CO} INTRODUCTION | |. THE APPROACH I, MATERIALS VENTS a Rae an on mR Introduction to Fingerboard Methanics Fingerboard Mechanics Playing Up and Down a Single $tring (The Science of the Untar) Modes: Chord-Scales: || Playing on Iwo Adjacent String ‘Movable Mini-positions Study oI Intervals: Melodie and Harmonic (Poor Man’s Guide to Countetpoint) ‘The Open Position Position Playing ‘Combination Playing: “The Realmof the Electric Ied-skating Rink” ‘The Approach: Take 2, Take 3 | What Next? Next What Next? Triads More to do with Triads 7th Chords Intervals, Triads, 7th Chotds, Others + CG Major Scale + C Melodie Minor Seale + C Harmonic Minor Scale Biatonic Four Part Chores: 1, H, Ii, IV Moues: Chord Scales: I Chord iypeiModes Process Triads Over Bags Notes: | Triads ver Bass Notes: {1 Pentatonie Scales Note MatlvFinger Math Fragments (Mosaics) Voicings trom the Symmetrical Difninished Seale A Picture is Wort a Thousand Words— ATaste, a Thousand Pictures | " 16 7 18 24 27 20 a7 38 43 4a 47 47 51 54 57 62, 66 67 74 75 82 85 86 29 30 .OMMENTARIES: * The Guitar's Complexity The Evolution Contemporary Harmony + About Tuning and Tuners Harmonics and Overtone influence Feeling "Stale"? Silence is Golden On Being Sell-Crtical Words— Terms = No One Knows What's Next Improvising Short Pieces (Use of the Tape Recorder) + Time—Rhythm + Tuning into Time Headquarters, Tempo —Movement “Some Thoughts on Technique + Different Playing Situations Playing Versus improvising ~— Selected Short Subjects + Init, What’s In t—No Regrets Conclusion 93 93 94 94 95 95 96 98 98 9 100 101 102, 104 105 107 108 109, 114 115“atroduction to Fingerboard Mechani ‘Your ability to play music on th >iistrument, Most guitar: guitar depends toa large e nave never had a chance to ics fert on how well you know learn the instrumentin an ~eligent, logical and complete manner. The tactis that the vast majonty of guitar Yethod books don t really evciain very much at al and tne: ve the products of nese metneds. AS a general rua, quit 2mselves vith helping you to increase your overall comer euttar methods get you to doa lo of things fwicn certainly) ‘you a method ofhw to do something. But these methods wth of your understanding of how things work on the inst _adito a narrowing of possibilies because you don thave Faursef. You just nave to follow instructions. Vénen you kn ‘ut ofthe method. ifyouteach, youtendio teach the me ‘odiications — afew imarovements). The method can act “wan the musicitis supposed to help facilitate. Thisis not lof the above helps to explain why this present volume is ethods are given. Methods may be implied or hinted at, b hods may be deduced by the reader (in fact, needto be e readers’ pursuing such methods are totally based on rowledge, interest, and creativity, ‘what I'm trying to dois present information and tacts. You’ vaclly what you are able to draw, based on current underst sat you are capable of; what you deserve; what you need, ‘Two glasses of diferent sizes sit ona table. Fromthe stancpoint of their function as glasses, but rather that both are tl Fingerboard Mechanics | List Thing to Learn: Up and Down a String (Single Strit e importantitingis net whether ones arger or smiles, ast majonty of guitar teachers methods don'tconcem nension of the instrument. icanb2usetul). They show dom, it ever, lead io a fumert. Itanything, they {igure out very much by the method, you are the ‘od perhaps with atew luaty become more important good. jot a method book. No only in a very loose way. Jecuced), but the results of vidual inteligence, present draw from this information nding, This way, you get just Playing) “econd Thing to Learn: Across the Neck and Back (Position Playing) ‘Third Thing to Learn: Combine Allot Both Previous Poss! Playing or “The Reaimof the Electric. ~ were a real tough discipiinarian, twoukd have ended this, Gut this “area’ is so crucially important, so misunderstood ax all, that really have to go into a ite bit of depth on this. lties (Combination :e-Skating Rink”) son one sentence ago. 0 seldom mentioned “Any guitar'st who has played at ali serously knows that positon playing is very important. ‘19, position playing is a huge project. Lots of stutf to lean, Years of workinvolved. | nk we an agree on this point (more on position playing fofiows later). The point that I'm trying to make (which may be one of the mpst important points in this 20k; is iat position playing is not even half of t. { Probab! not even a third of it) 2ually as important as position playingiss playing up and ddym one staing. I'd even go so as to say that's more important than positian playing jugt plored. In addition, !might add that standardized methoo} ‘enin existence tor some time, whoreas methods tor playih nae prachcally non-existent, at ieastin the WEST ‘because t's so seldom or position playing have i upand down one string OT ME Se a ee eeIn most quitar method books, no mention is ever ~ ‘This omissicnis a huge oversight, because play} most logical place to begin ona guitar. Considet :made of playing up and down one string, ingenasi le string is absolutely the the following observations: The simplest way to see notes is ina straight line. Asingle string isa straight line, | Onasingle sting, there is a direct re movementin space. | Playing on a single string helps to eligi “paralysis” (fear of movement and “agro fed from the very beginning, entire length of the fingerboard util ‘This approach is conducive to leami a fingering pattern (as in position play The problem of changing strings is el function and displays the principles o Ditterent types of phrasing and articula tionship between interval éstance and inate two potential problems: phobia’ (fear of higher frets), since the note locations because you cant rely on 19). inated. This simplifies the right-hand left hand function in their purest form, tions can be played very consistently. Elements of fundamental theory can be shown to a beginnerin clear and simple visual and aural terms Intervals, seal construction, chords, fordynamics ariculavons, anatimbre Someone probably invented aone-st Jong betore anyone ever inoughtot would seem sensible fo learnin the sd chronologically | Many stringed instruments in Eastern and down the neck" fashion {most not how long the music of india has been. iPeggios, ete. The same could be said ipged instrument (lets callitauritar}) sirings, let alone sixof them, Soit ime way thatthe instrument developed untries are playedin a much more “up bly, the sitar). Do you have any idea round? Alot the above contnbute to suppor my personal contention that you have no real understanding ofthe fingerboard until you ve spent aot of ime playing up and down the ~ strings individually. Ifall you know is position play whole fingerboard. In fa youcan' even unders| ng, you cant even begin to see the land the proper uses and advantages of position playing until you've played up and down gn the strings a lot. if ~ ‘The strange thing about al ofthis is that t's really £0 obvious. (Hidden in the Eye of the Sun, soto speak.) One can't help but wonder how itis that nary anyone has noticedit \ - Itis sate to say that you would do well to spend solne time playing on one string. Doing this (in itself) would begin to completely transtormlyour understanding ofthe fingerboard within two orthree weeks. Icould almost guarantee it. Consequently, he approach that 1 this volume presents goes lke this: Playing up and dow each ofthe six ates individually (The Science of the Unitary Playing up and down five. comin of two adjacent strings (Moveable Mini positions) Study of Intervals: Melodic and Harmonic (“Poor Man's Guide to Counterpoint") ‘The Open Position Position Playing 10srro8 Principles of Left-Hand Movement: "+ "uid you play up and down one string with onl Siaying Up and Down a Single of the Unite 2 Science yo +. Groupings (two, three, orfour notes bat 2, Hand-carrles or shifts (moving to a hi ‘numerical finger; moving to lower pitches Linking two or more diferent groupings) 2. Slides (using the same finger to play cit gissandy ‘akdown of Finger Possibilities: a. Fourpossibilties of one finger at atime 1. tsttinger 2. andtinger No groupings, 3. 3rdtinger all sid 4. Ath tinger ©. Six possibilities of two fingers at atime 1. t and 2 2 tand3 3. 1 and 4 4. 2 and3 5. 2and 4 6 3and4 ©. Fourpossioilites of three fingors at atime 11,23) 2124 31,34 42,34 4. Allfourtingers: combine all previous possi four note groupings, shits, slides Xcantbe learned any other way. This type -"114 8, only one finger or two or three), we cat “iy bother playing wath only one linger when y hngeranyway® But the question pattems or note locations? Is there any co y what you normally play? stage exercises’. By deliberately working wh Siring ed on what the lett hand can cover) jherpitched note with lower note with higher numerical finger; sremt consecutive pitches —no shitts, “wo note groupings shits, sides "wo and hese epost ie ibilties two, three , and yone finger? Because you'd learn approach is what Icall hin the confine of a particular learn much. Some people might u've gottour? You can't play much really, "How much can you play with one what could you learn?” Whien playing with nly one linger, do you rely on elvable use for a technique acne necro ee ey = "How much should you play up and down one sti question! Actually, ! guess you should play up and down owr aimreally help. arent!) W: en yeu stop for awhile, Do someting else. You can aiwi ‘one sting. Wnen you come back tot, you more: that you didn't see the first time. Alot of iungs in music ate like that. Probably allof them, Doesit make sense to have East and West Does it make sense to have longitude wath Does it make sense to have honzontal with ‘Does it make sense to have position playing cownone string? Activities — Application 1 Map out al natural notes (A, B,C, D, E, F,G) u incividually. (Entire length ofthe fingerboard) Record suggested modal vamps on your tape at least two but not more than four minutes in k should fiton one side of tape (30 minutes). Play back the tape trom thee beginning, white i modal vamp, but using only one stang. Seven| possibilties. Two obvious approaches comet A. Play one string through all seven modal ve using the other strings, one ata time. B. Play through one modal vamp sixtimes, 0 procedure six imes using each ofthe othe ‘One less obvious choice comes to mind: C, Write each of the 42 possibilities on a tain scissors, cut out each one, (You'lithen hat ‘them allin some kind of small container. at random and play what it says (i.e., E phi desired {t's probably a dood idea to try each of these three. present, just pick whichever one seems most sensi either or both of the other two possibilties. Temporary Rules: 1 Dont use any bends larger than a half step. Y 1.B—=c 2 EF 3. C——~aB 4. FE ‘Should be ashamed at having to ask such P 1? (Good question!) How do you od sining as much as you need to play. ration point, ‘come back to playing up and down han ikeiy see some things about it ithout North and South? latitude? tut vertical? without playing up and ily questions? and down each ofthe six strings recorder. Each modal vamp should be ingth. This way, all seven vamps 1 iprovising melodies against each .des on six strings makes 42 mind: iPS; repeat same procedure five times. e for each sting. Repeat same modal vamps, | largé piece of paper (B 1/2x 11). With /2 42 small pieces of paper) Place x themup. Pull out one piece of paper ian, B sting). Repeat 41 times as jpproaches at some point. But, for the fe to you right now. Later on, try canonly bend: 2. Don't play the following notes: C# Dit F# Git A# Db Eb Gb Ab Bb Forour purposes they are wrong. No exceptions Don change strings. ityou'e soloing against tere. Be patient. Don't jump to anottier sting fepettivein your soloing. Maybe play less tora solter, or maybe louder. (They don't call timpr Stay onthatone stang. Forthe time being, that Your entiea musical voice. (You really sould ls Mixolydian on the low E string, stay ist because you start to get bored or ile, or maybe more. Or maybe ising tor nothin’ you knows!) But ne strings your entire instrument, en to Some Good sitar music!) Fro tien erent pean one tt REARervations: | stove are some things that you can do on one stinghhat a piano player can do ata a.vibrate | b. bending (remember, only halt steps: B-C; E-F) ¢ hammer-onsipulotts diglssandi { e. harmonics (natural notes only) 1 mute the sting | tone qualty by altackng the sting na ferent place. g.chang hake sure you experiment with ailof them. Each mode has its own mood, (What sort of mode fre you in today?) ‘he half stepsin each mode are veryimportant, Let's look at them: EF FE BC CB” loin: 34 43-78 BT Dorian: 29 b92 Eb7 b76 Phrygian: 1-b2 b24 56 BGS tycian: 78) 87 HAS SHA Mixolycian: 607 B76 34 43 Aeolian: S-b8 bES- 203 b32 Locrian: 4-b5 D542 ba These hall steps contain the problem areas of each mode, or the places where you can nuninto trouble with unwanted dissonance. H9wever, the haf steps also contain Ihe individual color characteristics of each mode. $o, both aspects taken into consideration, you really need to understand how ial steps work, Two very important ways o! thinking about modes are: adetvative: D Dorianis © major scale starting onthe second degree (tinding the major scale rom which the mode is derived) parallel: _D Dorianis D majorscale with ba and b7 (constructing the mode from a parallelmajor scale’same root) | ‘Since we are using the modes of C major scale, itwould seem that our approachis convative. However, when you are playing against a vamp, I'd encourage youto think of the mode fram the root of the tonic chord (paraliql). We'll discuss this in more detail lateron, ] ee elDERIVATIVE | PARALLEL | Root C lonian (CM7) c oo ———— — =o: So OO 71 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 2nd. Dorian (C-7) E Phrygian (E-7) 1 b2 03 4 F Lydian (FM7) 3 #4 G Mixolydian (G7) b6 3rd C Phrygian (C-7) © bot t b2 B34 Lydian (CM7) 1 2 3 «#4 Sth C Mixolydian (C7) 2 10203 4 5 |6 bF ot 1 2 3 4 5 6 wb 1 A Aeolian (A-7) | oth C Acolian (C-7) E f 2 — GC ee — a (—o- : 5 O20: eo; 2 bb 4 5 be oT Tt oo a i 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 BT I B Locrian (B-7b5) Tth CLocrian (C-765) oe? 2 Oo + oO. OPO = Po bp bs 4 bs br ot 1 b2 63 4 dS v6 b7 1Acrangedin order of brightness: zpro-rom> 6] zp-o the five sets of two adjacent strings. Then play the 6ths again on two strings, ‘skipping he one in between. Then play tie 7ths on the same four sets of two none adjacentstings (E&D; A&G; D&B; G&E). Could you improvise against any of the'sqven major modes with hese double stops? Sure ya could! | Try 3rds frst because they're easy to play; ‘stings for the same reasons. Then maybe ‘and sound good. Try 6ths on non-adjacent 4ths. Then Sths. Then 6ths on adjacent Strings. Then 7ths. And lastly, 2nds. Youll notice that allof this work involves parallel and similar motion, | 8. The next stepis to stan moving tromone indo intervalto another—drd to a 6th, {or example. This next step provides for cbntrary motion and oblique motion. (See examples that follow later). + Hereis alist of interval moves": . 2nd to ard; 2nd to 4th; 2nd to Sid to 2nd; rd to 4th; 3rd to ath 0 2nd; 4th to 3rd; ath to Sih to 2nd; Sth to 3rd: Sth to €th to 2nd; 6h to 2rd; th to Tih to 2nd; 7th toad; 7th to th; 2nd to 6th; 2nd to 7th th; Sd to 6th; 3rd to 6th Sth; ih to 6th; 4th to 7th tn; Sth fo 6th; Sth to 7h th; 6th to Sth, th to 7th 7th to 6th Ath; 7th to Sth; ‘Question: Can you see why certain intervals are bold? + Remember, allof this material can work for | any and all of the seven modes of C major. * Could you move from an interval to anotherkind and then to anotherkind? (three different intervals, i e., 3rd, 6th, 4th). Sure ya could! (I wonder how long the list of “interval moves" viould be using 3 intervals? Have you got a computer?) How about four or five or six or sevenintervals? (Sorcdrer's apprentice, walch out!) But enough is enough. Just remember: when you know intervals. * Play and study the fottowing examples: allot your intervals, you's know all of yourvine the interval type and then play, 2nds utp ir , , _ M2M2m2_0 ae an | D&Goswings G&Bstrings BB &E strings - EGA stings S&D sings | eva , ae Se ———— | wae 1 _ —t ae = i 8va Bva Bia Bu thie ss D&G strings B & E strings | = 1 _ s a ¥ = = = —> = G&B strings | E&Astrings A&Dstrings | + oT | 8va 8va 8va 8va ByD&G strings G& B strings Adjacent Strings D&G strings B&E strings . G&B strings ~ E&A strings A&D i“ = Fi 8va — a} ea Ft ~ - & eee SS = us T et ee T — = - Non Adjacent strings G&E strings D&B strings E&D striigs A&G strings string Non Adjacent Strings E&D stringsOptional: identiy the imtovaltype. Dette pay Se He i » r]Ne— a hi ‘ je (a i — e , - Li £ f ——- D4 t t = c 2 2 | ae = $F 22 Ee 4 f f © Tt T V z Ee 2 fe 2 - hick fafa oe “Pesere mA # =o ot T eo fe £ es £¢ Zz a Lyset £ Pg pee. . = v4 Tt Serene reyC- Nowit someone played allot that material over an bpen Pedal A string, we'd all know tnaihe'dbeplayinginine A Aeolian mode. Right4 Wed also ccc in, he was playing ince Citerent pans, right? (Two melodies andabess erone ) Wine “someone” was retested, he might decide to explore this kindof playing a tte bh every day fora lend time, just to-see vinatitcouldiead to, Now, maybe he ‘might get tired of A Aeolian Bier awhile, Maybe he'd decide to play in E Phrygian foratirce tox retune the E fiiing downto D forD Dorian.) Who knows what hd might do? May be he'd even learn how to move the bass pan around abit. (then, therb'd be three melodies! Not playaahie eainoving at once.) Then one day, it might occur to him that he could try Playing this way through a progression of chords using diferent crater ey modes {not just the C major scale and its modes). Who knawe? Now, if someone did alto! that, wouldn't minditatal. Would {YOu mind it if someone did that? | thought so. {Agood horse runs at the shadow ofthe whip.) The Open Position ihe oPen position s the usual stating place in most gut method books (Hopefully, by this me you understand vty his present volume doesnt stan with open position!) By Ine open position, we mean the si open strings andes 1,23, anda. The open Bees amounts to @ small melocic instrument unto tse, with a range of two octaves fusch more imponant than the open position You are als sng en Postion as much 2s possibiein favor of playing none ar ancther of he "ayer eattons, Now to aceainexent, this approach makes sence ands ariel (Caitever: think in other ways it s net enouct for someoniawhois realy merectonge ‘ening as much about the guitar as possible. The epen 04 lt abo happens tobe a great preparation tor theapparenty amesorne ek af cea playina. Put iis preparation aspect can only be appreciated the open pectign Silent m areal detail (wich, as you may have Gathered by now is exact whet Ion oporng!y By great detail mean4. Chromatic Scale JA. inoctaves (great left hand exercis| *b. alothor iteivals Pesto thup Two Whele-tone Scales ‘Three Symetiical Diminished Scales Twelve Major Scales Tweive Melodie Minor Scales Twelve Pentatonic Seales (1,2, 3,8, 6) ‘Twelve Pentatonic Scales (1,2 3, 5, 6)| AllT#ads and our part Chord Ameggio * Optional 2. 