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Topic: Horizontal vs. Vertical improvisation |
Terry Farmer
From:
Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
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Posted 29 Jul 2006 8:15 am |
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| I'd like to invite discussion on this topic. Years ago I heard a guitar player improvising that just blew me away. He was rolling and flowing through the changes with beautiful fluidity. I was puzzled as to why this particular solo struck me so. I mentioned it on the forum and one kind forumite pointed out that the man was using scalar (horizontal) as opposed to vertical (arppegio based) improvisation. He suggested that I listen to saxaphonist Lester Young. I did. I got a CD "Lester Young with the Oscar Peterson Trio". I was listening to it this morning and noticed that the piano player, Oscar Peterson, was doing exactly what I had heard years ago in the park in Pittsburg. I'd like to hear how this method can be pursued further and how this style of improvisation can best be accomplished considering the finite set up of a C6 tuned non pedal steel. Any thoughts? |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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basilh
From:
United Kingdom
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Edward Meisse
From:
Santa Rosa, California, USA
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Posted 29 Jul 2006 8:36 am
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I don't consider it to be avoiding the question at all when I say that we have to stop thinking of Nonpedal steel guitar as limited. Just play the thing. It is no more limited than anything else.
Do trumpet players think of themselves as being limited because they can't play chords? We can play chords. Do piano players think of themselves as being limited because they can't do a 12 fret gliss?? We can do that.
Every instrument has its advantages and disadvantages. Nonpedal steel is what it is. We all need to get on with playing it.
P.S. Thredzilla is da bomb!! |
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Terry Farmer
From:
Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
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Posted 29 Jul 2006 9:07 am
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| Edward, no need to get your shorts in a knot. I strive to learn and share knowledge every day and that's the only intention of this thread. Basilh, thanks, Jeff's comments are what got me thinking about it again. Andy and Edward, I agree, Threadzilla is indeed "DA BOMB". Probably time I revisited it for further insights. I appreciate the constructive input, guys. Thanks. [This message was edited by Terry Farmer on 29 July 2006 at 10:09 AM.] [This message was edited by Terry Farmer on 29 July 2006 at 10:26 AM.] |
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Edward Meisse
From:
Santa Rosa, California, USA
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Posted 29 Jul 2006 11:49 am
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I guess that does sound a little strident. I didn't intend that. It's just that the idea of lap steel as an instrument that is burdened down by excessive limitations is one of my pet peeves. Let me rephrase.
Having heard both Mike Auldridge abd Maurice Anderson play some incredibly rapid scalar improvisations on electric lap steel, and Auldridge on acoustic steel as well, I am convinced that the supposed limits of our instrument are self imposed. A result of a lack of imaginagtion and technique.
That sounds almost as bad. I'm going to go play my guitar.
[This message was edited by Edward Meisse on 29 July 2006 at 01:47 PM.] |
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Jesse Pearson
From:
San Diego , CA
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Posted 29 Jul 2006 11:58 am
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Terry, Lester played the pentatonic scales alot before it was the norm for horn players to do it (and he got grief for it too). I think the steel has limits because I still can't flow on it like guitar or horn, BeBop wise. It seems to me you do the arp and scale thing intergrated together as one long connected line. If you want to sit down and really work it out, play chordal tones on the one and three beat and use half step voice leading between chords.
I don't see how you cannot see visual patterns on stringed instruments, that's a good thing in my book. Those visual patterens are one of the reasons I like looking at tab. Scales and arps are really just the same things too, it's just the intervals are laid out in different orders.
If you sit down and slowly compose a cool solo based on all the tricks of the trade, it's gonna sound like your making it up on the spot to someone who never heard you play it before. Charlie Parker, Joe Pass, Robert Johnson etc. all did this from what I can hear. Being melodic is more about where you play the space between the notes and how much tension and release and repetition your using that relate to the chords of the moment etc.
I think getting a louis Armstrong trumpet book and transcribing it onto your steel will give you a quick lead style for jazzy Hawaiian and such. Take the trumpet lines and write them down a whole step, that puts you into concert pitch (same as piano and steel).
Jeff sounds great, but I really didn't understand what he was trying to explain in that thread? |
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