New Tim Miller Truefire course - 'Creative Arpeggio Design'

[srlank]

Articulation has definitely been a big challenge with the hybrid-picking style, but also timing. I think I am going to need to slow down to try and work toward being more consistent in these areas.

[xuoham]

Never heard about Tim Miller ... he played with lots of top notch people apparently, ...

Bought the course. Heard about it in the modern jazz guitar tones (thnx JZ).

This guy has a great teaching charisma, very relaxed, and his approach is brilliant. I was actually emotionally moved by much of the stuff he played, which is not so common in tutorials, especially technical ones.

Amazing how purely diatonic stuff can still sound fresh, especially with guitar, as probably many guitarists get trapped into finger habits and particularly avoid playing single notes in fourths, because two consecutive notes on the same fret but different string are a bit of a pita, and this is where this lesson comes in handy. Breaking the habits.

It reminds me the first time i heard Joe Zawinul make a solo with just a single pentatonic scale, and it sounded so noble and mighty. Then i realized he used a lot of jumps, notably in fourths and 1-4-5 patterns (CFG ADE GCD etc....).

I see Tim Miller's lesson as the continuation of this.
It's always amazing to see an apparently finished and limited world, like the diatonic one, get its boundaries pushed out a little more !

I still don't understand exactly why he hybrid picks going up.
Since he sweeps going down, i thought it would be easier doing the same going up.
(edit: i understand now, thanks! post #39 )

But anyway, hybrid or not, ... actually, legato or not, the note choice approach is what sold me.

Really beautiful playing.

[srlank]

Trying to keep the thread going, I thought it might be cool to document licks inspired by this type of style. This is a lick I put together today to utilize for the tune 'Caravan.'

------------------------------6--8--9--8------------------
-------------------------8-----------------10-----------------
-----------------8--9---------------------------9--8----------
-------------7-----------------------------------------11-----
-----7--10-------------------------------------------------10 (Starts again)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------


This lick is meant to repeat the sequence by moving up the neck. To do this, repeat using the 2nd finger on the top string (on the 8th fret going to the 9th fret), and descend in the position one fret higher. When at the bottom, play the last note with the 4th finger. It becomes the first note for repeat of the sequence.
So far for rhythm, I've used eighth notes and triplets, and combining them where it felt right. And of course I'm using slurs when there are 2 notes ascending and pull-offs on the 2 notes per string when descending.

[jzucker]

tried the lick srlank posted. Nice, I like the idea of sharing these things. I hate to say this Mark (if you're listening) but this thread really belongs in the technique or lessons section, not in the players section.

[MarkRhodes]

I hate to say this Mark (if you're listening) but this thread really belongs in the technique or lessons section, not in the players section.

I'm not so sure about that, Jack. It is about technique but then, so is the Benson picking thread, which is also in the players section. This is about a specific player (Tim Miller) and what he teaches and not about a particular technique in general, such as legato playing or arpeggio fingerings or picking.

So if someone posted about, say, Joe Blow's 3-1-2-3 arpeggio system (-which I just made up), that would be off topic here but it would not be off topic in a thread on arpeggio fingerings. As it is, this thread is about one thing only: Tim Miller's 'creative arpeggio design.'

[jzucker]

No, it's actually about technique. It just so happens that Tim had a technique class that we were discussing and now it's morphed into a generic discussion on the 2-1-2-1 technique.

I'm not so sure about that, Jack. It is about technique but then, so is the Benson picking thread, which is also in the players section. This is about a specific player (Tim Miller) and what he teaches and not about a particular technique in general, such as legato playing or arpeggio fingerings or picking.

So if someone posted about, say, Joe Blow's 3-1-2-3 arpeggio system (-which I just made up), that would be off topic here but it would not be off topic in a thread on arpeggio fingerings. As it is, this thread is about one thing only: Tim Miller's 'creative arpeggio design.'

[rictroll]

I agree with JZ, It's about technique, applying an approach, and running with it creatively.

if you came back six weeks from now where would you expect to find it?

[MarkRhodes]

if you came back six weeks from now where would you expect to find it?

Uh, I would expect to find it right here. I would search for "Tim Miller" in a thread title and find it much quicker than I would if I searched for "technique" or "legato" or "arpeggio".

There are already several threads in the technique section on arpeggios. (And several more on fingerings. And god knows how many on picking.) I think the main thing here is that it is Tim Miller teaching his own approach to this. It's not a 'what do you think about arpeggios?' but rather, 'what do you make of Tim Miller's approach to arpeggios?' I think that keeps the focus where it belongs.

Let's focus on that, shall we?

[jzucker]

Uh, I would expect to find it right here. I would search for "Tim Miller" in a thread title and find it much quicker than I would if I searched for "technique" or "legato" or "arpeggio".

There are already several threads in the technique section on arpeggios. (And several more on fingerings. And god knows how many on picking.) I think the main thing here is that it is Tim Miller teaching his own approach to this. It's not a 'what do you think about arpeggios?' but rather, 'what do you make of Tim Miller's approach to arpeggios?' I think that keeps the focus where it belongs.

Let's focus on that, shall we?

Disagree. It's a technique which has a life of its own. The technique continues to be valid regardless of who's playing it.

[MarkRhodes]

Disagree. It's a technique which has a life of its own. The technique continues to be valid regardless of who's playing it.

Fine. We disagree. It's allowed. Now please get back to talking about the subject of this thread and not where you would like to see it moved. That just derails a useful thread. (You're free to start a thread about whatever you want to call this technique in the technique section.)

[Jazz_175]

I read the entire thread but just could not get the difference between hybrid picking and economy picking.

[destinytot]

I read the entire thread but just could not get the difference between hybrid picking and economy picking.

In case there's any doubt, I think 'hybrid picking' involves simultaneous use of pick and fingers. Love the sound in 'country' and 'rock' music, but I'm not familiar with it in 'jazz'.

However, I came across a different Mr Miller (in a Troy Grady picking mechanics video on YouTube), Martin Miller. Here he is 'hybrid picking':

PS The preview in the OP is very impressive.

[ronjazz]

Tim is generally using the "m" finger for his Creative Arpeggio Design, making for an easy way into the more complete technique that uses the "a" finger, and even the pinky. It's an aspect of jazz from the modal viewpoint that has earned its place, I feel, and even as old as I am, this is refreshing. He presents a lot of material and concepts, so you should work on what you like the sound of best, because he's giving us a toolbox to create this sound concept. What I've found is that it may be very effective behind a vocalist, so that's what I'm messing with on my gigs. And the "legato" aspect can be played on a nylon-string guitar to great effect, like Nelson Veras does with his Messian Modes, creating sonic phrases that can be moved around as beboppers move licks around.

[DanielleOM]

I just picked up this course during a recent Truefire sale. Anyone familiar with or find an explanation for his choice of fretting hand fingers. Do you agree with his suggestion. I see a number of examples where he will play notes A and C on the 6th string, and E on the 5th string, using fingers 1, 3 and 2. For those 3 notes I would normally use fingers 1, 4 and 3. Not sure why he does this. Not sure if he is setting himself up for the next notes or if he avoids hammer on notes with the pinky.