Guitar Help!
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nafmeadmin.
nafmeadminI need help with this as I am a band director who is rather inexperienced with jazz ensembles.
I have a freshman guitar player who was selected for our high school all-county jazz band. He played a Level 4 Jim Snidero solo pretty competently last spring which earned him the spot. We were just given the music last week and we have just this month to learn it all for the festival. The music consists of: Mike Tomaro’s arr. of “In A Sentimental Mood”, Mark Taylor arr. “Dat Dere”, Tomaro arr. “Manteca”, and Taylor arr. “Pick Up The Pieces”.
The “Pick Up…” piece is very easy, and any instance of written melodies in the other pieces are no problem. The issue is with all the extended chords! How is he going to be able to learn examples such as an Emi7 (b5) (Add 11), or an Ab7 (#11#9) all in time for the performance? Would it be okay for us to work out the basic chord structures with occasional 7th and 9ths mixed in? Those 11ths and 13ths are going to be well covered by saxes, horns and keyboards as it is. Any advice would be helpful. If we had more time, I’d definitely have him learn as many new chords as he could and not try to take shortcuts, but I feel we need to be more efficient with the limited time available.
Thank you for your help, folks!
nafmeadminHave no fear! It’s rare for the guitarist to play those extended chords in a big band setting. In swing style, have him play quarter notes “Freddie Green” style. Play just the root, 3rd and 7th of each chord. If that becomes difficult, then just stick with the 3rd and 7th. When comping along with the piano in other styles have him stick with simple two or three note voicings that fit in with what the piano is playing.
Christopher M. Johnson, Professor of Music Education and Music Therapy, is currently the Chair of the Music Education and Music Therapy Department and Director of the Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas. Johnson earned his Ph.D. from the Florida State University.
Since his arrival at The University of Kansas, Johnson has taught courses in Instrumental Conducting, Teaching Instrumental Music, Managing Behaviors in the Music Environment, Psychology and Acoustics of Music, and Research Methods in Music Education and Music Therapy. Johnson served two terms as the editor of the International Journal of Music Education: Research, the research publication of the International Society for Music Education. He is currently serving his second term on the National Association for Music Educations Executive Committee of the Society for Research in Music Education. He also served on the editorial board of the Journal of Research in Music Education, and one earlier term as the Chair for the MENC Executive Committee of the Society for Research in Music Education. Johnson also served as the Chair for the Research Commission of the International Society for Music Education.
Johnson’s research interests include applied research in music education, and basic research in all aspects of the psychology of music. He has published articles in many journals including the Journal of Research in Music Education, the International Journal of Music Education, the Journal of Music Therapy, Journal of Band Research, Contributions to Music Education, and the Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, among others. Johnson has also been an active member and contributor to the Research Seminar of the International Society for Music Education and World Alliance for Arts Education.
Johnson received a university teaching award – the Ned N. Fleming Award for Excellence in Teaching and received the recognition for Graduate Teaching Achievement from the Center for Teaching Excellence. Johnson was also awarded a lecturing & research award as a J. William Fulbright Scholar and recently received the Ella Scoble Opperman Citation for Distinguished Achievement from the Florida State University College of Music.
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