Jazz Guitarist Reacts to the George Benson Interview with Rick Beato
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- Опубліковано 16 бер 2024
- 📺 Watch Rick Beato's interview with George Benson here 📺
• George Benson: The Gre...
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Have you seen Rick Beato's interview with George Benson? What were your top takeaways? Let me know in the comments! 👇
I would like to hear your thoughts on Benson's major minor chord system. I think of chords as maj, min, and dominant, which comes from Joe Pass. I'm guessing he thinks of diminished as minor and augmented as major
I love his story on his rearrangement of ON BROADWAY❤❤❤
His mother sang all the time with him during his first five years. Invaluable experience, with mom yet.😊
Plus hearing the guitar from stepdad.
His connection to sound / music is organic from his upbringing. Hence, the scatting ability. Always singing. Singing with his voice, singing with the guitar...it's programed in.
Of course he did lots of study, that goes without saying, probably why he didn't delve into it.
Maybe he does have perfect pitch from those early years. Music is more than theory, the names we give to intervals, etc., or maybe it's less than that, it's fundamental, organic, spiritual.
That's what I got, was reminded of by the interview.
The interview was incredible.
I’ve played professionally on the road and in studio, following Benson since Body Talk 73. His phrasing, harmonic depth, tone has been incredible and yet he can never really convey what he does nor explain fully how he got there. I have also accepted him as self taught with great ears and chops. We all “steal” and he’s no different in the best possible way, making it his own. No one touches my soul the way he does. I’ve played Affirmation many times and get pretty close yet hearing it again during Beato’s interview got me choked up all over again. The man is absolutely brilliant and we’re lucky to have him.
I agree! Benson’s playing is good enough for me. I’ll try to understand what he’s doing in my own way, but it’s enough that we’re able to listen to his musical brilliance.
Body Talk is his best!!!! IMHO
Just want to add couple of things. Your takeaway analysis was excellent, especially about Jack McDuff really shaping young George into the huge entertainer/ melodic killer he became( audience first). Also, this idea about reducing changes still fascinates me and I continue to work at it. If George means playing blues b3rds, 7ths, 5ths over M7th chords, yep. Pat M, Oscar hang on a V or iim over the A section of rhythm changes. That sounds great too and definitely easier to build some melodic sequences on uptempo stuff. Anyway thanks, great job.
I appreciate your positive feedback! I just finished the PDF for this next lesson and should be filming today for release on Thursday hopefully. I'll go over a slightly different concept than what you're talking about with adding in Blues notes, but of course it all relates. For that concept, check out my video called "George Benson's Secret of the 2 Pentatonics" ua-cam.com/video/5sRpitgUK78/v-deo.htmlsi=oFv-RlJ3G5nYYc0j
jimmy, I iiterally could cut and paste your statement and claim it as mine. My great encounter happened when This Masquerade came out as I started my venture at 13. I still can remember hearing that singable lyrical guitar solo for the first time.
I appreciate the time you've taken to review and breakdown Beato's interview. A few takeaways are... George Benson has great ears, is basically self-taught and he wasn't throwing out a lot of technical terms or scales or chord information. He states that he never had a formal guitar lesson which gives us all hope. What I love about Benson is his mix of blues lines, jazz lines, R&B rhythm, funk, and intuition and the culmination of all his experiences you hear in his playing. Another thing that is often overlooked is, Benson is great expressive singer and you hear it in his playing. Benson states that Jack Mcduff told him to always add some blues in whatever you do. I think this sophisticated jazz/blues sound and approach makes him stand out from the rest. I have to say one thing.... not critically but so many jazz players sound alike, maybe because they are using the same language. For those that don't know, Rod Temperton was the lead writer and musician in the band Heatwave from late 70's that had quite a few R&B hits. Temperton later went on to write hits and work with Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson, & others. And Benson's comments of thinking of chords as just major or minor is enlightening. Thanks Chase
Amazing takeaways! Thanks for watching, Michael! 👍
Totally agree with this. He was given a gift from god. A great attitude, a great ear and he just hears things most do not.
Benson could have bren a pro mimic literally. His brain is wired differently then most guitarists or musucians. Cloning him from oldef guitarists is just hiding behind things that most cant create. Black genius and many in other fields hidden from public views. Rdpainted and renamed Black geniuses some quite popular when depicted as White!
Hi Chase. I am a Brazilian American, Bossa Nova & Jazz Singer and Guitarist who lives in New York for more than 10 years. Frankly I have to say that I really appreciate the great contribution you give to the Jazz scene. Go FOWARD!!!
I appreciate you saying that! Helps to know these videos are having an impact 🙏
Concordo!
