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Recently, I have been trying to "upgrade" my playing. By that I mean I am trying to use more harmonically advanced concepts in my soloing. I've gotten bored with playing 'in' the changes all of the time. Granted, you always have to play in the changes to some degree so it gets across to the listener that you know what you are doing. So, in the attempt to do this I have gone back to the very basics. I am revisiting tunes that I thought I knew. I started with "Blue Bossa." Simple as they come, right? NO! Only on paper, but when you really rip it apart and try to figure out ALL of the possibilities, it becomes much more challenging. But, I find it much more rewarding.
And along this road so far, I have noticed something that has been missing in my playing that I can't hide anymore. I haven't gotten down any vocabulary for those incessant ii-V-Is. They are EVERYWHERE! So, I started hitting a book I should have checked out long ago, Jamey Aebersold's Volume 3. And after practicing a few of those licks (and some that I have transcribed) in all keys, I have gotten quite a workout. (I think I will soon spring for Steve Neff's lick collection). And suddenly, I am starting to see all of those gaps in my soloing fill up. With only a few days work, it has really done wonders for my playing. The only problem being that I have to really force feed those licks into my solos, they dont yet come out naturally, which I'm sure they will with time and practice.
So, the moral of the story is: PRACTICE YOUR II-V7-I patterns EVERY DAY!
~Zach
And along this road so far, I have noticed something that has been missing in my playing that I can't hide anymore. I haven't gotten down any vocabulary for those incessant ii-V-Is. They are EVERYWHERE! So, I started hitting a book I should have checked out long ago, Jamey Aebersold's Volume 3. And after practicing a few of those licks (and some that I have transcribed) in all keys, I have gotten quite a workout. (I think I will soon spring for Steve Neff's lick collection). And suddenly, I am starting to see all of those gaps in my soloing fill up. With only a few days work, it has really done wonders for my playing. The only problem being that I have to really force feed those licks into my solos, they dont yet come out naturally, which I'm sure they will with time and practice.
So, the moral of the story is: PRACTICE YOUR II-V7-I patterns EVERY DAY!
~Zach