"The Big Sweep"

Remember that classic Ren & Stimpy episode where Ren keeps going on about "the big sleep!?"  I believe the two get caught by a dogcatcher and are taken to the pound.  One of the dogs there (Phil?) gets taken away.  Ren thinks Phil was taken away to "nap," but eventually it hits him that it's "the big sleep!"  When I was younger my Dad would joke that our cats would take "the big sleep."  I know, it's a little demented.

Anyway, over the summer I've started working on my sweeping.  It's one of those guitar techniques that certain players crave to master right away, but for some reason it never grabbed me when I was younger.  Right now I have a student in early high school who is all about learning how to sweep.  It's cool when you see a kid with a clear goal in mind.  Like he said to me, "I don't care how long it takes, I want to be able to do this."  That's very reassuring to hear these days.  Not everything happens at 12 megabytes per second!  So the past couple weeks we've been working on sweeping.  He found some examples in Avenged Sevenfold's music, so I used that to make sure he understood there are two main "shapes": a major and a minor.

For those starting out, notice that we commonly do a hammer-on/pull-off combo on the 1st string.  That gives the right hand time to "turn back around" for the series of upstrokes to follow.  To really get these down you want to start out SLOW.  That gives you time to really listen in and make sure the pick to striking each string in time and at a consistent volume.  One of the goals starting out is developing accuracy in both hands.  The left hand fingers need to press down right at the moment the pick is striking the string.  You want to get used to the "feel" of the pick rolling across the strings.  It is like strumming, but sloooowed waaaay down.  Once the accuracy is happening consistently, that's when you can speed it up.  If you try to play these too fast too soon you'll most likely end up missing most of the notes in the middle strings.  (That is a "rake," not a real sweep)  Just be patient and persistent.

Ok ok, so what is this "big sweep?"  Besides being a stupid name that I've given it, it's a series of arpeggio shapes that are meant to smoothly connect across the fingerboard.  I came up with this one about a month or so ago.  The idea being one long progression that stays mostly in one key center.

You'll probably notice this does not involve the same arpeggios as above.  Instead of opening the door to "music theory 102" and putting on my nerdy tweed jacket, I'll just say these all are 7th chord shapes.  Despite having more notes, they are actually easier because they involve more hammer-ons (or pull-offs), thus giving your picking hand a little more time to get through the strings.  All these shapes follow the pattern: 2 notes on the 5th string, then a single note, 2 notes, single note, and finally 2 notes on the 1st string.  From what I've heard, guitarists out of Berklee use arpeggio shapes that follow that order.  It's meant to give a predictable and consistent "pace" for your picking hand, which helps it become more automatic.  One less thing to think about, right?

I have this one written in Bb Major.  But I think it would sound cool over a funky Cm groove.

 
If you want, you can just slide into each shape, rather then starting each one with a downstroke or upstroke (as I have notated).  If you do a slide, you'll end up finishing one shape with a hammer-on, slide up, and do the pull-off all before striking with the pick again.  That can give this a smoother sound, which may be more appropriate for jazz or fusion.  However, I think it might be easier to start with no slides and try how it's written above.

Watch and listen to "The Big Sweep" on YouTube. 

Hope you have fun with this.  How fast can you get through it?  :)

Just came back from outer space...

First a couple weeks went by and then it quickly became several months since my last post.  Summer "vacation" is already more than half over and I still feel like there is a lot left to do until the school year starts back up in August.  Anyone else feel time is speeding up?

So what has been going on??

Wife spent 3 weeks on the outer banks for the National Park Service.  While I was out there with her we enjoyed some good seafood and time on the beach.  It's pretty cool to drive down a road and see water surrounding you on both sides.  My current facebook profile pic best describes the overall vibe on the outer banks I think....

So once back from N.C., we did some home improvements (...fun fun fun...).  Painted my office a cool blue/grey color and remodeled the master bathroom.  Really - why would someone want carpet in the bathroom in the first place?  Spent more money at Ikea for square-shaped things that hold other things.

But after finishing house work we finally got a new TV!  This was about month or so ago.  Went with a 42" LG LED.  So far, so good...but we only had local stations, so not too many channels.  Today we had an HD cable box installed, so we're back to "regular" cable and have a decent amount of HD channels now.  Finally I have my 24-hr news, sports, music and other crap again!  For the last 5 years we've had this old Sharp that I'm pretty sure my youngest brother found on the curb of a street.  He went through a phase of finding "street TVs" as we called them.

