The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    Here are the same 2 backing tracks along with the lead sheet that we used 2 years ago. Have fun with them!

    1) backing track---->Box

    2) slower backing track---->Box

    3) Repaired Lead sheet---->Box

    wiz (Howie)
    Last edited by wizard3739; 06-08-2016 at 02:17 PM.

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    Thanks, Howie. For all you do, this Bud's for you! ;o)

  4. #3

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    I wonder if you could add the tune name to the title of the thread.
    Here's a take over the slower backing track:

    (Please forgive the sloppy playing June 2016 - I'll Remember April)
    Kirk

  5. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by KirkP
    I wonder if you could add the tune name to the title of the thread.
    I changed the title to "I'll Remember April Practical Standard June 2016."

    I will happily change it again if need be.

    It would be nice, I think, if in this context we could use PS for Practical Standard. When "Practical Standards Poll for whatever month" is used as a title, the full title may not show up when one is skimming New Posts, so someone might think that poll is for the previous month, or that it is the poll itself rather than the backing tracks for the poll winning tune.

  6. #5

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    Good idea!

  7. #6

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    I 've played it few years ago with WST:

  8. #7

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    Hello folks, I come asking for a favor and I can offer nothing in return, but I might as well ask. First, I guess I'll explain where I'm at. I've been playing guitar for 20 years or so and I should be better than I am by now. I've played in a few bar bands doing rock and even some country stuff. I'm still struggling with jazz, though.
    I try to work on these songs every month when time allows. I'm a poor sight reader, but I force myself to power through and figure out the melody line. I also sit down with my chord book (and Ted Greene chord cheat sheet) to try to figure out any chords that I don't know. In addition to this, I try to play along with the backing track. This part is harder for me than you might think. Syncing up what I've learned from the lead sheet with the backing track can be tough for me on certain tunes that I'm not very familiar with. One thing I've noticed is it's easier if I can find a fairly straight vocal version of the tune to listen to a few times. Like Sinatra this month. Sometime I can get a decent straight version of the tune figured out be the end of the month, sometimes not. But even when I do get to the point of forcing my fingers through the motions, there are still a lot of things I don't understand about what's going on.
    Anyway, for my dumb question, I was wondering if it would be possible for one of the more experienced players to give some explanation/help in where the chords are coming from in this type of tune? I'm used to the 1 and 4 major, 2/3/6 minor, 7 half-diminished type thing. Sometimes (but not always) I can spot a 2-5 leading up to a chord, and understand the basic idea of that and where those chords come from. But how do we get Gmajor7 and Gminor7 in the same tune? What about the Ab and Bb chords? Shouldn't everything be natural except the F# in the key of G?

  9. #8

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    The easiest and best explanation I can give without getting technical, is that jazz tunes/standards/show tunes don't always stay diatonic. Sometimes chords get borrowed, often from things like parallel minors...so it's kinda like a song might be written in "a key," but it takes little trips out and back. And that's what makes them fun.

  10. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by morroben
    ...Anyway, for my dumb question, I was wondering if it would be possible for one of the more experienced players to give some explanation/help in where the chords are coming from in this type of tune? I'm used to the 1 and 4 major, 2/3/6 minor, 7 half-diminished type thing. Sometimes (but not always) I can spot a 2-5 leading up to a chord, and understand the basic idea of that and where those chords come from. But how do we get Gmajor7 and Gminor7 in the same tune? What about the Ab and Bb chords? Shouldn't everything be natural except the F# in the key of G?
    I'm also an amateur with a similar background so take anything I say with a grain of salt.

    This tune has been described a impressionistic, which I think is due to the major/minor ambiguity created in the A section followed by several key changes B section that briefly take you far from the home key.

    I think of the A section as 4 bars of "noodling" in a G-Major scale followed by 4 bars on G-Dorian. [Edit: I earlier called this Melodic minor.]

    The next 8 bars of the A section is a pretty common 2-5-3-6-2-5-1 cycle in G. But until you reach the 1, the listener might have some uncertainty about whether you'll resolve with G-Major or G-Minor. The G-Major takes you home, but in the last bar throws things off kilter again by going to G7 in preparation for the B section.

    The B section takes you on a journey through 2-5-1 cycles in three different keys: 8-bars in Bb, 4-bars in G (the home key), then 4 bars in E. [Edit: The key changes are easier to remember if you note that Bb is 1-1/2 step above G and E is 1-1/2 step below.] The last bar of the B section is a 2-5 (or just the 5) in key of G to set up for a return to the A section.