Excellent recap Chase! Thanks for grabbing and explaining those nuggets of wisdom, some of which went by really fast. And a big YES to a video about the two-chord concept.
Glad you dig it! This was meant as much for me to recap my takeaways as it is for anyone else 😄
Many Thanks for your review on George Benson’s interview with Rick Beato. I paid attention to every minute of it.
Thank you, Dan! 🤘
I also felt the same about the interview. It came across as a memoir rather than a question a his guitar skills and methods, but I quickly understood that it was from place of humility.
He was able the see and work with some of the greatest musicians, like he was student.
I also believed that he wanted the audience to spotlight and check out these other artist.
I'm not sure if Beato was entirely pleased but maybe George wasn't familiar with the format.
I liked it. He talked about the gear, guitars he used and one the take recordings but we got some reminiscing too. Living legend.
I'd bet that Beato wanted some more insight into his guitar playing, like we all do, but it was still really enjoyable for his amazing stories.
Great analysis brother! 🙌
Thank you! 🤘
Superb. Informed, informative and a joy to watch. The things George learned "are not the sort of things you can easily impart to someone else." Which is where you come in! Thanks for sharing ChaseMaddox.
Rick Beato is to interviewing what George Benson is to guitar. The art is to be present when George needs a reminder of "that great arranger who just died," or "the bass player with John Coltrane," and otherwise be invisible. Same with his editing. The viewer isn't aware of the 'art' of the seamless -- keeping invisible, letting the interview subject take 'center stage.' He's simply the best in the world, isn't he. Thanks again, Chase Maddox.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Benson played at a very early age. Don't think he could read music from the start. But he sat against the speaker with his back when his dad bought his first electric guitar so he could feel the music. So Benson feels the music - and having played with so many greats including Barney Kessel. He's got an ear like no other. Here's the thing - many want to play like Benson but just cannot sound like him. One of a kind. We are still lucky to have him around - last of the great jazz guitarists. Many forget that before his contemporary success he was a straight ahead jazz cat. He still is actually. Secret of Benson's success is the space between his ears ... putting a lot of thought in to his playing. We have to analyse Benson because it's the only way we can try to get close to how he transfers his thought process on to the guitar. Trying to play like him is a minefield. Benson is genius. Yes Stella by Starlight with McCoy Tyner is a classic. Benson my absolute hero. Thanks Rick for the interview
That was an incredible interview, a little disappointing that those two guitars were standing there unused throughout, but Benson is such a good story teller I could have listened to him all day.
That was a great breakdown of the most useful takeaways for guitarists, thank you for that Chase.
The secret of the two chords is something I’ve heard Peter Farrell teach, I understand that it’s the major and its relative minor, I’m just a little confused how best to apply it over say, the V or ii chords and still get that feel of playing over the changes. So it would be great if you could do a video covering that.
I was waiting until the last second of that interview to hear Benson play something! But it was amazing, even still. I’ll make that video for next week 👍I can definitely clarify that for you and give you plenty of examples to get it in your playing.
Peter Farrell a student of Benson for years: Provides short examples of using relative minor and major fingering against 2- chord vamp short exercises, V chord harmonic minor and runs altered runs on minor blues, singing/scatting chord rhythms aloud while phrasing, etc. - which George demonstrated on the Beato video. Also, soloing in an" invasive-line rhythm style" - versus downbeat-heavy ("...you're being too "predictable, Peter" - to quote Benson). All of which I'm trying to ingest slowly. Good stuff!
All of these great players, played out 5, 6 7 days a week. Many of them for 3 sets a night. If you play with other great players, you listen, experiment and improvise: you`re gonna get good. But no question about it: Benson has a spectacular mind and memory. I belive that is the "secret sauce" behind many great players: to be able to remember what you discover on your musical journey. This is also true for Beato: he has a super sharp memory. For example, he tells a stories in one of his videos about when he learned the fretboard as a teenager. It took him 1 day, then he had it for life.
Thanks for your thoughts on this 👍
One of my favorite interviews of a legendary guitarist by RB!
It’s great! 👍
Benson is treasure, end of story. Never go wrong referencing Benson......his most successful lines combined, innovation , rhythms, blues, tone , timbre and taste.....then add speed and execution. I caught him years ago in Philly playing a legendary KOONTZ guitar, the sound he produced had the same effect on me as hearing the Beatles for the first time.....I was smitten!!!
My takeaway from the Beato interview is that some people are simply touched to be great. He hears it in his head and is able to play it. Not everyone has that gift. I can play- decently but took many lessons and studied theory heavily. I still do not have talent. I stick mostly to scales and modes and keys. It sounds right but I lack true talent. That magic is a gift that some have. Most cannot teach it because it is a god given gift and skill.
