Rhythms Complete Bugs Bower

[AllanAllen]

[AllanAllen]

I like this book. It’s only been a few days and I already feel like I’m better at reading.

https://youtu.be/3G50Yixjxks?si=laUd6wloFi4gbccD

[AllanAllen]

[AllanAllen]

[AllanAllen]

[rpjazzguitar]

Sounds good. You're swinging the 8ths, which is fine for solo playing. If you were playing in a section (like a situation where the guitar is voiced like another horn, which happens in big band) you'd probably have to play the 8ths straight. Worth doing it both ways. If this is unwanted unpleasant advice, let me know and I'll stop.

This is my favorite book for learning to read.

[AllanAllen]

I appreciate the advice.

I usually play it straight when I'm reading it, then I'll listen to that guy play it on sax, he's got Bb and Eb versions, so I'll figure out what key it's in and play along with him a few times to prep a swinging recording. Then transpose back to concert and record.

The whole process took about 15 minutes last night. It gets faster each time, eventually I hope to just read it, play it, and record it.

Have you used his other books? I'm thinking about Chords and Progressions after this, but, that'll be 200+ videos from now.

[rpjazzguitar]

I did this around 1964. I went from Belwin #1, to Mel Bay #2, to Rhythms Complete and then a book called Advanced Dance Rhythms (harder than Rhythms Complete, but not graded as well).

I wasn't aware of Colin/Bower's other books until I read about them on this forum, recently.

After that, it was Moto Perpetuo by Paganini, Rhythmical Articulation (or similar title) by Pasquale Bona and a clarinet book. Clarinet and guitar have almost the same range and, at the time, there were more books available for clarinet than guitar.

That got me to the point where I could read well enough to play pretty much everything in my fakebook (the cardex one), as long as I didn't have to precisely match up with another player (who was likely to be a more accurate reader). It's much easier to play imprecisely ("interpret") than it is to merge with a horn player who is an accurate reader.

Playing arrangements in horn bands where the guitar was voiced as another horn started me on the path to being able to sight read. My understanding of that term is that you can see something for the first time and read it accurately at full speed. Some things are harder than others, so there's a spectrum within the term.

Over time, I've become what I think of as a pretty good reader for a guitar player, but not really in the ballpark of the horn players and pianists who do big bands. The pianists are particularly amazing since they have everything the guitar has - plus the left hand.

[AllanAllen]

Yeah, I guess there's no reason to try and be complete, I should try to move to Joe Diorio's fusion book after. Maybe I'll be up to that level.

[AllanAllen]

[AllanAllen]

[AllanAllen]

[MarkRhodes]

I'm appreciating this thread!

[AllanAllen]

I'm appreciating this thread!

Glad to hear it!

Is it helpful to include the lick? I take a picture for the video thumbnail and I started to include it here. Then someone will know what I'm trying to play.

[AllanAllen]

[AllanAllen]

[rpjazzguitar]

Sounds good.

Next up (if you don't mind some advice from someone who used that book): 1. read the lines in different positions and in different octaves. 2. they sound good swung, but if you envision big band (or other section playing) in your future, be sure to also play them absolutely straight, giving each note its full value.

[AllanAllen]

Sounds good.

Next up (if you don't mind some advice from someone who used that book): 1. read the lines in different positions and in different octaves. 2. they sound good swung, but if you envision big band (or other section playing) in your future, be sure to also play them absolutely straight, giving each note its full value.

Yeah, that's a good idea, I'll start forcing myself to use the other parts of the neck.

[charlieparker]

Sounds good.

Next up (if you don't mind some advice from someone who used that book): 1. read the lines in different positions and in different octaves. 2. they sound good swung, but if you envision big band (or other section playing) in your future, be sure to also play them absolutely straight, giving each note its full value.

Do big bands not play swing eighths?

[AllanAllen]

Do big bands not play swing eighths?

They do both, it's notated on the sheets hard swing, or straight, or something in Italian or Latin that I don't yet understand.

[rpjazzguitar]

When you're reading a part that is supposed to mesh with the horns, it's essential to be really accurate. Notes need to stop, and end, at the right instant. As Allen pointed out, the chart may specify swung eighths, in which case that's what you do.

What happens if you're not accurate is that you hear all the horns melted together like one big note -- and then there's you.

So, you might as well get used to being finicky about accuracy from the get-go.

Getting used to playing any note in any octave is also a good idea. Rhythms Complete is where I learned to do that.

[AllanAllen]

[AllanAllen]

[rpjazzguitar]

Coming along nicely!

(check bar 3).