John Scofield On A Blues - This Is Why He Is Great
VloĆŸit
- Äas pĆidĂĄn 7. 09. 2018
- John Scofield is one of the most important artists in Jazz for the last 40 years. Few artists can claim to have worked with such an amazing row of musicians and Scofields ability to come up with new and fantastic projects is amazing.
In this John Scofield I am going to take a look at some phrases from a solo off the "I Can See Your House From Here" album that was a collaboration with Pat Metheny. An album that features Steve Swallow and Bill Stewart. who would later form the Scofield Trio for a few albums.
The song is You Speak My Language which is a Bb Blues and I am going to analyze three phrases from the solo and talk about some of the things that are typical for John Scofield Licks
#Scofield #jazzguitar #jenslarsen
đŽ Subscribe for more free Jazz Guitar Lessons and Videos: bit.ly/JensLessons
âïž Support me on Patreon: / jenslarsen
â DOWNLOAD A FREE E-BOOK with 15 II Valt I licks!
Sign up for my newsletter:
jenslarsen.nl/sign-up-for-my-n...
â¶ïž Check out my latest video: goo.gl/G16gVx
The PDF is available in the Patreon FB group
If you like this video and want to help translate it into your own language you can do so here: czcams.com/users/timedtext_vide...
Facebook: / jenslarsenytlessons
Twitter: / jensljazz
Snapchat: jenslarsenjazz
Instagram: / jenslarsenjazz
Google+: plus.google.com/u/0/+JensLars...
Tumblr: / jenslarsenjazz
My Gear:
Sono Core Vintage 13-53 Strings: www.sono-tone.com/products.html
QSC K10 Powered Monitor: amzn.to/2iPKMza
FocusRite Audio Interface: amzn.to/2iPKGrd
Sennheiser HD215 Headphones: amzn.to/2iPKqbQ
Lumix G6 Camera: amzn.to/2hXxBfJ
GuitarPro 7: bit.ly/GuitPro
GuitarPro 6: amzn.to/2iLCZQk
Webhosting - Siteground: www.siteground.com/index.htm?...
John Daw Custom picks: dawmanpicks.com/ - Hudba
Jens, Your grace in handling all the negative comments on this video is admirable. You are among the top 5 content providers for Jazz guitar and instruction on CZcams in my opinion. Not a fraud in any way. In fact Iâd pay for a video lesson if you offer them.
Agree 100% -- I actually did buy one of Jens' courses -- the Jazz Guitar Roadmap -- and the content is excellent. Go to his website and I'll bet you'll find a few things on there from which you'd get a lot of real value. Enjoy!
John Scofield has always been my favorite jazz guitarist since I was a youngling in the 80's.
Scofield rules!
I L O V E this lesson - beeing a great Scofield ( and MIke Stern ) fan - fantastic - please think about a monthly Scofield lesson :-)
Thank you very much sir, last month I request about John Scofield and now you realize it. You great, sir. From Indonesia.
You're very welcome! I do keep in mind what people ask about đ
Fuckyeah! Sco is the man and "I can see your house from here" is such a gem.
Yes! It's such a great album đđ
I am out on a gig, but hope you like it đ
Suggestions for other artists are as always welcome đ
What do you think of Wes Thrailkill and Plini?
Don't really know either đ
Mr larsen Can you make a video explaining Matt schofield's soloing and chord melody approach?
I think that would belong more on a Blues YT channel? There are really a lot of those đ
Why no lessons or talk of Scott Henderson....he encompasses a plethora of styles and phrases. Thanks
Great video Jens! Huge Scofield fan here đđŒ
Thanks Jacob! đ
I LOVE John Scofield from the very 1st time I heard him on Uberjam Album and his duet with Pat Metheny on that number was just superb, trying to figure out what he was doing until your detailed explaination..tqvm for sharing..
Great analysis Jens. I'm glad you are here to help us.
Glad to hear it!
Nice video Jens. Agree with your points and you've presented them well. Cheers
Thank you very much Nick!
Thanks for this!. Scofield is the man.
Glad you like it David! đ
My favourite contemporary guitar player.
Rightfully so I might add đđ
Always riveting. Thank you.
Thanks! Is there somebody you would like to see a video on? đ
I love this album
Another great analysis. Thanks Jens.
Glad you like it! :)
Buenisimo!!!gracias jens usted es un master!!đđ
Thank you đ
luv this man!
Thank you Nick! :)
Thx jens. Great video
The dynamics you speak of is the main reason i like sco better than most jazz guitarists. He has such a great phrasing, many guitarists phrase the notes too even for my personal taste. Great vid!
