The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
  1. #1

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    I was reading an interesting interview with Evan Parker about his session recording the Kenny Wheeler album Around 6. I was interested to know what he means by the bit about "Kenny's harmony voicings are not very easy to learn by ear because there are very close voicings"

    I understand about open and closed voicing, although Evan says "close" voicings, but was interested what he means exactly as unsure myself? I don't find close voicings harder to hear than open ones myself, although Kenny does write very advanced harmonies. Any thoughts?

    Here is the full quote:
    EP: Around six. It was a complicated session. Complicated for several reasons because, well ... Eje Thelin didn't really read music, so nobody knew that until we got ... until Kenny got there. Kenny's harmony voicings are not very easy to learn by ear because there are very close voicings. So there was some problems with that, and there were couple of other problems ... The expectations were not exactly ... The way it came out was not the way it was imagined, I think. And also I have to say that for me that was some very interesting material that was recorded that didn't get used. Very important factor in this recording was J.F. Jenny Clark, because there were moments of great crisis during this recording where people suddenly, you know, oh! this is not easy, this is very difficult now because of this or this problem, and J.F. was very strong in these situations, very helpful for Kenny, and just kept very concentrated on the project and bmm, bmm, bmm, helped Kenny through that. There were some duo things and even solo things with Kenny, that were recorded but didn't end up on the record. From myself I felt that the last thing I could do was make extra problems, so I just stayed in the background and didn't make problems. That was my main thinking on that session was not to ask for another take, or not to say ... oh! my sound is not like that or there were one or two thoughts that I had which I kept to myself. But I think the writing is interesting. There are people that say "Oh! this was a very nice record, and a very good band", although this is not exactly, people compare it with the band that toured a little bit later with Paul Motian, John Taylor and J.F. again, me and Kenny. So it was like the forerunner of that band which did a tour later on. When was Around six recorded? Seventy ...

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  3. #2

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    I assume he means tightly clustered, so many steps and half steps.

  4. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by christianm77
    I assume he means tightly clustered, so many steps and half steps.
    I remember reading a John Abercrombie interview where he said that playing Wheeler's music was a challenge because of his harmonies.

  5. #4

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    Trumpeters play closer intervals because of the nature of the instrument. Maybe they hear harmony that way too. I also find close voicings denser and harder to identify. They're a bitch to play on guitar unless you're into Ted Greene, John Stowell grips. My fingers can't take it.

  6. #5

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    Close voicings , you kids sure been playing them except Allan Holdsworth who said Whoa bad ugly chord, when referring to this chord in a video about 200 years back

    X X A C# E G# A on D string & G# 1st E string close because all the intervals are withing an octave, stacked in 3rds 1 3 5 7


    AMaj7 A on E string fret 5, G# on D string Fret 6, C# on G string, E on 2nd string Fret 5. Same chord different voicing both the 3rd & 5th are an octave higher.

    I personally think what Allan meant was that voicing was not good in the context of his music because you have to remember what precedes that chord and what follows. Johnny Smith loved that chord and poor old Wes used it as minor 9th chord.

    This should probably be in other category but just responded here. Who cares anyway?

  7. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Durban
    Close voicings , you kids sure been playing them except Allan Holdsworth who said Whoa bad ugly chord, when referring to this chord in a video about 200 years back

    X X A C# E G# A on D string & G# 1st E string close because all the intervals are withing an octave, stacked in 3rds 1 3 5 7


    AMaj7 A on E string fret 5, G# on D string Fret 6, C# on G string, E on 2nd string Fret 5. Same chord different voicing both the 3rd & 5th are an octave higher.

    I personally think what Allan meant was that voicing was not good in the context of his music because you have to remember what precedes that chord and what follows. Johnny Smith loved that chord and poor old Wes used it as minor 9th chord.

    This should probably be in other category but just responded here. Who cares anyway?
    Thanks this is very interesting!

  8. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by P.J.
    I remember reading a John Abercrombie interview where he said that playing Wheeler's music was a challenge because of his harmonies.
    It is tough to solo on.

    The late music lamented Duncan Lamont (Kenny Wheeler collab of old) once invited me to sit in and pulled one of these out on me haha. Was a fast tempo as well!

    In terms playing the voicings right, I suspect a world of difference between what Kenny wrote and what are in third party charts...