[TPIN] Good or bad,..here it is

[William Benzon]

Good work.

Now, in coming out of the bridge to the A section again you can choose to
make that distinct, or you can minimize the difference. Your choice.

Here's the tricky issue, let's say you're playing 2 or more choruses of an
AABA tune. That means that you're going to have one or more segments with
three A sections strung out one after the other: AAA. However, the first of
those belongs to one chorus and the other two belong to the next chorus.
You've got to treat them differently, how have to somehow acknowledge that
boundary between one chorus and the next. Of course, once you can do that
without thinking you're ready to figure out ways to play through that
boundary.

This issue is especially challenging on a tune like "So What" where there is
no chord motion at all, just one scale or tonal area for the A section and
one for the B section. It's one thing to structure a nice solo when you have
a strong functional harmony going on and a good bass line. But when those
are missing, and the tune still has structure, you have to keep your wits
about you to nail it.

Thus we have a paradox. "So What" looks easy because it's only got two
chords. You don't have a lot of arpeggios and scales to run. So, it's easy
to blow on if your goal is to meet the minimal standard, no bad notes. But
if your goal is to meet a much higher standard, of telling a story, it's
much harder to do because the tune doesn't force much structure on you. It's
all on you.

Later,

Bill B


on 11/6/06 10:07 AM, Jon Trimble at jontrimble at cox.net wrote:

> 
> This was an excellant observation and I have been doing just that lately.
> Band leader even commented on how I make more of a difference on the change.
> Thanks for the tip....:)
> 
> Jon Trimble
> 
>> 
>> Jon,
>> 
>> I really enjoyed your solos, different each time out, tasty on all three.
>> 
>> My only suggestion is on rhythm. The verse has a Latin feel while the
>> bridge
>> is swing. I'd try to differentiate those more clearly. It's particularly
>> important to mark the difference when you go into the bridge.
>> 
>> Listen to any number of good players blowing on "A Night in Tunisia,"
>> including, of course, John Birks Gillespie himself, and check out Lee
>> Morgan
>> on "The Gigolo."
>> 
>> Keep swinging,
>> 
>> BB