JGBE Virtual Jam (Round 37) - Donna Lee

**lawson-stone** · 09-24-2021, 12:44 PM

I got really occupied with this tune a couple years back, and learned the head along with Bird's two choruses of soloing. There was this guy on the forum then who kept chiding me for trying such a demanding tune, that I'd spend my whole life playing it at 160 or something. He missed the point, of course, I wanted simply to test myself against this bebop war-horse and see how much of it I could learn.

This is the tune and Bird's solo, played at 200 bpm, with quite a few slips and clams, but no train wrecks. I'm trying to re-learn it for this week, but even if I don't, this tune and Bird's solo is a gold-mine of bebop vocabulary and phrasing, well worth the effort to learn it, no matter how much or little we advance in this one week.

**kris** · 09-24-2021, 01:26 PM

Originally Posted by Peterson

I did not pick this to start a pissing contest! I picked it because I like the melody. It could be the quintessential bebop head and a symbol of an era. A challenge yes, but more importantly a treasure of bebop vocabulary.

If anyone wants to flex their guitar muscles, please do it elsewhere.

Everything is correct ...
This is also the genius of Parker - being easy to play fast phrases ... Parker was only one.I wrote down Parker's solos a long time ago, and I also have a lot of his music CDs and a couple of books with solos.There is a really be-bop vocabulary.I tried to play Parker's solo in unison, it's an amazing challenge.You have to be precise and vigilant.Everyone should try it.

**kris** · 09-24-2021, 01:37 PM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

I got really occupied with this tune a couple years back, and learned the head along with Bird's two choruses of soloing. There was this guy on the forum then who kept chiding me for trying such a demanding tune, that I'd spend my whole life playing it at 160 or something. He missed the point, of course, I wanted simply to test myself against this bebop war-horse and see how much of it I could learn.

This is the tune and Bird's solo, played at 200 bpm, with quite a few slips and clams, but no train wrecks. I'm trying to re-learn it for this week, but even if I don't, this tune and Bird's solo is a gold-mine of bebop vocabulary and phrasing, well worth the effort to learn it, no matter how much or little we advance in this one week.

Very nice.
Playing be-bop on guitar is a big challenge.
I'd like to hear the second version at the end of the week.
Best
Kris
ps.
I'm working on this "monster" too.

**lawson-stone** · 09-24-2021, 01:39 PM

Originally Posted by kris

Very nice.
Playing be-bop on guitar is a big challenge.
I'd like to hear the second version at the end of the week.
Best
Kris
ps.
I'm working on this "monster" too.

I hope to give it a good effort. I tried on "Softly" last week, but work overwhelmed me and I was not able to get a good clip to post. But I hope to revive DL and try my hand at playing over the changes. Thanks for your advice and encouragement.

**rpjazzguitar** · 09-24-2021, 04:26 PM

This is another take, different guitar, done at 190bpm. I tried it faster, to no avail.

Doing this on a different guitar, maybe slightly better (?), is an attempt to prove that buying another guitar is a viable alternative to practicing.

I also took the liberty of doing a video which explains my fingering. Judging by others' submissions, there are better fingerings than mine, and I'm hoping to steal some if people post videos of their fingerings.

**kris** · 09-25-2021, 01:07 AM

Fingerings is most important-special on guitar.
Good job.

**kris** · 09-25-2021, 01:12 AM

SmileI It is a very easy to play it.
For this young Polish woman, everything seems very simple:

**kris** · 09-25-2021, 01:22 AM

Fantastic take:

**kris** · 09-25-2021, 02:14 AM

Originally Posted by rpjazzguitar

This is another take, different guitar, done at 190bpm. I tried it faster, to no avail.

Doing this on a different guitar, maybe slightly better (?), is an attempt to prove that buying another guitar is a viable alternative to practicing.

I also took the liberty of doing a video which explains my fingering. Judging by others' submissions, there are better fingerings than mine, and I'm hoping to steal some if people post videos of their fingerings.

I do not understand the metronome .
is it on 1 ,3 or 2 ,4?
Head start on beat 3/first bar/.I can't get a pulse.

**kris** · 09-25-2021, 05:22 AM

Funky Donna.
I take this as an exercise with the metronome plus changes.
This is not my target tempo ... :-)
Second part of the solo is for Peterson / wahwah /.
Hope you like it:

Box

**Jazzism** · 09-25-2021, 07:06 AM

Originally Posted by kris

Funky Donna.
I take this as an exercise with the metronome plus changes.
This is not my target tempo ... :-)
Second part of the solo is for Peterson / wahwah /.
Hope you like it:

Box

I envy you the time you seem to have to pay so much attention to detail. What programs do you use for your creations?
Honestly, im happy if i can crank something out quick and dirty. OTOH, if i had access to the toys you have I may be more motivated to craft something better than the generic Ireal.
Cheers!

**ragman1** · 09-25-2021, 09:56 AM

I'm not sure the problem with Donna Lee isn't the improv, rather than the head. By Jeff's 'rules' we don't need to play the head anyway, although I know it's what everyone wants to do.

No, I think the real issue is being able to make the improv fit the bebop head. We're probably good enough to get round the changes but will it sound like Donna Lee? Otherwise, like me doing it, it'll sound like another swing tune. Or a ballad :-)

Yes, that's it! The Ballad Of Donna Lee!

