> Lawson G. Stone wrote:
> =
> =
> > Later I found a book that itemized a large handful of such devices un=
der
> > a variety of names. While I have never thought that being able to
> > distinguish an appogiatura from some other type of embellishment mean=
t o
> > whole lot, I found it helpful to take a song with a fairly uncrowded
> > melody, like "All the Things You Are" and try out the laundry list of=
> > embellishment techniques on it. The results were more immediately
> > pleasing and sounded more like jazz playing than other things I'd tri=
ed.
> =
> I'd like to get a copy of the book. Or, if the list is short, perhaps
> Lawson could post the devices.
> =
> fred cicetti
The specific book I saw, and I think there are others that might be
better, is called "Improvise Now" by John Gabriele and is published by
Mel Bay. It isn't specific to any particular instrument. There are
places where it degenerates into mere exercises, but since the exercises
help at embellishing a note or phrase, they were more helpful to me than
straight scale and arpeggio drills. Obviously the use of any technique
can be mechanical and uninspired, even pug-ugly.
Another place I got some help was from Arnie Berle's discussion of
neighbor notes in his book "Fretboard Basics" which is specifically
guitar oriented.
I enjoy taking the melody of a standard, like "All the Things You Are"
and trying to see which embellishment techniques seem to be useful and
beautiful, and which just sound like a bad jazz player playing a lot of
notes.
BTW has anybody noticed that almost every note of "All the Things You
Are" is the third of the chord against which it is played? Jerome Kern
had a sense of humor, and this tune is loaded with it.
-- =
//////////////////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Lawson G. Stone=97Asbury Theological Seminary=97Wilmore, KY 40390
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\///////////////////////////////////
"You know, a long time ago, being crazy meant something. Nowadays,
everybody's crazy." Charles Manson