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I've spent a lot of time working out these Joe-Pass-style accompaniments on the guitar, usually played with a pick and fingers. On the Stick this style can be played at slow and medium tempos with the left hand only, freeing up the right hand for soloing. Also, the fifths tuning on the bass side makes the chords much more spread-out and full sounding.
The accompaniment patterns can be formed from three-note "shell voicings", which are chords containing only the root, third and seventh (or sixth). All the chord shapes I'm using are described on pages 8-9 of Emmett Chapman's "Free Hands".
For example, in the key of C, a I-vi-ii-V progression can be formed from these four chord shapes (see the SmartASCII page for an explanation of the notation):
Cmaj77 +====+====+====+====+====+====+ 8 +-L1-+----+----+----+----+----+ 9 +----+----+----+----+----+----+ 10+----+----+-L4-+----+----+----+ 11+----+----+-L3-+----+----+----+ 12+----+----+----+----+----+----+ |
Amin77 +====+====+====+====+====+====+ 8 +----+----+----+----+----+----+ 9 +----+----+-L1-+----+----+----+ 10+----+----+----+----+----+-L4-+ 11+----+----+----+-L2-+----+----+ 12+----+----+----+----+----+----+ |
Dmin77 +====+====+====+====+====+====+ 8 +----+----+-L1-+----+----+----+ 9 +----+----+----+----+----+----+ 10+----+----+----+-L4-+----+----+ 11+----+----+----+-L3-+----+----+ 12+----+----+----+----+----+----+ |
G77 +====+====+====+====+====+====+ 8 +----+----+----+----+----+----+ 9 +-L1-+----+----+----+----+----+ 10+----+----+----+-L4-+----+----+ 11+----+----+-L3-+----+----+----+ 12+----+----+----+----+----+----+ |
You can play the chords on beats 1 and 3 and connect the bass notes with chromatic approach tones on 2 and 4:
CM7 Am7 Dm7 G7 C7 7=================================================================== 8---5(L1)----------------8(L1)--7(L1)-----------------6(L1)--5(L1)-- 9----------6(L1)--7(L1)----------------6(L1)--5(L1)----------------- 10--7(L4)--------10(L4)---------8(L4)---------8(L4)----------7(L3)-- 11--7(L3)---------8(L2)---------8(L3)---------7(L3)----------7(L4)-- 12------------------------------------------------------------------
Hear it: (???K mp3)
To add rhythmic variety and help produce the illusion of a separate bassist and pianist, you can occasionally move the chord tones to the offbeats, either before or after their corresponding bass note:
CM7 Am7 7================================================= 8---5(L1)-------------------------------8(L1)----- 9---------------6(L1)-------7(L1)----------------- 10--------7(L4)------------10(L4)----------------- 11--------7(L3)-------------8(L2)----------------- 12------------------------------------------------ (.....after) Dm7 G7 CM7 7========================================================== 8---7(L1)-------------------------------6(L1)-------5(L1)-- 9---------------6(L1)-------5(L1)-------------------------- 10--8(L4)-------------8(L4)-------------------------------- 11--8(L3)-------------7(L3)-------------------------------- 12--------------------------------------------------------- (before.....)
Hear it: (???K mp3)