JGBE Virtual Jam (Round 16) - Cantaloupe Island

[John A.]

What is the purpose of the virtual jams? We're not actually jamming together are we? Everyone is just hashing out their own clips right? Why does everyone's video have a funny title?

The purpose is to play tunes that were specifically composed as jazz tunes (as opposed to show/pop tune adopted as standards by jazz players), and to do relatively quick takes, as if one were getting up at a jam to play a chorus or two. Funny titles are for the sake of being funny.

[wzpgsr]

What is the purpose of the virtual jams? We're not actually jamming together are we? Everyone is just hashing out their own clips right? Why does everyone's video have a funny title?

1) Fun. And depending on where you’re at in your studies of jazz guitar, if you’ve been doing a lot of exercises but not actually making music, participation here will help alleviate that. Other benefits I’ve noticed personally: I’ve gotten better at internalizing tunes quickly (at least for short-term retention), my reading of notation has improved and gotten faster (now just super tedious instead of super-super tedious), absorbing time feel and bebop language by playing along with actual recordings as I learn heads, improving fretboard knowledge and reflexing access to common keys by learning lots of heads and relating them to my pet grips or neck positions, pushing past my slow-to-medium tempo comfort zone, learning from other / better players, some semblance of accountability every week. For me, as primarily a hobbyist who really wants to get better, there are more reasons to do it than not to do it.

I haven’t been able to record the tunes from the past couple weeks because I am moving music rooms and my stuff is in disarray, but I’m still plugging away learning the tunes.

2) Correct

3) Correct

4a) To throw YouTube copyright bots off of our stink
4b) Because it’s funny

[rpjazzguitar]

This is a great idea! My stepson has some recording software, I’ll have to see if he can help me with this.

In case this is helpful:

Reaper, which is a full featured DAW is free to evaluate for as long as you like, then $60 to buy.

You need an interface. I use the Focusrite 2i2 which costs about $100.

After that, it's stuff you probably already have, a computer, some guitar cables and an amp or headphones.

It may even be possible to use the computer's mic and skip the 2i2. Sound quality won't be great, but we're just talking about visualizing a wave form.

Figure about 3 hours to learn enough about how to use it. Maybe less.

Don't tell a true recording enthusiast what you're doing (eg monitoring with a guitar amp) or his/her head might explode.

[Ronstuff]

Jeff, that take sounds like it's straight off a Blue Note Album. That feel, whew!

John, I like the fusion tone. Nice outside lines and liked the way way you explained your approach!

Tommo, that slide on jazz thing is very nice. So unique!

Ragman, you're making those changes so easily and smoothly.

Triplejazz, I like how you're really going for it. Doesn't sound like you're playing safe and I dig it!

Rp, just great phrasing! Love that guitar and that octave effect. I've been using the latter quite a bit lately!

Peter, nice rockin' out. Powerful!

Great jam tune!

[TOMMO]

1) Fun. And depending on where you’re at in your studies of jazz guitar, if you’ve been doing a lot of exercises but not actually making music, participation here will help alleviate that. Other benefits I’ve noticed personally: I’ve gotten better at internalizing tunes quickly (at least for short-term retention), my reading of notation has improved and gotten faster (now just super tedious instead of super-super tedious), absorbing time feel and bebop language by playing along with actual recordings as I learn heads, improving fretboard knowledge and reflexing access to common keys by learning lots of heads and relating them to my pet grips or neck positions, pushing past my slow-to-medium tempo comfort zone, learning from other / better players, some semblance of accountability every week. For me, as primarily a hobbyist who really wants to get better, there are more reasons to do it than not to do it.

I haven’t been able to record the tunes from the past couple weeks because I am moving music rooms and my stuff is in disarray, but I’m still plugging away learning the tunes.

2) Correct

3) Correct

4a) To throw YouTube copyright bots off of our stink
4b) Because it’s funny

That about sums it up.