Oh, let me see, what else.  I got a T-Dap shot after stepping on an old rusty nail.  A horrible sinus infection caused me to go to the doctor's for the first time in almost a decade.  Recently just got over that.  Saw Clapton with Daltrey as the opener earlier this month.  I could tell Clapton really, really liked the strat he was playing.  He was just on that night.  Probably the best I've heard him.  Man, if I can even come close to play like that when I'm 60-something I'd consider myself very lucky.  He's still playing better than most.

So let's just jump to right now.  Right now I'm practicing songs for a wedding gig this weekend.  Everything from Otis Redding to Paul Simon to Grateful Dead to Kool & the Gang.  I was just listening to this live recording of the Dead doing "They Love Each Other."  Man I hate to say it, but sometimes Jerry was just on and other times he kinda stumbled around.  This is one of those stumbling moments unfortunately...but he hangs on and picks it up toward the end.  So 'A' for effort I'd say.  Anyway, the couple asked for this song specifically, but not just that...they also wish for their friend to sing the song with our band and also play lead guitar.  Hey, that's fine with me.  Should be fun, I might try playing some keys on it.  :)

Well, time to head out and teach some youngsters gee-tar.  Yee-haw!

Marc Ribot Solo - Aqui Como Alla

Alright, this week was spring break from teaching, so I had some extra time to get another transcription down...

Marc Ribot is another name that only tends to be known within certain circles.  You can learn more about him at his site: www.marcribot.com.  I first saw his name on some of my Medeski, Martin & Wood albums, particularly The Dropper and End of the World Party (Just in Case).  His playing on the later really caught my ears.  You can hear him really digging into the strings, putting every ounce of energy and emotion into each note.  Probably the most well-known album he has appeared on is the recent Raising Sand.  This beautifully produced album by T Bone Burnett features a couple rockin' solos by Ribot, but also shows how well he blends within a solid group of musicians.  Of course, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss just make it sound so easy as well.  And yet, Ribot regularly teams up with John Zorn.  So he never limits himself to one style or genre, which is what I admire.

Ok, if you're reading this because you're interested in a transcribed solo by Ribot, I have a cool one for ya.  Check out his album with his self-described "punk-Latin" group, Marc Ribot y Los Cubanos Postizos.  The album is full of tunes by the late Cuban composer, Arsenio Rodriquez.  This solo comes from the second track, "Aqui Como Alla."

You can view the solo transcription here: Marc Ribot Solo - Aqui Como Alla (PDF) 

The tune itself is a simple melody (reminds me of Tequila) with a nice bridge.  Once the solo begins, Ribot doesn't stay within the key of E for too long.  There are some harmonically fun parts and great rhythmic sequences, but he always resolves by returning to some tasty blues lines.  It's a longer transcription written in standard notation and TAB, so I'm just posting it as a .pdf file.  If you have any troubles viewing it, please let me know.  I really encourage you to listen to the recording to get a feel for his specific phrasing, dynamics and occasional palm-muting.  I tried to write the TAB in areas of the neck where I think he plays, and also seems to make the most sense given the melodic lines.

Marc Ribot is a great player to check out.  I hope you enjoy taking a little look and listen into his playing.  Thanks for reading.

Obsession

"For me, I think the only danger is being too much in love with guitar playing.  The music is the most important thing, and the guitar is only the instrument."  ~ Jerry Garcia

First off, I really do mean to post more regularly.  Before I knew it, 3 weeks flew by since the last time I put something up!  I swear, the old cliche about time flying is so true.

Anyway, while walking the dog tonight my mind went to this Garcia quote.  The first time I read it was in a wonderful book called Zen Guitar by Philip Toshio Sudo.  I'm not sure why it popped into my head, but I think there's a lot of truth in it.  Personally, I prefer to listen to creative, catchy music with substance.  Yeah, that is pretty subjective.  But so is art and many other things.  I strive to experience music that transcends the individual talents of the musicians playing it.  If there happens to be guitar in there, great!  But there doesn't have to be.

It can be obvious when a player is more focused on the instrument, rather than the music.  And this definitely isn't limited to guitarists.  Drummers, bassists, saxophonists, singers, etc.  Every group has it's obsessed members.  Probably the main reason I can't take a lot of mainstream country or pop or Americal Idol is because most of it is focused on how good the singer is.  And believe me, I love a great singer.  But I don't want show-choir tunes to be sung to me.  Certain players I can't take because every single second of music is about them filling it up with notes. 

For us 6-stringers the most common culprits tend to be jazzers and shredders.  That makes sense, given it takes a lot of technical ability to play those styles.  You almost have to be obsessed (or possessed?) to practice sweeping 8 hours a day, or arpeggiating rhythm changes all day long.  But unfortunately, when you hear many of those players out at a show, they are lost in their own world.  Their ears and eyes are closed off to everything going on around them.  Sure, on an individual level, they may be crazy talented, but then you realize what they're playing doesn't fit, or is so trite that it gets tiring real quick.

