DO YOU "REALLY" KNOW THAT TUNE ?


Shortly after I posted my previous article (Do You Really "Know" That Tune ?) a former fellow University of Miami student contacted me: he jokingly wanted to remind me of what one of our teachers there had us go through when learning tunes...

I thought I should share some of this, so, here we go !


Once the 4 prerequisite points are mastered (see: Do You Really "Know" That Tune ?) we should be able to:

1) Play the melody in all 12 keys. For extra bonus points, we guitar players should do this in as many positions as possible: that way, we really memorize the sound of the melody, and not just a fingering.

2) Play a chord solo (harmonized melody) in all 12 keys.

3) Practice the tune in a variety of tempos (from absurdly slow to insanely fast) and in a variety of feels (Swing, Latin, 3/4, Funk, etc...). Nowadays, we would add some more odd meters like 5/4 or 7/4... or some more "current" beats. Every now and then I pull out my Zoom MRT-3 drum machine and play through a few Standards over a Hip-Hop, a Drum 'n Bass, or a House beat !!! It really is a lot of fun!

4) Memorize the lyrics (assuming the tune has some-- as most Standards do). And let's not forget the verse !


My original intent had been to keep the check-list short and practical (not to mention, reasonable) but I just had to add this "Part II". For the sake of good old times...

(Thanks to Randall for the inspiration, and to Doug for the memories...)









IF YOU LIKED THIS ARTICLE, PLEASE CONSIDER MAKING A SMALL DONATION :-)

YOU CAN CLICK THE PAYPAL BUTTON BELOW AND ENTER THE DESIRED AMOUNT FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION-- THANK YOU !

I am available for private lessons on SKYPE or FACETIME for more information on this topic, or on anything related to Jazz Guitar, Improvisation or Music Theory.

Click here for details.



See all topics from the Various Thoughts page.

Go to the Home page.

All Content © Bruno Pelletier-Bacquaert 2005 - 2015