PlayJazzGuitar.com Forum

trotsky · Posted: Sun Oct 11, 2009 1:27 pm Post subject:

I am reluctant to comment on so many threads here simply because after years of toil and drudgery I have to face the fact that I have arrived at somewhere right around subpar Rolling Eyes

However,

Living in this area has brought me heavily under the influence of Ed Bickert and his many disciples.
The solo guitar approach these people have has always inspired me.
The best way to describe it would be a mixture of pick/fingerstyle with a strong leaning towards improvisation.
I don't know if "chord melody" is what this approach is even though there are elements present but the result is usually much more interesting and listenable to me.
I have always approached chord melody as a type of study than a way to perform this music.
I don't mean to offend anybody because it is surely personal taste but to hear a guitar player play a piece of music with all chords can be quite monotonous..at least to my ear.
To learn many voicings with different intervals in different places is a must and to have this tool under your fingers when approaching this great music is of tremendous value ...but I try to mix things up a bit always.
Here is a version of "Everything Happens To Me" that I am willing to share just to try and convey what I am talking about.
http://soundclick.com/share?songid=6773456
It is not great....I am not great Rolling Eyes

...however I think it kind of displays the concept that I am striving for when I play solo.
As far as approaching chord melody in general goes the best advice I could offer is be sure and have the actual single note melody internalized first before moving on.
Sing it..Hum it...move it all over the neck. Then giddy-yup.
Good luck
Gene

PaulD · Joined: 18 Sep 2004 Posts: 1130 Location: Chicago

Gene,

That was gorgeous! I love the way you took your time and let the song breathe. That type of playing is what I've been working towards, and although I'm a bit behind you, I feel like I've been making some good progress lately.

In the past, when working on CM, I would always work out the melody using all chords and then fill in with single-line here and there. I was never really pleased with the way my stuff would come out. What's been helping me out tremendously the last couple of years is playing tunes with more single-line and just filling in with chords a bit more sparsely, which is almost the opposite of the way I used to approach chord-melody. That's what I liked so much about your clip here Gene. It flows & sounds like a song, not an exercise in how many chords you know Cool

Paul

ed norton · Joined: 03 Nov 2005 Posts: 763

Yeah that was killer Mr. Trotsky, I loved it. I found myself rewinding some parts, cool.

steve · Joined: 04 Jun 2005 Posts: 867 Location: oz

Yes, that was well nice.
_________________
Miles is the answer.

Wildfield · Joined: 28 Jun 2006 Posts: 406

Gene,

Very nice playing. You are too humble. Thanks for posting the link.

Darryl

trotsky · Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2009 2:39 pm Post subject:

Geez thx guys Embarassed

I didn't mean to Hijack the thread with compliment fishing Rolling Eyes

I had the great pleasure of hearing Ed Bickert live a gazillion times while living in Toronto. Some of my favourite moments were when he was playing by himself. ..Usually an intro or something.
That is enough to keep anyone humble Wink

a great example is the beginning of 'I'll never stop loving you' on the album I wished on the moon....( If you don't have this album go to the ends of the earth to find it and own it)
I hope you get what I mean about space and monotony.
Sometimes all you need are 2 notes....or even 1.

Later
Gene

trotsky · Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2009 2:49 pm Post subject:

LOL
Here I will make it easy for you.
http://myjazzworld.blogspot.com/2009/09/ed-bickert-quartet-i-wished-on-moon.html
or
http://www.amazon.ca/Wished-Moon-Ed-Bickert-Quartet/dp/B0000006FJ

I bought my copy in a bargain bin for 5 bucks Cdn $$ about 15 yrs ago.
I just about had a heart attack when I saw the Amazon price Rolling Eyes

It must be discontinued or something.
OUCH!!
Let your conscience guide you on this one boys and girls.

steve · Joined: 04 Jun 2005 Posts: 867 Location: oz

I was chasing links for bickert album and somehow ended up purchasing:
David Young and Lenny Breau Live at Bourbon Street. Shocked

I know nothing of Breau, although I've heard his name bandied around this site a fair bit. Anyway the album is incredible! I can't recomment it highly enough.

I was sitting with my guitar listening to Green Dolphin Street and he was playing a note out of the range of my neck at the same time as grabbing a fairly mid range chord. What the hell, is this overdubbed? > Google > what the hey is that guitar he's playing?

I love the way he holds melody notes while creating chord movement underneath. Love the way he has dynamic contrast between the main line and the harmony. Love his space. Love his ballsy imrovs that sometimes teeter on the brink of losing it. Great tone. Time......

So who's a fan? Anyone else got this double album?
_________________
Miles is the answer.

PaulD · Joined: 18 Sep 2004 Posts: 1130 Location: Chicago

ed norton · Joined: 03 Nov 2005 Posts: 763

http://forums.nutsie.com/viewtopic.php?t=19540
This kid has a shrine to Lenny on the other site I frequent. These kids are real afficianados and teach me lots of facts I would otherwise ignore. Oh Lenny was a genius. Haven't heard the track, but seem to remember Lenny sometimes played a seven string with a string above E as opposed to below E as is the traditional way. It was custom made by a guy in Laguna Beach. This may be your answer Steve, dunno can't really say.
I have some Bickert recordings Gene , thanks. I will go back and spend some more time with them. I was really inspired by your recording.

mr. beaumont · Joined: 10 Apr 2006 Posts: 907 Location: chicago

i bet it's the high strung seven string. (high A)

lenny's playing was really impressive, but i can only listen to it for a little bit at a time...most solo guitar records really, with the exclusion of george van eps...george i can can dig for hours...

i've been experimenting with using a lighter gauge string for my fourth string and tuning it up an octave...oh, the voicings!
_________________
“For the guitar is the most unpredictable and least reliable musical instrument in existence...and also the sweetest, the warmest, the most delicate, whose melancholic voice awakes in our soul exquisite reveries.”

Andres Segovia

randalljazz · Joined: 19 May 2009 Posts: 84

mr. beaumont · Joined: 10 Apr 2006 Posts: 907 Location: chicago

i stole the idea from my ukulele!
_________________
“For the guitar is the most unpredictable and least reliable musical instrument in existence...and also the sweetest, the warmest, the most delicate, whose melancholic voice awakes in our soul exquisite reveries.”

Andres Segovia

randalljazz · Joined: 19 May 2009 Posts: 84

trotsky · Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2009 8:27 pm Post subject:

I am glad that Mr. Beaumont said it and not me... Confused

..
..but for the record I can't listen to much Lenny B either. Rolling Eyes

HE IS A GENIUS...no doubt about that though.
I am not a Jazz historian but I do know that Lenny spent a significant amount of time in Toronto and was actually pretty close with Peter Harris who was one of my teachers.
Peter actual played Lennys old six string Baldwin guitar while I studied with him.
Peter has since passed away as well. Crying or Very sad

He was heavily influenced by Lenny as were a lot of the Toronto heavies like Ed and Lorne Lofsky.....and in turn guys were influenced by them..
It is interesting how it all rolls downhill Wink

Speaking of history...I wish that some Jazz patron had forced Ed to record a solo guitar album.
I had seen him play with Neil Swainson in just a quiet duo context at a place called the Guitar Bar....
Man it was like a religous experience..and I mean that with absolute sincerity.
Just brilliant.
It is really too bad that those moments weren't captured...
There and gone..
I guess that is the nature of this music.