Billie's Bouncing back

[CliffR]

Very quick stab at this. It's the head followed by a pre-composed single-chorus solo. Most of the solo is lifted from Bird's solo on Now's The Time and George Benson's solo on Billie's Bounce. Feedback very welcome!

[CliffR]

Since that went down so well, I thought I'd post another, this time an attempt at improvising over Billie's Bounce rather than an etude. I recorded five takes, and I think this was the best, although it still has plenty of clangers. I want the pace to pick up a little over the D7->Gm change, where it seems to me it ought to be more bebop, but so far that doesn't seem to be happening. Also a little worried about too much repetition in phrasing and note choices. Some of it is intentional, and my attempt at motivic development. Some of it not so much,

[Christian Miller]

Sounding good there Cliff


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[Mick-7]

Very quick stab at this. It's the head followed by a pre-composed single-chorus solo. Most of the solo is lifted from Bird's solo on Now's The Time and George Benson's solo on Billie's Bounce. Feedback very welcome!

Well played, Cliff.

Re: your second improvised clip, don't know that I can offer any practical advice other than to say that you seem to be a little tense while playing and that relaxing and having a devil-may-care attitude about results will be fruitful. The best stuff comes from the subconscious and you have to get out of the way (mentally/emotionally) to let it out.

[charlieparker]

Very quick stab at this. It's the head followed by a pre-composed single-chorus solo. Most of the solo is lifted from Bird's solo on Now's The Time and George Benson's solo on Billie's Bounce. Feedback very welcome!

I like the etude. Sounded solid. I could say that the timing could be tightened up slightly. I think that is one of the biggest differences between amateur's and professionals, but my overall impression of it was that it sounded idiomatic.

[CliffR]

Thanks guys!

Christian, I finally took your advice and bought Quartet.

Mick - I do seem to get very tense when I'm recording. If anything, though, I think I was less tense playing the improv than the etude.

CP - Idiomatic is good! I feel my timing is better when I'm more relaxed. I just have to not stress about playing in time

[CliffR]

Still working on this. I've nudged up the tempo a bit, have been practicing the turnaround and have been trying to pick up some tips from some of Reg's videos.

[CliffR]

Another update on this tune. I've just been practicing the F blues scale and the various arpeggios from the tune across the neck, then focussing on a handful of licks over the the D7->Gm change, and composing intros and outros to those licks. Also, spending at least a little time actually improvising every practice sesssion. (Well, most sessions, anyway :slight_smile: ) I've been really tempted to up the tempo, but found when I did I was mostly scrambling to keep up, rather than being able to deliver decent lines, so I'm sticking at 120bpm for now.

[befiddled]

I’m hearing a lot of good ideas within these improvisations. Very bluesy and quite jazzy.

[CliffR]

I’m hearing a lot of good ideas within these improvisations. Very bluesy and quite jazzy.

Thanks!

[CliffR]

This week's attempt, with extra support from Starbuck

[charlieparker]

This week's attempt, with extra support from Starbuck

Sounded really good! I need to get on your practice regimen. Giant Steps!

[befiddled]

Sounds like improvisatory jazz to me and I sense a definite positive development from earlier efforts, which in my opinion is a major leap forward. Inspiring to us non-geniuses!

[CliffR]

Thanks both - that's really kind of you to say so. I guess the hard work is paying off .

[kris]

Cliff,
You are making a lot of progress...
Nice sound and nice playing.
Best
Kris

[CliffR]

Thanks Kris! I appreciate the encouragement.

[lawson-stone]

I struggle with tunes like this mainly due to the sort of "off kilter" time phrasing so typical of bebop. I've enjoyed tracking your efforts on this because it has also helped me think about my own learning.

[CliffR]

Good to hear LS! Are you talking about the phrasing of the head, or the kind of phrasing boppers employ in their solos? For the latter, I feel like I really need to put in *lots* more work.

[GuyBoden]

Keep up the good work Cliff.

[CliffR]

Thanks Guy!

[lawson-stone]

Good to hear LS! Are you talking about the phrasing of the head, or the kind of phrasing boppers employ in their solos? For the latter, I feel like I really need to put in *lots* more work.

Really both, but in this instance I was actually thinking about that particular head.

[Mick-7]

This week's attempt, with extra support from Starbuck

I can hear phrasing concepts you've practiced coming out in your playing, including some nice altered lines, like the whole tone lick at about 1.10. That's not an easy feat, you're on the right track!

I've been really tempted to up the tempo, but found when I did I was mostly scrambling to keep up, rather than being able to deliver decent lines, so I'm sticking at 120bpm for now.

That's sensible, if you can't execute lines you like @120bpm (or slower), you sure as heck won't be able to at faster tempos.

[CliffR]

Really both, but in this instance I was actually thinking about that particular head.

Yeah, took me a while to get that down - assuming I actually do have it down . Just this weekend someone spotted a wrong note in the head I'd been playing for months.

[CliffR]

I can hear phrasing concepts you've practiced coming out in your playing, including some nice altered lines, like the whole tone lick at about 1.10. That's not an easy feat, you're on the right track!

Thanks Mick! Yeah, they're slowly coming out. I'm finally realising just how much work it is to get *anything* to come out. The thing now is learning to get them placed where I want them. Often I'm a bit late to start them, whereas ideally I'd be playing some nice pickups into them.

[CliffR]

Two weeks later, and another progress report: