Shakti Guitar Motif/Fingering “Essential” Scale Connections

Posted on by Modern Music Theory and Application

Please watch short video above for detailed info:

Hi Guys,

This John McLaughlin guitar motif/fingering made famous from his video “This is the way I do it” is something I get asked about a lot.

The reason being, is that it is unique in the way that the alternate picking and the fretting hand can produce really fast/quick compositional and improvisational lines.

For this blog, I am going to exploit the use of imitation/repetition to get the fingering and concept across.

2nd FINGER:

The second finger [Yes, that one] is the one that crosses and falls into position and interrupts scale cliches and creates all sorts of odd timing and fluid raga-esque phrases.

EXAMPLE: As employed in the John Mclaughlin scale:

Ascending:

Here, is the simple 4 note 16th grouping that we will exploit:

PART 2:

In this first example we will start a simple phrase with a five note pattern. Rather than carry the scale on, we will interrupt it with a 4 note scale motif that we will repeat/imitate:

EXAMPLE 1:

Starting on an Upstroke:

Sheet music displaying John McLaughlin Guitar Fingering Lesson for Indian Shakti style guitar

As you can tell, the 2nd finger makes it really easy to cross over the strings and connect to the next repeated motif:

In the next example, we will take this even further and keep extending it.

Extended further:

Sheet music displaying John McLaughlin Guitar Fingering Lesson for Indian Shakti style guitar

Now, let’s start the alternate picking and pick the phrase starting on a down stroke:

Sheet music showingJohn McLaughlin guitar fingering and alternate picking guitar Shakti Indian Mixolydain example in tab and notation

IN CONCLUSION;

Although, this is only a short blog, there is a wealth of information contained within this simple concept as it means that the fretting hand can create/sustain long [as John calls them] fluidity lines.

Of course, the notation/intervals can be changed, these are only examples. But, when the fretting hand is comfortable then the picking becomes a lot easier and feels natural.

This idea can also be applied to the other fingers in various ways, BUT, the second finger is magical in the way that it opens up lots of lines that would otherwise be difficult to play.

Pdf

MotifDownload

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Robert Fripp-RE UPLOAD-“REQUEST”

Posted on by Modern Music Theory and Application

Hi Guys,

I have re-posted an old post here [as requested] due to some of my old posts being hard to find.

I have done my best to catalogue them here: https://jazzimproviser.com/category/fripp-counterpoint-plectrum-technique/ . But because of the amount that I have created/published over the years it’s been difficult to archive them in any other way. [Apologies]

Okay, back to the original post:

Robert Fripp Guitar Ideas:

To begin with, we will develop and exploit some angular and atonal picked guitar lines/examples.

[It’s also a good idea to try these starting on both the upstroke and downstroke and see which you prefer]

Exercise 1: Example of alternate picking starting on the “Up” stroke [Odd patterns]

Robert Fripp [Guitar Craft] style angular phrase

Exercises: For starting on the “Up” stroke for angular atonal guitar lines. [Compositional and Improvisational”]

Fripp “Upstroke” primary exercise 1

Exercise 2

Fripp”Upstroke” primary 2

Exercise 3

Fripp Primary exercise 3

Exercise 4

Fripp primary exercise 4

Exercise 5

Fripp Primary exercise 5

Robert Fripp Long line/Extension

Robert Fripp Primary Exercises Application line

Fripp/Andy Summers chordal alternate picking example starting on a down stroke

Fripp/Summers Chordal picking example/exercise

Intervals: Tri-tone and Augmented 8th note movments

Tri Tone/Augmented Fripp 8th note applicationsThanks for

Starting on the “Down” Stroke alternate picking “Variation” of the first exercise

Fripp starting on the “Down” stroke alternate picking

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Master the Whole Tone Scale with Simple Fingering

Posted on by Modern Music Theory and Application

Please watch video above for detailed info:

Hi Guys,

If there are two scales that I am always asked about, these are the whole tone scale and the diminished scale.

But, out of the two, it’s the whole tone scale especially!…And it’s due to the general textbook cumbersome and awkward fingering that puts guitarists off.

So, today let’s take a look at how to play the Whole Tone Scale with a simple fingering like that which we would employ for the pentatonic scale.

PART 1:

Standard textbook guitar fingering:

This, 3 note per string example above is a pretty uncomfortable and awkward affair that dosen’t flow and isn’t especially fluent for quick passages or phrases.

So what do we do?

Well, the answer is to approach it like we would the pentatonic scale, so that we can move the SHAPE about and at the same time we can VISUALISE it.

PART 2:

Here, is a preferred fingering that uses mainly 2 fingers: This, like the pentatonic means that we can move about quickly.

Musical staff and guitar tablature showing notes and finger positions of the whole tone scale in pentatonic form with red slur and bend markings

What’s truly great about this fingering is that we can copy and repeat it exactly “Down 1 Tone or Up 1 Tone” each time right along the guitar fingerboard.

BASIC SCALE SHAPE/FINGERING;

Copy Shape Exactly Ascending:

Copy Shape Exactly Descending:

Copy Shape Exactly Ascending:

This means that we can easily exploit the scale, play it fluently and see it visually which in turn gives us complete command of it.

PART 3:

Now, that we can see and hear what we are doing and have a fluent fingering let’s make use of the scale harmonically.

To begin with, let’s use a flattened 5th interval [and Bb7] over a moving bass. [See video at the top of the page].

Now, let’s use this same harmony and create an [arpeggiated] chordal picking vamp:

Sheet music and guitar tablature showing a repeating whole tone scale triplet pattern with flat notes and finger positions on the 5th, 7th, 9th, and 10th frets

Again, it’s easy to see and hear how we can quickly create composition now that we can visualise a simple shape all across the guitar fingerboard.

PART 4:

What, also works really well from this visual whole tone approach is the exploitation of the high low high [or mirroring] effect.

EXAMPLE 1: High to Low

Sheet music with treble clef and tablature showing whole tone scale musical notes and finger positions on a guitar fretboard

Here, we will create a little phrase that’s going back and forth between the low and high registers.

EXAMPLE 2: Back and Forth

PART 5:

We will now apply this simple scale fingering to a classic Messiaen chord

Application and example:

Sheet music and guitar tablature for a Messiaen piece in Gb9b5/E chord showing notes and finger positions

PART 6:

Finally, we can come out of the shape and move up and down the fingerboard connecting the whole tone [1 step] movements.

So, let’s take a chord of C augmented with a 9th:

As we can see, it’s easy to move down the fingerboard shifting through scale and arpeggio along the way. [See, video above]

IN CONCLUSION:

This was just a quick look at how essential it is to have simple fluid guitar fingering and simple 1 step connection for creating whole tone scale lines/phrases.

Having a “Visual” as well as harmonic understanding makes improvisation and composition so much easier with this scale.

And, as I have reiterated throughout this post, having a repeated shape only 1 tone apart makes the scale very user-friendly.

SCALE PDF DOWNLOAD:

Whole Tone Scale 4 RepeatsDownload

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