3 4 5. 6. Twelve Harmonic Minor Seates 7 a 9 t's paint, 'm going to suggest that those of you w ‘nen proceed to Position Playing and only work on! The Straight Path.” Observations string and double-string soloing forthe first tim cms back i itwhenever you want. For now, ust pl ardimprovise on the vamps for each of tne seven mo co ‘The main difference between the open position at soon enough) is hatin the open position, the oper 'nposttion playing would require 4st and ath tinge lime to understand.) From another angle: no fing The open strings tendo ring out when we don'tw: need 10 develop techniques of stopping open stri inallKeys 2re just leaming about modes, i this material fornow. You can y the C major scale in open position oes of ihe matenalin the section called 1d Position playing (which follows, strings function for the notes that stretches. (This may take a tle stretches in open position jnt them to. This means thatwe 18. This is usually accomplished Ta ale hanc!-tinger. Finger-style people also halve options with using right-hand singers to stop open stangs from vibrating, (See es fercises that follow.) {netesting and very aocessible possbities of sluting (hammer-ons and pull-ofs) exist inthe open position. Check “em out! Inthis approach to the open position there is one same fret Anote onthe 1st fret mustbe played with the ttf ‘Anote on the 2nd fret must be played with the 2nd: le to be followed: same finger- er. inger. ‘Anoteon the 3rd tret mustbe played with the rd finger. ‘Anote onthe 4th fret mustbe played with the ath finger. NO EXCEPTIONS! Gonsequenty we wllnot explore counterpoint and harmonyin the open position ecause the mle of same fingevisame tret would ike many voicings impossible, \ tier on. of course, you could explore counterpoiniand harmony in he open, fesition. When you decide todo that, just use any ingers you have to for whatever tenotes are.) {nts particular approach, the open positionis our fist truly “chromatic area of ‘Delantial melodic possibilities.” All scales, all modps, all ampeggios are there, (Think ‘#404 what that means!) {ince the ony ote that has two locations and two ldgeringsis the B (open string or htretot G stingy, Blaynig any seat, oh choice ig otmously Butter than Mie would be a good idea to experiment with both possibilities when Mode, of arpegaio that contans thie note B (or Cb). Sometimes, het, Sometimes, both are about the same. apy+ Apersoncoul spend awhole oy of playing on a guitar with ‘ento.elevon strings that had only four ets! * Sometimes poop wo wie books mp oid ebsenatons ctme)piaying only in the open postion (Imagine the Ex.1A Ex. 2A porePosition Playing | uitar.a postion means a section of the fingerboard covering sx rets across al sic “ngs. The range ot a postion is two octaves pls a Pa (23 hal steps). inthis range, “note in the chromate scaie s present. Twenty-four af the available pitches have done location and one fingering, The other stcpitches nave two locations and wo =gerings | ‘There are four possible lett hand-finger allgnments: 1.2.3 4 — «normal) | atrets 2 3 4 — irstfingerstretch) |S frets 1.2.3 4 ‘fourthtingerstretch) Sfrets. 2 3 4. (doublefingerstretch) 6trets ‘These four combine to give us: 112344 112344 | ‘The position you are in is determined by the fret just below the 2nd (middle) finger. | 1 | position | | “swhere the'tst finger normally falls.. But since'the 1st finger covers two frets, this is imes contusing. if you're playing the A Aeglian mode in fith position, the low Ais with the 4st finger on the Sth fet ofthe low E string (normal placement of 1st finger » position). But f you're playing an Ab Majgr scale in fith position, the low Ais. ‘edon he dih fret of the low E string with the {st finger (stretched placement of 1st ~rintitin position). Even though you're playing a note on the Ath fret, you'e stillin the ‘estion, That is. of course, assuming thal you play the Bb vith your 2nd (middle) 2t. ityou play the Bt with your 3rd (ing) tat then you're not in ith position; you'd ‘fourth | 1 this we see that position is really determinad by the placement of the 2nd and 3rd (rniddle and ning fingers). Filth postion ricans: 2nd finger on éth ret Sed finger on 7th fret Astlingeron Sth fret (normal); st fingeron 4th ret (stretched) 4th finger on Bth fret (normal); 4th tinger on sth tet (spretched)Hore are come rule Donitever stretch between and, Dont shitt 2nd and 3rd tinger u Positions) | Dontuse tine same tinger to pt anciher way to tingerit. (Som: land Sratt ‘or down a fret (this amounts to changing #9 consecutive scale degrees itthere's es inere is; sometimes there isnt) Here are some suggestions that apply to postion laying: 1. Become as familar as possible WN all aternate fingerings in a position, 2. Be especially aware of alternate Ingerings on the G and 8 strings. Thisis because of he fact tat ne Sri terval oetween those strings (as opposed to the perfect 4th interval that occur ‘tngs) changes things around qbi Realize that aposition contains i (two octaves plus a perfect fourth (and all positions) contains: Chromatic Scale (12 notes) Two Whole-tone Scales (6 not Three Symmetrical Diminishe Twelve Major Scales (7-note s Twelve Melodic Minor Scales ( Twelve Harmonic Minor Seale: Twelve Pentatonic Scales (5-n Alltriads and four; Plus awhole lot more... |'m sure by now you can see the vat |. In approaching allof this materia, it happens) there are two different apy example, let's take the major scale ‘major scale the same, and change t twelve postions). The second appr same and change the scale (ie. all Principle of “keep one thing the sar the one thing while the other stays t working with e guitar, You'l see i ‘or higher). The reason for this is tha are the frets. Thus, a higher position considering the 1st and ath finger st start with a relatively high position ar lower positions as the lett hand got at stretches. Position playing involves a lot of wh: memory”. It's @ very big and importa tothe root of he scale or ampeggio. tobe thorough, remember that no or orihiebest. Alithings and/or approa when you fe “playing”, you certiinly don t wiant to laying is Son of bke agear thait you ‘all lor as long or shon atime asisn | Since most guitarists don't have larg extensive work in one position higher forget the namesof the notes. Anda Position playingis an extremely disciph in the mood to he disciph between ali the other sets of adjacent te abit ‘whole “chromatic uni Consequently, verse” within the range this means that any position 8 €ach) Scales (@ note scales) les) note scales) (7-note scales) te scales) att chord arpeggios in alleys Ness of this project called position playing, Would be good to keep in mind that (as often roaches, both of which are important, For "The first 2pproach would be to keep the '¢ bosition {i.e., C Major Scale in each of the ach would be to keep the position the 'elve major scales in one position). This ‘while the other changes; then change f Same" is a very important concept when i popping up time and again, hands. it might make sense to start ‘up on the ingerboard seventh pasion the higher the position, the closer: together ould be physically abt easier, parieularly ches. With this approach, you would gradually work your way downto the stomedto the tst and ah finger t én | itis often called Finger pattern ntpar of guitar playing. However, don't orget the degree! the note relative he samme applies to chords.) i your aims ‘tung or approachis the mostimportant leS areimportant a ni c ed sud Ws a area thing to work wth ined. Cn the other hand, when you're nfine yourself unnecessarily. Position d10 be able to“stutt"into or out of at ary) pO ern on eraentem8. Thereisno direct relationship bet how @ COUlu quite easiiy be aticest Way" if yOu Improwise, knowing po: to Do Things Play through things like Rhythm Ch; Position. ifyouwanted, you could si either or both forms (elves, Rhythm| Position and keep the key the same. When working with scales (and esp fingerings,” stant improvising. Expl problems that beginning and interms ‘They just lay scales up and down at barely enough to get you “in the near encugh to “get you into the ballpark” laying the ballgame") The Straight Path Learn fingerings forthe © major scale in, against seven major mode vampsin allt ‘twelve positions equals 84 possibilties,) ‘you can improvise. On th Go through the material isted unde} Play through any (or aly Jazz stand you're improvising. (Remember: ar ir can think of andior hear. Ifyou just p mode, yourimprovising will sound th feen how well you know. ‘other hand. shi ni position playing and uld be easy to see that Pet relationshipt Or, fo putt another ion playing Very well sure helps, | ‘no. Sof suggestions. i ds) keeping entirely in one position while "thing you wantis there, somewhere!) Inges and Blues Changes allin one in the Same posttion and transpose Changes) to all twelve keys. Orchange the iy cially modes), as soon 2s you *know the interval leaps - pattems, anything you (actice playing up and down the scale or way. (This isone ofthe biggest ate guitarists have with improvising. iS play arpeggios up and down, That's cnt ofthe ballpark" It certainly isnt indits ight years away from “actually e Positions one thro we Optional: Leam fingerings for all twelve choice. (seventh position or higher, unies' Improvise on all84 modes (seven modes Idea: Make tapes of pedal roots at ditterei Cassette tapes. Record two 18-minute r ‘oots per cassette. Three cassettes woul ugh twelve. Improvise lelve positions. (seven modes times 1ajor scales inthe position of your your fingers are as long as bananas!) Imes twelve key equals 84 possibilties ) tempos, Gel three 60-minute son each side. That would be four be enough forall twelve roots.Combination playing is what quitarists do the most when they piay. They dont just play on one string; they don just play in a position , They mixitallup: they move around, Hopetuli, they follow he music, which takef them wherever it needs to be taken, (Hopetully) [think it should be fairly clear by now that a it of playing up are down the individual stings combinedwith a lot of playing in positions would 2dd up to the largest possible Preparation for combination playing, What we are looking for as improvisers is the greatest possible feeling of freedom with respect to vinatever area of the fingerboard the music happens to take us. (Thus, “The Realm of the Electric ice-skating Rink)." ‘The principies of combination playing are faitly simple. Let's take our old friend, the C ‘major scale, out for awalk: 1. Play the C scale only using two notes per string: Notice that with this fingering, you move Yownthe necks the scale goes up; and . that you move upthe neck as the scale gbes down! Isn't that interesting? Iwonder what might be the use of such amovement. What do you think? 2, Play the C scale starting on anynote (low E string) and play three notes on every string. You'linotice that these fingerings jook just like position playing until you get to the B string. Then, you have to shift to a higher position for the last two strings. This kind of fingering would come in handy i you wanted to play the following:1 | | n eee that rhuthmical arouninas are animportant por string makes sense tor typiets, sextuplels, ele, Also, Seneideration, Three note «9 goo that aftculation can be important. Ihthe above example, notes 1, 4,7, 10, 13, Inexample A, the idea is four notes per string, In example B, the idea is four notes per postion. - Inexample C. the idea isto shift positions between hat steps., Now, experiment with playing the same pagsage mary diferent ways by combining the ideas of examples A, B, and C. So, 10 review 1. Notes per string: two, three, four, (five, six) 2 Notes per position: two, three, four, five, six 3, Shut positions by hail steps (or any inerval, for that matter!) 4, Rhytiimical consideratons: triplets, 161hs, ete ‘haying scales up and down with these ideas is teresting, but unfortunately, when 1 improvising. it doesn't “come up much in bonversation.” So, start leaping around to out meladirs and interesting pattems. (And puton your finger-skates, because 1-0 ust about to enter the Peal O'the Rink). enone nt nerfs ete NA eRTo Do: + Erperiinentwith alt possibie scales, modes dnd arpeggios using the entire fingerboard, | ; | | + Improvise on Vamps, Standard Tunes, Blue: | and Rhythm Changes using the entire fingerboard, . The Straight Path Improvise on modes of G major scale using the entire fingerboard. The Approach: Take 2, Take 3 We've taken the © major scale and its modes allthe way through “The Approach.” Now, ge back 0 the beginning and go through ne same procedures using the C melodie minor scale andits modes. (You'l probably wantto use ‘the Straight Path sections) When you've completed that, star back al the beginning again, bu ths (thre) time, use the C harmonie minor scale andits modes. (Wotk especialy on the modes built on, WV.V.VL) * Its absolutely amazing what happens when you change one note in a major scale, (E changes to Eb for meloci minor) * _Isalso absolutely amazing what happens when you change one note in ‘ameladic minor scale, (A changes to Ab for harmonic minor) | * You might also work with other seven- nbte scales. For example, C D EF G Ab BC orC DDEF GADBC. | * Sheets on C melodie minor and C harmanic minor follow: | Melodic Minor Modes | Melodic Minor (Jazz Minor) 1 2 b3 4 Dorian b2 (Phyrgian 4 6) o = a2 1 b2 b3 4 Lydian Augmented Poorer naman arricengAeolian Major | B7 Al.\ncred Dominant (Super Locrian) ° i ora) o_° © ee b2 BSd 8 agg | | Wes odie Minor Vamps. | | | Melodic Minor 1 = Phrygian b 6Harmonic Minor Medes * useful modes (& ) = slightly tess important but stil useful Harmonie MinorHarmonic aiinor Vamps Harmonie Minor Dorian #4 (Overtone Minoi) (oe) jorian #4 (Overtone ) A El = 4 3 Ex.2 3 — —t- ==Altered Dominant bb7 What Next? ts:his point, I think it makes sense to mention sonfething. Qur approach has been naniy derivative so tar. (The modes were derivedtrom C major scale, C melodic minor, jarmoni¢ minor, e16.) Itwould be a good idea tolge through the same material again, but «time, approaching itn a parallel fashion. That means: all he modes from the same ‘oot You might choose to pick C as the root since es probably know that key fairly well + new. Personally, Ithinkit might be even better o pickeither EorA, These notes are wine lowest open stings, The idea heres thatit wouldibe very convenient to have a «3: open-stning root in going through the parallal approach. This is particulary true of * aenonic material, since you'll have either four or five of the higher strings to play the «> gs, as well as the low, open-string root to sound against any voicing you want, That "ttcome in very handy. | | E lonian E Dorianb2 | € Phrygian major E Donan E Lycianaugmerted Lydian #2 € Phrygian E Lydian b7. E whole tone E Lydian E Aeolian major | pentatonic (chinese) 1 2.9 5 6 E Mioloydian —_E Locrian 2 E pentatonic (japanese) 1 203 5 6 E Aeolian E altereddominant bb7 | & sym. diminished whole step, half step - E Locrian E harmonic minor E sym, diminished (dom) haif step, whole ste E melodiominer Dorian #4 Examples: | Play the melody to "Happy Birthday” in € Ionian, Transposeit tothe other 17 7-note “ modes. ] | ®Wtea simple melody in E toni nat uses all erates (seven) atleast twee each, ‘Transpose to the 17 other seven-note modes. tier ive stings. Then five sels ¢t two adjacent stangs. Then allthe above raterial ‘open position. Theninone posiion. Then tke a break! Go back to playing up and down a single ae allthe material, then play the plore countempoint and harmonic material om all above modes and scales for at 120 yeas,Imroto bey Time Musical Material 7 daysina week 7 modes of tnajor, melodic and harmonic minor weeks ina month 4 triads; 4 families of 7th chords 4 seasons inayear | 12 months ina year 12keys: 12postions on he guitar @IC., €C., E16... etc. €tC., etd... You get the idea. . {think rach ean be deduced | trom what has been supplied | andorintered | from nat has been imped, | | Analyze and identity allot the folowing opeb: string intervals: ] 1. Do you understand why the bar linbs are placed where they are? 2, How about the double barlines? | . 