Five Ideas JW

Five Ideas from Jimmy Wyble
by David Oakes
The material is in this packet comes from taking Jimmy Wybles compositions out of context and
using the ideas as musical vocabulary or licks. The way that I can best use Jimmys ideas in
my own playing is to go through his etudes looking for ideas that will usually be anywhere from
2 beats to a full measure. I will extract this idea and then find a way to use it in my own playing.
I then practice the idea until I can use it like a chord melody type phrase anywhere I want to. My
definition of a good lick is a musical phrase that is both melodic and harmonic in nature. (Just
about any measure from any Jimmy Wyble composition will qualify). The lick has to be an idea
that can be inserted into either standard chord melodies or chord melody improvisation with ease.
One thing that I can always rely on is the fact that Jimmys ideas are real head turners. I have
never used one of his ideas without other guitar players taking notice. The typical response from
other musicians to a Jimmy Wyble lick is What the heck did you just do? I want to encourage
you to buy Jimmys book, The Art of Two Line Improvisation and find ideas that you can use in
your own chord melodies.
P.S. The Art of Two Line Improvisation is only available through www.melbay.com website.
Please order copies right there at the website. They will print one up and mail it directly to you.
Lick #1: Lick #1 is based off of the 3rd and 7th of a dominant chord. Its resolution is to the 3rd of
the tonic chord. This is a perfect one bar dominant run that can be used with ease up and down
the neck of the guitar. I found this idea in two places. First in Etude 22 from The Art of Two
Line Improvisation and in the Contrapuntal Concepts packet also on this website.
4
5
44 b bJ
w
l=====================
&
l
w
=
b _ b_
_
_

_w
C7
Fmaj7
m
p
m
p
Five Ideas From Jimmy Wyble

Copyright Jimmy Wyble 2008 - All Rights Reserved
m
i
p
Lick #1 application: This is an excerpt from the Jobim tune A Felicidade. Play with a Bossa
feel.
E7(b9)
. j
# # . ..
C . #j
l======================
& _
l _
l _w
=l

.
l_
_
_
_
_
_
_
Am11
Abdim7
Gm7
C7
2
2
3
_
j
j
.. b bJ
j
l _ . l _
l======================
& __w
l
__ l
bJ _ b=
b _w
_w

Cmaj7
C6
BIII
BII
BIII
Cmaj7
Bm11
BIII
lick #1
j
j
. j
#J l _ # _ ... =
l================
& __ ..

_
_
_ .
_
_
Fmaj7
E7
Lick #1 application #2: Here is the lick in a (II V7 I IV) progression. This idea has an
improvised feel that could be used over the changes to Autumn Leaves. Play with a swing feel.
The entire arrangement is available for download on this page.
#
C6/9 ( 11)
_
_

#4 j
ww

l .
J
l======================
& 4 l w
l b b_
l
=l l
_
_
_ _w
4
_
Am9
D7
Gmaj7
Lick #1

Lick #2: Lick #2 is a major lick from Etude 7 from The Art of Two Line Improvisation. This
was the first Wyble idea that I ever learned and used successfully in another arrangement. Jimmy
also uses this lick in the lesson on Developing Ideas in the tune You Stepped Out of a Dream.
n_j

_j
j
. _ n_ . _ _ . _ _ .
#ww
bb b 3 n j
.
l========================
& b 4 _j
l
l
l
=l l
J

_w
3
.
3
4
5
6
6
Lick #2 application #1: Here is lick #2 used in the 2nd ending to Misty:. The first measure of
the 2nd line comes from the late great Ted Greene. He loved to back cycle into the Bbm7 chord
in the bridge.
Bb7
E b6
Ebmaj7
Bb13
_

_j
. _ _ _
bb b 4 j

... nj
b
l=======================
&
l _
l
_
4 3 5 _ =l
_
_
_
_
_
_

5
6
Lick #2
Fm7
Eb6/Bb
E b7
Ab13
B b m7
F7(b9)
_
_ _
_ b_
_ _
_ _
_ "
b_ b_
bb b b q n n

b n
_ _
_
l=======================
&
l
l
=l l
5
5
G13
Cm7
Lick #2 application #2: Here the major lick is used in a Bossa version of Green Dolphin
Street. The 3rd and 4th beats of the lick become the melody to the tune.
Cm7