    I was confused by this tune at first, but when I think of it in 4-bar chunks that take you on a journey through keys it makes more sense.
    Last edited by KirkP; 06-09-2016 at 03:19 PM.

  11. #10

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    Yeah, I think 4-4-8, 8-4-4 on this one.

    It's a wonderful tune. I'll definitely get in this month.

  12. #11

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    the thing about this one is that it is one of those tunes that combines a latin feel and a swing feel.

    The G major to G minor bit is in a latin feel. All that is happening there is that you are really just getting a sort of sub-dominant feel from the G minor section. Remember that Gmin6 = C9. So all that is happening there is the B naturals are now B flats.

    very much like when you go to the IV in a blues, but that doesn't mean that blues ideas are what to do...I'm just sayin its similar. but that's why I say its like a sort of subdominant function. You are delaying getting to the dominant when the swing feel starts at the 9th bar

    when I get some time to record some clips I'll be happy to share some things I've picked up from Johnny Smith and Dexter Gordon for that part of the tune. there's loads of fun to be had there

  13. #12

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    Thanks guys! I appreciate the input. I'll sit down with it later today with these things in mind.
    I was also wondering if anyone knows of a cool, but not too difficult, solo that I could try to transcribe for this tune. I would like to start working on that part of my game, as well.

  14. #13

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    Look up Grant Green's version, on "Standards."

  15. #14

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    Here's a version I had posted on YT a few years ago. I was thinking DMaj7 over the GMaj7 chord to get more lydian sounding lines, and thinking G melodic minor over the G minor chord. I'll try to do a newer version when I have a chance.


  16. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by morroben
    Thanks guys! I appreciate the input. I'll sit down with it later today with these things in mind.
    I was also wondering if anyone knows of a cool, but not too difficult, solo that I could try to transcribe for this tune. I would like to start working on that part of my game, as well.
    Dexter Gordon's solo from the record Biting the Apple is the one I pulled wagon loads of things from

    one of the things I do over that Gminor part is the old "007" theme which I picked up from that track. You'll hear it right off the hop


  17. #16

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    Quote Originally Posted by PaulD
    Here's a version I had posted on YT a few years ago. I was thinking DMaj7 over the GMaj7 chord to get more lydian sounding lines, and thinking G melodic minor over the G minor chord. I'll try to do a newer version when I have a chance.

    Cool stuff.

    I was messing around today with Em to Em7b5 over the G major / G minor.

  18. #17

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    Here is my version from two years ago. I really like my intro, not sure what I was thinking at the time. For the rhythm guitar I was working on my Freddie Green type of stuff. On the solo stuff it sounds like I was thinking with intervals and playing my pet licks.



    Will post a new version within a couple weeks and compare.

  19. #18
    Dutchbopper Guest
    This is how's it's done dudes



    regards,

    DB

  20. #19

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    Here is my version from 2 years ago but I will be adding a newer version soon.

    wiz (Howie)

    https://app.box.com/s/31q85go1zzr8y8x660rc

  21. #20

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    here's one from today. I keep thinking I'll get better at bebop, but at this point I think age is working against me.






    Bebop guitar is hard, and to be honest, I haven't heard many players outside our well known heroes (Raney, Farlow, a few of the current generation such as Martin van iterson) who do it as well as even a half decent saxophonist. Modern styles are more flexible: I have this view of bebop as the one style which was formalized at such a high level than anything but a relentless chase of perfection at this style falls short, especially by an hobbyist such as myself.
    Last edited by pkirk; 06-12-2016 at 08:20 PM.

  22. #21

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    To versions of this tune I find inspiring.
    Boz Skaggs


    (Sorry, no guitarists featured in these.)
    Last edited by KirkP; 06-18-2016 at 01:59 PM.

  23. #22

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    Here is my more recent version of "I'll Remember April". It's kind of rough because I'm still having some problems with my home recording setup. I have always wanted to try a Latin version of this song so if I have time I will go for it over the weekend.

    wiz (Howie)

    https://app.box.com/s/31q85go1zzr8y8x660rc

  24. #23

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    Hey Wiz, you made my day a bit nicer.

  25. #24

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    Having a little fun with a flute patch on my GR30 guitar synth. Guitar is a 335.



    Paul

  26. #25

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    I've been meaning to post in this thread for a year, but never get around to it. Recording myself feels like trying to be quiet while using the bathroom when someone is just outside - I just feel nervous and tentative like I'm being watched.

    But I should do it more, so here is a quick take. Normally I would do another take to try to improve all the stuff I didn't like, but I'm just gonna let it go. Nice job everyone!