Here’s a quick look at the tune “I Can’t Get Started”. Just a chorus with a little intro and outro. This is something I had to do a year or so ago…obviously just some suggestions for substitutions etc. Take what you like and add your own. Enjoy. (click here) ICantGetStarted

First Installment of “The Critics Corner” (though I’m sure that phrase has been copyrighted…drat!)

There is an epidemic in the world of jazz guitarists. I am not entirely sure of its origins or what to call it, but many suffer from treble deficiency due to a lack of tone knob usage. The tone knob on an electric guitar is the device that limits the supply of treble in the signal that ultimately produces sound.

Now I am not saying that more treble equals better tone. I am not even saying that the tone knob in the “off” position creates a bad sound. Either of these assertions would be silly. There is an appropriate time for both scenarios. I AM saying that, in the majority of cases, when I listen to contemporary jazz guitarist I tend to hear the same underwater quality normally associated with guitar greats like Jim Hall. Once again, this IS NOT BAD TONE. It just seems that, for a while now, a straight-ahead jazz album with a guitarist requires said tone. This idea is choking the potential of the instrument in this genre.

Often this tone is described as “warm”…fine. I called it that when I used this technique. In retrospect I chose that tone because I thought that’s what a jazz guitar is suppose to sound like, and, technically speaking, it allowed me to “get away with murder” (a quote from my friend and colleague Matt Hudson concerning this very topic). Try it out sometime. Play a single line passage with tone off then play the same passage tone wide open…not as forgiving is it.

At the end of the day if a tone pleases you, use it. However, don’t use it because you are “supposed to” or because it makes playing easier. This is similar to the principle of employing effects to complement your playing rather than taking the place of your playing. Use a tone because it sounds good, that is all that matters. For now though, I implore everyone to reach down, grab that tone knob, and turn that sucker clockwise. Let’s see what happens. Join the revolution (pun intended).

Carla Bley’s composition, “Olhos de Gato,” is by and large a modal tune. Utilizing both modal chord structure and polychordal ideas she has created a sophisticated but subtle palette of aural colors. The lead chart seems to be very accurate (from 1st Real Book OlhosDeGatoLeadChart). Goodrick plays the modal chord voicings, notated on the chart, in his accompaniment. In one case specifically they clarify the chord symbol. Considering the melody of the tune and Goodrick’s voicing it is probably better to use A7b13 instead of Dmin/A in measure 7. By doing this it you can use A mixolydian b6 (or the 5th mode of D melodic minor). This maintains the idea of each mode beginning with the A pedal.

This solo is taken from Gary Burton’s New Quartet. In these three choruses Mick Goodrick masterfully connects the harmonies with an improvised melody one would swear was composed before hand.

Goodrick’s opening D natural, played against the A minor (and against the Bb/A [A Phrygian] in the pickup measure), initially creates a sense of ambiguity. Soon that D plays a duel role as melody and counter melody. This is the main idea, if you will, of the first chorus. In measure 7 the two separate melodies are established as the previous D natural begins its decent to the F# in measure 13. At this point he abandons the counter melody, proceeding with a single line.

In the second chorus Goodrick clearly phrases his melody as question/answer or, probably more accurately, subject/predicate. It’s likely this idea starts at the beginning of the second chorus. It gets more defined in measure 20 and completely solidified in measure 25. This continues through the 3rd chorus until the last 4 bars.

For the most part Goodrick follows the changes, often making use of common tones. In the second measure of chorus 2 he anticipates the change from A dorian to A Aeolian by using F natural instead of F#. It is also interesting when he outlines the Bb chord in 15 when every other time the Bb/A chord appears he uses the A phrygian sound or at least targets A minor tones. This is certainly a solo to study line construction in modern harmonies.

olhosdegatosolo (click to view transcription)

LennyBreauArtHarm (click here to view examples)

Artificial harmonics can be a handy weapon in the guitarist’s arsenal. In the world of jazz guitarists, Lenny Breau is possibly the most recognized for this technique. Recently I was told that this technique was a “trick”. There was not much elaboration, but I think I can safely assume that he felt that the general use of this “trick” is less than musical. The fact is, the use of artificial harmonics described here is an extended technique, and like any extended technique if it is over used and/or used unmusically then yes it is then a trick. This is not unlike the abuse of the flutter tonguing of a trumpet or flute, bowing the bridge or tailpiece on a double bass, or bending the pitch on a vibraphone. I would also say that a guitarist’s ability to play 17 notes per second is an exceptional and extended technique and is more easily abused than artificial harmonics.

