The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary

View Poll Results: Play it safe or Go for it?

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  • Play it safe

    3 10.34%
  • Go for it with no remorse

    5 17.24%
  • Somewhere in between

    21 72.41%
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  1. #1

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    At my level I can play some pretty cool stuff at times but I make plenty of mistakes still (wrong note or off beat note). I was talking to a trumpet player I play with often about this. He's an interesting trumpet player, he also makes mistakes but he takes lots of risks and when he hits it right he sounds great. His style is interesting and at times surprising. He's got more makes than misses, as do I.

    I was saying "I've been practicing a lot, hoping these mistakes would go away." He says "Yeah me too, but they won't go away as long as you keep reaching higher and higher." So I decided to keep reaching higher and for the next few gigs I tried to play whatever was in my head, with no fear of mistakes, and no remorse if I screw up a few notes.

    Then I listened back to the recording and I think it was a bit too sloppy. So I decided to play a gig where I stick to what I know I can play correctly, a more simple Grant Green style that focuses on groove and never is out of the pocket. That gig turned out to be an outdoor gig, kind of cold and windy, frozen fingers resulted in some sloppiness. The next gig was a wedding and there was a lot of distractions and people talking to me in the middle of a solo. I ended up playing a lot of auto-pilot without thinking much but it worked OK and not much mistakes.

    I see the real pros who play in New York and it seems like they don't make mistakes and they also can play whatever is in their head. But those are the same guys who play 6 hours a day and don't have another job. I practice approx 90 minutes a day on average so there's gonna have to be some compromises made.

    So here's the poll-

    Go for it with no remorse? Or play within your limits?

    Is this a question anyone else has thought about? What's your take?

    The audience doesn't give a shit either way so that's not a factor. I'm playing restaurants, coffee shops, and the occasional wedding.

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  3. #2

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    It depends on the context. Live music is communal and successful live music take that into account. A concert might be the place to go for broke. A coffeshop or a restaurant is usually about making pleasing aural wallpaper.

  4. #3

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    I wonder the same. When I really let go on faster tempos I inevitably make mistakes too although I am happy to find some good surprises sometimes. I'd say it depends especially on who you play with. If it's a singer or bigger band where you don't have si many time to solo, I play safe. If there's a horn or a keyboard in a smaller ensemble there could be some interresting interactions going on by elarging territories.

    Envoyé de mon SM-G930F en utilisant Tapatalk

  5. #4

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    I don't consider playing good melodies in pocket "playing it safe."

  6. #5

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    "I'm playing restaurants, coffee shops, and the occasional wedding."

    Basic question: what kind of music do you play there? Jazz ... easy jazz or something different?
    I have quite a lot of experience in this field.
    I was always looking for places where the owner was kind to play jazz.
    I played in five-star hotels and on luxury passenger ships.
    It was an excellent study of jazz standards - I played five 45 min sets each night.
    There were different situations and sometimes listeners asked to play less jazz.
    Sometimes I played jazz solos too long - which was not welcome.
    Short jazz solos and an extensive repertoire were welcome.
    I don't know how it is now because I was on my last contract 30 years ago.
    Big concerts and festivals as well as playing in jazz clubs give me the greatest pleasure.
    I play what I have learned over the years of work.
    Ears and heart are my turn signal.



  7. #6

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    As someone else noted; It is situational with me. If I feel like I'm not going to be judged (say playing in front of non-musicians), I'll go-all-out, but when playing with other musicians that are a level or two above me, I'll play it safe. Really cool musicians will catch-on to this; E.g. one cat said "hey, it's clear you're holding back,,, lets play a song you really know well, and when you solo get a frame-of-mind like you're in your music room, playing against a backing-track".

  8. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by kris
    "I'm playing restaurants, coffee shops, and the occasional wedding."
    Basic question: what kind of music do you play there? Jazz ... easy jazz or something different?

    I play straight ahead jazz and hard bop.

    I have played guitar duo, solo guitar, backed singers, and various other things in the past. Now I've narrowed my scope to quartet with drums/bass/horns. I play comp chords behind the other soloists and single note solos. I might play a little chord melody here and there on a head, intro or hit a couple chords if a bridge modulates, but mainly I focus on single note melodies and getting really good swing feel and timing. My timing is not naturally that good, so I work on it a lot with drum genius. Drum genius is on during 99% of my practice time.

    I pass on gigs that don't fit what I like. I don't play solo guitar jazz anymore. I just don't like it. It's fine for a few bars to give a different vibe, but full sets of solo jazz guitar are boring I think. It's also boring in the sense that you don't get to play with other guys, and I like the social aspect of music. Solo jazz is best on piano I think. I'll leave it to those guys. Back when jazz was popular I don't think the public liked it either, they mostly liked big band during that era and then smaller groups during the bebop and hard bop eras. I don't play guitar duo either, too much or the same sound for me and it doesn't groove enough. I don't play big band cause you can't even hear the guitar and there's no guitar solos. I don't back singers in duo setting cause it's just way too much to cover (walking bass, etc) and then when it comes time for the singer to take a break and have a guitar solo it always sucks unless you're Joe Pass reincarnated. I'm lucky enough to play with some guys a bit more advanced than me and we all listen closely to each other and strive for those magic moments in tunes. I love the interplay we get and I try to comp in a way that gives the soloist their best chance to make magic happen.

    Creating a narrow focus for my playing has helped me so much, since I don't play 6 hours a day like the pros. I'm looking to work with a small tool kit. My playing is advancing very quickly right now. I take lessons about 3-4x per year and slowly implement what my teacher gives me, which is a huge amount of info. Every lesson takes MONTHS to implement.

