(jazz) What was the first solo piece you learned? What are you working on now?

[blumonk]

For me it was Gershwin's Summertime in a Joe Pass type of arrangement. Open A D and E chords droned while I played melody and solo with fingers. I enjoyed learning this piece but soon realized how the open strings droning can put people to sleep rather quickly. Simple and relaxed tune, which provided a comfortable structure for soloing.

 

Right now I'm trying to learn a fast jazz blues in Bb with all the turnarounds and basslines. This is definately more difficult for me and provides the listener with more interesting and moving music. I'm trying to fit all those diminished and sub chords in there as well. Might be a while until I finish this one.

 

So what are you working on? What have you done before? What tips do you have? What do you enjoy about it? What is difficult to do? Is it wise to mimmick Joe Pass first then try to create your own, or just start doing your own and then find out later that Joe Pass already did it?

 

Post some video clips.

[gennation]

There's no way I can remember the first one. Maybe...Tal Farlow doing the head to Godchlid with Red Norvo, some jazz progressions from Joe Pass in Guitar Player Mag, Les Paul Bye Bye Blues, Night Train or Sleepwlk or some other stuff from Chet Atkins albums...or maybe it was exercises in Chord Chemistry...all those kind of happened around the same time n 1980-81. But then again I did some guitar in HS Jazz Band from 1978-80.

 

What I'm working on now???

 

A lot of things. I'm always working on turnarounds, each week they get a little better. I printed off about 15 great standards to work on reading, chording/comp'ing, soloing, theory views, etc... I'm always working on ii-V-I's on their own too.

 

This weekend I 'm going to work on finishing some of Adderley's licks on Freedie Freeloader (the augmented stuff), and work on Footprints (I was messing with some of my notes on it this morning). And I want to transcribe the head to Belo Horizante by Mclaughlin (I know, I just want to chart and tab it for future reference).

 

Never ending, and never boring

[oakleaf]

I always have my students start out with the tune "footprints" as it's very linear, mostly minor 7th in structure, and easy to apply most all chordal approach techniques to.

I plan on writing up a little lesson on this sometime in the near future at http://intellectualmusician.com so be lookin' for it there.

[blumonk]

Cool website oak!

[Dubb]

I'm working on my very first jazz tune as we speak . It's a chord-melody arrangement of "(Back Home Again in) Indiana." These chords are killin' me, but thats the whole reason I'm learning it.

[Zetor]

So far I

[Stackabones]

My first jazz guitar tune was a chord melody arrangement of "Satin Doll." It took a while to get it down.

 

My first arrangement of a chord melody solo was "All of Me"--it took a while, but it was worth it.

 

I try to sight read a few tunes a week as a chord melody--sometimes it works, other times I realize how much work I need to do. If I go a few weeks without doing it, it can be pretty rough going.

[chittypantz]

"Days of Wine and Roses" -- it was very challenging at the time. I kind of went outside my teacher's curriculum and learned my own chord/melody version of it to impress him. . . . and it actually did. I don't think he was impressed by my arrangement so much as he was impressed by the fact that I was able to do it, when I was still learning some really basic stuff.

Lately I've been working on my umpteenth version of Black Orpheus and my first version of Cole Porter's "Easy to Love." Nothing too new or challenging, but I felt the need to step back for a little while and play a bit more within my comfort zone. I think I'll probably stretch out a bit more over the next week or two, though.

A question for some more experienced solo jazz guitar players -- how strict are your solo guitar arrangements? I like to retain some flexibility in how I play them, but some songs I find myself playing them over and over the same way, and it bores me and would probably bore an audience too. I'd like to be able to play each tune 3 or four times through and have it be pretty different each time. Does anyone have favorite ways of switching it up they can suggest? And how much do you rehearse and memorize the different ways of playing a given tune, versus generally knowing different approaches and changing it up on the fly? Muchas gracias for any suggestions.

[Mike McLenison]

My first was Wave followed by One Note Samba. Great Jobim tunes.

