Hey I’m on a roll today with the theory, so here’s a crazy uptempo bebop video to chomp on while you digest all the basic theory crud.
I have been shedding this thing for weeks. This take was at about 230bpm. I spent a long time getting it worked out at 170 or so, then it actually wan’t all that hard to move up the tempo scale with it. The crucial realization was when I saw how badly I was overplaying. Once I noticed that, I gained a 20 bpm increase almost magically just by playing less hard. Over 240 I get pretty repetitive in my blowing, but at lower tempos I can crank out ideas pretty reliably for a long stretch. I usually practice this for two complete “metronome winds” at a sitting. So I wind up, blow like hell till it stops, and do it again. By then I’m usually pretty shelled no matter what tempo I’m running at.
I don’t know if that’s how you should practice, but it seemed to work pretty good for me. I couldn’t play this tune at all at anywhere close to 200bpm originally. I can shoot through the head at around 270 now, but I don’t stand a chance blowing that fast. 240 seems to be my next barrier. And I’m not really convinced that playing it faster equates to better after that.
Great playing! But it's never 230bpm - i guess it's 180.
Comment by mogoduc — September 29, 2008 @ 1:00 pm
My metronome isn't off *that* much. Four choruses in a video that runs 135 seconds. About 135 seconds to get through 512 beats puts it at 228bpm. I don't start at 0:00, but it's definitely not slower than 228.But thanks for listening.
Comment by volvoxburger — September 29, 2008 @ 1:43 pm
Correction: It's 205 - 210bpm. I've checked it with my metronome.
Comment by mogoduc — October 3, 2008 @ 4:48 am
205 bpm would make the video 2:30 long. But it's not. Because it's 230bpm. I think you should be shopping for a new metronome.
Comment by volvoxburger — October 3, 2008 @ 8:31 am
You know what would be harder than playing it super fast? I bet you can't play it at 1 bpm. Now there is a challenge.
Comment by Vthov — October 7, 2008 @ 8:27 am
Screw vojto03! This video is great. Gave me a lot of inspiration and ideas...
Comment by gsharp85 — June 1, 2008 @ 1:12 pm
Its based on the chords of back home in Indiana.
Comment by Dooiloby — May 12, 2008 @ 1:36 pm
See the video from Kovezett:Donna Lee BY Charlie Parker at 03:30.....when he plays alone(without Bass and Drums) he is doing Bass walking Too....I dont want to NOTHING.....I am just saying that when you play without Bass and Drums........you Have To play The Bass walking......nothing more...
Comment by vojto03 — May 10, 2008 @ 4:30 am
again.....The Bass walking
Comment by vojto03 — May 9, 2008 @ 6:01 am
I'm not too sure what your point is. Are you going to go through the other 50 videos where I don't play a walking bass and leave the same comment there? Is your point of view that narrow that you can't accept any music that doesn't meet your list of criteria? Perhaps you should record a few videos to instruct the rest of us how music should be performed.
