do you write jazz guitar lines down?

[franco6719]

>>>I know that the "masters" don't really play alot of the same thing twice<<<

I think this notion is oversold. Once Paul Desmond interviewed Charlie Parker and asked about a line from one his solos that reminded Desmond of an exercise in a much-used saxophone book. Parker, "It was all done with books." He and Dizzy Gillespie worked from method books and found ways to incorporate those lines into tunes they played on the bandstand. This is not meant to diminish Parker's creativity but rather to (-I hope) restore the proper focus. Improvisation is like conversation---you don't invent new words while talking to someone; you rely on familiar ones to say what you want to say now. Parker, like many great jazz musicians before him and since, loved to 'quote' other tunes and players that he admired. Thomas Owens (in a book called "Bebop") lays out several phrases that Parker used in nearly every solo he ever played. He wasn't making it all up on the spot--he was *reorganizing* what he already knew, the same way you do when you talk to another person. (Mind you, some are better conversationalists than others, and as a rule, they work at it!)

Hey, thank you for this comment! It was strangely exactly what I was looking for at the moment. Sometimes I get extremely frustrated (yes, I know we all do) when I listen to myself and find that I am playing "too much of the same" just in different contexts or with minor modifications. But really, as you point out, it's not that I am incapable of improvising, am not tone deaf, or can't "create on the fly", but it's probably more a question of continuing to "expanding my vocabulary of words" and so on. This forum is great for bouncing ideas back and forth like this, since I don't have any real feedback where I'm currently living.

[franco6719]

when learning a new tune (sometimes) I will write out 10 to 15 chourus for it and then play it..

it's one of those things that you study when you do not have the guitar in your hands....

time on the instrument...pierre

If I had to write that much music down though, I don't think I would have any time left for the instrument!

[gersdal]

Anyone foud a good note book to write them licks down? A link would be great.

[franco6719]

Anyone foud a good note book to write them licks down? A link would be great.

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[FatJeff]

Anyone foud a good note book to write them licks down? A link would be great.

I've been using this stuff: Amazon.com: Guitar Manuscript Paper - Standard (Gold Cover): Hal Leonard -: Books

Its basically 64 pp. of 5-line staff paper (that can be expanded into 6-lines for tabs), with a bunch of blank fret diagrams at the bottom.

It seems to do the trick.

+++ EDIT +++

Here's an image so you can get an idea of what it looks like:

[gersdal]

I've been using this stuff: Amazon.com: Guitar Manuscript Paper - Standard (Gold Cover): Hal Leonard -: Books

Its basically 64 pp. of 5-line staff paper (that can be expanded into 6-lines for tabs), with a bunch of blank fret diagrams at the bottom.

It seems to do the trick.

Thanks. Looks ok as long as tab is not needed (which is ok for me).

[randalljazz]

free here (get a three hole punch and binder to keep it):

Staff Paper Generator

[drobniuch]

I preffer a music PC programm on my notebook so the sheet is always "clean" the second reason is that me like many other players are playing to many notes so if I like a line i write it down and then experiment with "spaces" the cool thing is that you can tell the programm to play it for you -so you can check if u wrote that (the line) exactly as u want.