Choosing jam track to a song
Hi David,
I've been working on Bombay Stroll, ideally I would prefer the original backing track for the song but obviously cannot use that without Aki's playing on it. I have found a jam track that I can use but the jam track isn't long enough to accomodate the whole song. It ends two choruses plus head repeat(ending) short.
Which is the best way forward with this?
My guess is to find a different jam track or adjust the song to fit?
Thanks
Saul
Fantastic, Thanks David.
One more question, about using scales:
Firstly, G blues scale is for the I chord and is 2nd position
C blues scale is for the IV chord and is 1st position
D blues scale is for the V chord and is 3rd Position
Am I correct in this assumption?
I am confused about how to use the scales in my playing, do I use the notes in each scale as focus notes or do I only play the notes of that scale?
There are two ways to approach the blues scale Saul...
Firstly, use the G Blues Scale for ALL three chords... using it as a home scale for playing in that key. When the IV7 comes, emphasize the notes from the scale that are in the chord (C, G, and Bb). Don't restrict yourself to those notes, but empasize them (usually starting the chord with a chord tone). Same goes for the V7 (the D and C). This is the way most players use the scale.
Secondly, do exactly what you stated, but keep in mind that some notes may be a little more discordant, so don't dwell too long on notes that you feel may be a little too aggressive. As above, if you hold a note, it generally should be a note of the chord you're on, unless you're trying to build tension.
Thanks very much David
Re approaching the blues scale (or any scale used in blues tunes), David may be too modest to shout about it, but his Improvising Study 2 in the LOA Level 6 lessons is fabulous for learning the theory and use of what he calls "focus notes." Likely exactly what you're looking for!
Hello Saul. Since you've found a jam track that you like, I recommend for you to use music editing software (Garage Band or Audacity for example) and use it to extend the track. After you upload the song within the program, go somewhere in the middle of the song and cut/splice at the beginning of a chorus, then do another cut/splice two choruses later. Now you have a two-chorus chunk of the music. Copy that chunk and paste it between one of those cut points and you'll have the length of song you want. Every program works differently... you may need to manually slide whats after that splice point to make room for the those new two choruses and then butt up all of the slice points, or the program may automatically slide everything over for you when you paste... you'll need to experiment. This is well-worth the time, you'll do this often in your search for the perfect jam track length.