John Scofield - Some of the Greatest Double Time Lines I know

[@JensLarsen]

This might very well be my favourite Scofield solo, and actually the whole album is really worth checking out! (Spotify link in the description) What is your favourite Sco solo? Content: 0:00 Intro - John Scofield on So Near, So far. 0:20 Milestones with Joe Henderson 1:06 Example #1 1:08 Super-imposed pentatonic double stops 2:17 Example #1 Slow 2:22 Example #2 2:29 Melodic statements with chords in the bridge 3:50 The Basic Melody used 4:11 Using Legato to mix bebop and pentatonics 5:31 Example #2 Slow 5:43 Example #3 5:50 Scofield's approach to double-time lines 6:45 Repeated ideas Scorfield vs Metheny 7:14 Signature Pentatonic Melody and Using different techniques for sound 8:01 Example #3 Slow 8:11 Example #4 8:16 Contrast: Melodic vs Angular (how to keep it interesting..) 9:11 Example #4 slow 9:18 Example #5 9:20 Intervallic double time ideas 10:21 Example #6 10:26 Like the video? Check out my Patreon Page

[@ylst8874]

Tidal has a lot better sound quality.

[@JensLarsen]

@@ylst8874 That may be, but all my students and colleagues use Spotify so that is way more practical for me.

[@doke4090]

@@JensLarsen He has a lot of greats solos. But actually the solo that is literaly blowing my head is that he make in Sunny, whith Pat Martino. He do a lot of crazy stuff in there. I would be really grateful that you make a video about it. Bless!

[@Athraminaurian]

@@doke4090 Hard agree on that one, dude. That sunny shit is so legit.

[@Athraminaurian]

My favorite sco solo is probably one he plays live with Miles Davis on Sean Pierre. It's this one kzbin.info/www/bejne/l6KsZKmIppt-r9k That is some hard stuff right there. Also his solo on the tune Groove Elation is one of the things that really got me into jazz to begin with.

[@SnowTheJamMan]

Even though i don't know much music theory i love your videos of dissecting these great guitarists and their phrases, makes me appreciate the huge amount of stuff these guys need to know and use so effortlessly

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like the video! I am not sure they really think about it like that. Remember that you are listening to years and years of practicing so it is just like riding a bike for them :)

[@lloydabrams5241]

Love your videos, as far as double time his buddies could do it too-Jaco & Stern. my Favorite Scofield CD is Meant To Be with Joe Lovano!

[@tiluriso]

Great choice, the whole album 'So Near so Far' is killer, I also love the solo on 'Joshua'. Another great 'double time' moment of Sco that I love is on the song 'You Bet', which opens his album 'Grace Under Pressure', the chord progression is simpler, but there are some great double time lines there too.

[@matiasbenitez3593]

Last friday i watched him on my country, Argentina, combo 66 is amazing!!!

[@JensLarsen]

Sco is still going strong. I say him a few years ago. Great concert!

[@RealinDealer]

Sco is great. So are you, Jens. Can't thank you enough for opening my/our musical eyes and ears with your hugely inspiring teaching, insights, playing and enthusiasm!! Thanks also for introducing me to the Henderson record! And another thank you for making me think more in terms of arpeggios rather than just scales and modes.

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you, Joseph 🙂

[@SuperBromberg]

thanks Jens for this breakdown, exellent job! btw, one of my favourite Sco's solo is in Loose Canon, on the Works For Me album (with Kenny Garreth, Billy Higgins and others)

[@Athraminaurian]

Man, I love Scofield so much. I have such great memories of listening to his playing. Probably one of my beggist inspirations, just the way he plays resonates with me on a deep level. When I hear him play I just think of some gunslinging son of bitch that just kicks in the door and kills it. I think it has to with his time or something, it's so deep.

[@romanslegion7771]

I’m your 1st thumbs up. What an honor. I have a chance to attend a guitar camp in Memphis with John Scofield. I think I’m gonna pull the trigger. Keep up the good work.

[@romanslegion7771]

Yes. More Sco !! Thank you so much 😊

[@sermorel]

This record is the bible of jazz guitar comping

[@JensLarsen]

Yes!

[@triggSerable]

The biggest reason why he sounds so different (and for my ear, better) than most jazz guitar players is his legato off beat phrasing, in addition to all the phrasing stuff you mentioned. He rarely picks a note that is on the beat. I don't think the primary reason for that is to move his right hand into position, it's for the phrasing. /edit: Forgot to mention, great video like always. :D

[@RC32Smiths01]

Scofield is definitely up there with the greats! His playing is unmatched indeed!

[@JensLarsen]

One of the first Jazz guys I got into (actually together with Parker)

[@RC32Smiths01]

@@JensLarsen Ahh same my man!

[@JohnHorneGuitar]

Scofield’s album Still Warm was one of the first albums that got me into jazz. I can still recall listening to it over and over trying to follow the sounds that were so new to me then. He always sounds fresh IMHO and his articulation on double time lines has taught me a lot. I can’t figure out how to pick everything and make it swing no matter how much I try! Thanks for another wonderful video Jens!