All true art is human expression. Much of it is fundamentally technical so anyone can, theoretically, be trained and taught to replicate the art at the highest forms.
But some rare humans are born with the innate gift of expression. It’s like in Van Gogh’s example, he was never really taught painting in a technical way, but he did practice relentlessly to become adept at basic things like drawing, shades, angles, etc…but his true genius surfaced once he accepted that he wanted his paintings to be felt, rather than be seen, by the viewer.
No painter can represent true life better than a photographer…but no photographer can express feeling as well as Van Gogh could.
This ability was innate to Vincent…and Benson has that similar innate ability to make his guitar express better than any well trained guitarist could as well. The greats have the ability somewhere in there soul..
Oh, a great study for all of us who loves a bit of sophisticated music! Thank you! Looking forward to your study/approach of 2 chords!!
Thanks for watching! That’ll be my next video coming soon 👍
Good video. Subscribed! Good insights. Curious- did you have to ask permission to use the video interview?
Appreciate getting Chase’s take on this interview
Thank you for watching! Hope it was helpful! 🙏
Yes, do a lesson on Benson's two chord theory.
That would be awesome!!👍👍
Already done! Check out the video after this 👍
Fascinating, thank you
My pleasure! Thanks for watching! 👍
I want to hear more about the two chords! Thank you!
New video on this dropping in 20min!
This is great. Thank you.
Glad you liked it!
Another great video, Chase! This is Jimmy Powers V btw. Speaking about the “singing the lines first” part of your video; I found it helpful and EASIER to pretend to play the lines with my hands as if I was playing piano instead of guitar. Something about the up and down nature of the fingers makes it easier to play with rhythmic imagination than pretending to play air guitar with the sung lines.
Thanks Jimmy! Appreciate you checking out my videos! 🤘
Yes, Chase, please do that two Maj/min chords lesson…and thanks much for this great breakdown vid! PS. Just saw you did it already…thanks!
Already done! Check it out and let me know what you think!
Thanks much. I can see now that Benson wasn't being evasive. He was trying to convey exactly how he developed his craft.
Would love to hear the secret of the two chords!
It’s so tempting to want to hear some “secret” approach that helped him. I’ll make that video for next so make sure you’re subscribed with notifications on! 🔔
He's a genius. He doesn't learn like the rest of us. He remembered everything he heard and could sing it before he played it
Yes please... do a lesson on the 2 chords, major and minor approach Benson is talking about. It makes sense to me, as Benson talks about simplifying his approach.
I'm taking a break from working on that lesson to answer these comments! Coming this week 👍
One of your best videos
Thank you! 🙏
Only just found this video. Excellent. Subscribed.
Awesome, thank you!
Thanks Chase for a great dig deep into the Benson stories and the implications. A follow story I believe in his book, he walked past a club and heard a great blind pianist from San Francisco name Freddy Gambrel. Benson, sat in with him and was amazed so he went back to his place where he played some Charlie Parker albums. Benson said " Wow I want to play just like that". They stayed up alnight and I believe was ready to soak up Freddie's lesson!!! From there he went home and for several days went over and over everything Freddy had shown him to ingraine it. He stated "He turned me onto some wonderful ways to get in and out of chord changes and weld harmonies together." I think you should do the secret 2 chords, it will help so many to grasp the possibilities with this approach. Thank you once again, it is much appreciated.
Thank you for adding that story for more context! Glad you appreciated this video 🙏
I haven't seen it yet... but I am glad I stopped by here first. You have given me some "ChaseNotes" to go back and get more out of the interview.
Haha hope you find them helpful!
Thanks for the interesting video.
Glad you enjoyed it!
yes, i took the same segments you refer to as being critical from the brilliant long interview. "I wasn't jamming - i was listening" etc. I'm glad he didn't pick up a guitar -we can hear his playing elsewhere. We needed to hear the stories before he leaves us. You mention Barry Greene - I subscribe to his site and am learning properly, finally, how to progress on jazz guitar. Thanks for your great analysis.
Awesome! You can't go wrong studying with Barry!
You are exactly right I’ve always thought GB has a sonic photo memory and instant recall
Thanks for your comment!
Has been my favorite for years after Wes... George though combined some jazz with popular type music and it made him a star.... Have about all of his albums... Love so many of his songs but This Masquerade got my attention in 1976 and that was it...! Greg.....P.S. Another great jazz guitarist that you don't hear about much is Chris Flory... Chris can really play and when he was a young guy he was playing with Benny Goodman... He's an old timer now like me... Love Chris.
