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A few thoughts from the giants

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Here are a few random samples from something I'm watching. You may find them interesting:
This is a discussion between John Patitucci and Eric Marienthal on the road with Chick Corea. Eric was talking about how he prepared, working hard for the first rehearsal only to find out that the first tune was the one he did not have a chart for. They hand him one in concert key. He was able to transpose it while reading it for the first time. John Patitucci said every sax player he's ever played with could do that. He then tells the story of bringing charts for Chris Potter. John transposed some of them in Bb, and Potter is so used to transposing on the fly, he said it messed him up. He also said something that touched me, since I agree. Chris prefers the chords in concert key. YES! Winning! Long story short, it's something you may need to do someday if you aspire to those heights. I'm immune as I can't sight read if my life depended on it.

David Sanborn (who also said he thinks and talks in concert key!) mentioned something about time that isn't unexpected, but maybe some of you never thought of it. Eric asked him how he thought about time. He said that he always hears 12/8 in a shuffle. Some people can't play that feel well, especially if they're not concentrating on jazz or blues. I've know a bass player or two who couldn't do walking bass properly, they don't feel it. Dave states that there are three "times" at once, he kind sang them, but it amounts to 1/4, 1/8 and 12/8. He mentioned Phil Woods, Cannonball and Hank Crawford as inspirations. Ironically, Hank Crawford did the version of "That's All" that I studied most when I submitted my first BotM.

The two sax players also talked about evaluating an instrument or mouthpiece. They agreed that the sax you should buy is the one where, while you're playing it, you suddenly realize that you're supposed to be trying to check it out it, not just playing. In other words, if you concentrate on trying little tiny movements, you won't be getting the full picture; I found these tidbits interesting and hope you get something out this post. It's just as valid if you think differently than these folks, whatever works for you is what you'll do.
 
Here are a few random samples from something I'm watching. You may find them interesting:
This is a discussion between John Patitucci and Eric Marienthal on the road with Chick Corea. Eric was talking about how he prepared, working hard for the first rehearsal only to find out that the first tune was the one he did not have a chart for. They hand him one in concert key. He was able to transpose it while reading it for the first time. John Patitucci said every sax player he's ever played with could do that. He then tells the story of bringing charts for Chris Potter. John transposed some of them in Bb, and Potter is so used to transposing on the fly, he said it messed him up. He also said something that touched me, since I agree. Chris prefers the chords in concert key. YES! Winning! Long story short, it's something you may need to do someday if you aspire to those heights. I'm immune as I can't sight read if my life depended on it.

David Sanborn (who also said he thinks and talks in concert key!) mentioned something about time that isn't unexpected, but maybe some of you never thought of it. Eric asked him how he thought about time. He said that he always hears 12/8 in a shuffle. Some people can't play that feel well, especially if they're not concentrating on jazz or blues. I've know a bass player or two who couldn't do walking bass properly, they don't feel it. Dave states that there are three "times" at once, he kind sang them, but it amounts to 1/4, 1/8 and 12/8. He mentioned Phil Woods, Cannonball and Hank Crawford as inspirations. Ironically, Hank Crawford did the version of "That's All" that I studied most when I submitted my first BotM.

The two sax players also talked about evaluating an instrument or mouthpiece. They agreed that the sax you should buy is the one where, while you're playing it, you suddenly realize that you're supposed to be trying to check it out it, not just playing. In other words, if you concentrate on trying little tiny movements, you won't be getting the full picture; I found these tidbits interesting and hope you get something out this post. It's just as valid if you think differently than these folks, whatever works for you is what you'll do.
It's often little gems like this that can propel your own playing forward - so a nice post Randy. Sanborn also cites Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder as inspiration and you can hear Stevie's harmonica flicks in Sanborn's playing quite clearly as well as Ray Charles dynamic delivery of a melody.
 
On the other end of the Scale, this popped up in my Youtube feed yesterday and I thought of you. Some interesting points made to the young Student who seems to have won this lesson in a Competition. She does very well to play anything alongside a quality pro, let alone with the added pressure of her Dad videoing the whole thing! Eric mentions going out on Tour with Corea in the video. Comes across as a nice chap too.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0sjYfV1mi0
 
When I was playing mostly alto I got to the point where I could sight transpose if the chart wasn’t too dense or the tempo north of 140. Now that I am older and playing both a lot I have given up trying. If it’s hard I will transpose chart if simple it takes me a few run throughs.

