April 2016 - Naima

**mr. beaumont** · 04-09-2016, 08:22 AM

Originally Posted by Jehu

And this is what it might sound like if someone made a set of Naima windchimes...

That was lovely! Windchime-esque, indeed.

**grahambop** · 04-09-2016, 09:11 AM

Originally Posted by fuzzthebee

That's really clever, Graham! Does the Fm "activity" address the b9 of the second chord in the B section?

Not really, but you can sort of weave that note into your lines if you want it.

**Nate Miller** · 04-09-2016, 12:06 PM

so I've been away from computers a lot the last couple days, but here's a clip from this morning. I put everything together and played the full tune. I missed the last note of the ending, which was a drag, but here's basically what I've had going on this week

**christianm77** · 04-09-2016, 12:32 PM

This tune lends itself very well to solo interpretations, doesn't it?

**Nate Miller** · 04-09-2016, 12:56 PM

yea, it really does.

I've been having some fun with this tune

there's a lot of neat versions on this thread, cool ideas getting kicked around, too.

**mr. beaumont** · 04-09-2016, 02:46 PM

Nate, cool agressive dissonances and open string stuff in thar take!

**Nate Miller** · 04-09-2016, 04:39 PM

thanks. That's all that crazy music theory at work. It does take some sort of analysis to play like that.

psychoanalysis mostly, but theoretical analysis come into it a little bit, too

**mr. beaumont** · 04-09-2016, 05:23 PM

Lol.

I did another chorus quickly today. I'm officially in the "trying to play everything I hear and see and thereby playing way too much" stage with this tune...more work to do, but it's clicking...a little

Apparently, I'm also playing a game called "how many damn guitars can you play the same tune on?"

Anyway, my goal is to record myself every day with it...don't worry, I won't post them all, I promise, maybe just once a week now til the end of the month...what a great tune.

**matt.guitarteacher** · 04-09-2016, 05:53 PM

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Lol.

I did another chorus quickly today. I'm officially in the "trying to play everything I hear and see and thereby playing way too much" stage with this tune...more work to do, but it's clicking...a little

Apparently, I'm also playing a game called "how many damn guitars can you play the same tune on?"

Anyway, my goal is to record myself every day with it...don't worry, I won't post them all, I promise, maybe just once a week now til the end of the month...what a great tune.

Jeff, where are you recording this? I'm always curious about this location where you do these videos and the ambient sounds in the background. Sounds great as always.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk

**mr. beaumont** · 04-09-2016, 06:15 PM

Thanks!

This is a little practice room at the studio where I teach. But truthfully, there are no quiet places in my life...there is always some ambient noise.

I'm mildly claustrophobic, so when I'm not teaching I don't close the door, so you hear bits of piano and violin lessons, parents gabbing, an occasional too loud tv, etc.

Funny story...in my quest for quiet, I took a day off work last year...went downtown and got a room at a nice high rise hotel. Now the plan was to meet my wife after she got off work (she works in downtown Chicago) get a good dinner, have that extra glass or three of wine, and cab it back to the hotel and have a night with no kids.

I decided to up the ante and check in early and just sit in quiet, and look out the window of our 30-something floor room at the lake and just enjoy the chill.

Of course, that would be the day about ten floors below me, a window washer slipped and was clinging to his life...hadda be every cop, paramedic, and fireman in a mile radius below me, sirens blaring.

So instead, I rented Role Models on the TV and cracked open the mini bar. Should have brought a guitar.

Window guy was fine, climbed up back on his rig under his own power. Didn't even get to see the big inflatable trampoline thing.

**Nate Miller** · 04-09-2016, 06:33 PM

I really dug that B section, Jeff. The way you built tension to the top of the next section was great stuff

beautiful lines all through it, too

**mr. beaumont** · 04-10-2016, 04:18 PM

This was a good listen...I liked it from the start, but I especially like when about halfway through you can tell you've gotten pretty comfortable with note choice and you start to play more with phrasing, repeating notes, etc. You can hear you stop thinking about what to say and start finding cooler ways to say it.