I´ve been working on the "Secret of the two chords" Concept for two years noe and it opend up the world to Bensons Jazz Style to me. Woult be interested in your aproach and knowledge what to do with it over the V Chord, for example. The most revealing thing to me was, that this 2Chord Approach even opend up the world to Montgomerys Thumb Style. Suddenly it worked. Still happy about it.
I will definitely talk about how it applies over the V chord! I’m curious how it opened up Wes Montgomery’s thumb style for you. Why do you think that is?
My biggest takeaway (and not earth-shattering news) is Grant Green influenced everyone, especially George. They idolized him even if they never talked about it much.
Love hearing how much mutual respect all these amazing guitarists had for each other 👍
great video ,,,, more Benson secrets ,,,, gracias
Coming up next!
Do you know the favourite song George refers to ... is it Terry by Joe Pass and Joe Wilson Band?
The major/minor chord approach sounds interesting. Thanks
I’ll put out a video this week on the topic 👍
didn't Joe pass use the same reduction idea?
Thanks for the elaboration Chase ! I’m surprised RB doesn’t do one himself on all his interviews as they are all unique ….
Glad you enjoyed it! 👍
I usually don't watch "reaction" videos, but I too was so taken with this interview,I guess I wanted to see what you would say. Bravo! I love everything you said about the interview and about Mr. Benson. Masquerade and Breezin' were definitely a part of my high school musical backdrop as were a few other jazz crossover type artists like Herb Alpert (Who George played with as well apparently!)
Glad you enjoyed! 👍
It’s awesome
Glad you dig it! 👍
I also watched it 2x.i agree totally...thanks for your work here
Much appreciated
You're very welcome 🙏
I would definitely be interested in a Benson Two Chord upload. Thanks
Working on it for next week! 👍
@@ChaseMaddox 🫡👍🥳
Great video. For me, maybe the most moving moment in the interview is when Benson talks about hearing the Coltrane quartet and it being a profound spiritual experience - a seeming contrast with the entertainer quality that you (rightly!) emphasized. On one hand, he seemed a bit melancholy about it (but who could live up to the Coltrane-ideal?); on the other, I think it hints at an intense, exploratory quality to some of Benson's improvising, particularly live -- and, strikingly, not at the expense of entertainment. I'm thinking, for instance, of that amazing live "So What" video...
Great takeaway! 👍
Hey chase ! Do you give personal lessons ? I really appreciate your videos and the way you teach !
Yes I do! All my best courses and personal teaching are done via my program, Chase's Guitar Academy. Check it out here: www.jazzmemes.org/free-trial
thanks for posting. This is a great story. The bit about heating up the tune quickly seems to be so true with songs on social media. Gotta get their attention while you can, build it up later ....
Little gem he threw in there!
McDuff speaks for the tik-tok generation ! 😀
Hi Chase, thanks for your reaction video. After watching it, I called a buddy, who I knew was going to see the interview. We discussed the idea that Rick Beato asked him pointed questions about how he went from a mostly blues player to playing some of the slickest most harmonically sophisticated bebop lines on the planet and that George Benson sort of avoided the question. My answer is that he has a great ear and photographic (of Memorex audio recorder) memory. Anything that he hears is fair game for him to play. I thought he came closest to answering the bebop line part of the question by saying that hearing Charlie Parker changed everything for him. I often tell people that if you have a Charlie Parker Omni Book, you have all the answers to playing lines.(I should practice what I preach, LOL).
Anyway, I love your channel. Would love to hear your take on major / minor two chord system. And maybe you’ve addressed it, but Pat Martino converting everything to minor, also.
Thanks for your comment and support of my channel! I'm going to make a video on that topic for this coming week 👍
Fantastic stuff. Benson is definitely a reference point, an anchor and grounded in some very important fundamental knowledge of harmony and connection with the wider aspects of arrangement. I'm sure most of us truely admire him.
Thanks for watching David!
Benson is one of the greatest to ever pick up a guitar .
He transcends Jazz to me but also embodies it . He has the raw passion of Art Tatum and the African and Afro American time feel most Jazz Guitarists do not ...
16:27 I may not know all the notes he's playing, but I shure as heck know what "Smack-a-tak-a-chak-a means. Love George and really appreciate your post Chase. Thanks man.
Hahaha and the audience feels the same way! My pleasure 🤘
I love Benson's hard swing - more to the front of the beat - which is true 6/8 over 4/4 ..he has the best time of all guitarists especially Jazz but as you know - it does NOT come with the knife picking , you can get it with alt picking.
And as you say - he has an amazing ear and always knows where he is in the tune. He is amazingly bold sticking outrageous arpeggios in ballads and landing perfectly on a chord tone .
