Re: What is considered good chord chops?

"Jurupari" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

> To me,  doing it that way would be laying down bass and rhythm
*first*, over
> which I played the melody or whatever line I did.
>
>  At that time, the chords are secondary to melody or top line, but
they're
> *also* secondary to the bass line which is really defining the
harmony.

I see.  This is a bit of a different thing, but I see how it can seem to
be in conflict with the statement abot building voicings top down.

I do make a distinction here between situations where you are trying to
cover the bass as well, either because there is no bassist, or because
you are trying to figure the harmony out by ear.  In those cases, I
definitely think bass and melody first, chords almost an afterthought.
But then, bass and chords aren't voicings, at least not how I think of
it (see below).  Within the voicings themselves - that is, *not*
including the bass or melody - I think top down.  Meaning in a situation
where I am just playing chords - no worry about melody or about bass - I
think of my playing in general in a top down fashion.  The chords will
be being smoothly connected if the top note is smoothly connected, and
hope everything else will fall into place.  Realistically, on piano,
this happens almost automatically -it's almost impossible to create bad
voice leading in the other voices if the top voice works.  The hand
won't allow it.  On guitar, it is probably easy to create bad voice
leading with relatively little hand motion.  But if you connect the top
note well, you at least create the illusion of good voice leading.

> but to me, the guitar's always an orchestra, whether or not you happen
to
> be playing like that at the time, and that makes bass and top note
kind of
> equal for consideration.

I think the same about piano, and play a lot more bass notes than most
pianists, I think.  But still, bass isn't chord, in my book.  I think of
orchestrating as comprising four elements: melody, chord, bass, and
pulse.  When I talk about voice leading from top down, I am referring
only to the chord element.

> But there are
> those among you who think there's only one acceptable way to think.  I
don't
> share that philosophy, obviously.

That's just wrong :-)

--------------
Marc Sabatella
[EMAIL PROTECTED]

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