Tommo, that slide on jazz thing is very nice. So unique!

Thank you Ron!

[rpjazzguitar]

That about sums it up.


Thank you Ron!

The thread has gotten me to focus on some great tunes that I'd probably have overlooked otherwise.

It's been interesting to hear multiple takes and be able to inquire about things I'd like to learn (steal). There are a lot of great clips.

Trying to get a good enough take has reaquainted me with some of my weaknesses, thereby pushing me to address them.

Generally, recording is a good idea, because I find that what I think I sound like and what I actually sound like aren't the same.

[mr. beaumont]

What is the purpose of the virtual jams? We're not actually jamming together are we? Everyone is just hashing out their own clips right? Why does everyone's video have a funny title?

The purpose is to play and learn tunes that might get called in a jam environment. The focus is jazz tunes, not GASB tunes.

The funny title thing I started years ago to get around YouTube putting ads on my videos. We've all kind of adopted it here as a bit of a ongoing joke.

Join us!

[TOMMO]

The thread has gotten me to focus on some great tunes that I'd probably have overlooked otherwise.

It's been interesting to hear multiple takes and be able to inquire about things I'd like to learn (steal). There are a lot of great clips.

Trying to get a good enough take has reaquainted me with some of my weaknesses, thereby pushing me to address them.

Generally, recording is a good idea, because I find that what I think I sound like and what I actually sound like aren't the same.

Where is the "double like" button when you need it?

[Peter C]

The purpose of the jams? To read the titles John A. comes up with, of course. I'm not studying jazz (stealing, more like), but it's great to have someone throw a tune at you and see what you come up with. I've (sort of) learned a few here, so great. Plus, no one's playing out at he moment.

I just noticed by the way in my first (very raucous) clip, there was a real moment of improvisation at 2'15 when I knocked down the switch to pos. 1. I don't recall ever playing a similar riff. Doesn't sound at all bad (if you like that kind of thing, of course) although I unfortunately cocked it up 15 secs later. That's the middle pickup, by the way, which is wired sans tone pot. It's true that you can play notes from the Fm blues scale over this, but not all of them! I should have avoided playing Ab (Fm iii) over Dm7.

I hadn't (consciously) heard SRV until well into the 90s and had consolidated my rock technique many years before that. Listened to a lot of Hendrix, not so much Trower.

[grahambop]

I didn't like the available backing tracks much, so I did a funky 70s version with BIAB. Also used a guitar from the 70s, my Ibanez Artist.

[Ronstuff]

I didn't like the available backing tracks much, so I did a funky 70s version with BIAB. Also used a guitar from the 70s, my Ibanez Artist.

Wow! That's just really great playing: tone, great lines, musicality. I really enjoyed your take!

[grahambop]

Thanks Ron!

[grahambop]

Re. Lawson’s clip, I hear nothing wrong with it, I don’t think he turned the beat around. Plenty of the chord tones and strong accents align with the beat, sounds like he knew where he was to me.

Sure, a lot of his phrases start after beat 1, but so do lots of mine. Starting every phrase on beat 1 is rhythmically uninteresting!

[John A.]

Re. Lawson’s clip, I hear nothing wrong with it, I don’t think he turned the beat around. Plenty of the chord tones and strong accents align with the beat, sounds like he knew where he was to me.

Sure, a lot of his phrases start after beat 1, but so do lots of mine. Starting every phrase on beat 1 is rhythmically uninteresting!

You could be right. Listening again, I'm hearing it more on the beat.

[lawson-stone]

Re. Lawson’s clip, I hear nothing wrong with it, I don’t think he turned the beat around. Plenty of the chord tones and strong accents align with the beat, sounds like he knew where he was to me.

Sure, a lot of his phrases start after beat 1, but so do lots of mine. Starting every phrase on beat 1 is rhythmically uninteresting!