3. Can you explain the relationship of ine 20 fine 12 4, Otter interval combinations have een omitted. Why? §. Towhat extent does your harmoni¢ (and contrapuntal) skill dependon knowing these intervals? | 6. Vin ‘would happen to these interdalsif the quitarwere tuned E AD GC F (all Pertect aths)? 7. Have you suddenly decided to becbme a short order cook?rads sour types of triads: majoe, minor, augmented, and diminished. These four are quae Besat:icombning major and minor rd intervals, “rTriad Minor Triad Augmented Triad Diminished Triad So ygenk ma OM MS 34 m3 MBC CED EG CE EGE CED Eb-Gb — + nave tues inversions: | tstinversion 2nd Invetston co.cc EEE GG Ga@ ccoc EE —b GG GF Gd | sscanalso be spread in different ways’ gi1 51:3 31514 gra 3.511 51113 | ” 35 OCTAVE OCTAVE | 1,355 11315 | 23 gis | el el ‘ ‘ons canbe spread these ways. | __ Fads can aso have a note doubled when you need fout pats: | FO GA F.C DG Ab DD GA F G Cc jd. plot ps Soe 9 sa ut a Ti a8 i $s aes qeoe _ 824 ttNow. go ahead and team all C major, C mingr, C auamented, and C diminished tritds, all f JS wel as spiead voicuigs that follow: AaTsions, all re sifiovations, in ciosih Optional: Figure out numbers of locations for miner, augmented, and diminished as was done in major triads. Major 3 an 1° a9 asd > a @ 3 8) ‘o 4 @) @ @) @ eo 8 8 (12) @) 68) 1) » 2 sz |s probably easier to do the closed voicings (lett side) for allfour ads before doing the spread voicings (right side) * These numbers indicate the number of passible fingerings for each voicing (which may vary depending on the number of frets onany given guitar), SERRE OmRERRNO REEOst ULPOS COU ees mone Me OL LOE ay Gr GED ED be Eb ¢ Fe FAD Abs Abe Ab? fp 0 bbe Boy Db Po _Dby Bd* - fie PRA A Ae | Hee ge 0D E BE 6 GG & | - _stiads canbe randomly arranged to make vast umbersof “iad rows.” (Use all girs butonly once each) Gheco & FD Be Eb FH Bb FY E “Ab File AG: Db Cor FRA BP Ds FE CG Ab} G? At B Eb Cr O° _£ D- E+ Bb’ G Bb G+ Fir Eb Ab D+ C- B zen sow can be re-arrangedin a vast number of ways.) | \We en tryto voice-lead the whole progression. Move each iad to the next with the feast dgneui ol movement. To do this, we: | Look for common tone(s), which is a note thatis contained in two diferent triads. {vertical ines are omitted for clarity. Read all riads vertically.) G G GH Gb AbA i A Ab GHA — & £ & EE Eb F F E F# commontonec G-C-C-G- C-C-G-C- C-C-C-C ROOTS 3ROS STHS The common tone must remain in the same voice: bass, middle, ortop. The othertwo voices then move to the other two notes inthe chord: G Ab G-G FH “" € Eb-Eb D D# | c-C BB-B | ‘Sometimes, there could be two common tones: G-G-G-G | E-€ &b-Eb | c 8-8 C | 2 Look fora half step, i you don't find a common tones G-FH GE G- eb | ED E€D €-& CA C-B © 8b | sometimes you might have two half steps, | or even all three: G- Ab E-€b c-c Syd] al 41Proper voice leaking involves the loast Amount of combined melodic moverient in all three voices: halt steps |nait stops Gia 14 Ge) 3 Ee 1 eri) 4 cc og Cob 4 2 hat steps | Shaitsteps halt steps halt steps oro Sat EoD 2 © FH 2 c Bb 2 co 2 Shalt steps | 7haitsteps conjunct (smooth) disjunct (less smooth) Things to Do: (48 tiads) 2. Now, playitbackwards. 3. Slant wth ailorentiversion ot he very fist chord and.go through the sequence again 1 | | 1. Now, go back to the “ilad row’ and voicb-lead through the entre progression. 4. Playitbackwards. 5. Stantthe sequence with a spread tiad voicing and go through the whole sequence again | 6 Guess what now? 7. Can you see other things to do? | it you feel that you needto rite them out on paper, go right ahead. That's a grezt thing to do. (This way, ifyou lose your place or something else weird happens, you've gctitdown cn paper) Bula scon as youcan i realy goodogo ough ese sequercrs jet fromthe chord symbols. : Aso i's a goodidea tohave a notebook andlor music paper at han wien you are ‘working with rads this way. You may come across some voicings for part of the progression that you really ke. When this happens, wnte them down immediatety. Don't just write the chord symbols, Take the time ta wnite the exact voicings, because inversions can really change the sound of a pfogression. You can use these litle “gems” for songs andior pieces later on. 1. Augmented triads are tricky because nq inversions on a given setof strings are all the same, 2. Diminished triads are tricky because the dierent. Observations | it | inversions on a given set of strings are all 3, I's easierto hear voices move with spread triads than with closed triads because there's more room between each voice. . 4, This approach o triadsis comewhat “dry and abil too theoretical for some people. Cither people tind it interesting because they understand that they are dealing with all ofalarge (out inte) numoero! possible uns wath almost ininte possible combinations. ! There isa lot more to triadic harmony than many people would suspect 6. Since most Mh chords consistotarad plus one other note, this means thal # you knoe your tad wel, you ateitdy Know about 75% ofthe 7 chords ~ TE an- | s-eusuaiy nk ef Parmony as beginning wi ads. Intervats are really the nning of harmony, but tnad terminology 6 2908, Javeys More in‘ormation with shorter you'r: firs. itaiso wouldn't surgnise me i, at s-nved tromie scales, you might decid to ~ proach 19 triads. It wouldn't surprise me at al peledic minor, and GIG you ve worked with this approach “working with the harmonie material Some more work with the present - lore to Do with Triads Root Progressions | | | Gyc'e2:C Db O EDE F GoG ADA BbB Cie? C B BDA AbG GDF E EdD Dot | (Fb) vate) Cycle’: CAF D BbG EDC Ab F Db Bb Gb Ed Cb Ab E Ce A F#D BGE Cycles: CF Bb Eb Ab Ob Gb BE A Pe # Cycles: CGO AE B F# Ct GH Dz A (Abb) (Bob) (evo) (Fo) “rae) Gye: Cb Db G D Ab ED AE BDF A F#CGDb ADD AED Bo Par | Tonic Systems 2 Tonic oC Fe . 3Tonic CE GH ‘Tonic =C Eb Gb A 6 Tonic C DE FH GE AP | | | * 9, allof ihe above retrograde. | ~ __ Ai'these progressions can be done with any mixture of two types, Ayinese progressions can be dane wth any misture of three types, All these progressions can be done with any of the vs types of triads. “linese progressions can be done with any mintureo alifour types, “3 Cadences | 14 § 1 inMajor crac. - 14 & 4 intdelodicminor CF GO | 4 8 ViaHarmonicttiner © CFG G 14 8 + intaturaieainor CR EC Spline: Gould 1 4 § 1 cadences occurinothermedes? Could other cadences occur in other modes? | BONUS: | almost forgot to mention t: tiads can be be arpeggiated! (Maybe you had almost forgotten, too?) Cycles contain two alternating intervats, For example, (alternate) cycle 3 “ihates between mayor and minor Sed, |ih Chores | What fotows are some pages of important 7th chords in tee diferent voicings: Drop, Drop 3. and Drop 2 an, (it you're nierested., you miaht try Drop 2 and3, Some of them are usetu} 4wayciose Drop? -—«Drop3._—=«sDrop2and4 —=Drop 2and3 8 8b Bb B Bb 6 6 f(s © c c (c c G fe 6 6 m Allfour inversions are shown for each chord. (The remaining voicings that are lower and higher need to be learned as well: don't forget, this is a do-it-yourself book!) Question: How much of the material in the trad sections of this book would itbe possible to apply to 7th chords? DROP 2 Min, Maj. 7 e © i = o 3 Min. 7 (b5) hi eo Tonic Dim. 0 pote VR bi gr Ooo So 0 (83 oeDAO! 2 anc 4 | | Maj. 6 Dpm.7 go Be pecs es Sees lg 3S oe Min, 6Min, Maj. 7 pan oobe vo o> 8 Tonic Dim rye 8 Do. To oe ° Maj. 7 (b5)storvals, Triads, 7ih Chords, Others ilajor Scale 2.a closer look at the C Major scale. 4, Alltwelve intervals are contained in a major scale: ~— minor 2nd 2 BCE major 2nd 5 (0-0; 0-8, FG GA: AB) minor rds, 4 (OF EG, AC; BD) ~ major 3rds 3 (CE FAL GB) perfect atns 6 (GFDG; EA; GC; AD; 8) - augmented ath + (FB) ~ diminished 5th 1 (BF) pertect Sih 6 (CG: DA; EB; FC; GD; AE) — minor 6th 3 (EC: AF, BG) — major 6th 4 (CADB: FD; GE) — minor 7th 5 (0-0) 0: GF AG: B.A) —- major 7h 2 (CB FE augmented athidiminished Sth Srdi6th témily 3 + 4 = 7 (Trtone) 1 andTihfarily 2 +5 =7 minor 2ndimajor 7th 2 : AttvSth family 1 + 6 = 7 major Srdlminor 6th . 3 minor ardimajor 6th 4 majorendiminor7th 5 perfect athipertect Sth 6 2. Triads (See Page 48) The major scale contains: 3 major triads crG twy 3 minor tiads DEA MV 1 diminishedtriad 8? vu 0 augmented triads 3. 7th chords (See Page 49) The majorscale contains: 2 major 7ihchords CMT, FM7 ly 3minor7ihchords D-7'E-7 AT tt til Vi 1 dominant 7th chord G7 v ‘minor 7th (05)chord = B7bS.— VI 4. 9th, 11th, 13th chords:See hybrid four part voicings, pages 58 1061. CM7 91113 Arethese triads? O79 1 13 E7 9 11. bI3 fur wit 13 G7 9 1 13 AT 911 Id G75 b9 11 td5. Quartal Harmony (ourt{ voicing e Page 50. Threepar vorings: P44 P4-5 PsaTt-4 T+ P4et _ four, five, sic part voicing: 2 page 50. Play and dently alltriads and cycles. ve apmeremnsnnmermants ne meQUARTAL HARMONY | (ath Voicings, C Major Scaie) | 3 Part P4e Pd P44 Tritone Tritgne ~ F ——5 6 = f 52 c= oe vo So - TT P4 P4 P4 Ps | PA PA P4 P4 P4 TT P4 PA PA 2 gs - on oe PS P4 P4 PA TT) PS PS TT P4 P4 P4 P4) PA Ph PA P4 P4 TT P4 P4 PAxy andidentity ali chords and cycles. ooodie Minor Scale al hielodie ivinor or Jazz Mi -acoserlook at the C melodic minor scat twelve intervals are contained in a melo minor 2nd major 3rd perfect ath ‘augmented 4th diminished Sth perfect 5th minor 6th major 6th minor 7th’ major 7th KL a L VOAGARNAGAUND ‘augmented 4thidiminished 5th (intone) ‘minor 2nd/major 7th ‘major 3rdiminor 6th ‘minor 3rd/major 6th major 2nd/minor 7th perfect éthipertect Sth ‘rath family end7th family sith Sth family 3445 2455 244 evs Triads ‘he melodic minor scale contains: FG cD A Be Eb+ 2major triads 2 manor triads £ciminished triads augmented triad 7th Chords The melodic minor scale contains: FTG? A705 B-7b5 D7 M7 EbiM7 wv tou viv a 2 dominant 7th chords S miner 7tbS) chords Taanor 7 chord }manor maj7 chord 1 augmented maj? chord vals, Triads, 7th Chords, Others inor) lic minor scale: {B-C; D-Eb) (C-D; Eb-F; F-G; G-A; A-B) (C-£b; D-F! AC: B-0) (Eb-G. F-A; GB) (C-F; DG; G-C; A-D) (EDA; F-B) (A-£b; B-F) (C-G; D-A; F.C; G-D) IG-Eb; AF; 8-G) (C-A; D:B; Eb-C: F-0) (D-C; F-Eb; G-F; AG; B-A) (CB; Eb-D) ‘The reason this tamily is one unit shorts because of the interval B-Eb, whichis a diminished 4Ath/augmented 5th. Enharmonically, the sound is a major 3raminor 6th, \v vl ul i uw v vit| 9th, 11th, 13th chords ‘Sed hyorid four-part voicings pages 59 to6t. CM7 9 11 13 ethese triads? D7 to 43 EM? 9 ay 33 FT gH 13 G8 to ATO 9 14 BIB B7ibs) 69 bit bis Notice that he 11th degree of B-7 (b6) isb11. This note is enharmonicaly the same as 3. Consequently, the moderbuit on the 7th degree (b) turns out to be B7 altered: 1 b2 b3_b4 65 8 b7. THisis sometimes called super Lectin.” (iis 80 "eark"it stants getting ‘bright’. Functionally, he aitered scales watten 1 be #2 3 wa 45 B7 bo #9 #11 BIB bs Youcanthink: Schordtones 1, 3,7 and tensions bb #9 05 #5 : #11 B13 his Super Locrian scale is used agaifst a dominant 7th chord, not a minor 7(b5). Even though the diatonic 7th chord is 8-7(b5), the “akered” in alt. dominant means thatthe Sth andtne sth are altered: which means either raised or owered (09, #9, BS, #5). No; no 5. Thisis known as gn altesred dominart scale. ‘So, you could change ine listot th chords to include B7 (bS) andor 87 (87#5). Functionally, you could delete B-7(b5) because the ditered scale is not usually used for minor 7(08) | {The Super Locrian or atered dominant scale is also called the diminished - whole tone scale, because it stars out like a dlminished scale (8 CD. Eb:hall step whole step - hall step) and ends lke a whole tone scale (Eb F G A Ball whole stops). ‘This is important to keep in mind because all the melodic minor modes have these contigurations, but indifferent areas of each mode. Quartal Harmony (4th voicings) Three- part voicings: P4+P4-3 0 CEIG eco DGA Phe tT-1 0B F c T+Ps-4 0 A | Eb| foartavstinas Fb A afernot compatible witty the previous 8 and F | fgesvoicingssinoe these two contain the dlinished 4th interval (which sounds {ig Sec er21eh This ie nota cay that thdy ean fe used at al.'s just hat they Me eound igh ina 9AM harmony eden ARTAL HARMONY » -a¢ Minor Scéle) 3 Part ‘ \ 4 =; — A 8 B08 ' o os TT Pa P4 P4 Pd p4 P4 TT PS PS Omit because of diminished 4th 5 Part e238 0 3 | ) 8 — 9 — 9-1 — 38 8 3 — 9B ho Oe v2 oo P4 P4 TT TT Pa Ph of eiNG P4 of PA Ph TT TT PS TT of Ph PA TT TT 4 PA TT p4 PA of P4 PA TT P4 op4 TT TT P4 P4 of he diminisiied 4th interval seems to work tnuch better in four, five, and six part Ath vorcings. Teranmanenser ns to add a nice quality of DrightnesTriad Intancote th Ch, Harmonic Minor Scale ortts, Others Let's take a closer ook at the C harmonic minor scale, 1. Alltwelve intervals are contained in 4 harmonic mifor scale: minor 2nd 3 (D:€b; G-Ab: B-C) ‘major 2nd 3 (C-D: Eb; F-G) minor Grd 4 (C-Eb; D-F; F-Ab; B-D) major ard a (€0-G; GB; Ab-C) perfect ath a4 (C-F; D-G; Eb-Ab; G-C) auamented 4th 2 (F-8: Ab-D) Giminished 51h 2 (O-Ab: B-F) perfect 5th 44 (C-G: F-C: GD; Ab-Eb) minor 6th “3 {C-Ab; G-Eb; B-G) ‘major 6th 4 (0-8; Eb-C; F-0; Ab-F) ‘minor 7th 3 (D.C; F-Eb; GF) major 7th —13 (C-8; Eb-D; AbG) augmented thidiminished Sin —+2 Sedethtamily 344 = 7 (Trtone) minor 2ndimajor 71h 43 endthfamily 3+3 = 6 minor 3rd?major 6th 4 4invSthiamily 244 = 6 major 3rd'minor 6th +3 z The reason that both the 2nd/7th major 2ndiminor 7th 43 family and the athiSth family are : ay ‘missing some unitsis because of perfect Athipertect 5th 4 enharmonicintervals. We've got Which is a diminished 4th/augmented Sth thi addition, there is the augmented 2ndrdimini like a minor 3rdimajor 6th. This augmented! minor scaleits very distinctive "color". The minor scale involved only halt steps and wh B-€b again (ike in melodic minor), t sounds ike a major Srd/minor 6th. In shed Tih interval, Ab-B (B-Ab), which sounds nd interval is really what gives the harmonic struction of the major scale and the melodic Ie steps, Inthe harmonic minor scale, we've olan interval larger than a wnole step betwpen two scale degrees forthe fist time. | 2. Triads ‘The harmonic minor scale contains: 2 majortriads . G Ab 2 minortriads Cr 2 diminishedtriads 0° 8° 1 augmentedtriad © Eb+ 3. 7th Chords The harmonic minaf scale contains: | think you can e28 now why it's calles four-part structur vo Vv IL Vil Mw 1 major 7th chord vw 4 minor 7th chord Vv 1 dominant 7th chord v 4+ minor 7(b8) chord 0 1 diminished 7th chord vil 4 minor major 7th chord CMT ie 1 augmented mayer 7thchord — EbeM7 i the harmonic minor scale! (seven different See tig hybrel four-part vorcings, pages $9 1061gth, 11th, 13th chords cM? 9 11 BIS Ave thesb triads? 