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This month we expand on what we learned in the previous chapter about how to approach dominant chords. In this chapter, Garrison provides us with a treasure trove of examples in the styles of Wes, Benson, Martino, Hall, and others.
Finally, we get another standard to practice over: This time it is Wes Montgomery's classic,West Coast Blues (cleverly disguised as East Ghost Blues).
Let's do this.
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04-30-2020 04:53 PM
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I'm in! Thanks for keeping this going Jay.
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How about that George Benson lick, eh? After some time I gave up trying to play it like the tab shows, and just slid into the double stop instead of hammering on.
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I was looking at the Benson lick today as well. A month of drilling Chapter 4 made all the difference. I finally had a real aha! moment.
GF has given me a way of thinking about and internalizing something I’ve heard but not understood for years. I worked through this book a few years ago, but without the discipline that sticking to a study group format has imposed. I liked it, but it didn’t move the dial much. This time through I’m definitely moving the dial!
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Originally Posted by Bahnzo
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Originally Posted by TOMMO
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Aside from the gymnastics, I have two observations I would like to share about that lick and to see if anyone agrees:
1) I feel like the chord symbols don't reflect what GB is thinking in bar 3. It seems pretty obvious to me that he is thinking Bb7 for the first two measures and F6 for the next. The chords symbols seem to reflect what you might see in a Real Book, but don't seem to match the lines.
2) A lot of these "minor" licks seem to start on the b7 of the dominant cord, not the 5. They really feel very "major" to my ears. I suspect GF is trying to keep things simple and not overwhelm with options, but it really is a different lick if you emphasize the "minor" of the 5th, the "diminished" of the 3rd, or the "major" of the 7th. I am sure there is even more to come, but I am noticing the different moods each triad/arp brings to the dominant chord. Anyone else hearing a big difference between licks using these different triads?
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Originally Posted by rlrhett
The first two bars are Gminor licks. That second bar is one he introduced almost right away (Ch 2?). I really don't know what bar 3 is, other than it's simply what I call a "Charlie Christian" lick. It's certainly a standard little blues lick, but I'm uncertain how it relates to his teachings thus far.
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Originally Posted by Bahnzo
Originally Posted by Bahnzo
None of this is me complaining. It actually makes me want to go out and get some of those "lick libraries" from TrueFire and others. GF has given me new eyes to see these licks over dominants differently and I am chomping at the bit to see more examples. I'm just trying to make sure I'm not glossing over some nugget.
*To be fair, I don't think GF is thinking A13 to G- when he is comping. Throughout the example, he seems to be basically playing the 3/7 of the underlying dominant with one top note for color. Either the 13th or the #9. The brief move up a minor third from F7 to Ab7 before the G-/C7 is a common enough device that doesn't really change the thinking from F7.
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Originally Posted by rlrhett
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Originally Posted by Bahnzo
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Originally Posted by rlrhett
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Originally Posted by rlrhett
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Originally Posted by Jehu
I also think the TAB is wrong there. It shows holding the double stop for a beat, but I hear it as holding the slide for a beat instead. Am I crazy?
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Yeah, I find the notated rhythms to be approximations at best. I think it really helps to play along with Fewell and try to get the timings and articulations as close to his as possible. He also has a lot of subtle slides and things that don't make it into the notation.
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Originally Posted by Jehu
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Originally Posted by TOMMOOriginally Posted by Bahnzo
Last edited by TOMMO; 05-06-2020 at 02:47 PM.
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Originally Posted by Bahnzo
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Originally Posted by TOMMO
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Originally Posted by Jehu
I still think of it as a "Charlie Christian" lick.
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Hey! I don't have a webcam, but I figured I could use my phone + reaper. After some experimentation, I now know why they use those "clapper boards" when they shoot video.
The "George Benson" lick. With some bonus improv. I've never recorded myself on video, I'm equal parts amused and horrified at the faces I make.
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Originally Posted by Bahnzo
Originally Posted by Bahnzo
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So how are you guys getting on with this stuff?
I'm not sure whether I'll have a chance to record anything before the month is out, but I'm definitely still spending time each day working on this. There is a lot of material here, and I see this chapter as one to revisit as we continue through the book -- a well to come back to.
It's interesting that after giving us so much material in 4/4, he has us apply it to a tune in 3/4. I feel like the lesson here is that we should be messing around with and adapting these lines to different situations, rather than just seeing them as examples to (possibly) memorize.
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Very excited to stumble upon this group, having picked up this GF book again recently. I'm currently working through Ch. 3, which is as far as I ever got before, and looking forward to finally following through this time!
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Originally Posted by CaseyW
As for me: Lately I have been a little bit unmotivated re: playing the guitar but I still tried to get a grasp on the benson lick every now and then. I'll be back in the game though....
Blowin in the Wind
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