transposing question

[Bob McNamara]

Hey Johnny:
Just bought the Killer Blues book and am anxious to get started with it. I play alto and I recently purchased the song and backing track Use Me, by Bill Withers, from your website. Here’s my question–I don’t really like the sound of it in alto so I went and obtained the piano version from Musicnotes.com–it’s a lot lower in pitch and I like the way it sounds. If I’m just playing for myself with a backing track, does it matter that I didn’t transpose it for alto? That may be a dumb question, but a part of me says as long as I like it, what difference does it make? Now if I was playing in a band or in front of others, that might be different, but I like the sound from your backing track and the way it comes out of my horn–thoughts?

[john]

I just checked the version from Musicnotes.com and it’s in the same key as mine and the original. so yes, it;s all good, you are in the same/right key.
but…. if you are reading the piano chart with your alto then you are playing it in the wrong key. it should sound way off and personally I wouldn’t be able to do it, but if it doesn’t bother you then play along.
I’m guessing you don’t like the proper alto part because it’s too high?

[Bob McNamara]

G major, right? The notes for alto are just too high for me to enjoy playing the song….not all songs of course, but that one in particular. I could get used to it, but when I switched to the lower notes, it all started to sound better, esp. with the backing track (same thing with the song Unforgettable–it’s okay transposed, but the piano version, which has lots of low D, F sharps etc, sounds like the Nat Cole version). It just feels like the song when I play the lower notes…hope that makes sense.

Appreciate the quick response. Am getting on a plane so I’ll go through the book then–love the idea of starting with a handful of licks to start soloing from–too many online courses/teachers just tell you to start with simple rhythms or ideas, but a lot of players, esp. early on, don’t have that capability yet–which is why improvising sounds so crappy and becomes intimidating–this should be the fun part–not the part a player dreads–so to have a basic template in my pocket allows me to start somewhere and then when I start experimenting with the pentatonic scales and get a few variations in my head, I can make progress a lot faster–I know I won’t keep using just these licks because I’ll invariably go off and make it my own, but it’s given me a place to begin–brilliant idea. Thanks Johnny!

[john]

the original key is actually in E minor (the relative minor of G major)

[Michael Bishop]

Hi Bob,
I’m in Johnny’s Killer Blues ebook right now–I have been since November. As you probably have already gathered, there’s A LOT to take in. My wife at first thought that it was a “small” book….until she looked at the contents in detail. Of course we have to Memorize/commit to memory Johnny’s exercises…but if you really wanna get the full benefit from his book then take the time to really analyze what Johnny is showing us v.s just “memorizing” a few exercises and then “fool” ourselves into thinking we know this stuff. It has to go beyond that….our goal should be take what we learn from Johnny’s book and apply them to any of the Scales that he shows, at will, and be able to Improvise with them. We gotta make this stuff “our own” so to say. Johnny’s licks/riffs are a fantastic way to get up-and-going, but once we’ve done that then we can start creating our own solo ideas, in any of the scales, and be able to use them with a band.
I hear you about Improvising being intimidating in the beginning, and it’s for the exact reasons you mention. Guys out there on youtube and what will demonstrate what the scales are, but virtually no one will break it down/show us what to do with it; we we just don’t know where to start or what to do. Attached below is a video I uploaded in the blog for Member’s Videos about a month or so ago–it was my first time to Improvise, on my own, by applying Johnny’s lessons from Killer Blues. The Improvisation is in the middle of the song and towards the end. While it’s far from perfect and Johnny gave me some valuable points that I’m working on applying right now with another Improvisation project that I’m doing, it was enough to “get my feet wet” and to see what I was doing right/wrong. It’s not perfect by any means, but it’s progress.

[Bob McNamara]

Michael (or do you go by Mike?): Thanks for your comments..you are spot on…impressive performance by the way. As they say there are no shortcuts in music, but I am beginning to understand how people get so hooked…just wish I had four hours to practice every day….Johnny, thanks for the insight about the key! Makes me feel a bit better that I have some control over what this sounds like.

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