I'm happy people are taking multiple passes at this one. I can tell you already that spending this much time with a tune is doing nothing but good for my playing. Shining a real light on how lazy and complacent I'd been getting.

**M-ster** · 04-10-2016, 10:24 PM

My take on this one: http://www.noiseinthebasement.com/mp3s/naima%2000.mp3

**mr. beaumont** · 04-10-2016, 10:42 PM

That was outstanding...loved the change in feel for the solo, and that last little bensonesque line was soooo badass. Nice call on the chorused electric piano too...coulda been cheese all, but wasn't. But I'm a sucker for electric piano.

**Vladan** · 04-11-2016, 05:08 AM

Originally Posted by M-ster

My take on this one: http://www.noiseinthebasement.com/mp3s/naima%2000.mp3

Finally one take that sounds like the real thing, with due respect to the rest of participants. Good these threads are not the contest, since M-ster would always win.

We can all learn from him what makes a good take, given of course one has Brain - Ear - Chops combo developed enough to be able to conceive it and do it.
That is clear idea and concrete execution, without forced and unforced ambiguities. Whiz - Bang, each note rings against bass, you can hear harmony just as it is, perfect timing, ...

Great!

**grahambop** · 04-11-2016, 07:32 AM

Originally Posted by Vladan

Finally one take that sounds like the real thing, with due respect to the rest of participants. Good these threads are not the contest, since M-ster would always win.

We can all learn from him what makes a good take, given of course one has Brain - Ear - Chops combo developed enough to be able to conceive it and do it.
That is clear idea and concrete execution, without forced and unforced ambiguities. Whiz - Bang, each note rings against bass, you can hear harmony just as it is, perfect timing, ...

Great!

Well I had started to think about recording this tune at the weekend, but now I am scared to follow in M-ster's almighty footsteps! (I have not heard his take yet, I will listen with trepidation tonight!)

**Nate Miller** · 04-11-2016, 11:15 AM

I liked M-sters clip, but I feel like a hater compared to Vlad

you can't compare solo versions against a combo, really, either. Also, some of us, me included, never really played this tune until it became apparent that we weren't going to be getting "I'll Remember April"

One thing I noticed from M-ster's clip is that once you put a pulse under it, the fragility sort of goes away. Definitely when you walk the changes with the bass player, you can play over the changes like any modern tune.

I did like the melodic ideas, too, and yes, I will be ripping off some of those ideas when I play this one with people

not to change the subject, but I had an interesting conversation on the phone last night with my bass player about this tune. We're getting together Thursday, and so while we were talking about "what do you want to play" I said, "Naima" right off the top of the list

there was a short pause on the other end of the line and then Larry says "that's kind of a strange call, what's up, you got a horn player coming over?" ...then we talked for about 20 minutes about this ideas for this one.

So I'll bring the field recorder and record the first time I ever call this tune Thursday night. Not first time I ever played it in a combo, but first time I'm calling the tune and leading the mayhem. Should be fun. A nice duet with an upright and my 175 strung with those new Jazz Tapes, so I'll have to play it nice and pretty

**mr. beaumont** · 04-11-2016, 11:35 AM

Looking forward to it.

I think I'm going to try a take with a track...focus on melody and forget about cute little ways to keep the solo arrangement going for a while...then I can go back to it...still got 3 weeks to get it down perfect. (ha ha ha)

**Nate Miller** · 04-11-2016, 11:46 AM

see, that's where I am with it this week. Now that I know I'm playing this tune in 3 days with an upright bass, I have to change gears and play this one pretty

and some other differences are I won't have my "Naima tuned" guitar on this one and I'll be in the original key, no funny tuning

so its a completely different approach to everything

**mr. beaumont** · 04-11-2016, 11:58 AM

Yeah, I hear ya.

Generally, I play solo more sparsely than most people...I like space, I'm not into filling it all in...comes from listening to too much Frisell and Abercrombie, I guess, but that's the way I like it...I imagine a rhythm section in my head...but I'm still playing more self-accompanyment than I would in even just a duo.