There can be a fine line between using your super-good abilities to add to the musical experience or distract from it.  Of course, it can be different from one person to the next.  There are people who just want to hear a great guitarist.  People who just crave to see drummers working that double foot pedal faster than anyone else.  I guess it's in our nature to be drawn to the aesthetics of something, rather than the substance.  Same can be said about sports.  Kids who want to become basketballs players, what do they worship?  The slam dunks.  Maybe a game-winning 3-pointer.  They could care less about learning how to play within an offensive system or spending hours at the free-throw line.

So learn to recognize a ball-hog, especially if that person is you.  No one wants to listen or play with someone who can't play within the "system" of the band.

Bill Frisell Solo on "I Got Rhythm"

"I Got Rhythm" - Bill Frisell Solo - PDF

So one of the main reasons I started this blog was to get myself transcribing solos again.  In the course of searching the internet I've found there to be a lack of transcriptions of one of my favorite guitarists: Bill Frisell.  I understand he is not a house-hold name, but he is definitely respected and admired within music circles.  He goes from playing on Norah Jones albums to the avant-garde side with the likes of John Zorn.  But he is probably best known for his spacey "Americana-Jazz" approach that makes his playing and composing very personal.  His phrasing can be minimal like Miles Davis, yet with folky string-bends and a fondness for lyrical melodies.  Sometimes I think of him as a love child of Davis and Bob Dylan.  :)

If you've never heard him, please check him out.  For guitarists out there, Frisell is not a technical-phenom.  So if you're only looking for that, you'll be disappointed.  One of his attractions I believe is that it seems like he experiences an almost child-like joy every time he plucks a note on the guitar.  He plays with his mind and heart open all the time, and it can be just plain fun to listen to.  He'll try whatever comes to mind.  I like that attitude....as long as you know what your surroundings are.  Obviously, he stays more "in the box" on a Norah Jones recording than he would playing a be-bop tune.  (This makes me wanna go off on a tangent...which I won't, I'll just make it another post.)

After reading through some forums there seemed to be others like me.  Those who love listening to Frisell, but never took the time to sit down and learn a solo of his.  I think I know why.  His playing is so much about phrasing, tone and atmosphere.  So just by listening you feel like you get an idea of what he does.  It's more mindset than finger-practicing.  Well, I finally finished my first transcription and I thought I'd share it.

This Frisell solo comes off a Paul Motian album of standards called On Broadway, Vol. 2.  The reason I chose their performance of Gershwin's "I Got Rhythm" is simply because I was curious to hear what Frisell would do over rhythm changes.  (For those who aren't familiar, "rhythm changes" is the term used to label the chord progression and form of "I Got Rhythm."  Google it for more info)  Any student learning jazz or improv from High School on up either learns to love or hate these chord changes.  I don't HATE them, but I quickly realized that I usually don't enjoy improvising over them.  So that was another reason for choosing this song: to get myself playing over rhythm changes again (at least for a little bit).

Anyway, enough yada-yada-yada, take a look either from the .pdf file above (it'll show it to you in Google Docs) or you can click on the .jpgs below...

(Oh, the chords I listed are just examples of the traditional changes.  The Ebm7 is commonly replaced with either Ab7 or Edim7, among others)

Frisell grew up learning the language of be-bop, yet over the years he chose not to follow the typical approach (some may call it a "trap) too many players take (or fall into).  He doesn't feel the need to outline every chord.  He allows his playing to breathe.  Something we guitar players tend to forget about since we don't use our mouth to produce sound (like singers, trumpets, saxes, etc).

You notice that in the beginning he is thinking most in terms of the key of Bb, than individual chords.  If you want to be specific: Bb Mixolydian (Bb-C-D-Eb-F-G-Ab) with the use of the raised 2nd (or minor 3rd).  Immediately, the sound is very bluesy.  In the second line, he then outlines the chromatic movement in the harmony.  Something he continues throughout the solo.  You could argue he doesn't show any "bop lines"until measures 11-12.  The B natural comes from thinking G7 (instead of Gm7, a common substitution) and the F-E-Eb at the end of the F7 chord is one of the most common jazz movements over any Dominant 7 chord.  (Start at the root and go: 1-7-b7-9-6-5.  That's like riff #3 on the first page of How to Improv: A Guide to Make You Hopelessly Believe That You Can Sound Like Charlie Parker)  I could probably write another 2-3 paragraphs analyzing his solo, but I won't bore ya.