We are lucky to have GB for inspiration and even a guide as you use him ....I don't play Standards but inspired by both Brecker and Benson who play R&B inspired Jazz ...where I am harmonically expanding R&B ...but GB inspired me to tighten up my time feel on lines ...which I had on expanded voicings and harmonic rhythms [ which most Jazz Guitarists don't do - there is no one to copy for that part of my writing and playing - as you will see / hear.]
George is a musical genius with much more passion than almost ANY Jazz Guitarist and even many of the horn players.
And I think you will be reall interesting to hear in Miami and recording .And your insight into GB is very interesting . You will hear some of my Blues which changes Keys ...although not my full focus...
And GB can play Blues over any changes regardless of chord types - it's amazing ...I like your insight though ...very interesting.
Much of Jazz is boring to me - I came more from Stevie Wonder and Steely Dan ...but only have had my full chops for about 12 years ...
@ChaseMaddox ... Really apreciate this great video you've made and would defintely watch a video about a condensed major/minor plan (defined like George). 🎵
Thank you! I posted that lesson today 👍 George Benson's "Secret of the 2 Chords"
ua-cam.com/video/UwmTt6VwRBE/v-deo.html
I like what Benson said about Grant Green !
Giving Grant his due!
Pat Martino talked about Education as a building with 2 doors, a front door and a back door. The front door is formal education in the halls of academia, and the back door is for those who did not have the opportunity to access education from the front door.
Pat Martino and George Benson are both guys who learned on the bandstand, and had to self-teach through sharing of knowledge and approaches with other players.
Then years later people analyze what Pat and George did, and then make it into a "Method", and attempt to create a formal education environment.
Whether your educational path comes from the front door, the back door, or a little bit of both, nothing can replace the education that the bandstand gives you.
When it all boils down to it, if you're not the type of person who can self-educate and self direct your own learning, then it doesn't matter which path you take, front door, back door, or no door.
The best thing to do is learn and share. No one truly "owns" how to conceive music, no one "owns" how to think about anything.
So just be a cool person and share your knowledge. That's what Chase is doing.
No one likes a person who has a history of terrible behavior like the person who I will not dignify by naming.
Keep doing you Chase! Many more people support you than the other guy. His own behavior will lead to his own demise.
Thanks for the support, Michael! 🙏
Would love to hear about the secret of the 2 chords!
I’ll make that video for next week so make sure you’re subscribed with notifications on! 🔔
I've watched the interview a few times too - got into Benson in the 90s - from the pop side first, then into the older jazz stuff. Yeah - think the take away is 'to listen' for sure.
👍
Hi Chase! Great video. Just a note and someone else may have already said it, but "Breezin'" is originally a Bobby Womack song. It was first recorded by Gabor Szabo. Just wanted to note that.
Thanks! 🙏
@@ChaseMaddox you're quite welcome! Keep up the good work! 🙏🏾
Will do! Already got the next one in the works 🤘
Please make a video on the secrets Benson talking about.
Will do next week! 👍
I think Benson is a " if it sounds good, it is good" cat . Second level wisdom, comping ( complimentary) and if you can sing it, your on your way to playing it. The blues is a foundation and validates
We agree!
The most underrated aspect of GB's playing IMO is his solo guitar playing. He does it all, block chord lines, counterpoint, bass line weaving, lots of sweet drop voicings. Danny Boy recorded live, and on that hot licks video- Polka Dot and Moonbeams, Woody Woodpecker theme. We all live under the shadow of GB, I have for over 45 years. He's known to have participated in a few cutting session when someone foolishly tried to take him on. GB would play back what he just heard and then just burn. There's a UA-cam video of him jamming with Matteo kid on How High the Moon. Matteo played a very good single line solo. But GB follows playing octaves and chords on another level.
I’m dying to see that video but I can’t find it! Are you talking about Matteo Mancuso?
Absolute master of solo guitar! Thanks for pointing that out 👍
I've been listening to a lot of Grant Green lately and he has a million little grooves and ways of working the tune and you could never teach that except by listening.
Very true! 👍
I have a feeling that what you say about the need to learn from players directly, rather than from books (or education in general), people will generally agree "sure yeah I know that,... now let's move on, what scale should I play on that chord again?"... in other words it will get lost on most people. The truth is if your objective is to know about music theory, you can learn as much as you want. But if you want to learn how to play great jazz that people will actually like and want to listen, you need to listen to music and focus on hearing it with an intensity, pay attention to every little detail, and emulate it. And whether you learn and understand the theory behind or not is beside the point (but it's okay if you do learn theory too, no harm, but it won't make a difference).
That's true!
The thing about 'Breezin' is that although it's all in 1 key, he somehow makes it sound like there's a B section and a change. Class.
