The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    I have William Leavitt, Vincent Bredice, Johnny Smith 's books which cover improvisation and solo string techniques, anyway I'm attracted to those Sal Salvador's classic Mel Bay books.
    I want to know if I'll be too redundant with the other author's topics if I purchase Sal Salvador's books.

    Thanks in advance.

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    Good question. I have heard Sal's books are good, but I thought they were out of print. I haven't run across them before. He also had an instructional video (Hot Licks?) out at one time.

  4. #3

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    I want to add that almost all Sal Salvador 's books have been reprinted and they are sold by Amazon. I bought his Technique book and it's really good. Today the Chord Substitution book has been re released and I want to purchase it.
    Anyway here's the link:
    Amazon.com: sal salvador: Books

  5. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by derek
    I have heard Sal's books are good, but I thought they were out of print. I haven't run across them before. He also had an instructional video (Hot Licks?) out at one time.
    Lucky little 'ol me I went thrifting on the weekend and scored, for 60cents!!! "Jazz Chording and Comping" by Sal Salvador (VHS), complete with lovely pocket-size booklet showing charts for each exercise. Brand new condition! Anyone own this?

  6. #5

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    sal salvador....

    good stuff man....highly recommended (by me)..books...

    time on the instrument...pierre

  7. #6

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    Excellent stuff! you can find six titles in Amazon. The chord substitution book is a must!

  8. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by nomelite
    Excellent stuff! you can find six titles in Amazon. The chord substitution book is a must!
    Thanks for the recommendation.

  9. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Richb
    I'm sure Sal was the nicest guy and all, but he really couldn't play at all. Always make sure somebody can actually play before you learn from them or read their books/take their advice.
    I'm listening to his albums right now. Sure sounds like he can play.

    Last edited by metalmike31216; 04-10-2012 at 01:58 AM.

  10. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Richb
    I just had a listen to that and he sounds decent. I saw that hotlicks tape and on that he is totally hopeless...I wonder why he went downhill so precipitously?
    I have not seen his tape, but I am a huge fan of his playing on his albums. Really enjoyable melodic playing. I'll have to check out the Hot Licks tape.

  11. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by Richb
    I just had a listen to that and he sounds decent. I saw that hotlicks tape and on that he is totally hopeless...I wonder why he went downhill so precipitously?
    maybe he was already ill.

  12. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by Richb
    Always make sure somebody can actually play before you learn from them
    +1

  13. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by metalmike31216
    I'm listening to his albums right now. Sure sounds like he can play.
    His solo on "Opus de Funk" from his Juicy Lucy LP is one of my favorites, definitely can play on that one. In fact, overall a pretty good album.
    Brad

  14. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by Richb
    Always make sure somebody can actually play before you learn from them or read their books/take their advice.
    Not necessarily true. Some of the greatest players are incapable of teaching... Some of the greatest (fill in the blank) are incapable of teaching. The ability to teach - *really* teach - is a rare talent and has nothing, necessarily, to do with a talent for practicing the art being taught.

    A classic example here is Angelo Dundee. How good a boxer? How good a teacher? (Remember Sugar Ray Leonard? Muhammad Ali?)

    The greatest texts on creative writing were/are almost routinely penned by men and women (Rust Hills; Edith Mirrielees) who never published a damned thing, and who admit up front that they can't write fiction. But they have an intuitive and profound understanding of storytelling and, most important, how to guide talented writers in learning the craft such that they can put it to use and do good things with it.

    Also, we must remember that Mickey Baker couldn't play jazz guitar when he wrote his famous and ubiquitous book about how to do just that. That he went on to learn to play is irrelevant in examining the logic of what you're claiming. If one had known Mickey at the time he was writing the book, by your logic, one would have to have rejected the book, take none of Baker's advice, and refuse to listen to him. But what a mistake that would have been! Mickey Baker knew how to teach, and he understood how jazz guitar "works" well enough to pen a timeless instructional text that has shown probably tens of thousands how to do what he couldn't, at the time, do. Who knows - maybe without his own book to guide him, he never would have learned to play! I'm serious!


