ML94 Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Hi Guys, Somewhere on this part of the forum I stated that I was working through some Incognito tunes this month. So I've dabbed into 3 tunes so far and can play them well with the track. What I wanted to know was when you learn other peoples tunes, lines, licks etc. How do you go about incorporating them under your fingers in other playing situations. I know I'm at a shortfall sometimes because the transcriptions I get off the internet or workout I don't have a lead sheet for so I can't reference them to certain chord and their extensions. I can work out the basic 'these are the chord qualities in the key of ...' But as you know band like Jamiroquai, incognito also throw in some non diatonic chords almost all the time ! So I guess I'm asking is How do you incorporate lines that you like and keep them under your fingers (extending, re-phrasing) How to go about working out non diatonic chords (without going to the piano if possible) ... Thanks ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 (edited) The general rule is to steal everything and apply it where you feel it fits. Learning other people's stuff can lead you in directions that you wouldn't have thought to go on your own. By the time it's gone through your brain, and into the general "soup" of what you play, and then come out through your fingers it'll sound like you anyway. Edited March 1, 2014 by chris_b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary mac Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 I was just playing along to Roundabout by Yes. Might see if I can have fun and incorporate a bit of Mr. Squire's work in to Mustang Sally at tonight's Social Club gig. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 This is where a knowledge of theory becomes extremely useful. Examples could be learning a line from a tune you like that is a funk groove in C major. Now, theoretically, everytime you play a funk groove in C, this line could work (never that simple but work with me). In fact, if you understand how the note relationships work and how they fall on the neck of your bass, you can use that lick against any Major chord, not just C Major. More to the point, if you REALLY understand the relationships between notes, you can take that C major lick and transpose it to C Minor, which you can also use on any Minor chord, not just C Minor. So your one lick now has a minimum of 24 applications. YOu could also take the rhythmic elements of the lick and reframe them entirely; a lick that starts in 1 can also start ofn 2, 3, 4 or on the off-beats of 1, 2 3 and 4. Each option creates massively different levels of tension. If you really want to get clever, take a line that is being double by a piano players left hand and, on the fly, play the line a third higher (I do this all of the time, always an octave higher than the original line as it sits better up there and stands out nicely - it is effectively 10ths not thirds). This is where you really need to know what you are doing up the dusty end. You can think of rhythmic variations of your line's main 'theme'. Dave HOlland does this a lot, taking a riff and chaniging it minutely every time he plays it, creating endless variations whilst still effectively playing the same riff (listen to 'The Oracle' on his Extensions album). I could go on but the point is simply that any line can be used in a myriad ways to create new and fresh perspectives on the original idea. THe more you know about the music, the more you can use these ideas in improvisations and in settings where the instruments are interacting rather than playing parts. For me, this is where all the magic lies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ML94 Posted March 19, 2014 Author Share Posted March 19, 2014 Hey Bilbo thanks for the reply! Would you know where on the interweb can i get my hands on some more jazz related theory ? I mean I have the basic jazz theory down but thats the bare minimum. I have the 'Jazz theory book' Andy Levine, but i haven't really sat down and read it. Do you think sitting down and having a read would be beneficial or is there other material out there that has a better and clearer source of information ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 Being blunt, it is pretty much all there in the Levine book. It is one of those things where a simple concept that takes 10 minutes to learn can take a lifetime to explore and to master. If you nailed everything in that book, you would be more knowledgeable than 99% of the musicians you meet. The art of it is not necessarily in the knowledge but in the[i] application[/i] of that knowledge. [i]That[/i] is what takes the time. Just keep listening and learning. I knew a great teacher once who said 'we all seem to think that the answer will be in another book and just keep buying theory books and filling our homes with ideas we don't fully udnerstand. But the answers are in the thorough exploration of the first book you ever bought'!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
originalfunkbrother Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 [quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1395268869' post='2400609'] The art of it is not necessarily in the knowledge but in the[i] application[/i] of that knowledge. [/quote] Amen brother! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.