    x3142x

    I can't fathom how or why you'd finger a first-fret C on string 2 with your pinky. Unless that weird •X• means something....open B string? But then...wha?

    Here's a weird one:

    x0150x with fingers x0140x

    This is going to keep me up all night I'm afraid.
    The chord is actually a B7+9. It’s a typo that it was written as a -9. The top note is a C double sharp. That’s what the X is for.

  11. #310

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    I just realized this is day 6. I guess that means the last day for Cherokee in Bb. Because it's Saturday and I have more free time, I've done the exercises twice so far. I may do it a third time this evening. On my second pass today I decided to really try and focus on starting from the third of most chords to get more intentional upper structure. Perhaps this evening I'll start on the fifth. I probably should've done this earlier in the week when the tempos were slower. I'm up to 70 bpm. My mind is working a bit feverishly at times to play Dmin7 over Bb, Fmaj7 over D minor 7, etc. Some of this I do normally on my own, but the discipline of trying to do it over almost every chord seems like a good exercise. Although it's impeding some of the natural flow and creativity I was feeling prior to doing this. Hopefully targeting the upper structures a bit laboriously now will help burn those shapes and sounds into my playing for future fun and exploration.

  12. #311

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    Quote Originally Posted by D'Aquisto Fan
    I just realized this is day 6. I guess that means the last day for Cherokee in Bb. Because it's Saturday and I have more free time, I've done the exercises twice so far. I may do it a third time this evening. On my second pass today I decided to really try and focus on starting from the third of most chords to get more intentional upper structure. Perhaps this evening I'll start on the fifth. I probably should've done this earlier in the week when the tempos were slower. I'm up to 70 bpm. My mind is working a bit feverishly at times to play Dmin7 over Bb, Fmaj7 over D minor 7, etc. Some of this I do normally on my own, but the discipline of trying to do it over almost every chord seems like a good exercise. Although it's impeding some of the natural flow and creativity I was feeling prior to doing this. Hopefully targeting the upper structures a bit laboriously now will help burn those shapes and sounds into my playing for future fun and exploration.
    Later, HR introduces will introduce some tunes with several bars of static chords. That presents its own challenges that I remember being significantly different than the challenges of Cherokee. I’m a day behind y’all so I may just plow through and skip a day off this week to catch up.

  13. #312

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    Quote Originally Posted by wzpgsr
    Later, HR introduces will introduce some tunes with several bars of static chords. That presents its own challenges that I remember being significantly different than the challenges of Cherokee. I’m a day behind y’all so I may just plow through and skip a day off this week to catch up.
    I was actually thinking of giving myself another day with Cherokee tomorrow to align my schedule so days 5 and 6 fall on Saturday and Sunday. No need to rest on Sunday.

  14. #313

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    Quote Originally Posted by D'Aquisto Fan
    I was actually thinking of giving myself another day with Cherokee tomorrow to align my schedule so days 5 and 6 fall on Saturday and Sunday. No need to rest on Sunday.
    If you’re into the idea, would love to hear one of your Cherokee takes.

  15. #314

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    Quote Originally Posted by wzpgsr
    If you’re into the idea, would love to hear one of your Cherokee takes.
    I'll try work up the courage!

  16. #315

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    Quote Originally Posted by wzpgsr
    If you’re into the idea, would love to hear one of your Cherokee takes.
    Pardon my ignorance, but if I make a recording with Voice Memos on my iPhone, how do I add it to a post?

  17. #316

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    Quote Originally Posted by D'Aquisto Fan
    Pardon my ignorance, but if I make a recording with Voice Memos on my iPhone, how do I add it to a post?
    Probably not without a lot of hoops unfortunately. The simplest do it all on your iPhone solution might actually be to record a video using the standard iPhone camera and then use the iPhone YouTube app to upload the video to your YouTube account. You can point the camera at a wall or sheet of paper for privacy. Otherwise I think you’re gonna need to figure out how to convert a Voice Memo to an MP3 file in iTunes on a computer then upload it to SoundCloud.

    GarageBand for iOS might provide a better solution for sharing audio then Voice Memos.

  18. #317

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    Day 6 50BPM. I could have jumped to 60 but felt that there was more to learn by keeping it slower for now. Continued to use the ireal pro backing. Continued very much as yesterday, arps and scales, ascending and descending reversing direction at tonal centers. At the end of the session my brain was fogged. It will be good to working on something entirely different tomorrow before enjoying the transition to Db on monday.

    I definitely made progress this week. The world was not set afire, but improvement has been spotted.

    Thanks JBN for starting this and for all of your encouragement!

