Jimmy Raney's Just Friends

[Doublea A]

Hi All,

I was a part of the Jimmy Raney study group but quite honestly I was not able to keep up with the tempo of the tunes or the rate that the group was moving at.

I still wanted to learn the tunes so I am planning on performing them here at a tempo that will be beneficial to me.

I play Just Friends at about 116 bpm. So I learned the solo at 116 bpm. I memorized the head and inserted Raney's solo (taken from Jamey Aebersold Volume 20).

I made a few changes to the solo to fit the chord changes that had on iRealPro.

Comments are welcomed.

[Doublea A]

Hi All,

I was a part of the JimmyRaney study group but quite honestly I was not able to keep up with the tempo of the tunes or the rate that the group was moving at.

I still wanted to learn the tunes so I am planning on performing them here at a tempo that will be beneficial to me.

I play Out of Nowhere at about 121 bpm. So I learned the solo at 121 bpm. I memorized the head and inserted Raney's solo (taken from Jamey Aebersold Volume 20).

I played the backing tracks on my looper.

Comments are welcomed.

Out of Nowhere

[lawson-stone]

It's great you are persevering! I am still working on the solos I learned. They are a rich source of study and learning about playing this music. Especially "Friend" is challenging to me at any tempo. IN the second half of the first chorus, you have a classic Jimmy Raney "endless 8th note" line that I love to play (but have trouble playing correctly). Then in the last half or so of the second chorus a whole section that is off the beat, the phrases falling more on 2 and 4, which drives me crazy. I think I might have injured my foot trying to pat that one correctly.

I also love the "Nowhere" solo and it's one I come back to repeatedly. BTW you can play the Star Trek theme over the "Out of Nowhere" changes and then use the solo.

I currently can play Friends, Nowhere, Like Somebody, Bb Blues, and Rhythm. I need to review Bout You and Me and Hotel Grande, and I never had Confirmed and the F blues down very well. Autumn I haven't tackled yet.

Hang in there! Your progress is being noticed and appreciated!

[Doublea A]

It's great you are persevering! I am still working on the solos I learned. They are a rich source of study and learning about playing this music. Especially "Friend" is challenging to me at any tempo. IN the second half of the first chorus, you have a classic Jimmy Raney "endless 8th note" line that I love to play (but have trouble playing correctly). Then in the last half or so of the second chorus a whole section that is off the beat, the phrases falling more on 2 and 4, which drives me crazy. I think I might have injured my foot trying to pat that one correctly.

I also love the "Nowhere" solo and it's one I come back to repeatedly. BTW you can play the Star Trek theme over the "Out of Nowhere" changes and then use the solo.

I currently can play Friends, Nowhere, Like Somebody, Bb Blues, and Rhythm. I need to review Bout You and Me and Hotel Grande, and I never had Confirmed and the F blues down very well. Autumn I haven't tackled yet.

Hang in there! Your progress is being noticed and appreciated!

Lawson, you are an inspiration to me in regards to this Jimmy Raney material.

I never play any of music at 220 bpm or 180 or 160 for that matter. That is why I decided to learn these solos at speeds that are more practical for me.

Jimmy Raney’s solos are musical at any speed. So I decided to learn these solos at speeds that are achievable and practical for me and my purposes.

I do plan on working on “How about You”, “Autumn Leaves” and maybe 1 or 2 others in this same way.

Thanks for support Lawson. It means a lot to me.


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[lawson-stone]

Lawson, you are an inspiration to me in regards to this Jimmy Raney material.

I never play any of music at 220 bpm or 180 or 160 for that matter. That is why I decided to learn these solos at speeds that are more practical for me.

Jimmy Raney’s solos are musical at any speed. So I decided to learn these solos at speeds that are achievable and practical for me and my purposes.

I do plan on working on “How about You”, “Autumn Leaves” and maybe 1 or 2 others in this same way.

Thanks for support Lawson. It means a lot to me.