I could be wrong but I think Pat Martino just thinks Minor.
I have a lesson on “Breezin” that you might dig that goes into how Benson uses two different pentatonics to achieve a different harmonic sound when it stays in the same key. Check it out: ua-cam.com/video/5sRpitgUK78/v-deo.htmlsi=fjiM0tNobWUZ_d9a
reacting to the reacting to the.... anyway I think my key takeaway was the spirituality of it in the learning and listening hes endowed with... Thanks for the little lesson about his octaves I was messing a bit and was thinking of thirds or 7ths and now 4ths and 5ths make more sense sound wise. I have not seen him live in person but my GF did and shes not really into jazz too much but really enjoyed the show. The blues for sure got to get a lot on my playlists
Thanks for watching! 👍
here' something I didn't know until my grandmother 'pulled my coat,' so to speak. In '67 I went to a joint in Chicago called The Plugged Nickle to hear Gabor Szabo. The next day I told my grandmother about it and she said that in Hungary they say the last name first! So, she said Szabo Gabor would be correct (if you're in Hungary, her home country.)
Thanks for watching!
Great content,man.I just subscribed.George is the most lyrical guitar player/singer/entertainer etc.Here’s a suggestion for one of your next videos:
His guitar work on Poquito Spanish,Poquito Funk.😉Cheers!
Thank you! I love that tune. Lupe Fiasco’s tune “Paris, Tokyo” samples that vibe.
Nice take, I wish he had played!
Haha don't we all!
Perhaps Benson's non-technical focus well-represents the higher value he puts on expression. I recall a written interview of him in the 1970s where he said that once you start thinking about what intervals you are going to play, "creativity goes out the window." I'm thinking he meant expressiveness--the kind of lyrical expressiveness he valued. Could there be a greater contrast of personalities than that between Benson and his old friend Pat Martino? Martino talked deep theory and Benson tells life stories. That two great artists conceived things so differently shows that there's not just one model for greatness.
Great comment. What’s interesting to me about the comparison between Benson and Pat Martino is how similar they are in conceiving of harmony in simple terms like major and minor.
Breezing is the creation of MR BOBBY WOMACK
D .breezing also has words, again it was written by
Jamming together with other artists used to be a regular thing.
Now we practice by ourselves or with bandmates.
It definitely still happens, but it’s hard for people to make the extra time for it.
The “2 Chord System” is worth dicussing. I startet like that, and having started in Rockabilly, there was “the” chord “we” used (Dominant “Major) and “that” chord (minor) the “others” used in that “other” music. Evidently that was very ignorant, and I started out “jest play’n”.
Today’s most advanced and capaple Pedal Steel Player, Paul Franling, who plays from Pop over Jazz to Country and might have been one of the first known steelguitarists to delve into modes and other in depth theories, today states that to him there are essentially 3 chord qualities: Major, minor and Dominant.
Today, I CANNOT seem to handle the misic I aim to play without also dicerning HalfDiminished and Diminished separately.
So yes, I would love to see GB’s statememt discussed. I would have been nice to have had him elaborate on that one, Rick Beato is really big on theory(ies).
I’ll be sure to cover how to think of half-diminished in this approach as well 👍
On your comments about George as an entertainer: I think much of that comes from him basically being a pop star. Yes he's "pure jazzer" but as an r&b singer and player of popular tunes he understands the value of comsidering the audience while creating his art. Far too many jazzers approach the music from a self endulging point of view. Thats great for them as artists, but they will struggle to build an audience.
I grew up hearing George on the r&b radio but half the time I thought it was Donnie Hathaway. When I went back and studied George's music I was surprised to learn that you was alsona virtuoso jazz guitarist. Blew my mind.
Exactly, and from him being an entertainer at such an early age and seeing how it brought people joy AND helped his own financial situation.
Marcus Miller told the story of being at a gig with George (he says he hoped George wouldn't mind lol). Turns out there were charts and George came over quite concerned given he didn't read. So Marcus breaks it down for him, that it's nothing he hadn't done a million times etc. Of course George absolutely blew it away as usual.
One of my main takeaways from the Beato interview was how George had always been 'scatting' melodies in his head long before launching his actual vocal career which included his famous scatting.
Looking back at old clips you can see young GB 'singing' as he plays. Seems a major key (no pun honest) to him building his prodigious chops lies right there imo.
Stochello Rosenberg came to my mind during this interview. He learned by listening and copying. No music reading or theory involved. Listened through George Benson discography. You can hear the development.
Absolutely! Can’t forget that listening is the most important part of developing as a musician 👍
Mr Benson to you
Please reveal The Secret of the Two Chords.
