Bebop Heads (no. 5) - Confirmation

[charlieparker]

Any good guitar recordings of this song?

[sgcim]

My practice session ends with the heads and blowing on:
Donna Lee 320bpm
Confirmation 200bpm (watch dat bridge!- use a lot of slurs.
Crazeology-200bpm

[James W]

Any good guitar recordings of this song?

[Mick-7]

Any good guitar recordings of this song?

When learning the tune, you'll be better off mimicking Bird's phrasing (or maybe that of other horn players), not a guitarists, no matter who it is.

[GuyBoden]

When learning the tune, you'll be better off mimicking Bird's phrasing (or maybe that of other horn players), not a guitarists, no matter who it is.

I'm totally agree with Mick, but the same applies for all Jazz standard melodies.

Generally speaking, always Learn the Jazz Standard melody from a good horn player for good articulation and phrasing.

I know this is a Jazz guitar forum, but............................................... ...........

[lawson-stone]

Any good guitar recordings of this song?

Larry Coryell has a recording of it on the album "Toku Du"

[lawson-stone]

When learning the tune, you'll be better off mimicking Bird's phrasing (or maybe that of other horn players), not a guitarists, no matter who it is.

In addition to learning to play, some of us actually listen to jazz guitarists for sheer enjoyment. We like to hear the bebop classics played on our chosen instrument by great players.
Everything doesn't have to be didactic.

[lawson-stone]

I'm totally agree with Mick, but the same applies for all Jazz standard melodies.

Generally speaking, always Learn the Jazz Standard melody from a good horn player for good articulation and phrasing.

I know this is a Jazz guitar forum, but............................................... ...........

True as this might be, just beware there is a lot of snobbery among guitarists who for some reason put down guitarists' playing these tunes. If they think horn players are the best, maybe they should take up a horn and leave the guitar to those who love it.

The tune is a melody, and through any instrument it will not be fully realized. The guitar just might bring out aspects of the tune that the horn player misses.

[pamosmusic]

True as this might be, just beware there is a lot of snobbery among guitarists who for some reason put down guitarists' playing these tunes. If they think horn players are the best, maybe they should take up a horn and leave the guitar to those who love it.

The tune is a melody, and through any instrument it will not be fully realized. The guitar just might bring out aspects of the tune that the horn player misses.

Mr B also likes to point out that there an awful lot of guitarists who claim to prefer listening to horn players and then proceed to pay zero attention whatsoever to articulation in their own playing.

Not pointing any fingers of course.

**peers over top of glasses, looks around room**

[James W]

Yeah. Sco for example doesn't play the melody slavishly correct but that just shows you that it doesn't matter much if you don't. I mean, I personally would like to master the melody like Bird plays it, but at the same time I wouldn't scoff at anyone who takes their influence from Sco (rather than the advice of some person on a forum).

[Christian Miller]

IDK it you want to learn a Charlie Parker song, it's probably best to go and check out the way Charlie Parker plays it at some point.

[James W]

IDK it you want to learn a Charlie Parker song, it's probably best to go and check out the way Charlie Parker plays it at some point.

Goes without saying I'd've thought.

Sort of ridiculous that all CharlieParker did was ask to hear some guitarists play this tune and we end up squabbling about it.

[charlieparker]

I'm totally agree with Mick, but the same applies for all Jazz standard melodies.

Generally speaking, always Learn the Jazz Standard melody from a good horn player for good articulation and phrasing.

I know this is a Jazz guitar forum, but............................................... ...........

I typically do, but for soloing ideas, I am at a point where I want to go to other guitarists because Bird's solo stuff is too difficult. I also think piano lines translate better to guitar so I like to listen to a piano and guitar take when learning a song.

[charlieparker]

Foreman and Peter were smoking!

[grahambop]

Pasquale Grasso did a solo version:

[pkirk]

The Omnibook transcription leaves out some of the mordents and it's a bit scrappy towards the end of the bridge when the harmony moves briefly to Db major. That aside, it's as accurate as most others out there. The most reliable source for Parker's solos is Mark Voelpel's Charlie Parker for Guitar:

Charlie Parker for Guitar - Note-for-Note Transcriptions and Detailed Performance Notes for 18 Bebop Classics Guitar Educational (672387) by Hal Leonard

PMB does this have the complete (alto) solo transcriptions, or just the heads? Also, does anyone know if there is
an updated omnibook substitute (key signatures, nice font, no distracting tab, etc) with all of Bird's "greatest hits"?

[PMB]

Hi Paul, yes, it has all the solos as well. They're written in concert key as the book's designed for guitarists. Everything's notated in the correct octave so in many cases you'll want to transpose them down.

Here's the answer to your second question:

Just a moment...

[Mick-7]

Also, does anyone know if there is an updated omnibook substitute (key signatures, nice font, no distracting tab, etc) with all of Bird's "greatest hits"?

By "updated" do you mean since 2019?

Charlie Parker Omnibook Volume 1 for C Instruments
Charlie Parker Omnibook Volume 2 for C Instruments

Unlike the Charkie Parker for Guitar book, these do not include "distracting tab" (never did).

[kris]

I'm totally agree with Mick, but the same applies for all Jazz standard melodies.

Generally speaking, always Learn the Jazz Standard melody from a good horn player for good articulation and phrasing.

I know this is a Jazz guitar forum, but............................................... ...........

You can learn from any good musician... whether it will be a guitarist, saxophonist, pianist or trumpet player.

[GuyBoden]

I'm totally agree with Mick, but the same applies for all Jazz standard melodies.

Generally speaking, always Learn the Jazz Standard melody from a good horn player for good articulation and phrasing.

I know this is a Jazz guitar forum, but............................................... ...........

You can learn from any good musician... whether it will be a guitarist, saxophonist, pianist or trumpet player.

Yes, but I prefer the sound of a good Sax player playing the song's melody, with the articulation a guitar player will never ever achieve.

Edit: This is only my bias personal opinion, everyone hears things in their own way.

[GuyBoden]

Pasquale Grasso did a solo version:

Yet again, he's playing things on guitar that I thought were technically impossible.

So, what do I know.

[supersoul]

160bpm is where I have it now.

[PMB]

By "updated" do you mean since 2019?

Charlie Parker Omnibook Volume 1 for C Instruments
Charlie Parker Omnibook Volume 2 for C Instruments

Unlike the Charkie Parker for Guitar book, these do not include "distracting tab" (never did).

The 2019 edition of the Omnibook Volume 1 contains audio files but the music text as far as I'm aware is no different than the 1978 version by Ken Sloane.

Christ Stewart's Omnibook Volume 2 is another thing entirely, comprised of transcribed heads & solos for tunes that didn't make the first volume. It's a fine piece of work. Stewart also produced the Sonny Rollins and Cannonball Addderley Omnibooks.

[charlieparker]

160bpm is where I have it now.

Nicely done. I noticed you were downard pick slanting. Do you alternate, economy, or gypsy pick or don't think about it?

[supersoul]

Nicely done. I noticed you were downard pick slanting. Do you alternate, economy, or gypsy pick or don't think about it?

don't have a particular picking method, and I've never studied one in depth.

I do think about it insofar as I want to be relaxed and to have the right articulations. Which notes to pop and which to slur, etc. Then just slow with the metronome, trying different left hand fingerings that work with the right hand picking. I tried a lot of different fingerings for the bridge. That was particularily tricky!