Grateful Dead Music Forum

Alright I havent asked a question on here in a while so I figured id throw this one up there. I notice alot when I play along that he will hit on notes when the chord is somethin else. For example: In Sugaree while the band is hittin on the B Jerry is using E alot. And then when it gets the E measures I hear him hittin C# alot. Just like in Dark Star he resolves to E alot instead of the A. Another that I can think of off the top of my head is And It Stoned Me by JGB. He starts off the phrase by going to G when the progression starts with G. Yet it fits like perfectly and sounds as if thats the way it goes and no other way. Any suggestions as to how to open my playing up to this way? I mean I do find myself playing notes besides the actual chord but I hear him doin it constantly. I notice its usually the 5th of the chord that he is using to accent the chord or whatever. But why?! Thanks in advance guys

My guess would be relativity. As you mentioned in Dark Star he resolves to E, the 5th in A triad/arpeggio. And in Sugaree B and E are kind of relative to one another both being majors in the same scale and all. It's all down to experimenting.

I don't know much about the theory of it all, but I just agree with sarraqum that it is all about expirimenting and trying new things (in this caseresolving your phrases to different notes). Expirimentation is my best friend when playing leads or trying to come up with melodies or really anything. Don't know if that is helpful, but thats what I got to say on the matter.

i don't think he's hitting V's more than I's, i think the V's, III's, etc that he hits are just noticed more because they give those little accents. I think he's landing on I's a lot of the time as well.It also strongly depends on a song, for something like dark star, he's going to be hitting more other notes than the home notes, to give it that trippy character of the song, but in something like peggy-o he might be focusing more on the melodic approach.

but i definitely know what you mean, i've been trying to start hitting notes rather than I's as well, they sound awesome!

hope my useless rant helps at all

Razma in Peggy-O he shies away from the A note as well. I hear C# alot during the A chord from him. And I hear the V aloottt more than the I chord in tons of his songs.

Well sounds like you know you I's, ii's, iii's, etc., so try flirting with them or making phrases that revolve around them in your playing. One thing I've been doing lately is just that - trying to build solos by taking off from and/or landing on different notes within a scale to familiarize myself with the concept and how it sounds, and it has been working really well. I was doing one the other day by starting on the iii, then to the V, then vi, then vii, then resolving on the I and it sounded cool. Expiriment, but the fact that you're even picking up on that shit while listening shows that you are growing as a musician! Good work mate!

shakedown_04092 wrote:Well sounds like you know you I's, ii's, iii's, etc., so try flirting with them or making phrases that revolve around them in your playing. One thing I've been doing lately is just that - trying to build solos by taking off from and/or landing on different notes within a scale to familiarize myself with the concept and how it sounds, and it has been working really well. I was doing one the other day by starting on the iii, then to the V, then vi, then vii, then resolving on the I and it sounded cool. Expiriment, but the fact that you're even picking up on that shit while listening shows that you are growing as a musician! Good work mate!

That will definitely take you places- good exercise.

How does Jerry choose certain notes?

Probably, during the REALLY good parts, he wasn't choosing the notes: they were choosing HIM

tigerstrat wrote:

How does Jerry choose certain notes?

Probably, during the REALLY good parts, he wasn't choosing the notes: they were choosing HIM

Actually, I think I saw one of those magical giant 8-balls that give you the answers to questions when you shake them around...you know the ones? Jerry keeps it in his pocket and his fast-twitch muscle fibers are so fast that he can reach in, shake it, and.....oh, nevermind .

Let's be honest, it was Mickey sending him telepathic messages from the other side of the stage.

From Guitar Player magazine interview with Jerry:

How do you approach building solos?

I start by learning a tune's literal melody-if there is one- in any position. Then I construct solos as if the melody was happening, and I'm either playing with it or against it.

What I think he returns to notes that are 'good', that is sounded good for the chords, and sure these probably wind up being the relatives.

Probably, during the REALLY good parts, he wasn't choosing the notes: they were choosing HIM

well said. all i see when jerry's really in the zone are smiles, last thing i think he's thinkin about is the fingers.. i think its all of US who try to choose the notes that sound like jerry

tigerstrat wrote: Probably, during the REALLY good parts, he wasn't choosing the notes: they were choosing HIM

Yeah I agree with that. I even have the ability to do that on rare occasions. Thanks for all the input guys. Just gotta keep on keepin on I suppose.