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Topic: BeBop Jazz Leavitt "Donna Lee" !!! MP3 |
Bill Hatcher
From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
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Posted 9 Jan 2008 8:32 pm |
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The great bebopper Charlie Parker wrote a tune called "Donna Lee". Hard as heck to play, but a lot fun when you get enough of it down. I figured that if your going to try to exemplify a bop tune using the Leavitt tuning then try to do one of the most famous ones. I worked out the head to the tune and then tried to play through the changes in a bop style with a little improv. The changes on "Donna Lee" are the same as "Back Home In Indiana" so you will hear the jazzers quote that tune in "Donna Lee". I did a chord thing on "Indiana" and then the rest of the head of "Donna Lee" to take the tune out.
Hope that you guys enjoy hearing me scuffle through this one!! The Leavitt tuning once again shows how versatile it is in this tune. I had to change the key to Eb to make it lay nicely on the lap steel. Hope you purists don't mind.
Let me know what you think.
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?0hwcxqzcygm |
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Edward Meisse
From:
Santa Rosa, California, USA
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Posted 9 Jan 2008 8:55 pm
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I never cease to be amazed at what a couple of you guys can do with Leavitt tuning. I play with it a little. But I really need to master C6 first, I think. I heard a little bit of,"Lullaby of Birdland," in there, too.
_________________
Amor vincit omnia |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 9 Jan 2008 9:09 pm
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Haha! That's cool. You've got to show me how to play that one.
Your pitch sounds so dead-on and your tone so clear, that it's sometimes like listening to a MIDI sequence.
_________________
Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Stephen Gambrell
From:
Over there
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Posted 9 Jan 2008 11:44 pm
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Bill, so far I've heard you do three cuts with that tuning---"Way to Survive," (great), "Donna Lee,"(AWESOME) and a cut you sent to Mike Bagwell.
I believe you OWN that tuning, sir! Blocking's pretty good, too. |
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Roger Shackelton
From:
MINNESOTA (deceased)
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Posted 10 Jan 2008 2:22 am
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What Stephen said. 
Great job Bill.
Roger |
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Bill Leff
From:
Santa Cruz, CA, USA
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Posted 10 Jan 2008 5:11 am
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You are indeed a brave man.
Hats off to you!
Bill |
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Michael Johnstone
From:
Sylmar,Ca. USA
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Posted 10 Jan 2008 5:18 am
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| Get down from there! |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 10 Jan 2008 8:44 am
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Listened again. Excellent.
_________________
Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Jeff Strouse
From:
Jacksonville, Florida, USA
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Posted 10 Jan 2008 9:23 am
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Wow! That was awesome!  |
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Chet Wilcox
From:
Illinois, USA (deceased)
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Posted 10 Jan 2008 9:46 am
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| Bill, Just Great, as Usual.You are a Credit to steel Guitar.Chet |
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Andrea Tazzini
From:
Massa, Italy
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Posted 10 Jan 2008 9:59 am
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| wow!!!!! |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 10 Jan 2008 10:32 am
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Okay, now do it in the original key. 
Amazing job, Bill. That really shows off the Leavitt tuning. Thanks for sharing!
_________________
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
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Richard Sevigny
From:
Salmon Arm, BC, Canada
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Posted 10 Jan 2008 12:01 pm
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Awesome. I can't even think that fast. 
That clip demonstrates Leavitt is a perfect Jazz tuning. Hats off to you Mr Hatcher.
_________________
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If at first the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it.
-Albert Einstein |
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Dean Gray
From:
New South Wales, Australia
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Posted 10 Jan 2008 2:14 pm
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fantastic! Your playing was absolutely inspiring Bill, thank you so much for sharing it...just beautiful.
It seems there is a wealth of extended chords and inversions available in the Leavitt Tuning, yet I am reluctant to jump in yet as I am trying to really get to know the A6 (Herb Remington) tuning...much like Edward and the C6.
What are your thoughts on concentrating on learning more than one tuning at a time, and can you tell us a little about how you got started with Leavitt?
Thanks again,
Deano
_________________
If it’s on the ground it can’t fall down. |
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Bill Hatcher
From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
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Posted 10 Jan 2008 8:10 pm
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| Dean Gray wrote: |
What are your thoughts on concentrating on learning more than one tuning at a time, and can you tell us a little about how you got started with Leavitt?