I tried to make this transcription as accurate as I could.  Again, sorry this isn't in TAB.  If you listen to the recording, you'll heard that he uses his volume knob during the solo.  There are a couple nice 1/2-step bends as well.  I notated those with the little bracket thingy.  My favorite lick of the solo is on the second page.  It occurs at the beginning of the second B section, over the D7.  If you want something to practice in all twelve keys, that would be the one!






I hope this interests some people and that you can take something new out of it.  Enjoy, and thanks for reading!

"Giant Steps" - Chord Melody

Giant Steps (Chord Melody) - PDF

Another harmonized melody I wrote up for a student of mine.  The idea this time is to not play the root (or bass note) of any chord (common practice in jazz).  Half-way through I slightly altered some of the chords.  I'm a fan of playing a 6/9 chord instead of a Major7 chord.  Start with the 3rd of the chord and go up by 4th intervals (so 3rd, 6th, 9th, 5th).  It's an easy shape on guitar and has a nice "open" sound.  Lots of guitarists these days like Frisell, Scofield and Metheny will use that shape for a Major chord.

You can view a short video of me playing this at The Stringslinger YouTube Channel.

Besides obviously listening to Coltrane's masterful original recording, I also suggest checking out Pat Metheny's live performance off his Trio 99-00 album.

Sorry this doesn't have TAB.  I guess I'm assuming anyone who'd be interested in harmonizing Giant Steps can read standard notation.  If you'd like TAB, feel free to contact me.  Thanks!

"All The Things You Are" - Chord Melody

All The Things You Are (Chord Melody) - PDF

While waiting for a student this morning, I wrote down this basic chordal melody to the standard "All The Things You Are" that I was going to hand out to him.  Turns out, he didn't show.  :(  Oh well.  You can view the .pdf file above or click on the pics below to enlarge.

For those who have a more experienced knowledge of chord voicings, this will appear fairly basic.

For those who are interested in having a more "modern" sound, lower the 5th of each chord down to the fourth to create some quartal harmonies (chords made up of consecutive 4th intervals).  This works great on any min7 chords.  Quartal harmony can work with dominant7 or major7, though some ears may not enjoy that sound as much.  Just experiment and find what works for you.  Hopefully, this can be something useful to start with.

Notice that the rhythms are very straight.  Please don't perform it this way, unless you're looking to receive the title of lamest guitar player alive!  Once you become comfortable with the chord shapes, change the rhythms up to give it some life.  Leave one chord short while let another one ring out, etc.  And please don't just play those constant eighth notes as they appear (I just followed the Real Book melody, which no one plays "as is").

 

 















Again, this is just a basic foundation to understand what and where to play.  It's up to you how to play it.  The best advice is to listen to others and hear how they interpret the melody.  Then make it your own!  Here are some people to start with....

Pat Metheny, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Charlie Parker

Radiohead "Karma Police" arrangement

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWbCsTxe8XA

In 2009 I finally made myself finish this idea I had of arranging "Karma Police" for a classical guitar ensemble.  A couple years earlier, a good friend told me about a solo gig he went to of another good friend.  He said he thought they sang "Karma Police" in three.  Granted, he was most likely drunk that night.  Also, I'm pretty sure it was this guy's original song that had similar chord changes, so to my friend's intoxicated ears it probably sounded like Radiohead.  But, the idea stayed in the back of my mind. 

A couple years ago I got an adjunct position in the guitar department at Millikin University in Decatur, IL.  I was given the second ensemble to direct.  Eventually, the thought of arranging this song for a guitar ensemble emerged.  Once the writing process started, it really became obvious to me that the melody works well in 3/4 time. 

Now, I understand if some don't like the idea of changing the feel of a song.  Either do it the original way or not at all.  But I come from a background that encourages you to interpret songs differently.  It's not meant as disrespect, but rather to be creative within the structures of a song.  To show a melody can be presented in many different lights.  Play a 4/4 song in 3/4, play a swing tune with a Latin groove or a rock tune with an up-tempo bluegrass feel.  I tend to believe one of the key characteristics of a great song is that it can be played in just about any style.  So here is the demo I recorded for my guitar ensemble as a way for them to listen to and get an idea of the arrangement.  Hope you enjoy it!

(After rehearsing with the group, I decided to change some sections fairly drastically.  But, there aren't any new recordings.  So this will have to do for now.)

"I am a boy, and then I explode"

One of my younger guitar students sang those ingenious words while learning the G and Em chords today. He went on to sing, "I am a boy, and then I explode. Then I go to heaven, and then I explode. I go to the bad place, and then I explode. So then I go back to heaven." I asked him how many times can you explode. His answer: "four....thousand."