Reading, Tips?

Brian · Pit Bull Joined: 26 Aug 2003 Posts: 373

Back in the "Frances" thread, F1 asked about playing we are doing. I mentioned the choice my son and I had to make between the Concert/Jazz band my son and I'd been with for 3 years and the "All City" jazz band with a bunch of hot high school and young college players we both were asked to try out for and invited to join. Neither are "paying" bands.

Well we chose the "All City" band. The band is much better organized with niceties like real nice leather-bound music folders and the classic big-band bandstands with an art deco logo on them, uniforms... and the players are generally better, the pieces are cooler but harder.

I'm a fair reader but this stuff is just darned difficult, especially sight reading... not just chunk-chunk but accents and breaks, guitar head-lines, long rests, upbeat tempos... When I'm reading this stuff, I'm having to make a bunch of decsions very fast; what the extensions are, where do I voice the next chord based on where I am now, where the line is going, and just being able to nail the fingering fast enough, counting out & playing the proper rhythm so I'm not blastin' through when everybody else breaks for an accent, and uh-oh there's there's 4 complex chords written as 4 eighth notes at 220 bpm coming up... can I leave any out? And the head? If I'm doing a uni line with the horns I give it a shot...

When the charts are 1st getting handed out, or the bandleader has the horns pounding parts, I'm trying to put the time to GOOD use looking it over, tapping out the rhythm and organizing the voicings. When I take the charts home, I spend time just tapping out the rhythm without a guitar in my lap before I start with voicings. But MAN this takes a lot of time; it's just plain hard work.

F1, Herb, Steve, Scott. anybody, how do you do it? What approaches do you take? What tricks do you use?

Steve · Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2004 5:04 am Post subject:

I don't try to play complicated chord combinations in time. If I can get two and four on time, that should suffice.
I have a chart right now for the Miss Santa Cruz pageant with four one beat descending chords, but they are F7-E7-Eb7-D7, not too hard. Easy stuff.

In fact it's all easy if you've seen it before. Give yourself a couple of years of this and you'll have seen most of it before.

If there's a piano player I also don't try to play too many extensions or altered chords: if I see a chord coming with a big trailer behind it I'll just play a simple dominant seventh (unless of course it's an altered fifth chord).

Knowing when not to play (as in- if there's any doubt) is important in these types of situations. Eventually you develop the ability to not pull the trigger if you've missed the beat.

Generally in a big band situation the guitar is either rhythmic pulse, our guitaristic colorings. I'm not too religious about playing everything as written. Most people don't know how to write for guitar anyway. If I'm blending in the rhythm section, a few missing guitar note or chords will not be recognized. A clinker will be, however.

Over time you realize less is more. Especially if there's a piano too.

Ferrari 1 · Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2004 5:06 am Post subject:

Brian,
I am not as good a reader as I should be, based on my education. The only thing that has gotten me through, and don't know if you can do it, is to get my hands on the charts, beforehand. If I have an opportunity to do that, it makes these sessions much less embarassing.

I can read changes easily enough, but not that good at reading heads.

But this will be great for your chops. What a learning opportunity for you. I know you will be just fine. Your heart is definitely in the right place.

F1

sharring · Tiger Joined: 04 Feb 2004 Posts: 812 Location: Texas

Steve nailed it again-dang him. In my limited experience in college jazz bands I've found that the horns most always have the fancy chord extensions covered. So dominant 7th chords are the way to nail those fast changes. If it's an swing/big band piece I'll play 4 to the bar ala Freddie Green. I think that getting into the genre/mood of the piece is just as important as the technical side (yeah, cause i'm not so good on the technical side!). Seriously, you can fake your way through a lot with Steve's comments. And these experiences force you out of your comfort zone so you get to learn something-how Cool

is that? Once I found myself playing a recorded concert with the TCU jazz band. The conductor was a doctorial student who had written this chart encompassing popular music from the 20th century. It had sections in Dixieland, big band, bebop, cool jazz etc. When he got to the Rock section it was a slow shuffle in 12/8 and i got the nod to play a solo-played every Eric Clapton lick i knew real loud. Looked up just in time to see the leader cut me off and smile! You could have knocked me over with a feather! Surprised

Be God's-scott

Ferrari 1 · Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2004 11:13 am Post subject:

That's a great story, Scott. It's nice when a plan comes together!

sharring · Tiger Joined: 04 Feb 2004 Posts: 812 Location: Texas

Yeah, but it's not often a one trick pony gets to do his only trick F1. What Steve said about either rhythm or guitar colorations is absolutely my opinion Brian. If you learn the head, great. If you lay out until you learn it they'll think you have taste. If it doesn't make you squirm then you are likely not in the learning "zone". You know, this thread makes me want to go register in the local jr. college so I can suffer some more! Wish I had the time. Be God's-scott

Herb · Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2004 3:40 pm Post subject:

My way is easier, but it narrows the "gig" selections. I just don't do jobs where you have to read. I haven't read music since I left college, and as a result, am real slow at it. But I'm real good at playing by ear, and tabs are a fair substitute for written music, if necessary.

Brian · Pit Bull Joined: 26 Aug 2003 Posts: 373

Brian · Pit Bull Joined: 26 Aug 2003 Posts: 373

I think you guys all nailed it.

Thanks Steve! There is a piano player and the horns play the chords too so I believe I can get by with 7ths, and alt (+/-) 5ths. And yes, it's seldom that I see music written for guitar that makes sense for guitarists. Often that full measure of 8th note changes is just moving 1 or 2 fingers in a line I've been playing since I was a kid. Knowing what I can leave out (but trying to hit beats 2 & 4) is one of my "survival" tricks too.

Scott's statement