    Now, that said, I'll be the first the agree with you that there are droves of people out there giving "lessons" (even writing books) who don't know their asses from holes in the ground, but who are trying to establish their identities as "guitarists" or "artists" by teaching. "If I weren't a good player, could I be teaching? (or writing?)" they seem to say. But these "teachers" don't last, do they? I don't know of any. Still, we have to be cautious, and I agree in as much as this is what you're taking about. At the same time, we have to be cautious not to dismiss any Mickey Bakers or Angelo Dundees. I'd think that, usually, this kind of teacher would freely admit, "I can't do it myself, but I know how it's done and maybe I can show you." I'd give a listen to someone so honest and forthright.

    kj

  15. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by Kojo27
    Not necessarily true. Some of the greatest players are incapable of teaching... Some of the greatest (fill in the blank) are incapable of teaching. The ability to teach - *really* teach - is a rare talent and has nothing, necessarily, to do with a talent for practicing the art being taught.
    kj
    +1 I went to the best around and it was all too clear it was about time and money and not about teaching. I thought that I wasn't good enough to benefit, but then I met someone who could teach - maybe not such a good player, but way better at imparting the knowledge in an accessible manner.

  16. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by Fusionista
    +1 I went to the best around and it was all too clear it was about time and money and not about teaching. I thought that I wasn't good enough to benefit, but then I met someone who could teach - maybe not such a good player, but way better at imparting the knowledge in an accessible manner.
    It's been my experience (though I've never taken "lessons" from anyone, ever, because of the remoteness of where I live), in college and in just being around other musicians, that you can spot a bad teacher by his or her arrogance level. If he thinks his way is the only way, and if he's super-defensive about "new" ideas, etc., cut your losses and go. Segovia seemed, to me, the worst of teachers. "My way or the highway." He was teaching Chet Atkins classical guitar, and Chet was a favorite student, naturally, with the flawless time, caressing touch, quickness of learning -- but when Segovia learned that Chet played electric guitar, Segovia cursed and threw a tantrum - "There is no such thing as an electric guitar!" he said.

    Without even talking it over with Chet, Segovia dismissed him as a student.

    Now there's a really fine teacher for you.

    kj
    Last edited by Kojo27; 06-04-2012 at 01:30 PM.

  17. #16

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    I remember hearing that or reading it somewhere in a mag..maybe an old Guitar Player Mag...years ago...

    I believe it....

    Time on the instrument...pierre

  18. #17

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    I just started working in Sal's "single line" book (-not the "Complete" edition, which contains a lot of lines. Guy on YouTube has posted several videos playing them and they are nice.) Trying to get my house in order and that means assessing which basics I have mastered and which ones I need to.

    O, the latest edition of this book includes tab.

    Amazon.com: Sal Salvador's Single String Studies for Guitar: Bestselling Classic Book - Updated Edition with Tab (9781495057601): Sal Salvador: Books

    Sal's "Hot Licks" video is on YouTube, for any who care to look.

  19. #18

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    I love this guy.

  20. #19

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    Thanks for posting Lawson. My wife and I saw Sal Salvador perform at an impromptu jazz guitar concert at Five Towns College here in Huntington, New York in 1995 or 96. He was one of the big names who each played a few tunes. What a memorable experience music wise--except I can't remember any of the other musicians names'.

    For several years in the late 80s and early 90s, Five Towns College was the site of a yearly weekend "guitar expo" so to speak with musicians, players, builders, buyers and sellers. There still is a similar yearly event at a different location--mostly rockers and solid bodies (no offense intended) though.

    Tony D.

  21. #20

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    Wow I was not even aware Sal Salvador was active at that time. I always felt stupid because I lived just an hour from Louisville, Ky, home of Jimmy Raney, and never once went to hear him. And I lived just an hour from Cincinnati, home of Cal Collins, and never once went to hear him. Lost chances. Glad you didn't miss yours!

  22. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by lawson-stone
    Wow I was not even aware Sal Salvador was active at that time. I always felt stupid because I lived just an hour from Louisville, Ky, home of Jimmy Raney, and never once went to hear him. And I lived just an hour from Cincinnati, home of Cal Collins, and never once went to hear him. Lost chances. Glad you didn't miss yours!
    Yea, talk about missed opportunity. I've lived in So Cal my entire life and thus I saw Tal, Barney, Howard Roberts, Herb, Joe Pass, Mundell, Kenny, and many others but the two I wish I had seen, that, to my knowledge never performed in my area, are Jimmy Raney and Cal Collins (as well as Sal Salvador, who I discovered later in life, when his recordings were re-issued on CD).
    Last edited by jameslovestal; 02-16-2020 at 02:20 PM.

  23. #22

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    we old gretsch fans always dug endorser sal!! here's his 61 convertible model



    cheers

  24. #23

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    This is nice.