The Seduction of Django's solos

nomadgtr

I'm reminded of a famous quote from Miles Davis - "Sometimes you have to play a long time to be able to play like yourself."

Jazzaferri

If you want t play with Django's language...first you have to learn it.

Buco

Nobody like Hal Galper to hit the nail on the head. Check out this video:

Everything this man says is eye opening.

nomadgtr

Buco, thx for the Hal Galper video! That helped connect a few dots for me and made me realize that connection between the constant flood of music that we musicians have in our heads all day and the tool of expression we choose. I think I've had that understanding unconsciously for years but never really heard anyone describe it so well. Good stuff!

Jazzaferri

He is one of the best music educators I know of.

Buco

@nomadgtr I don't know if others feel the same but just about whenever I watched any of his videos the light in my head went off, "ohhhh now it makes sense". I don't know how much better musician it made me but it sure felt really great at the moment that somebody as accomplished as him knows exactly what struggle a musician like myself is having and he lays it out in such insightful way and gives you the answer you were craving to get.
And at that moment you're completely at ease and you're thinking yeah I can do this.
I hope I can someday attend his workshop.

Here's the collection of his existing videos:
http://www.halgalper.com/videos-tracks/educational-videos/

anthon_74

Wow, in that video, Hal talks about how you ruin a solo when you try to stick a new "lick" you've been working on because you're using your intelligence and not your intuition.
This is why I believe you not only need to practice your licks so much that they become totally internal, but you also must master them to the point that you can tweek and change them, which involves your EAR even more.

That connects to the other thing he says about everything being by ear. If you know a lick well enough to tweek and expand it, then you have it ingrained in your ear, and it can start coming out in your playing.

Great video !

Anthony

criminel

Hi there,
If you can already mimick Django's solos then maybe your problem is somewhere else, and not technique-related.
Check this article on what transcribing REALLY means:
http://www.jazzadvice.com/transcribing-is-not-transcibing-how-this-misnomer-has-led-you-astray/

nomadgtr

Hey Anthony, I can definitely speak to everything being by ear. That's the way I learned and how I internalize things. I'm not into studying licks note-for-note and just cutting/pasting into my repertoire. I'm not wired that way. I can learn them easy enough but my mind's ear has to "get it" before I can use it in any appreciable way. When I do use them they end up being my own interpretation or variation typically. I truly admire players who can cop a long difficult passage or tune note-for-note because I don't have the patience for that most of the time. I'm more into the overall vibe usually and pick out bits and pieces that stick with me.

Jazzaferri

Hal has said in other videos that it takes about 6 months for stuff he is working on to show up in his playing. He also teaches that the best wAy to learn phrases and solos is to learn to sing them first without any backing before you try to play them on your instrument. I completely agree with this approach insofar as developing musical aristry goes.

I first discovered him 5 years ago while doing my jazz performance degree. I have spent many hours listening to him, and have been preaching in his choir here for a few years. Hal, Kenny Werner and Mike Longo are the musician/educators who have had the most influence on me. Interestingly, they are all primarily jazz pianists.