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In defense of "Elle":
there's more to it than meets the eye - having worked with the book before I always got the feeling that there are "hidden" lessons that don't get special mention in the text.
- keep in mind that it's a practice progression to apply what we've just learned and practiced in the first few pages - nothing too complex so we can feel free to use our newly acquired knowledge.
- The changes lend themselves to move from one chord to the next chromatically from one note to another note in the next chord (or its extensions).
- introduction to a Bossa rhythm
- phrasing: dotted notes, syncopation, quarter triplets and sixteenths.
- try to imagine Miles Davis playing the tune - it has a lot of the features of a Miles tune: a simple slow moving melody with lots of space and a general overall modal feel.
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01-02-2020 04:10 PM
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Good call, Tommo. I will think Miles when I play this tomorrow.
Quick question - what's the secret to playing quarter note triplets. I always struggle with these little devils!
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Originally Posted by TOMMO
Great post TOMMO. And on point.
Not to be preachy, but it's not really about Fewell's fingerings, original tunes, or melodies.
Rather, it's about learning, assimilating, and applying the fundamentals of the jazz langage to the guitar. Fewell did the hard word in analyzing, breaking it down, applying it to the guitar, and explaining it so that students don't have to do all that research on their own. (The fact is that most people would never bother). As Fewell covers most concepts he advises the student to; (1) write their own solo, and (2) improvise their own solo - based upon those same concepts. That's where individual expression comes in.
So:
- It's not about aping Fewell, or even Bird, Trane, Wes, Charlie, George, etc.
- Like many or most improv studies the material is largely about generating competent jazz lines, or "running the changes like an authentic jazzer".
- Despite that, many or most "real" solos aren't devoted 100% to line running, start to finish. They include space, motifs, melodic sequences, "licks", slides, shouts, shakes, doits, etc. But we need to know how to construct and render effective and authentic jazz lines in real time.
- Learning all this material and then applying it in our own way is where the real value comes in, IMO.
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Had a few minutes (but only a few) this afternoon and thought I'd try this again. I played Em / D at the wrong place, which I sometimes do. But the main thing is that I have now posted something to this group. The ice is broken. Things should get much better from this day forward. ;o)
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The benefit of Elle, I think, comes from playing it over and over again, ad nauseum. I’ve noticed my ear is starting to hear the somewhat odd changes ahead of time, and that I am finding more interesting ways to move from one chord to the next. Also: I think GF’s own line over the Bb-9 chord encourages our minds, ears, and fingers to be working towards a less position-oriented approach. Can you do a nice little melody line like GF’s on that Bb-9, on only two strings moving up and down through multiple positions on the neck? I think there’s a ton to work on here. Reminds me of the benefits of practicing Mick Goodrick’s single string “unitar” concept.
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Was just going thru Elle identifying all the extensions as per the instructions and it is pretty straightforward until bar 10 where there is a C note between two Db/b7's is the C a simple passing/approach tone? everything else in the tune is from an appropriate major or minor triad or am I being dense ?
Will
ps - great to see folks plowing ahead and sounding so solid!!!.
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Originally Posted by WillMbCdn5
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Originally Posted by digger
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Originally Posted by WillMbCdn5
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Originally Posted by MarkRhodes
I was always fumbling with the pick up selector on a Strat. Now the choices are easy
I will get a Chapter 2 vid up as soon as I get some time. Enjoying everybody's posts and commitment to this great book.
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Originally Posted by digger
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Well - here is my effort on EX 2.1 . First time I ever created a vid so hope this works ok
Will
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Originally Posted by WillMbCdn5
p.s.: beautiful guitar.
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Originally Posted by TOMMO
Nice Phrasing
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Originally Posted by WillMbCdn5
If you are, Eb-7 is the II chord of Db major. The C is the 7th note in Db major. I hope that answers your question.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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A little teaser and one of my favourite tracks by Mr. Montgomery. Listen and I'm sure you'll recognize a lot of the things we're working on already:
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I got the book yesterday. Previously I only had a selection of pages in the amazon look inside feature and didn't realize it was missing page 13. So page 13...
Last edited by fep; 01-04-2020 at 04:37 PM.
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Goodness I knew I was out of my depth here to begin with !! But Fep has his own back up band !!!!
Will
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Guessin everyone has their heads down and fingers dancing across the fretboard aiming for some end of January " Elle" recordings . I'm working on pages 18-22. It has been mentioned before but it seems that Garrison liked to drop little nugget hints into things . He had that 6th in " Elle" that opened a door which he mentioned at the end of Ch1 .
On page 20 he describes some voicings for Gm to use as accompaniment , all of which are spread style voicings . If you take the Gm/Fmaj combo and map it out as spread triads using strings D/B and E you get some beautiful, open airy sounds to work with .
WillLast edited by WillMbCdn5; 01-07-2020 at 08:39 PM.
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Originally Posted by WillMbCdn5
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Its all good! I'm not a jazz purist either!!! I hear lots of different players being reflected .
Last edited by WillMbCdn5; 01-07-2020 at 10:54 PM.
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Originally Posted by WillMbCdn5
I must check out those chord shapes / voicings. I do like the openness in the Elle backing track.
Derek
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Originally Posted by WillMbCdn5
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Ok, here's my attempt at Exercise 2.2. Plenty of hesitations and flubs. But it is what it is. If this meets with the approval of the group I shall move on to Elle...
Cheers
Derek
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Good job Derek, my vote, good to move on.
Last edited by fep; 01-08-2020 at 02:00 PM.
One head, two cabs.
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