Lesson 39
Notes to Lesson 39
It's time to put those riffs from Lesson 38 into use. Mickey's written six 8-bar solos for the Vamp Chord Progressions from Lesson 14. If you need to review Vamps, go to Lesson 13 (Group B Chords) and Lesson 14 (Group A).
About the exercises:
No. 1: This solo correlates to Lesson 14's exercise No.1.
No. 2: This solo correlates to Lesson 14's exercise No. 2.
No. 3: This solo returns to Lesson 14's exercise No. 1.
No. 4: This solo correlates to Lesson 14's exercise No. 3.
No. 5: This solo correlates to Lesson 14's exercise No. 4.
No. 6: This solo returns to Lesson 14's exercise No. 3.
Mickey asks us to transpose all six exercises to the orchestra keys and memorize each riff so that we can hum it while strumming the exercises from Lesson 14. We don't have to do that because we're using TablEdit as the partner in our duo. And I've transposed them for you. I know that originally Lesson 14 (and 13, as well) was pretty dry, and at the time it was a little tough to see the relevance of the progressions. But with these riffs those exercises really come alive.
Standards: The Standards Portfolio we've each been accumulating should be coming along very nicely and perhaps we have some that use chord progressions like our Lesson 13 and Lesson 14 vamps. We can repeat the chorus and substitute one of these solos as the melody solo. Be sure and share it with us when you create one. If you're a little foggy on to do, let me share one with you, George Gershwin's "I Got Rhythm". I've done two choruses, with 16 measures of solos from Mickey's riffs from exercises 1 and 3. That harmony fits I Got Rhythm if we change the last two beats of Measure 7 and Measure 8 to a straight I - V - I cadence, instead of the vi - ii - V turnaround. But note I didn't have to modify the solo as the riff fits against both cadences. Also, I accepted exercises No. 1 and No. 3 without any changes as an example of how to get started "rolling your own". But I'm sure that you'll want to make some small changes so that the riffs connect a little smoother and give the tune your personal touch. Try adding some additional choruses and put your favorite riffs in them.
Next week's lesson is on Bridge Solos for the Bridges we learned in Lesson 15. In addition to Mickey's exercises, we'll add a Bridge Solo to our I Got Rhythm project.
Here's another standard to add, Rodgers' and Hart's super famous "Thou Swell".
For some additional fun: Why not transpose these exercises to the guitar friendly keys of D, A, and E.
Just keep it FUN!