Yes! And you never realize right away đđ
Jens thanks for sharing this. One of the things that first attracted me to Sco when I was just starting to play guitar, playing blues primarily, was his angularity but within a blues vocabulary, which for me was something I was familiar at the time. I have listened to this record numerous times and would count it as one of my top 10 jazz guitar records. I should also mention that I have copped a lot of his angularity into my own playing.
Glad you like it Christopher! Scofield and Parker were the two artists that got me into Jazz, so I know what you mean with the transition via Blues phrasing :)
You bet; I would be nice to see one on Ben Monder - if that is possible as he seems to be on a completely different planet!
He is also on my list of favourites so if I can find something suitable I will make a video on him!
John Scofield is definitely one of my favorites. Simply love his tone and still jamming Uberjam and Uberjam deux quite occasionally.
Thanks! Glad you like it! Who else would you like to see a video on?
I hope it would be Charlie Christian someday!
It will! đ
Yeah Sco is always great đ
So that's an interval. I call them two note voicings to ward off the "chord police"(3 notes in a chord). I use them a lot to stay away from all those big stretchy chords and to keep movement and because sometimes I forget what I'm doing so I can ease back into the groove. My old teacher lent me a Mel Bay book of rhythm guitar that was huge. It cost close to a $100 but had more guitar rhythms than I knew existed for a number of styles. There was a section I got into that emphasized Scofield, Abercrombie and another guy I can't think of. Great video.
Thank you Tom! Intervals are a great addition to chords :) It's almost the thing that Piano Players can't do đ
Probably the last guy was Bill Frisell?
Sco has fun when he plays!
I certainly hope so, otherwise he has made a terrible career choice đ
Saw Sco with Lettuce at SF Jazz...very cool. Love me some Sco. He has an unmistakable voice.
I LOVE SCOFIELD!
Who doesn't? đ
Awesome video! Just found you, make more videos! Very good tutorial! Just bought a JSM10 as well, but just getting up to scratch after 20 years not playing.
Awesome, thank you! I have made quite a few videos :)
Scofield's Ray album is his best. Wonderful stuff all over it. The best guests.
Interesting! I never listened to that :) I think I prefer the more jazzy stuff of his like the quartets with Lovano
thanks master!!!!
You're very welcome đ
Ja Jens, hier tref jij zich het spijkertje volledig op het kopje man: pr8tich !!! Dank je.
Luister eens naar gHex die doet zich dat ook heel verdienstelijk: polyfoon :)
I have done it todaz twice this lesson - I liked so much :-) .. waiting from a Mike Stern one :-)
Thanks Francesco! He is on the list :)
Ivory Tatoo from his early fusion days caught my ear....then Loud Jazz, I was hooked....
great lesson Mr Jens
Thank you very much Guy! I am glad you like it!
the first time i heard him was the trade offs he did with joe henderson on miles ahead , i was blown away
Love the Scofield analysis and information. Also loved your insight into the highly underrated and not as analysed Bill Frisell.
Thank you very much Daniel! That is great to hear đ
Yea Jens, you are the man. Scofield is cool too
Haha! Thanks đ
Break a leg! And thanks - I'd avoided Schofield for years before your video - you've provided access. I've been gradually transitioning from the '60s for the past couple of years, so I still think of Abercrombie and Schofield as intimidating new guys...
Thanks! I think you will really get into it! Sco has such a deep timing đ
Illuminating.
Jen's you are welcome in Minnesota where your wonderful Norske accent fits perfectly
Thank you! I hope to come by some time. It's a Danish accent by. the way đ
Das accent Danske ist Goot, Norske ist MinnesotaNorse
Im 1/4 Dane, 1/4 Scot Irish, 1/2 Norwegian
Winning combination! đ
Sco has the touch.
He certainly does!
Sco talks to me, I can breathe while he pulls me down the rabbit hole
Your English is beautiful, kind of like listening to jazz
Thank you đ
That Metheny/Scofield is 1 of my favs!
