Asking for peer review

Buco

Joli Gadjo wrote: »

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.

The first time I took this class I've had good luck with people seemingly taking time to listen to the track and give criticism that they thought would be an improvement over existing, but on the class forum I've read stories of horror peer reviews where people just took pleasure in thrashing others. Well, I also remember a forum post where a reviewer defended his critique of another student where the tone of the review was overly harsh, to say the least. So sometimes people think with good intentions but don't have a good way of relating to others.
Another thing to keep in mind is that there are a lot of absolute beginners in that class.

Your solo sounded good aside from the small timing issues, which is where I also struggle some and that's one area I thought I have taken care of. But what I think is in perfect time when I play a line turns out a little different in reality.
But so far nobody like Steve @lacrossehotclub in that department, his timing was impeccable.
#1 sounded like a good listener, but I don't know where "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?" comes from?
Doesn't sound like all diminished runs to me.
One thing that might play a psychological trick on peoples minds is the abrupt ending of the track and make them not perceive it as complete, resolved...etc. So maybe continue into the next chorus and do a fade out?

Very happy to see others from around here joined the class.

Buco

Buco

Jazzaferri wrote: »

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.

Hi Jay, @Jazzaferri
I've read "can you play all the changes and sing it at the same time" many times from you, but I'm not sure if I'm missing something.
Can I do the above? I think so. Basically play the tune on your instrument, guitar in this case and sing the tune melody, yes?
But that doesn't seem to help me keep my place in the tune while I'm improvising.
If what you mean is what Tcha likes to demonstrate, then that's another matter.
And Tcha sings the solo over the changes. What he hears in his head/sings he can instantly translate to the instrument.
That's what I tried to do when I recorded the above.
But I can't instantly translate my mind to my instrument.
So instead I gave myself a brake and allowed myself time to do so.
So it's not a jazz improvisation by strict rules of playing on the spot but it's my mind and my fingers. Maybe call it jazz exercise instead of jazz improvisation?

I believe it was following your mention that I picked up "Effortless Mastery". I try to follow Kenny's principals daily in my practice. Especially when I notice I'm struggling with something, I stop to take a breath and center myself and then go back to it. It really works a lot of times and I'm very thankful for that change because I used to do exactly opposite; I'd just continue grinding on it, the part that I was playing. Eventually I'd come to the same place where I can play the part, but stopping and re-centering yourself saves so much time and struggle. Even more so, it's keeping you from acquiring bad habits.

One thing I need to take with a grain of salt, is the mastering part if taken literally and in absolute terms.
If I define that mastering something is being able to do it as well as the best in genre, then OK that's fine but then I'm not gonna be able to go to the Django in June or play in the band or...
If I wanna do any of the above, I need to do a little compromises and play tunes that are far from mastery.
If I wanna sit and practice until I have 20 tunes mastered in those absolute terms, it'll be years before I can indulge myself in any of the above.
But maybe I'm taking the meaning way to literally, as I know I have tendency to do that, as I'm a perfections in many ways and my own worst critic.

Maybe it doesn't come across as such but I mostly agree with your philosophy of music study. My ultimate goal is to be able to not think at all about the changes and just play and sound good all the way. That's mastery. Whether I'm gonna get there I don't know, but I'll keep trying and enjoy along the way.

Thanks Jay!

Jazzaferri

Remembers the bit where Kenny talks about real life but spending some time each day playing from the space. I too struggle with that one. The way you are going you WILL get there and fulfil your goals.

If your goal is to play all of Stochelo's lines then likely you will never get there for alas you are you and not Stochelo. I bet that right now, if you can play a song from the space you would sound exactly like you and that would be AWESOME...and your solo would be great.

My dou partner and I have our fist conceet in late March. Short one at the Thursday lunch concert series. We are playing minor swing and for sephora plus Paganini's sonata for violin and guitar. We rehearse twice a week for 2-3 hours. We spend at least half the time working on the fine detail of the phrasing on the Paganini....it is completely rubato with accelerando decelerando parts in a few bars.

Have to be in the space to get that right. We have been rehearsing for 5 months and are happily on the space for maybe 15 songs. A summer of full time busking (aka paid rehearsal LOL) for a few hours a day and we will be ready. By the end of that time we will have spent a year and will have 30 odd songs down.

I understand the drive to get there quickly...ohhh so very well....but the difference to my guitar playing over the last 6 months is to my ear worth the effort. Things I discovered I didn't truly know are finally getting familiar enough to not think about them. My rhythm playing now focuses most of the time on what my partner is playing.

Anyone this one is long enough. But it is another side of the coin to reflect on.

Jazzaferri

We all get lost in a reverie from time to time. A good rhythm player can go with you on it and not bring you down by insisting on keeping to The Form.

pickitjohn

@Joli Gadjo @Michael Horowitz

JG's Soundcloud file would not play on my Macbook w/ Safari or on My HTC EVO Android.

Interesting to see all you guys taking the same class….My time lately has been with Denis Chang's DVD's. There assume but man do I have to rewind a lot to get it. Jamb packed with tons of stuff.

Thanks for the post

pick on
pickitjohn

Buco

Jazzaferri wrote: »

We are playing minor swing and for sephora plus Paganini's sonata for violin and guitar. We rehearse twice a week for 2-3 hours. We spend at least half the time working on the fine detail of the phrasing on the Paganini....it is completely rubato with accelerando decelerando parts in a few bars.

Holy cow, would I love to hear that!

Jazzaferri wrote: »

Remembers the bit where Kenny talks about real life but spending some time each day playing from the space.

I did it for a while after reading the book but then it got dropped out. Need to get it back in. He says you can do it for only a few minutes each session even. It's all about reprogramming your musical persona, playing from a positive side of your mind. Makes perfect sense.

pickitjohn wrote: »

Interesting to see all you guys taking the same class…

I was surprised too. Super awesome though!

Buco

Jazzaferri wrote: »

I bet that right now, if you can play a song from the space you would sound exactly like you and that would be AWESOME...and your solo would be great.

I'll make one first chance I get.
Though I already dug a hole for myself b-(

Jazzaferri

We will be recording and posting on youtube barring no major technopeasant moments by yours truly.

Joli Gadjo

@pickitjohn Denis DVD is the best course hands down. Don't worry about the Berklee course: I choose to do it to force myself to swallow a large pill I've been reluctant to learn: modes. Since I know my scales and my arpeggios, I thought it would be interesting to connect the dots.

@Jazzaferri I am very impressed by your dedication to practice. I have to say, when I was in DC we have never practiced: we simply assumed that it only takes one of us to know the head, and everything else is just about following a chart - which in a way is true.
Now with my new band, we have only done practice so far, and I really enjoy getting to the bottom of each tune. It doesn't make me a better improviser, but it makes us better performers.

Jazzaferri

@Joli Gadjo, when we practice over and over, in part we are practicing entraining....and in part learning how each other communicates. I spend about 1o minutes a day just practicing the background line to get the cadence shifts and balance relaxed sounding and completely fluid....I never thought it would be this challenging to play a simple line well but now when I listen to the players backing some of the top violinists in the world on this piece I hear the hesitations while the elasticity of the solo line comes back into their notes. We want it smooth and fluid rather than with the hesitations. It's been a great learning process for me....and I have never played so much with my eyes closed before. Plus I have to get used to thumb and finger picks on my guitar....it's like trying to dance ballet in mukluks LOL

One of the benefits of this type of deep practice is last week we played several eyes closed choruses of For Sephora and managed a good ending with no outward communication. Quite fun. At the end it felt like one of those natural pauses when an idea has been talked through and a natural sense of quiet completeness descends on the participants.