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Hey I’ll review those along with you as you learn them. Start a thread and choose a pace you are comfortable with and I’ll travel along learning or reviewing. It’s always easier with company.


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[buduranus2]

Hi All, I was a part of the Jimmy Raney study group but quite honestly I was not able to keep up with the tempo of the tunes or the rate that the group was moving at.

Could you provide a link to the original backing track? Mine's too slow and the Aebersold download is too fast (200bpm give or take.)

[lawson-stone]

Could you provide a link to the original backing track? Mine's too slow and the Aebersold download is too fast (200bpm give or take.)

I think he was just using iReal Pro to generate the backing track. The Aebersold track can be slowed down in several apps. I usually start at half the tempo of the track and slowly work up.

[Doublea A]

Could you provide a link to the original backing track? Mine's too slow and the Aebersold download is too fast (200bpm give or take.)

I am using iReal Pro. Would you like me to send it to you ?

I am planning on starting a new thread where we will hopefully share tracks and charts. Be on the lookout for it.

[buduranus2]

I am using iReal Pro. Would you like me to send it to you ?

I am planning on starting a new thread where we will hopefully share tracks and charts. Be on the lookout for it.

Oh man, that'd be awesome!!!!! I'll PM you so you can send it to my personal e-mail, assuming that's what you had in mind. Appreciate you!

[lawson-stone]

I was playing around with this yesterday. I put a new pickup in my Epiphone Zephyr Regent Reissue (like an ES165). It's a P90 in a Humbucker body, a Seymour Duncan Phat Cat and I really like it. They have such sparkle that I began to think I know why the old jazzers playing P90 guitars turned down the tone--so I tried it, just for fun. The Raney "Just Friends" solo came out pretty nice. I also like the idea of focusing equally on learning to play the tune itself, so that's here too.

The tempo isn't Raney's 232 bpm but it's pretty close to my upper limit.

ALSO: I have started trying to play faster pieces just patting on 1 and 3. It really revolutionized this solo. I always floundered on the time with measures 41-58. The whole passage floats in the tempo somehow. Patting on 1/3 helps me subdivide and feel the way the passage moves. I still need to work on it, but I feel hopeful now.

[Doublea A]

I was playing around with this yesterday. I put a new pickup in my Epiphone Zephyr Regent Reissue (like an ES165). It's a P90 in a Humbucker body, a Seymour Duncan Phat Cat and I really like it. They have such sparkle that I began to think I know why the old jazzers playing P90 guitars turned down the tone--so I tried it, just for fun. The Raney "Just Friends" solo came out pretty nice. I also like the idea of focusing equally on learning to play the tune itself, so that's here too.

The tempo isn't Raney's 232 bpm but it's pretty close to my upper limit.

ALSO: I have started trying to play faster pieces just patting on 1 and 3. It really revolutionized this solo. I always floundered on the time with measures 41-58. The whole passage floats in the tempo somehow. Patting on 1/3 helps me subdivide and feel the way the passage moves. I still need to work on it, but I feel hopeful now.

That was great Lawson !!
The guitar sounds great. You are correct that those pickups can get sparkly and you need to find the sweet spots on your tone control. You definitely have found the sweet spot.


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[lawson-stone]

On another point-the easiest tempo solo in the book is "Like Somebody." It's the first one I learned. It's a lovely melody, a very interesting set of chord changes, and Raney's solo is interesting. His tempo is 145 bpm. When i first learned it, I doubted I could make the 145, but it actually sounded good quite a bit slower. All his solos are musical all the way down, at any tempo.

My hesitation on Autumn Leaves is that he does it as a bossa nova type of tune, and though the tempo is slow, it's a lot of 16th note runs. Still worth playing I suspect. I also enjoyed "Bout You and Me/How About You" a lot. Another one that doesn't have to be played at his tempo to sound nice.

BTW playing for some friends, I married the "Out of Nowhere" solo to the theme of "Star Trek" and it worked nicely. Played the theme with lots of vibrato from the amp, turned it off for the solo.

