Minecraft Vid 32

Percussive Guitar Test 1

EBow Test 3

EBow Test 2

Minecraft Video 31

EBow Test One

EBow is here....

I got the Ebow.  Been working with it.  An interesting, somewhat creepy sound.  But for the wrist it's fantastic!  NO pain at all.  So I'll learn to use it and make some interesting music.  Soaring, sustained, long tones of vibrations.  Rough at times.  Will combine it with some amp effects.  The VG strato is first for the video... to be made soon!

keyboard/guitar detente

so, the guitar for blues, and the keyboard for the Beatles.  Done.  guitar for single note blues lead stuff.  Keyboard for Beatles songs.  Solves the problem of using the guitar in a satisfying way that works with my limitations. No need to be a solo chord/melody guitar player.  Blues backing tracks are the key.  Then I just play lead.  and the keyboard for full chord/melody songs.  hooray.

Xmas Eve Blues

Riffs in D dorian

keyboard riffs

switching to keyboards

just tired of being careful about my wrist.  So off the guitars go into their cases for a little vacation.  They keyboards will keep me busy for a while.

keyboard riffs

Inspired by the guqin

music production

so, I think I've got something here.  I got the VG strato with the whammy bar.  I use the amp as an effects machine, and pipe it directly to the computer using Photo Booth to record.  In this way I can use effects and overdrive that normally drive my ear nuts -- but with no problem.  The effects show up only on the video -- all I hear is the guitar, unamplified.  Right now I'm working wight he major pentatonic scale and playing riffs inspired by traditional Chinese folk music.  Also inspired by the guqin, the scholars' instrument.  So my improvs definitely sound ancient Chinese, but with modern effects like flange and overdrive.

Add some Metal to the Riffs

inspired by Chinese traditional music

today's riff

latest quick vid

the 2 5 1 thing

still working on the details of it.  I'm also thinking of ditching the "jazz" label and just playing whatever the heck i want to.  I'm not gonna be a jazzer, in the traditional sense.  And with single note playing there's no background of chords to  harmonize with, so I"m more free to play with scales, modes, whatever.  Whatever sounds good, and is kinda jazzy, is about what I want to do.  So Beatles riffing is more accurate.  jazzy riffing.

Beatles Jazz

so, I can take a Beatles tune and improvise with a II V I based on it.  Beatles jazz.  The melodies are straightforward -- I've got the sheet music.  and then apply the II V I improve with the modes.  let's see how it sounds!

2 5 1 Riffing

so I"m getting used to the three modes for 2 5 1 improvising.  I have charts for the 2 (dorian) and 5 (mixolydian) and I already know the 1 (ionian).  My idea is to start with a melody -- right now I'm working with Over the Rainbow, and to improvise on it in a series of 2 5 1 changes.  

the "I got it" moment with jazz guitar

so this morning I had my Duh! moment.  the I Get It moment.  So nice when it happens.  It's simple, really.  The 7 modes are major, minor, minor, major, major, minor, diminished.  Just like the pattern for the diatonic scale chords.  So for any chord in a song, you can play the scale for it.  So, for the I chord, play Ionian.  For the V chord, Mixolydian.  For the II chord, Dorian.  Ah, not so complicated!  Well, there may be some more complications, but this is the basic pattern of the idea.  This makes the idea of jazz improvising so much clearer now.  What I need to do is make some notes for the scales for each type of chord, and use these to guide my improvs on a II V I, for example.  I don't even have to memorize -- I can have the notes in front of me.  Gonna try it out during Xmas break.  Happy jazz playing!