Fingerings

[Bill Cohen]

Harmonically, there are mainly only two bebop tunes and studying the great innovation in rhythm changes over the years is quite enlightening.

 

Here's the basic bebop melody fingering technique:

 

Lets say the head is in Bb. Put your first finger straight across the Bb triad on the third fret.

Then have faith - there is no bebop melody where you have to move your hand farther than one fret down or one fret up. You can play almost any bebop rhythm changes melody in one position. The great value of bebop is its modular nature. You can put these riffs anywhere and they are interchangeable.

 

What I am working on now is chord melody arrangements of songs by Bix Beiderbecke, James P. Johnson, Carl Kress, Dick McDonough and Eddie Lang.

 

Also have you checked out the European Jazz Real Book?

 

 

-------------- Original message --------------
From: "Victor Saumarez" <saum...@champmail.com>

>
> Thanks for that very insightful essay. I agree with most of what you
> are saying, but I still find show tunes easier than beebop to finger.
> It must be my stubby little fingers and impatience. Truth be told, I
> actually prefer other tunes to bebop.
>
>
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[Victor Saumarez]

Thanks for that great tip. Are you doing the arranging by these great
players or transcribing them? Never heard of the European Jazz Real
Book. What's in it?