__w
_ b _w
_w
44 . . bb J b b ..
l========================
& _ _
l _ 3 _ l _ _ l _ _ =

5
5
lick #2
C6/9
Cmaj7

Lick #3: Lick #3 is an augmented Dominant 7th sound. The chords are moving down in whole
steps and the upper voice is a chromatic line moving down the 1st string. This idea appeared in
Jimmys first book Classic Country.
B+
A+
G+
_ # b_
_ _
_ # b_
_ b_ _ b_ n
44
b
b
b =
l=====================
&
_
b _
_
4
b _
_
_
b
C+9
Lick #3 application #1: Here is lick #3 used in the bridge to the standard All The Things You
Are. This arrangement uses other ideas from Jimmy as well. Notice how the counterpoint and
this lick give the arrangement a keyboard quality.
n_ . b_j
_
n _ww
_
_
_
_
_
#
bb b 4 n
nJ b nJ n n n ww
b
4
l
l=====================
&
n l l
l
=l
n_
3
4
Am7
D7
Gmaj7
B
Emaj
Fm

n n .
bj
n_ ##ww
bb b b n _ _ _ n_
w
n l n
J
n
J
l=======================
&
n
n_

w =l

4
3
4
5
5
Fm
1 Bbm
2
n__ _ #_
_ _ n_ _
n
_
_
n
_
_
_
_
n
_
_
_
_
_
b b b b
# _ b l l _
l=======================
&
l
=l l
4 _ # #_
_
_
_
_
#_
_
6
C+9
Lick #3

Lick #3 application #2: Here is lick #3 to manipulate the melody to the tune Prelude To A
Kiss. This time both the chords and the melody move in half steps. Augmented chords moving
in half steps in either direction create the sound of a (I VI II V) progression or a (III VI
II V) progression. It is easy to hear how these chords and this melody imply the changes to
the Ellington standard but it is a back cycle style reharmonization of the original theme.
B b +9
A b +9
_ b
44 _ b # _ _ n _ _ b _ _ # b_ _
_ =
l=====================
& b_
l
_
_
_
_
b _
_
_J _
_

_
_

5
6
A+9
G+9
C6/9
Fmaj7
Lick #4: Lick #4 is an altered dominant idea. This has to be one of Jimmys favorite sounds as
well. He has used it repeatedly in many of his etudes. I also probably use this idea more than
any other Wyble sound.
E7(b5)
#_ _
_
w
l=====================
&
l _
=
_
b
_
_
w
3
4
6
m
p
Am
a
i
5
m
p
6
i
a
p

Lick #4 application #1: This idea is being used within the context of the tune Black Orpheus.
The top and bottom voice expand outwards to the A minor chord creating very beautiful and
melodic voice leading.
Bm
E
Am

#_ _ _
_
# _ l l _
l====================
& __
l _ .
=
_
_
_
J
_
_
_J _ .

7(b5)
Am7
7(b9)
Lick #4
Lick #4 application #2: This shows how versatile this idea is. Playing the bridge to the
standard Girl From Ipanema, this idea is a real head turner placed in this spot.
C13 Bbm
D7(b5)
C7(b5)
_
_
b
_
n
_
"
44 b

l=======================
&
l # b_
l _
=l
l_
_ _ l _
_

Am
Gm
Lick #4

Lick #5: Lick #5 is an minor II V7 idea. This idea starts with a non harmonic tone placed right
on the 1st beat. Then the lines begin to move from there. This lick has a piano like approach in
creating lines from these basic chord shapes. Beat 4 of this idea is different every time. I try to
choose notes that flow in the context of tune that I am soloing over.
Em7(b5)
A7(b9)
44
#.
l===============
&
b_
=
_
m
p
m
p
m
i
Lick #5 application #1: This idea is being used within the context of a chord melody
improvisation over the tune Alone Together.
Dm7
Em7( 5) A7
_ _ _

_
_
_
_
# # . .
#
j
b J . l l
l=====================
& b 4 n l _ _
l
l
_
3
2
4
4
5
5
Dm(6/9)
Em7(b5)
A7
Lick #5
Lick #5 application #2: Same lick, different tune, different last notes. Playing over the the
standard It Had To Be You,
F#m7(b5)
_
_
_
_
# 4 _ _ _ _ _ . . _ #j
... # n www
l=======================
&
l l _ _ l _ J l w =l l

4
5
5
5
1
Am11
D9
B7
Em
B7
BVII
Em7
BV
Lick #5


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Five Ideas JW

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Five Ideas from Jimmy Wyble

Five Ideas From Jimmy Wyble

Five Ideas From Jimmy Wyble

Five Ideas From Jimmy Wyble

Five Ideas From Jimmy Wyble

Five Ideas From Jimmy Wyble

Five Ideas From Jimmy Wyble

Five Ideas From Jimmy Wyble

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