Bebop heads: Donna Lee

[pamosmusic]

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.....

Somebody wake me up when this gets back to folks posting their playing of Donna Lee.

Sorry, feeling grumpy today. ( I am legally obligated to apologize because I'm Canadian - sorry- )

Wake up, this is relevant!

[pamosmusic]

My point was: If I had that problem (or even if I didn't), I'd play through the entire tune a few times to get a sense of it's tonal and harmonic range, where and how I'd like to play it on the fret-board, which parts are most difficult for me, etc.

If you haven't done that, and you only learn it in sections, as has been suggested, you're liable to encounter the problem that Allan mentioned: having to figure out later how to best connect the sections. It's kind of like trying to build a house one room at a time with the goal of joining them all later into a single structure.

For what it’s worth.

problem: I’m having trouble playing the whole tune.

solution: ah, see that’s why you should play the whole tune.

Eh?

[lawson-stone]

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.....

Somebody wake me up when this gets back to folks posting their playing of Donna Lee.

Sorry, feeling grumpy today. ( I am legally obligated to apologize because I'm Canadian - sorry- )

I'm posting! I'm posting! But nothing's happening.

[lawson-stone]

This is a clip of the whole tune, slow, at 170 or so. I have tried an experiment, to play the song exclusively on my 25.5" scale guitar, and then switch to the 24.75" scale after a week and see if it's easier to play.
Not really, or maybe sort of.
This clip also illustrates my most pervasive technique flaws. My finger joints have more than the usual amount of "back flex" in them. This makes it easy to bar 2 strings when I need to, but sometimes the joint pops down on an adjacent string and creates a discordant ghost-note. In trying to avoid that, I often then use to little pressure and get a buzz.
Also, I'm playing my Epiphone Zephyr Regent with the Seymour Duncan PhatCat pickup; that's a P90 in a humbucker case. I've also switched from the Fender TMTR going direct to the Fender Princeton Reverb, mic'd with a Shure SM57. Variety, you know?

[alpop]

This is a clip of the whole tune, slow, at 170 or so. I have tried an experiment, to play the song exclusively on my 25.5" scale guitar, and then switch to the 24.75" scale after a week and see if it's easier to play.
Not really, or maybe sort of.
This clip also illustrates my most pervasive technique flaws. My finger joints have more than the usual amount of "back flex" in them. This makes it easy to bar 2 strings when I need to, but sometimes the joint pops down on an adjacent string and creates a discordant ghost-note. In trying to avoid that, I often then use to little pressure and get a buzz.
Also, I'm playing my Epiphone Zephyr Regent with the Seymour Duncan PhatCat pickup; that's a P90 in a humbucker case. I've also switched from the Fender TMTR going direct to the Fender Princeton Reverb, mic'd with a Shure SM57. Variety, you know?

Your sound is always good. You have some great guitars and amps. Whatever set-up that you play through has a nice jazz tone to my ear.

I have another experiment that you may want to try. I've noticed that you are intently staring at the fingerboard while you play. Would you be able to do a whole take without looking?

I wonder if it might be beneficial to use your mind to guide your fingers, rather than your eyes.

Please note that I am not a teacher or an accomplished jazzer, so feel free to ignore my observation and suggestion.

[bluenote61]

I have another experiment that you may want to try. I've noticed that you are intently staring at the fingerboard while you play. Would you be able to do a whole take without looking?

Good idea. I will try also. I think it might help for improving the "muscle memory" of the fingers. Lawson mentioned that "muscle memory" in one of his postings. I like this description.

[AllanAllen]

Good idea. I will try also. I think it might help for improving the "muscle memory" of the fingers. Lawson mentioned that "muscle memory" in one of his postings. I like this description.

Another thing I'm working on is relaxing my forehead and raising the edges of my mouth in a smile. So I might look like I'm enjoying myself and not angry at the guitar.

[mr. beaumont]

Another thing I'm working on is relaxing my forehead and raising the edges of my mouth in a smile. So I might look like I'm enjoying myself and not angry at the guitar.

Joking aside, being relaxed is crucial for this shit. Maybe not as relaxed as jazznylon practically laying down, but yeah, relaxed.

[AllanAllen]

I'm not even joking. I am working on relaxing my thinking scowl into a smile. If I don't look like I'm enjoying myself play, why should I expect anyone listening to enjoy it? I'm no Miles Davis.

[jazznylon]

When I get stressed playing the guitar I pucker up my lips like a fish Instinctively when that happens I move my head towards the guitar body to pretend I'm kissing it. Happened a couple of times when I was recording playing Villa lobos etude 7

[alpop]

I had suggested to Lawson to try to play a take without looking at the fingerboard.