0-705) bs 11 13 EbeM7 9 1 13 Fr 9 #11 13 G7 ba 11 13 ADM? #9 HIT 13 B7 bo bit bis | Things start to get a bit complicated at this point (Enharmonically 3). Also, notice the b13, Sinct means you get b13, 13, and no 7th! Kind of weit Notice that 8°7 has ab11, the 8°? already has bb? ( 6), this isntit? Notice that Eb+M7 has 13, Since Eb+M7 has #6 init, we get a similar dlgnmert: #5-12. (Although Lydian augmented — third made of melogic minor —has the same thing, it also has #4, which seems to redeemit somehow. Eb+M7 in Weird!) | Also notice two other things: F-7 has #11 and At harmonic minor has 11. (Ab) Major? has #9 plus #11. These ‘ive very interesting colors that we haven't seenbbefore. We could call the mode built rom F a sortof ‘blues dorian” and the moda built from Ab a sortof ‘blues Lycian”, Allof this helps to explain why | suggested that only four harmonic minor modes were really useful. (From, 4, 5, 6). Fi the soundot the V7{bS) prematurely. From the seemistoo "weird. However, thsi just my own must decide for yourselt Quartal Harmony (4th Voicings) Three-pantvoicings: 8° C'D 'F |G FG Ab C|D cD Eb G! AD Asin melodic minor, we have the diminished ath consider, Eb) Ab B fy F 8 (tums out to be an Ab minor triad) However, since the harmonic minor scale is so ini bbest to let each person decide what does or doe: #m the 2nd degree seems to spoil id degree and 7th degree just yersonalopinion. As always, you (which sounds like a major 3rd) to resting harmonically, think it "t sound good,QUARTAL HARMONY | r Scaiv) | (Hamenic Mi |ic Four-part Chords: Part! | setsotpossbiies, the primary symbol system the 7h chord terminology while ‘ondary system istiads overbass nots. jor (7th chords ) & £ G & B Gg 2B c D E F GA B yon, OM? 07 ET FM? G7 AT? B-7b5 & D2 GG B & |G E c BOA GF E . M7 BTS AT G7 FMT |E7 D7 & g ae Q E & c cE G 8B oF A . cu7 7 G7 B15 D7 | M7 AT & GG & E 2 Bp ¢ cA F 5 B GE E7 E D c Ab ADMT Eb EbiM7 FT B& G7 0-705 3 87 B75 a A 3 BT 5 D-705 ‘ADM? Eb EbsM7 eB G7 FT 8-705 FM7yom jyolodie Minor 7th chord variation (or hybrid 1{th) CMT D7 ° Ebim7 F7 G7 Eo £ g D f F °} ADS G7 FT & G E£ G F £b G7 BS DT ec 8 D F A Cc) F7 D7 -B-7bS| E o fF Bb oC A | Ebta7 A705 co DOG D7 AOS Eps DB. 4 Ebr c 6G o A705 EbeM7 Eb D 7 E Eb _ Harmonic Minor 7th chord variation (or hybrid 13th) oycle2: oyole7: cycles: slo 4: c M7 0-75 o c 87 eB Ab EbsM7 b+ ‘AbM7 gry OB 7DQ EbeM7 F-7 «GT bm E G oO Eb Fo AbNT G7 OFT a GE G F Eb G7 87 0-705 G Be oO F AD c F7 D705 BT E pb B Eb c Ab 87 -EbeM7_ ADM? Be foe ab | Ab o Gi 0-798 ADM? Eb+MA7 p ab EDF c G D ‘ADM Ab G EbsM7 Eb+ D F7 E Eb a7 s F D-705 > c 87 B Ab 8-705 8 A a7 8 Ab D-7b5 DY ‘AbM7 Eb+M7 Eb+ a7 FT ebInthese sets, there is no succint 7th chord terminology system, so the sole systems rads overbass Major (hybrid 9th) Cycle 2 Cycle 7: cycle 3 Cycle 6: Cycle 4: Cycle 5: Cycie2: Cycle 7: Cycle 3: Cycle 6: cycle 4 Cycle 5: cyclez Cycle 7. Cycles: Cycle 6: Cycle 4 g & a c D E $ GS £ & oO c 8 A GS Go 8 D2 ¢£ c E G 8 gS & gc & c A F D G g E— & c F B E G 2D A & c G D A Melodic Minor (hybrid 9th) Gof BF g ¢ 5b & F GS f£ & DB c B A G gS B Q E c Eb G B Gf oc # Cc A F dD g a E By eo F 8 & S 2 ww Eb c G Oo A Harmonic Minor (hybrid 9th) Go 8 ¢ c D Eb F Gg E fb+ DP c B ‘AD G G a a E c Eb G B g Eb+ & Ab a a g co E Ba c Fe B Eb SG 2 fb Eb c G 0 Ab) Cycle 5: m0 ob mb on me > om op on 2m of 7b ag 5m ep mb omg o> om ob on B > ob on om mob om mm > 7 on4-part Chords: Part IV | wo wo \ts odie Minor (hybrid 11th) wo wo wo “monic Minor (hybrid 11th) aa a2 wo wo az ae az 2 Eb @ c 3 Eb wo wo oO fh be bb 6 Ss Ab aa‘yarerent iniigs, Most ot the time, there's! However, you need to wach out for any tl Wat's the best." There isn't Any sytem ol chord-seale relationships is| certain disadvantages. Consequently, about many difleront approaches, Initial, the twa most important approach before). Derivative has the advantage of ‘would include the major scale, the real me symetrical diminished scale. the whole tor complexity of this approach invalves the t relationships of how the ‘master scale" rel ome tuthto wnat anyone might fot you prencyto tnt tre must be ono way ‘bound to have certain advantages as wellas fq advise anyone to {ind out as much as possible | | S are derivative and parallel (as we've indicated elying on relatively tow “master scales," which Hlodic minor scale, the harmonic minor scale, the scale, the pentatonic scale, etc, The cl that you need to learn many different tes to the chord type. Examples: chord. symbol is F Lyaian, Think major scale bul on the fith degree (CG major scale) Chord symbols G7 altered. Think melodie minor scale built rombb9 (Ab melodic minor scale) Chord symbolis A7(b2}b13. Think harmotic minor scale built from the oot ol where his dominant chord would tend to resolve (D harmorie minor scale), j The Parallel approach starts out with all the complexity because in the beginning you have to leam seven different modes from the m4 minor, seven modes from the harmonic mi jor scale, seven modes from the melodic r, etc. As difficult as this may seem, it does have the distinct advahtage of a consistent understanding of note relationships fromthe foots ot he chords. Consequently, this approach (parallel is usually understood to be ‘especially important and useful for musicians wha play chords. This way,wve know not only the notes that are available, but also their tones and tensions, Insome situations, it's fairly obvious that de Forinstance, ifthe chord symbol is Gb Lyd “What is the major scale of which Gb is the: down aiifth?” The chord might be over bet Lydian means a major scale with the 4th a notes night away, So, inthis situation, itwot derivative. ‘Onthe other hand, ithe chord syrtbolis As cumbersome, to putit mildly: “Let's see, Mi Adi major scale (AW Bd Cx Dit 68 Fx Gx A the 7th.” (By the time you figuredit out, the thinking would be much faster: ‘Minor 7b the notes of a B major scale trom the 7thd In addition to derivative and parallel, there relationships. Probably the most well-knov ‘would be the Lydian Chromatic Concept. { any depth on the details of the Lyaian Chrot se George Russell's book, The Lydian C Organization). One appealing feature oft consistent system within ise. One less ay contusing to someone who doesn't already | and paral thinking. Lice any other appro: advantages and disadvantages. Iwould cal because, ike derivative, you dan'thave 10 ‘You donvedte lean panticular s buttne "parent scales” are somennat dite lationship to the chord type in terms of chord- rivative is quicker than parallel or vice versa, ian, derivative thinking might be too slow: ith degree? Let's see, do lgoupa fifth or re you figure tout. Whereas, f you know that gree raised a hall step, you canget to the id appear that parallel thinking is quicker than 705), Parallel thinking would be very 7105) is Locrian. All have to do is take an ‘and flat the 2nd, the 3rd, the Sth, the 6th and hole une could be over!) Derivative is Locrian. Major scale up a halt step. Oh! I's 20, Al!" i re other ways of looking at chord-scale in of alternative chore-scale relationships ils beyond the scope of this essay to go into vatic Concept. Anyone interested should yomatic Concept of Tonal 1... iethat tis acomplete and Ppeaiing feature is tat it can tend to be ae astrongb3cround in both derivative ch. he L.. G, has i's own distinct the L.C. C. a hybrid derivative approach {gain ail he modes that you have to learn in des, ndtlerentrelatonishps 0 chord-types, rent thanin perma derivative thisking foo reese eran component 62. oe KEG ATINE Overview.” {ne way that he chosp to orcaanize dwas one ot veal But the fact that someone could looNthis way #8 quite valuable, | ‘Drink Tove are e) Of LCC. thinsing that I've four to be very useful, You'll ind certain raps" built into iby virtue of being a “gystem.” On the other hand, to no benefits and valuable aspects of someone's work just because i's a system. ‘would be to check f out it yol're interested, and take trom it _pere sone other apsrozch to chord-scal elatenshins that needs 1 be mentioned Zenrvon-one inking. ‘To my knowledga there has beeh no organized approachor sto tis kindof .rking, eventhough mary playersbise tromumetotime) AS Tmentguess nas eco vith common anes. inits mast simpe form, «couldbe depressed as: “What stays the same? And what changes?" It works in progressions of _aorcs that have a commen tone. For purposes of demonstration, let's take a couple of ‘poarossens and show al ur ways of crord-seae thinkgfolowedby atheme that has Jeon moved aroundto it ezcno!the our approaches, | xno. Derivative C Maj. Bb? | | Ab Maj.7 Bb7 = jbo 2; o t ~~ (C Major) (F Melodic Minor) (Eb Major) (F Melodic Minor) | Parallel | = ——— ao oe 2 Tere To ve (C Ionian) (Bb Lydian b7) | (Ab Lydian) (Bb Lydian b7) (Ab Lydian Augmented) bebo oO “0 = . ve 04 oor poo (C Ionian) (C Aeolian Major) (C Aeolian) (C Aeolian Major) (C Mixolydian b6) (C Mixolydian b6) Theme: 7123465 DerivativeParatiel Ctonian BbLlydb7 AbLyd. Lydian Chromatic oe ore F Lydian Common Tone Clonian C Aeolian maj C Aeolian CMixo. bé: Notice that in each of the four approaches, you are stillusing exactly the same notes for each chord. But think that i you played through the progression a numberof times using each of the four approaches, you would come up with different results. Observations for Example No. 1 * Derivative is probably the easiest, but you ‘jump around" some. + With parallel you tend to shape your ideas the same way the chords move. + With Lydian Chromatic Concept, thinking F Lydian tor C maj. 7s abit tricky tor most, people. On the otherhand, the rest ofthe progression turns out tobe strung togetherin common-tone thinking. | + With common-tone thinking, you can stay right where you are and play without moving around a lot because i's easy to see ‘what's the same? And what changes?” CMixo. b6 .ative > CMaj. 7 #11, — S00 if G7 Al (Bb Melodic Minor) “+ (G Major) (CLydian) (Db Lydian Augmented) (Ab Lydian Augmented) (Cb Lydian Augmented) go" ee G Locrian § 2) m4 (G Phrygiank 6) (G Altered Dominant) Theme: 3125476 Derivative . i Ah + io. ee. fey 2 rors ee 3 A —e += yf | Gmajor Bbmel.min, F mel, min, Abel. CLydian ATat. Dlocriany 2 - G7altG major GlLocrian 2 Observations for Example No. 2 * Alter playing the four variations of theltheme, you might be tempted to experiment with skipping from one measure of one approach to another measure of another approach. I certainly nope so! * You might even see the possibilty of transposing the theme to get even moro panans nan were given. I'S0, go fdrit! (Themes and variations are a very important art of improvising.) * Youmaht experiment with your own seven- note themes. (llyou runoutet ideas, you Could use a telephone book for source material). * You might experiment with themes of less than seven notes (or more). Atterthoughts: Aaain.no single appredchis the best.” But each approach has dette uses. Eachis valuable, Eachis worthwhile exploring Derivative: Accessible; very good for “an overview.” Parallel: Important harmonically-very good for “specifics.” Lydian Chromatic: Less accessible than normal derivative; very good for “another ‘overview’ (could lead to even more “overviews).” Commen-‘one: Uniquely eiterent rom previous approaches; more lke an undewiew thanan “overview.” Chord Type Mode(s) Major 7h lonian; Lydian; (Lydian#2); (Lygian augmented) Minor 7h Dorian; Phrygian; Agolian; (Doriant) Hiipor major 7th melodic minor; harmonic minor Minor 7(b5) Locrian; Lecrian 2 Dominant 7th Mixelycian; Lydian'67) Aeolian major; altered dominant; Porygian migor; Dorian be: whole-tone: symmetrical diminished (172, 1, 1/2, 1, 1/2, 1, 172, 1) Major 7 #5: Lydian augmentedProcess row the Malor 7th, Mi, 7(@5) and Maj. 7(#5) chords\can be used as substitutes for othor vords, Iwas listing for mysett the possible function§ of CMaj, 7. feame up with six soreibleuses: hse fo show you something that | ihn is interes “ Aiter decicing to demonstrate 1.0 Maj, 7 ] | 2.D7 sus 4(9.13) | 3.D-11 (in Dorian only) . 4. FMC) | SAT 6. B7sus4 (#5 , b9) ‘Ten figured it would be a good idea to show the use of C Major 7th or each of the six ~ chords in progressians where the chords occurred intcontext. So l wrote sx progressions otthree (or four) chords. Then, |wrote several more yersions of each ol the six tunctions using diferent voicings of the C maj. 7 chord. (The progressions were usuallyI Vor ‘some variation of i) | compiled allthe material and wiete itout on paper (which follows) | ‘Then | wondered itt would be possible to string these small harmonic fragments together tomake a larger progression. (The trick would be to Use each andevery fragment, but only once!) After much experimenting finaly figured out away todo f. | admit did take some “aristc liberties" when | needed, but that’s okay to do. Then |wrote flout on paper (sich follows) | Myouwite something ke his thatworks, | you callita ‘chord progression’, | Hit not only works but really sounds good to you, | you callita “harmonic continuity!” | | I Inthis case, the harmonic continuity came first. Then, simplified it to write the i - progression (the changes) which follows. Play through and study all ofthe following pages: | |Hees of CF As C Maj.7 7 TAI Mer D715) GIA, CMaj7 D7 GTA CMaj7 Be GTA CM __o oe cea) 3 oF 8 fo — 0 = ? : - é As D? Sus 4 (9,13) AI DISus4 , Got © GM As D Dorian - ATAK. D7 Sust G Lyd. ten a D-13 tion © 3.8 pos be a a ee ee ee = = ° : — | iy =a es 7 Lo 2- ASF Lydian G18) CAR FAI G7 CTAL. ” F Lyd. G7) CTAL FLyd. 4 rm p28 to bm 2 bg ko RR by 28 = ree 5-0 ——— 20a Gs 2 $6 $9 oko = o— — eS ay 33s bo S (o) ~@) bo. As B+7 Sus 4 b9 F#-7| B7S ELy F#-7(b5) B7Sus4 E- F#7(b5) B7 Sus4 E- (05) Sus 4 3 2 mm Bo te 2 WE “0 wo ty oe a ag fea. ye 8p sou & te) e AT D7 Al. GLyd. provenETAn F#-7(bS) B7Chord Progression | AT DTA GMaj.7 a §—== ATA -D7Sus4— GL D7Sus4 Go? CLyd. F#-7(05) —B7(b9)— a3 = — = CT AL. F Lyd. ATA -D-7 G7 AL My. 7 AT D7A. —_B-7(b5)_—- ET AL F#-7(b5) B7(b9) E+ | | F#7(5) B7(b9)_— ELyd. G-1(b5) CTA, Lyd. Abll .G-7 CTA FLyd. EVA 7 D7 G7 Alt CM | AT D7AK. — GMaj.7 D-7(05) G7 Alt. CMaj.7 AT D7 Alt. B9 | ETA AT DTA, GLyd. ET Alt 2 At D7 AR. Bo ETAW F#-7(b5) BTsryations: {use the D Dorian voicings because of thd"low D” tuning, but I did transpose yp a whole step! (Last two voicings of harmohc continuity). st \d be aware of all chord tones and tensigns in all voicings, -srmanic continuity, chord symbols are used only on "passing chords” (a litle .g¢, all C major 7th chords are nt chord symbols are simplified. ;cliberty’) that were not included on page: —" all other major 7th chords on pages 99 and 00. (FM7, GM7, BbM7, DM7), ‘reght be a good idea to write a melody for this halmonic continuity. Then, stant ‘orouising on the changes, ‘rink of al the other tonaities that could have be ‘anspose the C Major 7th chord! used # Ihad been able to Study voice leading carefully. ‘You might have to use a tape recorder to play all th guitarist; or a bass player). +The harmonic continuity is a very good study in fouF, five, and six part voicings, Notes in the voicings (or another Uses of C major 7 b5 . C Maj7(b5) D-7(b5) | GTAR. CLyd. ATAIt ary = i ~ eo o AP 7 te 7 - D7 iB All D7 B-7 E7 (b9,13) @ = qt | 8 — | Te; "oS o ~ F#-7(b5) F#-7(b5) : B7 Sus 4 E- AT + Fos 0 ) Cc 2a 4 aa oC 2S Frooties pigment ee ana eaAbT ML EI 7 AbT ALL Db Maj.7 BOT ALL BT Sus 4 (b9) F#-7(b5) B7 Sus.4 (b9)_ E-Maj.7 Step 1. Write three or more vs variation). Use the tht others, if you preter). Step2. Write aprogression ut (add passing chords i Step3. Write amelody. Step 4. Write out changes an Question: Can you tind six different Major (05) chor =O C- rations for each of the sic uses (three or four per fee voicings above for the three variations (oruse. ing at least 75% of the material you came up with youlike). begin improvising, Js in the previous harmonic continuity? are Gi3+g of Aug. Maj. 7 Chord (C#Maj.7; C Maj.745; E/C Tonic Substitute = D7 G7 C+ Maj.7 D7 47 Al C+ Maj.7 > ; C4Maj.7 is particularly Interesting Dominant Substitute (for C7) Inthat itis ¢ way to harmonize the G-7(b5)C+Maj.7_ F Maj.7 natural 7 on a Domn.7 chord. op _ig 2 0 po, 8 ber = =o Five uses derived from Mélodic Minor modes: — C#N7is the Ill chord in A Melodic Minor; consequently we shall see that itcan be ‘substituted or used for A- (I); D Lyd. b7 (IV}: Ga? alt. (VVil}; and B7 sus4(b9,13); and that, in fact, alli these chords are somewhat interchangablel! (b9) C+ Maj.7 as; » A-Maj.7B-7(b5) E7 Al, A- as; B7 susp FH-T(65) BT Sus. 4 573 E Maj 9. ~ 1 uel ; . 2 otal exe py 2p ge A=8 sa pa 5 J 6 0 BS ‘o oO 2 o = | o asD13(#11) A-7 DLyd.b7) E Maj.7__ as F#-7(b5)9 FH7(bS) BATE ai? as H=g te 3 40 ZoiTriads Over Bass Notes: | There are 48 possible tri ) Wiad with one at asiheba is over: 2. these “redundant” etn aL ge tour augmented triads. Ce (Es: them like this Dos (Fe:As) Boe (Fe; De) Be) (Ede; oy w bass ote, Twelve ofthese 43 tum out bejusta ne notes doubled in the bags. Theretore, welelminate them. Using G urbs would be: nucfures, since the twelve augmented triads are -) was already eliminated above because of The remaining nine augmented tiads are realy ony three. Wellwrite ‘This means that, out of 48 possibilties, only 80 tum out to be structuresot four different notes’ ] c Abe A cc cc ‘These 30 structures fall into three convenient types: 4. Obvious 7th chords (8) 2, Less obvious 7th chords (7) 3. Hybrid structures (15) c fo Bebe BB i Rm £ & cece cece cc Let's list them: Obvious 7th chords (8): Eb=C-7; Eb-« C-7(b5); Eb? = 07, cc c 4 \, | Oy uid eb) OMT; Ee M7; E-= CMT eon OF ic c c oo = tong diminished £2. & ¢ a = Ch Less obvious 7th chords (7): _Db= DoM7; De» Db-M7; Db =D tonic dim, cc c (D=07; D- = D-7(F6); D° = D-7(b5) F-6 cc c bets: Ae) « Doe M7 ic Hybrid structures (15): ES, BRE#: GG G°: Ab Gace ccc Bo cic ‘Bo Bb: Bb": B- B°; BbsiFite:Day cq ccc c These hybrid siructures can be analyzed as iffcomplete Sth, 11th, and13th chords, All30 possibillies are usetul. Notonly are all 30 useful, bul each’can be usedin atleast several ways. (See “six Uses of CMaj.7"; “Uses of C+M7)." 