Transcribed Piano Ideas from Bill Evans?

**Irez87** · 09-02-2015, 10:20 AM

I am really getting into transcrbing the comping of piano players, to the best of my ability. Jeb Patton has a wonderful book on just this. However, he neglects to Bill Evans.

Here are some ideas that I think come close to his voicings, as taken from his comping behind soloists on Stolen Moment. I was only focusing on the top three notes, as it made it easier to translate to the guitar.

Behind Freddie Hubbard:

x.x.x.10.8.6
x.x.x.8.6.5

x.x.x.10.8.6
x.x.x.8.6.5

x.x.x.10.8.6
x.x.x.8.6.5

x.x.x.8.8.4 (or x.x.x13.12.9)
x.x.x.10.7.6
x.6.5.5.x.x
x.8.9.7.x.x
x.6.5.2.x.x

7.6.3.x.x.x
x.8.6.4.x.x

x.x.x.14.11.10
x.x.x.11.10.x
x.x.x.10.9.7

That's what I hear in the first chorus. Check it out and make edits if you disagree. But listen before applying theory, piano players seems to have different concepts for building chords than we do. Give me another couple of years of ear training and I think I could get closer and start transcribing horn and string arrangements... that's my goal, at least.

**wolflen** · 09-02-2015, 05:39 PM

it is true Evans had a very unique way of voicing..that captured the harmonic and melodic functions at the same time..his work on "kind of blue" could be a master class study in itself..

I used some of your voicings as melodic lines..and worked them into chords that could relate to them..it gave me some material to work with for awhile..

I have studied the solos of jim hall joe diorio and others to find hints of evans work..while they helped some they did not capture that "magical" quality he used to make a chord melodic and a melodic line a chord..I think sid jacobs came as close as anyone in playing evans flavor on guitar..

**Irez87** · 09-02-2015, 05:49 PM

Glad you enjoyed them. I will go back in a couple of months when my ear improves more and edit it some more. I like the idea of playing piano voicings on the guitar. It helps you understand the mind of a pianist and you can play these octaves in different octaves with the piano player, and in certain contexts, it will sound more appropriate than drop 2 and 3's (which are great voicings, but not the end all be all)

**Irez87** · 09-02-2015, 05:52 PM

voicings, not octaves*** shesh!

**sgcim** · 09-03-2015, 01:34 PM

[QUOTE=Irez87;564024]I am really getting into transcrbing the comping of piano players, to the best of my ability. Jeb Patton has a wonderful book on just this. However, he neglects to Bill Evans.

Here are some ideas that I think come close to his voicings, as taken from his comping behind soloists on Stolen Moment. I was only focusing on the top three notes, as it made it easier to translate to the guitar.

Behind Freddie Hubbard:

x.x.x.10.8.6
x.x.x.8.6.5

x.x.x.10.8.6
x.x.x.8.6.5

x.x.x.10.8.6
x.x.x.8.6.5

x.x.x.8.8.4 (or x.x.x13.12.9)
x.x.x.10.7.6
x.6.5.5.x.x
x.8.9.7.x.x
x.6.5.2.x.x

7.6.3.x.x.x
x.8.6.4.x.x

x.x.x.14.11.10
x.x.x.11.10.x
x.x.x.10.9.7

That's what I hear in the first chorus. Check it out and make edits if you disagree. But listen before applying theory, piano players seems to have different concepts for building chords than we do. Give me another couple of years of ear training and I think I could get closer and start transcribing horn and string arrangements... that's my goal, at least.[/QUOTE

Looks interesting
Too bad it's impossible to play Bill's voicings on guitar.
It took me a long time to get it down, but I can play the exact voicings on the tune "Stolen Moments" that Oliver Nelson wrote.
Tonight I'm playing with a pianist who has devoted his life to playing exactly like Bill Evans. It's eerie, I feel like I'm playing with Evans himself!

**whiskey02** · 09-03-2015, 02:16 PM

Take a look at this;

5 Ways To Play Like Bill Evans | KeyboardMag

I don't think you have to (because we can't) necessarily play everything as on a piano, but often just 2 or 3 notes can create the mood/vibe. Besides, what would be the point of doing just what a piano does, they have pianos for that; make it sound like a guitar!

**Irez87** · 09-04-2015, 02:22 PM

Keep the dialogue going, just because you can't play the entire voicing, doesn't mean you can't learn something from the structure, play the top three voices, and learn about how Bill creates forward momentum (so much, that at times, I feel like I'm on a roller coaster, and loving it!) with the rhythms as well.