I thought that I would put my money where my mouth is, and give it a try myself.

Actually not that natural for me as I usually look at what I'm playing.

[Bobby Timmons]

Another thing I'm working on is relaxing my forehead and raising the edges of my mouth in a smile. So I might look like I'm enjoying myself and not angry at the guitar.

Mad at theory, mad at JC, mad at the guitar.

[lawson-stone]

Your sound is always good. You have some great guitars and amps. Whatever set-up that you play through has a nice jazz tone to my ear.

I have another experiment that you may want to try. I've noticed that you are intently staring at the fingerboard while you play. Would you be able to do a whole take without looking?

I wonder if it might be beneficial to use your mind to guide your fingers, rather than your eyes.

Please note that I am not a teacher or an accomplished jazzer, so feel free to ignore my observation and suggestion.

I know guitarists are divided between lookers and non-lookers, and I've always been a looker but I have played this so much I imagine I could do alright without looking at the neck. I might just give it a try.

[lawson-stone]

Another thing I'm working on is relaxing my forehead and raising the edges of my mouth in a smile. So I might look like I'm enjoying myself and not angry at the guitar.

Actually when I relax my face falls into what looks like a scowl. Drives my wife crazy because she thinks I'm mad about something. So I guess I need to plaster a grin on there to satisfy the "Why aren't you smiling" crew.

[lawson-stone]

"Smile!" They said. "Don't look!" They said. "It'll be fine, even better!" They said.

[Mick-7]

they got good at sight reading, in part by practicing the sort of music they intended to sight read.

Right, so obviously they are not "diametrically opposed" but in fact interdependent.

I had suggested to Lawson to try to play a take without looking at the fingerboard.

FYI, Sight-reading is diametrically opposed to that accursed habit.

[lawson-stone]

Right, so obviously they are not "diametrically opposed" but in fact interdependent.



FYI, Sight-reading is diametrically opposed to that accursed habit.

So show us. Anything can be read from a book or repeated from a YouTube video. Show us how you do it.

[pamosmusic]

Right, so obviously they are not "diametrically opposed" but in fact interdependent.

Maybe but not in the way you’re suggesting.

Honestly, I’d say sight reading absolutely depends on being able to practice and play music well. But I would not say that being able to play music well has anything at all to do with sight reading.

and regarding the “opposition” Christian suggested … sight reading a piece requires an inattention to mistakes that really is in opposition to learning something properly.

[pamosmusic]

FYI, Sight-reading is diametrically opposed to that accursed habit.

Uh …… if you’re going to sight read, don’t you need to be looking at the music?

Rather than at the guitar?

[AllanAllen]

"Smile!" They said. "Don't look!" They said. "It'll be fine, even better!" They said.

Excellent, perfect in every way.

[Mick-7]

Uh …… if you’re going to sight read, don’t you need to be looking at the music?

Rather than at the guitar?

Yes, that is what I said, sight reading is "diametrically opposed" to the habit of looking at the guitar fretboard while playing.

The question is, are there advantages to not looking at the fretboard while playing? I can think of a few....

sight reading a piece requires an inattention to mistakes that really is in opposition to learning something properly.

You'd have a very hard time finding a studio musician who would agree with that statement.

[Mick-7]

"Smile!" They said. "Don't look!" They said. "It'll be fine, even better!" They said.

You'll be happy to hear that your video has been heartily endorsed by the American Dental Association.

[pamosmusic]

Yes, that is what I said, sight reading is "diametrically opposed" to the habit of looking at the guitar fretboard while playing.

Ah okay. With the quote above what you said, you actually said that sight reading was diametrically opposed to the accursed habit of trying to play without looking at the guitar.

Thats not what you meant. Noted.

You'd have a very hard time finding a studio musician who would agree with that statement.

Doubt it. Can’t stop and fix a mistake while the rest of the band keeps playing.

[mr. beaumont]

I tried not looking for kicks. I can play the first two phrases with my eyes closed.

Then things came off the rails rather quickly. This is because I've practiced those first two lines probably 1000's of times and much more than I have the rest of the tune.

So with practice, I'll eventually be able to play the whole thing without looking. I'll post here again in 2034 when that happens.

Re: Sightreading, obviously you can't be looking at the guitar. But if you can sight read Donna Lee at tempo, what the hell are you doing on an internet forum?

[Mick-7]

"But if you can sight read Donna Lee at tempo... "

I can't, but one wouldn't expect to be able to read anything well at tempo right off the bat - but let's drop the sight-reading discussion, it's become even less productive than discussing vanilla ice cream.