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I just picked up Thelonius Monk and John Coltrane Live at Carnegie Hall the other day and was reminded just how much I love Monk. His playing always tells a story and, to me, expresses a lot of emotions that I don't normally hear in jazz; it's whimsical, melodramatic, even odd at times. I never get tired of hearing his chords, they still sound very modern to me. Are there any books or resources that get into his approach to harmony that you would recommend? Thanks!!
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11-16-2012 12:37 AM
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I only do one of his tunes...."Well,You Needn't"...
not too fast....not too busy Kenny Burrell style/sound....
check out Bob Kellers Jazz Page....Bert Ligons site...Jamie Aebersolds site..or just "Google"...Monk sheet music.....should link you to others..
time on the instrument...
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Pay attention to his sense of space and phrasing. Monk is like a master class in every recorded example you can find. A lot of people play his compositions, maybe 1% "gets it" and of that maybe 10% of them are guitarists.
Gary Wittner has put together a beautifully accurate collection of transcriptions for guitar. Maybe the most useful book out there from a technical point. But to really understand, immerse yourself in his music, or a recording. Live From the It Club is really great for feel and improvisational genius. Then look at where he puts his spaces, how he chooses NOT to run eighth notes blindly, how he highlights a particular interval, how his lines are headed to one statement or point of harmony, how he seems to wait until his idea is in place before he strikes a note, no matter how long that takes... just how many guitarists think that way? (Do listen to Bill Frisell playing Monk though.)
Get to know your whole tone scale, and not just as a "scale pattern" but in diads, and as a melodic way to get a dominant 7th sound.
He's a whole school unto himself, Monk. Yeah put the time in, to listen, to grab his vibe, to understand what his choices were. And put the time in to play with space in a new way.
Might I suggest you check out Herbie Nichols? A contemporary and (long overlooked and forgotten) friend of Monk at the time it was all coming together. Have fun!
Last edited by SearchForMeaning; 11-16-2012 at 06:30 AM.
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Steve Cardenas' book of Monk tunes is really well done and fairly cheap.
Thelonious Monk Fake Book: C Edition (Fake Books): Thelonious Monk: 9780634039188: Amazon.com: Books
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Agreed, Jeff
Looks like we had a simultanous post of the same info!
Steve Cardenas & Don Sickler wrote The Thelonius Monk Fakebook, Hal Leonard Publishing. If you haven't heard Cardenas, you've really got to check him out. He's a great guitarist.
This book covers all of Monk's compositions and has very accurate changes & melodies.
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There's also this:
A Thelonious Monk Study Album - All Instruments Instrumental Tutor - Tuition Books - Musicroom.com
Contains following transcriptions (heads and solos):
Misterioso
Round about Midnight
Little Rootie Tootie
Trinkle Trinkle
Evidence
Played Twice
Crepuscule with Nellie
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I have that book. Honestly, I haven't gotten much out of it, as the transcriptions are so challenging.
Originally Posted by SearchForMeaning
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Monk is maybe my favorite jazz musician. His melodies just stick in ny head in a good way. Love it.
I too would like to learn to apply Monk stylings to guitar. But have been able to yet. Would like to find some sort of book. I think I'll try that fake book linked above.Last edited by monkmiles; 11-16-2012 at 10:18 PM.
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+1 Originally Posted by Jeff Stocks
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Heh, well I guess you don't want it bad enough then Originally Posted by Bryan T
If it was easy, 1) everybody'd be doing it, 2) it wouldn't be elusive and 3) Monk wouldn't be Monk.
Seriously though, I found that I'd take one recording that he'd worked from, and I'd listen to it 'til I knew it by listening. That meant getting to know Monk in a very intimate level. I'd come to realize -hey that entire quirky phrase is an arpeggiation of a really altered chord with none of the expected notes present for support- and then I'd look at the transcription and see where it laid out on the guitar, what I would have played and how and where to find the "Monk notes."
How's your theory? It helps to know "inside" harmony when you get to know Monk's music. Maybe the book you're looking for is one you have to put together for yourself. Work slowly and use your ears. Find a sound or phrase you love and then learn that small segment, and then use it where you would have done something more "conventional."
Keep listening and when it becomes irresistible enough, you'll put in the time. You've got good resources there.
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Maybe a dumb question, for guitar, do I get the C edition? Originally Posted by Jeff Stocks
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Si Originally Posted by Encinitastubes
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Listen to "Monk's Casino" (the complete works of Monk on 3CDS) My favorite recording of Monk's tunes.
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Silentcityrob posted an arrangement of Pannonica here, that I really liked.
https://www.jazzguitar.be/forum/chord...pannonica.html
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I agree...what a tasteful and well done arrangement.
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The thing about Monk that makes him so timeless and delightful for me is his mastery of music, space and time, but above all his sense of humor. Try this: listen to "Duke Ellington and John Coltrane", a wonderful powerful recording indeed. Then listen to "Thelonious Monk Plays Duke Ellington" right away.
Then you will get an opportunity to compare and contrast some incredible piano playing - and there is no doubt Duke was an influence on Monk. But Monk decided to push the envelope even further, and when you hear his works, even to this day they are fresh, fun and fantastic lessons in listening.
The Pannonica bit posted here is very nice, and there was a guy who posted a good grab at Bemsha Swing. I do a few of Monk's pieces solo but, like Bill Evans, his works really sound best on piano to my ears. The ones that work for me on guitar:
* Well You Needn't
* Blue Monk
* Straight No Chaser
* Epistrophy
* Rhythm'n'Ning
* Round Midnight
Makes me want to be a better piano player...
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I'm rehearsing a group to play a bunch of thelonious songs only.
We are playing:
Epistrophy
Well You Needn't
Blue Monk
Ruby My Dear
Hackensack
Brilliant Corners
Rhythm a Ning
Bye Ya
Evidence
Little Rootie Tootie
I mean You
Straight No Chaser
Four In One
Bemsha Swing
In Walked Bud
Bolivar Blues
Misterioso
best music education money can't buy
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Would dig hearing a few tunes... Reg
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Here is some of that Monk
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+1. The humor is everywhere in his music. In the videos from the "Sound of Jazz" TV show from 1958, there's Monk playing "Blue Monk" with Count Basie sitting, leaning against the piano, listening and happily grinning. And when looking at lead sheets of many of his tunes, its almost like some kind of graphical art - the way the notes moves visually along the staves. Quite amazing, I've never seen anything like that anywhere else. Originally Posted by JimBobWay
... and vice versa. If you listen to the piano playing of the older Duke, you will indeed hear some Monk inspiration there. For example in the album "Money Jungle" (trio recording with Max Roach and Charles Mingus).Then you will get an opportunity to compare and contrast some incredible piano playing - and there is no doubt Duke was an influence on Monk.Last edited by oldane; 01-03-2013 at 05:33 PM.
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One of his nephews is a guitarist and guitar teacher who has posted on this site. I cannot recall his name.
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Monk is the best in Jazz. Only way to get motivated in Jazz is to listen to his tunes.
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How many other jazz musicians put that much effort into composing? Ellington/Strayhorn. That's about it. Not surprisingly, Ellington and Monk are the most recorded jazz musicians. Isn't that the case?
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It's been said that Handel is one of the few classical composers who expresses humor, but I haven't been able to ascertain which pieces the speaker had in mind. Originally Posted by JimBobWay
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Listen to Peter Bernstein's Monk album. Best renditions of Monk on guitar. I think Pete is the guitar reincarnation of Monk.
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