Urgent

[Bill Hammond]

John,

I’ve been working your backing tracks quite a bit and I finally got out and did a live solo show. I’ve got another solo show coming up in a few weeks and working on a few new tunes to add, presently working on the tune Urgent and had a question for you or anyone else that may have a suggestion

the G#/A riff that is played twice was not sounding that great for me especially the longer riff on staff 84. I was coming off the G# key to A and it is sloppy. I went you your video and noticed you are holding the side g# down and taking the ring finger on and off the G key, I slowed the video down to try to figure it out. It sounds much better however my ring finger just not moving the way it should. Is that the best way to play it? It may just take a lot of repetition to get the finger moving. I even tried using my right hand with not much luck. Any ideas or suggestions? By the way it is a great backing track!

Cheers,

Bill

[Bill Hammond]

to all, I kinda answered my own question. Over the weekend I played the riff repeatedly and now getting the fingers to work much better, much improvement however still not there as of yet.
cheers

[john]

Hey Bill, if you could let me know where in the video it is exactly I might be able to see what I did.

[Bill Hammond]

John, Thanks for the quick reply. https://youtu.be/9daJrqjyFBU at 2+51. Johnny, BTW the videos of you playing on your tracks is invaluable on some of them, the music alone doesn’t give the color or articulation. I hope I can get this one down to add to my gig repertoire. You really nailed that solo, whoa on those high ones! thank again

[john]

ok that’s just going from G# to A. So to play the A you are holding down your 1st and 2nd fingers…to play G# you add the 3rd finger on the G and the 4th finger on the side G# key. it’s just one movement to go from the G# to A. Lift the 3rd and 4th fingers off with one move and you’re left playing the A. Just practice that move over and over….start slow.

It’s a great tune (and solo) to learn…I believe it’s one of the most challenging ones from my repertoire so work hard and be patient!

[Bill Hammond]

thanks John, Thats how I was originally playing the trill. Since I started this on Urgent, I am now thinking I am going to try the additional octave on the F# at start of solo, I went back to your altissimo course to see how to play it up there however it did not go that high, thats pretty much no mans land up there. I tried lipping it up from the high F# fingering and I am getting a good tone, however its not right, with the tuner it appears I am getting a C.
Any thoughts or ideas on getting that high one? I am using a Ralph Morgan with a ZZ 3 reed. I think I’ll try my Otto Link metal with a new reed. I hope to get this done before my next solo gig at the end of of this month.

Thanks again

[john]

Once we’re that high exact fingerings aren’t needed because we can hit them with overtones… so you might be able to get it with the same fingering as the lower F#, just change your embouchure

[Rick Davis]

I get the super F# by playing the Eb palm keys with the left hand, octave key down & the side F# key with my right hand. You need to hear it in your head & be able to play those overtones, otherwise it sounds like a donkey!!!

[Bill Hammond]

thanks Rick and John. I’ll go to work on it, much appreciated!

[Ed Hannah]

I just now ordered some backtracks and I can’t find them. Please help.

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