12 keys | Example c | his material thoroughly, you'll haveto take eachol the 30 structures D=0"7, Cly,, Cydb7, 07, Eb°7,E-7 (bS, 9), F7, FA7 ak. FHP 7; ADT alt, A-6(11); Bb+!47(9; B7(#9,69) Even théugh you could come up with all he pdssible uses on paper, don't expect that youlllbe able 1o use them allin context right away. That could take come time. You'll find that you may not reall like the sound ot them. Qut of allthe material nat you genera incorporate becans oon Cuca alerays omesolthem. ifthat’s the case, then dont use youllue doin well f you can actually (f.1nto your playing, rena 0 knowns very usefulorvations thatyou cous ty to woe these chords wi tho tid spread position as ora! asclosed! glass ‘Soread | € 06 | >a 8 | - ard on sin © sinave a hard time finding all of these chords # you don't know your triads fairly ~.algo very possible to arrive at other structures by putting the bass note above the ~ng3) ‘ere. (Inother words, the "bass note” does not aways nyve to be the lowest note of the voicing). Et # | 4 -8@- A 8 o fe ‘All90 structures could be arpeggtated in countless ways. If you take the four different poles ofa particular structure and compress them intojone octave, you'll have many dierent four-note scales for interesting meiodic possibiltes. + Three-part 4th voicings could also work overbassnotgs! KNEW . Tho Ret Triads Over Bass Notes: II he next few pages include some examples of a different way to use triads over bass “tes. We aren't concemned with figuring out all the possible uses for each chord. We 2 a particular structure and move through either threg-or four-note tonic systems. (A ‘se-nole tonie system would be an augmented triad: a 4 note system would be a runished Tth chord ) Be sure to voice-lead the upper structures very carefully. These icaressions have an interesting effect which is the result of the fact that, athough each ructure is the same chord type, the symmetrical bass motion (in conjunction with the non- riadic voice-leading) “disguises” the sameness of sound that might ocour, wise. | ‘sep in mind that (as was mentioned before) you could spread the triad and you could put abass note anywhere else in the voising that you wanted. Gm Bb. CHE Bb CH E G CH E G-) Bb E G Bb CH £G Bb CH G Bb CH E Bb CH E G CHE G Bb ho Be De FB DF Ab OF AD, BOF AD BOD A B DO ADB DO F B D Fi Ab D F ADB 1 C Eb Fe AD Eb FH A) Co FR AC Cc Eb A C Eb Fa C fb F# A Eb FH A C G E CH Rb G G E CH Bb Bb GE Ci CH Bb #2 G E E Ce bb G@ GE ~ Bb GFE Fa eb G. cH Ab A eb E Bb FE Fa Db Gb Bb Gb © A 8. Ab Eb a 8b Eb. - E ci 8B Ab AY cc AR G CH ce G ho Ot Dd Ab A Eb Eb A Bb- Bb- e € BB FOF c ¢. Fe Fe Ge — Ab Ab FA A Db Fa Bb % & AD Gh. © A Db A OH 8 Lie D> 3B @ B c | Ap. |c- bb F A: Ob d |e Bb- /D- fb G G |ce E> A G#-|D- — Bb A Fi E. Bb Fa D FD: dB FH Eb eC cee Ab 8 AC E> Fe & Cf BG CH A D Bb D- Ate Fo ze 0g OF go og go OP Bg >O BP >E no me eg es 0° FE Ob Fa D Ab BP 7B ™O ZO ° Ge. A Bb Ate G Ab & Bb Eb Eb GH. A ‘ Fe cH Ab A Eb eb: ES ca F. Eb: E. F. Gb Fa. Eb. Ab FE o Fe Eb D. Eb: E Bb E FH G Ab: A Fa eb Eb- B tie OPE acmeeb- Cr Bn ce Am: D- ito OF c. eb 2B D 3. Bb Db- x GED so BO ep Ob E cb DF G Bb Db ¢ & Gb >: BD oe G A&G Eb oF AD DF Ab —£ G Bb > FH A F ADB —£ G Bb Fea Cc DF Ab G Bb Db & FH OA mB D £ G Bb A CG Eb 0 F Ab ® Ob E Eb FH OA 8 DF —£ G 8b c Eb Gb OF Ab bE G > Gb A DF AD & G Bb E FE Bb ZO oO gg 70 mo >8 g Bb- 8. Bb cH c Eb- Ab Ab Bb Bb Ab Db £ Fe. & F Bb 9g 70 mo oo G Fe Ge A Ab Ab Bb A go >m Bg oo 7) om D- cH eb. bo G Bb. FRA Gh B G) Bb AC Gt Bb. Ab B- Bb Ob _>m zg oo gm g & 2 m e Gb Fr G Oo a a 8 | g ¢ Eb q 5 fl 8 é a E Eb 8 go >™ BB >9 °° Om Og eo go °g pm 7g mo oo Bb- Bb fcr Bo- B Db ma Gb Gb cH c ge o> a> me Ab 8b A4th Voicings Doublings eeG7 AM. DI3(b9)_— CLyd.7 D-IL C#Maj.7 OTAR. | CLyd. _D-7(b5) Eb7Sus.4 C#-7(b5)__B-7(b5) #1 CHo7 G7 Alt Bb7 - Ab7 Maj.7) E-1(b5) DLyd. BT Sus.4 A-7(b5) Go. G_—_Bb-7(bS)_ AB Maj.7 ATA. E§ Eo? FR? EMar ®' Lippe 1 P-F HB ero F#-7(bS)_B+7 foal | DMaj.7— F#-7(b5) BT B13 (b9)_ E- fo" F2— | 8— =*8= + o——— 78 8 S 79Fill in the missings voicings. Pad rr G7 lnversions FH+7 B Maj.7 CMaj.7 Doublings Co? Be Gs = | Bb7 Eb7 Ab Maj.7— EbMaj.7 = Eo7_—F-9 FH#-7(bS) BT Alt. ES | ; pe —te” ste: bo. G ae = oo a “3 = 8: — 2 o 1 = © CHT FH7 B Maj.7. Go7 Ab-7 AT (F-/F#) GL B — | G D7 Alt. ro, -f sto fou & ee 4 PesEXoy SS = — & = 2 = 8 ts be E7 Al3 B-7 FHT bron 1G: *0= e °°Pontatonic Scales “Penta” means five, Therefore, any tive-n. ‘wo important five note scales emerge as cD EG 123 5 6 CD & G A MinorPe 12 035 6 : Notice that these scales correspond to the| the ath and 7h degrees omitted, The may major scale could viork. The minor pentat scale could work. In addition, since the C melodic minor scale, it would work for sor pentatonic scale is contained in the Bb ma} Isnt this interesting? (C major pentatonic Dispositionally onthe guitar, the major pe tuning of he guitars an expandea G mayo more dificult ora bitless accessible. But ‘Another approach that you might keep in. le scale could be called pentatonic. However, eing very usetul: A Major Pertatoni Scale (Chinese) ntatonic Scale (Japanese) Imajor scale artne melodie minorscale with pentatonic scale works nae places a [Ine scale works inline places a meodic minor iajor pentatonic scale is contained in the G_ melodie minor modes. Also, since te mie scale, would work for sorne major mo" ‘so contained in major scale) too BEC | latonic scale “als happily.” (Afterall, the pentatonic scale.) The minor pentatonicis rk with i, singe fs so useful indi the following: since the ‘problem areas” in the minor pentatonic scale are the minor Grd interval between 6 and 1, and especially the major 3rd interval between b3 and 5, get a six-note scale. This “faiis more happil the five note scale. Andther uselulfive-not CDE GBD 123 5 b7 covers some of the modes of the F major melodic minor. CDEGA :669 D7 D7 su (From major scale and F major scale) (The chords in boid AT BbMT#IT FromG melodic min. :G-6 A7sus4(b9) CD EGA (FromC mel. min) C-6 D7sus4(b9) From Bb maj. scale CDEG Bb ATsus(b9) BoM: PS. |almost forgat to mention sornething metimes it's advisable to add the 4th degree to ‘on the guitar andi just about as useful as scale is: cale as well as some of the modes of G 4 E-7(bS) FM7 G7sus4 G-7(Doranonly) cate important uses.) C7 Fa7alt. BoLyd. F7 A-7(b5) B7alt. EbM7#11 A-7(b5) C-7(Donanonly) C7 E-7(b5) FaPalt. G-7idorianonly) G6 #11 (weak) ery obvious and very important: C maior pentatonic works real well for Blues in Al (How many of us started with this?!)nree-Part 4th Voicings Over Bass Notes sun two C'S.) B\B /Bt Be Cl cH e Fel ee [re Fee G) G i. & GS] o#lcr ce D] p \: ¢ c/e \c ¢ che eH /e# F FH\ Fe Gb G B [8# C C] CH Dd Db s ER\E# G GI] G Ab Ab c ele ¢ c/é cc 1. Ab Db 2. C89 (from major pentatonic scale) 3. Vchord from F. harm. min, 4. Ab13#9 (dim. scale) 5. Ae Bb 6. C7 with andsus 4 7 he D 8. AM7(11); O7#11 F#-7(05,9); Abalt 9. C7#9 (fromdim. scaler also at. dom) 10. A2orc-69 D 11. Ab Bb 5 Weird” Structures: B CH CH AM AH Fa G GHE EF cD DB B cc cc ¢ four-part structures (The 9 structures in parentheses are redundant as they C# Db D D D DF DH E& E E G Ab Ab A A A At Bb BD B QD g Bb fb EE EE EE cce ccc cece e¢ G G GH GH AD A A A AG AG 0 0 D Of & & E E E EF ab A A A 8 > BB BB cccccc ccc ce the descriptions below to the appropriate voicings above. 12, G13, C+: Flyd; Ddorian 13, Four-part perfect 4th voicing 14. A 45. C7 ah, 16. 17. 18, 19. Ab a E 24. C7(b9¥11) (symmetrical dim, scale) Ab A 22, herentCheck out fingerings tor C major pentatonic scale| {Nso, Open Position.) Explore Position six a tot, very easy, Easy positions are two, tive, s + Check out fingerings for C minor pentatonic scale| Especially, Positions two, five, seven, ten, and tv Penatonic Positions one through twelve. 's absclutely fascinating (and not ven ang twelve. Positions Open through twelve. Wve. (Hint: think “2 notes per ale: think “two notes per string,” Major Pentatonic Scale (Scales are shown under staff.) CMaj.7#11 ATalt. D7 GTalt. — ETal. ASG) F#-TIHS) RT = DorG Eb Db Bb Cc F co AT 7 susé —_E-7(b5) AT alt. D-7(b5)—G7sus4 c A A c Eb Bb F C7alt, | FMaj.7 b7#L1 = EbMaj.7 AbMaj.7_ Db Maj.7_ G7alt, Fe CorG iy Bbor F Ebor Bb Ab or Eb Db Minor Pentatonic Scale (Scales are shown uhder staff.) 7. CMaj.7#11 A7alt, — D-7 GTal, E7alt. = As (G)_—F#-7(5)— BT alt Bb- D- ‘Ab- a A 7 susd ETS) ATalt. ~—(D-7(bS)_—G7 sus4 - eo Bb- F Ab Maj.7_— Db Maj.7€ Major Pentatonic Ex.1 6th Position “4 a 2 2 & === — = = = = oo S oe Ss o o © T3221 2 bk 8 ts 4s, 4s, 4s 4 4s 6th Sth 4th 3rd 2nd Ist 6th Su 4th 3rd 2nd Ex.2 Sth Position Ex.3 7th Position oe ee = See S t 3 00? — 1413 1313 1414 241414132424 6h Sth 4th 3rd nd st 6th Sth 4th «| 3rd nd st Ex.4 6th Position Ex.5 6th Position ea o i 5 oo ae 6: oo o_o: eo 500° Soo 13°12 12 12 1/313 3 43 243 2 424 3-45 3 ds 6h Sth 4th Bed hd Ist 6th Sth 4th 3rd. And st Observations: #4 closely resembles #2 (everyone knows thi dispositionally just about as easy. #5 closely resembles #3 (almost everyone ki dispostionally more dificult. Consequently, +#4 and #5) contains the combined poss bli position}, plus a lot more that cant be done {s0eth postion), every other note has two ting and highest notes (low A; High D). Hammer: interval are now possible. one!) and is physically and this one!) but is physically and {sixth position] (which includes both ‘of #2 [hith position) and #3 {seventh either #2 or #3. This is because in #1 rings/iocations, except for the lowest AS and pull-ofls over a pertect 4thNote Math/F Note Math __ ascending ~ =descendingFinger Math 1234 4321 1924 4231 1942, e491 2341 3214 3241 2314 34214) 4312 3412 2183 2419 at42 42ia) 3124 4123 41432 4132 1423 2134 1243 24X44 \tinger stretch sequences) = 96 pattems (See Page 27) | Observations Note Math: | * You coud construct two measure patterns by staiting on the note G. This would make 256 two-measure palterns (18x 16), Example! a T From C | From G + You could play these patterns on ail sero aes and mods. + "You could rewrite the whole series of 16 one- besides ards (4ihs, Sths, 6ths, etc.) -asure examples using other intervals * Youccould make a iving by wrling books of exefcises using tis material! Finger Mat + These 96 patterns could be played on one string, orn positions (across al sx strings). + You could construct chords andlor arpeggios by putting each of the four fingers on fourditferent strings, } + You could ake any group offouritterent notes melody of arpeggio) and re-arange it ‘or 2 variations + Study the relationship between the 24 pattems (et Finger Math) and the materatin “Fraginents (Mosaics) + Youcoulskeep in mind that allo! these are ‘postibilties" they are not necessarily musie” Fragments (Mosaics) What follows is a compressed version of some material | came up with a tong time ago. tt all began with fournotes: FF G.Ab, There are 24 possible arrangements of four notes (4x 4x2 24) | constructed ines by connecting each othe 24 four note pattemsin descending minor Secs. (Consequently most, f not alo this material works nicely on a symmetrical diminished scale) Tl mctaatica Omitting the first note, the first two nctes and the first three notes of the first measure. That makes 96 possibilities, The first measure of eagh ot the 96 lines follows. If you want 0 reconstruct each line (or some lines}, all you havefo do is repeat whichever four note patiern you're using in descending minor rds. (Il pdssibie, try to play these without wnting them out) . Also. tize that these four-note patterns could be donnected at other tervals besides 3. Notoniy that, but you could move trom dry tour-note pattern to any other four-nat pattem at any interval, ascending or descehaing! Obwiously, these kinds of tris ary tvghly Chromatic anid probably wont soyrd 100 good against “Happy Byntiday’ or“Ave Matia’tfind uses for same of thbsnin certain kinds of And one more thing ithe original four notes are changed to F F# GA, then all the 96 [our note patterns wouiel bo di Fragments (Mosaics) | prec cemenensncnenmmnn eeimi amneny .voicings From The Symmetrical bimini Seale G Symmetrical Diminished (or Bb or C# or E) "4 Possible Chords: also F#7, A7, C7, D#7 with b9, ® ‘Hi, 5, 413 What do the bracketed groups all have in common? Remember: all hese voicings can be moved up or downlin minor 3rds! Symmetrical Diminished Scale6 Can you harmonize trie scate three ways with closed triads? Canyouarmonize the scale woo whys ere ads? Could those triads go over other bass|notes trom the scale? Since allthis material also works for C7, D#7, and F#7, how many different ‘chords could you resolve to? Since the cmiished scale doesn’ hae any convenient handles ont aor, milole miner endnarmone mir sdace do nave handlee arnt youded iat there are only three symmetrical diminished scales? Isthe altered dominant scale suddenty becoming much easier touse? | ‘A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words —a Taste, a Thousand Pictures. 1. Play this: | ET]2. Canyou skip around trom any one of the 16 measure “3, Isthis theme based on a scale or part of a scale? 4 What chords could this therne work against? ‘Can you transpose this theme to any other mode? Al Can you memorize this theme and play wth eyes c -7. Gan you transpose tis theme and play with your eye 8. Ityou can read this line, thon your eyes aren't closed 8. Canyou play each measure backwards? 10. Canyou play the whote theme backwards? 11.What would happen if you repeated any one of the not 12. What would happen if you started the theme in anoth 13, you've gotten this tar, what do you need with me an ~ 14, Look at the ttle again. Do you understand why that’s te any other? other modes? ed? . closed? 2 place? more? he ttle?Funpnerrarre bw) The Guitar’s Complexity ~Along time ago, Imade a char! that contained every not location and every practical lingering. (An example of an toplay Low F with your ath finger!) Instead of wrting it out —tromit ‘The range of the guitaris about 45 half steps. (We're| this analysis.) ‘The very low notes and the very high notes on the qui not too many fingerings, but concert middle C, which | instrument, has five locations and about 16 difterent fi ‘When you calculate all the numbers, it comes out this} guilar has 2 8 locations and 9.2 fingerings! It's important to understand how very complicated thi are its possibiities, This way, we can cuttvate pation think we aren't learning fast enough. (To really know: Why be in such a hurry?) ‘The next ime someone complains to you because yo| should be,” you'll know exactly what to tell them! The Evolution: 1. When you limit yoursetf to only one note, you are playing harmony; but you could quite easily be playin 2. Limit yourself to only two notes on one string, 3. Limit yourself to only three notes on one string, 4. Limit yourself to only two notes on two adjacent st ~ Another View: 1. Play with one note (one string). Play with two notes (one string). Play with three notes (one string). Play with two notes (two strings). Play with three or four notes (two strings). onthe quitar, and showed every "unpractical” lingering would be i, let me tell you what | learned rot including any harmonics in lar have only one location and inthe middle register of the ingerings! | Juay; the average note onthe | guitar really is. Also, how vast 'e and stop worrying because we fhe guitar hasto take a lot of time, | i sight reading “isn'twhat it jot playing melody, nor are you with all other elements of music. ings. | 5. Limit yoursel to only three or four notes on two adjacent strings | dl 93on : Caileimsorary Let's face it: compared to any keyboard instaymont, the quitaris a rather limited harmonic instrument. Sti. there's a lotto ne cuitar harmonically: bul you have to work very hard att forquite aionaiims. inorderto “noid your owh” acainst modern piano players these days inthe nae tere are certan aretha you should realy work with at ‘These areas would include: + Anything and everything having to do with quarter harmony (fourth harmony). + Triads over bass notes (sometimes called slash chords") + Structures from the symmetrical diminished scale, 7 + Structures with hal steps included in them| (Sometimes these structures could involve vocings wih open stings mixed inwith fretted notes.) + Structures with bS intervals included in them.» ‘Also, Keep if ming that’s not ust how many voicing you knows much more a question ‘of how many uses you know for each voicing. I's important to be able to analyze any Panicular structure in all welve keys in order td come up with as many uses as possible. (As you may nave deduced by now, Ive done that alt inthis volume) Inorderto develop an "ear" for contemporary Harmony, you'd be wise to listen primarily to Pianists . (Most guitarists are still decades behind pianists, harmonically speaking.) My Personal opinion is that the full harmonic potential of the guitar can only be realized i you play tinger-style. Short ofthat, "pick and fingers” would be the next logical choice. But regardless of whether you play finger-style,“pi¢k and fingers’ or just with a pick, harmony ‘onthe guitars stil ints infancy. There's muchlyet to be done and there's room for everyone, Sownatare you waitingfor? About Tuning and Tuners: When electric tunes fist came cu, twas sat “agains hem, ter eh, lgtone snd cicoverouto my surpie| hon vey useiney ae, Now liner tom | Even though you use a tuner, you can still have intonation problems it each string is notin tune with tsel. That's why some guitars have bridges with moveable saddles for each string. (I hope your guitarhas one!) You need to get a small screwdriver to adjust the saddles. (Cn some guitars, you might need a very small allenwrench,) You needto use the screwdriver! (That is, t you want to play inthe ) Also, it possible, get aset of fine tuners (simiartownalvatins have}: they realy eomeinhandy. So, review: 1. Tune-o-matic type bridges. 