January 2011 - Fly Me To The Moon

[fep]

I mean each of us explain their arrangement and solo to the group etc... Reg

1st chorus - I wanted to do a guitar chord melody, this wasn't improve as I had pretty much worked this out, I didn't write it out before playing it though, but it was pretty much memorized. I decided to have a drum-brushes background to fill it out a bit and to make the transition to the second chorus smoother.

2nd chorus - add organ playing chords and bass to the backing track. I play the melody using octaves. Playing octaves is something I've been wanting to start working on. So here goes.

3rd chorus - I wanted some build to my improv, so I purposely started sparse. I wanted to play phrases that made some kind of sense thru repetition and variation.

4th chorus - Purposely went bluesy, and it seems the Eb was the blue note I was most comfortable with. I remember from Reg's video that he would play a blues phrase/blues scale over a bunch of measures and chord changes. I liked it. So those 1st four bars:

Am | Dm | G7 | Cmaj7 C7| F

What if I just think C blues for all four measures resolving on F? That's what I did. I was playing from these notes: C D Eb E G A, plus add in Bb on the last measure.

Then after the 1st four bars I was thinking of the chord progresion plus trying to throw in a blue note where I could.

5th chorus - Chord melody impove which is something I really don't do. I was focusing on chord progression and moving voicings around trying to make melodies out of the top note. As it turned out, it almost ending up sounding like comping. Even though it didn't go to plan, it was the part of the solo I was happiest with, I was expecially happy with it rhythmically.

6th chorus - Oops, slipped into a little bit of the melody. Followed by going back to the phrase repitition/variation idea. Then ended with a Cmaj7 arp targeting an F# as the last note, perhaps overused and pretensions but I love the sound of a #11 at the end of a tune.

[Reg]

1) My solos are usually very diatonic unless I really know the tune and the audience.
2) I usually play around with the melody line unless my ear hears something different or better.
3) I learned a long time ago that my ear is more reliable and responsive than trying to use some of the theoretical approaches I have learned over the last several years. I think this is because I have done a lot of transcribing (more horns than guitars) and my practise time now consists mostly of playing tunes (with BIAB realtracks) to get ready for weekend gigs. (at least 2-4 hrs/day)
4) I think I use a lot of melodic minor up a half step for dominants and also repeating a motif up a minor third although it is not by intension but more because that is what my ear tells me to play..
5) I have picked up a few tricks for improvising and I do spend a lot of my spare time listening to my favorite musicians, not all guitar players.
6) My favorite thing to do with my guitar is to comp along with BIAB realtracks and try to play different chord voicing with each chorus. I can usually go about 4-5 choruses before running out of ideas and voicings.
7) My favorite music theory book is Mark Levines Jazz Bible and I always refer to it when I feel like I have reached an impasse or just want to try something I have read about online.
8) I know my approach to jazz improv is probably very dated back in the 40's, 50's 60's and 70's.
9) My biggest regret is I did not play anything from about 1984 to 2004. During that time, I picked up a lot of jazz books and spent a lot of time reading & transcribing. I started playing again in 2005 and will never put my guitar down again. I have been playing with various small groups since 2005 and have had my own small group since 2007.

Hey Wiz... very cool when I listened again... I could hear all your thoughts... your use of 1 b9 #9 b9 1 b7 of V7altered on Imaj...( obviously I V I ).. your use of moving licks up min 3rd and coming back by 1/2 step are great... . It would be cool for you to have more overall shape in your solos. Have some pre-arranged forms that you come up with or copy some... that basically become your forms for soloing. Could be as simple as classic rock form of soloing.... start... build... at about 75% of the way through scream and look like You meet with God and now know your the one... wind down etc..
sorry maybe not funny, but there are many mechanical forms for soloing... I've posted on them a few times... you probable already know them... make mental notes while you listen to others... maybe write it down... I think your older than me...like Dad or Douglas said"I figured out how to memorize tunes but I forgot how I did it". You could make no changes and you sound great... I have some other comments for a later date... best Reg

[Reg]

Hey Frank not trying to cut you short... but I'm barely going to make my gig... Your analysis or description of your approach was great... I think you pulled it very off very well. For this tune I would have loved to hear you stay with that rhythmic lick...E G A A C A A or at least use as a pedal like device to help anchor some of your other ideas. You could have kept same lick for Cmaj also and had simple idea through entire chorus or more... Your example was really cool, beautiful concept and easy to listen to...wanted more. That's what we as musician want... gota go Best Reg...
I guess I should explain my example... pretty much what you say... listen to backing tract, made mental note of form... one of my standard solo forms... say something early that I use to come back to to help tie my thoughts together. Decided to play in Amin and Cmaj. and push the groove hard... best Reg

[wizard3739]

