what would you ask Kurt? « The Kurt Rosenwinkel Forum

ranlu
Member

Hi guys, new guy here.

I'm excited to tell you that I'm gonna get to assist to a masterclass held by Kurt this week. I know this is a rare occasion so I'm compiling a list of stuff that I want to ask him about his playing. I transcribed some of his stuff and I'm curious about some things but, what would YOU ask him if you had the chance?

Please forget fan shit like "what scales, what hat, what strap and what shoes" type of questions and let's try to focus on deep musical thoughts.

If we get a nice list, I will make all the questions and post the replies here as soon as I can.

cheers

Posted 1 year ago
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JorgeRubiales
Member

Well, here are my top three:

- What do you think you have to get better at?
- Do you have to restrain your compositions to a easier listening "harmonic level", or you just have become more lyrical as the years went by?
- What kind of approaches do you have when playing changes?

I won't ask about hats, my head is so big I would look stupid with one of those lol

Posted 1 year ago
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ranlu
Member

cool Jorge, noted!

keep'em coming fellas!

Posted 1 year ago
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Matt
Member

i'd ask what the hardest musical obstacle Kurt's ever encountered. i'd also ask if he is happy with his playing and his thoughts on the subject of satisfaction in someone's own playing.

Posted 1 year ago
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sandman
Member

I think I would personally ask him about his approaches to composition. Aside from "stop time improvisation," how does the harmony for a tune like "Our secret World," evolve. How much is ergonomic, how much is academic, and sudden inspiration.

I would also like to ask him what he felt was his biggest "musical epiphany" was, preferably one regarding improvisation.

Super jealous...wish I could be there

Posted 1 year ago
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jorgemg1984
Member

I would ask him about connecting different chords in a liner fashion

Posted 1 year ago
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Basile865
Member

Ranlu this is really generous of you so thank you first of all!

Some questions I thought of

- Are there any sounds in your head that you have not been able to achieve yet in relation to gear? As a follow up question would you ever work with builders to help innovate new devices for achieving them?

- Do you ever listen to/get inspiration from any film score composers like John Williams? If so, what others do you like?

- Are there any musicians you consider a staple in your diet so to speak of music that you're intrigued by and continue to be inspired by?

- Any chance of releasing your song "Whispers of Love" ?

All I have is that youtube clip of Kurt playing that song but its one of the most moving pieces of music to me - I dont know why. Everything in it is just so thoughtful.

Anyhow thanks again Ranlu - you will have a blast I'm sure! Very excited to hear any responses

Posted 1 year ago
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Poparad
Member

I really like the question above as to what he feels he needs to work on. As I progress as a musician, I never run out of anything that I need to work on, but I change what it is that seems to need my attention most. I'd love to hear what someone at his level of playing feels lies ahead in their next steps as a musician.

Posted 1 year ago
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ranlu
Member

that's cool guys, I'm writing everything in my notebook. Really interesting questions :)

You can post questions until tomorrow night, the masterclass is on friday.

thanks

Posted 1 year ago
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jezeline
Member

Ranlu, thanks so much for sharing this golden opportunity with us! I am very interested to hear/read kurts answers to all the questions posted already, two more (for now, others might follow):

- i would be very interested to hear something about kurts rhythmical approach in his compositions as well as in improvisation.

- big general question (sorry if i ask too much, but i have to jump at this chance): could you ask, if you could record his masterclass and share it with us?

Bigbig thanks again

Posted 1 year ago
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fakejake
Member

Hey!
There is this monthly section in GuitarWorld where they ask somebody 3 short questions, one of them being something like:
What is a piece of music/ artist that you really like, though people wouldn't expect that from you, or you usually are to ashamed to tell (like Backstreet Boys, Kenny G, whatever...)
I'd really like to know Kurts dirty little musical affair...

Posted 1 year ago
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riverstooge
Member

Ranlu thank you much....I have 2 questions:

1. Kurt has mentioned from time to time about a method book with his approach to harmony and such, I think we ALL would be interested in where he is with that.

2. I personally have a theory that his intro/interludes to tunes are a big key to his approach. A lot of the time it seems he takes just a small nugget of the tune and expands very deeply on it. I really think any conscious insight he has and is willing to give would be HUGELY helpful.

Thanks again Ranlu!

Posted 1 year ago
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Sandemose
Member

Here are my questions:

1. How was it arriving to NYC and starting building a career? What did NYC "give" you/Kurt as far as launching a career, like, how did the whole thing with Smalls start? Important NYC characters, places etc.

