Quote:
Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
I always respond to your threads, and I'm probably not the guy you're looking for, as I don't consider myself a "fingerstylist" really (I play a lot with my fingers, and with a pick and fingers, but I'm into block chords and some moving bass--there's no rolling patterns coming from me)
But I am primarily a solo player, and a big part of what I do is improvising--I'm not just playing arrangements...so I have some first hand experience in this department you speak of.
There's a couple of things I like to do when soloing in a solo setting...
1. I keep my single note lines close to the changes. This isn't time to take things too far outside--the listener can still "imagine" the changes by the lines I'm trying to play.
2. Chordal punctuations...space is cool, and you can't be afriad of space, but it's nice to be able to have some fill between the single note lines to break it up a bit...I like to answer my single note lines with chordal punches--call and response style.
3. Soloing with chords--yeah, easier said than done, but knowing as many inversions of each chord (and extensions) is priceless here. Sometimes, if you can envision a good strong melodic line on the top strings, the supporting harmony isn't as crucial...look at wes montgomery--those chord solos he could rip off at will really only used about 4-5 different chord shapes. It's just a matter of doing it enough times to "hear" where you're going before you do it.
Like I said, I'm taking it all in "block chord" style for the most part, but this approach could easily be adapted to a more busy right hand as well...
I don't claim to be a master, but check out my sig. link to hear me attempt all this stuff I'm talking about...just about every performance has a "semi-arranged" head (where I basically know where I'm gonna go, but there's room to play around a bit) and an improv section....it is a learning process, for sure, but I find myself more and more comfortable with it the more I do it.
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Mr. Beaumont (not Hugh, I don't suppose), thanks loads for your input; much appreciated. And, on the contrary, your thoughts and advice are very relevant to what I was seeking. I say I want to be a fingerstylist, but actually I'm too rebellious or maybe too diverse (within the general parameters of jazz) to want to do any one thing exclusively or by the book. ... And rolling bass sure doesn't interest me. It's a hybrid style.
Really, everything you say provides confirmation of my instincts, which is nice. Since I began emphasizing fingerstyle, I've just been trying to expose myself to (or reacquaint myself with) a lot more music and the various guitar techniques therein, in order to see what I might want to adopt and adapt. By the way, you play extremely well; I've clicked on your sig link before and am listening at this moment. You're playing from the same source that I am: Great American Songbook material, jazz/pop standards of the '30's-'40's. I'm thinking that you've listened to quite a bit of Barney Kessell and Johnny Smith. Very fine playing, man.
I like your thoughts on chordal punctuations; this device definitely can bring structure to single-note playing.