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I have the fifth edition Real Book. I never noticed that the chords were spiced up here and there in ATTYA in the newer ones.
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07-22-2018 06:59 PM
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Apparently decades ago before the real books got published, some students from Berklee had to arrange a bunch of jazz songs for an assessment; so they did & that's why so many jazz standards are transcribed with a slight difference, including ATTYA
Originally Posted by Binyomin
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It would be highly appreciated, to point me to an easy study of All the things you are, preferably only 8th notes and with tab, if possible.
Thank you in advance...
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I'm not going to post anything that will help you in a note by note instructional, but I will point you towards the excellent Lee Konitz lesson for when you're ready for it. It's one way of looking at improvisation and one of the most insightful looks into the process.
You should have a workable command of making melodies that work with chords if you're going to get the most from this.
I hope you find what you're looking for.
David
Lee Konitz
10-Step Method (aka 10 Gradients) for Jazz Improvisation
In very brief, the 10 gradients are incrementally moving from simple (the tune's melody) to complicated (improvising from pure inspiration) all the while keeping the original melody as point of departure and reference for building new material. The steps rely less and less on the original melody as we progress, of course.All examples take place on the first 8 bars of All The Things You Are, a great jazz standard.What to Do with That ???
Ok, you've read (or played) through the examples and... it doesn't really make any sense, yet? Same thing happened to me, so don't worry! Each of Konitz 10 gradients should be worked on individually for a while. Here's a concise yet detailed explanation of each step:- 1st Gradient -
The tune's melody, as is. This one's a "no brainer" really. :-)- 2nd Gradient -
Slight variation on the original: identify "target notes", the most important tones of the melody. Connect them together, when you can or wish, with simple musical devices, with passing tones for example. In this step, the focus is on the important tones. Remember that these can be shortened in duration to allow passing tones to happen.- 3rd Gradient -
More notes added to the line. Using new devices such as neighbor tones (mostly diatonic), change of direction and skips. The "target notes" are still present on strong beats but there's more flourishes around them. Similar to second gradient, but with more ornaments.- 4th Gradient -
While it may be hard to tell the difference between Step 2 and 3 ("What should I play now...?"), Step 4 is really straight forward: Imagine a stream of 8th-notes (and occasional triplets) that simply uses the melody notes as guide-tones. That's the "big picture" of step 4. Every improvised lines on guide tones before? Check this out.- 5th Gradient -
Same as Step 4 (the line is a stream of 8ths and triplets with the melody note dictating the direction) but we're adding two new important devices:
- Neighbor tones (now more chromatic) and arpeggiation of underlying chords.
- Rhythmic displacement of "target notes" (they don't always fall on downbeats anymore.)
That's where the line really starts to develop into "its own thing". Very cool!- 6th Gradient -
According less importance to the melody again: target notes still appear in their respective bars but may become subsidiary to the other ones (rhythmically, melodically and in phrasing/emphasis). In other words: the ornaments can "take over" and get more attention now. The improvised line should also be built from higher and higher chord tones (extensions such as 9ths, 11ths and 13ths).- 7th Gradient -
Same as sixth gradient but Lee Konitz is using even more "higher" extension and altered chord tones such as b9, #9 and others. This one is a bit more "out" and chromatic than step 6. It depends on the tune, the player and where the line wants to go.- 8th Gradient -
Original melody or intervals may still be present but they're totally ingrained in the improvised melody (barely noticeable, or not very obvious). This is probably where most "classic solos" stand: a great improvised line that stems from the original melody but that is never too obviously quoted from the original. Listen to Jim Hall, he's a master at using the melody subtly like this.- 9th Gradient -
Almost no reference to the original target tones anymore (but the improvised line is still very anchored in the harmony of the tune and has grown from the original melody.) Lee Konitz may well be the only one to fully grasp this "gradient" of improv. I must admit, I don't really get it ... yet! To me, this is mind over matter...- 10th Gradient -
An act of pure inspiration.Now, no written example can clearly demonstrate this one. It's very personal and somehow mystical. I suggest you listen to the Kenny Wheeler album Angel Song, the fourth track. Lee Konitz 's solo on this one is a clear demonstration of "pure inspiration".
