How To Play Chords Like Bill Frisell

[@manuelgomez1768]

Great!! I ever wanted know how Bill create his harmonies. Thanks a lot!! I'm suscribed!!

[@mattfranceschini]

So glad it was helpful, thanks for the sub!

[@JohnNathanCO]

Good lesson, thank you. As an older guy, I first got into players like Duane and Dickie, Clapton, Hendrix, etc, blues/rock guys. But I periodically take an interest in the virtuosity of players I can't even touch like Grant Green, Pat Metheny, George Benson, Taj Farlow; jazz guys. And of course, perhaps my all time favorite, Robben Ford who straddles both worlds. You've inspired me to check out Bill F. I'm digging the tight interval approach, reminds me of that tome of guitar genius, Chord Chemistry by Ted Greene. I'll spend a couple of years on it and report back!

[@mattfranceschini]

Thanks for watching and for the kind words! Enjoy digging into Bill Frisell, he's a beacon of light in the wonderful world of guitar/music with lots of Jazz, Rock and Country influence. Happy exploring with the chords, as you said, there's multiple lifetimes of work that can be poured into harmony on the guitar!

[@uberjam-sam8512]

Longtime Frisell fan; I've seen him live more than a dozen times and always been mesmerized. I found this lesson fascinating in part because I associate the min/maj 2nd interval with someone like David Rawlings who at times swims in dissonance rather than Frisell who I associate with many things but just not this. These chords do sound beautifully spacious btw...would like to know any specific tunes that may have inspired this lesson.

[@mattfranceschini]

This lesson was actually inspired by seeing Bill Frisell earlier in the year! Like you, I've been a longtime fan of his work and these voicings aren't necessarily pulled from any particular tune, just ones that I've noticed in watching live performances and listening. This video seems to be continually bringing in videos so maybe I'll have to go through and do some thorough transcription to pull some exact examples in context!

[@johndogwater]

Shout out to a fellow smaller human being. When I first glanced I thought you were playing some crazy modified Jazz Bass. Me and a 330 looks like a guy carrying a hovercraft.

[@mattfranceschini]

Funny you say that! I’m just over six feet but have a very lean frame. I feel the same way anytime I play a 335 style shape!

[@johndogwater]

@@mattfranceschini That must be it! Maybe it's the lens too. I got a nice copy of a Rickenbacker 325 and thought 'This must be what a Strat feels like to regular folks'. I get why Jazz players liked them, and the little short scale Burns guitars, makes some of those stretches doable for people like me with little rat-hands.

[@tedandersen977]

Great video -- so to rephrase (which helps me -- to rearrange ideas) -- is the key here to, when you have a seventh chord come along (maj or min), to grab a ninth voicing instead, and also to leave out the 7th. So the chords will have three notes, root third and ninth? (and the root and ninth are a maj or min 2nd apart?) thanks--ted

[@mattfranceschini]

Hey Ted! Your description is a great starting point and theres hours of discover to be had there but I'd say the biggest take away is trying to find anywhere where you can put in the interval of a second. What you've described above is one of four common ways to do so (putting the interval of a second between the root and the 2). The other options you have are: - Between the third and the fourth (natural 4 for minor, #4 for major). - Between the fifth and sixth (Major 6th for both major or minor chords) - Between the Sixth (same as above) and the major or minor seventh. When voicing chords with this tension it's common to omit the fifth Hopefully this made some sense!

[@tedandersen977]

@@mattfranceschini fantastic -- thanks!

[@johndogwater]

That root/minor second on the really low strings does something to me.

[@mattfranceschini]

It’s a beautiful sound!

[@peterandrews7434]

Another great chordal guy was Ed Bickert

[@mattfranceschini]

Ed was incredible!

[@timoti2]

wow, I have medum. hands, do a reasonable about of finger stretching exercises - and i can play about 2 of those shapes. Still - an insightful shortcut (if there can be such a thing) into something of Bill's voicing - thanks

[@mattfranceschini]

I was definitely lucky in the long fingers department. Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@janjablonsky]

Don't play like other people, find your own voice...this is what Jazz is all about.

[@mattfranceschini]

I mean, yes you shouldn't directly rip off or plagiarize other players of course. But I would argue that most of the greats sound like themselves by being inspired by a diverse range of musicians and taking what they liked from each, forming their own unique conception and sound. This video is just trying to share how Bill Frisell sometimes approaches harmony, not trying to preach that you should only play things that Bill Frisell has played before. If people "only played like themselves" jazz wouldn't exist because it would be a completely amorphous blob of people not able to relate to and play with each other at things as essential as Jazz jam sessions etc. I see this quote thrown around online quite a bit and while it sounds super hip and cool I find it to be a pretty hollow statement when literally every great musician has sent hours studying the music of others be it listening to records or through the act of transcription.

[@janjablonsky]

@@mattfranceschini Good point Matt, but what prompted my comment was the trend that's going on where musicians more or less copy artists of the past note by note.

[@ppilasiewiczz]

Great lesson! Thanks :) That's the way of learning jazz language - my dream is to play on bass with Bill Frisell incredible feeling of harmony, time and sound. 🙌🏽🎸🎶💙

[@jonbrowning-zr9mb]

There's no way u play jazz with that thinking.