[blumonk]

A question for some more experienced solo jazz guitar players -- how strict are your solo guitar arrangements? I like to retain some flexibility in how I play them, but some songs I find myself playing them over and over the same way, and it bores me and would probably bore an audience too. I'd like to be able to play each tune 3 or four times through and have it be pretty different each time. Does anyone have favorite ways of switching it up they can suggest? And how much do you rehearse and memorize the different ways of playing a given tune, versus generally knowing different approaches and changing it up on the fly? Muchas gracias for any suggestions.

 

 

I am far from experienced, but I remember watching an old Joe Pass video and he talks about this. He says it should always be different. Different voicings make it interesting. Also instead of playing a min9, throw in a min11 instead. Stuff like that. Also look at the area of the fretboard you are playing. If you are starting off Misty at one end of the neck, try starting at the other end. Arrangement 1 - your bassline goes up, Arrangement 2- your bassline goes down. Lasty playing with different tempos. I remember playing Blue Bossa with one of my teachers. Some days we would play it lightening fast or as fast as we could, then other days we would play it as relaxed and slow as possible. It really changed the whole song and the way you solo on it. Hope some of this helps. Again, I'm no pro, just a student.

[blumonk]

My first was Wave followed by One Note Samba. Great Jobim tunes.

 

 

Yeah I'm really interested in learning a Jobim tune, but I can't decide. What would be a challenging tune of his to do? Wave is great, but Joe Pass pretty much played the heck out of that one. Then there is this song called Red Blouse which is not as popular. I donno. Which do you recommend for my first Jobim tune?

[blumonk]

^ Pretty good. I like his geetar too.

[astring]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKffhhrz0Cs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29XVppxFe3M ^ Pretty good. I like his geetar too.

is that you?, if so kudos. I am working on that style but this clip is a bit better than my playing (though I improve every year). Currently I am working on songs from the 30's like Up a Lazy River, Paper Moon, Dream a Little Dream, Georgia on my Mind and right now Aint Misbehavin

[blumonk]

is that you?, if so kudos. I am working on that style but this clip is a bit better than my playing (though I improve every year). Currently I am working on songs from the 30's like Up a Lazy River, Paper Moon, Dream a Little Dream, Georgia on my Mind and right now Aint Misbehavin

 

 

Hell no. I wish.

[Stackabones]

Yeah I'm really interested in learning a Jobim tune, but I can't decide. What would be a challenging tune of his to do? Wave is great, but Joe Pass pretty much played the heck out of that one. Then there is this song called Red Blouse which is not as popular. I donno. Which do you recommend for my first Jobim tune?

 

Question not directed at me, but I thought I'd chime in. Red Blouse is a great tune. Might as well go with one you really dig.

 

Pick any Jobim and you'll find amazing melodies, chords, rhythms. He's so good at taking a simple melody, repeating it, and changing the harmony under it.

 

A fun tune with lots of room would be Captain Bacardi from Wave. Not a complex tune, but great!

 

Of course, if you don't want to do Wave--do Tide. Same changes, different melody.

[Mike McLenison]

blumonk, One Note Samba is a great tune with continuously moving passing chords. I didn't do it as an instrumental, but sang it. Wish I still knew it. I remember bits a pieces, that's about it.

[jayhitz]

I'm just beginning to work on tunes like this, been playing rock a long time but have never practiced much seriously, especially in the last few years.

 

The ones I have started out with are All of Me, Blue Skies, and Aint Misbehavin.

I am familiar with the tunes, but not all the chords involved. Trying to play along with Band in a box, switching between learning the chords, playing the melody, and doing what limited improv I'm capable of at this point.

[Virgman]

I play a bunch but today I pulled out Green Dolphin Street.

 

Pretty melody.

 

Giant Steps I play often too.

 

I try to play 8-10 songs every other day. If I play one pretty well the first or second time I skip to the next one. I use Band-in-a-Box for that.

 

I try to learn a new one every week.

[astring]

I play a bunch but today I pulled out Green Dolphin Street. Pretty melody. Giant Steps I play often too. I try to play 8-10 songs every other day. If I play one pretty well the first or second time I skip to the next one. I use Band-in-a-Box for that. I try to learn a new one every week.

 

 

I'd say slow down and arrange a chord melody of a tune and try to work in a bassline. Really trick it out.