Asking for peer review

Buco

I signed up for this online improv class.
I finished my music assignment but missed the deadline for a written part so I couldn't upload it for a review.
The assignment was to solo over What's this thing called love.
It's peer review based so I wanted to to hear some opinions from you guys as it would be a whole lot more relevant to me.
A lot of you are at the level where I aspire and hope to be some day.
I've put in a fair amount of work last year into my goals and some tangible results started to show towards the end of the year.
On this recording I'm happy with the end result.
The problem is I recorded it in multiple takes. The reason for that is that I still have a hard time following the changes. If I manage to follow the changes I play everything generic, mostly basic arps. If I follow my mind, sort of going with "listen to where the next note wants to be", I get lost in changes. Also I can't play what I hear instantly, I sort of hear the part but it doesn't translate to the fretboard, I need to figure it out and sometimes take a few minutes to practice it because it's too fast initially.



However, I don't think I would've been able to pull off this solo at the same time last year ideas and technique wise, even if I took hundreds of takes.
I do enjoy the process but sure would feel rewarded and happy if some day I could play like this on the spot.
Does anyone have an opinion as to what time frame would be realistic to make that leap?
As all things it's relative and some guys I'm sure would be able to get to that point in a matter of months but I know it'll take me longer than that.
I'm hoping in a few years of practice I can reach it.

Thanks

Buco

pickitjohn

@buco
I'm on a crappy internet hook up now, so I'll check out your clip later.

It's not the destination, but the journey.
I believe Jay often says that along with many teacher's.

Enjoy! The ride take your Time and Smile

F. W. I. W.

I find if I can play it slow first, it gets better when finally reaching the desired tempo.

Good thing I like slow songs

Your already playing lots of things I look forward to attaining. You've been hard at it and it shows.

pick on

pickitjohn

Buco

Yeah you know, you and Jay are right and I agree. I've been happy putting the time and practice in.
But I be damned and anyone who says it ain't so; that pear I grew in my backyard made me happy as I planted it and watched it grow but when I took a first bite and tasted the juice from the ripe fruit, that's when I said "ahhhhhh hell yeah".

The tree, of course is figurative, I live in an apartment in the middle of the city and concrete.

kevingcox

I'm a little unsure of what the process here was... is this improv, a planned solo, or a bunch of pieces of improv stitched together to make one solo?

Regardless, it sounds to me like you are on a good path. As far as the rhythm goes it is a little too "laid back" and late american swing for my taste. I prefer a sound that pushes the beat a bit more. But that is simply a taste thing.

A trick I have been using lately for following changes better is to play without a playalong, just using the metronome. That way I absolutely have to be aware of which chord I am on and what sounds I am creating. I find it extremely difficult, which means it is probably good practice for me.

I don't think there is anything "wrong" with what you're playing that time and experience won't shake out. I think you have a good musical sensibility in terms of phrasing, there is just some hesitation in the timing which you will eventually get over.

Buco

kevingcox wrote: »

I'm a little unsure of what the process here was... is this improv, a planned solo, or a bunch of pieces of improv stitched together to make one solo?

All of the above a bit. I decided to record mostly one phrase at the time and see how good can it sound. And have that as the carrot to chase.

Yeah, it's a pretty good assessment and interesting that it sounded "laid back" to you.

Thank you for listening and taking time to write.

pickitjohn wrote: »

I find if I can play it slow first, it gets better when finally reaching the desired tempo.

Gary Burton who designed this online improv program says that quite a few times, not to worry about speed as it will come naturally.
Thank you for the nice words.

lacrossehotclub

Some nice playing @Buco. Sounds like you're heading in the right direction and making good progress. I relate to your sentiments.

I'm enrolled in the same jazz improve course with Gary Burton - Berklee College. The backing track with piano and bass was provided as part of the assignment. It's definitely not la pompe and it took a different approach to find the pocket.

So if I may tag along here's my take on it. No great shakes on the recording, just the internal mic on a laptop and Audacity.

https://soundcloud.com/megersteven/berklee-jazz-improvisation

I took a few takes and kept the last one. I'm not entirely satisfied with the results but at some point it's as good as it gets and I suppose it adequately documents how far along I am in the journey... comments are welcome and thanks for indulging.

Buco

Hey Steve, please tag along, this is great!

I have another recording of the same tune from the past session that's a single take so I have that as my baseline but this time I figured I'd see what my mind can come up with if I give it a chance.

It sounds surprisingly good for a laptop built in mic.
Your playing is mostly really, really good except on a few spots where you kinda lost your composure. But I know all too well how hard it is to keep yourself on top of that horse. And your timing is spot on, aside from those stray spots. The phrasing is great and I liked the parts with chord soloing.
And you're right about the backing track, it's a different feel and it took a different set of ears when playing over it.

Thanks!

Buco

pickitjohn

@lacrossehotclub Steven sweet, nice job, your playing sound fine to me. Has a more straight jazz rather then Gypsy, well I don't think Berklee has that class, Do they let you use your thumb? [-X That's the latest song I've been working on, gonna have to listen some more. Thought your guitar sounded great. :-c

pick on
pickitjohn

lacrossehotclub

Thanks for the comments, I appreciate the feedback

Jazzaferri

Buco, if you are getting lost in improv then likely you don't have the song form down...can you play all the changes and sing it at the same time....thats only my way but somehow that too needs to be mastered before one frees up that part of your mind.

IMO many people try to learn too many songs too quickly and never really master a song. You only have at best 100 percent of your attention. The more one spends on thinking about where one is in the song, what go play over this or that chord, or section, the less attention one has to listen to what is going on.

Another thing you might try is getting to a place of relaxed concentration and just play whatever comes out. The moment you find yourself thinking about what note or what you should or are playing STOP. Centre yourself and try again.

Anyway a couple of things to think on.

Hope you find it useful.

Joli Gadjo

I am doing the class as well. I had never played this tune before, and did not spend too much time on it, so this take 2 out of 2 recorded from my iPhone.


I just got my peer reviews from the class. Peer2 is trashing my solo... but makes me laugh as well, since I am playing so many arpeggios, following closely the changes.

peer 1 → Hi This was some lovely improvisation with a sound that was reminiscent of Django Reinhardt! What was good: 1. The use of diminished scale notes for dominant chords! 2. Great phrasing 3. Nice chord work! Some suggestions for improvement 1. Work on transitions between chord changes so that you can move effortlessly between chords. 2. In some cases the transition to the Major chord did not come across on the solo, since you played mostly diminished notes on that chord. Was this intentional? At any rate, it did not lead to the "resolution to the major" that the piece seemed to require at that place. Also, I would have loved to hear more! Cheers
peer 2 → The student solo does not seem to be congruent with the backing track, nor the choice of notes nor the rhythm is consistent with the backing track. The choice of the gypsy style could have been a good one if the solo were realized well, i.e. using the typical devices of the gypsy style such arpeggios, chromatic runs, bendings, triplets octaves etc. To end up, this job is not sufficient.
peer 3 → This track featured a lot of ascending and descending riffs, played within the context of those scales very well. The 8 bar phrases were not differentiated specifically, but the solo was good.