The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    I have just received the Charlie Parker Omnibook Volume 1. Can someone suggest what would be a good tune to start with. I want to learn his phrasing and get ideas. NOTE: I am new to Jazz.

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  3. #2

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    Can I suggest Yardbird Suite?

  4. #3

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    This is just one suggestion, so take it with a big grain of salt.
    Start by listening to a lot. Give yourself maybe two weeks just listening to the Dial recordings, and the Savoy live recordings. Listen a lot to the point of immersion, until you're so infused with the music that you can feel it, understand the sway and push of his rhythmic breath, until you can anticipate what he'd be likely to do...and you'll still be surprised by his choices.
    I think you should listen until you feel how it'd be to be in the audience or listening to Symphony Sid. And somewhere in that experience you'll come across a performance that says to you "Oh Wow! That chorus of Now's the Time really jumps out!" and then be hungry when you open the page, before you use your eyes.

    That's how it's useful to me. I just think those dots on the page might speak more clearly if the spirit of his sound has spoken to you first.

    Just my two cents.
    David

  5. #4
    Yea good advice and i will do just that...need to soak it up to feel it........am working on Ornithology in the mean time :-)

  6. #5

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    I highly recommend transcribing by ear and using the omnibook to check your transcriptions and do analysis. Especially since you're interested in his phrasing. That's how I use my omnibook.
    Why not a blues?

  7. #6

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    Parker's Mood

  8. #7

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    I'd go anthropology

  9. #8

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    Billie’s Bounce. That’s a blues in F.

    I would also try to get a hold of Thomas Owens book “Bebop: the music and it players”. There’s a big chapter on Parker, analyzing his solos, and giving pointers to interesting parts of his recordings. This really a great read and companion to transcribing Bird’s solos.

    There’s also Thomas Owens dissertation on Charlie Parker which is freely available on the web. It has in depth insights and analysis of Parkers transcriptions. I recommend that too but that can be bit overwhelming, so not sure one should start with that.

    But i agree that first step would need to be to just listening to lots of Bird’s recordings.

    Have fun

  10. #9

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    Do what Parker did , learn it off the records ( or mp3s ) . Use the Onmibook to check , don't try to learn an aural art form from sheet music .

    Probably start with the medium blues , Billies Bounce , Cheryl , Au Privave , Barbados .

  11. #10

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    Blues in different keys has been the beginning flr a long time for me at least. I would suggest cool blues. It's in C. U can find all 4 takes online. You get some diatonic language, b9#9 vocab and straight up altered scale/tritone sub language in there too and u get a lesson at recycling ideas in a creative way. Win/win/win/win situation.
    Aside from that it's a nice tune

  12. #11

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    When I got it first I started with Billies Bounce.

  13. #12

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    Billie’s Bounce is a great starter tune - and once you have the head down you can use all your F blues licks for soloing. I copied George Benson’s version first, but then also learned it up an octave from the following book:

    Charlie Parker for Guitar: Note-for-Note Transcriptions and Detailed Performance Notes for 18 Bebop Classics https://www.amazon.com/dp/0793587476..._aW.cDb67JV8C0

    The book has several preliminary pages on Parker’s typical licks/devices when soloing and the fingerings are generally very good for guitar I think it deserves its 5-star rating that purchasers gave it,

  14. #13

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    I just got Live at Massey Hall--the Spanish reissue (without Mingus redubbing his bass lines).

    I really dig Parker's playing on this record. His lines have that same elegance that he employed on his "With Strings" album.

    I think both Massey Hall and Bird With Strings are great places to start for transcribing Charlie Pahkah, wait--I mean Charlie Chan

  15. #14
    Hey Tamirgal - Thanks for the pointing to the Thomas Owens dissertation. It's a really great rabbit hole to have fallen into. My afternoon productivity level is at 0.01%.
    Hey Bokbok - Others here have pointed out that the Omnibook can be difficult for guitarists as lines played on alto sax often present difficult fingerings for guitar. But now that you have the book, enjoy the journey.

  16. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by Irez87
    I just got Live at Massey Hall--the Spanish reissue (without Mingus redubbing his bass lines).

    I really dig Parker's playing on this record. His lines have that same elegance that he employed on his "With Strings" album.

    I think both Massey Hall and Bird With Strings are great places to start for transcribing Charlie Pahkah, wait--I mean Charlie Chan
    I have the same re-issue! so much better without the overdubbed basslines.

    These two albums are my hands down favorite bird to listen to. That said, I do think there are a few easier places to start . Massey Hall solos are a bit longer, and fairly complex rhythmically, and there is obviously a lot of double time on "With Strings". Some of the studio things are nice just because the solos are relatively shorter and, I think, easier to digest.

  17. #16

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    Perhaps is pretty easy.