Artificial harmonics on the guitar solve a problem. Chord voicings on the guitar are often open. Closed chord structures require a guitarist to make awkward fingerings, and clusters are very limited. Artificial harmonics raise the fretted note one octave, which when played simultaneously with other fretted notes in the chord, makes clusters more easily obtained (see Examples). Another advantage to artificial harmonics is the harp/vibraphone quality to which these clusters and chords are allowed to ring over one another. It’s easier to hear than to explain. I have attached a few ideas that I like to use. For a more thorough breakdown of Lenny Breau’s use of artificial harmonics I recommend Visions by Stephen D. Anderson and Fingerstyle Jazz by John Knowles and Lenny Breau.

Artificial Harmonics have been in use for quite sometime. They are often found in classical guitar repertoire and Chet Atkins made extensive use of them before Breau. The real genius of Lenny Breau lies in his piano like comping technique. His ability to accompany his own solos like the left hand of a pianist is truly remarkable, but I intend to cover this in a later entry. For now here is brief look at artificial harmonics.

LennyBreauArtHarm (click here to view examples)

A quick disclaimer, we all must learn tunes and commit them to memory. As “jazz” musicians we build our repertoire from an immense catalogue of “standard” tunes and songs. We learn these to maintain common ground between us. We should all increase our personal repertoire as much as possible and/or in as much as it is fitting.

The “jam” session is apart of the jazz musician’s life, especially the early part. It is a great way to be involved in the local scene and meet new people. The right session can inspire and can be a golden opportunity to trade ideas and network. The wrong session is usually a urinating contest (I’m trying to keep the language clean here) accomplishing little more than to massage the egos of the participants. You can’t have the good without the bad and for better or worse both types of sessions are definitely rites of passage.

I always find it interesting (and now that I know better, a little humorous) when I witness this scenario at jam sessions: One musician says lets play this tune, and one says I don’t know that one or I never learned that tune, etc. The first musician says with amazement, “ you don’t know it! Are you serious!” Now the first musician feels good about himself and the one who doesn’t know the tune might feel bad. In case you are wondering, I have been both of these musicians.

I have found that commonly called tunes vary from city to city, and out the hundreds of standards even the basic ones follow this trend. As for the above musician who could not believe that the other guy didn’t know the called tune, it’s only a matter of time before one is called that he doesn’t know either. Why do musicians act like this? Insecurity. They are insecure, on some level, about their musical abilities. Now, I did not say that they are incompetent. One could be among the best in his field and still be insecure.

The next time you are sitting in on a session and you do not know a song, the best thing to do is to go home and learn it. It is equally important to not feel the least bit bad about not knowing it in the first place. The next time you call a tune and someone doesn’t know it, don’t be “that guy.” Seriously who are you to draw the line between necessary and unnecessary tunes? The word “standard” suggests that it’s an essential part of the repertoire. How many standards are there? A lot. Is it possible to memorize them all? Sure. Have you? Neither have I. Do you want to? Neither do I. No, it’s probably more important to acquire the skills necessary to efficiently understand how those standards work in general, but that’s just my opinion.

to be continued…

Jelly Roll solo (click to view Mingus transcription)

The first four bars of Mingus’ solo on “Jelly Roll” mostly outline an Eb harmony (note: some books harmonize the first 4 measures of this tune with a series of Bb-7 to Eb7. This is likely because of the bass part that Mingus plays which goes from the 5 of the chord to the root i.e. Bb to Eb. Upon hearing just the bass part one might be inclined to interpret those notes as roots but this would be incorrect. This bass motion is typical of marches and early jazz. The piano plays an Eb and sometimes an Eb7 in these first measures.) We really do not even get a flat 7 in his line. There is a possible 9th (F) in the second and third measure but both times it falls to an Eb giving the impression that it is likely an appoggiatura. These note choices and lack of extensions are also characteristic of early jazz. We also get a sense of blues phrasings for most of the first chorus and especially the first eight measures. There is a nice blues like anticipation in measure 6 (Db). He could also simply be resolving to the Db chord in measure 7 early.

The last 3 measures of the first chorus sound like Eb. The Ab eighth notes in measure 12 could be a resolution to an Ab major chord and the next G might be treated as a major 7th. However the G’s in measure 12 and 13, especially when moving back and forth to the Eb’s give the impression that he either moves in retrograde back to the Eb chord or never leaves it and the Ab’s in measure 12 are basically upper neighboring tones.

