The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    I love players who can string together long lines of eighth notes, Pass in particular. I can't seem to swing it, myself and tend to create phrases that last a measure or two.

    Are there any good exercises or tips that people work on to get better to create long flowing lines?

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  3. #2

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    Yes, of course. Whether it's bop or post bop (fast harmonic rhythm vs. slower), the answer is yes. Pass' books have steady 8th and 16th note etudes for blues and rhythm changes, for starters.

    You can, and perhaps should write your own etudes over the same, or over stadard tunes of your choice. Write chord outlines in steady eigth notes, with very few breaks. Do you know how to do that?

  4. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by Donplaysguitar
    Yes, of course. Whether it's bop or post bop (fast harmonic rhythm vs. slower), the answer is yes. Pass' books have steady 8th and 16th note etudes for blues and rhythm changes, for starters.

    You can, and perhaps should write your own etudes over the same, or over stadard tunes of your choice. Write chord outlines in steady eigth notes, with very few breaks. Do you know how to do that?
    Yeah, sure. I have no problem composing lines. Just producing them on the fly is where I struggle. I think most of it ends up being fingering problems like running out of room without a shift to continue a line. Or not have a good line that reverses direction.

    I'll give your idea of playing through some etudes and composing some lines a shot.

  5. #4

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    Pat Martino’s Linear Expressions book has some nice long lines, mainly over minor chords as I recall, can also be used over ii-Vs or major chords.

    The Aebersold Jimmy Raney book also has some really nice long lines over standard progressions.

  6. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by charlieparker
    Yeah, sure. I have no problem composing lines. Just producing them on the fly is where I struggle. I think most of it ends up being fingering problems like running out of room without a shift to continue a line. Or not have a good line that reverses direction.

    I'll give your idea of playing through some etudes and composing some lines a shot.
    Ah, I see.

    I write my own etudes a little bit, and one of the things that I do is write some "adjacent position" phrases/ideas for that very reason - plus - some "rangy phrases" that proceed from low to high, or vice versa. I need to do more of that, come to think of it.

    You're right, they are challenging and there is only one way to get comfortable with them - work on them directly. (something Jerry Coker wrote a loooong time ago).

  7. #6

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    one key to playing longer lines to to be able to hear time in larger chunks.

    Instead of just hearing time in quarters or half notes, you train your ear to hear a whole measure, two measures, four measures... or eight measures if you are friends with McCoy Tyner and Coltrane

    How do you do this? Find a digital metronome that goes REALLY slow. Like, lower than 10 bpm slow--yes that show

    Then look at your target bpm. Let's say you are playing at 120 bpm.

    Divide the target by the amount of beats in the phrase you want.

    2 measures is 8 beats --> 120/8 = 15bpm. So if you set your super slow metronome to 15bpm, you are giving yourself a click every 2 measures to signal 120bpm

    4 measures is 16 beats... this gets a little sloppy --> 120/16 is 7.5bpm. I usually round up. 8*16 gives us 128bpm. So that's one click every four measures.

    Math is fun, isn't it?

    This stuff helped me a bunch cause it helps you feel time and punctuate your lines with a clearer framework. At first, it kinda feels like jumping outta a plan without a parachute--but it gets easier over TIME

    Try it, let me know what ya think. Got this from a teacher who got this from a master drum teacher in NYC. That, and besides all the math I recommended for fun, just listen to musicians who solo with long phrases everyday. Make a playlist. Listen to how they start the phrase, how they end. Are there any ideas or devices they are carrying through the phrase? How do they articulate the phrase? Dynamics? Ghosting or slurring? How do they use space in the phrase? How do they use space to punctuate the beginning and end of each phrase? Go all in, and become a long phrase dectective private eye investigator of all that is groovin'
    Last edited by PickingMyEars; 02-07-2021 at 04:09 PM.

  8. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by charlieparker
    I love players who can string together long lines of eighth notes, Pass in particular. I can't seem to swing it, myself and tend to create phrases that last a measure or two.

    Are there any good exercises or tips that people work on to get better to create long flowing lines?
    Howard Roberts Superchops. There’s a study group currently underway in this here forum.

  9. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by wzpgsr
    Howard Roberts Superchops. There’s a study group currently underway in this here forum.
    That looks perfect. How far along are you all into the book.

  10. #9

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    The bebop scale methods will help with this

  11. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by charlieparker
    That looks perfect. How far along are you all into the book.
    I have done the program twice fully through in the past several years. The current study group is roughly halfway through I’d guess. I had to stop early because too many things to try and practice in my limited practice time was leaving me frazzled. But do join in—there’s three or four solid dudes still working really hard.