Dexterity

[ragman1]

And get a backing, Allan, for god's sake. It'll give you something to play against which'll give you energy and drive. Apart from anything else it'll help with timing. The backing can be slowed down or speeded up, or whatever you want.

[pamosmusic]

And get a backing, Allan, for god's sake. It'll give you something to play against which'll give you energy and drive. Apart from anything else it'll help with timing. The backing can be slowed down or speeded up, or whatever you want.

Nahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

I mean, sure if you want to, but a backing track is a crutch as much as it is a help to your playing.

[pamosmusic]

Metronome is a good idea but actually I suggest playing it along with the original, slowed down and looped.

You’ll be able to spot any mistakes a little better as well.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

A better idea.

[GuyBoden]

Metronome is a good idea but actually I suggest playing it along with the original, slowed down and looped.

You’ll be able to spot any mistakes a little better as well.

Yes, I find this the best technique.

That's why I post slowed downed phrases.

[ragman1]

Depends on the backing. It can be very straightforward, not one of those YouTube things with piano sounds messing with your hearing. Personally I make my own backings, then I can know if the solos are accurate or not, especially when they're the outside variety.

But I suppose a metronome's better than nothing. I've tried it but I tend to focus on what I'm doing musically and that little tip-tap in the background is just phased out.

Personally, I tend to play to what I'm hearing, by which I mean the chords. Without that, the lines are all in my head. They may be capturing the harmonies but equally they may not. Metronomes don't help with that.

It's very, very easy to deceive oneself. Anyone can sit in their room playing to themselves, maybe with very wobbly timing, not knowing how their lines sound against the chords, and thinking they're wonderful.

Which means my other suggestion is: record what you do, otherwise you'll never really know how you sound.

[ragman1]

Christian -

playing it along with the original, slowed down and looped

Okay for imitating other people playing melodies*, not much good for one's own. I tend to play melodies with some variation, not just copying something mechanically. To me, that's just a party trick, not a creative rendition.

*And those performers tend not to copy themselves either, which is the whole point.

[pamosmusic]

Christian -



Okay for imitating other people playing melodies*, not much good for one's own. I tend to play melodies with some variation, not just copying something mechanically. To me, that's just a party trick, not a creative rendition.

*And those performers tend not to copy themselves either, which is the whole point.

Well feel free to post your “creative rendition” of dexterity.

Otherwise we learn to phrase by copying the people we like. You don’t play it exactly like them, you play along with them and then with another and another and so on and so forth.

[pamosmusic]

Depends on the backing. It can be very straightforward, not one of those YouTube things with piano sounds messing with your hearing. Personally I make my own backings, then I can know if the solos are accurate or not, especially when they're the outside variety.

But I suppose a metronome's better than nothing. I've tried it but I tend to focus on what I'm doing musically and that little tip-tap in the background is just phased out.

Personally, I tend to play to what I'm hearing, by which I mean the chords. Without that, the lines are all in my head. They may be capturing the harmonies but equally they may not. Metronomes don't help with that.

It's very, very easy to deceive oneself. Anyone can sit in their room playing to themselves, maybe with very wobbly timing, not knowing how their lines sound against the chords, and thinking they're wonderful.

Which means my other suggestion is: record what you do, otherwise you'll never really know how you sound.

We’re talking about time here and time feel.

When you’re playing along with a track, you’re borrowing the time that’s already there. With a metronome you’re forced to create your own.

And also if you can “trick yourself” into thinking that your melodies will fit the harmonies if there’s no backing, you’re equally likely to trick yourself into thinking that you’re outlining the changes or playing something melodic and interesting because the chords are there doing the work for me.

[James W]

Playing a tune just with a metronome is great discipline. On beats 2 and 4 usually, though I'd practice a tune in 3/4 with the click on beat 2. Mostly outlining the chords with arpeggios etc.

I reckon this is an important skill for jazz musicians to develop internal hearing and sense of time, and harmonic rhythm. And means not using a backing track as a crutch! I mean, you need an internal sense of the form of a piece...

[pamosmusic]

Playing a tune just with a metronome is great discipline. On beats 2 and 4 usually, though I'd practice a tune in 3/4 with the click on beat 2. Mostly outlining the chords with arpeggios etc.

I reckon this is an important skill for jazz musicians to develop internal hearing and sense of time, and harmonic rhythm. And means not using a backing track as a crutch! I mean, you need an internal sense of the form of a piece...

Yeah.

Playing with a (good) backing track (Phil Wilkinson, perhaps) is super fun, and that's reason enough to put some time aside to do it. Playing with the original is even better because you can try to settle in with Joao Gilberto playing Ipanema, or with Ray Brown and Ed Thigpen, or whatever.

But metronome is indispensable.

Click on beats one and three to get you feeling that half time bounce at higher tempos. Two and four to get you feeling the high hat. Just on beat one to get you feeling bigger chunks of time. Just on two, or three, or four etc.

so much to do with it.

