Tomo Fujita Guitar Wisdom

Older Dude: AT 37 Parker Blues 4 notes arpeggios

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Hi Tomo! Playing Parker blues at 50 BPM with 4 note arpeggios I learned a couple things: playing slow tempo is difficult! And I do like the minor 2nd note on the minor 7th chords in the 2-5 descending lines. This is very much a work in progress, with an emphasis on work (not sure about progress!) Thanks for listening. All feedback is welcomed!

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Good Ken! Sounds good!

A few things that you can try.
1) Don't start all down beat of each bar
2) Make more space, maybe two beats rest then play etc
3) Make more clear about rhythm that you are going to play. 8th notes or triplets.

In order to make improvement on your own etude.
Play clean and simple!
But you can add more ii V phrases on those continue ii V's.
Maybe adding more jazz phrases more than just 7th arpeggios and triads.

Thank you.

Tomo

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Smooth Buddha
Tomo Fujita

Good job Ken!

Move your body with tempo more if you can.

Don't accent any notes! Maybe you can sustain more evenly. More relaxed feel.

Maybe you can composed them so you feel more comfortable as your own etude.
From that etude you can improve your improvisation skill.

Good job!

Thank you for sharing!

Tomo

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Michael
perfectwaterforall

Yeah, in an effort not to bleed arpeggio notes I over-staccato it and it became stiff. Didn't like it at all. May try to make my own study like you suggest. Where I'm most dissatisfied is between Db7 and G minor, it's not sonically interesting to me so I need to find something else there.
I feel what's lacking is rhythmical variations (too many eighth notes) and maybe some target note enclosures. Do you cover this in any of the GW lessons? Thanks Tomo

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Have you tried different phrasing? Triplets, swing etc.? That might add some variation? I think he talks of this on his monthly GW YT live video.

If he has a video on phrasing I'd like to see that one, too!

Good job Ken! Keep up the good work!

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perfectwaterforall
Tomo Fujita

Thanks for your feedback. I know how you feel... when you are fixing one thing and other thing is not working.

Learning guitar is actually mostly fixing a small detail (problem) then we can go to next step!

Did you play R 3 7 swing groove for 6-8 times repeat, do this every day for a while?
Normally when I work on soling over jazz standard. I need to sink in with chord progression so I would practice R 3 7 swing groove
repeat 6-8 times, every day for 2 weeks. Then that chord progression you can not forget!

Fast chord changes. Do play simple!
You don't have to play all 8th notes. Make a rest, then play a slightly faster rhythms. That's possible too.
You can make your own melody/line/phrase over chord progression. Triplet...

You can learn more rhythmic ideas from some solos.
I will think about this idea. Thank you for sharing.
I have a few jazz phrases on Theory applied lessons.
https://tomovhxtv.vhx.tv/search?q=blues%20for%20alice

Tomo

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Thank you MJS!

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Tomo Fujita

Thank you Tomo & MJS! I appreciate the feedback and suggestions. I will press on this journey!

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Tomo Fujita

So, after quite a bit of reflection I see that there is a difference between deep learning and what I perceive as adequate. Someone once said "Don't expect too fast". If I'm being totally honest about that saying I'd say "I intensely dislike it" because, well, just turned 72, so kinda in the 4th quarter of the game hoping for double Over Time!
But, maybe it has nothing really to do with age at all! It's just the wiring to be somewhere other than where I'm at. So, I'm just gonna take it one step each moment and accept as best I can the journey I'm on, even when there are rocks on the road! Thanks for your support!!!

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Thank you for sharing Ken! Don't expect too fast is not forever thing. Really right this moment thing. If you are hurry, you never going to reach where you want to be. If you don't hurry, then you will build your foundation at any age! You wont waste any time at all! One period of time, it's feel like taking forever but you are not only overcome that topic but also your foundation went to next level so you can do things faster. So if you want to go faster or improve a lot then slower is the only way to achieve something so amazing later!

Thank you.

Tomo

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perfectwaterforall
Tomo Fujita
Michael

Hi Tomo et al, I've been slowly learning the tune and took your suggestion Tomo, making this my own etude. This is with my own mostly R37 back track at 54 bpm. Slow and laid back as you suggested.
Thanks!!!

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Good Ken! Sounds good!

A few things that you can try.
1) Don't start all down beat of each bar
2) Make more space, maybe two beats rest then play etc
3) Make more clear about rhythm that you are going to play. 8th notes or triplets.

In order to make improvement on your own etude.
Play clean and simple!
But you can add more ii V phrases on those continue ii V's.
Maybe adding more jazz phrases more than just 7th arpeggios and triads.

Thank you.

Tomo

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perfectwaterforall
Tomo Fujita

Here's another take I did on the same etude. Similar, but pretty sure there some differences too!

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This one you played more 7th arpeggios & jazz ii V licks!

Very nice!

Try not to sustain all the notes.
Make more space between the notes. (use more rests)

Think you breathe in and breathe out.
I want to hear when you are not playing.

It sounds great!
Thank you.

Tomo

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perfectwaterforall
Tomo Fujita

Thanks Tomo for the feedback. I'd like to ask you for some clarification:
1. Not sure where my rhythm choice was unclear (Make more clear about rhythm that you are going to play. 8th notes or triplets.) If you can give me a in the video to listen to that would be great.

2. You mentioned: "add more jazz phrases more than just 7th arpeggios and triads." Does GW have a resource for this, or should I look in jazz books?

3. Where can I find more ii-V phrases for this etude? I mainly focused on the lesson (AT 37) which emphasized arpeggios.

I know you are very busy Tomo, so thank you for your time and expertise.

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You're very welcome!

Thanks for your reply.

