Notes from Thurs Nov 8

Here are a few more charts. I've added All of Me and Autumn Leaves because we can learn the most from these 2 tunes. I've included Spooky as well because it has become a jazz standard, it's funky and it's so "II-V" ! This is also an example of how jazz chord progressions made it into "pop" music. So if you want to get a head start on those here are the charts. We'll look at them next week.
Here they are:
1. All of Me
2. Autumn Leaves
3. Josie
4. How High the Moon
5. Girl From Ipanema
6. Spooky - video below, play along. This is the original version, in Fm.

I made a Repertoire page with a basic standards list.
Videos below.

+++++++++++++++++

Please just peruse the pile of charts I gave you. You don't have to know how to play them all, but just look at the different chord progressions.

What to look for when looking at the tunes:

1) Note the key of the song.

2) Look at the chord progression as a whole. Is it a blues? Is it a 32 bar AABA? What's the "form". Is it "1st ending 2nd ending"? Is it rhythm changes? It is a minor key tune? etc.... How can you describe that tune?

3) Look at small parts of the chord progression and try to identify the II-V's here and there in the songs. Are there any cycle of 5th patterns (even for a few bars)?

4) Look at all those V chords moving around.

- When you're playing any of these tunes (or parts thereof) see if you can locate where the melody is on the guitar, in relation to the chord. And don't forget to locate the first note of the melody so you can hum the melody while you're playing the chords.
-  Play the chord progressions using whatever chord forms you like, or can play! The important thing is to play the tune, but make sure you practice the chords you can't play yet as well, then work them in.
- Note any fingering patterns that become obvious when you're playing through the chord progression.

Re: some even harder stuff. There's no reason why we can't learn parts of tunes.
Thanks Isreal for reminding me of Agua de Beber. If we have time, we can work on it. It's a cool tune and I have a good chart.
And Michael...I've added Girl from Ipanema, what the heck.
We might even try Round Midnight...later.
John - as I mentioned, Lost Weekend is "Rhythm Changes" in the key of D so you can practice that. The bridge is not Rhythm Changes though, it goes to F#m - C#7 - F#m.....then down from F#m to Em back to D (the old 1 2 3 trick, or in this case 3 2 1 (F#m-Em-D) )
And yes, So What does start on a D note! Thanks Michael M for pointing that out. I've readjusted my fingers to accommodate it.

Speaking of "rhythm changes", you can read all about Rhythm Changes at Wikipedia and see some variations and chord substitutions. There are tons of ways you can play this chord progression. But regardless of what alterations you make, always remember the basic chord progression. That's really important. The chart I gave you is as basic as it gets *. (note, that goes for any tune you learn..if you're learning other people's interpretation of things, make sure you're aware of the base chord progression. You can get this by 1) looking in fakebooks, or 2) YouTubing the tune and compare the chord progressions of different versions.)
I highly recommend you buy a standard fake book or get one online. You can buy a bundle of about a dozen of them, as pdfs. That's what I have, it's great.
Most of the charts I've given you are from the original "vintage" Realbook 1 fakebook so you can see what those look like.

* The original is actually even more basic but these are the standard changes played in the jazz world.

Next week, more fun, and tips for improvising. Plus it's about time we started adding some colourful notes to the basic chords we've been playing so heads up for that.

Videos below

RHYTHM CHANGES EXAMPLE 1 - the original
Here's a nice version of I Got Rhythm, the original tune. Listen to the form AABA and listen to the changes. You can play along also. The chords aren't identical but they never are. 


RHYTHM CHANGES EXAMPLE 2 
Here's a really fast version Sarah Vaughn that modulates to different keys. Don't try to play along just listen to the "changes" and when it goes from one key to another. Just listen.

 RHYTHM CHANGES EXAMPLE 3 - a modern approach
Herbie Hancock, Branford Marsalis. At 2:00 you can hear the chord progression starting and 2:12 you can firmly hear it. Listen to the bass player play the "changes" starting around 2:12!



RHYTHM CHANGES EXAMPLE 4 - Bebop
The ridiculously fast Anthropology by Charker Parker. Typical bebop rhythm changes. Again, just listen to the changes and even more importantly try to hear the AABA AABA AABA..... blur going by.



So What
One of the best moments in jazz, for me, is the cymbal crash at the top of the blowing (soloing) of So What, at the end of the "head". It's the sweetest cymbal crash in all of jazz. That's at 1:32.
You can play along, use the Dorian scale. The melody is easy too and starts on D and is fairly easy to finger on the guitar.

Spooky Classics IV - Fm
Play the Bb13 chord using the G6 chord position I showed you, except play the b7 note on the D string with your barred first finger. It's easy. Otherwise just play Bb7 (using the movable E chord) and play the Fm7 using the movable Am position.

Josie (Steely Dan) done by Larry Carlton (love the hair)
(Forget about the intro just start at the "groove" part Em)

Week 5 - Oct 18 Summertime, Aeolian/Dorian, Cycle of 5ths

Aeolian and Dorian minor scales/modes - the difference and how to play.



Summertime, play along




Cycle of 5ths
(look at the chart for Scrapple from the Apple that I gave you and you can see a common way that the cycle of 5ths is used)



Summertime, played by me. 

Week 2 - Sept 27, 2012 - Lesson Recap

Week 2 - What we did. 

