The Jimmy Bruno Thread

**jeffstritt** · 07-26-2010, 03:11 PM

Jimmy, how usefull have transcriptions been as you have worked to develop your vocabulary over the years? Are there any particular solos you have transcribed that had some particulary helpful ideas in them?

PS- I am working on transcribing your solo from Joy Spring right now. Care to record another version at half speed so I'll have a been shot? Just kidding of course!

**0zoro** · 07-27-2010, 04:07 AM

Hi Jimmy! Wonderful to have you here. As a new guitarist I hae looked at you site with interest. My feeling is that I would like to acquaint myself with your ideas before enrolling, you know the new student, shy, feeling like my level is too low syndrom. My thought has been to buy 1 or 2 of your books to start with. Would recommend that approach? or is the "stop wimpering" and start playing (ie enrollment) the better way to go?

Best regards

0zoro

**rafapak** · 07-29-2010, 06:11 PM

Originally Posted by jimmyb

You still need to put in the time required. No method will help you if you don't apply it the instrument.

The school is very different than the DVDS and the books .

There are plenty of sites that can give you instant arrangements and specific lines to play. From what you have told me your fastest route to making music may be sites like that.

Good luck to you

hi mr bruno!
can you provide links to any of those sites you mentioned that give instant arrangements and specific lines to play? I am not sure if I understood correctly what you have written above but probably you suggested that in many instances students create their own improvisations on the basis of their knowledge of scales fingerings. On the other hand there are probably lines prepaired by teachers for students who want to rely on learnt by heart lines in their improvisations. Am I right?

regards
rafal

**Ausjazz** · 07-29-2010, 07:14 PM

Originally Posted by 0zoro

Hi Jimmy! Wonderful to have you here. As a new guitarist I hae looked at you site with interest. My feeling is that I would like to acquaint myself with your ideas before enrolling, you know the new student, shy, feeling like my level is too low syndrom. My thought has been to buy 1 or 2 of your books to start with. Would recommend that approach? or is the "stop wimpering" and start playing (ie enrollment) the better way to go?

Best regards

0zoro

Hi Ozoro (and others who have been contemplating joining JBGI),

As a member of JBGI, I suggest that you take a small chance and join. There is no doubt in my mind that you will learn a lot and find comparable players no matter what your level. The books/DVDs cannot give you feedback on how you are playing, Jimmy will do this.

I've been a member for about 5 months and have noticed a dramatic improvement in my playing. My ear has improved naturally, I've learnt a few concepts that I can apply to different standards and it is really motivating to watch the videos of others and see how they've improved.

In terms of experience, I class myself as moving towards intermediate, but there are some great players on there and some others who are total beginners to jazz. The only people I wouldn't recommend the course to are those that have never played the guitar at all (go learn some chords first).

Overall, I cannot speak highly enough of it.
Cheers, JP

**gravitas** · 07-30-2010, 04:28 PM

Hi there Mr. Bruno... Great to see a player of your talent hanging around the forum! One of my favourite albums when I first started playing was Burnin, the one you did with Craig Thomas and Steve Holloway. Thanks!

I heard that you might be coming to Ottawa next year to do some clinics. Is that true?

**ArtistWorks** · 07-31-2010, 10:36 AM

AndreasGuitarUniverse.com addresses improvisation, but is a very different approach than Jimmy's. Andreas is trained in theory and teaches students jazz and gypsy as well. You'll find the same video exchange format at AGU as you do at JBGI, but both guitar monsters approach improvisation very differently, but effectively.

**FatJeff** · 07-31-2010, 12:01 PM

Originally Posted by ArtistWorks

AndreasGuitarUniverse.com addresses improvisation, but is a very different approach than Jimmy's. Andreas is trained in theory and teaches students jazz and gypsy as well. You'll find the same video exchange format at AGU as you do at JBGI, but both guitar monsters approach improvisation very differently, but effectively.

I think both guys are fantastic players, but as you mentioned, their approaches are about as different as you can get!

Also, the above quote might be construed to mean that JB doesn't know theory - which is not true.

I think both methods are valid; it is just a matter of which one suits you best.

**brian329** · 07-31-2010, 01:59 PM

One of the reasons I chose Jimmy's course was simple.
I asked myself what my goal was with my playing. The answer was that I was bored with it and wanted to find a way to hear better ideas.

I wanted something that was quick and didn't take me to a place where I had to consider any words that ended in "ian". I just wanted to hear and play better music. Jimmy's approach is perfect for me.

**jimmyb** · 07-31-2010, 04:34 PM

Originally Posted by brian329

One of the reasons I chose Jimmy's course was simple.
I asked myself what my goal was with my playing. The answer was that I was bored with it and wanted to find a way to hear better ideas.

I wanted something that was quick and didn't take me to a place where I had to consider any words that ended in "ian". I just wanted to hear and play better music. Jimmy's approach is perfect for me.

If you want to go the theory route, you can find that in any book.
JB

**brian329** · 07-31-2010, 06:13 PM

Originally Posted by jimmyb

If you want to go the theory route, you can find that in any book.
JB

Funny thing is, turning pages in a book doesn't tell my fingers where to go based on what I hear. Actually putting my fingers on the strings does.