2. Screwdriver (or allen wrench) | 3. Electronic tuner » Fine tunersst interesting aspvvts of the onan, One mgt @Onuost Say uusentenieh” one thtiesudenmpocerotecme pee weuiatt woh > series bases on the ate ustice laws, and that some acc: HN LaOOUd BOOS CA/scoUstics Would bE Of Glenn urcve are the points where a Wivatedintoecust pars: 45 AB Me Mts Ale 4A 8: 18:ei0, The ° Pevolswnlorsels proportionst 48482 division oft string lengt. (Ha tre stnag lenath iwice the fesaoncy Diving the string into two parts gives one noxte (12th fret), Dwvict-gq tne Shing) Toto 3 aris gives two nodes ‘7th and 18th frets). Oaviding the string imt= Fowe. panes CT¥eS > nodes (5th, 12th ets), However. since one of fhe noc>> (Crue aM Aet) has already been us er harmonic, only the Sth and 24th f-s* ueuld procace +e proper frequency. This occurs with any division of the sttina into numbée of fbars Gan be divided by asms!ernumber (ie, 42 ,6/30r 88a crajAole eke Consequently. divisions of five and seven produce the gteatos! numbea. Of fumcions ng nodes, (4 and oressectuiy), Asaresul. me can see thatthere = a fret NOkBew available nodes tha! orocuce a variely of cliferont pitches with ceerain fepeuTsess : this occurs om a sing! (Remember, we have six since allo dois twe/ ow fuskewero! Now, a5if this isnt confusing enough, keopin mind that man: pedes locate 2bse the top frets of the fingerboard. This may not seemto be very imoortean , but KEE TS Point in mind with what folows. There are two distinctly different uses ofthe overtone seres: on positive, Wie owe’ negative. Inplayng harmonics, we are employing the postive c= cheat 8, ® MRL UMM revere sitng 212 node whnle we pick he sng with the pcs right Re TES action causes all other partials above and below the frequency otithe eliminated, leaving ne node frequency aloneto ring. An gxamai= of Ne AAegRAMtE RIPECT Would be it you plucked the string exactly a the node point. The Wee €or Gepeste would happen. The node frequency would be eliminated arc th> gthea PPTL frequencies would be reintorced! Therefore, whether you know: ibe ret jee isjugging partials much ofthe time! To plone tis subjectin dap puith, Uf rca elo . explainwihy more varies with the place:ngntof the right Rane, teed Ute | MUBH Rhop LSOiERsE an Luss geONT this point i's ke explaining how tos arnsckte to someone ove the AS TEP HEN € Feeling “Stale”? ‘Things to try when you feel "stale" (abe. sur playingor pase reece she puige nx aa8sbgne He Beet ta or tel eel : co woop Me eee ore TRE AAD + Playonthe tunes that you are ourre-*) double time!) This way, it you will sound so bad to you that you' tl: actually star to improvise, since, athe space} to think/heanfeel other kin + Ask yoursell:isthere anything + Feed loa (or wo) of breadto sor + Imagine atime or circumstance w + Gotoratongwalk. + Oy + Stop playing the guitar andlor is Ire tOMUsic rt 23 4S bork ders alotet mise fort 2 3G seo PASTS. + Change the strings on your quar and palish con Me either be etungd or Fe cycten + Stop playing the guitar, but ister + Send your guitar “back to the ti “lsSilence io Coldon that the worse we think it sounds. the mare. tes we play inorder to make up fort. Asplayers, we are all quit (at least ire ‘of playing too much. (Sometimes it seems n Usually, things gut even worse.) We neod to femindourseives quite often, “ess is more", We need to think: eed to ponder the meaning of the expressiot one silence to another.” There is nothing that is easier to play onthe a doing exactly that right now!) But knowing wl we should play, silence is not as easy. wer andiover again) that ‘Don't play ten notes when one will do.” We “Notes are clever ways of getting from itarthan silence. (Many of you are probably how, why, and tor wnat length ol time For purposes of demonstration, Ive gone tote trouble of transcribing a number of examples of ‘the ettective use of space.” Thes $e examples come from solos of mine (that "'m especially fond ot) on several goslive played inte Boston area over he last sx morins, which fortunately jst nappenedto ba develop your own unique way of using space, capturedon tape. Ot course, you must _ fo these examples shoukdn' be taken too erally. Stil, | thought it might be usetulto include them.Examples of "Effective Use Of Space" Observations ° | + Justbecause something is funny, it doesn't mean that t's not important. * Just because something is imponant, it doesn't mean that it's not funny, + One of the few things worth taking seriously is humor. | . otOn Being Self-Critical | ‘Students tend to think that eventual ater they legmaatever that they think they feed to know (or they cando whatever itis thoy thibk they need to be able todo), they wonitfool insecure anymoro. This thinking amounts fo wiehina that you didn elke your laying so much. It's fantasizing that things wall gradually change tor the better, Wiel. as good asi sounds on paper. it seldom (i ever) happens. In fact, tends o get worse, ifyou star off being crtcal, you tend to remain that way. and more than likely, along with everthing else, your eriicainess willimprove. It you try to deny your iticainess, that messes you up, because it amourts to lying. ityou become cttical of your criticalness, i's he same thing removed one step. 1! you think, “I shouldn't be so critical of myset,” you're into "what should be" instehd of ‘what is.” My experience has shown me that being into “what is”isinfintely superior to being into “what should be. However, i's not as easy. (We all seem to love to gbt lost in “what should be") Being set-crtical actualy has alo to be saidforit. People who are sett-rticaltendto improve in music because they always seem lo see co many things to work on. They tend ‘otto get involved in overly developed egos. They tend to be much less critical of everyone else. Otten, they are compassionate, Boing sett-crtical also seems to involve a lot of attertion paid to delail. I think you can see: thal this sort of things very important in music. Of cburse, some people seem to 90 overboard in this direction. That's a tough path to ga because too much attention paid to detail can be sttling in music, especialy improvised music. Other things are important, ‘oo. Sometimes these other things have nothing at alto do with paying attention to dainty, ey igh even sppear tobe exacty ihe opposte ec So, asotten happens, the idea of balance emerges. Words - Terms Frequency Pitch Intonation (Vibrato) Amplitude Volume Dynamics Duration Length Attack/Termination Decay/Sustain | Timbre Tone Overtoneinuence Tempo Meter Beat Time Rhythm Movement | Dance | Articulation | Viorato Siurs Hammer-ons Pulkotts Grace note Tris Ornaments Slides Bending Dynamics Phasing Sound Rests | Silence | Change Contrast | : MelodyiHarmony Intervals Caunterpoint capes Fag erwin Form Space Context Consonin Dissonance [tr rect tt reece emceepe we + The order ispatimportantathoush you can see shme soni relationships) * Everytime Hook ahi page usually se somethitgt hadnt thought about betore (Or see a different angie to something | have = about before.) + It's very interesting to use simple combinations of alfew of these words as a: sortot “sprngboarsor point ol departure for aree improvisation, + Examples: Improvised piece based on slides and tending. Improvised piece based ‘on dynamics and silence. improvised piece based gn tils, vibrato, and contrast, Etc,, etc, i No One Knows What's Next ~ There is a wonderful and very usetul attitude toward improvising that can be cultivated. lis basedon the realizations that: | |. + Noone who is listening to you has any idea what you're going to play next, + Youdon't have any idea what you're going o play next. | would suggest that you look for these things at he endor completion of a melodic phrase. Maybe you'llbegin to see Why i make such a big dealout of silence. Also, you might figure out why some people never stop tor very iofig! They don't want to realize these things. The frst ime a person becomes aware that "no one knows what's next” itcanbe pretty frightening. Howe'er, this realization can change into a truly amazing understanding, Atfirst, i seems lke the sting of a bee, tutitcanbecome sweet ashoney lateran, | Aiter you've played abit on a simple modal vamp, stop fora few seconds and ask yourself: + What notewilllplaynext? —* . + Willitbe a short or long note? + Loud or soft? | + When will play #2 + Willtbe followed by other nates? | + What kind oftone quality wilithave? | + What am trying to convey by this note? | ‘+ Iswhat I'm going to play similar t6 or different trom what I've just played? + Am going somewhere with this note or am | arriving from somewhere with this note, orisit just there by ise? :Some Thoughts on Technique Usually, when we think of quitarists as having “areat te fast they play; how clean (precise) they play. Bul techy than that. Itatea involves how slow: how slonny: and these extremes. Technique is touch, i's aisa moveme insice you (intention, thought, feeling. ete) meets the i ‘what's outside you (sound, music), For a guitarist, this (also wrists, arms, shoulders, neck, and back, butin a hnique,"whatwe meanis:how ique really involves much more werything else in between all of nt. IFS the point where what's isIhument anctis transformed into means primarily hands and fingers $$ obv.0Us Way). Technique includes everthing involved in the way(s) you play thelinstrument physically. (Whenever you play anything on the guitar, technique is involved.) T (One ofthe most important things to keep in mind relative to technique is what | call ‘eliciency of energy expenciture.” This phrase meansto use exactly the right amount of energy for whatever the task at hand requires — no alens on a movie projector; here's really only one ver Clear focus. Goad technique is ike that.) The other init the coordinated balance of the two hands. Now, every does have a coordinated balance between the two hai necessarily be the most elticient balance that could be, expended. Sometimes this is very dificut for people tol reasons. Firsily, you are already used {to the Yee! of wl are accustomed to, so you don’ tend to think of ether pe your hands. Secondly, a ot of inelficient energy expen “hidden,” in tact, that you have to be pretty clever and v itatalll | Let's see it we can clarity this point, more anno less. (Think of focusing 'smallarea where the image isin 1g that needs to be considered is itarist who can play even litle is already. However, it may not 9 ssibie in terms of energy ‘see in themselves for two jatever kind of balance your hands ssibilties of balance between ture is very “hidden.” (So ry observant in orderto find ‘Suppose you want to play the A on the Sth fret of the high E string. You decide what finger (left hand) you'r going to use. You place it right the fret). Then you pluck the string with a pick or aright {wo things happens: either the note rings out clear, ore Hit doesnt ring clear, we allknow that more energy is n does ring clear, we'd tend to think everything is just fine, what's “hidden.” The fist thing that's ‘hidden"is that vr Could ring clear if he right nand picks the string at a low complete assessment ofthe situation that occurs when t bbe: Either too litle energy in the lett-hand finger, ortoo ‘The second thing that's “nidden’ is that when the note d using more energy in the lelt-hand finger than is neces is clear, So you think Mission Accomplished") So, a md situation that occurs when the note does ring clear woul the left-hand finger, ortoo ittle energy in the right hand. the left-hand forthe volume the right hands playing, or elovr the Sth fet (very close to and tinger (or thumb). One of 2 itdoesnt ring out clear. Right? -eded inthe left-hand finger. Hit Right? Okay, nov let's look at nthe note doesn't ring clear, it volume level. Soamore he note doesn't ring clear would ich eneray in the right hand: es ring clear, you might be ry. (How can youtell? The note re complete assessment of the be: Eithertoo much energy in Either you're wasting energy in 5@ you're not attacking the string hard encugh given the energy levet ot the let hang finger.) Otten, we tend to blame one hand when we'd be much better olf examining the balance between both hands. Most of us use far too much energy in our lefthand. Thi “hidden,” Ve dom’ want notes to buzz, so we overooms energy. (Once you stan to examine this in detail, you m between the tourlett finger than with the other ree tingers. Again, acase of ‘So, what can we do about all of this? Well, there are a 1. Play anote over and over ata reqular and even rate (maybe quarter notes at MM kind of eneray waste is very agate with too much left-hand \y begin to notice unevenness and tingers, Many qufarists use rhore energy withthe “tle” vercompensation } ymber of different things to try: i £0) and at he same volume level. Experiment wih left-hand tngér by gradually ‘elaxing the pressure until he note begins to bu Za litle. Continue lessening the pressure until the note actualy ceases tobe a clear pitch at all and is just a mulled attackih no sustain, Tien gradual fe the procure back trough allthe buzz" stages until thn note rags cleat again. Edn ate keep addingPressure so you can see and understand Shideon*wsto of enaray ‘Then eter tnsed the buez point. “Hang out at the buzz pout between clear note and very sight buzz. ( isintocus.) Go through the same precedure again, but are working. This means that the let-nand the right-hand pressure changes to produ: lower volume levels, while buzzes and “mi levels. (I quess we could callthese two ex ‘what the other is doing’? i's also another while the other changes, and changing oni Here's an interesting idea: when you play’ time. Experiment vith using the fingers of ever have more than one finger on the ft other three fingers that are not involved in and free to move anywhere at any time. Th *hatwas explained betore about the pe the pressure oainvcinti you reach Or a wile. Go back ang forth his is the area where the projector this time reverse the ways the hands pressure stays exactly he same while buzzes. Clear notes will occur at fied un-notes” occur at higher volume ycises: ‘Never letting either hand know ‘ample of “keeping one thing the same thing while the omer stays the same") nelodies, you're playing one note ata left hand in such a way that you jerboard at atime, This means that the laying the note are always “inthe air” also means that you have to lift each previous finger al ihe same moment that each new linger decends to fret the next ote. (Tip: play long passages of very slow at all between the notes.) A interesting as this ideais, don't think that Its just hat you could learn a lot by experi very usetul for some kinds of playing | Play the guitar without using the right hand hand fingers falling on the frets. This is an e¢ exactly which fingers tend to “overcompenst accented. jotes as legato as possible: no spaces {you have to play this way alithe time, nting with t, and you might find that it's | all! Allnotes will be sounded by left: pecially good way to determine te," because you'll hear those notes Allofthese exercises are a bit ditficul at first. Beca has a habitual (out not necessarily efficient) balance that it's difficult to keep one hand the same while th enough, this dificulty is actually the evidence that t 18 ofthe fact that everyoné already between the two hands, youllsee otherchanges. (Interestingly ere is a balance.) lexercises is destroying the values of four hands while you were first you feel uncomfortable at frst This means that what you're really doing with these pressures and balances that you programmed into learning to play the instrument. Don'tbe surprised (Sometimes bad habits "die hard.”) But f you understand what you'te doing and why you're doing it (in terms of re-education andor repragramrming), there should be no Serious problem, Infact, itcould very easily be more than worth the elfon involved Pepe- Different Playing Situations As musicians, we find ourselves in diferent playing situ situations usually fail into one of three categories: 1. Playit - 2. Piaying 3. Playing with other musicians for an audience. What everyone would lke is to be ab! ~ make itso", Everyone would lke to be one. with other musicians to play well allot able to play with tions allthe time. These different he time. Unfortunately, “wishing does not onsistency.” My experience has shown me that consistency usually only appears atter you've glven up alll hope of ever achieving i. used to wonder {about 12 years ago) why it was that | ‘myself at 2:00 in the morning in my apanment. it seemet things on gigs or at sessions. it really puzzled me ~ Aiter about four years, lwondered why twas that | couk Musicians forlarge audiences. It seemed that | could nel orby mysell Itreally puzzied me. . ~ Then itfinally occurred to me that (all a'ong) I'd been ex; ofthe playing situation. | realized how unrealistic these. actually undermining my ability {in a subtle way) to respoh About that time, Icompletely abandoned any hope of pla time | played (regardless of the situation), it was "the first surprisingly. my playing started to become somewhat me wasn't even concerned with consistency anymore. I'd a the moment’ as much as | possibly could. (This seems v improvisation.) * ~ To expect yourself to play wellall ofthe ime is silly. Tobe wuld only play certain kinds of things by that | ould never play these kinds of only play certain kinds of things with other er Play these kinds of things at sessions cling certain things of myselt regardless -xpeclations were, and how they were 'd spontanecusiy in diferent situations. ing consistently. | realized hat every nd last ina series of One.” Not re consistent all by itself. By then, | ually become mare interested in‘being in Fy important, especially with regards 10 ‘unaware of the differences involved in the three kings of playing situations is to be unrealistic. (This is not to say that i's wrong to want to Play well to ty toplay aswellas you can, These things, _ unrealistic expectations thal are a problem.) There are very real differences between playing by yours others for others in terms of necessity and available ener —— looking tor the same results, you're probably too busy to Particular situation. The way | finaly forrnulated it all for n} “Aconcert in Dayton on April 12, 1975 only happens. While I'm on the subject, one other kind of playing stuati Recording (especially n a recording studio} is a pretty wel Recording vould seem tofallinto cat excep! for the fact that the “audience is not there vitule yc quite targ the record). you are notthere. (But the musicis.) There & travel in both directions” going on with recording. i's € improvised music, because yourre