The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
  1. #1
    hello everyone, in this month I worked on my style, I want to find my way to improvise and playing Jazz. I wish to "explain myself" it's an long way, I know.
    In this short video I play Night and day (by Cole Porter): -Theme; - Improvisation; - theme
    Can you give me some advice, comment, or only an opinion?
    Thank you so much

    Ps: In my youtube channel you can find my "old style"



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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    That was nice.
    Couldn't pick a prettier tune. Would like to have heard a diminished run or something and I think, two tonal "jumps" that stalled my attention but other than that that's ok.

    After recording that I would try to isolate the solo ( play backing on computer put solo on looper ).
    Play looped solo back and see if you hear the changes clearly and what could you do to bring that out stronger.

    Anyone listening should recognize the tune from only your solo without the head.

    I'm guessing here, but if that was "on the fly" I'd transpose it and see what tones I hit on the chord changes.

  4. #3

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    Barry Harris scale outline

    D-7b5 play Ab down to B
    G7 play: G Ab Bb B C D Eb F (same notes as on D-7b5 , it's almost C harmonic minor with Bb added)
    C play C D E F G A B and back down

    F#-7b5 play D7 scale down from the 7th to Eb
    F-7 play Bb7 scale down from the 7th (3rd of F-)
    E-7 play C scale down from G (3rd of E-)
    Ebdim 7 play __ ? play D7 scale down from 7th (C) to Eb
    D-7 play G7 scale down from F (3rd of D-)
    G7 play G7 scale
    C play C maj scale up to 7th and back down

    Eb maj7 play Eb maj scale up to the 7th and back down
    C maj 7 play the C maj scale up to the 7th and back down

  5. #4

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    You have a nice tone. Sometimes your playing is a bit hesitant. In these places, your volume drops and your tone is less full. Example: last bar of the first chorus.

    Hesitance is often the result of having difficulty remembering what comes next, or having difficulty executing ideas in real time (i.e. before the chord changes to something else) or simply losing your place in the song form. Practice and repetition will do a lot to resolve the memory gaps. If you can't play this head by memory without the chart, make that a goal. Likewise with the chord changes. Learn the tune so cold that it is impossible for you to get lost or not to know what comes next. In fact, asking yourself "what comes next?" and preparing for that WHILE keeping what you are playing NOW in your active consciousness is a skill that's essential to crafting a solo that actually goes somewhere and makes sense.

    The other thing that will help vastly is to make a conscious decision to play with conviction. Play like you mean it, all the time, even when you don't. If you hit a wrong note, hit it with gusto and with a full, even tone :-) This isn't heart surgery, it's jazz improv, so nobody will die if you make a mistake. (Except yourself, of embarrassment perhaps!)

    I like the fact that you play with feeling and dynamics. Keep doing that.

    Also, your backing track is really sort of forward-leaning and you respond to this by playing behind the beat and somewhat rubato, which is a really nice contrast to the almost-hyper vibe of the backing track.

    Basically, keep doing what you're doing, and do it more :-)

    Cheers

    SJ

  6. #5

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    Basically, what starjasmine has said is right. Obviously you're very hesitant and I'm afraid the simple explanation is that you haven't worked the tune enough. Sorry!

    The fact is that a tune needs really working on before it begins to sound fluent and performable. There's no other way round it, it's as simple as that.

    It also depends on how well you know the guitar and how good your ear is. The good news is that the more you do it the better it gets.

    Confidence and strength of playing comes with familiarity.

    Here's a thing I did with Summertime, which we all know. But all this can - and should - be applied to any tune, ancient or modern. The idea is the same.

    There are five clips. This is what happens in order of approaching it as though for the first time.

    1) This is just the standard tune, as if you're reading the lead sheet. No frills, just the tune.

    2) Then you'll see there are gaps. The gaps and pauses make it sound a bit bare. It needs fills. They can be just a doodle over the chord or maybe a scalar and/or chromatic run to the next chord.

    You'll see I just played a short scale run over the first E7. Then a run-up to the Dm. I started the CM7 before the tune actually kicks in. Then at the end I just ran down the E7+ chord. Very simple.

    You'll notice it already sounds much more fluent and professional just by putting the fills in.

    3) If you keep playing the basic melody you'll get to know it so well that you can afford to relax into it. You'll automatically begin to embellish it and play it much more fluently. You'll probably surprise yourself.

    4) Same thing again. You can easily depart from the basic melody and put other stuff in, change the octaves, and so on. This is becoming more like an improvisation although it's still the tune; the ear compensates and still hears 'Summertime'.

    5) Same thing again, only more so. The point is that once you get into it there are many ways of doing it, each one different.

    Of course you have to know what harmonies to use but that comes with research and doing it. Summertime is a mix of A harmonic minor and melodic notes, blues sounds, and a bit of wholetone over the turnarounds.

    As I said, all this can be applied to any tune, and should be. If you keep working on Night And Day you'll see how it pans out. After a while you'll be wondering what all the fuss was about :-)

    Best of luck. Keep going!


  7. #6
    Thank you soo much for advice and your impressions Night and Day.
    Yeah, I exitate because of two reasons:

    1-Although I've been playing for years, I ever play with a music sheet in front of me, now a great musician has advised to break away from the score, to improve control on the piece. This is one of first pieces I memorize and I've fear to make a mistake. Night and Day

    2-I'm soo shy Night and Day, this improve my expression and help me to show my feeling about a music in my playing (I noticed with pleasure that someone noticed the almost rubato way I played the theme Night and Day), but I'm always afraid to boring the audience or make a mistake.

    Your advice to play with more "power" is great Night and Day even all the other advice is soo usefull, thank you at all

    Inviato dal mio ANE-LX1 utilizzando Tapatalk

  8. #7

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    Good -

    Break away from the music as soon as possible. If you can sing the tune in your head then you know it. Can you sing Happy Birthday? No problem! So learn and know the tune you want to play completely.

    Shyness disappears when you know you can do it. Power is the same. It doesn't mean you play without feeling. On the contrary, the better you know it, the more room for expression.

    Don't go in front of an audience unless you know you can do it. Never go on unprepared. What's the point?

    (The exception to this is if you're a very, very experienced musician. Then you might be able to fudge your way through it. But it's still not a good idea)