2. Other artforms than music that inspire you as an artist (movies, paintings, theater, litterature, etc.)

3. How do you deal with nervousity/expectations on your playing when playing with new people, infront of an audience, or in a studio.

4. What pick do you use.

5. nr 4 was a joke.

Best, Sandemose

Posted 1 year ago
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animitta
Member

Related to the number 4 question of Sandemose, joke or not, he is now using a Fender Extra Heavy.

All the Best
Animitta

Posted 1 year ago
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smoke
Member

I would ask him about how the Harmonic Mechanism books impacted his playing and follow-up by begging for a few concrete examples.

Posted 1 year ago
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jazznan
Member

What musician he'd most like to sit down with, chat and play with

When his book is coming out?

What shoes he likes to wear when improvising

Posted 1 year ago
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fakejake
Member

Oh yeah, you could also ask him about putting together a gear section for this site, quite a few people asked for that in the past.
Lots of pics + details on his guitars and pedals would be just awesome!!!

Posted 1 year ago
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riverstooge
Member

fakejake, that's a great one, as his gear and pedals are a big part of his sound.

Posted 1 year ago
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chollus
Member

...the way he adjusts his action or strings height... the way he deals with the neck relief on his guitar .

Posted 1 year ago
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Neither
Member

A question I asked on this forum :
What is your "native" (or the one you used most of the time) scale shape system, before you worked scales using 4 notes per string with a different finger on each note and stop thinking about shapes, for major and melodic/harmonic minor scales ? Did you learn with the 7 shapes system (12 positions simplified) ? as Ted Green explains it in his "Jazz guitar single note soloing" books ? The 12 positions system (William G. Leavitt Berklee's "Modern guitar method") ? the 5 shapes system (CAGED) ? the 3 notes per string system (7 shapes too) ? another system ? And for symetric and pentatonic scales ?
This question is about fingerings habits for solo improvisation (not about reading written music), and about hability to connect scales, arpeggios, pentatonics and other things.
And will the Kurt's Method speak about fingerings (I think it's easy to understand what notes, scales, arpeggios etc. to play, the difficulty with guitar is the "how do we finger this things we've got in our head without getting lost on the fingerboard" : there is no Hanon for guitar !) ?

Posted 1 year ago
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Basile865
Member

Ive been watching this thread and reading all the interesting questions

I feel kinda bad Ranlu that you have a ton of questions now.........Maybe you could just print them up and bring them for Kurt to answer before/after the master class and just say they were all submitted from his forum members. Hopefully that way it wouldn't disrupt the flow of the class. I imagine itd be tough for one guy to ask like 30 questions haha.

Posted 1 year ago
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timwendel
Member

In regards to picks, I gave Kurt a ride once and a pick fell out of his pocket in the backseat. It was a yellow, translucent dunlop pick with the zebra striped rhino on it. Like a dork, I used it exclusively for three months or so, until I lost it. However, I really do like them and try to pick them up when I see them.

Posted 1 year ago
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Basile865
Member

@timwendel - Sounds like Dunlops Ultex picks. They have a nice warm chime. Whether or not he uses them I still like the dunlop jazz 207's. The standard Fender shape feels so small now, I like the sturdy control I get with the 207.

So Ranlu how'd the class go?

Posted 1 year ago
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Floatingbridge
Member

yes basile those fatties are so boomy and round. you hear fat note and not so much pick. the have a tear drop one that some how just feels narrower and not smaller. i wonder if i have seen ( or just wish ) for one the size of the jazzIII's but with their thickness of course.
curious about stone but feel like i would lose it. i don't need the ray ban's of picks in my ( or out of my ) hands.

Posted 1 year ago
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Basile865
Member

haha the ray ban of picks thats funny. I've always wanted to try stone but I'm just not willing to drop the money on it without hearing one first.

Just out of curiosity with the mention of the fender extra heavy and ultex picks I tried them again- I have a bunch of different picks from over the years in a jar. Definitely didn't like them as much as the 207. I play a strat though so I need all the fatness help I can get!

I read in an article about Kurt in which he said he wanted his attack to be similar to a mallet, sort've like the mallets in a piano. I think thats a great way to think about it and the 207s seem to be very good at that type sound. Less pick sound and more note. The 2 mm Gator Grips are really dark as well if you haven't tried them.