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I've never felt the urge to gush over a guitar player.
But I love Ted Greene. The person he was and the music he played.
Every now and then he plays something that just makes my jaw drop and I have to work it out.
I don't think I'll ever understand the theory behind what he is doing.
But I understand the music and I feel it.
Let me come clean and admit the Jazz guitar chordal playing is not one of my favourite things to listen to. I personally get no feeling from it and I get bored with the sound of the instrument when it's played like this.
But the way Ted played is the exception for me.
A fave of mine is this 4th thing he does at the end of this video. It's like a little bomb went off in my brain.
Keep in mind that Ted is improvising right through this short video and then comes up with this little gem. But he knows exactly what he's doing and can explain it WHILST he's playing.
Have a look at the piles of books and papers that surround him. From reading "My Life With The Chord Chemist" I discovered that he was an obsessive collector. Barb (his partner and author of the book........who also recently passed)) thought he may have a mild form of Asberger's syndrome.
If only he had gone to the doctor's to find out about the intense pain in his arms. He clearly suffered more than one heart attack before he finally died.
Anyway check this out and wait for the chord progression at the end.
TedGreene.com - Video Section
then look for "Watch What Happens"
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10-27-2011 08:25 PM
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I'm a huge Ted Greene fan. Barb's book is great. May they both RIP.
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Lot of Ted Greene fans here, myself included! That man was amazing.
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TG was in a class by himself, there's no doubt about it. One of my top fave guitarists and definitely a top educator.
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I too am generally not a fan of solo guitar but Ted's album always touches the heart. Barbara Franklin's book is a fascinating - and humbling - insight into Ted's life. We could do with a few more people like Ted and Barbara in this world.
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Those videos are great, Philco, thanks!
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Check out Lenny Breau, he's one of the guys along with Ted Greene that started the harmonics, as well as a great guitar player.
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How about a lesson from Ted about Lenny?
Originally Posted by Nikkorico_03
TedGreene.com - Video Section
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Yep, my earlier comment was made after viewing the Lenny stuff. Some of what Ted is so nonchalantly performing there is incredible! Originally Posted by Nikkorico_03
It's unfortunate that in so many of these videos (Ted's and others) that there's always someone trying to hang with the master by interrupting, or trying to indicate that they "get it," or what have you.
On the flip side, of course, some of the vid's wouldn't exist if not for the n00bs recording them. And I'm sure I've been guilty of same at one time or another.
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The guys filming were not only getting Ted on tape but paying for the lessons they were lucky to get from him! Originally Posted by M-ster
Yep, my earlier comment was made after viewing the Lenny stuff. Some of what Ted is so nonchalantly performing there is incredible!
It's unfortunate that in so many of these videos (Ted's and others) that there's always someone trying to hang with the master by interrupting, or trying to indicate that they "get it," or what have you.
On the flip side, of course, some of the vid's wouldn't exist if not for the n00bs recording them. And I'm sure I've been guilty of same at one time or another.
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I think beyond all his skills, the most amazing thing he has developped as a guitarist, is improvising baroque counterpoint. I listened a lot of his stuff, but this almost makes me want to cry. Check out Baroque improvisation n°1, he explains differents approches while improvising. N°4 is absoultely fantastic.
He's IMHO one of the few who could improvise baroque counterpoint on guitar. What he does requires so much technique, so much knowledge and endurance...he just does that like breathing (you see him suffered one time or two though, but it's purely physical :-) )
This guy sure was unique. Part of the ones you wish could never die, just to see how far he could have been in playing music.
TedGreene.com - Video Section
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Whenever I have a dinner party I show my guests the baroque clips of Ted and try to explain a little about him. Originally Posted by Fast Bebop
Without fail my guests cannot believe the feeling that Ted gets and his beautiful gentle manner. They would never have believed such a musician existed.
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I wish Ted had recorded more! I have his solo disc and a live trio recording. Does anyone know if there is anything else out there?