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The post above is where it's at, but I might also suggest googling Joe Elliot's "Connecting Game."
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Here ya go. First tune in the book. This book contains melody (head), comping etude, chord melody, and single note solos for each tune that are somewhat etude like in the significant use of steady eighth notes. They were using this in the freshman year at UNT recently (Jazz Guitar Fundamentals I and II). They may still be, don't really know.
That Lee Konitz approach is nice too. Well organized, progressive and analytical.
Cheers.
Mel Bay Jazz Guitar Standards: A Complete Approach to Playing Tunes: Alfred Music: 0796279086684: Amazon.com: BooksLast edited by Jazzstdnt; 11-29-2018 at 10:17 PM.
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Last edited by Drumbler; 11-30-2018 at 07:57 AM.
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Check our Matt Warnock's Ebooks - he has a comprehensive study guide available. His study guides are worth every penny.
Jazz Standard Study Guides 5 eBook Package Volume 4
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I found this video extremely useful:
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Originally Posted by harpwood_gr
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Originally Posted by ragman1
Any feedback that could make me better is more than welcome!
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How about the Cliff Notes strategy...
Starts in Ab
Then to C
Then to Eb
Then to G
Then E
Then back to Ab more or less
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Originally Posted by Drumbler
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Originally Posted by harpwood_gr
(Cliff Notes was a relatively unknown but talented jazz guitarist in the hard bop era. Photos of him are extemely rare.)
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Originally Posted by Drumbler
I think overthinking is better while practicing... I am trying to learn each chord tone of this tune (and later on other tunes) where is located on the fret-board. I have almost ready another study on same tune but targeting only 7th notes. I can tell you that I already recognize the positions of almost every 7th chord tones of this tune on my fret-board after this work out...
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Suggestions to the original poster:
- Figure out diatonic 7th note chords from melodic minor and from harmonic minor. (Don't rely on searching for this on the web - do it on your own so you're sure it's correct and that you understand it)
- Only after that, explore tritone substitutions, secondary dominants, and dominant-diminished substitutions
Some of the things others have written might then make more sense...
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Coming from a classical background this just doesn't add up to me. I'm used to pieces that stay in the same key for whole movements and several pages of music.
Is it really changing key that many times in such a short time? Did he really think about all that when he was writing it or did he more likely just put some chords together that sounded pretty?
Could it not be analysed in terms of one key with some wonky chords in it and then maybe just one key change for the bridge?
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‘Wonky chords’ is not an analytical term. Yes the song modulates from Ab to C to Eb to G and back to Ab. This is not unusual in songs written in the AmerIcan Songbook. The movement through tonal centers mimics the notes of an Abma7 chord.
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You're gonna love "Unforgettable." Ends on the Subdominant.
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For ATTYA what's amazing is the way the melody note pivots to the key change. It's a seminar in harmony.
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Padraig--keep in mind...the melody might have come first.
But yeah, jazz tunes rarely stay in one key. But if you're trying to play over "Unforgettable" using key centers, you're in for a world of frustration anyway.
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Originally Posted by padraig
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Jerome Kern was one of the great composers of American music. Back in the early to middle 20th Century, composers and lyricists were very sophisticated, and wrote great melodies and witty lyrics, mostly for Broadway shows. That mostly died when rock and roll took over, and poured oceans of schlock over music. It doesn't take a lot of talent to write "yeah yeah yeah", nor to write an entire song with only two power chords. The Great American Songbook is still alive because of the harmonies and lyrics, and might become the classical music of the future.
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Originally Posted by sgosnell
But Jerome Kern, whom you rightly flag as a great one, was amazing at the forms he could develop. A tune like "I'm Old Fashioned" has a lot of twists and turns as you play it that you might not notice just listening to it.
Maybe we need to revive some of the other GASB tunes? I really like Joe Pass' "Appassionato" album mainly because many of the tunes there were new to me. "That's Earl Brother," "Red Door," "Sleepy Time Down South" and "Stuffy" were wonderful surprises for me on that album.
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Originally Posted by sgosnell
Or maybe there's a different way to understand it, like it's in one key but the harmony isn't diatonic or summat. I dunno.
KA PAF info please
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