**pkirk** · 04-11-2016, 03:19 PM

I didn't notice this upstream, so here...

**christianm77** · 04-13-2016, 01:42 PM

Originally Posted by M-ster

My take on this one: http://www.noiseinthebasement.com/mp3s/naima%2000.mp3

Swinging

**M-ster** · 04-13-2016, 09:21 PM

Originally Posted by pkirk

I really like this one

Ha! I agree. Latin and in 7, nice treatment, fuzz!

**christianm77** · 04-14-2016, 07:53 AM

Very much a sketch/work in progress

**mr. beaumont** · 04-14-2016, 08:11 AM

Originally Posted by christianm77

Very much a sketch/work in progress

Aww, man, do another, you were just getting going at the end!

Great start, can't wait to hear where you go with it.

**Vladan** · 04-14-2016, 08:58 AM

Originally Posted by christianm77

Very much a sketch/work in progress

I liked it quite a lot, but contrary to Mr. Beaumont, I preferred the first 4/5ths of it.

Similar to Mr. Beaumont's entries, where I liked the initial one more than sequels.

**christianm77** · 04-14-2016, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by Vladan

I liked it quite a lot, but contrary to Mr. Beaumont, I preferred the first 4/5ths of it.

Similar to Mr. Beaumont's entries, where I liked the initial one more than sequels.

See - somethin' for everybody ;-)

**mr. beaumont** · 04-14-2016, 10:08 PM

Ok, another pass...felt atmospheric today, excuse the 'verb.

I was trying to play some Trane like repetitive stuff, but it came out more like grant green.

**pkirk** · 04-14-2016, 10:52 PM

very nice jeff

**M-ster** · 04-15-2016, 11:59 AM

Originally Posted by nick1994

i done a quick solo version, loving the interpretations so far

Like the sound of your guitar on this, Nick.

**nick1994** · 04-15-2016, 10:21 PM

Originally Posted by M-ster

Like the sound of your guitar on this, Nick.

thanks it's very tele-sounding

**pkirk** · 04-20-2016, 09:56 PM

Originally Posted by fuzzthebee

This thread seems to fizzled, slightly. I would post another, but I don't have much new to add. I have, however, been dabbling in pentatonic scales on this tune. You can map out some nice combinations working through the changes:

Eb13 sus - Ab pentatonic (11, 5, 13, R, 9)
Ebmin9 - Db pentatonic (b7, R, 9, 11, 5)
Amaj7/Eb - E pentatonic (5, 13, 7, 9, 3)
Gmaj7/Eb - A pentatonic (9, 3, #11, 13, 7)
Abmaj7 - Eb pentatonic (5, 13, 7, 9, 3)

On the Gma7/Eb, which is essentially the V chord, I went with the A pentatonic instead of a D pentatonic. This gives a nice tritone sub sound, introducing more upper extensions and breaking up all the parallel movement. Also, you get a movement up fourth from the preceding E pentatonic, echoing the movement between the first two chords of the tune.

Cbmaj7/Bb - Gb pentatonic (5, 13, 7, 9, 3) aka Eb min pent so you get switch from maj to min from previous chord.

Bb13b9 - had to 'invent' some here, all derived from H/W diminished.

Oh boy, gotta go to bed! Hopefully no typos or fatigue errors in there.

Mike

Cool.

not necessarily speaking to this tune specifically, although it works well here, but I like the sound of a min7b5 pentatonic a tritone away on a maj7 chord, e.g. Dmi7b5 pentatonic (D E F Ab C) over Abmaj. You can work the usual symmetric patterns you are used to over min pentatonics and just lower the 5th, and the tritone thing makes it easy to use.

One other thing, the New real book offers different changes than Howie and the old real book have. They are not too distant, but they give a different perspective on the tune. Kind of a reverse-Martino "de-minorization"

**Vladan** · 04-21-2016, 07:48 AM

Originally Posted by pkirk

... One other thing, the New real book offers different changes than Howie and the old real book have. They are not too distant, but they give a different perspective on the tune. Kind of a reverse-Martino "de-minorization"

Cool, I'm totally for it. I think replacing a minor with an major has much more impact than "minorization". "Minorization" is kind of cheap, if not in Martino's way, it surely became so in Clapton's.

