Blues for Alice

[deacon Mark]

Well the Dutchbopper got me working on Charlie Parker heads and bebop tunes a bit more than ever. Kind of leave the standards a Broadway stuff that I go over a lot and concentrate on some of these tunes. So really I had not given too much thought to Blues for Alice. I have played but it is not on any long list of tunes I regularly do and it is a bebop blues so not quite straight Blues tune and usual.

Well I have to to say working this tune the past 2 weeks has been amazing. Really trying to simply get the melody down just perfect and smooth. Then work through the changes in a very chord tone fashion. Nothing outside or really wild straight up stuff. To my surprise this has done wonders for the ears, chops, and ear. I cannot explain it except it manages to click the buttons that seem to allow melodic movement without really thing anything except changes and melody. The melody works the change in off beat rhythm figures and that means just working the chord tones allows one to deal with melody and improvise. I have to take on more of these complex tunes. My last two were Joy Spring and Ornithology.

[James W]

Agreed, it's a great tune.

[lawson-stone]

How you fingering that? Playing it up an octave or in the middle? I actually started fooling around with this tune recently as well. Could be fun to work on.

[alltunes]

How you fingering that? Playing it up an octave or in the middle? I actually started fooling around with this tune recently as well. Could be fun to work on.

This may help:

Chris' Patreon channel has the PDF.

[deacon Mark]

How you fingering that? Playing it up an octave or in the middle? I actually started fooling around with this tune recently as well. Could be fun to work on.

Lawson I play it in both places. I like it around the 5th position it fits well. I go up an octave and it is ok but just does not sound a full at the end of the fingerboard. Also I play it as a chord melody and it really shows you how Joe Pass worked the fingerboard with his technique. You and I are both huge Joe Pass fans and we can see right away how the melody just fits into place in the style of Joe. Frankly for me these tunes just open the ears and after awhile you start soloing with only the metronome. Then go say 4 bars and comp a few chords and start soloing again. All working the chord forms and staying right in the pocket you trade off as if someone else is playing with you. I find this possibly the best practice I can do. It has me memorizing the changes, hearing the changes, keeping time, and not getting to fancy.

[lawson-stone]

Lawson I play it in both places. I like it around the 5th position it fits well. I go up an octave and it is ok but just does not sound a full at the end of the fingerboard. Also I play it as a chord melody and it really shows you how Joe Pass worked the fingerboard with his technique. You and I are both huge Joe Pass fans and we can see right away how the melody just fits into place in the style of Joe. Frankly for me these tunes just open the ears and after awhile you start soloing with only the metronome. Then go say 4 bars and comp a few chords and start soloing again. All working the chord forms and staying right in the pocket you trade off as if someone else is playing with you. I find this possibly the best practice I can do. It has me memorizing the changes, hearing the changes, keeping time, and not getting to fancy.

Where did you find a Joe Pass recording of this? I'd love to hear it.

[deacon Mark]

Where did you find a Joe Pass recording of this? I'd love to hear it.

No I meant the tune fits nicely in a chord melody in the Joe Pass style. I never have heard Joe play it solo specifically. Sorry about that Lawson it just fits Joes fingering and chord patterns.

[lawson-stone]

No I meant the tune fits nicely in a chord melody in the Joe Pass style. I never have heard Joe play it solo specifically. Sorry about that Lawson it just fits Joes fingering and chord patterns.

You had me going there!

[pcjazz]

. I like it around the 5th position it fits well. I go up an octave and it is ok but just does not sound a full at the end of the fingerboard.

Agreed the upper octave can sound thin. But it sits really well in first position, open strings and all. Try it for a change.