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in the late 1970s I had the great fortune to study with ted..for a year..after hearing about ted from musicians i highly respected and many guitarist i was in awe of..no..he didn't have a red G on his chest and he couldn't fly...but i would not have noticed if he did..a soft spoken, gentle person..he asked.."what do you want to learn?" ..jazz i said...and he asked..."well, what do you mean by jazz.." the term "speechless" had new meaning to me as ted played several "jazz" progressions..with chords that were always in motion..so i said..yeah like that..so for the following 50 weeks i was given lessons and chord charts that he punched out in front of me on the back of his tele with a little chord grid stamp..(remember no computers yet) the things he showed me and what he played to demo the lesson were just amazing..what i learned the most was "how to think in more than one key" and to see an entire progression and melodic ideas from one chord..
i still visit the chord sheets he gave me and apply them when i can..some of the simple progressions he has in his books "modern chord progressions" are the keys to harmonic freedom on guitar..ted stressed learn everything in ALL keys..and yes this is where you find many mysteries of moving voices and chord relations..the 3-6-2-5-1 chords in all flavors are explored in every possibility..and harmony and melody become one..
play well
wolf
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Here's a discography ... Originally Posted by Jazzpunk
TedGreene.com - Biography
I have the Pisano recordings from the 90's - on eMusic btw - they are very nice.
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Cool, thanks! I recently moved right near Vitello's where Pisano does his jazz guitar night every Tuesday. It's great! Originally Posted by Bill C
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It's amazing how listening to other players can help you so much. Into the second ted greene song I ever heard a little while ago, I couldn't help pause the song and pick up my guitar and I could improvise pretty well over a solo arrangment I've been writing. Maybe it's just me, but ted has a really full sound that's nice and inspirational.
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I think Ted Greene was the best guitar soloist ever. His ability to improvise harmony and key shift were second to none. His music and talents are a continual inspiration...and a dismal reminder of how far there is to go.
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+1 Ted dug deep. It's incredible just how much educational material he came up with in a (sadly) short period of time. Originally Posted by P4guitar
To the OP, if you're just getting into Ted Greene, TedGreene.com - The Legacy Of Ted Greene Lives On has a lot of great info and lessons. And if you want to learn a bit more about him outside of the 'classroom', "My Life With the Chord Chemist" is a good read.
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Ted Greene really helped me through the shift from rock/blues guitar to jazz guitar back in the 70s. He really sat there in the sweet spot.
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One of the great things about growing up musically in L.A. was knowing about Ted Greene back to when he was the monster rock/blues guy playing bars in the SFV and then teaching at the Ernie Ball Guitar Store. So many stories about Ted I got from his students and his sister a piano player, and Ted himself when I eventually took lessons with him. One of my favorite was one I witnessed. I told it before you you can click New Posts if you've heard it before.....
I was working at the music school and at the time booking the guest speaker for the guitar program. So I called Ted and arranged for him to come in. Most the students were rockers going to school to avoid real work, oops sorry wanting to start career in studio work. Ted is talking but the young rocker were talking to each other and noodling. Only time I ever saw Ted get mad he stopped talking and stared at those guys. He said when I was young I used to play.... Ted dropped his head down cranked his guitar and tore into some Clapton and other lines better than Clapton could play them and suddenly the rock guys jaws were on the ground blown away. Then Ted just stopped turned down his guitar and slowly looked up and said... But then I grew up. Ted had their attention for the rest of the seminar.
Ted was a musician's musician studied all types of music from acoustic Blues to Bach. The last lesson I took with him I just happen to be in town for a visit and was getting back into playing again so I called Ted. I asked him about playing Gospel piano type stuff on guitar. Ted said give me a minute and you could feel the wheels in his head churning and then he said okay how about this and starts playing all these cool Gospel feels and voicings on guitar. The guy was amazing and the nicest person you'd ever want to meet.
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Originally Posted by morroben
Thanks...I just ordered Ted Greene's "Chord Chemistry" and "Single Note Soloing". I also saw the free "guide" to the Chord Chemistry book on the website you posted.
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Are those round wound strings that Ted Greene uses on that Telecaster ?
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always worthy of review- (for the gear hounds especially)
genius!!
cheersLast edited by neatomic; 08-14-2017 at 05:34 PM.
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Ted was just amazing as a teacher and more so as a person..he would share his gifts and knowledge to any and all..and be very humble and considerate.."..with practice you can play this too.." he would tell me (and others)
How he managed to acquire and master the amount of musical knowledge and apply it to the guitar is amazing..to me even more amazing is that he was left handed and played the guitar right handed..
His energy was healing and open..he inspired by example..to this day I still learn from his teachings
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