Whiskey, I'll check out that linkie dink. Thanks.

Sgcim, ask your friend to go into the particulars of sounding like Bill. I'll ask Jeb the next time I study with him. The specifics could help us in more ways than one with our comping.

Concerning comping like a guitarist, that's great. I love FG and Oscar Moore, and Kessel, and JS( would you consider Johnny Smith's voicings guitar voicings?). But why limit yourself. The "piano" voicings give a different texture which might work better for playing behind a certain horn player or vocalist. It's all in the service of the music.

If not, that's cool two. Life is interesting because we all take different journeys. If we were all doing the same thing, than life would be boring. Difference sprouts definition...

**Irez87** · 09-04-2015, 02:24 PM

This is coming from someone who believes that the George Van Eps Guitar Method and Barry Harris's Guitar Comping are the two most important resources for guitar comping (me). Just as a reference. Keep your ears open...

**Irez87** · 09-04-2015, 02:29 PM

last night, I tried doing interweaving solos with the guys i play with in brooklyn. Many would say, "it's his or her solo, don't join in. A solo is just that, one person." but you know what, I had more fun than I ever had playin a solo in a traditional sense. It pushed me further and exposed my weaknesses, but it was above all FUN. I'll post it as soon as the recording is up.

**docdosco** · 09-04-2015, 08:29 PM

Sid Jacobs has a book of Bill Evans transcriptions for guitar. It is very well done.

Sid Jacobs - Guitarist, Composer, Instructor, Recording Artist

Doc Dosco

**sgcim** · 09-04-2015, 08:55 PM

Originally Posted by Irez87

Keep the dialogue going, just because you can't play the entire voicing, doesn't mean you can't learn something from the structure, play the top three voices, and learn about how Bill creates forward momentum (so much, that at times, I feel like I'm on a roller coaster, and loving it!) with the rhythms as well.

Whiskey, I'll check out that linkie dink. Thanks.

Sgcim, ask your friend to go into the particulars of sounding like Bill. I'll ask Jeb the next time I study with him. The specifics could help us in more ways than one with our comping.

Concerning comping like a guitarist, that's great. I love FG and Oscar Moore, and Kessel, and JS( would you consider Johnny Smith's voicings guitar voicings?). But why limit yourself. The "piano" voicings give a different texture which might work better for playing behind a certain horn player or vocalist. It's all in the service of the music.

If not, that's cool two. Life is interesting because we all take different journeys. If we were all doing the same thing, than life would be boring. Difference sprouts definition...

I've asked him before, and all he usually said was to take one of BE's solos, and study it for a few months.
Now go back to writing your Core Curriculum lesson plans.

**Irez87** · 09-04-2015, 09:07 PM

Sid Jacobs... I might be moving out west and I would love to study with him and John Stowell. Sid is a really really cool dude. He sent me some Monk transcriptions a while back when I emailed him about how I loved the Bill book.

Scgim, how did you know! I just found out what I'm co-teaching this week (crazy, but I roll with it). I'm a SPED teacher by day, this year it is History and BIO. Last year was Math. The two years prior were English (once as a gen ed teacher). You too?

**docdosco** · 09-04-2015, 09:25 PM

I played a guitar duo with Sid some years back. He is a really fine player. He is a good teacher too. Some guys can teach and some can't. He has a gift. If you get out this way, just call him. He spends a lot of hours running the jazz guitar program at MI, but I'm sure he'll still be able to hook you up.

Doc Dosco

**Irez87** · 09-04-2015, 09:54 PM

He did this heartwarming tribute to Jimmy Wyble as well:

Re: Bill Evans for guitar. I got into a heated argument about using open strings on one of Sid's videos about the voicings. I kept saying, Kessel used open strings, and so did JS. Classical guitarists used them all the time. Why discount the open string voicings just because they only work in certain situations. Anyway, I really like what Sid does with the ol' Hofner.

**Irez87** · 09-04-2015, 09:57 PM

If utilizing open strings for really wide open voicings isn't guitaristic like playing open Am or E chord, than I dunno what else to say... Just be conscious of amp feedback

**docdosco** · 09-04-2015, 10:08 PM

Do you know the story of how he met Jimmy? Sid was playing at a coffee shop in Pasadena and he went outside to make a cell phone call and when he came back in he found this old guy was sitting on the stage playing his guitar.

Trippy, huh?