OTOH I know of some pretty awesome players who cant read at all but can hear the implied changes coming
 
To me what's also amazing is the way he uses the word 'awesome' hundreds of times, as this would NEVER happen in France!

The best you can probably expect to be is 'Not bad'!

That may be closer to reality, but it ain't exactly motivating, inspiring... :doh: So I guess I'll have to try harder! Or give up, like my kids did... All three of them. :confused2:
 
Eric is a great teacher, he cares, he does this to keep music happening. He's been encouraging to me and he told me what he tells this young woman, to make sure every note comes out. I can't share the videos he returns to us in lessons, but suffice it to say, he plays a minute or two of what the lesson could sound like. I hope to meet him some day just to tell him how "awesome" he is :)
 
Eric is a great teacher, he cares, he does this to keep music happening. He's been encouraging to me and he told me what he tells this young woman, to make sure every note comes out. I can't share the videos he returns to us in lessons, but suffice it to say, he plays a minute or two of what the lesson could sound like. I hope to meet him some day just to tell him how "awesome" he is :)
I’ve watched quite a few clips of Eric, especially doing the rounds as a guest in high school bands. How much he inspires those around him is obvious and his warmth and sincerity is clear.
 
To me what's also amazing is the way he uses the word 'awesome' hundreds of times, as this would NEVER happen in France!
But in America, just like Garrison Keillor's Lake Wobegon, "... All the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average." To which we might add "all the sax players ( except perhaps moi ) are awesome"
 
Super !
Excellent !
Formidable !
I am pretty sure that nobody in France ever had a special tic of language... ever ! :D

That video is probably one of the best advert for the lessons with Eric.
I am this close to subscribe...
 
12/8 is in every swing tune you play---not just in shuffles. A while back I wrote out a portion of Shiny Stockings the way it is typically written, and below that how it is actually played to illustrate this idea. The highlighted notes represent those notes that inexperienced players have a tendency to rush when they don't feel the underlying 12/8 meter.

[Of course when the tempo gets fast enough the eighth notes (quavers) almost become even, The same is true in some ballads at slower tempos.]
 

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To me what's also amazing is the way he uses the word 'awesome' hundreds of times
I recall reading a funny post about things a British woman found funny or annoying in the USA, and one of them was "everything is awesome!". It sure did become common years ago and still is said way too much. But now the adjectives for something great are "insane" or in some circles "dope". "The bomb" had a moment a while a ago.
 
I recall reading a funny post about things a British woman found funny or annoying in the USA, and one of them was "everything is awesome!". It sure did become common years ago and still is said way too much. But now the adjectives for something great are "insane" or in some circles "dope". "The bomb" had a moment a while a ago.

That's the problem. When using a word to describe a situation, the word ends up meaning what it described so often. So if it's just good, awesome means good!
 
My wife tells me the students are using "C'est ouf !" and "C'est hard !". The first is positive, the second, negative. And we are so far OT that this part should be moved.
 
To me what's also amazing is the way he uses the word 'awesome' hundreds of times, as this would NEVER happen in France!

The best you
Faint Praise

It's a British tradition too
 
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That's the problem. When using a word to describe a situation, the word ends up meaning what it described so often. So if it's just good, awesome means good!
It is, but it's still better than a negative. In the UK, us reserved lot use "quite good" even when we mean really good or awesome. The "quite" tempers it so much it feels like a negative.
 
12/8 is in every swing tune you play---not just in shuffles. A while back I wrote out a portion of Shiny Stockings the way it is typically written, and below that how it is actually played to illustrate this idea. The highlighted notes represent those notes that inexperienced players have a tendency to rush when they don't feel the underlying 12/8 meter.

[Of course when the tempo gets fast enough the eighth notes (quavers) almost become even, The same is true in some ballads at slower tempos.]
Good point well made jb.
 
I've never actually understand what a 'swing' is, to me, there's binary and trinary (???) feels, or as we used to call them, push (funk) or shuffle.
 
It is, but it's still better than a negative. In the UK, us reserved lot use "quite good" even when we mean really good or awesome. The "quite" tempers it so much it feels like a negative.
Yes, I've long noted the use of "quite" in British English. Modifiers are a good use of language. I quite like them.
 

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