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[Topseli]

Hi all!

This is my first post on PlayJazzGuitar forum.

So can you experienced jazz cats tell me did you do this? (The Continuous Scale Exercise) and if so, how long did it take to really master it?

I've been practicing this for a long time and still it seems I can't do it well so
I thought that some experiences about this type of exercise would get my motivation back to the higher level

Topseli

[JakeJew]

[Topseli]

Check it out in The Jazz Theory Book by Mark Levine
Page 120

It seems to me its a must have book so i assume you have it?

Edit:

The exercise goes like this:

You pick a tune with some Alt, 7b9, etc chords and stat to ascend the scale for like 4 notes and then you move to the next chord and continue the ascending from where the last chord with the next chords scale and so on.

the book says this trains you to start the new scale wherever the last chord dropped you and teaches how to link scales together into a long flowing line

A bit clumsy explanation but thats the best i can do with my bad english

[JakeJew]

[Topseli]

Yeah. Thanks for replies

My teacher showed me this ex awhile ago with stella. He did it with 8th notes with metronome on like 90 and i've practiced this alot but quarter notes on tempo 60 is too much for me... guess i need to get back to the shed

[planetguy]

on a related note (pun not intended) another thing i like to do is take a chord progression from a tune...let's say autumn leaves in Em and then divide the fingerboard into a small zone.

let's say from the open low E string to the 5th fret of the high E string.

and remember in this ex. you don't go above the 5th fret but instead turn back down for the next avail chord tone.

you the play arpeggios through the changes using only chord tones.

so....the first chord once you're into the changes is Am7.

Am7 you'd start up from that low E string w E G A C

then continue up w D F# A C for the D7th....

then continue up for the GM7 w D F# G (back down to) F#

then continuing back down you start your CM7 on the E of the B string etc, etc.


this is a great way to learn tunes and it also helps you see different qualities of chords starting on every different inversion!


for extra points you can also concoct different parameters/boundaries. say....from the fifth fret to the the eight fret.....or even using the whole length of the neck but only the bottom four strings, or.....


hope that makes some sense.
_________________
just groove baby!

[Jens]

I think it is a great exercise. You should by the way try it not only with scales but also diatonic arps/triads or 3rds etc.
I still use it quite often.

Jens
_________________
http://www.jenslarsen.nl

[Topseli]

Cheers!

Thanks for your replies!

I got many new practicing ideas from them and now I'm back in that ''drive'' to practice more and more!

Thanks again

[Jens]

If you find it hard to do on a tune then maybe start out with a simple progression, so that you have to think less about chords and where you are in a 32 bar tune and more about changing and keeping time.
I really think that helps getting in to the flow and feeling the barline. Something like: Imaj7 VI7alt IIm7 F7 alt or maybe Cm7 F7alt Bbm7 Eb7alt Abm etc.. Bmaj7 D7 Gmaj7 Bb7 Ebmaj7 Gb7. In the beginning it is probably easier to keep track if the scales are quite different sounding, so not too many common notes.

Jens
_________________
http://www.jenslarsen.nl

[chrisj]

Similar to the first post, you could play a 1-2-3-5 arp over each chord and sound like Coletrane.

Half way down the page:
http://chrisjuergensen.com/arpeggios.htm
_________________
-CJ
http://chrisjuergensen.com
The Infinite Guitar: http://www.lulu.com/content/253095

[ed norton]

It's Coltrane...........go Cole Hamels!

[JakeJew]

Mmmm Colslaw.
_________________
"Inspiration may be a form of superconsciousness, or perhaps of subconciousness - I wouldn't know. But I am sure that it is the antithesis of self-consciousness." - Aaron Copland

[ed norton]

mmmmm

[chrisj]

Err.. I meant Cole Porter...
_________________
-CJ
http://chrisjuergensen.com
The Infinite Guitar: http://www.lulu.com/content/253095

[M]

Coal Miner (or Minor?)