[Doublea A]

On another point-the easiest tempo solo in the book is "Like Somebody." It's the first one I learned. It's a lovely melody, a very interesting set of chord changes, and Raney's solo is interesting. His tempo is 145 bpm. When i first learned it, I doubted I could make the 145, but it actually sounded good quite a bit slower. All his solos are musical all the way down, at any tempo.

My hesitation on Autumn Leaves is that he does it as a bossa nova type of tune, and though the tempo is slow, it's a lot of 16th note runs. Still worth playing I suspect. I also enjoyed "Bout You and Me/How About You" a lot. Another one that doesn't have to be played at his tempo to sound nice.

BTW playing for some friends, I married the "Out of Nowhere" solo to the theme of "Star Trek" and it worked nicely. Played the theme with lots of vibrato from the amp, turned it off for the solo.

I am currently working on “How about you” and “Just Friends” in G major (because that is the key that I usually play this song in).
“How about you” has some interesting twists and turns.
“Just Friends” needing some modifications due to the key change.
I hope to post something later this week or early next week.
Should we just continue along this thread ? Or should I start a new one ?
Lawson, you could re post some of your videos from the Raney study group for inspiration to new members if you wish.


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[Doublea A]

On another point-the easiest tempo solo in the book is "Like Somebody." It's the first one I learned. It's a lovely melody, a very interesting set of chord changes, and Raney's solo is interesting. His tempo is 145 bpm. When i first learned it, I doubted I could make the 145, but it actually sounded good quite a bit slower. All his solos are musical all the way down, at any tempo.

My hesitation on Autumn Leaves is that he does it as a bossa nova type of tune, and though the tempo is slow, it's a lot of 16th note runs. Still worth playing I suspect. I also enjoyed "Bout You and Me/How About You" a lot. Another one that doesn't have to be played at his tempo to sound nice.

BTW playing for some friends, I married the "Out of Nowhere" solo to the theme of "Star Trek" and it worked nicely. Played the theme with lots of vibrato from the amp, turned it off for the solo.

PS. A sax player that I often play with likes to “marry” Out of Nowhere with Star Wars. I always get a kick out of that.


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[lawson-stone]

I am currently working on “How about you” and “Just Friends” in G major (because that is the key that I usually play this song in).
“How about you” has some interesting twists and turns.
“Just Friends” needing some modifications due to the key change.
I hope to post something later this week or early next week.
Should we just continue along this thread ? Or should I start a new one ?
Lawson, you could re post some of your videos from the Raney study group for inspiration to new members if you wish.


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Sure thing. I am trying to re-boot those solos. Some I play a lot and others are rusty. "How About You" is rusty! But I enjoy playing them. Every time I "re-learn" one I learn new things. The "Just Friends" solo for me as been all about finding the pocket rhythmically. The first chorus us such a driving 8th note section, and the second chorus feels very off-center, classic Jimmy Raney. So I tend to struggle with keeping up with the pace in the first chorus, but in the second I tend to run ahead and not wait for the upbeat or offbeat to start a phrase. Vital stuff.

I like the idea of a thread devoted to a single tune/solo. But I'm good with any approach folks want to take.

[neatomic]

new pup tone is coming around...you could still drop the pup a bit more into body...& yes, don't be afraid to roll back those guitar knobs!!!...including volume....unless it has a treble bleed, rolling back the volume will also reduce highs...

the og players were all about getting their tone with guitars knobs...the everything on 10 bit is strictly R&R era!

why kessel put chickenhead knobs on his guitar...so he could feel his place around


cheers

[lawson-stone]

So are we planning on launching with a solo pretty soon?

"Bout You and Me/How About You" is a solid one and the tune itself is fun to play. Not your run-of-the-mill chord changes either.

[Doublea A]

Yes,

I am planning on launching it soon. I have been bogged down with (virtual) work.

I may be ready to launch Wednesday.