    But right now I am sort of at a loss on playing it safe vs going all out. I'm going to ask in my next lesson. This thread has been helpful. Seems like there's more people leaning towards playing it safe. The counterpoint, and the reason I make a case for going all out and taking risks, is that you improve more I think. I could be wrong about this.... I just don't know.

    The case against it is when I listen back to the gig, I see what I'm playing and some of it is stuff I have never practiced and I'm trying to do stuff I have no idea how to do.....which often works out great....so maybe this is the case for it not against it.
    Last edited by JazzIsGood; 04-02-2022 at 08:44 PM. Reason: include the question

  9. #8

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    and all you solo jazz chord melody guys have my respect, didn't mean to bash the whole thing so much.

  10. #9

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    Where are this place to play the real jazz?

  11. #10

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    safe=smooth jazz
    go for it=real jazz

  12. #11

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    “Play it safe” if you want to continue to get jazz work in non-elite jazz environments - local venues, clubs, restaurants, parties.

    “Go for it” if you want a very very narrow chance at someday possibly playing for sold-out audiences consisting solely of other guitar players, other musos, and possibly their reluctant and distracted girlfriends.

    “Somewhere in between” will get you somewhere in between, which, in the current jazz world, is nowhere.

    So maybe better to choose A or 2…


    [Disclaimer: my context is the USA, the place where jazz was born and is currently largely ignored, except as an occasional auditory fashion accessory and dining establishment decor. Other localities may present other options.]
    Last edited by maxsmith; 04-18-2022 at 03:48 PM.

  13. #12

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    Fantastic cynical response Max, and I think I agree with what you're saying.

    I feel bad for the reluctant girlfriends sometimes.

  14. #13

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    If by “go for it” you mean playing something at the very edge of your technical ability, then no. That’s not something you should consciously do.
    If you are having a good night and you’re in the zone, then you will naturally play your best, whatever level that is.
    The idea is to play good music. That will earn you a lot more respect than pushing it and failing.

  15. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by maxsmith
    “Play it safe” if you want to continue to get jazz work in non-elite jazz environments - local venues, clubs, restaurants, parties.

    “Go for it” if you want a very very narrow chance at someday possibly playing for sold-out audiences consisting solely of other guitar players, other musos, and possibly their reluctant and distracted girlfriends.

    “Somewhere in between” will get you somewhere in between, which, in the current jazz world, is nowhere.

    So maybe better to choose A or 2…


    [Disclaimer: my context is the USA, the place where jazz was born and is currently largely ignored, except as an occasional auditory fashion accessory and dining establishment decor. Other localities may present other options.]
    Noone on here is going to 'make it big' as a jazz musician. The realistic goal for everyone is going to be to develop one's self as a musician. You accomplish this by dedicated practice then playing within yourself during performance. With the right practice, you will naturally be able to execute exciting stuff in performance. There's no need to put yourself on edge and then sound stupid.

  16. #15

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    I’ve made it big as a jazz musician! I’ve sold over ten albums! I was outnumbered by the audience at a gig the other day!

  17. #16

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    Big jazz festival=big audience.
    I have played a few times at big jazz festivals where it was much easier to sell albums.

  18. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by Christian Miller
    I’ve made it big as a jazz musician! I’ve sold over ten albums! I was outnumbered by the audience at a gig the other day!
    Lol!

  19. #18

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    I wouldn't rule out people listening in weddings, cafes, restaurants, etc. Always try to sound your best, which probably involves playing somewhere in the middle, between safe and adventurous..

  20. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jimmy Smith
    There's no need to put yourself on edge and then sound stupid.
    Isn't this the essence of learning, a dance between consolidation of what is already known and a willingness to engage with the unknown which entails a distinct possibility of sounding stupid at least in proportion to the degree of mastery you have previously achieved.

  21. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by Christian Miller
    I’ve made it big as a jazz musician! I’ve sold over ten albums! I was outnumbered by the audience at a gig the other day!
    You'll be needing management soon by the sound of it Christian!

    David

  22. #21
    Mistakes go with the territory in Jazz. The difference with the pro’s is they’ve been playing so long they can get themselves out of any difficulties without anyone noticing.

  23. #22

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    I've read this thread through a couple of times, and I have to admit I'm still not getting the question. When I practice, I consciously try new things, try things that are beyond me technically (until they're not), experiment with harmony, inside/out approaches, practice tunes at tempos way faster than is comfortable, etc. It's a deliberate effort. At a jam session or gig, though, it's much more in the moment. I play the ideas that occur to me to play. I stumble on some of these, but not because I consciously decide per se to go beyond my abilities. I have trouble imagining how such a thought process could even happen during a performance.

  24. #23

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    The better you know it, the safer you are.

  25. #24

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    Quote Originally Posted by John A.
    I've read this thread through a couple of times, and I have to admit I'm still not getting the question. When I practice, I consciously try new things, try things that are beyond me technically (until they're not), experiment with harmony, inside/out approaches, practice tunes at tempos way faster than is comfortable, etc. It's a deliberate effort. At a jam session or gig, though, it's much more in the moment. I play the ideas that occur to me to play. I stumble on some of these, but not because I consciously decide per se to go beyond my abilities. I have trouble imagining how such a thought process could even happen during a performance.
    Jazz music only makes sense as the real audience-listeners react.
    Someone might disagree with that, but that's the truth.
    Motivation and inspiration bring very interesting results.

  26. #25

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    Quote Originally Posted by John A.
    I've read this thread through a couple of times,
    That was your first mistake. Your second was thinking there was anything to gain from reading the thread.