Month: January 2020

Dennis Sandole Polytonal/Extended Scales

Posted on by Modern Music Theory

When looking at even the most well known scales we still find other scales embedded within them.

B Altered Scale contains a whole tone scale and a Diminished scale giving it an exotic sound.

dennis sandole scale lore

C Diminished scale contains two mixolydian tetrachords. The first being of the root and the second being of the flat 5:

dennis sandole scale lore

We can of course extend scales as we have looked at in Jazz Scale Extensions

dennis sandole scale lore

DENNIS SANDOLE:  Bi tonal scales, polyscales[MULTI] scales concepts/ideas.

Dennis Sandole Scale Lore: Developing Poly/multiple scales. Although being most noted as John Coltrane’s Mentor/Teacher Dennis Sandole was unique in his musical thinking.

Here is an example of a polytonal scale idea:

dennis sandole scale lore

Here we have another  polytonal/multiple scale idea:

dennis sandole scale lore

Here we employ triplets.

dennis sandole scale lore

Below are some “Mixed up” ideas as concepts to get a flow and to syncopate and get a feel for it. These are only exercises but create interest by the way the different scales appear and move.

dennis sandole scale lore

16ths mix #2

dennis sandole scale lore

16ths mix #3

dennis sandole scale lore

Here are some of Dennis Sandole’s own sketches/ideas

dennis sandole scale lore

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Which Jazz theory practice book to start with?

Posted on by Modern Music Theory

When Looking for jazz improvisation literature people will walk into a sheet music department and sometimes be astounded at the prices of the theory and practice books. A concise quality book that contains all of the essential information and is well written and easy to follow can start anywhere from $30 to $150 plus for the Lydian Chromatic Concept!

So I have whittled it down to 3 books. [I am sure there are some other very well written books out there that is not on my list] but any of these three books will hold you in good stead when you are starting out.

The first 2 books are “Inexpensive” and contain a mountain of material.

 

BOOK 1: JAZZ SOLOS BY LES WISE. THIS BOOK IS IDEAL FOR GUITARISTS BECAUSE IT HAS TABLATURE

JAZZ SOLOS BY LES WISE

BOOK 2: JAZZOLOGY BY ROBERT RAWLINGS AND NOR EDDINE BAHHA

JAZZOLOGY BY ROBERT RAWLINGS AND NOR EDDINE BAHHA

BOOK3: A BIT MORE EXPENSIVE BUT IT IS A COMPLETE ENCYCLOPEDIA BY MARK LEVINE CALLED “THE JAZZ THEORY BOOK”

MARK LEVINE "THE JAZZ THEORY BOOK"

As I state in the video you can get these books secondhand on Amazon [CLICK LOGO/LINK BELOW] even cheaper or you can try your local library. But, I would suggest owning a copy of one of them in order to pencil in your own thoughts, directions and favourite exercises etc.

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John Mclaughlin Paco de Lucia Al Di Meola GUITAR TRIO CONCEPT

Posted on by Modern Music Theory

FAST ALTERNATE PICKING PLECTRUM GUITAR LINES LESSON:

Performing in the style of the Guitar Trio with the plectrum requires strict ALTERNATE PICKING for the solo lines that are picked at a very high velocity. You need to be able to “Jump” straight into the rhythmic flow.

BELOW ARE SOME CONCEPTS/IDEAS TO BE WORKING ON:

Line 1-“16ths” Alternate Picking starting on a “Down” stroke

Guitar Trio Paco de lucia John Mclaughlin Al di Meola

Line 2- Extended version of the previous line above, again starting on a “Down” stroke

Guitar Trio Paco de lucia John Mclaughlin Al di Meola alternate picking lesson

More Alternate Picking guitar video lessons:

The key to all of this is to "Count Time/Groupings"and "Tap your foot" as you do so. If you count time you will play what you hear. It is the key to performing this guitar trio music.

TRIPLETS:

Line 3-Groups of “4” with strict Alternate Picking but this time starting with an “Upstroke” creating a “Rolling” effect as the plectrum glides across the strings.

Guitar Trio Paco de lucia John Mclaughlin Al di Meola alternate picking guitar lesson

Groups of 6 VARIATIONS:

Line 4-This is a “Variation” of our very first pattern but this time played in “Sextuplets” starting on a “Down” stroke.

6s 1

Line 5-This line can be heard as Triplets or Sextuplets. This time though we are starting on an “Upstroke”. Again, because we are starting our alternate picking on an up stroke there is a fluid rolling effect as we cross the strings.

Guitar Trio Paco de lucia John Mclaughlin Al di Meola

Line 6-This is a key signature line of Pace de Lucia and Al di Meola. It is an ascending G major scale in double timed triplets [or Sextuplets]. We are starting our picking on an “Upstroke”and ascending passionately up the scale, The better the rhythm of the alternate picking the more clean and powerful this little lick becomes.

Guitar Trio Paco de lucia John Mclaughlin Al di Meola alternate picking

Line 7-Here is another variation of the 16th note line. This time we start “Upstroke and roll the line along with tight rhythmical alternate picking. The key as always is to count good time when picking and tap your foot for precision.

Guitar Trio Paco de lucia John Mclaughlin Al di Meola alternate picking guitar lesson

Line 8-“Spanish” descending 2 string line. Really it is an ascending “Down” stroke alternate picking pattern followed by an ascending “Up” stroke rolling alternate picking pattern. If you treat it like that then it is easy to play and learn.

Spanish

For a closer look there is a complete transcription of “Friday Night in San Franscisco” Book available AMAZON

Guitar Trio Paco de lucia John Mclaughlin Al di Meola alternate picking guitar lesson with tab, video and music notation