novice jazzers-the vanilla book

Ok, if you're like me, you're trying to pick up some jazz tunes, and all the transcriptions you find have impossible chords (you know the ones-f#mb913+) or there are 360 chords in 4 measures. Well, this website That I stumbled upon has really stripped down tunes. It allows me to do my own embellishing, or just to work through the changes with different inversions or something. I have no connection to this guy, but I'm sure glad he did what he did. did I mention that this is totally free?


http://ralphpatt.com/

That's a good find, I actually prefer stripped down changes so that I can add my own extensions or colours to it.

Unfortunately, what is seriously lacking in this and in other such sights is any melody noted down. This is particularly important for the many "songs" as the chord changes are just one element in a tune and an important one. It is especially important in some tunes to understand how extensions might relate or maybe conflict with them.

Still...it is better to get the basic changes down to understand what is going on than to learn that a particular song must have a particular chord voicing or such and to see how things work. Plenty of material there for learning to play through some more complicated "changes" and try out numerous ideas.

These chord charts would make a good "transcribing" project...use them as the basis to 'transcribe' the melodies of the "head". This would get you in deeper into how a melody works with these changes and so give you a great insight into the tune for soloing as well. Good luck, good find!

That's a cool site. The Tonal Centers part of the page is kind of cool.

That's a great resource for students. Kudos to Ralph Patt for making this available. I agree with Warmingtone, it would be an ideal project to notate the heads to better understand the chord harmony and movement.
If jazz chords seem complicated to you it may help to forget about the extensions at first. Think of each chord simply as major, minor or dominant as shown in the Vanilla book. With that in mind you can safely navigate the changes until you're comfortable with the patterns. If you haven't done so already, learning to harmonize the scale will go a LONG way in helping you get it. It's easier than you think. Once you've done that, moving on to the study of extensions will broaden your understanding. Excuse me if I have underestimated your working knowledge.

thanks .I just like the basic chords so I can improvise my pathetic attempts .If you are ever in Norfolk England I'll buy you a beer may be even two .

I've been working on swing rhythm lately, so these charts let me compare more complicated charts with these ones to see how things are built up. I am having a hard time with how he's using the coda and the other notation, but I'm working on it.

Not just for 'novice' jazzers either.
The way he strips down those tunes let you see the similarities between SO MANY standards.
Realistically, there's only about 30 or so 'song forms'.

Not just for 'novice' jazzers either.
The way he strips down those tunes let you see the similarities between SO MANY standards.
Realistically, there's only about 30 or so 'song forms'.

One other good thing, if you veg on the bridge to a Cole Porter tune, you can look it up quickly online. I don't know of a Real Book on line, just the CD that is a pdf.

Okay, I thought this was a pretty cool Link!

And I thought this might help some get going:

-|------------------|-|------------------|-|----------------------------------
-|------------------|-|------------------|-|----------------------------------
-|--9---9---8---8---|-|--4---3---3---2---|-|----------------------------------
-|--9---8---8---7---|-|--2---2---1---1---|-|----------------------------------
-|--x---x---x---x---|-|--3---3---3---3---|-|----------------------------------
-|--8---8---8---8---|-|------------------|-|----------------------------------
-CM--C7--Cm--Cdim----CM--C7---Cm--Cdim


If you get these 8 Simple Grips under your fingers, you can probably play through MANY of the Tunes in the Vanilla Book.

And I'm sure that others here will add a lot of useful variations!

But, by simply using these 8 Forms in different Fretboard Locations, you can play in all Keys.
And with the higher Strings going unused, you could easily add some Melody Notes to the Forms.
Chord Melody!

Also, I thought that connecting this Thread to this one:

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tab-tips-theory-technique/182164-jazzy-blues-chords-need-more.html

would be a way to really spark some stuff!

Anyway, I hope this helps!

P.S.

It might be cool to get a Tune from the Vanilla Book, and arrange it with these Voicings, and everybody's different takes on it. :?:

So true. I'm starting to forget which bridge goes with which tune ... which is why it's good to know the lyrics.

*no Real Book on line anymore. There was a French site a few years ago but it's down now.

So true. I'm starting to forget which bridge goes with which tune ...


that's when you find that octave that works in the key and just play that and some muted strings.:mrgreen:

that's when you find that octave that works in the key and just play that and some muted strings.:mrgreen:
I've made a career out of that :wink:.

Today I played (or started to play) the bridge from Georgia at the bridge spot in God Bless the Child. I was in the right key, but beat 3 was the killer - I definitely got the 'leader eye' on that one.

Thanks for the link. I bought an Intro to Jazz book a few years ago that had the backing tracks and some good solos and tips. Just playing through the chords helped me get going on hitting the "flavor notes" to get me soloing.

Yes, Vanilla book is the bomb. I don't understand what the other real/fake books are trying with the complex substitutions. Sure, they are nice and all, but they are based on which recording...? I think it's most important to know the basic changes, then add your substitutions and what-not as you wish.