HALLMARKS OF WYBLE’S STYLE: “JIGSAW”
BY DAVID OAKES
“Jigsaw” is another great composition by Jimmy Wyble. As with many
of his etudes, Jimmy recorded this work
several different times. The first recording
was in 1977, as you hear it here in this
transcription, as a trio. The second recording came shortly thereafter from the Etudes
record where Jimmy made a solo work out
of this piece. He then added the number 23
to the title as in “Etude 21 and 22” as well
as moving the title “Jigsaw” down to a subtitle. That version is published in the book
The Art of Two-Line Improvisation. When
Jimmy recorded the solo version, he added
a rubato introduction and filled it in a bit
more because he didn’t have the rhythm
section. He also recorded it slightly slower
and added a different melody on the bridge.
This version is recorded at a burning tempo
and has several improvised choruses.
Right- and Left-Hand Fingerings
The head to the song is very challenging
to play at the tempo of the recording. The
secret is in the right-hand fingerings. If you
are unsure of the right-hand fingerings,
they are spelled out in The Art of Two-Line
Improvisation, published by Mel Bay. If you
are familiar with that version, take some
time to study those fingerings. However,
my fingerings have evolved as I have been
editing other transcriptions and also had the
chance to learn directly from Jimmy. I like
the way the left-hand fingerings are laid out
in this transcription better than the version
in the book. This version also adds a few
more notes in the low register that gives the
song a fuller sound. Jimmy would probably
have said that he likes both versions. He did
explain that “Jigsaw” was an effort to use
the Van Eps right-hand fingering “team”
concept. He was referring to the team con-
cept of alternating p and m and then i and a
on any double-stop lines. If you look at mea-
sures 1, 3, and 5, he is alternating his fingers
this way in the right hand on those two-note
lines. Most guitarists would use their thumb
exclusively on the bass line but that is not
the way this was intended or recorded.
The Improvised Solo
Even though the solos sound like they are
being played with a pick, Jimmy assured
me that this record was recorded entirely
fingerstyle. Jimmy alternated the thumb and
index finger all the way through this solo.
One exception would be the picked triplets.
Jimmy often use a right-hand fingering of
p–m–i for those kinds of figures. I would use
that fingering on the triplets in measures
Continued at top of p. 125
DRIVE HARD.
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