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 Jazz and the Pinky. 
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Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 9:47 pm
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Location: Bergen Norway
Post Jazz and the Pinky.
Hey everybody.

I have a question for Steve.

Steve I noticed in your DVD from the book, you where using your right hand pinky. What is your take on the issue? I know from electric bass that the pinky really helps with chromatic scales and passing tones, but I also know Emmett and Greg's reasons for not using it. Is this a jazz thing? Is it possible to play chromatic scales with three fingers without ungodly amounts of shifting? If anybody else has some ideas I would be glad to hear them. Also I have a new video up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cd3KFGDh0WM
Please tell what you guys think.
Thanks!

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Mon Feb 11, 2008 5:58 pm
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Post Re: Jazz and the Pinky.
Steve Adelson with his answer-
From my geetar background, I always used the one finger per fret concept. Four frets, four fingers.
My reasoning, is this. If you play with less fingers, then you sometimes stretch to cover 4 frets and sometimes you don't when it's within 3 frets. The brain and muscles have to adapt. Not hard but still an adjustment. If I assign one finger per fret, there's nothing to adjust, so less to think about and the playing becomes more natural.
This is what I use and suggest. There are obviously other approaches.

Rollie Fingers


Mon Feb 11, 2008 8:41 pm
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Post Re: Jazz and the Pinky.
Thanks Steve!

I will work on it!

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Mon Feb 11, 2008 9:58 pm
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Post Re: Jazz and the Pinky.
Oh and Friday the 13th has some potential. Why not try doubling each bass note making it quarter notes thus simulating a walking bass line.

Johnnie Walker


Mon Feb 11, 2008 10:43 pm
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Post Re: Jazz and the Pinky.
When I got my first Stick, I purchased Greg's book and learned from that for about a year before attending my first mini-seminar hosted by Steve in Asbury Park, NJ. Not too long after that I started taking private lessons and Steve suggested I move from the 3-finger method to the one-finger-per-fret method he suggests. I too had a bit of a geetar background having taken lessons for a year or so when I was a kid, and having picked it up and put it down 3 or 4 times over the years.

The transition was difficult for about 1 week. By the end of the second week or so, trying to play music I had learned on 3 fingers by going back to using 3 fingers was darn near impossible.

Lord knows everyone is different and what works for one person may or may not work for another. But for me, one-finger-per-fret works best.

Jim


Tue Feb 12, 2008 5:20 am
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Post Re: Jazz and the Pinky.
giedosst wrote:
Hey everybody.

I have a question for Steve.

Steve I noticed in your DVD from the book, you where using your right hand pinky. What is your take on the issue? I know from electric bass that the pinky really helps with chromatic scales and passing tones, but I also know Emmett and Greg's reasons for not using it. Is this a jazz thing? Is it possible to play chromatic scales with three fingers without ungodly amounts of shifting? If anybody else has some ideas I would be glad to hear them. Also I have a new video up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cd3KFGDh0WM
Please tell what you guys think.
Thanks!

Hi Steve,

What you're getting down to is really a philosophy of playing. Since I play with a lot of shifting as a matter of course, it's no big deal to me to slide notes for chromatic passages and then move on to the rest of a phrase, I always know where I am by feel.

If Steve's approach resonates with you, then dive in. There's no "one way" to play The Stick. I like his book. It does a good job of explaining how 4-finger playing works, and I'm happy to be able to refer people to it who want to play that way.

But back to your post...you write about shifting like it's a bad thing:) but you can watch any Wes Montgomery video on YouTube and see that it's just way of life for some players. He frets mostly with 3 fingers.

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Tue Feb 12, 2008 7:56 am
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Post Re: Jazz and the Pinky.
>>>But back to your post...you write about shifting like it's a bad thing:)<<

Shifting is not a bad thing. I shift a lot in my playing. What I think I said was "stretching" the fingers sometimes, could be confusing in motor skills and is just an extra thought process. And I do agree with Greg that there's no one approach that is gospel. I always say if asked, "this is how I do it". There are options and the player has to decide on what works best for his/her style and physicality.

Mya Pinion


Tue Feb 12, 2008 8:40 am
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Post Re: Jazz and the Pinky.
And psh, Django Reinhardt uses 2.

Just thought I'd throw it in there.

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Tue Feb 12, 2008 2:11 pm
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Post Re: Jazz and the Pinky.
Petary791 wrote:
And psh, Django Reinhardt uses 2.

Just thought I'd throw it in there.


Not by choice.

Josh


Tue Feb 12, 2008 6:35 pm
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Post Re: Jazz and the Pinky.
wise2178 wrote:
Petary791 wrote:
And psh, Django Reinhardt uses 2.

Just thought I'd throw it in there.


Not by choice.

Josh


True that.

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Tue Feb 12, 2008 6:46 pm
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