Hey again Reg, You cannot imagine how much I appreciate your comments about my approach to improvising. I pay very close attention to any comments made by the knowledgable musicians on this forum that have a reference to improving my improvisation technique. I will look forward to the analysis on any of the tunes we will be working through on this thread. It's gonna be a lot of fun and very beneficial for me.

thanks again, Reg,
wiz (Howard)

[jayx123]

Side Stepping:

Ok, here is a small example of how I use side stepping in a major ii-7 V7 IMaj7. this example is in the key of C.

so basically I will do 2 techniques:
1. on the ii-7 think C major on the V7 which is an unstable chord in the progression I would think in C# major and on the IMajor 7 go back 2 C major.
2. on the ii-7 think A minor pentatonic/blues on the V7 A# minor pentatonic/blues and on the Cmajor7 I can go back to A minor pentatonic or go half step up to B minor pentatonic.

I can do this on a small phrase where i take it half step up on the V7 or play a totally different line.

sometimes I like to "pad" the out side sound with lots of chromatics this eases the tension a bit making the transition smoother


225511.mp3 - File Shared from Box.net - Free Online File Storage

[tonyknight]

Thanks for the kind comments guys - and the really nice rendition by Wiz which I just listened to. A quick comment to Sailor - that happens to be my other passion! Dad, very cute, there, we'll have to share a drink some day. Can't stay online as I have an appt with a guy who's going to legally do some nasty things to me :-) he calls himself a doctor and then tries to calm me down by saying that he plays pre-war blues... "-)

Keep up the great work guys, and I'll catch up in a couple of days.
Cheers,
tony

[fep]

Here's a sample of playing over Fly Me... it's live and unrehearsed as usual, but I think we'll get more from it that way... this is not the showcase... it's interactive... hope gets us going... I'm arranging a few Big Band charts for a gig at Yoshi's in a month... so I'll play over the piano version tomorrow and try and fake a different style... for more ideas ... best Reg

I think you guys are going to like this...

I transcribed Reg's video; well the first 68 measures of it. Man it's hard for me to get the rhythms right - he can play fast, might be an error or two or three. But I think this is great for analysis and 'stealing' a lick or two. Let's discuss.

With standard notation and tab:

Fly Me To The Moon Reg solo - tab.pdf - File Shared from Box.net - Free Online File Storage

With standard notation and no tab:

Fly Me To The Moon Reg solo no tab.pdf - File Shared from Box.net - Free Online File Storage

[Reg]

Wow... Frank... you kick some ass... there goes the theory and voice leading books...
What's funny is I can look at the transcription and see how simple I play, approach chords... blue notes used to influence and tie together ideas... Next time I'm going to actually work out a few things... will look better on paper. Thanks Frank Reg

[fep]

What's funny is I can look at the transcription and see how simple I play, approach chords... blue notes used to influence and tie together ideas... Next time I'm going to actually work out a few things... will look better on paper. Thanks Frank Reg

Reg, I want to say "don't change a thing". Because I love your playing and that solo.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it really sounds to me that you were just 'singing lines in your head' and they were coming out on the guitar. That is where I want to get to (and I think that's where most everyone wants to get to).

I'll have more to say later about what I learned transcribing your solo, it was a great learning experience. I was forced to hear some details that I'm not normally aware of by doing that transcription, but I don't want to influence others yet with my opinions. I think it's more useful for others to come up with their own analysis and opinions first. We'll all learn from that.

I'll chime in with some thoughts later.

[Sailor]

I have started transcribing the solo but it takes me forever, and I have limited time...right now just catching the feel and some licks.

How do I post a transcription?? I don't have any software for this (I don't think) Sorry...I'm kinda old

Sailor

[Reg]

How do I post a transcription?? I don't have any software for this (I don't think) Sorry...I'm kinda old

Sailor

Wow someone from my world... I remember scratching out music (composing music) in front of a moviola, I still have a Cal 20.... my secret... I use my son to keep me up to date. I recently started live streaming gigs on the net... very cool... thanks to my son. If you don't have one... borrow one... best Reg

[Sailor]

Yeah...I write music on staff paper in the library while my little girl plays and reads...people look at me like I'm crazy...no instrument or nuttin'

Sailor

[Reg]

Are we done with FMTTM and are we doing another tune...or is everyone sick of talking about tunes... The way I was taught years ago... is you keep adding to your repertoire, a little quicker also. As your learn new tunes you keep playing through the old charts as needed. Sometime as you learn new tunes you get information that helps with the older tunes.
Maybe we should pick a new tune and solo in specific style, for example create a new melody that connects the harmonic motion,(chords) and use one of the standard methods of embellishment of transformation,( improvisation) to develop and re-harmonize the new melody.... I'm easy... just looking for more ways to develop our playing abilities...Best Reg

[AlsoRan]

Fly Me To The Moon | Learn Jazz Standards

For those who might need it.