I call it "Scary Majors". Of course, It can also come out cheap if you do not pay attention about (ab)use of clichés, but minors are much, much worse, IMO.

**Vladan** · 04-21-2016, 08:03 AM

For example, my version of Naima, hopefully I will post it soon enough, goes like this, as far as chords ...

1st 4 bars, all over E ostinato bass ...

DM7(9)| GM7| C13 C9 C7 E7#9| A7 E+ AM7|

... all majors ... cool ... I actually feel it more like 8 bars in double tempo, or 4 bars in 8/8, then 4 bars in 4/4.

Think "Venus in Furs" by The Velvet Underground, only pretty.

EDIT: 8 bars to 4

**Reg** · 04-21-2016, 10:08 AM

Yea... as always still great thread... really cool to see lots of players getting into learning jazz tunes and what performing jazz tunes involves. Years ago when I got this thread going, with help from more qualified people... anyway the point was to teach guitarist to become....

1) aware of what Jazz tunes were
2) aware of what playing a tune in a jazz style was
3) What it was to perform as a jazz player

There was a lot of other technical BS.... theoretical and harmonic BS, but.

The thread was developed from my weak attempts, (a mid level working pro), to play through tunes and try and help guitarist understand how to get to the level of musicianship to.. play jazz. It was never a showcase, that section was and is still there.

The point was to help get guitarist involved... help them get to that point where they could post attempts at different tunes and eventually just be able to play jazz, which covers a lot of skills. It was an inside look at how I approached playing, I never rehearsed etc... I just turned on the camera and tried to show how it can work. My point wasn't to make me look good, if anything I generally made myself look lousy... but that was the point, show how to develop the skills of playing in a jazz style, not just rehearse and memorize tunes. Although you generally would by going through the process... learn tunes.

In the end... we're all just guitarist, and whatever else we do. We're not generally saving the world or really even doing anything to help. If you even care about any of that stuff.... you can use your skills and volunteer at homeless etc... I've done it, (and still do), all my life, it makes a difference.

If you want to see how your jazz playing is... have someone throw a sets worth of original or arranged jazz tunes in front of you... at live gig and start. Generally if you could even attempt... your pretty good, if you can play the charts as written, your getting better, and if you can play all the music that's not actually notated and lock in the grooves and feels with the rest of the musicians.... you can listen and hear. Hey your a workin jazz player, you now qualify to work your ass off for not enough money.(joke)

**christianm77** · 04-22-2016, 03:10 PM

@Reg

Maybe it's just where I am but there's a lot of kudos attached to having an extensive standards repertoire in the more professional straight-ahead circles and people get a pissy if you need to look at a chart. Do you not come across this?

Anyway, being able to play arrangements and originals at sight is a very useful skill to develop as well... .It's slowly getting better. The secret TBH as I understand it is to do it. A lot. Especially in situations where it matters, it's nothing like practicing at home.

**tacofarm** · 04-24-2016, 07:10 PM

May have been answered, but how are you guys approaching the E7 in the B section? It's sounding weird to me, voicings or ideas appreciated.

**mr. beaumont** · 04-24-2016, 07:17 PM

Think E13#11. Lydian dom.

Or Dmaj7b5.

Hang on notes are A#, C#, and F#, to my ears. (Bb, Db, Gb, if easier to think with Bb pedal)

**Nate Miller** · 04-28-2016, 11:48 AM

I had fun earlier this month working with you guys on this one, but I got pulled off by a couple of opportunities that came up.

but the first part of the month was real fun, and this tune was something that was outside what I normally play, too.

I don't think this is going to be a new tune for my trio, though. I got together with my bass player and we played through it, but he didn't really buy in. What he said was "if we're going to play a ballad, then let's play..." and then he rattled off about a half dozen tunes he would rather play. After 20 years together, I'm not going to make the man play something he isn't into playing, so that's that.

but I did get a new solo piece out of all this, so nothings lost