The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #26

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    Quote Originally Posted by AlsoRan
    Playing around the 5th fret leaves me mainly with three choices: E, F, F#, and G. I am starting to think it does not really matter because I am going to have to be able to transpose to another key anyway.
    There are probably some better players here who can give better advice, but I would stick with F for now. Like you said, it's movable.

    Maybe even E and F. If I can't practice things in every key, I like to do them two keys, a half step apart. It puts the fretboard dots in a different place so you can't get too complacent.

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #27

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    Quote Originally Posted by morroben
    There are probably some better players here who can give better advice, but I would stick with F for now. Like you said, it's movable.

    Maybe even E and F. If I can't practice things in every key, I like to do them two keys, a half step apart. It puts the fretboard dots in a different place so you can't get too complacent.
    Excellent idea! The reason it is so good (for me) is that it seems 95% of the time, I am playing in keys that have roots on the dots, to by playing in E and F, I can get more training in using both roots on spaces and on dots.
    Last edited by AlsoRan; 05-24-2019 at 01:01 PM.

  4. #28

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    I'll start a section 1 thread on Sunday or Monday. I'm thinking it should include the introduction and chapters 1 and 2, and we'll work on it for a couple of weeks or until most of the group seems ready to move on. Open to input on that.

    Back in 2012, Frank did a new thread for each section of the study group. I think that's a great idea. It will keep things separate, and folks that might fall a little behind can still post in the section they're working on.

    The intro involves reading (not exercises) chapters 26-28. If you don't have the book yet, it might sound like a lot, but it's not long and it's light reading.

    A little preview...one of the things the author encourages is to make a list of 10 songs to learn over the next 3-6 months. I'm going to round that up to 7 months and say that I want to learn 10 new songs by the end of the year.

    So start thinking about your list of 10 songs, or whatever number you think is realistic for you. I think the number is less important than making sure it's something you can actually stick to and finish. 3 songs would still be progress.

    I would encourage everyone to post their list when they have it.
    Last edited by morroben; 05-24-2019 at 08:18 PM. Reason: wording/clarity

  5. #29

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    Ok, was looking for the stimulus of a study group with summer coming, and as luck has it, I already own this book! Not sure I can wrangle the posting but I'm game to get involved and keep up. Let's do this!

  6. #30

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    Quote Originally Posted by AlsoRan
    Excellent idea! The reason it is so good (for me) is that it seems 95% of the time, I am playing in keys that have roots on the dots, to by playing in E and F, I can get more training in using both roots on spaces and on dots.
    That's exactly why I like it.

  7. #31

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    A bit of recruiting for more folks to join the study group.

    Introduction to Jazz Guitar Soloing... I think they title can make this look like this is a beginners book. Not necessarily so... This is college level material and was (is?) the curriculum for classes at Musicians Institute.

    If you aren't fluent at arpeggios, the connecting game, the altered scale then the first half of the book is for you. I haven't done the last half of the book but looking at the chapter names they include; harmonizing the melodic minor scale, Locrian # 2, Lydian b7, chromatic connections, other melodic devices.

    I put together this video of some shortened cut up clips of a few of my videos when I went though the 1st half of the book. I think this shows bit of where this book will take you.


  8. #32

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jazzstdnt
    One way to bridge from playing patterns (like voice led arpeggios in the connecting game or chord outlines - even great sounding ones) to improvising, is to start applying extemporaneous variations.

    The term "bridge" is important here because it's not pure pattern playing, and it's not pure improvisation - it's bridging one's capability from one skill set toward the other.

    To explain:
    You take a defined (i.e. written) II-V-I pattern and play it around the circle of fifths. Make sure that you can do that without any problems, over and over. Then at a reasonably slow tempo play it again but require at least one variation per key. At first you may have to limit yourself to 2-4 keys until you get the hang of it.

    Probably the first variation to attempt is rhythmic variation. So for example, replace some steady eighth notes with a dotted eighth and sixteenth, substitute in triplets, etc. Speed some notes up while slowing others down, so to speak. Just make sure that you play all the notes from the original figure for each individual chord.