Yeah that's an amazing album! I also made a video on Metheny solo on this track if you're interested
Hi Jens, thanks for this video. Analyzing the style of John Scofield always fascinates me. To me, what sets him apart is he plays great 'sax' type riffs with the notes sounding like they are being being pulled off the fretboard. One of my favorite Scofield solos is on the song 'Decoy' by Miles Davis ... any thoughts you might share in a future video on that particular solo would be greatly appreciated! ... thanks, Brian
Thanks Brian! I don't know that song but I will have a listen :)
Funny that you should call his phrasing Sax-like. To me it is as guitar as it gets and in many ways more guitar than most jazz guitarists đ
I'm sure you've seen it, but there's a great live clip from 1976 with John playing with George Duke and Billy Cobham on the song 'Red Baron'. Thanks for your wonderful teaching and the live performances you post. đ I'm a professional photographer by day so if you should ever get to the Southern California area I would be happy comp you some pro-studio shots with your guitar.đž
Ok! I will try and look it up :)
I might take you up on that if I get to California đ
I think I agree with Brian. He does "breathe" in his phrasing, like a sax. Good amount of open spacing. And his picking dynamics with so many pull offs and almost ghost notes at times sound more like sax tonguing than, for instance, the rest-free machine-gun alternate picking of a Martino or Stern. To me, that style is much more "guitar" than Sco.
Interesting! I would say that a style that really makes uses of the colours of the instrument (like dynamics) is more guitar, but of course that is personal I guess đ
Wow deep analysis! Can't wait to watch the Kurt Rosenwinkel analysis video!đ Actually would you make one about Kurt's style?
I don't think it is really possible to sum up a style in a video, that's why I make the video's like this đ
hey jens you should advertise more of your own music, i know there must be more people like me who wants to see and hear you play!
I probably will, but to be honest most people are not interested so I try to not do it too much đ
I've been watching Jens Larsen's videos for a while, and I am extremely interested in hearing more of his music personally. I have only listened to a tiny bit of it, but I'm listening to more after your comment, but I would love if Jens Larsen did an introduction for his music, in a video perhaps :)
I do use clips from my own gigs as B-roll a lot. But as I mentioned, the live clips are usually bad for the channel.
You can always check out the albums via my website: jenslarsen.nl/media-en/audio/
It's just like with Rick Beato, I actually would prefer to hear you and him play rather than lessons after all these years :P.
Thanks man! I do have some albums out that I am linking to, and of course more recent videos like these: czcams.com/video/fgSypb9oDyA/video.html
I am a Acoustic/Electric Bassist, new somewhat to Jazz Guitar gear. I play an Ibanez Artcore Hollowbody and have three questions. First I was told to play using flatwound strings. Is this common or preferred? Second is it better to use a Bass amp (Galien Kruger), or a guitar amp (Fender Front Man)? Lastly I want to be able to play melodically with a pick , but I also want to be able to comp and play chord/Melody Solo's. Should I use pick and fingers approach? Please let me know what you think! Thanks Bill
Hi Bill,
1: You don't have to play flatwounds,Personally I don't but a lot of people do.
2: Bass amps are not nice for Jazz Guitar. Guitar is about mids, also Jazz Guitar. Don't be afraid to use the EQ :)
3: There are many approaches when it comes to right hand technique. I actually go back and forth. Mostly solo with a pick, but not all the time and I very often comp with my fingers. I rarely use a combination of pick and fingers, but that's just me.
Does that help? đ
@@JensLarsen Thanks for the tips Jen's!
Good luck with it! You can always ask! :)
Flatwounds are ok, compared to non flats or Brite flats you lose some higher tones, you gain in mids, the lower strings lose sustain. The best sets are expensive. You can try $14 budget flats. It is also it's hard to get extra light guages and lose some ability to bend strings easily. Thomasek Inveld lights are what I use, over $22.If your a swing chord and lead player the smoothness is really nice.
A kind of late comment, but revisiting this video, it comes to mind that Scofield playing is really contrapuntal. I think this sense of deliberate texture, is why I love his playing.
Hey Jens, great video as always! I was wondering if you had any advice on how to develop your solos so they make sense and stay somewhat thematically consistent. I'm coming to a point in my playing where I know what notes I want to play and can come up with ideas that I like, but I have trouble developing my ideas so that they make sense over the changes without getting boring and repetitive. Cheers!
Well, practice a lot of motif stuff when you solo and also spend time listening to how others use that in their playing. Keith Jarrett is a great example! Also try working with Call-Response when you are improvising.
Another thing to try is to record a solo and decide in advance how long it has to be, then try to think about how you build it up and work on getting that part of the "form" right.
Does that help? đ
@@JensLarsen Definitely helps, thanks a ton for the reply
Great! Good luck with it!
Nah you are great
Thank you Rudy đ
Hey rudg
Jens! Love the stuff! Ever thought about a video on the Denny Dias sound! His guitar work on Aja and other steely dan tunes is always so interesting to listen to and very distinct! Would love to hear your take on it!