[@Sebassplayer1978]

His solo with Miles Davis at 1984 Montreal jazz festival on the tune One Phone Call/Street Scenes is one of my favourite along with his solo on Rule of Thumb in La Hague 1986 North Sea Festival.

[@jamespacia8610]

Fantastic work Jens! Quick question though (apologies in advance if it’s a dumb one 😆) what are bebop phrasing rules? Thanks 🙏

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you. Maybe check out this video on phrasing kzbin.info/www/bejne/bpemd5KrqJKXnZI

[@jamespacia8610]

Jens Larsen thank’s a lot 👏🙏

[@chrisg5981]

thanks you M. Larsen so much from france for this beautifull lesson and for all the others i saw before(i hope my english is not too bad). mille mercis :-)))

[@Trendall]

His solo on Speak by Miles Davis is insane.

[@dcjmc]

Minor thing, but I think I'm hearing the 3 notes in the Bm7-E7 triplet as F#, D, and A# (augmented sound), but the other notes work nicely too of course!

[@eternalrainbow-cj3iu]

Also during his Cm7 C#m7 the repeating thing is obvious that Scofield studied D-C G-F as 9-8 5-4 mirroring it in the Tritone like a hexatonic+(two barbaric tones) so C#-B, G#-F# is the 9-8 5-4 ( I do admit that he doesn't realy shows this but I garantee you that he studied those phenomonen thoroughly!(I state that octatonicism since Coltrane is a thing that is played and sudied in almost endless ways and gives you rich sound and a bit away or beyond, if we may speak thus? from parker...what Coltrane intended of course) of F#(what he lined out over the Db7 believe me that is no coincidence that is just having made a sketual for going outside to get the utmost effect out of your solo: As Herbie hancock remarked(or even defined jazz:): "Jazz means Chaos found during experiment, but cought in formular, to make it possible to reproduce it, or even make a style out of it...."like improvising nowadays tend to overcome just comosed music we want both ; The nice composition with the nice interpreattion during the head with the even nicer solo, this gives us the thrill, doesn't it?

[@motorcitysmitty]

That phrase at 7:20 starting on Bm7 is used in 'Techno'. So is the one at 9:52.

[@JensLarsen]

Yes, it is probably what you would consider Scofield signature licks or Scofield Vocabulary?

[@motorcitysmitty]

@@JensLarsen The first one was definitely what I would consider signature. Funny enough, he does it on the next song "Still Warm" on the Still Warm album. I only have a couple of his albums, so I probably should listen to more of his stuff. Still Warm is one I have listened to for 30 years and haven't gotten tired of it, a masterpiece.

[@romanslegion7771]

What a good primer for camp. Got to nail this so I’ll be able to call this tune when we jam😎

[@tonyedwards4067]

yes, he way overused his chorus pedal back then, he himself said he'd wished he hadn't.

[@juancascini.1986]

Hello Jens, i would like to know why Scofield plays a Gb instead of a G in the measure of Db7. That G is in the Ab melodic minor scale and would be the 4#, no avoid note. Thanks for answering, great lessons.

[@JensLarsen]

Avoid notes are not that important, and in the context the chords are Abm7 Db7 which would suggest not having a Db7(#11)

[@kennyshizzle3871]

Great lesson cheers. Have you ever heard johns solo on ‘panhandler’ off the billy cobham album ‘a funky thide of sings’, it’s a classic combo of rock and bebop - a fine piece of work !

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! I have never heard that one, no :)

[@chrisg5981]

thanks you M. Larsen so much from france for this beautifull lesson and for all the others i saw before(i hope my english is not too bad). mille mercis :-)))

[@JensLarsen]

You're very welcome, Chris

[@SuperBromberg]

Great lesson, Jens. Thank you so much ✌🏻

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it 🙂

[@enmarcanete6315]

MAY YOU HAVE MORE GOOD HEALTH, JOY, AND BLESSINGS FRO. OUR LORD GOD...

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! :)

[@josephtravers777]

The first two bars are the reason why Scofield is my favorite player. The tension in the intervals and melodic release he uses is brilliant! :)

[@JensLarsen]

Exactly!

[@DESIENASHOES]

Scofield is always one of my bests_ I love all his albums_

[@JensLarsen]

Scofield rules!

[@GnomeChomsky9999]

Jens, which are the best 3-5 jazz guitarists I should check out?

[@JensLarsen]

Maybe have a look at these to get you started: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qJbamXuwoNdrgZY

[@GnomeChomsky9999]

Jens Larsen thanks again!

