Jazz fans, check it out...

[OfSinsAndShred]

Remember a little while back when I was all like, "Shit, I'm going to school for jazz, and I don't listen to any!" and I asked for recommendations? I remember Jimmy Bruno popping up a few times.

Well, long story short I got accepted and I'm going to their Summer Guitar/Bass workshop (it's supposed to be one of the top Guitar workshops around I guess)... And who should be a special guest to hold a clinic and a concert? None other than Jimmy Bruno.

Check it out:
http://www2.duq.edu/Times/ArticleBody.cfm?Id=1542

If I pick up any kickass licks or anything while I'm there, I'll make sure to post 'em!

And actually the week after that I'm going to a recording workshop, so hopefully I can post some decent playing samples, not like the crappily recorded stuff from the link in my sig.

Later guys.

 

[ABQShredHead]

Well, long story short I got accepted and I'm going to their Summer Guitar/Bass workshop (it's supposed to be one of the top Guitar workshops around I guess)...

Congratulations. That should be a fun study.

 

[Dado-x]

Awesome, Jimmy Bruno is a monster player. Have fun and make the best out of it.

 

[OfSinsAndShred]

Well, I'm about to leave and I'm on the university's computers. It was AMAZING! Met some cool people and learned a ton of shit. I'm totally pumped for guitar workshop next week and going to school here in August.

 

[ABQShredHead]

Any good tidbits you can pass on to us not-so-fortunate folk?

 

[OfSinsAndShred]

Um... well. Jimmy Bruno and Joe Negri kick fucking ass. I didn't learn a whole lot of stuff I can actually pass on, just got a better feel for jazz playing. That and "What scales fit over which chords doesn't matter." (From Jimmy Bruno)

That and when you have a Min7 Flat 5 chord going to an Altered Dominant, which is pretty common in jazz, you can do this: Treat the min7b5 chord as the 6th degree of a melodic minor, and then the altered dominant as the 7th degree of a melodic minor. So you'll be using a melodic minor, then sliding up a minor third when the chords switch and using that melodic minor. If that doesn't make sense, PM me or reply or something.

There's a ton of stuff, but mostly I'm going back through the book to pick it all up.

 

[ABQShredHead]

On the ii-V change?

Good stuff! Thanks.

 

[OfSinsAndShred]

Yep, on a ii-V. If you actually look at a harmonized melodic minor (in jazz theory, not classical), the sixth degree is a min7b5, and the seventh degree is an alt. dominant, so it makes sense.

Now actually playing that over changes - that's another story. Fuck jazz, it's too damn hard.

 

[ABQShredHead]

Yeah, that's why it's played mostly by old men - it takes a person that long to figure the shit out. haha

 

[OfSinsAndShred]

Pretty much! Joe Negri and Jimmy Bruno - fine examples. Joe Negri was 76 and he could shred like I've never seen.

Bruno's one funny fuckin' guy though, man. He just talked about how he hates when people think you have to have all the theory in your head when you play, and all the odd scale names - "They just got guys makin' this shit up!" Then we asked him how he practices. "Well, when I sat down to practice, I ran up and down scales and arpeggios." Tad bit contradictory.

 

[ElPredicador]

He just talked about how he hates when people think you have to have all the theory in your head when you play, and all the odd scale names - "They just got guys makin' this shit up!" Then we asked him how he practices. "Well, when I sat down to practice, I ran up and down scales and arpeggios." Tad bit contradictory.

Not that much, possibly running scales and arpeggios up and down is his way of keeping them fresh... remember that now that you are learning those scales you have them on the tip of your fingers, but try playing some scale after 3-4 months of learning a totally different one. Even better, try playing one scale when 10+ years have passed after you first learnt it: if you don't practice them, they'll go away...
However, when playing, I bet (as I can't know for sure) he doesn't even use the scales and arpeggios he was practicing that day, week or whatever.

I think the point is that, when improvising, it's better to play a theme and develop it than just playing random notes on a scale (which is a common mistake when you think too much in the scales).

 

[ABQShredHead]

Yeah, he's not playing the scales as much as he is the patterns he's garnered from the scales. Find the triads within the scales and highlight those, and then add the color notes of the scale. My guitar teacher whips through them so fast that my eyes hurt. But he breaks it down and it's just pattern after pattern...