Guitar Lesson: Giant Steps (now www.TrueGuitarist.com)

[y3k23k]

giant steps... more like giant hands

[janecroft]

I think it's not so hard to noodle (boring) patterns over Giant Steps, but I think it is indeed hard to play really interesting and musically over Giant Steps like for instance Scott Henderson with VTT. His solo is amazing, he never looses the plot and through the whole solo comes up with fresh new ideas. And his phrasing is perfect. Masterpiece.

[luckyjinxer]

Where can we find a good backing track with the changes to practice? (I'm guessing you recorded your own, but Im lazy)

[playgtrcouk]

@luckyjinxer I did that track with a looper pedal. you can search youtube for a track youtube.com /watch?v=Nr7tr533CGY&feature=r­elated

this is OK maybe a bit fast for practice purpose.

[PetarAtanasov87]

Hello i am a rock/fusion guitarist and i have been playing for about 10 years.Until 2 years ago i was interested in the shred stuff but now i really like John Scofield and Pat Martino's sinse of 8th note lines but when i try to improvise like that i end up playing fast again because i can't focus and i rush it on 16th notes can you give me some advice how to escape from this shred playing because now it seems to me that when the improvisation is too fast you don't really have a direction.

[playgtrcouk]

@PetarAtanasov87 the best thing to help concentration is playing with other people...also I find playing standards 'solo' guitar along to a metronome does help, as you have to stick to the changes. good luck!

[soczez]

@PetarAtanasov87 I've gone trough (and I'm still going, I think) the same way as you so understand you very well. The gool is to feel down into beat (so the best way of playing-in and feel is 8th notes phrasing) Try to lay notes back, be a little bit behind the beat. You'll see very quickly what results it gives you. Just open a Real Book, turn on a metronome and try to improvise through the changes. Maybe, in the begining, forget about Martino ;) Find Lester Young or Coleman Hawkins f. ex.

[PetarAtanasov87]

@soczez John Scofield said what you play before and what you play after affects what you play now and it's a matter of how you set yourself.I remember a joke from John Abercrombie "If you practice this and this and you call me in the morning you will find that you will be playing over changes whole alot better".It's very hard to play for almost 10 years and suddenly i want to change my direction and it doesn't happen over night.I guess it takes work and time.

[francisco444]

@PetarAtanasov87 I had the same problem, what has helped me it to think before I play. Instead of just shredding fast and let my hand run. I think of a melody that is very soulful or emotional. Wes Montgomery played some nice slow licks.

[GameLevelEditor]

I get what your showing and appreciate it.. I feel its more important to understand the fundamental of the song which you outline here. Great

[mario404]

thanks for inspiration :) great job

[AndyDialog]

this is very interesting material, but your presentation is way too fast.

I woud like you to slow down the chords, showing them slowly & the the soloing approach also slowly, perhaps calling ou the frets as you do it.

[playgtrcouk]

@AndyDialog I trick I use is downloading the video and playing it with windows media player...if you click on the top bar, go to 'Enhancements >Play Speed settings' you can slow down the video without changing the pitch.

[dle777]

great ideas and lesson

[playgtrcouk]

I've had to upload this video again as the old one has an audio sync problem...sorry about deleting some of the comments.