[@luisnowak7881]

From which Solo is this Pat metheny example

[@JensLarsen]

Is there a Pat Metheny example in this video? Can you give me a time in the video :)

[@luisnowak7881]

@@JensLarsen 6:52

[@JensLarsen]

It is from a live video of How Insensitive

[@luisnowak7881]

@@JensLarsen Thank you

[@T.H.W.O.T.H]

Really interesting. Thanks Jen. I love this solo on 'The Guinness Spot' : kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZq0mKZsdpeWfaM 🍻

[@eternalrainbow-cj3iu]

Dear Jens: although this will be my favourite lesson of yours, you commented: "...nothing special meaning Scofield was just playing inside harmony(and no Fancy stuff like outside whatever(I do understand your way of reporting this)nevertheless:, from a composers perspective, inside Harmony could be something more than meets the eye: also in jazz we study most of the time ascending scales where classical music is based upon the gravity and downwards or descending scales differ from ascending ones(melodic minor is descending aeloic as we all know for some yearts) but in jazz this seems unimportant because of a colour kind of thing because musicions all the time tend to search for the hip part of it...but as you say totally correct that all though there is nothing Fancie's going on in those 4bars still making use of ascending and descending material and mostly pentagones(geometriacally spoken) nice to study those things like Coltrane did or other jazz books using geometry, still the intervall choise could be so deep inside the original composition or even a musical remark upon it that most of the time strong melodies need to be perfect number algortyhms (or permutations of the original meldie, or else) that simple could be so Great, and proof of pureness of music never dies although we gravitate and propell towards mthe modern and the SF-Jazz ears and sounds....I felt that I had to make this remark if ther is any one who would dare to make such an analysis of this guys solo I garantee you that ou will be amazed because our great Jazz heroes befor hand studie the heads that thoroughly that there solo's come out so fine....iAt last if we studie the 1st prelude of WK I we wil find a number when we write down the intervals the bass melodie makes to the chords that uses a magical square of 9 numbers and theere are lots of permutations and you will find that Bachs loves 373 and 737 for starters...he likes also changes and metamorfoses those aspect we find Scodield as the grand master of metamorphing his tones in between changing his outind choice during one chord sounding to realy bend the attention in mili seconds....Who is further ther in ? My favourite solo is his Chicken solo because of his use of out side pentatonic and the way he makes apotheosis with this element only!

[@jonathanosborn4800]

Do you have a pdf of the transcription? Good breakdown, one of the best jazz albums to me

[@JensLarsen]

There is a PDF of the examples on Patreon 🙂

[@johngstyle1]

Its always a bit daunting when someone you respects tells you they’re going to play their favorite solo! (Hope I like it. Can see the point) I think the favorite one has depends very much how much you’ve listened to of the artist when you’ve discovered. My favorite solo of JS is from ‘I can See Your House From Here’ even tho, sorry!, Pat doesn’t come close in my opinion. But the features you comment on, like the double stops, the double voices, the double time runs, the repetitions without get ‘stuck’, like Pat Martino, are in the solos id call my favorites too. Thanks, Jens. I learn a lot watching ur videos.

[@ChuloDavidcito]

Great stuff! I used to listen to John a whole lot, including a couple live gigs, but I don't know this album. I'm wondering... along with your great analysis, sometimes I wish I'd hear a longer excerpt of the full solo after the explanation as a recap in context. But then it occurs to me that useless UMG might ding you if you do that(?). Of course one can also buy the album and get John a few extra bucks. ;)

[@schnirzelzwirn]

Best Sco solo? Hard to tell. Among others I love his solo on "What you see is what you get" (up all night) 2:18. "So near so far" - a very good choice! Thank you for your helpful video!

[@jacoscofield5150]

Great video do you know what chorus pedal he used at that time ?

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! No, I don't know which chorus pedal he is using, sorry :)

[@tonyfaelens3626]

Super !

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it!

[@rillloudmother]

i saw Sco in december @ the blue note he wasn't using any chorus. i think it was just guitar into fender vibrolux or similar. i was seated close enough to reach up and touch his fretboard while he was playing [i refrained from doing so], but i could also see his tuner scrolling through notes as he played.

[@JensLarsen]

Scofield is still killing it live! 👍🙂

[@rillloudmother]

@@JensLarsen KILLING! along with my man Bill Stewart and Gerald Clayton and Vincente archer.

[@matiasbenitez3593]

@@rillloudmother the band is amazing, last week i saw him with those fantastic guys

[@rillloudmother]

@@matiasbenitez3593 they are great. i could listen to bill stewart play the ride by itself for like 2 hours without getting bored though.

[@matiasbenitez3593]

@@rillloudmother gerald for me is amazing, the concert in paris with hargrove

[@kindnick58]

............ SCO!

[@jimdeblanc5670]

Lv Lv Lv that record!!

[@pffddspc]

I don't know too much about Sco. My favorite solo of his is on the McCoy Tyner Guitars album on the song Blues On The Corner.

[@JensLarsen]

Nice, I don't know that, but I will give it a listen 🙂

[@romanslegion7771]

This is Dr Brad from Dallas. Hope to meet you and play someday🙏🏻

[@JensLarsen]

That could be fun :)

[@realrobarmus]

Nice analysis but please stop saying idears, there’s no “r” I know it’s picky but ...

[@rillloudmother]

wow, that's pretty offensive.