dealing with two contr Attitude. A: Relax Have a good time Be spontaneous ‘Allows yourself to be creative Be in the moment; go with the flow Ete, etc... . Fr rere nnn tmepernfaemmreen ary three, (playit stretched out in ime for vho-knows-how lor) perfectly natural. I's just the f, laying with others, and playing with ies of different kinds. if you're always iclually see what's going on in any \yset ince!” needs to be considered: recording, Id thing from certain standpoints. with other musicians for an audience), play. The “audience®is potentially Vénen the “audience"is there, (hearing "2MS to be some sort of strange ‘time- jally weird vihen you'te recording ry attitudes:Attitude B: ‘What you play will always stay the sam ‘Anyone who wanted to could listen to Critics cout review the recording! Don't play anything you mics ‘Do you have any idea how much itcost Etc. etc. Recording is probably the most dificul thir way oki’ music, Actually, maybe “reezit abidinacage. (Youve always got the bit worms and insects!) | Recording is ike going for a walk on the be: footptints you left behind. I think t's useful ‘music on this planet, recording isa very rect the nature of music already and will continu Believe me, Im not trying to say that recordi resents,.it also provides a distinct advantat hat you played many times, ht regret al any time: in the future. justo turn on this 24-track? todo. Recording music canbe viewedas a 1g” would be more realistic, I's a lot like putting 10 160k at, but you'll never see @ fly or hunt for ;ch and then turning around to see the” realize that, within the whole history of nt development. It has obviously changed todo so in the future. ig isabad thing. For every problem recee* J2. (Maybe two, even!) Recordingis boii: (Good and bad. However, | think its very important for musicians to think about these things otten. To ponder them Playing vs. improvising Even though a lot of us are “improvisers,” things that we know. We mixitup a it, 10 worked with (lo one extent or anotner) andi with "Pur improvisingis diferent than “playing, spend large percentage of time "playing™ sure, but most of involves things that we've hings that we are (at least somewhat) familiar “Pure” improvising involves things that are Unknown; things tat you ve never played batore: things that you are unfamiliar uth “Pure” improvising is exhaustingly hard veo you shou'd consider yourself fortunate. (Hor “pure” improvising is sometimes experiencet fun. Sometimes itcan be very confusing. S sometimes it can be incredibly sublime and Playing’ real well can happen a lot mere oft players seem to have the abilty to consister ttithappens to you even a few times a year, ever, i might be useful to keep in mind that subjectively as being anything but alotof ynctimes, even paintul. Onthe other hand, alistying.) ¢n than ‘pure" improvising. Really great ly “slip into” some moments of “Yairly pure Improvising’ and mix these moments with their "known playing vocabulary" in such away that most of the people who listen to it would ee! that they're listening to “pure” improvising. This is a very valuable skill to it). jkivate (to whatever extent you cancultivate You can’t force “pure” improvising. it's just something that can ‘happen’. But even . though you can't’make it happen,” you can} epare yourselt for when t Goes happen.improvising Short Pieces (Use of the Tape Recorder) Here's a usetul project that yau can do. Geta blank 60-minute cassette tape. Staring at the beainning of the tape, make a recording of ydursel improvising a shor piece (no longer than wo minutes). When you ve finished] turn off the tape recorder. Do not listen tothe piece! On the following day, listen to the fi the end of the first one. Do nat listen to the new. t piece, then record another one on jiece. On the third day, listen to the ‘Second piece and record a thirone. Continue this procedure untilboth sides of the tape: are filed with these short pieces, (This process about 30 2-minute improvisations.) Never listen thould take about amonth, You'll have what you've recorded until the following day. This way, each piece wil sound frésh since you'l have forgotten what you played. ‘When the tape is completely filed, set aside a co ple of hours to listen to allof the pieces in succession. Hopetully, out of 20 two-minute Improvisations, there should be a least a tew of them that will obviously be better than the: canbe used as ideas tor compositions or tunes be able fo learn a ict about how you play. You mi by listening to yoursett for a solid hour that you hal thers. These pieces, or partsof them, ‘addition to these benefits, you will also ht notice certain things in your playing Int noticed before. Forinstance, you might catch yourself nodding off atter about 15 or20 minutes, and it might occur to you that the pieces lack dynamic contrast, for examp tended to favor centain modes, tonaiities, or rhytht quite possibiy leam a lot from such a project, in o tyat? One of the most interesting uses of the cassette t Here are some suggestions: Or perhaps you might see that you sto the exclusion of others. You could le direction or another. So, why not pe recorder is as an ear-training device. ._ Play random notes from any scale or arpeggio, with a short pause between each ote. While playing the tape back, try to dt b. Strum any chord for four slow beats, switel then another, etc, Try to keep the chords 7(05), E7 alt, ObM7, etc. While playing the tape back, try to improvise a| vith one or two melody notes tor each chord, ‘person could develop this to an almost unbek (Once ihad a student who became so good at fashion that he never made a mistake. I tried t and progressions that !coula think f,allto no long serees of upper-siructure triads overbass 4th voicings over bath ths tntone and major 74 iplicate each note during the pauses. to any other chord forfour slow beats, mpletely unrelated, .e.,C, F#-, D7, D- imple melody (perhaps on one string) his may be tricky at first, But eventually jevable extent, aying against unrelated chords in this, confuse hin with the weirdest voicings vail. Thenone day, in the middle of a tes alternating with altered dominant inthe bass, played a G7 going toC, ‘The student stopped playing, looked at me in astonishment, and shouted, “What the @@"@M was that?! Remember: almost any chord supports at lea: twelve notes, your chances of hitting a right not hit a wrong note, (assuming yeu can discem a Correct itis to move it up or down a halt step. cc. Prerecord a melody; then try o improvise cf ‘trying this too much until you're pretty good| ‘by luck are 50-50. And when you do e sixnote scale. Since there are only wrong note!), all you have to do to. rds to it! (I wouldn't recommend it suggestion b,)~ Time-Rhythm Use ametronome. (it's a fantastic tool!) Be sure t onthe metronome. Don't just have three tempos: Use all he tempos. (There are certain things aboul you've "got he complete set.") | Leamto play three “styles” of time | 1.deadcenter 2.abit ahead 3.abit behind Learning o play these three “styles” of time has to and effect of a particular passage can be very dtter “placed” (center, ahead, behind), | Learn touse accents. I's very important. Accents (Keep in mind that slurring has accents “buit in. lay things at allad, Medium, dst Jo with ‘placemwnt * BE SOON alga time" that you rr) Ms eon Mt BEPENGIPY OA WHA He ive lite” and “detnuiny brine | Experiment wth diferent ratios of even notes to odd notes.” Forinstawa, “swinging” has traditionally been equated with a 2 t istnote —2ndnote Srdnote —_4thnote 2 1 2 1 | 663% 935% 663% 339% | Inits most obvious form, 2to 1 is a "shuttle feel". Asi okay upto a point. Tempo affetis it alot. At mediu 1 ratio: far as “swing” 9088, tis fe reeyptovery fastens, 1 starts sounding “stif" and eventually becomes impossible. Jazz BIN livtue tury) to become even sth notes. Sometimes, if the off-beat notes are accentud, thw, ‘swinging’ feeling can be retained, | lt would be useful to become familiar with the following ratios: 50% - 2 Obviously important: 1 66.3% > 33.3% (swing 6th: 75% - 25% ( SJ) 25% - 75% ( FL) L 2 22.3% - 66.9% {inverse Useful 55% 50% (evensths) Shuttle) hustle) = 45% (jazz 6th variation) 60% - 40% (jazz 6th variation) Torreview: three important considerations: + placement (center, ahead, behind) + accents (even or odd numbered notes) + ratios of even to odd numbered notes ‘The combinations are infinite.{i Rhithmica! groupings: let's take the number LIMOUGNS. We allknow 1, 2,3, 4,6 TRB Rete groupings. Mostotus-np meet Sr with ard 7 te grouping, "ney are reaiy way taccanitng on Ou getLised to them, ~ (To digress forjust a moment: take the numbers 4, 2, 40d 3 all other numbers canbe arrived at by, combining 1, 2, and 3 ) | ~ ierasaattt?'S ate very ineresing because cl ne ways they permute (i's also interesting to realize ‘how important § aNd 7 note scales ‘are in music! ~ mesma How fuses and 7s isthe beginning of “odd meter” playing There are nately diteren! ways ol usingtners a + they can be superimposed over other, more familiar, goupinge | ~ 85555 5 12346 & a, | - Zizz zz | 1234 6 & om | — _$e0onely, they cant grouped using commen rhythmical unis { blh notes groupedin 5's or 7's | {Wplets grouped in's or 75, _ 16th notes ‘Grouped in 5's or 7's | Sgro ROnt woulcn be surpsedit you in nat u've discovered some ~ WaIncedsoryousett (sure haps sey | Not all musicians play chords Not all musicians play m lodies. But aif Musicians play rhythms. Drummers Specialize in rhythms andtime, Te Ik to them. Usten to what they ~ play. (Inthe lastfive years, ve Acquired only two book: that pertain to Music. Both of tl mwere written by drummersi | Hint: you were to Svenpitch, youd be len win muted siange Suddenly, Tuning into “Time Headquarters (A Mental, Emotional, D0 you have a metronome? A. Yes (Greatly &.No (Youdbetter get onel) How many tempos are there anoctave. factors thi ‘@0n your metronome? What, follow from this, that when we saythis? How about Canagalaxy contain a solar Contains a continentin which coniains a sirectan which ther Patnicular floor in which there: wtlich, in turn, is saturated wih Containing electrons and soon ‘system containing @ plan ‘5 @ room containing aw into the night... ‘sthataneasi ettacked? Mi Her way to say it, orism tit laybe so! Butt was tunt How would you sa i Play the guitar in such a way as to eli a country contains a state, 2S a building having a pa Roney made up of certain (Have you ever neat inate harmony, melody, and Ue a drummer! 1nd Verbal Improvisation) | | | | ‘San “octave of time"? Is this like l2¥ Music, we are manipulating superimposed over each other ? Is there an easier way to et, One hemisphere of which Particular city of which licular apartment (on a Ponge Saturated with coffee, molecules containing atoms et vil? Have we gotten the Bach Chaccone?) ef tenet neem| know an excellent bass player who, at one point anyway, was in the habit of coming home ater a gig (pemaps having inikibed fom his favorite chair and turning on his ¥.V. to wateh bowir > sort or ai kieg into na {with he sound turned wide simultaneously istening to his metconome click al ong oi his favorite tempos. (Say MM = 160), Why do you think he would do thar? What doy How would a person tind out? Isthere such a place as “Time Headquarters”? Is thee thing he leamed trom that? adevice for tuning into this place? lone tunes into this place, what is one tuning into? Hbw much music can exist at mm = 100? At any tempo? At alltempos? (Did you just spill sponge?) ‘Some people have said that if you play with a metror about that statement. Is it possible that some people inside them outside of themselves or seeing things that doit your coffee? Do you have a Ime your “time will got stil.” | wonder foject"? (You know, putting things ‘way... Mhink itis possible; we all !'ve known many people who work with metronomes who don't sound stif to me. (But maybe I'm projecting! Could be. But what am| projecting?) Maybe f"beauly is in the eye of the beholder,” then “sitness" isin the ear ofthe listener, or “swaing"is in the ear of the listener, (Or anything else, tor that matter.) Say these words to yourself. Think about them. How! Now say the words again while listening to a metrorore. | think a metronome is as good as the person using it “Time Headquarters’, we can learn much. The infinite! regularly recurring periodicity. (Certainly, there's a bet heard the Bach Chaccone?) Ita tre falls ina forest and there's no one to hear it, co of anyone, for that matter?) if Ma metronome clicks in the forest and there's no one t (once saw a squiretcarying a miniature soprano say, Beware of beavers bearing baritones, ‘but promote peacocks practicing pianos and {rust turkeys tooting tenors. Near miss t: Love vegetables, don't eat them, Near miss #2: The girl next door. it's just the Near Miss of Yew." it's just the meer-ness of you.’ "t's just the mireor-ness of you.” joes each word make you feel? Nr your own: 1. Groove 8. Cookin’ 10. 2. Swing 7. Smokin’ "1 3. “Inthepocket” ——-8._Lockedin 12. 44. Poppin’ 9. Elbows andknees | 13. 5. Edge | }we can learnto use itto tune into perlectable experiences of ler way to say that!) (Have you ever sit make a sound? (Orland on top heart, does t swing? aTempo-Movement Pick a tempo you want to work with. Find iton ticking. start some activity that will take betwee! Gishes, preparing food, cleaning up a messy d: whatever...) While doing this activity (and listet of your movements relative to the tempo of the the speed of your movements fo synchoronize it's advisable to experiment this way with siowel you might want to Iry speeding up the rate of Alter the task is completed, tum off the metronof Notice what your mind is doing, Tum the metronome on again (same tempo). Ph with the metronome. (Improvise on a mode, pla time (you must be the judge ofthat), put down t Quietly again tora couple of minutes... Pick up metronome, try to play a the same tempo as wi turn on the metronome to check whether the terty ‘make a mental note of whether you slowed dow' /Cur metronome. White the metronome is 5-15 minutes to complete, (Washing isk, shaving, watering plants, ing to the metronoma), try to observe all Metronome, Experiment with changing pith the metronome. (Generally speaking, rales of movement. Later on, however, vement,) 1. Sit quietly for a couple of minutes. ick up a guitar and star playing something ‘on atune, whatever... After enough 'e guitar. Turnotf the metronome, Sit he guitar again. Withoutthe i1as you can remember. After a shor time, 1pos are the same ornot. Itnot the same, or spedup. Leaving the metronome ticking, pul down the guitar. ‘Standup in an area where you have sulficient arms in small, siow circles to the metronome, Experiment: four- measure circles, two- measur Move your headin similar ways. Then move yol parts of the body: shoulders, elbows, knees, har ‘ong (or short) as necessary. This exercise is no! much slower. It's more ike Tai-chi orbatlet. Dor more for fun. Think “movernent,"not “exercise.” ‘movement, Especially to how it feels. Try to mo\ ‘When you're finished, turn off the metronome. Si what your minds doing.... Afterthoughts This approach tends to get tempos into your organic way. ‘You can learn a great deal about attention thy ‘Movement, attention, thinking, feeling, and bi You might enjoy tryit ing this again later on usi the metronome, . ‘There are aot of ditferent tempos that you cot 1m to move around. Start moving your circles, one-measure circles etc, etc, rl2gs (probably one at a time!) Try other 10s, feel, hips, eto. Rest as often and as Supposed io'be aerobic dancing. Move. ite concerned with doing it well” Dot ay a lotof attention to the quality of je inways that feel good. vty guar Somnus, nen id work with this way. hole systemin a very deep and Jugh doing this sort of thing. bathing are all connected, ing music (record, tape, radio) instead of ‘You could tryit again without using either musi or the metronome.Selected Short Subjects + Compet In: Hcompete you must, ry to keepitto rset, * The faster you play, the further ahead you have to Wok (andlor hear) + Controlusualy involves slowing down, | * Nosingle approach seems toworkallthe time, + Practice has to do with preparing yourselt for real mi * Alot of comping has to do with seeing larger forms. + Tryusing vu meters when working with dynamics. + Remember: musicis (basically) a communal sport. + Ustento how the audience listens (whetherit’s one + Don'tnegiect your musical roots. | + Are you totally responsible for what you play? Of cot + Tokeep leaning: aim at always being a beginner. | + Listen to the music * One of the few things that's worth taking seriously is + The one avy that you leam the mest rom s payin + Allthe material that you accumulate for one tonality o tonalities (i you work att. + ‘There have been (and stil are} many great guitarists + Ifevenone person listens to you, your playingis drast + About tempos: Hfitteels fast, fect tin half time, Htitfeels slow, feel it in double time, + Myownpe bbut rather for what i points to, + Students often ask me: “Should do Aer should | do “Why not do both? + Sometimes, when you see something vast; don't try t take a bite out of tora start. + It svery important to be able to find the appropriate e being played that you play. ttwiltll you things, | sic, }erson oF 10,000). se not, jumor. in become available in many other | |Listen to them, I