Sid and Dan Sawyer salvaged and digitized a bunch of old two track tapes Jimmy had stacked at his house. The Etudes and some other stuff. (Dan remastered Ted Greene's CD from an old tape too). I recall going by Sid's house some years ago and he had that same stack of tapes sitting there and he was wondering what to do with them. That was before Soybean did his magic on them.

God created open strings. Why NOT use them.... : )

Doc

**Irez87** · 09-04-2015, 10:19 PM

You're preaching to the choir, Doc. But I say, preach it loud and clear!

I love Wyble's videos on youtube. Are they from that same cafe?

**mr. beaumont** · 09-04-2015, 10:22 PM

Open strings rule, especially when they're interesting notes in a chord...

Sid's great, thanks for posting this stuff.

**docdosco** · 09-04-2015, 10:40 PM

Originally Posted by Irez87

You're preaching to the choir, Doc. But I say, preach it loud and clear!

I love Wyble's videos on youtube. Are they from that same cafe?

Yes, I do believe. Actually, this post reminded me, so I just called Sid. He was about to skype with someone in Hong Kong so I'll catch up later. My health has been up and down for several years and I haven't been in touch with the fellas so much. It has been a chore just to get out and do my trio gigs, therefore I haven't been doing the 'hang'. But, I feel better so I'm back posting. Maybe I'll do some hanging out too.

Doc

**Irez87** · 09-04-2015, 10:55 PM

Dear Mr. Jacobs,

I have become quite a fan of yours on youtube, I really dug how you interpreted Bill Evans on the guitar. I am trying to incorporate open strings in my own accompaniment as well, Segovia said that the guitar was a mini orchestra and open strings are part of that orchestra. My current project involves taking what I learned from Barry Galbraith's book (if only I could have had some lessons from him in person) and applying it to George Van Eps' method of harmony. I'm also interested in mimicking the piano and found some of your Thelonious Monk material on youtube. Do you have a book that focuses on Monk with the same critical eye as Evans? By the way, nice tribute to Jimmy Wyble.

Best,

Alex

Thank you for your kind observations. Unfortunately the Monk material is not published. HalLeonard Publ. already had a Monk guitar book, so mine was considered unnecessary. If you ever come to Southern California I will be happy to share my Monk adaptations with you. Good luck with all your work. The guitar is a beautiful musical instrument that has many secrets yet untold.

All the best,
Sid

That was my correspondence from randomly reaching out to him after getting his Bill book

**Irez87** · 09-04-2015, 10:57 PM

Shesh, that email is 4 years old. I feel old...

I am still dedicated to that project I mentioned on the email, funnily enough!

**docdosco** · 09-04-2015, 11:32 PM

Originally Posted by Irez87

That was my correspondence from randomly reaching out to him after getting his Bill book

Sid is a really, really nice person. He doesn't have a harsh word for anyone. I could probably take some cues from him on that aspect. I first helped him with some server space for his website way back when and he would invite me over to pick his brain on his approach to playing changes. I also had a little coffee house 'sit in' session for almost 2 years in Van Nuys CA in the early 2000s, and he would often show up to support it. It was fun just to get out and play for the love of it back then.

If you make out this way, I'm sure he'll make some time for you.

Doc

**Irez87** · 09-04-2015, 11:43 PM

I ALMOST got to meet Stowell cause a former teacher of mine (the great Kenny Wessel of Hah-lamb) held a workshop with him. Alas, I was working on a term paper at the time for grad school in education... Coulda, woulda, shoulda!

**docdosco** · 09-05-2015, 12:01 AM

I'm sure you'll meet him sometime. He is a friendly guy too. I was curious about his legendary stretches and thought he must have fingers like a daddy long legs. We did a hand to hand match one day at a NAMM show, and damn, his fingers are about the size of mine.... which are not very long. He manages to get the longest reach possible with his wrist positioning.

Doc

**sgcim** · 09-05-2015, 02:59 AM

Originally Posted by Irez87

Sid Jacobs... I might be moving out west and I would love to study with him and John Stowell. Sid is a really really cool dude. He sent me some Monk transcriptions a while back when I emailed him about how I loved the Bill book.

Scgim, how did you know! I just found out what I'm co-teaching this week (crazy, but I roll with it). I'm a SPED teacher by day, this year it is History and BIO. Last year was Math. The two years prior were English (once as a gen ed teacher). You too?

I was told early in my career that working for the board of ed (before it became the dept. of ed.) was like being in the army; just follow your orders...