Thanks again,
Deano |
Dean. I make my living playing music...guitars basses and doubling on other instruments. I don't really learn the tuning all that intricatly. I come from the music side first. I have a good idea what I want to play and I just find it on the tuning. The tuning does not give me any musical ideas, the tuning just helps realize my musical thought. I think a lot chordally. The Leavitt tuning has so many chords you can make with no bar slants. I heard Mike Ihde and Roy Thomson and others and liked what they were doing and I just started looking for things on a little 6 string guitar tuned Leavitt and liked what was there. The Leavitt was conceived for 6 strings. Everything you add either above that or below that is up to you. There is no set extended Leavitt tuning.
I would suggest that you tune an 8 stringer up Leavitt and just sit down with it and do nothing except look for chords and work out chord changes. Once you see what you can do chordally, you will be so intrigued by the tuning that you will work some songs up with it. |
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Edward Meisse
From:
Santa Rosa, California, USA
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Posted 10 Jan 2008 9:36 pm
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My approach is a little different. I want to learn one tuning so well that I can sit down and join in on whatever is going on with it and manage to have something interesting to add. That takes alot of familiarity. I'm just beginning to consider making any real money with music. And I only play steel and a very rudimnentry rythm. I do plan on Leavitt being my second tuning. Almost everything I do in C6 is single string. Almost everything I already can see in Leavitt is chordal. And I anticipate it will stay that way. It's great to have 3 or 4 pioneers leading the way.
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Amor vincit omnia |
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Dean Gray
From:
New South Wales, Australia
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Posted 11 Jan 2008 1:28 am
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Bill, thanks for replying, and explaining your approach to the tuning, and in music generally. For someone who claims not to have learned the tuning all that intricately, you sure sound like you know it back to front and inside out! Good for you mate!
Your suggestion to start by just finding chord changes seems to be a good idea. Not having a second 8 stringer, I will start on a 6 and give it a shot.
I still will be focusing on the 6th tuning, I'm like Edward, we both seem to want to be very comfortable on that one first.
I read somewhere here on the forum that Jerry Byrd said that the Leavitt tuning is a good second tuning for a doubleneck steel. One day I will have a nice doubleneck Remington (it's nice to have a dream) and plan on trying A6 and Leavitt.....
Thanks again Bill
Deano
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If it’s on the ground it can’t fall down. |
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Thomas Ludwig
From:
Augsburg, Germany
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Posted 11 Jan 2008 7:52 am
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Bill,
outstanding and cool cool cool !!!
When do we hear your version of "flight of the bumblebee" javascript:emoticon(' ')
Very Happy 8-} ??
Thomas |
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Edward Meisse
From:
Santa Rosa, California, USA
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Posted 12 Jan 2008 11:29 pm
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I have a Remington S8. It is a superlative instrument. They don't really cost that much for what you get.
_________________
Amor vincit omnia |
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Susan Alcorn
From:
Baltimore, MD, USA
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Posted 13 Jan 2008 7:58 am
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| Beautiful. |
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Tom Pettingill
From:
California, USA (deceased)
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Mike Ihde
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 13 Jan 2008 10:53 pm
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You outdid yourself this time. Taking the Leavitt tuning to where I'm sure Bill would have loved to see it go. He was always a chord solo kind of guy but did write some single note solos in a few of his tunes. I love the way you find little clusters in there with either open strings or the added top two.
Bravo! |
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Russ Tkac
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Posted 14 Jan 2008 6:48 am
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Bill,
You must be one heck of a guitarist!
Great job!
Russ |
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Therman Jones
From:
Stillwater, OK USA
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Posted 14 Jan 2008 9:01 am
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Wow! You sure 'moved the bar' on this one. This is one of my favorite Charlie Parker songs...but the problem I have is everytime I try to learn it I can't even humm it right, let alone play it on the steel. You have inspired me to keep trying. And you have also convinced me that the Leavitt tuning is capable of anything. Great job. When are you going to put out a CD?
Therman
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Customized 8 string Artisan lap steel....it will have to do until I hit the lottery... |
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Jerry Gleason
From:
Eugene, Oregon, USA
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Posted 14 Jan 2008 12:04 pm
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That's terrific, Bill. I'm convinced. I'm going to put the Leavitt tuning on one of my eight strings, and try to learn it. I don't expect to ever come up with anything as spectacular as that, though.
I wonder what Thelonius Monk's "Trinkle Tinkle" would sound like on it?.... |
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