Fewell's Melodic Approach - Ch. 3

[fep]

and an attempt to solo over the backing track - not my best but the red light fever got the best of me again and I'm not exactly relaxed:

I think that was really well done... 2 minutes plus of soloing ain't easy. And you were able to keep track of the form, easy to get lost when you have 24 measures straight of Dm. Mostly, it sounded good.

[wzpgsr]

Sounding great, everybody!



This seems to be a common sentiment as we close in on the last part of February. Do we want to think about breaking this chapter up into two months, with the goal of tackling Hot Saw this month and Three Bee's in March?

I've been away travelling in Australia for the past week without a guitar, so could use a bit of extra time on this chapter myself.

Great idea. I have started taking lessons—encouraged if you have never done so, or if it's been a long while—so my practice time is now split between this and lesson material.

[TOMMO]

Thanks fep - appreciate it! Chapter 3 at least can take some more time if you really delve into it. I'm making it a point to take most of the exercises through cycle 5 even when it's not specified. Working longer with a certain amount of material (as per chapter) will pay off in the long run IMO.

[MarkRhodes]

Here are two contributions from me:

Playing along with the sample solo on "Hot Saw":
[/video]


and an attempt to solo over the backing track - not my best but the red light fever got the best of me again and I'm not exactly relaxed:

Sounds good, Tommo. Really like your guitar tone and time feel. This piece is an exercise in NOT playing changes---16 bars of D minor is a long haul. I think some of us are more at home with that than others. (I find it hard to remain focused---my mind wanders.) You're doing well. Wish I was doing so well!

[MarkRhodes]

This seems to be a common sentiment as we close in on the last part of February. Do we want to think about breaking this chapter up into two months, with the goal of tackling Hot Saw this month and Three Bee's in March?

Sounds good to me! I have other things I'm working on and need more time with this. It's important material, I think. Even if we move slow, six months of this will (I trust) provide great long-term benefits.

[TOMMO]

Sounds good, Tommo. Really like your guitar tone and time feel. This piece is an exercise in NOT playing changes---16 bars of D minor is a long haul. I think some of us are more at home with that than others. (I find it hard to remain focused---my mind wanders.) You're doing well. Wish I was doing so well!

Thanks Mark!

It's important material, I think. Even if we move slow, six months of this will (I trust) provide great long-term benefits.

+1! The first time I worked through the book a couple of years ago I was lacking in patience and moved too fast through it which inevitably resulted in me not having internalized enough of it.

(eta: I seem to see a sunburst Tele in your new avatar, Mark?)

[digger]

I swing from being really pleased - and not a little amazed - at my progress to thinking I'm not getting it at all. I think there's so much to internalise that for every really nice line that the triad shapes hand to me on a plate I realise that there's a massive amount that I'm missing. This is my first go through the book and I'm taking it a page at a time, but I can well imagine how it will repay multiple work-throughs. It really is like the ice-berg where 90% is hidden beneath the surface.

Currently enjoying starting my lines on the off-beat - just because GF did it on his example lines and it really adds a nice little push to the melody.

Cheers
Derek

[TOMMO]

I swing from being really pleased - and not a little amazed - at my progress to thinking I'm not getting it at all.

That's the story of my entire journey through trying to learn to play jazz guitar so far....

[digger]

Morning fellow GF's study-ers!

I've finally got round to completing Exercise 3.3 - the composed solo for Hot Saw. I've used a couple of the phrases that I came up with in the previous exercise, and I've taken inspiration from GF's example phrases so far as starting on notes other than the root, on the off-beat, and moving between triad shapes is concerned. I also tried to build the solo using space, repeated lines and motifs, and to try and get the chord change to slip in nicely.

Not sure I succeeded, but I'm reasonably happy with progress so far. I think it's about to get more difficult with future exercises where the chords change more frequently!

I go through the same solo twice, as GF's backing track is two choruses long:

Cheers
Derek

[TOMMO]

Very very nice, Derek! Excellent tone as well. What's that guitar you're using?

[digger]

Thanks Tommo

The guitar is an Aria FA71. A favourite player of mine - Jim Mullin uses one:

I set-up an eBay search for one a few years ago. They seem pretty rare, and the search never came up with anything until just before Xmas when one suddenly popped up - and lo and behold it was just ten miles away from home. Seemed a shame not to...

Derek

[grahambop]

I just put up some videos I took of Jim Mullen playing that guitar. These were originally posted on YouTube about ten years ago but YouTube weirdly screwed them up recently, so I’ve uploaded new copies:

Jim Mullen - YouTube

[TOMMO]

Thanks Tommo

The guitar is an Aria FA71. A favourite player of mine - Jim Mullin uses one:

I set-up an eBay search for one a few years ago. They seem pretty rare, and the search never came up with anything until just before Xmas when one suddenly popped up - and lo and behold it was just ten miles away from home. Seemed a shame not to...