Thank you! Steely Dan is a bit too poppy for taste to be honest, so I doubt I will do a video on him đ
@@JensLarsen Denny Dias studied for years with Billy Bauer, and thought of himself as a jazz musician, even when he was playing with Steely Dan. He never bent strings, used vibrato, or copied other rock guitar player's licks. I listened to a trio performance Sco' did with Adam Nussbaum
He did beautiful chord work to play the melody, but when he soloed, he sounded horrible. Every song was the same thing- fine chord work, followed by ugly sounding solos that didn't swing. It's as if he had a fetish with sounding angular like Monk, but because he didn't have a left hand to comp for him like Monk had, it just sounded terrible. He sounds okay when he's got a chord instrument to comp for him, but on his trio albums where he uses chorus all the time, and distortion, he sounds like a rocker more than a jazzer. I think that's why rock musicians love Sco' so much. Sure he's had a very successful career, but sometimes success has nothing to do with being a great jazz musician. Rant over...; - )
@@sgcim956His phase/chorus tone was horrible. Just couldnât get into it. But Iâve heard he finally realized it doesnât sound good and doesnât use it as much so Iâll give him another listen.
âïžâïžâïžâïžâïž
I've heard great things about scofield yet haven't checked it out
I think that just work with 2 voice leading and target notes is so challenger and funny
Any chance you can do one on Gambale? Or is he too fusion and not enough jazz?
That's a good question :) If I come across something I like and think is useful then I can make a video on it. It's not a good idea for me to make a video on something that I don't like đ
Most Gambale stuff is not really something I like to listen to, but who knows...
I liked Sco and the other fusion players
Zappa, Dimiola, Moore, Abercrombie, McLaughlin,
That's great! I am not really into fusion đ
Thanks for your love and support I'll love to talk to you more better. kindly send a direct message (912) 274-1254
What about Mike Stern?
Like your Video. How about some Wayne Krantz. Like the solo from the 1990 Whippersnapper? Or perhaps the other great John, Abercrombie?
Abercrombie could be great indeed! I am really not that familiar with Krantz so I need to listen to that first. What are good albums?
I like an old album of Krantz's called "Two Drink Minimum". The solo on the tune "Whippersnapper": czcams.com/video/i2jaRZ_OzcY/video.html is one of the best live fusion guitar solos I've ever heard. Here is some more of what he used to play: czcams.com/video/bZYRiv5nnqA/video.html He was also Steely Dan's best guitar player IMHO: czcams.com/video/RW2mGFKQWlg/video.html The solo on the song "My Old School" at the end of the 2nd part of this concert is very, very good.
He also recorded with Mingus
Ah, I didn't know that đđ
Maybe I'm wrong, but this solo reaffirms something I think a lot: the musician doesn't always think exactly about playing in the changes. I believe that the interval content created is more important than whether the note will be part of the chord or not.
There are 2 layers to this: Most of us don't think about anything at all when we solo, if you know the song then you don't have to think about changes, but you can also choose to play in a way that does not connect with all the chord changes, like playing Blues on rhythm changes is really common.
@@JensLarsenI have a rock background and this new way of thinking is difficult. Thanks for the advice.
@@mateushayasaka Well, make sure that you try to learn skills and don't spend the time looking for excuses to not learn skills (I don't really think that is what you are doing, but just in case....)
@@JensLarsen It's important to make an effort to avoid old habits, such as repetitive shapes and licks (even if they insist on returning)
Great video! Do you know Julian Lage?
Not personally, no.
I see, but to me itâd be really cool to hear what you think about him, since I like him a lot!
@@luiki3179 He is a great player for sure! Amazing technique and lots of ideas
Is that just a hair tie on the neck of your guitar, or are you using a specific product?
That is indeed just a regular hair tie from the supermarket :)
Your analysis, note for note, I like more than Scofield's. His sound sounds like a drunk talking to me. I can't get past it. I wish I knew what J.S. knows. I want to like his playing. Through you I can appreciate his ideas. Thanks...
Do you mean that really old masterclass he did in the 80's?
I really like his playing, of course I have no idea what he thinks I can only give my take on how it makes sense đ
Bob Parsons I agree with the drunk talking to me idea. I think thatâs the best description
@@johnfarmer4099 he's got a great sense of humor in is playing which I think is severely lacking in most modern jazz guitarists of the last 10 or so years.
