Subject: [Harp-L] Making the Move to Chromatic

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

John Potts writes (snipped):
 
"Well, I've been trying to learn chrom for the last few months in  part  
because a bandleader i work with has been insisting on it and in  part  
because i finally found a chrom that i enjoy playing and that's  not  
sticky or temperamental (the Suzuki SCX-48 and SCX-56)."
Hi John: (so YOU're hvyj <G>):
 
I love Phil Caltabellotta's approach (among many other people who use  
these). Of course he could play the phone book and make it sound good (here're a 
 couple of samples): 
 
_http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOPeDHY6Kpk_ 
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOPeDHY6Kpk) 
 
_http://www.youtube.com/user/philcaltabellotta#p/f/3/NSGIfDzjRV4_ 
(http://www.youtube.com/user/philcaltabellotta#p/f/3/NSGIfDzjRV4) 
 
one of the 'practice tools/backing tracks', he brings to our GSHC meetings  
is his not-quite-portable Bose player (fabulous sound) with his Music Minus 
 One Jazz or Hal Leonard Jazz CD's.
 
I've bought quite a few of them myself - but mine are not all jazz since my 
 tastes are more eclectic. They're 'play-along' books with accompanying 
CD's  which have 2 tracks: one with the full song and the second minus the main 
 instrument for you to play over. I tend to buy those geared for either 
Alto or  Tenor Sax or Flute.  Separately, I've gotten quite a few for  Guitar 
or Piano, primarily because I love playing along with those instruments  and 
so I can use them AS full backing tracks and still use them for my own  
keyboard practice. 
 
At some point it was mentioned here that the Hal Leonard tracks can be  
used for actual recording without concern about copyrights. I'm not sure if  
that's entirely accurate or not - perhaps someone else can elucidate?
 
Uploading them through Itunes to an Ipod gives one the  ability to practice 
via both methods since in some situations a CD is the only  option for 
backing. The (soft-cover)books are purely bonus since I mostly  play by ear - 
but come in handy for following along a particularly difficult  passage or if 
I decide to play on my keyboard, or for taking along for a pianist  to use 
as accompaniment. Depending on the tune, some include lyrics.
 
There are a couple of EBay sites where I usually acquire a  few at a time 
(spending less than $100 each time I've done so), although now I'm  curious 
as to whether or not my own local library would stock them. My  own local 
library does carry tons of music CD's which I've been aware of and  looked into 
after hearing about the idea some years back here on  harp-l. I rarely 
borrowed the Jazz or Blues CD's since most looked a  bit beat up and scratched 
and I didn't want to ruin my CD player. Check them  over before checking them 
out. Possibly the librarians have a method to  clean/polish the CD's first? 
 
I've now amassed a fairly extensive collection of play-alongs over the  
last 3 - 4 years (as well as CD's I bought very inexpensively such as: Piano by 
 Moonlight (a set of two), Guitar by Moonlight, Sax by Moonlight - all with 
 beautiful standards and more contemporary music which I can play along  
with. In fact, two of those (piano-based) were my accompaniment on Sunday for 
2  tunes at the GSHC 40th Anniversary party.
 
Phil's Music Minus One's are more complicated musically than those I've  
bought for the most part and he generously involves me in playing along after  
our regular club meetings so I'm getting to know the style of his a bit  
better. 
 
I know this type of practice has improved my playing and my  ear a lot 
although my improv-ing skills still leave much to be desired. I'm  simply still 
not that good a jazz player; basically still into ballads and  R&B and more 
geared to Contemporary or Smooth Jazz. But I'm learning  more and more from 
really good players such as Phil and my other jazz 'great'  SmoJoe, when we 
can manage to get together to talk/practice music at the  occasional 
Convention. I purely love listening to those players who can  'ornament' jazz in a 
very melodious way but amn't anywhere close to his or  Smokey's styles.
 
Still, one can use these CD's as fun practice to learn real songs in  
between lessons or other 'drier' forms of practice simply to make things a bit  
more interesting. 
 
I can give you the info offlist if you're interested in the  Sellers from 
whom I've purchased most of mine.
 
Elizabeth
 
PS: Amazon also carries some of these books including the newer CD's  of 
every form of the 'Real Fake Books', but they usually do not list  the tracks 
or allow you to see the books close up, so one still has to look  elsewhere 
online to find that info. The Sellers I buy from provide all  the details up 
front and will give discounts for multiple purchases.