How was Joe Pass able to play so good without knowing much theory?

[lawson-stone]

I studied with Joe.
He used the C-A-G-E-D concept of organization across the fingerboard. He told me to play with fingers on the RH as much as possible and not to pay much attention to classical RH technique. Whatever gets the sound out is enough.
He stressed learning the correct melody and playing it in every key all over the guitar. To him the sound was either major, minor, augmented or diminished. He didn't talk about extensions but he played them all the time. They were melodic additions to the basic harmony.
He stressed moving the bass line in a stepwise motion when comping.
Melodies were to be played in thirds and sixths to add harmony.
He told me to only move to a new town only if I had a gig there.
He said he played countless gigs with bad drummers bassists and pianists but he always learned something from them so he kept his mouth shut.
He told the Blues were the backbone of all music and everything could be traced back to that form.
He was stern and surly at times. He was not a gentle teacher but he would teach for hours at a time in a very clear organized way.
I was lucky to spend these times in hotel rooms when he traveled through town. He was a genius of the highest order in his fluidity and melodic inventiveness. To watch him play effortlessly was a profound experience.
ricmolina.com


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Wow. That's amazing It could almost be put on a plaque, "The Sayings of St. Joe"

[MarkRhodes]

I studied with Joe.

Great post. As Bob Hope used to say, "Thanks For The Memory!"

[targuit]

Ric - I realize that this question sounds terribly superficial, but given that you took lessons from Joe, I was wondering about his stature and the size of his hands.

I do have a question about more musical issues. Did Joe advocate scatting vocally or did you hear him do that at any point?

[Ricmolina]

Ric - I realize that this question sounds terribly superficial, but given that you took lessons from Joe, I was wondering about his stature and the size of his hands.

I do have a question about more musical issues. Did Joe advocate scatting vocally or did you hear him do that at any point?

Joe was not a tall man although he was a giant in the music world. His hands were not particularly big either.
He told me that when he was young his father would whistle melodies and have Joe play them on the guitar. Given the lyrical way he played it goes without saying that like any great player he had an inner melody going on in his head as he played.

On the topic of scatting, I studied a couple years with Lee Konitz and he was a big proponent of singing what you played. He referred to it as a way to have a "singing essence" in your playing.
He taught the Tristano method.

Cheers


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[lammie200]

...He told the Blues were the backbone of all music and everything could be traced back to that form...

Good to hear such a simple statement.

[MarkRhodes]

Speaking of Joe's emphasis on the blues, here he is playin' 'em with Herb Ellis. (Their interplay astounds me.)

[Thumpalumpacus]

Pretty much the basics -- the only thing Joe missed was "fill up at the cheapest close station", right?

Yeah about the blues being the backbone. Can't play the blues? You've got a tough row to hoe there.