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.
Tunings
A6 E13(G#BDF#G#BC#E)and C6 with high G
Thanks in advance!!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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
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!!