Want to play be ear... try Steely Dan

equalsql

Just a tip really.

Someone once asked me how I managed to be able to play solo's across music I had never heard before and compensate for odd key and tempo changes without losing track. This was something I learned when I first started by practising playing lead over Steely Dan tracks.

The music shifts and turns so much that you really have to concentrate and listen to what's going on. You have to be able to compensate for all the twists and turns.  The albums are very musical and therefore nice to play across when things go well.

The track 'Aja' is a particularly good example as it coils like a snake around different timings and keys.
I recommend that for anyone looking to improve their ear, get a copy of 'Steely Dan's Greatest Hits', or 'AJa', 'The Royal Scam' and 'Gaucho'. Apart from being great albums, they will really stretch the old guitar-brain.

Also.. Donald Fagen's 'The Nightfly' makes for good practise fodder as well

Megii

I think I've learnt in a similar way by noodling over jazz tracks for years - so now I can often solo over a tune I don't know, as long as I've heard it enough to have the sound of the chords in my head. This often means that I have no awareness of what the chords I'm playing over are, or what it is I'm playing over them...  But it seems to work.

In the last few years especially though, I have made a big effort working more on scales, arpeggios etc. and how they can be used over various chord changes. That has expanded my range of ideas, and also improved my ear more I think, by getting some new sounds into my head. But it does all come down to the ear for me - if you can't hear it, you can't play it.

Interesting post anyhow, always liked 'The Nightfly' and will have to dig out some of the old Steely Dan also, now you've reminded me of them.

JAYJO

Beethoven composed some of his best works in the last 10 years of his life. While Deaf!  Though how he managed it idk.

Jalapeno

Wisdom'd

Kebabkid

Wisdom'd again.

Apart from playing along to the Top 20 or was it the Top 40 on Sunday afternoon in the 80s, there were 3 albums I played along to at least once a week - Thin Lizzy's "Live & Dangerous", Santana's "Moonflower" and Steely Dan's "Greatest Hits". The latter really gets you thinking about soloing over richer and more complex chord progressions and makes you steer away from regular pentatonic stuff and patterns.

I can thoroughly recommend Tom Quayle's Lick Library CD on Steely Dan stuff

Jalapeno

Ta for that (Wisdom'd)  !  Blagged an ebay copy for £14.

And check out the awesome Fibenare guitar ! B-)

ElectroDan

I absolutely suck at improvising over chord changes. It's an area I totally avoided in my rush to be able to "play". Most people who watch me live would probably not imagine I am as bad at it as I am.

I have to work out what I'm going to do in advance, then I can make it sound pretty good.

Love Tom Quayle's playing and tone too - so effortless.