So true -- I tried unsuccessfully to play the opening lick of Teen Town until I saw an alternate fingering.

Marcus Miller said you've gotta be willing to use open strings "before open notes". At times I've played certain tunes using that principle, even though my fingering isn't exactly what the original artist played, and at times, it actually sounds better! The example that comes to mind is Let It Flow (no pun intended) from Winelight . The opening lick requires a bit of a leap which I couldn't do well using the printed notes, so I substituted an open string for a fretted one just to give me time to hammer on the high note in the interval.

It sounded pretty good. Then I saw a closeup of Anthony Jackson playing the same riff on the Grover Video (with Steve Gadd, Ralph McDonald, Eric Gale, and a keyboardist I don't remember, directed by Donny Osmond). Anthony wasn't using open strings at all to handle the leap. After I tried it his way, I concluded mine actually sounded better and funkier, so I always play it my way, rather than the "correct way" (if there is even such thing).

But "making it flow" is certainly one of the time consuming challenges -- and in my view, there's more than one way to do it well....

Let me correct that statement above

"Marcus Miller said you've gotta be willing to use open strings "before open notes"

I meant Marcus Miller said you've gotta be willing to use open strings "before IMPORTANT notes".

I just ran the mp3 of True Companion through my Band in a Box Audio Chord Wizard. I've emailed the chords (which is seems to only generate at one or two chords per bar, maximum) along with the individual notes within each bar.

Hopefully this helps you figure out this part of the tune.

Thanks. E-mailed you back.

Have a look at my "My Space" site for True Companion slowed down and up an octave. True Companion is the 4th song in my list of tunes. With the sound altered this way, I can hear the bass part very clearly.

You have to put up with a scrambled sound at the beginning, but it clears up beautifully in time for the melody and hook section.


http://www.myspace.com/thecontemporaryjazzgroup

Any further discussion I'll deal with in email....

THere is a program out there called DMM, which stands for Digital Music Mentor
At first I gave it a D but after tweaking it and learning how to recognize patters and the notes,,,I have upgraded it to a C+ or better

It can loop as well and you have the ability to see the notes played in the chord.

Now for music like Jazz,,,Acoustic Alchemy in particular, it is about 40% correct providing the song isn't too deep into #5's or b9's

Unfortunatly there isn't any replacement or substitute for a good ear. !

That said,,Line 6 makes GuitarPort which has a bunch of great features in player mode,,,, loop and half speed and repeat sections, It has aloowed me to breakdown the melody line and m,akes learning it by ear so much faster.

Anyway thats my two cents worth.
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