ically atered, ‘sonal hope for this book is that it wll be usbful not so much for what's init, | }?" Most ofthe time, | ask them: 1d go after the whole thing; just | tional energy for whatever is * Comping means to accompany, Hopetully, i! also means to conpiment (andto support) + Person working on timo" with 2 metronome: “Animpdtect version of perlecion * Also, "A perfect version of ieipertection.” + Solo. on a tune with changes and limit yourself to one register) Obtave (low, middlé, or high forenoon TEPERDynamics: Find the middle. This is important because you can either go up or down from there. ‘The very best thing I (as the author) could had written it25 years ago. You are there because the audiences. ( you are. (Hopetully) Remember: iit sounds good andior feels No one is better at exactly what you're doi ‘No matter how good you get, here's more} away. Never ry tobe the best. Always try| say about this book is that Iwish someone jopotully) The audience is there because J00d, you must be doing something right. igthan you. Also, no one is worse att Go atter it, improve it. play it, and give it lo be the best that you canbe. What you could learn from playing with a metronome is “continuity”, (What good thythm sections specialize in is “continutty| It's never too late to learn something new ( improve an area of your playing (or too yo seems that the better you get, the more h 100 soon). You're nevertoo old to Ing). see ihe importance of ‘tundamentals.” Inmusic, your greatest sense of identity usually occurs when "you" are hardly there at ail oR What we're alltooking for is probably closet Don't ever forget: when you're playing mu ‘Sometimes its better to be aware of the int (One of the things you have to do is forget a ‘Music comes trom life, Many times you'll than from music. Ityou truly love what you're doing, you can| (Intact, I would think that's the only way an When it comes right downto it, we probab) to nothing than to something. ic, someone is listening tionality rather than the species. | ofthis and just play music. id hat you lear more about music trom life iandle failure or you can handle success. /one could handle success.) don't really know very much about how itis that we learn; butwe know that we canllearn. (Do we really need lo know how we learn?) ‘Ail playing requires energy. Good playing requires attention. Great playing requires passion (and maybe ‘No matter what level you're al, there is al ‘some luck, too!).. ys: “Okay, let's cut out the “bee! stew" for a while and see what we really mean!" (Toplay). Dorit try to make a study of your own indivi lite amounts to anyway!) Make studies of Diminished scales are tricky because they ality. (That's what each person's whole eryone else’s individually. ° Yon't have a convenient “handle” on them like the major, melodic minor, and harmoni¢ minor scales do. Fortunately, there ara only three diminished scales. t's not how many modes you know, or voicings for chords, or tecinical abilly that matlers, What matters is what you do with hose things,iaying anything.) On “Free Playing”: Sometimes it's helotul to think ll about other considerations (tone, shape, color, dyn: Allpurpose expression: Whenever you see anythi yoursell) say, "Whatever itis, Don't be afraid o look at the musicians that you are, atthe people you're playing to. And even ityou are much, Everyone may not have the ability to become a grea {he abilty to improve, to get beter. To me, that's mo Sometimes if you close your eyes while you're playing, ‘Sometimes it you look around while you'te playing, y (or exchange it, 's about note choice and more mics, emotions, etc). (inside yourselt or outside i's an absolutely pertect example of whatever itis!” laying with. Don't be afraid to ook raid, look anyhow. You'lllearn guitarist; but everyone does have important. youcan hear better. ucan gather energy From one standpoint, no one knows your playing betferthan you (and never wl)! From another standpoint, everyone else knows your pl abways will! Leamnto play the guitar with just your left hand, ‘Leam to play the guitar with just your right hand, Lear to piay the guitar with both hands. Learnto play the guitar with neither. “Notes are clever ways of getting from one silence to Towhat extent can silence help to portray sound? Towhat extent can sound help to portray silence? (Canyou ‘play’ silence?) The music that you play is for other people. (The music that other people play is for you.) But. the “playing’ of the music that you play is for you. laying better than you (and nother.” ‘Sensitivity can never become automatic. The "trappings" of sensttviy can become automatic, but that's something else. By is very natur ‘opposed to anything automatic, Could a person's whote approach to leaming how tiny How about nat oft? (Exactly 50%!) How about roughly 469 (fin) One ditterence between practicing and playing s that of attention to mistakes. When you play, you either ig “recover’ trom them (which is to use them. The most dificul thing about finding "your own path’ is (whether you like itor no}! Mare than ikely (whether leftit! That's why finding vis so diticul ‘Working with dynamics: Establish for yourselt what so thal, proceed 10 rare, mediumn-rare, medium, medium see the need for a “seven-speed dyriamic transmissior , sensitivity is diametrically jprovise be improvised? inen you practice, you pay alot re mistakes or else you that you're already on it Wu know it or not), you've never | medium, and oud are. Atter rel, and well done. (Andif you who would kiiow?) | onnatisiniiinrinienanen id 114+ Playing "beyond yoursell”: When you pia with other musicians) t's a alt Hor everyan you dis &, but rather that must have the time). great for other peaple, (especially when it's Je!). Be thanNul, Realize not so much that, eae ai the time (or ai least, possible at + Htyou find that you're “nervous"when you audiences), accept it as being pertectiy nal Use this energy to play music. (Perhaos th extent; but dont ever think that this kind of need to get usedto #.) lay (especially for very larae or very small al. Don iry to "make it siop.” Doty to energy needs to acertain nergy 1s “bad” or wrong.” Perhaps you * When you dont lke the way you're playing} Try to change your attitude instead of changing the content, oR Try to like what you play instead of playing what you like. (To tne extent that you can change your aitude, the content will take care of tse! + There are many waysto listen. Dont assu already know what it means fo listen, Lear youcan improve. But ony it you work att subtle way.) that juskbecause you're a musician, you ing how to listen is an ongoing activity that Listening can be increcioly powertulin a + Musicis like ite on a small scale, Lies ike musicona large scale. + Ihyou ever get tiredof the C scale, Just remember that The foo! who persistsin his folly shall some BLocrian. (Natural, too!) + Twokinds of playing: A. Playing on one chord (scale, mode) B._ Playing through a progression of chords ‘The firstkind of playing is ike making a curve go through a straight line, The second is like making a straight line go through a curv + Sometimes the elements of a person's uniqie style may be almost totaly unknown as. Re TT TT such. (They may be known, but f anything, you Should or could sound different than yo Individuality seems to have a lotto do with b isnot always easy. Intact, you may have to own “voice' is not always pleasant. When’ even recognize it. Picking and slurring: One way of playing the| (Similar to a pianist who must attack every involves attacking some notes and slurring | (Similar to a hom that can either attack or slut both ways of playing. Then you have tall! In thinking about dissonance and consonan ‘considerations: (1) dissonance and consor consonance by funiction (use). For example, {ts used against a C chord or an A-7 chord, ‘BOM7#11 oF FA7 alt, I's dissonant by funct isiked, because you think or wish that, do). ing true to yourself. Being true to yourselt leach yourself how todo it. Finding your Jur own “voice” emerges, you may not uitar involves attacking every note. te.) Another way of playing the guitar mmer-ons and pull-otts) other nates. ) Iatall possible, i's advisable to learn realize that there are two important ince by structure and (2) dissonance and ‘major triad is a consonant structure, i ‘consonant in as function. tits used for+ One thing that everybody has in common is pain] See if you can learnto play from your pain, Evenit you don'tihink you're successtul at come tanethertor vou ane day. Ithal haonens (dye the preparation w. something that could change your understanding ot fundamental way, $ More than worth the viion bfeause YOU ita orthat its doing any good. it may all Jen ivst one time, you'l inc that f Music, people, and fe ina very + In music, many things are important: krow:iedge pl the instrument; knowledge of the musical mate: technique: time: rhythm, phraging; consonance and dissonance; tension and resolution: theme and vaniation; charlge: rest: sound; silence; dynamics; articulations: intention; feelings: deas: movement only a bunch. But you had to pick one thing as te probably have to choose “hearing.” (Besinoven ‘musicians nave there been who were deal?) Sensitivity; and luck to mention ing the most important, you'd t withstanding, how many great + Musical materials and the guitar are somewhat inert. A person's leaming process is very organic. Vinen we forget about our own learhir ‘Sometimes we expect 100 much of ourselves, Mus) ing process, we nuninto trouble. ic can become a very neurotic activity. When this happens, i's no use saying thakit should be different than what tis. Don't think about what it should be. Look at what kis! When you see something very Clearly, it practically changes by iselt Attitude A: Practicing even ths. “Those aren't even! Thal sounds terrible! I can't do i! Got to tyharder! Maybe | don't have vinat ittakes...9" Attitude 8: Practicing even 8ths. “Those arent even. Let me study very closely exactly how they aren'teven. Hmm! Very interesting. + In studying this material, you might have a tendenty to feel overwhelmed, like you could never possibly lear allthis. If that happens] remind yourself that: 1. You'd be amazed at what a human being could learn, givena lotof time. 2. This material is not nearly as important as the music that i might be able to help you toplay. + Patience is so important. We can't help the fact t now. Hoviever, experience usually teaches us al t we usually want everything right | ast notto expectit. Thingsunfold | at their ovn pace; they take time, Just hangin thefe. Do what you see needs to be done. Work on what you see needs work. Make ita ss interesting as you can for yoursett. Who cares how long ittakes? Don't lookor results, (il you work on what Needs work, resuts wiltake care of themseives) infintely pertectable, Itjusttakes a lot of work, ak cantind, et them surprise you! Musicis of time, and as much love as youton fi ii, Wind's in if — No Probably one ot the most terrible feeling Esnecia!y tha ort of forvnat of regret is the imoortance ef turning around our atiuse and! noverhe 2 reason for us to feel that way again in has besn usefultous. Ithas taught; we have lear know the use o! usefulness; few know the use of Within a person's entire musical life, many ditfere what w being can exporience is regret it that was wrong. but rather cod thing 2 urlite so that there would future. I that happens, then regret 18d. Regret consumes itself. (Many iselessness,) things will happen, Hopetully (and. hopefully soaner. not later) you realize that any particular ‘period of your musical ile is Unique, usetul. ang mght possibly eccur only one you're practicing alot; working hard at it. This pra you're not playing 9°98 (probably because the asking you). Naturally, you're going tc reach a poi wantto play g'9s. You might even beginto dislike sudden, you stan to get some ags. Feels good. r (at least in its present form), Suppose icing period goes on for months, but ‘afen't any at that time or else no one's i cooner or later) when youTl really racticing. Now let's say that, allof a In? Of course! Bul lets say further, that as time goes on, you keep getting more and more 949s until eventually, seems that all you're doing s playing gigs. That could very pot sibly Stat to be abit of adrag (for any numberof diferent reasons). Butlet’s say that whe you were playing allthese gigs you were beginning to see more and more clearly exat ly vihat kinds of things you needed to work on (some of which you may not have even known existed before): + Wow, I never realized how bad my time car + sure don't know enough voicings for minor + Ingedito leam more tunes! + Lneedto work on my reading! + Siilican' cut those fast tempos. + don't ike my sound, + Mycomping is insensitive. My guitars out of tune! ‘What is a Maj. 7#5 chord, anyhow? | don't know the avoid note in the chromatic| Eitc,, etc. be! '7(b5) chords... scale! Not surprisingly, at such times you would very natufally wantto stant working on “allthe things you aren’ ‘enormous harmonic vocabulary in atleast 23 ditter chops: transposes all the Bach Violin Sonatas and every tune ever written; is especially fondt 11/16, shulfie feel; has a reputation as a “computer destro| ' (An incredible improvising quitafist: knows and plays all styles; has an ntidioms; pertect time; exceptional arltas up atitane on sight; knows 4, and groups of 11 over 13ona /er because three dtferentlorands of Personal computers all exploded when this quitaris\’s solo on the Blues in Bb was fed into them to be analyzed: is such a sensitive accompanist that no woman vocalist who has worked wih this guitarist has ever been able to sit without breaking into tears and sobs. Elc,, etc.) But assuming you're working allthese gigs, you ju ‘much as you would like. Suddenly, you remember practicing alot but not playing any gigs: more than 24 bars of any ballad ‘don't have the time to practice as Jack to the time when you were. + Wow! wish | had the chance to practice as fnuch now as Ididthen! Boy, iti had only known then what | know th: ita lotditferently Now, let's say that suddenly (as ity magic), allthe You've got alt kinds of time to practice. Fecls good! ‘what you see needs work (which is exactly what yo youll'start wishing you had some gigs to play. Not appreciate some things about all the gigs you did dk appreciate betore I don't know now, would have done igs stop (for any number of reasons). Right? Of course! So you work on should be doing!) But, eventually, ply thal, but you might begin to ing your “gig period that you didn't+ Youlnow, that bass player was realy a tot biter than Irealiced. The time was so Steady and tima. Lwas geting so bent auto Rane in realizing how weak my own ance of tae scammard to ti sthasepafare tn inewer heat etonee oy othe time fel. Since this bass player ha tet town and moved to New York, ‘who knows, Imight never get a chance to play with this porcon again, + (Towbin I woutt add: Who knows, you might not ever geta chance to play wih any otherbass player that good!) - * Youkrow. | really eared so much from that piano player. I wish leould voice chords haif as well as that person did, | probably should have asked more Questions about harmony and voicings. Why didn't I? * [sure do miss playing for people. I's so muct{ easier to play well when someone is listening, Bul Iwas always so down on my cvdn playing that I never really took advantage of the opportunity to communicate jith people, o give. * You know, that bartender really knew how to shake a dry vodka martini + You know, that waitress really was cute! + Ete, etc. Inwalks ‘regret’. Based on your current understanding of things, you come to see that Yeu Grdn| realize the value ol some previous period of your musica fe or take advantage fitfo the fullest extent. (Intruth, you probebly cid/do {he best you could at the time, sven the citcumstances and your evel of understanding, but the feeling afterwards is that youdidnt) The only way out ofthe dilemma of ‘perpetually regretiing everything sie months attr the fact iso realize that every period of your musica fe, no matter haw long or shor. is very useful for some things, and thal you ndedtto be aware of what's usetul (as wwellas what's useless) as much as you possialy can als much othe lime as you possibly can. Let every situation that you experience be like “a food tre, that consumes al the {uel leaving only dead ashes.” Then, in every situation and/or period, youll see “int, what's ini, wth no regrets." Conclusion (read this again in one year) materalin this volume will change. What seems compicated at fst gradually becomes easier and clearer. Whal seems Yar-out” gradually bedomes “nothing special." Whal you acquire as ‘skilful means” gradually becomes lke “lagg on a snake.” Eventually (andto whatever extent you are capable oft), you become fr of allthis “material” You see that the problems that you have in music (and on the guitarjare clearly reflected in the problems that you have inte (and as a person), Keep in mind that, as you continue to learn and cere your understanding of all the 'allbecomes the same thing, You play. Youlive. Youlenter: The Pathless Land, leaving no traces, no footprints, For long years a bird in cage, ‘eday, tying along withthe clouds — The Zenrin | Finally, and at long last, have nothing more to say about this subject, whatever was, SS) 5