The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #76
    Dutchbopper Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by kris
    My Yardbird Suite.
    Dear guitarists, I would like to tell you a story about my experience with this piece and other songs by Ch.Parker. In the 1980s in Poland there was a very difficult time / martial law /. There was no access to books or recordings. Nevertheless, I managed to send several US dollars in an envelope to Jamey Aebersold to purchase All Bird / backing tracks and book /. The same way I bought a Parker cassette. I transcribed a Parker solo and I memorized it. I practiced with backing track for hours until I started to put together my own ideas. Several years of hard work.
    Now it's everything. Internet access. Someone who is serious about gaming can progress in much less time.
    Learn from the masters. Ch.Parker was one of them.
    Years ago one of the first jazz books I bought was "A Study of Great Horn Solos for Guitar." I studied a number of Parker solos and put them on Youtube in the mid 2000s. It's unimaginable now but only a few guitarists were posting videos on Youtube at the time, let alone transcribed solos. Nowadays all that is very common and there must be hundreds of transcribed solos on Youtube by jazz guitarists. But at the time I was one of the first and my mailbox exploded with reactions. I still have that old vid on the Tube but not on the original channel.

    DB


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  3. #77

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    Thanks DB for posting this video.This shows how to practice when you are serious about playing jazz.
    Jazzingly
    Kris

  4. #78

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    I have been playing with this tune on and off all day today, since we're all frozen in with an ice storm! I don't know why, but I just love playing over this tune. Yes, being a somewhat unaccomplished player, I have a small group of ideas that I use a lot, even trying little variations but still, having more fun than I've had in ages just playing a tune. I have done more of "my own" improvisation on this than I've done on any previous tune on any of the study groups on this forum. I haven't tried to work out ideas in advance. I've just been looping 2 choruses and playing my heart out.

    Not making history here, just music.

    Here are some odd observations. When I was doing a clip today, not for posting but just my daily clip or two so I can hear what I'm doing, I noticed I am not even thinking about "the form." It seems like I'm moving pretty naturally inside the form of the tune and not fretting or worrying about "Oh no! Where Am I???"

    The second thing is until just a moment ago, I haven't even thought about tempo. But when I checked, it looks like my track is running about 190 bpm. Guys, for me, that is scorching. I am not a fast player. Learning the Jimmy Raney solos, I celebrated when I got the tempo up to 170-180. But I've been having fun with YBS here at nearly 200 bpm all week.

    A third thing is kind of strange. I know I'm playing a lot of lame pentatonic scales and arpeggios and such, but somehow the fact that I'm not planning them, just letting the track run, taking a breath, and letting loose... well that's been liberating.

    If this thread does nothing else for me, it has got me back to attempting to improvise for a solid block of time every day, and while I'd not put my lines up against you guys, who are much more dedicated to this than I am, still I'm feeling a lot of joy in this.

  5. #79

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    I don't know this tune and I barely have time to work on lines for my own stuff, so I'll wait for the next one.

    But, given time, that's what I would personally do: work with it and maybe come up with something original, maybe not. Transcribing and learning note for note the work of very talented (and often very idiosyncratic) players can be a great workout for your fingers, but you often end up falling back on those lines through lack of working on your own voice. Seen it happen at countless jams, sort of: you integrate those lines or they integrate you?

    Anyway, do whatever works for you.

  6. #80

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    but you often end up falling back on those lines through lack of working on your own voice. Seen it happen at countless jams, sort of: you integrate those lines or they integrate you?
    My point exactly a few posts back. Except everyone thought I was wrong.

    Last go. Yes, I know it's not fast, it's not Charlie Parker, but I enjoyed it. None of it was premeditated, there are no set licks. All take 1.


  7. #81

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    Quote Originally Posted by ragman1
    My point exactly a few posts back. Except everyone thought I was wrong.

    Last go. Yes, I know it's not fast, it's not Charlie Parker, but I enjoyed it. None of it was premeditated, there are no set licks. All take 1.

    I still think there is not really a dichotomy between knowing a lot of phrases and licks and having your own voice. I don't "fall back on" the English language when I speak. I use it for every word. When we play, we use phrases and licks we've assimilated and combine them, integrate them, and use them for our own expression. I can't imagine speaking a language compellingly and not knowing a ton of solid idioms, expressions, images, and a rich vocabulary to express my ideas. That's not a failure to have my own voice. This IS my own voice.

  8. #82

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    Quote Originally Posted by lawson-stone
    I still think there is not really a dichotomy between knowing a lot of phrases and licks and having your own voice. I don't "fall back on" the English language when I speak. I use it for every word. When we play, we use phrases and licks we've assimilated and combine them, integrate them, and use them for our own expression. I can't imagine speaking a language compellingly and not knowing a ton of solid idioms, expressions, images, and a rich vocabulary to express my ideas. That's not a failure to have my own voice. This IS my own voice.
    Absolutely right, and it's the same for all of us. I'm not sure what actually makes 'our own voice' although it's obvious that no two players sound exactly alike even when they're copying others. And maybe especially when they're copying others.