Derek

Oh yes - I've watched that video before and noticed that beautiful guitar - happy for you that you found one.

I just put up some videos I took of Jim Mullen playing that guitar. These were originally posted on YouTube about ten years ago but YouTube weirdly screwed them up recently, so I’ve uploaded new copies:

Jim Mullen - YouTube

Thanks for the links!

[digger]

I just put up some videos I took of Jim Mullen playing that guitar. These were originally posted on YouTube about ten years ago but YouTube weirdly screwed them up recently, so I’ve uploaded new copies:

Jim Mullen - YouTube

Brilliant stuff. Thanks Graham.

I'm making the bold assumption that all that stuff is in Chapter Four of GF's book?

Derek

[fep]

Nice job Derek, inspired me to get going on this. I composed 16 bars this morning (I kept playing into the Ebm a bit but that wasn't composed). Not sure if I'll do the next 16 bars, this is labor intensive.

Edit: To eliminate duplication - I deleted the video and sheet music as I extended it and posted the revision at post #97

[Jehu]

Morning fellow GF's study-ers!

I've finally got round to completing Exercise 3.3 - the composed solo for Hot Saw. I've used a couple of the phrases that I came up with in the previous exercise, and I've taken inspiration from GF's example phrases so far as starting on notes other than the root, on the off-beat, and moving between triad shapes is concerned. I also tried to build the solo using space, repeated lines and motifs, and to try and get the chord change to slip in nicely.

Awesome, Derek... to me it has a Grant Green vibe.

[Jehu]

Nice job Derek, inspired me to get going on this. I composed 16 bars this morning (I kept playing into the Ebm a bit but that wasn't composed). Not sure if I'll do the next 16 bars, this is labor intensive.

Great as always, Frank, nice laid-back feel. It's amazing how much more effort it takes to actually compose something meaningful than to just noodle!

[digger]

Nice job Derek, inspired me to get going on this. I composed 16 bars this morning (I kept playing into the Ebm a bit but that wasn't composed). Not sure if I'll do the next 16 bars, this is labor intensive.

Good work, Fep. Very nice. Yes, it is labour intensive - took me a few days to get my chorus together. At least your manuscript looks nice - mine is done the old fashioned way and looks horrible!

[digger]

Awesome, Derek... to me it has a Grant Green vibe.

Thanks Jay. Spookily, I have been listening a lot to the Idle Moments album the last few weeks. Every one on the album locks into the groove so nicely I can just listen over and over focussing on all the different players. Maybe a little of it seeped into my ears...

Cheers
Derek

[TOMMO]

Thanks Jay. Spookily, I have been listening a lot to the Idle Moments album the last few weeks.
Cheers
Derek

A favourite of mine...

[fep]

Good work, Fep. Very nice. Yes, it is labour intensive - took me a few days to get my chorus together. At least your manuscript looks nice - mine is done the old fashioned way and looks horrible!

Thanks Derek,

My handwriting is terrible, that's part of what motivated me to use notation software.

I think tomorrow morning I'll take a stab at the next 16 bars. I'll use those 1st four bars over Ebm that I improvised, so I guess I now have 20 bars.

Listening back...

What I don't like, my low notes are too wolfy, I'm going to cut the bass on the amp and see if I can fix that. I think that's a problem with solid top guitars (mine is solid spruce).

What I like, I did some things rhythmically that I wasn't aware of... Mostly I'm playing swing but at measure 11 and 12 I'm so layed back that it floats, leaves the groove for a moment. Also the bit I did over the Ebm sounds like quarter note triplets and creates a duplet feel... completely unaware of doing that, just how I heard it. Funny thing about that, I have difficulty playing quarter note triplets when reading off a page, never seem to get them quite right. Here I got them right with no effort or quarter note thoughts. Like I said I wasn't aware of it until listening back.

[fep]

So here is all 32 measures composed for Ex 3.3:

[MarkRhodes]

(eta: I seem to see a sunburst Tele in your new avatar, Mark?)

It's the one I got for Christmas. The color is called butterscotch blonde. It looks lighter or darker depending on the surrounding light. Sure do love it!

[digger]

Very nice, Fep.

Beautiful tone on that guitar. Great solo, some really sweet phrases.

Edit: just had a few more listens. Love the line at bar 13. Really great.

Derek

[TOMMO]

Good job Frank!