The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #26

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    First two bars of the third chorus, the rhythm isn't accurate, as written it's a bit stiff. Listening to the way Jimmy swings, that final F note almost on the downbeat of the third bar.

    What is becoming increasingly evident is Jimmy's fondness of chromatic "approach arpeggios", I'll call them. The D flat minor into the C minor and then the A flat minor into the G minor later we saw a similar things in the previous two choruses.

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  3. #27

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    Here's the 3rd chorus, at about 125 bpm. I finally "got" the phrasing on this chorus and it makes sense to me, a change from before when I felt it was a bit disjointed.
    I'm especially enjoying playing through this old 1965 (or so) Silvertone 1484 "Twin Twelve" head, which uses 2 6L6 tubes. This thing isn't just vintage, it's an artifact. All the tubes are factory original, and I think every capacitor and pot is as well. Likely it could use some replacement parts, but I rather like how it sounds now, especially with the ES175 "Figured" model I got from the CME blowout last year. The 4 Ohm 10" speaker is mic'd with a Bluebird Blue microphone.

    It goes without saying I guess that how this thing sounds "live" and how it sounds coming over YouTube... well, maybe there is a contrast.


  4. #28

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    Quote Originally Posted by Michael Neverisky
    First two bars of the third chorus, the rhythm isn't accurate, as written it's a bit stiff. Listening to the way Jimmy swings, that final F note almost on the downbeat of the third bar.

    What is becoming increasingly evident is Jimmy's fondness of chromatic "approach arpeggios", I'll call them. The D flat minor into the C minor and then the A flat minor into the G minor later we saw a similar things in the previous two choruses.
    Yes, I think that's also a very strong bebop approach. The half-step approach shows up in a lot of these solos. I just wish I could reproduce it in my own improvisation.

  5. #29

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    Thought I'd try doing all three choruses here at about 85% of the original tempo, about 127-130 bpm.

    Still finding mm 1-6 hard to get right... but trying to get the groove anyhow.


  6. #30

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    Third chorus at about 120bpm. I hear Jimmy playing unison F notes on the 2nd and 3rd strings.



    Chorus 1 through the "be bop" at the end of 3. I think 80% is still pushing it for me both in how fast my fingers can move and my ability to keep in time.



  7. #31

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    Really nice. You have the actual articulation and time much better than I do on the 16th note passages. I tried 85% tempo above, and that's really my "totally falling apart" point. I plan to back down to the best tempo at which I can play the phrases accurately and build up from there.

    Love the sound of that guitar too!

  8. #32

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    I should really back down to 75% to play more confidently.

    I love this guitar - it's an inspiration to me every time I pick it up. Video was made with my trusty AA-powered MicroCube and my almost-trusty Pixel 2 phone.

    On to page 2 of the transcription!

  9. #33

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    So I've had trouble with the time feel on measures 4-7 and today noticed something that has helped me a lot. I had been focusing on the way the line trills (or whatever it's called) on the Ab/C, and just couldn't make it feel right. Then I noticed how Raney uses a sort of contrast between the static nature of those figures by using voice leading in mm. 5-7, putting it in the lowest register of the solo. I noticed that on beat 1 of measures 5, 6, and 7 is a chromatic line descending D Db C. The Db is on the upbeat of 1, but still at beat 1.

    I started practicing simply getting the feel for placing those notes, then playing the intervening notes however I had to for the chromatic line to "hit." That has been a tremendous help, and now I feel like I'm not groping on those measures in the same way I was before. It's a small thing, but it also shows how Raney constructed such amazing lines. He's got that descending bass line tracking the changes, and using the trill on the high C note to create a kind of illusion of a pedal tone.

    I know I've made a hash out of the terminology here... but I feel I had a break through in not just understanding this line, but in actually playing it with more confidence.

    Raney/Aebersold Vol 20: Groove Blues in F-grooveblues5-7-png

  10. #34

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    Quote Originally Posted by lawson-stone
    .... He's got that descending bass line tracking the changes...

    Nice analysis!

  11. #35

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    So in chorus 4 I'm seeing that my approach is going to really turn on how I play 4 innocent little 8th notes in measure 42:
    Raney/Aebersold Vol 20: Groove Blues in F-groove-blues-f-c4-jpg

    Those 4 little notes are big intervals that descend, and I'm not finding many obviously smooth places to play them. Currently I'm thinking:

    Raney/Aebersold Vol 20: Groove Blues in F-img_4314-jpg

    Then of course it would be useful to build the rest of the solo's positioning so that this is smooth. But I still don't know. Some really knotty melodic ideas in this chorus.

  12. #36

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    So spending some time thinking about how these choruses works, trying to feel my way with the groove of it, I have nursed my tempo up to 90%/135 bpm. Still choppy on mm. 4-7 and 16, but now I have in my head how it is supposed to feel so that even when I miss notes or make mistakes, I'm landing on the right spot after recovering. Mistakes now are more like dropping a note, not falling off the groove. That feels good. Also, I learned on the other solos that practicing slow is not always the best way to play fast. Higher tempos require at least for me, a different approach and technique that isn't the same as playing it slow and just speeding it up, but playing it the same way. The tempo dictates techniques and sometimes even fingerings, at least for me. So I wanted to push the tempo, risk the mistakes, and try to land on my feet when I mess up.