For rhythm, you need to analyze your rhythm choices!
More space needed first. Then rhythm choice.
What if, if you only sing that rhythm... that do you think?

7th arpeggios & triads are great tool for practicing and you can add more creative rhythm with them.

No need any books for phrasing!
You only need to know 2-3 jazz licks and learn to be able to play from any strings & any fingers so...
We have enough jazz licks in Guitar Wisdom.

Did you watch this video?
https://tomovhxtv.vhx.tv/videos/at23-simple-2-5-1-jazz-phrase-in-3-positions

A lot of jazz phrasing in this video!
https://tomovhxtv.vhx.tv/videos/at41-funky-jazz-sunny-soloing-ideas

Did you watch this video?
https://tomovhxtv.vhx.tv/videos/at22-jazzy-minor-blues-soloing-approach

Search by " Improvisation "

Thank you!

Tomo

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Tomo Fujita

Thank you Tomo, so am I correct to say first, by 'more space' you basically mean 'fewer notes' as my starting point? And then "analyze rhythm choices" meaning decide on timing of notes (1/8th, trips, 1/4's, etc.) and to develop this, try to hum it?
I will definitely check out the above videos to develop phrasing; should I check out other jazz standards and apply these ideas, or stay with Parker blues for a while longer?
Thank you so much Tomo!!

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You're very welcome!

Once you analyze your rhythm patterns then you can find out "Space" where no notes.

Rests are very important to part of music and improvisation.

I am saying these are all important points in general so everyone can pick some ideas.

No need to hum... just learn what your rhythm choices.
What type of rhythmic phrase? From down beat? Or started end of 2nd beat?
Triplet is good triplet? or a little weak time feel?
These are just ideas.... so that until you do this. No one knows anything yet.

It's all free to check other standards that you love to play.
Parker Blues is really fun to play too.
Even simple jazz blues is so much fun to play.

Thank you.

Tomo

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Tomo Fujita

Hi Tomo: I hadn't responded until now because I've been pondering our conversation here. In this video I ask, among other things, what it means to analyze rhythm choices and add space to soloing. Thank you so much for all you do for us!

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I made response post to Ken's post here. Thank you so much Ken! Let's do this!
Hope you get some ideas from this video.

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Tomo, thank you so much for this video! Actually, it clarified a number of things for me and really helped me understand the importance of rests which you illustrated. I agree about a rhythm bpm being a little faster (70 bpm) to highlight rhythm and rests!

I found your Blues For Inge voice transcription on Instagram, you did this in 1988! Wow, you have been at this awhile! This is a good example of singing a solo at the beginning of the song!

The F blues you were playing, is there a lesson that highlights the 2-5's with the moving bass you were playing? I'm good with the Parker Blues comping you were playing and can play this, but will keep playing it! And I will explore soloing with rests as you showed and post a video after I explore it more.

Thank you, thank you Tomo!

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Tomo Fujita

You're very welcome! So happy to hear that!

Slow is important but if it's too slow then you can play 16th... but you should not play 16th (solo) Too much!
Simple rhythm is better. 1/4, 1/8 and triplets.

Thank you. I use my transcription for rhythms & spaces.
We learn when Not Play! I teach a few advanced students and I teach them how not play too many notes!

F Jazz Blues is very nice. You can search " F Jazz Blues " in my Guitar Wisdom.
Simple comping is good! R 3 7 and you can move Root to 5th etc.

Thank you.

Tomo

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Hi Tomo, This is just a brief update to let you know that I wrote out the rhythms you used in your video example to the best of my ability. There are lots of variations, many involving eighth note triplets.
I realize the next challenge for me is to organize the notes I want to play with these rhythm figures. I'm not trying to duplicate but emulate what you did, and the order of the figures has become an obvious learning point for me.
Thanks again for this video as it offered many insights Tomo!

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Tomo Fujita

Thanks for the update!

Good job!

Learn good rhythm.

You're very welcome!

Thank you!

Tomo

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Tomo Fujita

Hi Ken, thank you for replying your honest. Easy to fill in more. Maybe wait two beats and play.

Try to start on 3rd beat or end of 1st beat or end of 2nd beat.

About rhythm. Yes... first make more clear to play each rhythms so in order to do this.
You need more spaces between each bars.

Then analyze them. Not about play back! Simply you need to know what you played!
So please watch two previous videos.
Each one you need to watch 5-6 times and while you are listening your playing, please move your body with tempo! So your body is feeling that music and you should know each rhythm choices you have dome so far
so this is not nothing to do with anything new to make.

Don't make jazz rhythm by yourself! I never created any jazz rhythm myself! First learn from real language!
You need to learn those from jazz language. Listen to Ben Webster, Colman Howkins etc.

I wish I can tell you more details if its in private lessons!

Thank you Ken!

PS, I just made my response video. I will post it shortly.

Tomo

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perfectwaterforall

Hi Tomo, and thank you for your additional guidance on this. So, I've begun to do as you suggested, listening to the videos and feeling with my body. I noticed that many times I'm on beat one, or the and of one; and almost all the time I have a lot of notes between the bar lines, and not many rests.
So, am I supposed to analyze what rhythm figures I was playing (1/4, 1/8, trips, 16th's?) or, is it enough to feel the notes on beat one most of the time and many notes across the bar line, and work from there?
How detailed should I analyze?

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You're very welcome! Hope you can get a few points out of this suggestion video.

Good job! Learn about your playing is so important before you add things.

Make more rests and no need to fill in enter bar!

About analyze thing...
Simply analyze what you have played clearly on each duration of notes.
As much as you can. With your own pace.

Thank you.

Tomo

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perfectwaterforall
Tomo Fujita
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