Pat Martino Intervallic Studies: Un-Published Book Lesson

Pat Martino Intervallic Studies: Un-Published Book Lesson

Hi Guys!

Guitarist Mark Koch one of Pat’s students kindly sent me a copy of Pat’s un-published book on “Intervallic studies“.

pat-martino-intervallic-studies-umpinlished-book

It’s a fascinating look at the imaginative thought process and creative concepts that Pat was investigating for the development of the improvising guitarist.

pat-martino-intervallic-studies-unpublished-book

In this first example we will look at the “Whole Tone Scale” Study:

pat-martino-intervallic-studies-unpublished-book

From a music theory perspective if we take away the intervallic approach and place the notes in order we will get a whole tone scale ascending followed by a whole tone scale descending:

pat-martino-intervallic-studies-unpublished-book

Now, we will put them back into the “Disguised” form with the clever approach of the intervallic design:

pat-martino-intervallic-guitar-studies

The key to playing these studies on the guitar is to decide on a methodical fingering and stick to it. [Below=Pat’s Fingering]

pat-martino's-unpublished-book-intervallic-guitar-studies

pat-martino-intervallic-studies-unpublished-book

I am employing strict alternate picking for this study starting on an upstroke:

pat-martino-intervallic-studies-unpublished-book

pat-martino-intervallic-studies-unpublished-book

Same Study: From Pat’s book with fingering examples:

pat-martino-intervallic-studies-unpublished-book-whole-tone-scale

Now we will look at how Pat breathes life into the pentatonic scale:

pat-martino-intervallic-studies-unpublished-book

As before we will take this from a music theory perspective and remove the intervallic approach:

pat-martino-pentatonic-scale-guitar-lesson

Now, let’s disguise this with the use of intervallic exploitation and alternate picking starting on a “Downstroke”:

pat-martino-intervallic-studies-unpublished-book

Same Study from Pat’s unpublished book:

pat-martino-intervallic-studies-unpublished-book

Finally, we will employ these intervallic concepts through a iim7b5 V7 i cadence.

Once again, we see the intervallic set up:

pat-martino-intervallic-improvisation-example

Now, let’s employ our music theory and place the intervallic notes in order. Here we find that we have the exploitation of the chromatic scale.

pat-martinochromatic-scale-guitar-lesson

This clever approach is really effective because in the second bar beats 2 and 3 we have a literal chromatic scale that then anticipates the coming minor tonic chord of Em with an Em arpeggio.

pat-martino-intervallic-improvisation-example

Full Example:

pat-martino-intervallic-improvisation-example

This was just a quick look at the creative thought process and unique approach of Pat Martino, resulting in the application of this material into a minor iim7b5 V7 i improvised line to hear how they work and sound.

This approach to scales and improvising [and composing] with them is highly original and extremely useful when there is a need to bust out of cliches and seek colour and creativity in our playing.

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