The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    I began my journey into jazz and jazz guitar by learning from Charlie Christian.

    Slowly but surely, I started to check out Lester Young after reading how influential he was to CC and future generations of saxophonists.

    To me, Lester Young plays jazz like how it was always meant to be played. Light, lively, lyrical, buoyant, bluesy, rhythmic, and so sophisticated (without ever needing to sound like bebop). He is my personal hero, and his playing is so beautiful.

    I'm not a scholar nor a gigging jazz musician, but I've noticed some things in Prez's playing - certain ideas and melodic fragments. I thought of sharing them here as a hobbyist so that Prez's language doesn't fade away.

    I'm not great with a camera or good at speaking, so bear with me. The videos I post will lack a lot of polish.
    Last edited by brent.h; 07-25-2024 at 08:59 AM.

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2
    Video #1: Major 6th Lick

    The lick starts on the downbeat of 2. Played in the keys of Bb, Eb, Ab.

    Last edited by brent.h; 08-14-2024 at 09:05 AM.

  4. #3
    Video #2: V-I lick (using a minor scale)

    The lick starts on the downbeat of 1. Played in the keys of Bb, Eb, Ab.

    Last edited by brent.h; 08-14-2024 at 09:06 AM.

  5. #4
    Video #3: He Ain't Got Rhythm (transcription)

    Last edited by brent.h; 08-14-2024 at 09:06 AM.

  6. #5
    Video #4: Ad Lib Blues Lick

    The lick starts on the downbeat of 1. Played in the keys of Bb, Eb.

    Last edited by brent.h; 08-14-2024 at 09:06 AM.

  7. #6
    Video #5: 12345 Major Scale Lick

    The lick starts on the downbeat of 1. Played in the keys of Bb, Eb, Ab.




    Last edited by brent.h; 08-14-2024 at 09:06 AM.

  8. #7
    Video #6: Minor 6th Displaced Rhythm Lick

    The lick starts on the upbeat of 2. Played in the keys of Fmin, Bbmin.





    Last edited by brent.h; 08-14-2024 at 09:07 AM.

  9. #8

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    I have not had time to watch these, but I am pro-this and will get to them soon. Thanks for posting.

  10. #9
    Video #7: How Lester thinks/plays pentatonics

    Last edited by brent.h; 08-14-2024 at 09:08 AM.

  11. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by pamosmusic
    I have not had time to watch these, but I am pro-this and will get to them soon. Thanks for posting.
    Thanks for the support!

  12. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by brent.h
    Lester Young plays jazz like how it was always meant to be played. Light, lively, lyrical, buoyant, bluesy, rhythmic, and so sophisticated (without ever needing to sound like bebop).
    Very well put, thank you for this.

  13. #12

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    Nice! Struck by how much like CC these lines sound on guitar when you play them. Of course he studied Prez, I don’t know if he transcribed him, but notes wise the blues licks and things like arpeggiated drop 2 voicings and things show up in Prez.

    Which is interesting because the latter seems so guitaristic….


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  14. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Christian Miller
    Nice! Struck by how much like CC these lines sound on guitar when you play them. Of course he studied Prez, I don’t know if he transcribed him, but notes wise the blues licks and things like arpeggiated drop 2 voicings and things show up in Prez.

    Which is interesting because the latter seems so guitaristic….
    Yep, especially those minor 7th flat 5 arpeggios (I prefer just calling them a minor 6th with a 6 in the bass lol).

    Prez loves his minor 6ths, and they appear in so frequently in his solos. Over the V chord in the key of C, he'd play things like:

    1. E, F, A, B (nice hirajoshi-ish sound)

    2a. F, A, B, D, F
    2b. F, A, B, D, F, A, then resolve to G

    3. A, B, D, F, A, then resolve to G

    which are all inversions or variations of D minor 6.

    I would say that minor 6ths are a huge part of his vocabulary, and of course CC's.
    Last edited by brent.h; 07-26-2024 at 12:30 PM. Reason: grammar

  15. #14
    Video #8: This Year's Kisses (transcription)

    Last edited by brent.h; 08-14-2024 at 09:08 AM.

  16. #15

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    I'd been listening to quite a bit of Lester on Spotify before I saw your post. Thanks for sharing these, can't wait to try them out.

  17. #16

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    Good stuff! Thanks for posting.

  18. #17
    Video #9: Dickie's Dream (short transcription)

    This is half of Prez's solo. Lots of great melodic cells and devices to dig into if you want to learn how Prez hears, thinks, and plays in the minor key.



    By the way, I've re-uploaded the first 8 videos with slightly louder (not necessarily better) audio and removed my unnecessary narration. I'm still figuring things out.
    Last edited by brent.h; 08-14-2024 at 09:08 AM. Reason: clarity

  19. #18
    Regarding Video #1: Major 6th Lick

    While Prez played this lick a lot, he's not the creator.

    This line was played by Bix Beiderbeck on the record 'Borneo' in 1928. See 2:31.



    Prez played it on the downbeat of 2. Bix played it on the downbeat of 4.

  20. #19
    Video #10: Singin' The Blues (transcription)

    This is the Frankie Trumbauer solo that influenced Lester Young. One simply cannot discuss Prez without acknowledging Tram!



    Tram is so melodic and musical, so I dug deeper into his music and collaborations with Bix.

    Holy moly, what an ear-opening experience. These guys really knew what they were doing back in the 1920s.

  21. #20

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    Beautiful.

  22. #21
    Video #11: Way Down Yonder in New Orleans (transcription)

    Another of Frankie Trumbauer's solos that sounds like what Lester Young might have played.

    Tram uses some unusual phrasing in his arpeggios here. (I might do another video on this.)



    This was quite a tough solo for me to play, but it helped me understand how pre-bebop guys heard melodies.
    Last edited by brent.h; 10-01-2024 at 07:17 AM.

  23. #22
    Video #12: ii-V lick

    The lick starts on the downbeat of 4 in the measure before the ii. Played in the keys of Bb and Eb.

    Last edited by brent.h; 10-09-2024 at 01:39 PM.

  24. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by brent.h
    Video #12: ii-V lick

    The lick starts on the downbeat of 4 in the measure before the ii. Played in the keys of Bb and Eb.

    You should make these post public on youtube man. Got some real nice nuggets here

  25. #24
    Quote Originally Posted by montes707
    You should make these post public on youtube man. Got some real nice nuggets here
    thanks

    but im kinda shy and don't wanna be found too easily on the interwebs/youtube..

    just thought posting videos here where fellow nerds might appreciate them more..

  26. #25

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    Quote Originally Posted by brent.h
    thanks

    but im kinda shy and don't wanna be found too easily on the interwebs/youtube..

    just thought posting videos here where fellow nerds might appreciate them more..
    Fair enough man. Hope you keep up the good work nonetheless