1) Freddie, keep practising!

2) Mixolydian Scale – Root on bottom E string with 2^nd finger.

3) Blues with Everything - 12 bar blues with a  II - V change at the end and a repeating riff melody. It also uses: (Video coming)

1. Mixolydian scale
2. Blues note (Flated 3^rd), the slide.
3. b7 sounds
4. A common riff that repeats (8^th fret for C, 10^th fret for D)

• Practice melody
• Practice playing rhythm using the chords
• Practice the mixolydian scale over top of the chords.
  Note: When you get to Am7 and D9, just play D mixolydian. Don’t worry about the Am. 

4) The “5, V” chord and it’s various colors and functions. Read the sheet. You don’t have to “get” it all, just read it.

5) New chords – Just try to play them and remember when the roots are. To practice the fingering, try playing them using a basic rhythm, back and forth, with another chord you already know. Just go back and forth from chord to chord. Not only does this help you get the fingering together, it also helps train your ear because you hear what different chords sound like together.   

Diminished - 2 positions

1.      Root on low E string

2.      Root on A string

Half-diminished – 2 positions

1.      Root on low E string

2.      Root on A string

Here's the Blues with Everything tune, Key of G

 

Want to do something more adventurous? 
Here's the same tune but using the Freddie the Freeloader riff along with the melody. Check it out, try it.

Week one - Thurs Sept 20 Lession Recap

Hi class,
Good class yesterday, and thanks for coming! I've been really looking forward to getting this course going. It's going to be fun. If you don't "get it" yet, please don't sweat it, that happens at the first class. We're going to be together for almost 3 months, work at it, at your own speed. At some point the lightbulb will go off. I distinctly remember when the lightbulb went off for me, when I was learning jazz. One day I just got it. :) It will happen.
Remember, anything you learn in this course, you can apply to any type of music, and adds tremendously to your general musicianship.

Note: You don't have to have it all together by next week!
Note 2: Video coming later today! I'll let you all know.

See 4 Lesson videos related to this class in the sidebar 1) Chords for jazz, 2) Freddie the Freeloader; 3) How to swing, 4) Mack the Knife

Here is a recap of what you can do practice this week. 


1) Learn the chords I showed you, on the chord sheet.

2) Play the chords using the steady 4/4 rhythm, slowly. Each beat has the same "dynamic", all beats have the same volume. Think about good form and getting a good smooth sound.


3) Swing "feel" - Play a major scale that you know (or any scale you know) using the "swing" feel, as we did in class. Play slowly and smoothly.
Remember you can get the swing feel by "speaking" this (as a "triplet"):
Speak out loud
1 and ah  2 and ah  3 and ah  4 and ah
Now speak it, leaving out the "ands":
1        ah  2       ah  3      ah    4     ah


4) Play the main riff for Freddie... (position shown on chord sheet), regardless of whether you get the tune together or not. Don't sweat the tune, just play the riff.

Freddie the Freeloader

With 15 minutes left in the class, I should have pulled out Mack the Knife instead of Freddie the Freeloader, as I feel many of you left with an a thorough non-understanding :) . However, just learn the "riff" chord position (as shown on the chord sheet) and we'll pick up on it next week. I will also make a video later on today and post it here for those want to pursue it. I'll show you how to play the song.

Things to note about Freddie the Freeloader:

1) It is a 12-bar blues, straight up. Play the chord progression several times through, by itself, so you can hear the 12-bar blues. The Ab7 chord is the only chord that is different from standard 12-bar blues.
2) Remember I said the in blues "all chords are 7 chords". That's why the chords on the chord chart for Freddie... are all indicated as "7" chords. However, in jazz, we can play those chords as anything we want, so, using the chord sheet, play the chords for Freddie like this:

• Play the Bb7 chord using the G6 position on the chord sheet. (up 3 frets from G)
• Play the Eb7 and the F7 as the "movable C7 shape", as indicated on the chord sheet (chord says D7)
• OR play the Eb7 and F7 chords using the "D9" shape on the chord sheet.
• Play the Ab7 as an Ab7, the old 7 chord you know, or just play it as the a straight up Ab bar chord. No worries. 

3) Listen to the YouTube Miles Davis video BELOW. Listen to the melody, which appears at the beginning and again at the end. 

4) * PLAY ALONG WITH THE VIDEO * - it doesn't matter what it sounds like, just play along, at least play the chords and the try the melody if you can.

Notes about the main riff of Freddie the Freeloader

1. It is one of the most used guitar riffs  in both jazz and blues. It stands on it's own and sounds cool used in almost any bluesy tune.
2. It works perfectly over the melody for Freddie the Freedloader, that's why I chose it, because the guitar riff mimics what the horn players are doing in the Miles Davis tune (listen for this in the video).
3. As indicated on the Chords for Jazz sheet, technically this chord movement is Bb6 -> Bb9, but in jazz we don't have to indicate each movement, the chord change here is "Bb7" (or simile thereof), that's it.

Note: It is beneficial to note the "stack" of these chord positions though...look at why it's Bb6 -> Bb9

Video coming up for Freddie the Freeloader, stay tuned.

That's it. If you want, look at Mack the Knife. The chords are the very same as the ones we learned.

See you all next week! Marg

Freddie Freeloader (listen, then play along)

Lesson Videos