Jens, that E natural over the F7 in bar 7, couldn't that just as well be a mistake or are you 100% confident that Sco meant to play that?
Are you 100% cofident it is a mistake? I can't know for sure, but it doesn't sound like a mistake to me.
@@JensLarsen Well, since "there are no mistakes" that's probably right but that line sounds rather bad to my ears and I LOVE dissonance.
@@josdurkstraful I guess it is more dissonant than your average Coldplay song, but the maj7th over a dominant chord is not that far out.
@@JensLarsen Agreed (I hate Coldplay by the way, favorite band: Magma :-) .... Still think the line doesn't sound that great. Who cares? I guess no one but that's not the point here. I for myself could not care less but still discuss this..... It's all fine and Scofield style outside and so on. My point is: even players like Sco can have their weaker moments and it's not blasphemy to put the finger on it or is it?
@@josdurkstraful Maybe that is a bit unfair to me, look at it from my point of view: Some random guy on the internet doesn't like two notes so it HAS to be a mistake, and I am not allowed to disagree without being some sort of cult-member?
I have no idea how much experience you have with Jazz, lots of people think all sorts of stuff is wrong or are mistakes because they don't have any reference for understanding it.
For the way I make videos: If I thought it sounded like a mistake then I would have mentioned that in the video, or I would not have used the example. That is how I did it in the other videos.
Another way to think of the Eâź played over F7 in measure 7 (at 6:29) is that he is using a tritone substitution going from Cm7 to Bâ7 by playing over B7 instead of F7. The E is then the fourth as in the B blues scale. All of the notes in measure 7 are in B blues (except for the Eâ - you forgot the accidental - but if we think DâŻ, then it's the third of B7).
I feel sad, because although i have tried a few times, I really don't get Scofield. I don't like the dirty sound, or the bending the note you land on a quarter tone. Probably a shame because I know so many people dig him, but I just don't "get" it. Thanks for trying.
You don't have to, you are better off enjoying the music that you do like đđ
Agree with Jens, but if you want something maybe a little more accessible - check him out on Souliveâs records heâs featured on, or some MSMW or Uberjam stuff.
Larry Coryell
Rocyk Balboa
Jens: âHe plays with a lot of dynamicsâ
Instagram guitar players: âIs that a scale?â
Hahahaha! Exactly :D
I've heard Scofield live several times. The last time I heard him he was playing country tunes with a piano player and I liked it not at all...
Really? I saw that tour as well and I really liked it đ Jolene as a Coltrane 3/4 especially!
Well, I appreciated the ideas and I was entertained, but the execution left me wanting some good old fashion Sco. I do realize that he has to try to keep it fresh...
Well, he does a lot of different things so we can't love all of them. I didn't really like the album but I really enjoyed the concert :)
I like an old album of Krantz's called "Two Drink Minimum". The solo on the tune "Whippersnapper": czcams.com/video/i2jaRZ_OzcY/video.html is one of the best live fusion guitar solos I've ever heard. Here is some more of what he used to play: czcams.com/video/bZYRiv5nnqA/video.html He was also Steely Dan's best guitar player IMHO: czcams.com/video/RW2mGFKQWlg/video.html The solo on the song "My Old School" at the end of the 2nd part of this concert is very, very good.
I think Sco is a free spirit ....
Hmmmm I play some country liks
Pat Metheny is on a different level to Scofield imo, but Scofield has his moments.
Well, at that level I think it really is a question of taste đ Did you check out the Metheny video I did? czcams.com/video/CUtjnC7S7kk/video.html
Nope but I did now, thanks!
Hope you like it! Who else would you like to see a video on?
George Benson is on a different level to Pat
As I already said: At that level I think it really is a question of taste đ It's a bit silly to go George Benson is better than Pat Metheny or Eric Clapton for that matter.
oh man just like mac laughlin , scofield but its just my opinion , what a strange sound ! and his scales choice ...very strange ? lol ! sorry !
Sure! I don't think Sco uses any strange scales in these examples though đ
Horrible. đ
Sorry...but it IS.
At least players like Metheny and McLaughlin incorporate "melody relief" in their atonal playing.
This is just horrible chromatic dissonance for the sake of it.
đđ
Interesting! That is not how I hear it at all đ
Why listen to Jens the imposter? There's a million Scofield videos online.
That's very true David, If you don't like my videos you can always find another one!
This is really a step up from the other comment where you said Holdsworth was only playing the whole-tone scale and then couldn't write out the notes of a whole-tone scale. Just keep at it!
You could also consider sharing my videos on social media to warn others?