Fapy says most are "just playing notes..."...

Lango-Django · April 2013

dennis wrote:

I spent a bit of time with fapy many many years ago, and he told me that he worked out musical solutions to chord progressions he had trouble with... So basically, he wrote his own phrases, and practiced them over and over again... He also practiced basic arpeggios, just going through all the main positions on the fretboard and connecting them to the next chord; kind of like a voice leading exercise. He's a very smart man

Dennis, I had to google "voice leading exercises" because I'm ashamed to admit I'd never heard of them.

I'm going to check that out... I also like Fapy's idea of writing out his own phrases and practising them over and over.

Dennis, would you recommend techniques like these to intermediate players? advanced players? anybody?

Passacaglia · April 2013

dennis wrote:

kind of like a voice leading exercise.

Dennis, sorry for my ignorance. I'm not really familiar with voice leading. I understand it has something to do with smoothing chord changes, right? Do you happen to have a suggested primer somewhere (I see books on the subject, but as always wonder if "straight jazz" primers would be of much use in this style). Thanks.

Edit: Amund, wow, man, excellent post. Will, thank you as well - you've been hitting some central things, great posts. These are great discussions!

dennis · April 2013

voice leading can mean two things; the one i'm referring to basically means resolving notes between chords in the smoothest way possible with very little skips (ie anything more than the interval of a 3rd); either through stepwise motion (A to B, or A to G#) or common tone (stay on the note A while Am switches to Dm). There is also a strong preference for contrary motion, say the chord progression goes G to G# like in hungaria, basically the chord progression moves upwards, well then in your soloing you can try to move downwards for example, you play the note D on the G chord, and then you play the note C on G# which enharmonically would be B# , the major 3rd of G#.

The other definition of voice leading is much more strict and was used in classical music from the renaissance period until about the end of the 19th century. Basically it's the same principle but the rules are much more restrictive.

If you listen to the great improvisers, Django, being the most obvious example, they were all masters of this... Just check out Django's classic 1937 minor swing, it's pretty much voice leading from beginning to end. You basically want to pay attention to the transition between chords, how smoothly he connects them.

an example of bad voice leading would be for example to play an Am arpeggio starting on the note A, and then when Dm comes, starting another arpeggio on the note D, etc...

Passacaglia · April 2013

Wow, perfect, thank you Denis!

Edit: Sorry, I think I missed this on first pass:

you play the note D on the G chord, and then you play the note C on G# which enharmonically would be B# , the major 3rd of G#

-do you mean on something like Hungaria with an upwards progression, by downwards you might choose the 5th of the lower chord, and down to the 3rd (here, major) of the higher chord?

(Sometimes I really feel I should read Mark Levine's book. I know theory can't help playing better, but I do sometimes wonder if it would help to be as second-nature, talking about note choices, subs, etc.).

Jazzaferri · April 2013

Paul depending on where you are starting from in Theory. Levine's book is really good....or really heavy going.

If you are not already reasonably well informed on theory Levine is pretty heavy going...the one I recommend for intermediate to advanced level players is

A players guide to Chords and Harmony by Jm Aikin.....Published by Backbeat Books.

It covers everything you might need to know in GJ and starts at the beginning and takes one through intervals, triads, seventh chords and extended chords. Progressions scales and basic modes and a very clear 6 pages on voice leading.

It is written for working musicians not College level Theory which is Levine's target and is half the price.