I watched the video and I think too many players today want to be spoon fed with all the details handed to them. With Benson and so many of the other guitar greats of his time and earlier. their signature has been a lifelong effort and not trying to clone others. If you hang out with or listen to musicians of this caliber long enough, something is going to rub off on you whether it was intentional or not. I've met him and he's not a nerd, he's a player and a heck of a nice and humble human being. Pat Martino on the other hand was a nerd, the Einstein of jazz guitar, I loved him as much as George. But Pat was a teacher and could explain his technique; some only understandable if you were a rocket scientist. But again both of these players from Philly had a soul and grasp of this music that can only truly be learned from experience rubbed off from other masters and life itself, no matter what instrument
Absolutely! 💯
I totally agree. everybody wants a map to how they do it..the just do it and live it. Everybody cant explain it but hes been recorded so much folks can just listen and steal what you need. Whatever it is that those guys had you Know they worked for it..without all this media and as you (spoon feeding) go work i out right?😊
4:22 Chase: "Affirmation - which is actually a Benson Tune."
NO. Jose Feliciano tune.
yes
I wouldn’t question Benson’s perfect pitch but that’s just me ;)
Haha not really questioning it, more like admiring it 😄
Will now somebody make reaction video of you reating to Benson interview.
I'll work on that next 😉
@@ChaseMaddox 😄
Listening. Thats always been the secret..at least from my perspective.
That’s the biggest component and also toughest one for many to learn!
@@ChaseMaddox I wanted to share some history and thoughts regarding this journey if you dont mind. I wanted to run them past you and if you want to..offer your perspective. Ill send them in a message if you prefer...thanks!
Email me at contact@jazzmemes.org 👍
like asking Picasso "how did you paint that " or " how did you learn to paint that"; its not always easy fr a genius or virtuoso to explain how he/she does what they do; its hard for Paul McCartney to explain how he comes up with a great song; I had the same takeaway as you chase, after watching th entire interview and Rick trying several times to get Benson to explain his playing , it never really came out
Thanks for watching!
George Benson doesn't know how to answer that question because he is self taught and he is not a teacher.
He just paid attention, had a very good ear and was talented. It is not evading of the question. He just doesn't know how to answer it.
That’s what I said lol. Did you watch the video before commenting?
@@ChaseMaddox I wasn't clear that this comment was not in your opposition but just my understanding of what George did.
Ahhh thanks for clarifying! 👍
Yeah, Benson is talking about playing, not learning to play - I think to him playing and learning to play are one and the same. He's not going to say, yeah, I practice chords for two hours a day then scale etc...
Exactly! He’s so connected to the music that the act of playing teaches him instantly.
I wish GB would have told how he actully learned to play bebop vocabulary , practice , he didn't speak about his amazing picking technique..nothing about his actual playing
I also wish there was more discussion about his actual playing, but I think in his mind he did talk about that when he said he listened to Charlie Parker. That's how he learned bebop vocab. As far as the picking technique, Beato didn't ask about that which I think was a smart move as an interviewer since he's discussed many other times.
His most insightful comments on playing came down to his approach to chords in that he distills it down to, is it major or minor?... don't get mired in the alterations of the chords.
Benson doesn’t mean when he sees a major chord he think just 1-3-5 from major and when he sees minor he thinks 1-b3-5 on minor. He translates ALL chord types into major and minor categories. My next lesson goes into the details of this approach 👍
That's how I understood it as well. You're explaining something I didn't say.@@ChaseMaddox
not to be gross, but you can always tell what the good part of a song is when you take a break at band practice to go to the restroom. the part that you're singing humming while going potty... it's the gold mines in the song - not to be gross
GB will never reveal his secrets. When asking about his harmony or technique he's always dodge that somehow.😅
There's no shortcuts to mastery.
Call me silly but I don't think he knows the theory to put across what he's does it all ear. Like Jeff beck maybe but I don't know how Benson could do it
It’s like he says at the end. He simplifies everything to major and minor, and from there he various concepts and ideas he accesses based on his decades of listening.
If there's anything for musicians to take away from this interview IMO.... it's probably to not forget to live life lol. George is a born story teller, which comes from the full and interesting life he leads and comes out in his music. All the technical chops in the world are meaningless without some kind of story or emotion to convey.
Good point! Thanks for watching 👍
As a long time gospel musician in the nyc area, growing up hearing and watching the who’s who, I’ve learned almost every “great” player has amazing memory and a basic form of photographic memory. How that’s connected to the ear, I’m not sure. In my opinion, that is where the phrase perfect pitch comes from. George mostly likely grabbed his knowledge from everyone he played with. He probably played everywhere, every kind of song, with as many people as he could to develop his sound. You would have to dissect every part of his music history to learn where he got his ideas from.