Thanks Graham. That is indeed what I thought I was doing. Early on my jazz learning I got very sternly lectured about not starting my lines on the downbeat of "1" and even though i know now that was not really the definitive word, it's an ingrained habit that I have trouble letting go of.

[lawson-stone]

Thanks Graham. That is indeed what I thought I was doing. Early on my jazz learning I got very sternly lectured about not starting my lines on the downbeat of "1" and even though i know now that was not really the definitive word, it's an ingrained habit that I have trouble letting go of.

Whatever the outcome, I am grateful for your close listening to my clip and your comments rightly focused on time feel, which is a challenge for me.

[lawson-stone]

I didn't like the available backing tracks much, so I did a funky 70s version with BIAB. Also used a guitar from the 70s, my Ibanez Artist.

This is just cookin' amazing. It's got a kind of heat that is really gripping. Great sound from that Ibanez tool. It has a bit of "snarl" on the outside and blues phrases that really digs in.

[grahambop]

Thanks Graham. That is indeed what I thought I was doing. Early on my jazz learning I got very sternly lectured about not starting my lines on the downbeat of "1" and even though i know now that was not really the definitive word, it's an ingrained habit that I have trouble letting go of.

Well I reckon it’s not a bad habit to have. I once read that when Chet Baker played a tune he was unfamiliar with, he always started his phrases on the second beat, he said it gave him just long enough to hear the bass and/or piano on the first beat, and get his bearings on the harmony!

[christianm77]

Thanks Graham. That is indeed what I thought I was doing. Early on my jazz learning I got very sternly lectured about not starting my lines on the downbeat of "1" and even though i know now that was not really the definitive word, it's an ingrained habit that I have trouble letting go of.

One good practice exercise - quite tough - is to try to start each phrase on the next 8th note subdivision.

So you start with a phrase on ‘1’, then 1 ‘and’, then 2, then 2 ‘and’, then 3, and so on.

[grahambop]

This is just cookin' amazing. It's got a kind of heat that is really gripping. Great sound from that Ibanez tool. It has a bit of "snarl" on the outside and blues phrases that really digs in.

Thanks, yes I wanted a bit more ‘edge’ on this due to the funky/fusion backing, so thought of using the Ibanez. I just put the volume on max, used the neck pickup (humbucker setting) and picked quite hard to get that sound. Also added a little bit of distortion in Reaper, but not much. And a bit of timed delay to make it a bit more fusion-y!

[TOMMO]

One good practice exercise - quite tough - is to try to start each phrase on the next 8th note subdivision.

So you start with a phrase on ‘1’, then 1 ‘and’, then 2, then 2 ‘and’, then 3, and so on.

I think there is a video of Barry Harris teaching this to a group of students.

[lawson-stone]

Well I reckon it’s not a bad habit to have. I once read that when Chet Baker played a tune he was unfamiliar with, he always started his phrases on the second beat, he said it gave him just long enough to hear the bass and/or piano on the first beat, and get his bearings on the harmony!

Well...yeah... I wasn't going to admit that, but indeed, I often listen for the downbeat to confirm my place, then start the line hoping it sounds kinda hip off the downbeat... but since my time feel is not exactly legendary, maybe I need to do better.

[mr. beaumont]

I didn't like the available backing tracks much, so I did a funky 70s version with BIAB. Also used a guitar from the 70s, my Ibanez Artist.

Yeah! That's fun stuff. Really playing in the style of the track...sounds very natural. Would have been a hit on WNUA back here in the day...smooth, but with soul.

[rpjazzguitar]

I didn't like the available backing tracks much, so I did a funky 70s version with BIAB. Also used a guitar from the 70s, my Ibanez Artist.

Sounds terrific. This take has the stuff I like about jazz and also smooth jazz. Good in multiple ways, but I'll single out the variability of the rhythms and lead lines. The whole thing sound fresh.

[Hep To The Jive]

Ok, this one I've been playing for a while, and I skipped many I haven't, so it's obvious I've been slacking.