  19. #318

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    Quote Originally Posted by wzpgsr
    Probably not without a lot of hoops unfortunately. The simplest do it all on your iPhone solution might actually be to record a video using the standard iPhone camera and then use the iPhone YouTube app to upload the video to your YouTube account. You can point the camera at a wall or sheet of paper for privacy. Otherwise I think you’re gonna need to figure out how to convert a Voice Memo to an MP3 file in iTunes on a computer then upload it to SoundCloud.

    GarageBand for iOS might provide a better solution for sharing audio then Voice Memos.
    Thank you for the information. Sounds like it's a bit of a hassle to get something posted here unfortunately. I'll see what I can do. I never use Soundcloud. I have the app, but it doesn't appear that I can record on it.

  20. #319

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    I’m noticing that long lines of chromatic 8th notes that I associate with bebop don’t sound very good played at super slow tempos. The brain has too much time to hear the dissonance. Or maybe I just suck Howard Roberts Super Chops: study group for a tune based practice routine

  21. #320

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    Okay. I think I finally figured this out. Here is a take on Cherokee at 70 bpm. Hope it doesn't suck too much! Hitting the record button certainly
    adds additional pressure! Thanks for listening.

    Michael


  22. #321

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    Quote Originally Posted by D'Aquisto Fan
    Okay. I think I finally figured this out. Here is a take on Cherokee at 70 bpm. Hope it doesn't suck too much! Hitting the record button certainly
    adds additional pressure! Thanks for listening.

    Michael
    I loved it! I'll repeat myself here and say it's REALLY hard to play on changes at this speed and you've nailed it. Nice variety of ideas, and the use of repeated notes and repeated short phrases to create space when space is hard to find with steady eighths. I like how in the bridge section or II V's you'd anticipate the tonalities of upcoming changes by hinting at the key notes before the bar line. Cool!
    Thanks for posting this.

  23. #322

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    Quote Originally Posted by wzpgsr
    I’m noticing that long lines of chromatic 8th notes that I associate with bebop don’t sound very good played at super slow tempos. The brain has too much time to hear the dissonance. Or maybe I just suck Howard Roberts Super Chops: study group for a tune based practice routine
    They don't sound good; you stay uncomfortable too long, but do it! Y'know there's nobody stopping you from using colour notes (non diatonic or chromatic notes) in or at speed outside of the hour session. The super slow speed gives you a chance to really think about what you're doing, (does it resolve nicely and strongly? Does the follow up idea benefit from the dissonant set up? Am I able to spot those 'oh no, not THAT again' habits and think of new ways to create the path to the next phrase?)
    And yeah, being able to feel frustrated with where you are (DO I suck?) and build your options out of that...that's what we're doing. Every solo by any player is filled with places that will lead to traps, cliches or uninspired endings. You'll soon learn that making a solo is partly finding an inspired line, but equally, or more important is the ability to spot the easy path to what's too comfortable, and pick the raw ground you can build on.
    You can work on hearing at slow speed and you'll find the music.

  24. #323

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    The end of the first week! This week has been full of revelations for me. Slowing down has allowed me to really move around the fingerboard in ways I wouldn't dare before, and when I get back to playing at speed when I'm playing, those new connections are leading to new and fresh ideas. Overall, my time is getting really solid at faster speeds.

    I'm so pleased we're all doing this. I have lots of friends that are now considered some of the top players in the field, and I've known many of them as they were starting out. They're ordinary people, and at one time they all really struggled with their instruments. The difference that made them who they are is a simple one: They loved playing enough that they never gave up-then they got good enough that they couldn't put it down.
    So great to be on the road that is constantly moving, constantly getting harder and easier at the same time.
    Have a good resting day and we hit with the key of Db on Monday.

  25. #324

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    Quote Originally Posted by D'Aquisto Fan
    Okay. I think I finally figured this out. Here is a take on Cherokee at 70 bpm. Hope it doesn't suck too much! Hitting the record button certainly
    adds additional pressure! Thanks for listening.

    Michael

    Nice job! Really solid. I liked quite a bit how you handled the chromatically descending m7 turnarounds before the bridge—sounded to me like repeated patterns that included large interval leaps. In the greatest tradition of American music, I’m stealing that!

  26. #325

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jimmy blue note
    I loved it! I'll repeat myself here and say it's REALLY hard to play on changes at this speed and you've nailed it. Nice variety of ideas, and the use of repeated notes and repeated short phrases to create space when space is hard to find with steady eighths. I like how in the bridge section or II V's you'd anticipate the tonalities of upcoming changes by hinting at the key notes before the bar line. Cool!
    Thanks for posting this.
    Thank you, Jimmy Blue Note for listening and for your encouraging words. I really appreciate it! I realize I was rushing a bit at times. I want to focus on this as we move forward. I also realize transposing Cherokee to Db will encompass additional challenges. I look forward to moving on to the next week of the program.