Something curious happens in this first chorus though; measure 9 is essentially missing and the form that is played is 13 bars not 14 as it is written and played every other time. There might be an explanation as to how his melody led to this happening. The Db in measure 6 simply occurs early affecting everything after it in the same way. So a more accurate statement is that we are missing measure 6 from the original form. The great thing about observing this is the realization that this mishap does not affect the other musicians on the recording and to the ear Mingus’ intent is quite clear.

The 2nd chorus begins with a diatonic descending sequence on the level of Eb. There is a solid Eb7 sound in measure 16 when he leaps from the Db to the G (beat 2). The Ab7 is delayed in the line until beat 2 of measure 18. The next chord, Db7, is delayed until the middle of measure 20. Again on the Db7 there is not a strong iteration of the b7. There are plenty of examples of chromaticism but there are not a lot of implied 7th’s at all in his solo and the 9th’s are melodic in a way not to implicate an extended harmony. This is interesting because it adheres to the musical vocabulary of the time period and style from which it the composition draws. The first strong 7th comes at the end of the solo when the G’s are played over the Ab chord (most charts have this written as an Ab7 which seems confusing). He appears to be outlining an Ab6 chord with a major 7th thrown in. The major 7th could also be retrograde motion back to the dominant chord (Eb7). He uses enclosures to outline the Ab chord in measure 26. Beginning on the last beat of measure 25 he encloses the Ab with the previous Eb and Bb, the G is enclosed by the Ab and the F, and the F by the G and E natural. Finally he uses a Bb to go back to the Eb at the top of the form.

Jelly Roll solo (click to view transcription)

This is an arrangement I made of Heres That Rainy Day (click) for solo guitar. It consists of three full choruses of the tune. The first is a rather basic chord-melody example. It gets a little more advanced halfway through with increased motion in the bass and harmony.

The second chorus is another chord-melody arrangement of the tune with more advanced harmonization and slightly more demanding technical requirements. The “fills” between the melody are just suggestions, but should be adequate guides for learning how to insert improvised material in a situation like this. Some of the ideas in this chorus and the next are influenced directly by Joe Pass, some indirectly by George Van Epps, and some are either traditional approaches or my own.

The third chorus departs from the melody and is more of a chord solo (again meant to be unaccompanied). I suggest incorporating your own fills in places where I have whole notes and/or space, also try the opposite. Again, these are models of how to negotiate these types of harmonies; once you learn this arrangement you should try develop your own ideas around these chord changes.

The chord symbols that I have provided reflect the basic harmony of the tune and not necessarily the chords that are notated. For the most part I have only used tritone substitutions or neighboring chords (if you will) when I depart from the written chord symbols. On occasion I have provided the substituted chord in parenthesis. Also sometimes I use 6/9 and major7 chords interchangeably as well as 7th and 9th chords (dominant chords).

Have fun!

Heres That Rainy Day

Click on Link above to view Music

“Ballet” is a tune by Michael Gibbs. This is a transcription of  Larry Coryell’s guitar solo from Gary Burton’s album, Duster. The first thing I noticed about this solo is Coryell’s since of beginning, middle, and end. It is difficult to draw definite lines between these sections but there is a development in motion through the end of the solo.

The first notes outline a Dbmaj7 chord and provides the extensions of the Eb7 while making a seemless transition to the Ab7. The next phrase answers with the same idea but the Gmin7b5 that he outlines only exploits the 9th of the Eb7. In measures 11-13 contain subtle “over the barline” phrasing. The tune is essentially a blues and Coryell clearly uses blues vocabulary in many of his phrases. Before he gets into that though we hear a nice combination of whole-tone and pentatonic sounds in the turn-around. It is also worth noting Coryell’s use of two against three in this ¾ blues that sometimes produces a shuffle feel.

When we get to the second chorus we get an onslaught of blues phrasing. There is not much more I can say. There is a lot of Eb pentatonic sound over the entire chorus. I am by no means criticizing. I especially like what the Eb blues sounds produce over the turn-around chords, and the rhythmic choices are terrific. Between these rhythms and Coryell’s utilization of space there is a good deal of tension created with relatively basic note choices. Lovely.