**jimmyb** · 08-26-2010, 10:57 AM

You need to learn how to do a chord melody. It is fairly easy if you know how chord voicings work

**abracadabra** · 09-02-2010, 02:58 PM

Hi Jimmy, I've been browsing through your site and I've watched a lot of the sample lessons. It looks like an excellent way to get into jazz and improv, and I certainly would have benefitted a lot from doing this from stratch a few years ago.

The thing is though, if I start now it won't be 'from scratch', is that a problem? Or do you feel your 'system' of learning to improvise can easily be incorporated into whatever the student already knows? Is it a system to be used for people at all levels, or just those starting out?

I'm just wondering what your thoughts would be on backtracking to learn to use the five positions that you talk about when I am currently learning to improvise by using arpeggios and chromatics/scale tones. Do you think this would create any problems initially, or is it simply a case of more arrows for your bow?

I ask because in the past I have been guilty of madly buying up things in order to try and boost my ability (probably like a lot of people!), so maybe I should just press on with what I am doing, and simply put more time into it, as it is certainly bearing fruit.

I really like the idea of being able to send in videos for you to critique, as I really have no other way of getting constructive criticism in my current situation, and I'm really keen about the course, its just I don't want to end up lurching down a different path instead of making the most of the one I am already on.

I'd really appreciate your opinions on this! Thanks

**jimmyb** · 09-02-2010, 03:06 PM

The JBGI is like nothing else you have seen before. If you are happy with your progress then stick with it. If you want a more efficient way to learn than I suggest you try it for 3 months. That way you can compare your progress.

Hope to see you online...jb

**Socalbill** · 09-08-2010, 07:53 PM

This is an interesting thread, and being new to this forum I feel compelled to jump in. I've been a member of the JBGI for over a year. I have never sent in a video mostly because I'm chicken, but also I really haven't needed to. The method of the five shapes and the arpeggios inside those shapes has revolutionized my playing. I practice those tools constantly and find they bring all kinds of new stuff to my improvisations. Band in a Box and my little arpeggios in the 5 shapes PDF and I'm gone for the day. Seriously, my wife complains!
Socalbill

**brian329** · 09-08-2010, 08:10 PM

Bill I think you're missing out by not sending in videos. If you're "chicken" about it, I believe that you can request that your video not be shown on the site, but Jimmy's feedback is invaluable.

**cutnstuf** · 09-09-2010, 01:03 AM

I just signed up on JBGI tonight. Spent the last hour or so looking around the site. For anybody still thinking about it, this is a freaking bargain! Got to get some sleep now, but I'll be back at it in the AM. Thx Jimmy!

Cut

**jimmyb** · 09-09-2010, 09:57 AM

I am very pleased that the JBGI has enriched your playing, but you should send in a video...jb

**MackBolan** · 11-08-2010, 02:51 AM

Mr.Bruno,
in your book "Six Essential Fingerings for Jazz Guitar" on page 8 for playing
the6V4 and 5V4 shapes trough the cycle of fourths,you wrote that you have to finger in the key of Ab (6V4 shape) on the 4th fret,but do you finger the g as an open string?
I would finger the shape as a 5V4 on 11th fret,so am I wrong or didn"t I
understand the system(on 6V4 you move outside the shape on the g-string-so you span an 5 fret area?).
Sincerely

**jimmyb** · 11-08-2010, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by MackBolan

Mr.Bruno,
in your book "Six Essential Fingerings for Jazz Guitar" on page 8 for playing
the6V4 and 5V4 shapes trough the cycle of fourths,you wrote that you have to finger in the key of Ab (6V4 shape) on the 4th fret,but do you finger the g as an open string?
I would finger the shape as a 5V4 on 11th fret,so am I wrong or didn"t I
understand the system(on 6V4 you move outside the shape on the g-string-so you span an 5 fret area?).
Sincerely

either way is correct.

If you finger the nut with 6V4, the fingering is the same

**JSanta** · 05-01-2016, 02:43 PM

I see a lot on this forum about Jimmy's instructional material (which I really enjoy) and info about his guitars, but not much about what a truly great musician he is. I have been listening to Live at Birdland II all weekend and it's superb. I even splurged and bought the out of print first Live at Birdland.

I've always enjoyed his videos and lesson material, but I am finally now purchasing albums and listening to him a great deal. I'd really enjoy any recommendations you have from his catalog, or to find out which songs or albums you enjoy.

**neatomic** · 05-01-2016, 05:16 PM

yes i wondered why we don't see more about jimmy b here..he's a phenomenal player..

his 1994 record- burnin -is just that

cheers

**Cunamara** · 05-01-2016, 05:26 PM

Jimmy's a flippin' monster. He's got chops galore and knows his way around the guitar and the music thoroughly. I did his online program for a couple of years when it first started. It was good stuff and I still reference that information. He came up fairly old school- learn by ear, learn on the bandstand, hear what you play & play what you hear.

There's some great stuff on his recordings.

**MarkRhodes** · 05-01-2016, 05:30 PM

Jimmy is one of the greats. Phenomenal technique and a great feel. Here's a nice version of "Tenderly"

**Stuart Elliott** · 05-01-2016, 05:41 PM

Sleight of Hand, Burnin', Like That, and Concord Jazz Collective are Bruno CDs I have. Can't go wrong with any of them. GJC has Howard Alden and Frank Vignola. Like That has Joey DeFrancesco on organ (and trumpet on a couple of cuts).