    So I have at least used cool gear. Gibson L5ces will always take care of me. The Silvertone 1484 with its 55 year old 6L6 tubes just sags and lurches along, smooth and sweet as it can be. When you are riding a wonderful horse, you really don't care much where you go!


  13. #37

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    Quote Originally Posted by lawson-stone
    Raney/Aebersold Vol 20: Groove Blues in F-groove-blues-f-c4-jpg
    Good question. The timbre of the Ab that starts the figure sounds the same to me as the timbre of the high Ab in the previous measure. So I think they are played in the same place on the fingerboard. My working solution at this point involves... get ready for it... playing the D string open. I start the figure from the second string, eigth fret.

  14. #38

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    Quote Originally Posted by Michael Neverisky
    Good question. The timbre of the Ab that starts the figure sounds the same to me as the timbre of the high Ab in the previous measure. So I think they are played in the same place on the fingerboard. My working solution at this point involves... get ready for it... playing the D string open. I start the figure from the second string, eigth fret.
    I thought hard about that open D String too... but for now I'm playing it on the A string, catching the C note on the E string. I have a 2/3 time play-through of the whole chorus done and will post this afternoon for your review and suggestions.

    Also... have you caught any problems with the last measure of the chorus? What I'm hearing at the moment (I haven't really drilled down into it yet) seems different. Might just be accenting, but I think I need to look at that last measure more closely.

  15. #39

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    Quote Originally Posted by lawson-stone
    Also... have you caught any problems with the last measure of the chorus? What I'm hearing at the moment (I haven't really drilled down into it yet) seems different. Might just be accenting, but I think I need to look at that last measure more closely.
    Yes, I agree. And the notation is misleading. What I hear is closer to this:

    Raney/Aebersold Vol 20: Groove Blues in F-img_20190825_083121-jpg


    As you mentioned in a previous post, when something is unclear or challenging I start with the strong beats. And here I hear a D# solidly on beat 3. That's a hammer-on pull-off between C# and D#... my scribble isn't clear, two 16th notes on the downbeat of 3, the upbeat of 3 is the A#.


    I just captured my latest attempt moments ago while my dog was expressing her outrage about something or other in the background.

    .

  16. #40

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    Well done on playing through FOUR choruses. We are cruising along. I didn't check it, but you are pretty close to the full tempo to, aren't you?

    Your interpretation of that last measure strikes me as correct. I will try to listen to it more carefully today and see if I come up with anything different.

    This solo is turning out to be one that at least for me, is easier to match to the changes and sections of a typical blues. The "Bb Blues for Wes" was a real challenge for me on that point, but it was also couple years ago. I think working through these solos over about 3-4 years has done a lot for my ear, and for me sense of where I am in a solo. I will try to get my clip posted today or tomorrow.

  17. #41

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    I'm not sure about the tempo. I used a different device and different software for mp3 playback. Might be closer to the Raney tempo because I felt like the sequence of phrases made more sense.

    This is my first venture into one of these Abersold listen-and-learn things. And, yes, I also feel like I'm learning something. Chromatic approach arpeggios! 8-)

    Looking forward to hearing what you come up with.

  18. #42

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    So I drilled into m. 48 for a bit today. I think you have the notes exactly right. My own notation of it (below) is just slightly different, with an 8th rest rather than a tie and a triplet rather than the 3 note 16th/8th figure. Those are pretty slight differences though, and the main thing I think is that the notes in the published notation were pretty off. The feel on yours or mine would be pretty close.
    Raney/Aebersold Vol 20: Groove Blues in F-m-48-jpg

  19. #43

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    So here's a stab at mm. 1-48 at about 130 bpm, which is maybe 85% tempo. Mm. 4-5 remain my main problem, which is bad because it's right at the start. I now think in terms of just reducing the number of missed notes! A few other places I think I rushed a little but caught it pretty quickly. M. 16 continues also to be a challenge and I need to study that measure more closely. Still, this solo seems always to end up sounding better than I initially expected, which is fun.

    Using the 1970's Aria Pro II PE180 here, which is a seriously wonderful guitar. The neck is a bit thick which might account for a few clams...


  20. #44

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    Good work.

    This all feels to me like trying to get inside someone's head and that's not a simple thing to do. Like an actor who doesn't want to simply recite words. An actor needs to convey the character with contextually relevant sentences.

    I try to consider chord shapes when choosing a fingering. For example, is the line something that falls naturally out of a chord? Also, I subscribe to the Jimmy Bruno tonal center position approach, so more the better if the fingering doesn't cause me to lose my compass.

    The Aria sounds fine, indeed! I once had my hands on an Aria Robert Conti... PE190, maybe? With a floating p'up. The neck grew quite cumbersome up towards the body. What Martin Taylor calls the dusty end of the fingerboard. Is that what you mean?

