Jazz Stuff (the thread formerly known as "Just ordered some jazz guitar books...")

Blueingreen · March 2015

Megii said:

Blueingreen said:

Somewhat agree about the Green techniques book. I have an idea if you put in the time it'd make you a better player, but given the time input it's a bit of a leap of faith.

I suspect his comping book OTOH is probably a very good advanced book, but there are better comping books for beginning to intermediate jazzers. I plan to turn my attention to the comping book once I feel I have the material in the DeLillo/Galbraith books properly under my fingers.

I think you might get something from the Green comping book actually, but I'll have to check out the DeLillo and Galbraith ones myself. I do think with any series of books, one has to kind of "buy into" the thinking and approach of the author - and I guess I'm not sure Andrew Green's way of doing things really suits me. But even if it's not for me, I hope I can at least still find useful things in the books.

I'd get the DeLillo first. The Galbraith voicings are more musically interesting and a tad more advanced, but the DeLillo ones are easier to grab and IMO more useful in a real-life situation. especially if playing with a band (concentrates on top 4 strings).

Megii · March 2015

Blueingreen said:

Megii said:

Blueingreen said:

Somewhat agree about the Green techniques book. I have an idea if you put in the time it'd make you a better player, but given the time input it's a bit of a leap of faith.

I suspect his comping book OTOH is probably a very good advanced book, but there are better comping books for beginning to intermediate jazzers. I plan to turn my attention to the comping book once I feel I have the material in the DeLillo/Galbraith books properly under my fingers.

I think you might get something from the Green comping book actually, but I'll have to check out the DeLillo and Galbraith ones myself. I do think with any series of books, one has to kind of "buy into" the thinking and approach of the author - and I guess I'm not sure Andrew Green's way of doing things really suits me. But even if it's not for me, I hope I can at least still find useful things in the books.

I'd get the DeLillo first. The Galbraith voicings are more musically interesting and a tad more advanced, but the DeLillo ones are easier to grab and IMO more useful in a real-life situation. especially if playing with a band (concentrates on top 4 strings).

Appreciate your thoughts on this, cheers - although knowing me, I'll probably end up with copies of both...

GuyBoden · March 2015

I find transcribing complex chords from Jazz records a difficult, but worthwhile challenge. Major, Minor and Dom are easy enough, but hearing the correct extensions and different voicings is difficult for my ears.

Ears are everything.

GuyBoden · March 2015

Megii said:

Branshen said:

Thanks for the reply @Megii. I'll widdle about on my guitar when I have time and report back.

I'm sure Matt Warnock explains things better than I could, and is more qualified to do so, so ignore me and do what he says I reckon! But also check out the Emily Remler videos re the melodic minor 9th arpeggio thing - I think thats in this one IIRC:

That takes me back, I had that Emily Remler Hot Licks video back in the 1990's, it had the classic play the Melodic minor from the 9th over altered doms licks. I loved the "Together" album she did with Larry Coryell in the 1980's, the How Insensitive track was superb. I think she was Larry Coryell's girlfriend.
Nice

Megii · March 2015

GuyBoden said:

Megii said:

Branshen said:

Thanks for the reply @Megii. I'll widdle about on my guitar when I have time and report back.

I'm sure Matt Warnock explains things better than I could, and is more qualified to do so, so ignore me and do what he says I reckon! But also check out the Emily Remler videos re the melodic minor 9th arpeggio thing - I think thats in this one IIRC:

That takes me back, I had that Emily Remler Hot Licks video back in the 1990's, it had the classic play the Melodic minor from the 9th over altered doms licks. I loved the "Together" album she did with Larry Coryell in the 1980's, the How Insensitive track was superb. I think she was Larry Coryell's girlfriend.
Nice

Cheers for that @Guyboden - I also had (still have actually) both the ER videos - which I guess I would have got them in the early 90s - 1991 or 92 ish. I bought quite a few of her albums around that time as well - but sadly not the "Together" one. More recently I set about filling the blanks in my Remler album collection - Together was about the hardest one to come by, and people trying to sell copies for silly money online. However, a kind person on the jazzguitar.be forum copied his vinyl copy onto a CD and sent that to me (a few years ago) so I have been able to enjoy the music - it is a fantastic album I must say. As you say, they were in a relationship for a while, and shared a flat in New York I think.

Have you come across the www.allthingsemily.com website btw? I guess you may have already, but there's some brilliant stuff on there including recordings/notes of a whole series of lessons a chap took with her during the 90s. Also the "Unpublished" section has loads of live recordings of her to listen to - valuable stuff, since she sadly did not live long enough to record all that much.

Megii · March 2015

GuyBoden said:

I find transcribing complex chords from Jazz records a difficult, but worthwhile challenge. Major, Minor and Dom are easy enough, but hearing the correct extensions and different voicings is difficult for my ears.

Ears are everything.

I suspect you're being modest re your own hearing ability, and must agree it's not at all easy to get chord stuff from records. I sometimes find it's a process of elimination for me - i.e. I just keep trying different possibilities, until I find one that sounds right - I can hear the upper note and the bass probably, and then it's a case of filling in the blanks. But indeed having a good ear matters, but I also firmly believe it's possible to make big improvements to hearing ability with practice and time.

Jalapeno · March 2015

Here's an excellent interview with Johnny Smith

knuckleberryfinn · March 2015

I like this Jimmy Rainey version of Billie's Bounce - very Charlie Parker-like. The sound quality's not great, but worth a look for the close-up filming of his left hand.

Megii · March 2015

That's a bloody great clip of JR in action, I love that - nice one @knuckleberryfinn

Branshen · March 2015

Nice one jalapeño. JS has alot of knowledge. The tape warble threw me off abit until I realised it's a really old recording.

Megii · March 2015

Branshen said:

Nice one jalapeño. JS has alot of knowledge. The tape warble threw me off abit until I realised it's a really old recording.

Yep, nice post @Jalapeno - I must watch that in full when I have an hour to kill.

Branshen · March 2015

Do people play arpeggios as groupings of two or four notes? I find when I do it as groupings of two notes (which can be done with three fingers), I get a very gypsy jazz sound.

Anyone have any insight on this?

Megii · March 2015

Branshen said:

Do people play arpeggios as groupings of two or four notes? I find when I do it as groupings of two notes (which can be done with three fingers), I get a very gypsy jazz sound.

Anyone have any insight on this?

I'm afraid I'm not quite understanding what you mean @Branshen , but it sounds like an interesting observation you make - could you try to explain a bit more please, sorry to be slow on the uptake!

Branshen · March 2015

It's something I just discovered today, but I'll try my best.

We position our hand and fingerings to maximise efficiency. So if I wanted to play a B7 arpeggio, I can play it with all four fingers and not move my hand at all (I.e. grouping of four).

But if you were to think of it as groupings of two notes, you move your hand every two notes, resetting your fingers and not using your pinky. It gives the arpeggio the "gypsy bounce".

Anyone relate or am I just talking nonsense?

Megii · April 2015

I think I'm with you @Branshen - personally I don't think I do that specific thing a lot with arpeggios, although I do find I change position on the neck quite a lot in general, sometimes when I suppose it would be possible to stay in one position. Not sure why I do that, but I think it does maybe give a certain kind of effect. Don't think you're talking nonsense anyhow - it's an interesting idea, and I'm sure it has value.

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