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"Tune Up" (Miles)

 
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Mark
VM Coach


Joined: 26 Feb 2007
Posts: 479
Location: Portland, OR

PostPosted: Fri Jul 27, 2007 5:54 pm    Post subject: "Tune Up" (Miles) Reply with quote

Aspiring jazz students frequently ask me if there's a good exercise progression for applying their all-important II-V clichés, but in keeping with my philosophy that you should "only practice something that you would actually PLAY for someone," I prefer to recommend a great tune instead.

"Tune Up" by Miles Davis is one of the best vehicles for this purpose. It's a 16-bar progression featuring modulating II-Vs in the keys of D, C, and Bb, so you really have to listen and stay on your toes to do it justice. In addition to the basic harmony, the head (melody) of this classic bebop number sports long sustains, making it flexible for applying chord-melody and octave techniques.

I recorded this standard not long ago, one of dozens of recent jazz, blues, and original studio projects. To hear the track, click here. Note the rubato, fingerstyle chord-melody intro based on the head, then the Wes-style octaves in tempo with accompaniment, followed by a 4-chorus, single-note jazz guitar solo. Enjoy!

- Mark

P.S. I teach this tune in one of several unadvertised sequel courses to the popular "Swing Blues: Doorway to Jazz" wing (Lessons by Mail program).
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Larry_DC



Joined: 31 Mar 2007
Posts: 207

PostPosted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 6:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I recently began transcribing Miles' Tune Up solo from the Blue Haze CD. It's a long process, but well worth it so far. After a few years of taking lessons from Mark I am able to make sense out of what Miles was doing - most of the time, anyway.
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nylenny



Joined: 31 Mar 2007
Posts: 291

PostPosted: Thu May 15, 2008 5:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mark, Are there any tricks for finding your place when you get lost in one of these tunes? The only things I really know how to do when I'm lost is to listen for drum fills (signifying the end of a section) or try to hear where the rhythm section is based on the way the tune sounds (the old fashioned way).
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Dave Illig



Joined: 31 Mar 2007
Posts: 67
Location: Houston, TX

PostPosted: Fri May 16, 2008 3:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is a good question. When I first started playing with just a bass player, I got lost a lot. I tend to go off by ear into la la land and suddenly find I don't know where I am. Not hearing the chords made it tough for me.

Punching chords during the solo helps keep me in check. I used to go chromatic until I heard it recorded and found out it sounded horrible. It sounded just like what it was, a lost guitar player fumbling for the correct notes.

Usually I just look at James (our bass player) and he knows and thumps hard on the root of the chord, or calls out where we are. Another thing I do when I get lost is stop and look at the bass player or drummer and go wow! and act like I am really into what they are doing until I find my place. Pretty sad, but it works.

The thing I hate most is when I lose where I am while soloing and play through the end of the song and walk over the next soloist. EVERYBODY knows I'm lost, and it sounds terrible!

Usually I only get lost on songs if I don't know them well or am reading and look up. For me, knowing the tune inside and allows me to get back on track fast when I go to la la land.

Dave
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