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In jams with friends, sometimes someone will start playing the head to Donna Lee. At that point, everybody, including the bassist, joins in, playing the melody. Nobody does anything else. Tight, it's not. When the head is finished, nobody wants to solo.
One of the guys is a bop-o-phile altoist. That's a loud instrument in his hands and he plays it aggressively. So, to the detriment of all, he sets the tempo. My guess is that he goes well north of 220 bpm (which is about where Parker played it, I think).
With years of practice, I've got it to 200 or so on my best day -- and that's after working out the obvious fingering/picking bottlenecks.
At some point, the issue is your nervous system, not your technique.
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09-25-2021 04:28 PM
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Originally Posted by wzpgsr
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Why is everyone so worried about the head? You don't need to play the head.
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Originally Posted by lawson-stone
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Originally Posted by rpjazzguitar
The guitar is a very difficult instrument to master. At first, playing simple chords - everyone can do it.
Problems begin with further guitar learning.
I think one of the most important is playing with loose hands.
With fast tempos, we forget about controlling our hands or we cannot control it.
I am learning to play with loose hands all the time.
For me personally, the most important thing is the right hand and picking technique with loose hand.
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Originally Posted by ragman1
If someone is seriously interested in jazz, he has to fight the monster.
More seriously: Donna Lee is one of the staple tunes of the be-bop era. The genius of Charlie Parker.
It is like the essence of be-bop in a nutshell.
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Originally Posted by rpjazzguitar
I think I noticed a bug in your Donna Lee playing. At the beginning / the second phrase from the note E / is too late.
I might be wrong? but check it out.I suggest to play with chord changes-this will help.
Best
Kris
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Originally Posted by rpjazzguitar
I wondered why the difficulty and I looked at your video again.
if I may, I would suggest another fingering. Up to the second half of C7, just play it in one position: index finger on B-nat, one finger per fret. First 4 notes of C7 (and the last one of preceding Fm7 -- Eb) are being played on the 2nd string. For a descending part of C7 reach for Eb on the 3rd with pinky and all 4 notes are again a chromatic run. There is hardly any left hand movement at all and picking motion is very streamlined.
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Don’t have time to record it, but I did a breakdown of this one ages ago if anyone’s interested? Plenty of good bop language in this tune that you can use in your improvisation….
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Originally Posted by kris
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Originally Posted by Danil
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Originally Posted by kris
If people were so interested in jazz/bebop, as you suggest, they would already be able to play it. But the thread appears as a challenge - which it is not, it's really an improv thread - so they suddenly wake up and try to do it in a week, which is silly. If they can't do it already they won't master it in a week. The tune changes on Thursday/Friday and then they'll forget it. Ridiculous.
So let those who can play the melody and think what you're going to do when someone says 'Solo!'. This isn't a 'Learn Donna Lee In A Week!' class, it's a virtual jam and they're missing the point.
Of course, you're extremely happy because you already know it... so we won't talk about that
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Originally Posted by ragman1
You can thank Petersen and Jeff who accepted Donna Lee's choice, I have already written what I think.
What is this?:
The jam is learning about Donna Lee head.
Is it jam?
Best
kris
ps.
Just because I played Donna Lee 40 or 30 years ago doesn't mean I didn't have to remember the fingering to defeat "the beast".It is very difficult to play the guitar-embellishments of Parker 16ths in tempo.
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Originally Posted by Christian Miller
Time to record your version of Donna Lee.
You have a 3 or for days for it...long time.
Good Luck
Best
Kris
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Originally Posted by kris
Login • Instagram
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Originally Posted by Christian Miller
Good Luck tomorrow.
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Originally Posted by kris
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Originally Posted by kris
I’m finding these gig things are getting in the way of my Instagram shred career. It’s a bind. Maybe I should refuse to leave my bedroom.
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Originally Posted by Christian Miller
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Originally Posted by kris
Really, Indiana is a completely different kind of tune. It was one of the tunes on the PS thread and I did that one.
I think some people can do this kind of thing and others can't. I'll never do it fast like this, it's against my temperament, pick or no pick. Like some people can play the guitar and others can't.
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Yes, it is different - you can play Indiana much faster than DL
(Well most people can’t play DL as fast, but there’s always one innit
)
Always remember: jazz is a competition.
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Originally Posted by ragman1
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The clock is a funny touch btw haha. Just noticed that.
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Originally Posted by ragman1
But Donna doesn't have to be played that fast. Parker's version is slower - recorded it in the '40s.
Jazz education has developed a lot and the young musicians are very perfect and fast, but they learn from good role models - Charlie Parker.
Ben Enunson plays very modern musical phrases that he thinks of himself, but Donna Lee is composed by Charlie Parker.
Playing Donna Lee is a kind of tribute to Parker / a genius who died too early /.
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Originally Posted by Christian Miller
16" 1920s/30s L5
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