**lawson-stone** · 09-25-2021, 11:32 AM

Originally Posted by kris

SmileI It is a very easy to play it.
For this young Polish woman, everything seems very simple:

That is just mind-blowing. Suddenly playing it on the guitar doesn't seem like it should be so hard.

**lawson-stone** · 09-25-2021, 11:36 AM

Originally Posted by kris

Funky Donna.
I take this as an exercise with the metronome plus changes.
This is not my target tempo ... :-)
Second part of the solo is for Peterson / wahwah /.
Hope you like it:

Box

This sounds like you were just having a lot of fun with the tune. There was humor here, good humor. I kept finding myself smiling, even laughing a bit.

Well done.

**kris** · 09-25-2021, 01:29 PM

Originally Posted by Jazzism

I envy you the time you seem to have to pay so much attention to detail. What programs do you use for your creations?
Honestly, im happy if i can crank something out quick and dirty. OTOH, if i had access to the toys you have I may be more motivated to craft something better than the generic Ireal.
Cheers!

I found backing track on Youtube.I used for this recording Audacity plus my Tele.That's All.Nothing special.
I paid only for my Tele...:-)
Thanks
Best
Kris

**wzpgsr** · 09-25-2021, 02:33 PM

I’m tackling the head. I’ve never played this tune, but it seems a waste to not try to pick up something from the head. I’ll see how far I get and will probably do a “throw shit at the wall and see what sticks” take Wednesday night.

**Peter C** · 09-25-2021, 02:38 PM

I've never played this but after seeing Jeff's post, I think that the head should be technically doable for a player with good technique, especially at the speed of Kris' nylon string take, for example. Lots of guitar stuff requires rapid hand repositioning.

I won't personally be getting round to learning this one for the moment: as far as these jams are concerned, I'm still working on a "proper" bebop version of Recorda me

**rpjazzguitar** · 09-25-2021, 03:09 PM

Originally Posted by kris

I do not understand the metronome .
is it on 1 ,3 or 2 ,4?
Head start on beat 3/first bar/.I can't get a pulse.

1 and 3. Head starts on beat 3.

I found it easier to play it this way rather than with the click on 2 and 4.

**lawson-stone** · 09-25-2021, 03:27 PM

Originally Posted by Peter C

I've never played this but after seeing Jeff's post, I think that the head should be technically doable for a player with good technique, especially at the speed of Kris' nylon string take, for example. Lots of guitar stuff requires rapid hand repositioning.

I won't personally be getting round to learning this one for the moment: as far as these jams are concerned, I'm still working on a "proper" bebop version of Recorda me

When I was learning it about a year or so ago, I discovered that there are "blocks" of the head that you can play quite handily in one position, but the transitions between the blocks to the new positions for the next block are the source of the tangle. I can play each phrase of the tune quite fast, but I can't play them consecutively at a fast tempo because the transitions are so awkward. Coming up with fingerings that are easy "locally" within the phrase, but also easy for shifting to the next position and phrase, is the key.

I haven't found it yet.

**kris** · 09-25-2021, 03:32 PM

Originally Posted by Peter C

I've never played this but after seeing Jeff's post, I think that the head should be technically doable for a player with good technique, especially at the speed of Kris' nylon string take, for example. Lots of guitar stuff requires rapid hand repositioning.

I won't personally be getting round to learning this one for the moment: as far as these jams are concerned, I'm still working on a "proper" bebop version of Recorda me

I love people from Spain.They are very musical and they play from the heart.
Best
Kris

**kris** · 09-25-2021, 03:35 PM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

When I was learning it about a year or so ago, I discovered that there are "blocks" of the head that you can play quite handily in one position, but the transitions between the blocks to the new positions for the next block are the source of the tangle. I can play each phrase of the tune quite fast, but I can't play them consecutively at a fast tempo because the transitions are so awkward. Coming up with fingerings that are easy "locally" within the phrase, but also easy for shifting to the next position and phrase, is the key.

I haven't found it yet.

This is what I like.
lawson-stone
+ 1

**kris** · 09-25-2021, 03:37 PM

Originally Posted by rpjazzguitar

1 and 3. Head starts on beat 3.

I found it easier to play it this way rather than with the click on 2 and 4.

thanks... I loose acents of metronome...sorry

Great work!

**kris** · 09-25-2021, 03:43 PM

Originally Posted by wzpgsr

I’m tackling the head. I’ve never played this tune, but it seems a waste to not try to pick up something from the head. I’ll see how far I get and will probably do a “throw shit at the wall and see what sticks” take Wednesday night.

Easy.Everyone can do it...but it takes time.
This head is stressful.
Whenever I play it, I am afraid that I will not get to the end.
best
Kris

**kris** · 09-25-2021, 03:45 PM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

This sounds like you were just having a lot of fun with the tune. There was humor here, good humor. I kept finding myself smiling, even laughing a bit.

Well done.

Thanks a lot..:-)
Jazzingly
Kris

**wzpgsr** · 09-25-2021, 03:46 PM

Originally Posted by kris

Easy.Everyone can do it...but it takes time.
This head is stressful.
Whenever I play it, I am afraid that I will not get to the end.
best
Kris

Yes, to that point, I am not too worried about playing it at tempo this time around. This is more about bebop language acquisition than performance for me at the moment. If I can internalize one or two bebop phrases, it will have been worth my time.