Autumn Leaves - Robert Conti's Ticket to Improv Vol. I

[lawson-stone]

This thread is installment 3 for a group working through Robert Conti's "Ticket to Improv" instructional video set. We are learning his solo based on the changes to "Autumn Leaves" in G Major/E Minor, at a pace of 8 measures per week.

Every Tuesday we try to post clips of our progress for the week. Naturally, some weeks, any one of us might be delayed or have to post a little later, which is totally fine. We also are focusing on accountability to work through the solo, and encouragement, to keep ourselves moving, as opposed to a lot of critique and coaching. We assume that a post is not asking for critique unless the person posting has a particular problem they ask for help on. Some will re-post a better version of the week's clip, sometimes we play around with tempos, it's really open to whatever is helping you learn and keep on pace without getting bogged down.

Some people like also to learn the chords and melody to the tune, which is fine, but not required. It's okay to post those clips, but this is not the "Practical Standards" group. We're focused on learning Conti's solo. Also, we talk a little about how the lines and language he's using apply and might be oriented to the changes, but we aren't doing a lot of theory here. Focus on theory is CONTI-rary to Conti's method!

This is a group for people who want to play these solos and want to talk about the process of playing them and learning from them, and to have encouragement and accountability.

Here's our schedule of Tuesday post goals:

May 2: Measures 1-8
May 9: Measures 1-16
May 16: Measures 1-24
May 23: Measures 1-32
May 30: Catch-Up and time for anyone to make a final, more polished post if they wish.

So, all you Conti-rarians, or Contians (which is not to be confused with the famous German philosopher who could not play crap though he wrote lots of books!), have at it!

Maybe we should have a series of replies here indicating who is "in" on this stage of the journey?

[Doublea A]

I am all in !!

[MikeS]

I'm in!

Mike

[losaltosjoe]

Maybe we should have a series of replies here indicating who is "in" on this stage of the journey?

Thanks Lawson! I'm all in!

[andyb]

IN

[MikeS]

Autumn Leaves Improvisation
Bars 1-8

Mike

[losaltosjoe]

Autumn Leaves Improvisation
Bars 1-8

Mike

Spot on Mike! Way to get us started.

[lawson-stone]

All Right! Mike's got us going! He inspired me to go ahead and jump in. This video has a little audio clipping, I don't know why.

I play the portion through twice.

Back to work...

[andyb]

Great playing guys, you are off to an early start.

I am finding the Conti backing a bit tricky to play along, does anyone else have this problem?
I will probably use IReal for this one, any idea of tempo?

[Doublea A]

Great playing guys, you are off to an early start.

I am finding the Conti backing a bit tricky to play along, does anyone else have this problem?
I will probably use IReal for this one, any idea of tempo?

I prefer to use iReal backing tracks


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[lawson-stone]

I'm using iReal Pro as well. I might give Band-in-a-Box a try too.

[lawson-stone]

Great playing guys, you are off to an early start.

I am finding the Conti backing a bit tricky to play along, does anyone else have this problem?
I will probably use IReal for this one, any idea of tempo?

Conti's chart says it's 104 bpm. Seems like all these solos have stayed at about 100 or so.

[MikeS]

Great playing guys, you are off to an early start.

I am finding the Conti backing a bit tricky to play along, does anyone else have this problem?
I will probably use IReal for this one, any idea of tempo?

I've been sticking with the Conti backing track because it's a basic track with nothing fancy. My problem with Autumn Leaves is starting on the and of beat one. No matter how many times I've counted it off, I seem to miss it. Still working on it.

I don't have iReal Pro on my iPhone or iPad. I might have to take a look at it.

Mike

[MikeS]

I'm using iReal Pro as well. I might give Band-in-a-Box a try too.

I've converted the Conti midi's into BIAB files and initially practicing with them so I can see and hear the chord changes. I've also converted the midi's to wav files and using these as the final backing tracks. The wav files seem to sound fuller to me.

Mike

[lawson-stone]

I've been sticking with the Conti backing track because it's a basic track with nothing fancy. My problem with Autumn Leaves is starting on the and of beat one. No matter how many times I've counted it off, I seem to miss it. Still working on it.

I don't have iReal Pro on my iPhone or iPad. I might have to take a look at it.

Mike

Here's a "work around" that will help you get started. Play the first note as an 8th note pair starting on the beat. You'll have the whole measure correct, and once you have it under your fingers, just leave out the first note of the pair.

So start off playing this:


Then when you're comfortable with it, just "think" the first note and play the second.

[andyb]

Here's a "work around" that will help you get started. Play the first note as an 8th note pair starting on the beat. You'll have the whole measure correct, and once you have it under your fingers, just leave out the first note of the pair.

So start off playing this:


Then when you're comfortable with it, just "think" the first note and play the second.

Good idea Lawson, I have been giving it some thought as well, perhaps try sliding in to the note from the fret below.
Oh and look there's the tempo 104

[MikeS]

Here's a "work around" that will help you get started. Play the first note as an 8th note pair starting on the beat. You'll have the whole measure correct, and once you have it under your fingers, just leave out the first note of the pair.

So start off playing this:


Then when you're comfortable with it, just "think" the first note and play the second.

This is a great work around. This is one of the benefits of participating in this Study Group. The willingness to help each other out with ideas to help improve our jazz playing objective. Thanks!!!

Mike

[lawson-stone]

Hey folks!

A couple years ago the "Practical Standards" group did "Autumn Leaves" and I found the backing track they'd made. It's pretty nice: just bass and drums, but it really works!

Here's the link:

[lawson-stone]

Here's yet another nice backing track from the learnjazzstandards.com site. Not bad at all.

[andyb]

Hey folks!

A couple years ago the "Practical Standards" group did "Autumn Leaves" and I found the backing track they'd made. It's pretty nice: just bass and drums, but it really works!

Here's the link:

Thanks for putting these up, I like this bass and drums version, is it possible to download it?

[MikeS]

Hey folks!

A couple years ago the "Practical Standards" group did "Autumn Leaves" and I found the backing track they'd made. It's pretty nice: just bass and drums, but it really works!

Thanks

Mike

[lawson-stone]

Thanks for putting these up, I like this bass and drums version, is it possible to download it?

I imagine you could. Maybe find the original thread on the forum. Usually the first post will have the backing track and chart.

[lawson-stone]

But you got it! I've been sticking to iReal Pro for now, but might branch out and try other tracks. I find I get dependent on peculiarities of one track and start using this or that piano voicing as my cue instead of just going with the tempo and time.

I am also finding, oddly enough, that this solo is just a tad easier if it's played just a tad faster. At 100 bpm I kept messing up, but at 120 it smoothed out somehow.

Go figure, you know?

[lawson-stone]

Am I the only person doing this who is having trouble avoiding a corny, "bouncy" style on these first 8 measures? When Conti plays it, the feeling is hip and bop-ish, but I'm having trouble with it just sounding bouncy and not really swinging. "DOO-pa-DOO-pa..."

Here's a clip where I try to contrast the two approaches, though it's a little exaggerated.

[losaltosjoe]

Great playing guys, you are off to an early start.

I am finding the Conti backing a bit tricky to play along, does anyone else have this problem?
I will probably use IReal for this one, any idea of tempo?

Hi Andy -- I generally use Band In A Box with the changes from the Conti PDF (rather than the changes from the Real Book).