Also we came from an era where copying was seen as BAD. No offense, but even how you break down and tutor, completely note for note, was looked at as a lack of creativity and a lack of skill. Needing a teacher indicated lack of natural talent. And the best wanted to always appear as god gifted. So I laughed when Benson cleverly changed the subject not answering the questions. He was going to give all his secrets in some interview.
And the part about the blues hits home. Some of us musicians can get bored playing the same basic stuff. Blues is basic. But you can’t build a fine house without a basic foundation. Blues keeps pretty chords from being boring elevator music.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this! 🙏
look, hes a great singer doing wes montgomery licks, not an original but he really popularizerd that style and is a great artist, though perhaps not a groundbreaker in the originality stakes
Absolute blasphemy 🛑
He did a lot of middle of the road MOR songs that sounded like they were produced by David Foster and bore little reaction to jazz The mans 80 yrs old and if he wants to talk about classic jazz musicians sobeit.
Wes Montgomery did not learn with methods,,ear only.
It's QUITE OBVIOUS. Inboard pitch comes from playing/singing/listening a lot. You don't lose pitch if you never turn it off...understand? For the rest of it - take all the advice you can and then ignore it. Do whatever you want.
Let's just face the honest, brutal reality. The guitar is fantastically easy and accessible. Two-three chords and you can sing something. Huge poetically important histories of Guthrie, Dylan, many, many others and that's great BUT the explosion in today's ownership creates a world in which it's clear that the vast majority of people have no business anywhere near any musical instrument. Harsh? Of course! Have you ever sat in on school group lessons of kids tortured, disinterested, totally fed up?
Ever made out in hard times by giving lessons one-on-one to A) twelve year olds brought by their mothers? B) Teenagers saying "I want to do what you do - show me how you do that" so you give them a simple thing to practice and say "See you in two weeks". Two weeks later they show up with the first three chords of Wonderwall and ask you to show them the rest of it...they haven't practised what you showed them. You then get commission from the local supplier for shifting Squier Stratocasters...see?
Ever spent time in a guitar store? The ones that can't yet play a note at all....fair dos! The ones that think they can play.............................death is too good for them. Go into one of those stores, pick something up and actually play some music and the sales guys are so, so appreciative and GRATEFUL to get a rest from the day-in, day-out, week-in. week-out earache that they get - and it's mostly from hot-shots that think they can play.
It's born within you. You make music or it might as well be a knitting machine. That's got nothing whatsoever to do with the guitar. It's a record producer deciding that "This needs milk bottles" and...goes and gets them or a film director choosing the soundtrack for Zabriskie Point. It's in you or...it's not.
It's born within you. You have it or...you don't. The best musicians are utterly impossible to live with - the noise is terrible as they incessantly noodle and their kids complain about it.
Benson figured it out. No money in being a great guitarist. Dress up and sing something for the ladies! Benson is too sharp a cookie to have the slightest interest in Beato's fatuous questions any more than he likes hanging out with male guitar groupies. His clientele don't care about scales, chords etc, they like Alexander O'Neill just as much. So does George Benson.
Take all the advice you can and then ignore it.
You said maybe some of parker's melodies were too complex for Benson to hum. That's crazy. We're talking melodies, not solos and Benson didn't say he learned every parker melody. I don't think you are an expert on Bebop, Parker or Benson.
I said that I would have a hard time singing Parker’s melodies, not Benson. I don’t consider myself an expert on Bebop, Charlie Parker, or George Benson either. Just sharing what I’m learning and thinking about on my channel. You can take it or leave it 🙏
Chase clearly said they were too complex for himself to hum “…but perhaps Benson can.” He was both humble about himself and complementary to Benson in the same sentence. How did you miss that?
George HAD to learn from listening to other players because they didn’t have any books on jazz guitar back then, much less videos on UA-cam
Very true!
i found the interview a big let down tbh. having watched everything on benson this was just the same old prepared stories. the fact he never picked up the guitar too...expected a bit more esp beato being the interviewer. but i guess george is old now. this seemed super curated like most his interviews. not hating. just very disappointed as a long time fan eating up every rare time benson is getting interviewed
I can understand that perspective. I felt like that a bit on my first watch through. The second time I think I was able to see from his view a bit more. For him his music career is really about the audience and people and stories he lived through. I think he had also been having health issues relatively recently so maybe that’s affecting his ability to play how he’d want to present himself.
I disagree. I think Benson is being cagey at best, similar to what Wes told him when he asked for a lesson.
I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt on this 👍
Benson was a copier and then an innovator. His natural talent took him into the company of other knowledgeable musicians.
Thanks for watching! 👍