[Christian Miller]

Christian -



Okay for imitating other people playing melodies*, not much good for one's own. I tend to play melodies with some variation, not just copying something mechanically. To me, that's just a party trick, not a creative rendition.

*And those performers tend not to copy themselves either, which is the whole point.

lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ragman1]

Oh, well, as long as you all know what you're doing :-)

[AllanAllen]

I practice with a iReal backing on my phone. Usually it’s just an iReal metronome track.

I also record with my phone so I can’t use the backing. I’m not interested in losing more practice time learning how to use a DAW. I already lose enough practice time to bandleader stuff. I’ve got too much music to work on.


Christian, is there an easy way to slow down and loop? I can slow down on the YouTube app, a loop would be fantastic.

[Christian Miller]

I practice with a iReal backing on my phone. Usually it’s just an iReal metronome track.

I also record with my phone so I can’t use the backing. I’m not interested in losing more practice time learning how to use a DAW. I already lose enough practice time to bandleader stuff. I’ve got too much music to work on.


Christian, is there an easy way to slow down and loop? I can slow down on the YouTube app, a loop would be fantastic.

Download the file and import into an app like Transcribe (or Moises although apparently that’s dodgy.)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[AllanAllen]

Christian -



Okay for imitating other people playing melodies*, not much good for one's own. I tend to play melodies with some variation, not just copying something mechanically. To me, that's just a party trick, not a creative rendition.

*And those performers tend not to copy themselves either, which is the whole point.

The purpose of this thread is imitating someone else’s melody. I think that’s why you’re getting pushback.

The video I posted was me putting all the pieces together. I like to post unpolished stuff so people less confident might think “I can do that” and participate.

[Christian Miller]

I call it..

Oh let me see, very rarified concept

Hard to understand for those with less than ten years of jazz experience who understand how to use Tonal Targets and … References.

What’s that

Oh yes

“Learning the flipping tune”


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[pamosmusic]

Isn’t it amazing how on this forum “play along to the song” has become the pretentious way about it, and “there’s a perfectly good lead sheet and backing track” is now the simple, working man’s choice?

Imagine walking into your high school garage band with sheet music for like … Blitzkrieg Bop or something

[ragman1]

The purpose of this thread is imitating someone else’s melody.

Of course it is, but that wasn't the point. The point was what I said, that playing against a musical backing, i.e. a background harmony, brings life to the music. As I said, I've used a metronome myself before but I found it made me mechanical.

Mind you, with a tune like Dexterity it probably doesn't matter, being one of those bebop things. I suppose it is a sort of tune but, to me, it's really just an exercise. Like Giant Steps is an exercise in fast picking over difficult changes.

[ragman1]

Isn’t it amazing how on this forum “play along to the song” has become the pretentious way about it, and “there’s a perfectly good lead sheet and backing track” is now the simple, working man’s choice?

Something wrong with the simple, working man's choice?

[pamosmusic]

Of course it is, but that wasn't the point. The point was what I said, that playing against a musical backing, i.e. a background harmony, brings life to the music. As I said, I've used a metronome myself before but I found it made me mechanical.

Blame the chef, not the pots and pans, my guy.

Mind you, with a tune like Dexterity it probably doesn't matter, being one of those bebop things. I suppose it is a sort of tune but, to me, it's really just an exercise. Like Giant Steps is an exercise in fast picking over difficult changes.

Speaking for myself, of course, I’ve found this is the sort of thing I say exclusively about stuff I’m bad at and don’t care to work on.

[pamosmusic]

Something wrong with the simple, working man's choice?

Just that sheet music and other accoutrements has never really been the simple way of doing things.

unless you really were bringing sheet music to your high school garage band?

[ragman1]

I’ve found this is the sort of thing I say exclusively about stuff I’m bad at and don’t care to work on.

It's a good point and I know what you're talking about but let's say I could zoom round tunes like Dexterity. It would probably get me attention and some popularity but would it make me like that style of music? I don't think so.

Just that sheet music and other accoutrements has never really been the simple way of doing things.

Not sure what you mean by other accoutrements but what's more simple than getting a lead sheet and playing a song from it? After listening to how others play it too, of course. It helps to know how it goes.

[Mick-7]

And also if you can “trick yourself” into thinking that your melodies will fit the harmonies if there’s no backing, you’re equally likely to trick yourself into thinking that you’re outlining the changes or playing something melodic and interesting because the chords are there doing the work for me.

Gee whiz, please tell me where I can find chords that do the work for me? I'll place an order for a few gigabytes of them right away.

[pamosmusic]

Gee whiz, please tell me where I can find chords that do the work for me? I'll place an order for a few gigabytes of them right away.

Play All of Me with the chords … are you hitting the changes or are you just not disagreeing with them too offensively?

[pamosmusic]

Sloppy on an acoustic guitar …