In case you forgot what key we are in, Coryell reminds you…Eb! An Eb is played in the first 6 measures of this final chorus, again with great rhythmic phrasing. Still lots of Eb blues sounds. In measure 61 he breaks from the blues and uses diatonic thirds to outline the Eb7. At the E7#9 he uses what can be interpreted as a “side step” technique (also classic in blues) to easily get from the Eb7 to the E7#9 (note: just to clarify, the E7#9 and the D7#9 are tritone substitutions for Bb7 and Ab7 respectively). The last four bars are filled with, basically, triads in first inversion (Eb, D, Db, D, Eb, E, E, Eb); here he is revisiting the turn-around chords, possibly using the Db and second Eb as neighboring and passing chords. We are left with I, IV, V, I.

Enjoy

Click on Link to View Transcription
Ballet_Coryell

A few months ago I decided to buy a chorus pedal. I shopped around and sampled a large range of price and quality. I had the opportunity to try a few JHS pedals at a nearby store (Main Street Vintage in Tupelo, MS). I found the craftsmanship to be excellent…
everything hand wired, quiet, and in some cases custom painted.
I play primarily jazz and I wanted a chorus with a range from subtle to chorusly obnoxious, and of course if any work came along that required that 80’s sparkle then I’d have that too. I contacted the JHS Custom Shop and they fixed me right up. They created a chorus pedal to my specs and also gave it a vibrato feature. Now if I want vibrato instead of chorus I just turn the “blend” knob all the way to the right and presto vibrato. I was also able to select my own colors and knobs to make it truly custom. This pedal sounds amazing. I can’t wait to send in my TS 808 to be modded.

I do not think it is a stretch to say that paying gigs are harder to come by these days. Professional musicians who earn their living solely by performing and recording are in short supply. I know very few musicians who do not have to supplement their income with another job¬—granted, the other job is usually in the music field but not in a performance capacity.

The following commentary does not concern any one particular genre. To skip the following rhetoric and get right to my point scroll down to the summary.

The job title “musician” does not seem to imply a skill set with which one might become employed, it only seems to imply a goal not yet met. When I am asked what I do, and I say, “I am a musician,” the next question is usually, “what’s the name of your band?” It IS logical that I might be in a band, but why is the question not, “where do you work?” I could be a solo classical performer or a studio musician; I might be in an orchestra, or write jingles. The term “band,” to me, refers to an entity that may or may not “make it” and “making it” is the public perception of what being a musician is, and sadly it is also the perception of many musicians.
I could go on about how many of today’s stars would not sound the way they do if there were not skilled musicians making the music with which the star sings, but this blog entry is not about equal spotlight for supporting musicians. There is often a “star”, a pretty face, or charismatic front person in pop music (as well as other genre) and this is where the spotlight usually belongs to be commercially successful and that is fine. Today’s topic is more about acknowledgment (or lack thereof) of the trade of musicians as a legitimate line of work.

The first step we, as musicians, must do to regain respect as a profession is to demand payment for our services. Put bluntly…don’t play for FREE. This is a small step but is also the easiest to do and control. As long as there are performers (musicians) concerned only with “making it,” there will always be people who play for free. For those of us who dare to call ourselves professional, this is simply unacceptable. When we play for free we are not only robbing ourselves we are robbing our fellow musicians.
Oh, and clubs are NOT to blame. If I am a club owner and in order for my business to survive I have to make money, would I spend it on a band or save it by hiring a band that will play for free. I think I will go with the free one.

Simple fact break: As Americans we live in a capitalistic society. In order to survive in that society we have to make an income with a chosen skill(s). Now if you do not believe in charging a fee to perform music that’s fine, you would simply play that music at home. No, I do not believe that the essence of music lies in monetary gain, but the fact is that many people rely on this profession to earn a living and are constantly loosing work to those who perform only to get noticed or as a hobby.

Example: My hobby is carpentry. I have become quite the capable cabinetmaker Because I enjoy it so much I have decided to solicit my services as a cabinetmaker to local contractors and homeowners…for free. Is this right?

Exceptions. Obvious one first: auditions. Secondly, there are venues and clubs that simply do not pay; it is their policy and that is that, so enter at your own peril. (Note: Beware also of venues that offer to pay a percentage of the house take.) Community orchestras and bands would fit this scenario and the next. Third, donations, certainly donate your time for a good cause if you so choose. I would probably be inclined to say that church gigs are also discretionary in this matter.

Summary. If you are a musician, professional or amateur, do NOT play for free.