The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    Onward and/or upward!

    For the month of February we will tackle Chapter 3 of GF's Jazz Improvisation: A Melodic Approach, and it's a biggie.

    We will cover phrasing and articulation with an emphasis on incorporating the rest stroke, as well as a heap of melodic phrases related to the triads from Chapter 2, many of which are sort of a variation on a theme. We'll also start dipping our toes into GF's approach to substitution in order to get maximum mileage out of a simple framework.

    We also get two -- count 'em, two! -- actual, bonafide standards to practice this stuff over: Hot Saw (aka So What) and the inappropriately apostrophised Three Bee's (aka Baubles, Bangles, and Beads). The former is a modal groove that everyone knows and loves, and the latter is a ii-V-I based tune that nobody has ever heard of. Both should be a breath of fresh air for those who weren't digging GF's original from the last chapter.

    Let's do this.
    Fewell's Melodic Approach - Ch. 3-hansoloprofilethumb-jpg
    Last edited by Jehu; 02-22-2020 at 03:47 PM.

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    As inspiration, here is The Man Himself showing us how it's done over Three Bee's (at 4:40):



    ... just to give an idea of where we should be by the end of the month.

  4. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jehu
    inappropriately apostrophised Three Bee's (aka Baubles, Bangles, and Beads). that nobody has ever heard of.

    Really? Actually I didn't know it myself before I solved the enigma of Three Bees but then I found a version by Wes. Search for it on yt and you'll find quite a few interpretations by jazz masters like Jim Hall or Bill Evans for example. I noticed that it is often changed to a 4/4 meter.

    Anyway: looking foward to all your contributions!

  5. #4

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    Jehu, thanks for moving us along!
    I'm in.
    (And needed the push. ;o)

    Here's a version of "Baubles" by Basie. My favorite version of it is by Benny Carter but I can't find that on YouTube.


  6. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by TOMMO
    Really? Actually I didn't know it myself before I solved the enigma of Three Bees but then I found a version by Wes. Search for it on yt and you'll find quite a few interpretations by jazz masters like Jim Hall or Bill Evans for example. I noticed that it is often changed to a 4/4 meter.
    Well, I was partly joking, but seriously: Walk into a jam and call out "Baubles, Bangles, and Beads" and see what sorts of looks you get!

  7. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jehu
    Well, I was partly joking, but seriously: Walk into a jam and call out "Baubles, Bangles, and Beads" and see what sorts of looks you get!
    I guessed you did. And you are most probably right about the jams but it's a series of II - V- I (VI) progressions that is ideal for practicing what has been learned so far.

  8. #7

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    Exercise 3.1


  9. #8

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    Nicely done, Fep.

    Must confess, I'm struggling. Was looking through the book last night and this morning and it suddenly struck me that I've already forgotten much of chapter 2. Was going through Ex 2.2 again and realised I couldn't recall the shapes for F#min and Emin (the two variations). Couldn't figure for the life of me how I'd ever managed to improvise over Elle...

    So I'm doing some recap work before attempting Ch. 3.

    Derek

  10. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by digger
    Must confess, I'm struggling. Was looking through the book last night and this morning and it suddenly struck me that I've already forgotten much of chapter 2. Was going through Ex 2.2 again and realised I couldn't recall the shapes for F#min and Emin (the two variations). Couldn't figure for the life of me how I'd ever managed to improvise over Elle...

    So I'm doing some recap work before attempting Ch. 3.

    Derek
    Keep at it, Derek. Just spend a few minutes each day drilling those shapes up and down the fretboard, and it will come.

    Everything builds on and reinforces what comes before, so I wouldn't panic too much about getting things perfect before moving on. (That said, the shapes are important to this method, so that's one thing I'd keep hacking away at until they're burned in.)

  11. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by digger
    Nicely done, Fep.

    Must confess, I'm struggling. Was looking through the book last night and this morning and it suddenly struck me that I've already forgotten much of chapter 2. Was going through Ex 2.2 again and realised I couldn't recall the shapes for F#min and Emin (the two variations). Couldn't figure for the life of me how I'd ever managed to improvise over Elle...

    So I'm doing some recap work before attempting Ch. 3.

    Derek
    The shapes are a bit unusually to me also. For me it's easier to just start a diatonic triad from any chord tone of the parent chord. You end up with the same notes that way and don't have to worry about shapes. But I'm still going to do the shapes, both ways actually, the authors way and my way.

    The shapes require extra thinking for me and make me feel a bit handcuffed...


  12. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by fep
    Exercise 3.1
    Good job, Frank!
    I'm trying to play this one without looking at the book and finding it difficult. (I have to think where to go next.) But I think the grunt work done here will pay off later. Major / relative minor is a foundational relationship and I shouldn't have to think about it in any key. But I'm not there yet...

  13. #12

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    Here is Chapter 3

    Chapter 3 vid

  14. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by fep
    Exercise 3.1
    Clean and smooth Frank! Well played.