    Then you can play other variations such as - double a note, drop a note, add a note (heading into melodic variation there).

    The key is to be musical while varying the baseline pattern - on the fly. To get prepared for this you can/should work out these variation types in advance, and slowly if need be. Write them out if necessary, until you get the hang of it.

    This skill is part of the Assimilation Phase ("Imitate, Assimilate, Innovate").

    The point is that if we only play patterns, outlines, licks, arpeggios etc., we may find ourselves wondering when the mysterious and elusive ability to improvise might occur (as if by magic?). In other words, we may be practicing the jazz language but we are practicing it in a way that is not unlike the classical musician mastering his/her scales, arpeggios, etudes, etc. The bottom line is that we are practicing 100% memorized material, when the goal is to improvise material that is 0% memorized, or as close to that as possible.

    So, the connecting game is great but there is more to do.

    Make sense?
    I read your post carefully and I see the great logic in it. But, when I go to the book, the author talks about being able to get years of solos out of only a couple of positions.

    I have to be honest with you, if I can indeed create some nice solos - not earth-shattering - but nice solos using two positions, I will be happy with that due to my lack of free time to practice.

    Just my thoughts.

  9. #33

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    I haven‘t cared much about Jazz guitar lately as I have ventured elsewhere musically. However, that book really helped me and, like Fep said, I have not made much progress since then. I would be happy to tackle it again as a musical and technical practice routine that is immensely helpful.

  10. #34

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    Quote Originally Posted by Frank67
    I haven‘t cared much about Jazz guitar lately as I have ventured elsewhere musically. However, that book really helped me and, like Fep said, I have not made much progress since then. I would be happy to tackle it again as a musical and technical practice routine that is immensely helpful.
    Hello Frank.
    Do you find yourself improvising in your current favorite music genre?

  11. #35

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    Quote Originally Posted by AlsoRan
    Hello Frank.
    Do you find yourself improvising in your current favorite music genre?
    Hello AlsoRan - nice to hear from you!

    It is mostly Pink Floyd and other rock music stuff these days that I am emotionally more connected to than jazz. Over the years I found myself not really enjoying that much listening to jazz; Hence I am also not feeling it the way I should in order to get better or even fluent at it. I always struggled with the 2+4 jazz feel that just doesn't come naturally to me. Gypsy jazz is something I sometimes listen too and where I also had some aspirations to learn the technique and vocabulary.

    But to answer your question - yes, I am improvising but the changes are very much simpler (not having to make knots in my head while trying to play at the same time); also many of the solo's are sort of so classic that they just need to be learned.

    I still feel that I got a lot out of that Elliot book in terms of the connecting game, the use of color tones, the writing and concrete use of licks, inside/outside and all that. I listened back to some of the stuff we did before the group fell apart and I think I was better than than I am now (not technically but in terms of putting it together, knowing scales and arpeggios etc.). I would be interested in revisiting that since I feel that this approach holds up for any kind of music, not just jazz.

  12. #36

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    My loyalty at the moment is to the Patterns for Jazz material, so I don't know how much active participation I'll have with this group. I've been looking to incorporate this material into my practice routine, though. I'll be following along and contributing if I can.

    .

  13. #37

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    The section 1 study group thread is open. Come join in over there.

  14. #38

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    Hello, I just found I soday (June 22) although I have been working on this book for the last few weeks, so it is great timing. I will try to join in and follow along.

    New to this forum and to posting. Really appreciate all of the posts and knowledge/experience sharing.

    Thanks,

    Joe

  15. #39

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    Quote Originally Posted by jcramer12
    Hello, I just found I soday (June 22) although I have been working on this book for the last few weeks, so it is great timing. I will try to join in and follow along.

    New to this forum and to posting. Really appreciate all of the posts and knowledge/experience sharing.

    Thanks,

    Joe
    Hi Joe, welcome to the forum.

    This was a thread just to judge interest. We started a separate thread once we actually got started. It's slow going over there and some of us are working on things outside of the book's exercises, but you're welcome to join in if you're interested. You'll find it over here...
    Intro to Jazz Guitar Soloing (Reissue): Section 1

    -Ben