non Hawaiian Swing tunes with slants

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Adam Tanner
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Joined: 26 Aug 2021 3:23 pm
Location: North Carolina, USA

non Hawaiian Swing tunes with slants

Post by Adam Tanner »

I am on a slant frenzy these days and as much as I like Hawaiian music
I'm more drawn to Swing,Western Swing and NOLA style Jazz and would like to find arrangements that include a good bit of slants.
I'm not a tab guy so I'm looking for suggestions for video or audio based examples of folks approaching these styles from this angle. :D
Tunings
A6 E13(G#BDF#G#BC#E)and C6 with high G
Thanks in advance!!
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Paul Seager
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Location: Augsburg, Germany

Post by Paul Seager »

My main use of slants in swing music is for chord work. One song that springs to mind is "I wish I could shimmy like my Sister Kate". It starts with a chordal ascent, I use a slant for a C# dim, It has a couple more dim-like chords in the verse.

Also emphasising a dom 7 is a useful demonstration of a slant. Any song where the root chord changes briefly to a 7 is a slant for me.

I occasionally use slants for melodies, like Benny Goodman's "On the Alamo". Harlem Nocturn really sounds cool (IMO) when played with slants.

All of the above are just how I approach a song. I can't recall a specific educational piece for this. I learnt how to slant through a video from the late Rick Alexander, playing Song of the Islands. It was the backward to forward slant at the end of the melody that did it for me!

I almost exclusively play melodies and solos on A6.
Adam Tanner
Posts: 13
Joined: 26 Aug 2021 3:23 pm
Location: North Carolina, USA

Post by Adam Tanner »

Thanks Paul
I love Benny Goodman so I will definitely try those two tunes with slants.
Both Vance Terry and Noel Boggs do On the Alamo!
Yes slanting to express a Dom 7 is a great strategy.
Appreciate your input!
All the best!
Lloyd Graves
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Post by Lloyd Graves »

I know you said non-Hawaiian, but Sebastian M's arrangement of Sand, in high bass A or G (and a swing tune in my opinion) relies heavily on reverse slants on the 2nd and 3rd string, which is the first place I encountered that technique. (Usually it's a reverse slants on the 2nd and 4th strings.)

Aside from that, it wasn't too-too difficult to learn.
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Bob Shilling
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Location: Berkeley, CA, USA

Post by Bob Shilling »

Lloyd Graves wrote:I know you said non-Hawaiian, but Sebastian M's arrangement of Sand, in high bass A or G (and a swing tune in my opinion) relies heavily on reverse slants on the 2nd and 3rd string, which is the first place I encountered that technique. (Usually it's a reverse slants on the 2nd and 4th strings.)

Aside from that, it wasn't too-too difficult to learn.
+ 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcCm3Y3Yrog
Bob Shilling, Berkeley, CA--MSA S10, "Classic"
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Mike Neer
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Post by Mike Neer »

Here is a video you might want to check out. This is just one small example of what I do with slants, and this is for a country vibe.

https://youtu.be/-0nLguh8m1w?si=7xLMOttM4o3SUy3l

If you’re interested in this, I am currently working on a virtual workshop called Getting Slants Straight, which will look at some advanced concepts for slanting in 6th tunings.
Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links
Adam Tanner
Posts: 13
Joined: 26 Aug 2021 3:23 pm
Location: North Carolina, USA

Post by Adam Tanner »

Thanks Mike
I love those rolls you are doing along with the slants in the video,I've never messed with that technique but really like the way it sounds.
Do you have a date for your virtual workshop yet?
I'm definitely interested!!
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