  21. #45

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    Quote Originally Posted by Michael Neverisky
    Good work.

    This all feels to me like trying to get inside someone's head and that's not a simple thing to do. Like an actor who doesn't want to simply recite words. An actor needs to convey the character with contextually relevant sentences.

    I try to consider chord shapes when choosing a fingering. For example, is the line something that falls naturally out of a chord? Also, I subscribe to the Jimmy Bruno tonal center position approach, so more the better if the fingering doesn't cause me to lose my compass.

    The Aria sounds fine, indeed! I once had my hands on an Aria Robert Conti... PE190, maybe? With a floating p'up. The neck grew quite cumbersome up towards the body. What Martin Taylor calls the dusty end of the fingerboard. Is that what you mean?
    On the fingering, I am increasingly spotting the shapes and patterns that Jimmy seems to use a lot. I also know from watching clips of him playing that he was more prone to play up and down the fingerboard, reaching and shifting, than playing in position the way that Joe Pass does, who never seems to ever have to reach for a note. So this time I've been doing the reaching and stretching... can't yet say how that's going to turn out, though. I like playing in position.

    The neck in general is the chunky 1970's Gibson style neck. I actually think it's fine, but if I've played my other guitars a lot and then just pickup the Aria like I did today, the neck size takes a little adjustment, especially also moving to the long scale after playing mainly ES175s. But it's all good. I haven't found that neck any more difficult up high, but then I don't try the stuff Martin Taylor can try!

    I might try tomorrow to do a clip with my Epiphone Zephyr Regent re-issue which has a pretty fast neck and see if it comes any easier. I love recording all these different guitars just to see how much it really matters once the amp and recording process are done.

  22. #46

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    I have been focusing on getting 1-4 right, and I slowed down until I found a tempo where I could play it right, but still had to really focus to get it right. I tried several takes, none of which were perfect, but decided to post this one simply as an interim effort at playing the thing correctly. I've also started working out the next chorus, which is a little odd in spots. Lots of Raney's beloved chromaticism going on there.


  23. #47

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    Quote Originally Posted by lawson-stone
    On the fingering, I am increasingly spotting the shapes and patterns that Jimmy seems to use a lot.

    Indeed. We can extract, generalize and outright steal them for our own use. Even as we come up with different approaches, that is to say...

    also know from watching clips of him playing that he was more prone to play up and down the fingerboard
    Interesting. I haven't seen many videos of Jimmy. I look at these phrases and when the fingering isn't obvious I look for clues in what preceded or follows. That bit at the end of the 4th chorus only makes sense to me, and aligns with my experience as a guitar player, to play it in 1st position, for example. It can certainly be played elsewhere on the fretboard, as you've demonstrated, but it seems unnatural to this old dog.

    I should be able to capture the 5th chorus this weekend. It's got some playful patterns.... what happens if we move this lick over here... or start it on a different beat. And then I see a lot of ink in the chorus that follows... so time to drop the tempo back.

    Sounding good Lawson!

  24. #48

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    Quote Originally Posted by Michael Neverisky
    Indeed. We can extract, generalize and outright steal them for our own use. Even as we come up with different approaches, that is to say...



    Interesting. I haven't seen many videos of Jimmy. I look at these phrases and when the fingering isn't obvious I look for clues in what preceded or follows. That bit at the end of the 4th chorus only makes sense to me, and aligns with my experience as a guitar player, to play it in 1st position, for example. It can certainly be played elsewhere on the fretboard, as you've demonstrated, but it seems unnatural to this old dog.

    I should be able to capture the 5th chorus this weekend. It's got some playful patterns.... what happens if we move this lick over here... or start it on a different beat. And then I see a lot of ink in the chorus that follows... so time to drop the tempo back.

    Sounding good Lawson!
    Actually one of the things I love about the guitar is how you can play the same phrase in different places. The tone is different. I don't understand people who want every note on the guitar to sound the same everywhere it's played. I love exploiting the relative differences in tone played up high or down low. Like you, I tend to look for the closest place to play a phrase, and I have developed some habits from the other solos, not necessarily good ones. I need to look at your clip again to see how you handle some of the phrases I"ve struggled a bit with.

  25. #49

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    Choruses 1 through 5 played to a metronome at 126 bpm, click on 2 and 4. Still some work to do as I can hear myself rushing the beat in a few places. When I'm back in the woodshed I'll slow the machine way down and try to sort out those 16th. I have learned from experience that he beat way to learn to play fast passages is to play them v e r y s l o w l y for a while.




  26. #50

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    Quote Originally Posted by Michael Neverisky
    Choruses 1 through 5 played to a metronome at 126 bpm, click on 2 and 4. Still some work to do as I can hear myself rushing the beat in a few places. When I'm back in the woodshed I'll slow the machine way down and try to sort out those 16th. I have learned from experience that he beat way to learn to play fast passages is to play them v e r y s l o w l y for a while.



    Nice indeed. The solo really goes classic "Jimmy Raney" in the last 4 measures. Those are some pretty outside lines. Who says the Blues must be simple?

    I hope to have mine up today, about the same tempo.