Looking for the next lesson - comments on Crazy, Last Date or Chet Song?
I haven´t bought a lesson in a while, but now I am feeling the bug again. I´m not really interested in pure lick lessons right now, as I would rather learn songs that I can add to my repertoire. Any comments on the lessons mentioned in the title? Last Date has received a lot of praise from user nealt in the Pathway through lessons thread, plus a number of forumites have expressed their positive experiences with Chet Song. Has anyone taken Crazy? I welcome your opinions and thoughts.
I probably can´t lose with any of these. How do they compare difficulty-wise?
I probably can´t lose with any of these. How do they compare difficulty-wise?
Comments
I am a big fan of Chet Song especially for improvisational purposes. The actual tune is surprisingly easy to pick up. Jim breaks down the main riff into a few concise "bite sized pieces" and plays them slow enough that its a snap to really get inside what otherwise sounds like some impossible riffs.
You can pick up the framework of the tune really fast. Then, it gets really fun as Jim walks through a variety of improvisational ideas that work great over the Chet Song chord progression...including how to play really beautiful and melodic melodies and riffs by just using the major scale. I am particularly fond of this portion of the lesson as I had know the major scale for a few decades but NEVER knew how to use it as the basis for improvisational soloing.
You can spend days just getting inside the major scale soloing concept portion of the lesson. Surprisingly beautiful and melodic riffs right at your fingertips with the major scale. I found this very eye opening and inspiring.
Jim also walks through an exercise playing 3rds and then 6th. If you are new to either concept, these are also very creativity inducing especially if you are looking to beef up your improvisational skills in the context of really great "major sounding" solos. Oh, and then there is a lesson within the lesson that hits on "playing changes" using a triad approach. Really easy to grasp and applicable in numerous playing situations.
Personally, I found Chet Song to be a great stepping stone to learning how to play more melodically all around. And this lesson kind of takes a step away from straight blues based playing which I found to be very cool and refreshing unto itself.
I'm not familiar with Last Date or Crazy although they are both on my wish list!
If you are looking for a straight "song" with less improv ideas I would recommend a chord melody. I'm a big fan of Over the Rainbow. A really beautiful piece that is guaranteed to teach you a bunch of new chords that really expand your palette all while adding a really nice song to your repertoire.
I am sure you can't go wrong with any of your choices but wanted to give my 2 cents based on my experience and what I think you are looking for. Hope this helps!
Jim: Wow, great lesson! You really gave me my money's worth... well, MORE than my money's worth, really. I come from a rock background (Yngwie, etc) and it's easy for me to conjure the minor key vibe but the happy major key vibe is trickier for me at the moment. However, I'm undergoing massive change as a player and that happy major key feel is where I want to be. This lesson will help me get there. You have such a wonderful sense of melody Jim... even your simplest melodic improv is worthy of much study. I feel extremely fortunate to have found such a great teacher!
All the best- Jim
PS- and yes, three cheers for CJ!
My suggestion would be to also look at “Country Soul” it’s a beautiful lesson in a similar way.
The “Last Date” lesson I really like because it a perfect example of the power of intervals. I think the entire song is simply a combination of 3rds, 6th and a few 4ths moving horizontally and vertically along the neck.
I’m trying to get very knowledgeable about intervals and moving them around the neck. I am incorporating them into improvisation over chords and this lesson really helps. I have been practicing intervals in scale form endlessly-maybe a little obsessively…but I’m having fun.
I’m working with a book for titled
“The Guitarist Guide to Composition and Improvisation”. The author is a famous teacher at Berklee College of music. We have discussed him on this forum in the past. CJ actually took a few lessons from him. His name is John Damian. He believes once you become competent with your scales, arpeggios and modes focusing on the intervals is the key to understanding chord construction, improvisation and composition.
If you were trying to figure out an unusually voiced chord, you could simply think of its interval construction. For example: a three-note chord (CGG) the C is in the bass, the G is on the 5th fret and the third note is another G on the 8th fret, you could simply remember its intervals, a fifth and an octave That is the first chord to “When you wish upon a star” lesson.
I don’t want to give the impression I am an authority on this subject. Mr. Damian wrote two books dedicated to this subject much of which I have only scratched the surface.
Here is a link to a you tube video with Mike Stern, who was a student of John Damian demonstrating the interval practicing I was trying to describe.
Good Luck and have fun!
Neal
I met him at the Berkeley bookstore when I was browsing one of his books, I asked the clerk if it was good and he said talk to this guy, he wrote it.
Led to a few lessons
He taught bill frisell and the guitar player from maroon 5
the improv ideas. the 3rd and 6th intervals is so great. and connecting them with the various scale positions. and seeing the patterns emerge. It'll take me a good while longer until I can get smooth with it all.
anyhow. I love this lesson.
Cheers
Warren