Approaching Jack Zucker's "Sheets of Sound"

[Neill]

Ive had the book for awhile now but have only REALLY used the material for finger excercises.... some stuff makes its way into my playing, though I find most of the stuff hard to apply to my playing (likely due to my shitty knowledge of theory maybe possibly).

How do you approach learning the material and then applying it? i feel as though i need some direction in how i practice and would love some help on how to do it with jack's book as by all indications it is THE resource book for guitar....


thanks in advance

[dkaplowitz]

I try to grab an idea and take it to the next level for me. For instance, he has those diatonic septuplet things. I try them picked alternately, then I do them with h.o./p.o. I take them up and down the neck in the key shown, then I do them in other keys, then play them on different sets of strings. Then I'll convert them to melodic minor. If I'm cool, I'll take the same idea/rhythm and start making my own variations on them, like converting it into a string skipping exercise, etc. etc.

That's a couple ways of approaching just one of the exercises.

[bickertfan]

As a serious student of jazz guitar I really like to use Jack's book as a supplement rather than think of it as an all inclusive course. Working on 1 study at a time has been a good approach for me. After spending way too long practising scales etc with very little benefit, I always ask how things can be applied, I guess I consider that to be the student's responsibility to make sure that question is answered to his satisfaction. Looking at things from that standpoint, the studies I have practised from this book (the first 5 in chapter 6) have been nothing short of excellent.

[BFC]

Sounds like you might need to work on developing a good foundation in some basic theory. That helped me tremendously and Sheets of Sound makes so much more sense now. Try this series of books...

http://www.harrisonmusic.com/book/theorybook.html

I tried several books and would get frustrated pretty quickly. I found these books to really work for me. He explains things very well. Level one could really help get you going. I'm working on level two right now.

[guitarplayaman]

It takes a long time to work any new ideas into your live playing. At least for me anyway. You have to work on the licks until it becomes second nature. Donm't force just coninue to work on it...you will also notice practicing new ideas will help your technique while playing the tried and true stuff.

[spencerbk]

Originally Posted by Neill MacInnis

i feel as though i need some direction in how i practice and would love some help on how to do it with jack's book as by all indications it is THE resource book for guitar....

I love the book and practice with it often - but I don't think it should be viewed as "THE resource." It could be viewed as a comprehensive left-hand, right-hand technique that could theoretically be used to play anything - but you can also add it to whatever technique you already have, rather than replacing it. You should be approaching the book with a pretty solid knowledge of scales and modes already under your belt, not to mention chord-scale theory.

I say practice the excercises you like in all twelve keys - and be sure to include other scales. For example, all of the arpeggio excercises in chapter 3 can also be applied to the melodic minor scale (in all twelve keys), the harmonic minor scale (which I've never done), etc.

I've got the most mileage from the first 5 chapters, though I should really get into some of the diminished patterns. Hmm ... maybe tonight.

[jzucker]

What I like to do is take a picking/fingering pattern and change up the melodic content. Apply the pattern to diminished or altered dominant or a blues scale or anything really. Work on a simple progression like G-7 C7 and get comfortable with the picking working the pattern across the neck or just up and down the neck with a single diatonic scale.

One of the best things you can get out of the book is to be more adventurous in how you look at the instrument and to try to get out of just playing the same things that naturally fall under your fingers.

Try taking a pattern and altering it to fit against a blues chord sequence. You can do this a few different ways.

One way is to take the same group of notes and just change the appropriate notes to make them work over the new chord in the sequence.

Another way is to actually transpose the line to go with the chords as they are changing.

Force yourself to figure out the sequence of major to minor transitions in the blues progression. For example, take the following simple G blues:

| G7 | C7 | G7 | G7 |
| C7 | C7 | G7 | G7 |
| D7 | C7 | G7 | D7 |

Try superimposing:

| G7 | C7 | G7 | Dm7 G7|
| C7 | Cm7 F7 | Bm7 | Bbm7 Eb7 |
| Am7 | D7 D7/C| Bm7 E7 | Am7 D7|

This may be hard at first but force yourself to work through every chord in the sequence begining with bar 4. Those are the types of things that pay off big in the long run.

Not sure if that helps....

[Neill]

thanks to all for responding! my chord-scale theory needs work... any resources anyone would care to recommend ?

i really need a teacher but im just way too busy with school and hockey.

[spencerbk]

Originally Posted by Neill MacInnis

thanks to all for responding! my chord-scale theory needs work... any resources anyone would care to recommend ?

i really need a teacher but im just way too busy with school and hockey.

It's not written for guitar, so no tab - but "the Jazz Theory Book" by Marc Levine has the best stuff on chord scale theory I've read.

[GtrWiz]

Originally Posted by jzucker

One of the best things you can get out of the book is to be more adventurous in how you look at the instrument and to try to get out of just playing the same things that naturally fall under your fingers.

That's how I use it, it's been helpful in just giving me a different "view" of the fretboard. My goal isn't really to be a super chops guy, but working through the examples has helped me play with more fluidity and control. very cool...