  15. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by Doublea A
    Here is Chapter 3

    Chapter 3 vid
    Well done! I noticed that you played the descending F maj triplet with a different fingering - I don't like the jump from the 12th down to the 8th fret either.

  16. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by Doublea A
    Here is Chapter 3

    Chapter 3 vid
    Really clean playing, well done

  17. #16

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    Quote Originally Posted by MarkRhodes
    I have to think where to go next. But I think the grunt work done here will pay off later. Major / relative minor is a foundational relationship and I shouldn't have to think about it in any key. But I'm not there yet...
    Me too, I was thinking to myself the current chord name to help me keep track of the next chord. It's a bit of a mental exercise, e.g. I know I'm playing A maj7 right now, therefore I need to go through the cycle of 5th and the next chord is a D maj7. That is all going through my head while I'm playing. Add to that the line starts on the 6th of the chord (if you're thinking major chords).

    It would be easier with different fingerings to just jump to a nearby 5th interval between lines which I'm able to do it without all that thinking. But the way this skips back and forth on the neck it forces me to mentally keep track.

    I'm not sure we were suppose to run this whole cycle of 5th exercise in time as I did. After all, there are double bar lines at the end of each phrase.

  18. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by fep
    Me too, I was thinking to myself the current chord name to help me keep track of the next chord. It's a bit of a mental exercise, i.e. I know I'm playing A maj7 right now, therefore I need to go through the cycle of 5th and the next chord is a D maj7. That is all going through my head while I'm playing. Add to that the line starts on the 6th of the chord (if you're thinking major chords).

    It would be easier with different fingerings to just jump that 5th interval between chords which I'm able to do it without all that thinking. But the way this skips back and forth on the neck it forces me to keep mentally track.
    I think about all the chords in a particular key, especially the adjacent chords.

    C maj - D minor - E minor - F Major - G Major - A minor - B diminished

    Bars 1 and 2 - D minor slides into E minor

    Bar 3 - A minor slides into G major

    Bar 6- G major slides into A minor

    Bar 7 - D minor slides into E minor

    Bars 9 and 10 - E minor slides into F major

    Bars 10 and 11 - G major slides into F major

    Bars 13 and 14 - A minor slides into B diminished and then from F major to G major to F major



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  19. #18

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    My brain hurts...

  20. #19

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    Okay, you guys are killing it and I wanted to at least show up. ;o)

    Today I did this without looking at the book. I have to think about where to go next but I did this so much better than yesterday, I feel like I'm getting somewhere with this material. Mind you, this is far from perfect. But it's better than yesterday and that keeps me going.


  21. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by fep
    It would be easier with different fingerings to just jump to a nearby 5th interval between lines which I'm able to do it without all that thinking. But the way this skips back and forth on the neck it forces me to mentally keep track.

    .
    Exactly! But this may turn out to be something we do a lot of with Fewell's material and we'll marvel someday that this ever seemed awkward.

  22. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by MarkRhodes
    Okay, you guys are killing it and I wanted to at least show up. ;o)

    Today I did this without looking at the book. I have to think about where to go next but I did this so much better than yesterday, I feel like I'm getting somewhere with this material. Mind you, this is far from perfect. But it's better than yesterday and that keeps me going.
    Nice, Mark! Sounding smooth and comfortable.

  23. #22

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jehu
    Nice, Mark! Sounding smooth and comfortable.
    Thanks, Jay! I'm feeling more comfortable.
    Wish I had switched to a Tele long ago. (And to the Kodiak pick---it's not second-nature yet but the benefits outweigh the detriments for me.)

  24. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jehu
    Nice, Mark! Sounding smooth and comfortable.
    Yes and yes - well done!

  25. #24

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    Quote Originally Posted by digger
    My brain hurts...
    For me, the instructions for Fig 3.5 are for the purpose of analysis and understanding. These are the triads, this is where they are coming from, and so on. But in terms of actual application, I think the point of pp. 28-29 is to show that to get the Dorian colour, you can use not only the minor family (triad+extensions) that we've been using, but also the minor family a 5th above (4th below). This expands your palette.

    So for the Dmin "pool", as I've been calling it, you can also dip into the Amin pool. If you're playing in the Fmin pool, you could also dip into the Cmin pool to get that Dorian sound. If you look at Fig 3.5 with that in mind, it's really just alternating between the Dmin pool and the Amin pool.

    Again, I think GF is trying to simplify our thinking in the moment, not complicate it. It's all a matter of perspective: To you, your brain hurts; but to me, it feels squishy and gelatinous.

  26. #25

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    Quote Originally Posted by MarkRhodes
    Okay, you guys are killing it and I wanted to at least show up. ;o)

    Today I did this without looking at the book. I have to think about where to go next but I did this so much better than yesterday, I feel like I'm getting somewhere with this material. Mind you, this is far from perfect. But it's better than yesterday and that keeps me going.

    Sounds good Mark !


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