Like Someone In Love

[MadeulPlaysGuitar]

Do you all end up playing very similar arrangements across multiple takes of a tune? I often find myself using the same exact finger placements, although the melody and rhythm vary a bit more.

[lawson-stone]

Very lovely--beautiful tone from that Telecaster! Your voice movement and bass lines are very well placed. I'm curious if that was an actual arrangement or if some of it was improvised? Oddly, you might find value in picking up the pace and tempo and doing it as a medium swing. Let your bass movement carry the tempo, work the melody on the high strings, and use selected chord fragments to fill it in. It's a different concept than the fully composed arrangement but can be very liberating and enjoyable to try. It was Joe Pass' procedure on many solo performances and he was the master of that style.

[MadeulPlaysGuitar]

Thanks, Lawson!

Nothing is pre-arranged, although I play the head so similarly from take to take that it might as well have been. The second chorus is completely improvised, which should account for the lack of polish.

I did actually try to bring up the tempo in the earlier takes but kept mucking it up... I do enjoy this tune with a bit of swing feel!

The Joe Pass approach you cited is the one I aspire to, although I end up being shackled to the familiar chord forms, with the melody sadly being an afterthought.

[lawson-stone]

Thanks, Lawson!

Nothing is pre-arranged, although I play the head so similarly from take to take that it might as well have been. The second chorus is completely improvised, which should account for the lack of polish.

I did actually try to bring up the tempo in the earlier takes but kept mucking it up... I do enjoy this tune with a bit of swing feel!

The Joe Pass approach you cited is the one I aspire to, although I end up being shackled to the familiar chord forms, with the melody sadly being an afterthought.

I understand what you mean about trying to improvise the head but ending up playing it similarly. Once I settle on how I like the head of a tune, it's hard to re-think. I played "Misty" the same for years and one day just decided to "strange" it up. I went to a chromatically descending bass line, somewhat dissonant chords, etc. and actually ended up enjoying it that way so now, if I play the tune for audiences, I play it more traditionally first, then improvise a chorus, then play it "strange" on the out chorus. I suppose I could do it the other way too.

You have some beautiful voice leading in that, and again, I think you are getting lovely tone from the telecaster. I have a tele also and have been delighted with how well suited it is for jazz, even though I have some very fine archtops as well.

I hope you'll post more!

[MadeulPlaysGuitar]

Haha I’m glad it’s not just me! Planning on recording this weekend again— thanks!