[lawson-stone]

Yes,

I am planning on launching it soon. I have been bogged down with (virtual) work.

I may be ready to launch Wednesday.

Super. What tune did you want to start with?


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[Doublea A]

I am thinking the thread will be a place where folks can demonstrate work on the Raney solo of their choice. Everyone does not need to be working on the same song at the same time.

Players can:
upload their progress and/or finished products,
ask for help, tips, advice, resources,
inspire and motivate each other

Thoughts ?

[lawson-stone]

I am thinking the thread will be a place where folks can demonstrate work on the Raney solo of their choice. Everyone does not need to be working on the same song at the same time.

Players can:
upload their progress and/or finished products,
ask for help, tips, advice, resources,
inspire and motivate each other

Thoughts ?

I'm good with whatever folks want. Normally in the past, we had maybe 4-6 participating in learning a solo, and at one point we had only 1 (me!). So I am thinking if someone is working on, say, "Bout You and Me" they might not have much help if the other 4 or 5 are all doing different solos. On the other hand, if someone doesn't like one of the solos and it's the "pick" for the thread, then you lose that person's contribution. Since I"ve worked on them all except for 2, I could chime in on any of them. I'm just happy to see interest in this very helpful set of solos. They are super rewarding to learn and study.

Here's a thing I did today with "Bout You and Me." Slowed it down to about 125 and rather than a backing track, just used DrumGenius to set up a rhythm pattern and played the first chorus, since I'm re-upping this one. If anyone wants to do this, maybe it's got some good fingerings to try.

[Doublea A]

I'm good with whatever folks want. Normally in the past, we had maybe 4-6 participating in learning a solo, and at one point we had only 1 (me!). So I am thinking if someone is working on, say, "Bout You and Me" they might not have much help if the other 4 or 5 are all doing different solos. On the other hand, if someone doesn't like one of the solos and it's the "pick" for the thread, then you lose that person's contribution. Since I"ve worked on them all except for 2, I could chime in on any of them. I'm just happy to see interest in this very helpful set of solos. They are super rewarding to learn and study.

Here's a thing I did today with "Bout You and Me." Slowed it down to about 125 and rather than a backing track, just used DrumGenius to set up a rhythm pattern and played the first chorus, since I'm re-upping this one. If anyone wants to do this, maybe it's got some good fingerings to try.

Wow !!
That sounds great.


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[Doublea A]

I'm good with whatever folks want. Normally in the past, we had maybe 4-6 participating in learning a solo, and at one point we had only 1 (me!). So I am thinking if someone is working on, say, "Bout You and Me" they might not have much help if the other 4 or 5 are all doing different solos. On the other hand, if someone doesn't like one of the solos and it's the "pick" for the thread, then you lose that person's contribution. Since I"ve worked on them all except for 2, I could chime in on any of them. I'm just happy to see interest in this very helpful set of solos. They are super rewarding to learn and study.

Here's a thing I did today with "Bout You and Me." Slowed it down to about 125 and rather than a backing track, just used DrumGenius to set up a rhythm pattern and played the first chorus, since I'm re-upping this one. If anyone wants to do this, maybe it's got some good fingerings to try.

What are you using for the backing track ?


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[gggomez]

Don't be overly phased about the tempo, it sounds sweet Double A.

I just started digging into Jimmy Raney. Spent all night on 8 bars of Autumn Leaves from live in Tokyo got to 75% speed (and it also sounds sweet at that speed).

I feel I need to be doing much more transposing. Maybe I should find this book and dig in.

[Doublea A]

Don't be overly phased about the tempo, it sounds sweet Double A.

I just started digging into Jimmy Raney. Spent all night on 8 bars of Autumn Leaves from live in Tokyo got to 75% speed (and it also sounds sweet at that speed).

I feel I need to be doing much more transposing. Maybe I should find this book and dig in.

Please do dig in !!
A new thread is coming that will inspire and motivate you.


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