Author: Jazz fusion guitar Improvisation lessons and modern music theory

Jazz Fusion Guitarist, Educator and Composer. Alternate Picking guitar in the styles of John Mclaughlin and Al di Meola for powerful modern guitar improvisation.

Be Bop “DOMINANT” Jazz Scale for improvisation

Posted on by Jazz fusion guitar Improvisation lessons and modern music theory

The “Dominant” bebop scale is the Mixolydian mode with the major 7th added to create an 8 note scale that [to quote David Baker] “Comes out right rhythmically”.

In this case it is the C “Mixolydian” mode with the B natural [Major 7th] chromatic passing tone. This makes an 8 note scale. So we have the C major scale with the flattened seventh and the major 7th.

Dominant be bop scale

 

Be bop “Dominant”jazz Scale

Dominant Be Bop Scale

Be Bop “Dominant scale” jazz improvisation double time lick/example.

Dominant Be Bop Scale example

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“Al di Meola” Alternate Picking Acoustic Guitar lesson/lick

Posted on by Jazz fusion guitar Improvisation lessons and modern music theory

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In this video and lesson we look at a basic but very useful repetitive alternate picking 2 string guitar lick.

This is an excellent way to develop the right hand picking technique and get the left hand fretting fingers into synchronisation.

Alternate Picking 2 string “Al di Meola” guitar lick/lesson

al di meola alternate picking lesson
Al Di Meola 2 string alternate picking guitar lick

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Alternate Picking John Mclaughlin acoustic guitar exercise

Posted on by Jazz fusion guitar Improvisation lessons and modern music theory

This exercise is another simple John Mclaughlin [Shakti] right hand guitar exercise employing alternate picking with the plectrum moving “down” and “up” in a strict alternating manner.

This is a short simple exercise but is really good for getting ideas in how to extend alternate picking patterns for longer lines:This happens when you become aware of the rhythmic pulse of the exercise and the left hand fingering of the fretting hand.

Start with a “down” stroke but be aware of your “Up” stroke because this will propel the lick forward rhythmically.

John Mclaughlin alternate picking lick
“Shakti” alternate picking guitar line

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CYCLE OF 4THS ON THE GUITAR FINGERBOARD

Posted on by Jazz fusion guitar Improvisation lessons and modern music theory

Below: Cycle of 4ths using triplets in one position on the guitar fingerboard.

Ascending: Cycle of 4ths

cycle of 4ths for guitar triplet lesson exercise

Descending: Cycle [as Cycle of 5ths]

cycle of 4ths triplet guitar descending lesson

To create strength and consistency to our playing it is best to employ “Tetrachords”

But, what is a Tetrachord?

A tetrachord is a 4 note grouping.

"TETRACHORD" 4 NOTE GROUPING FOR IMPROVISATION TECHNIQUE
“TETRACHORD” 4 NOTE GROUPING FOR IMPROVISATION TECHNIQUE

When you play through the exercise you will be aware of the employment of Pentatonic’s, Major/Minor arpeggios and plain arpeggios. This in turn gives us easy fingering and fluidity in the picking hand and the fretting hand.

cycle of 5ths pentatonic's guitar lesson

cycle of 5ths pentatonic's guitar lesson

cycle of 5ths pentatonic's guitar lesson

NOTICE THE REPEATED PATTERN AND GUITAR FINGERING.

cycle of 5ths arpeggios jazz improvisation guitar lesson

cycle of 5ths arpeggios jazz improvisation guitar lesson

 

DIAGRAM EXPLANATION BELOW:

 THE CYCLE OF 4THS [and 5ths]

cycle of 4tha and cycle of 5ths diagram

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Alternate Picking Guitar Acoustic Fusion

Posted on by Jazz fusion guitar Improvisation lessons and modern music theory

This little alternate picking guitar exercise is taken from John Mclaughlin’s acoustic jazz fusion C.D “Belo Herozonte”.

Although this is a simple and short exercise it displays the way to open up and extend long fluid alternate picking improvised jazz fusion guitar lines.

You can either employ orthodox fingering or the fingering that I use.

John Mclaughlin Alternate Picking “Belo Herozonte’ Guitar lick/Exercise:

alternate picking jazz fusion john mclaughlin guitar lesson

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Alternate Picking guitar technnique PT 1

Posted on by Jazz fusion guitar Improvisation lessons and modern music theory

GUITAR TRIO “Friday night in San Francisco” ALTERNATE PICKING guitar exercises and ideas.

The Guitar trio consisted of John Mclaughlin, Al di Meola and Paco de Lucia.

They  performed and released the classic acoustic album/cd called “Friday night in San Franscisco.

As well as being a great album we are lucky that some bright spark took it upon himself to write a book of transcriptions of the classic concert!

Guitar Trio Paco de lucia John Mclaughlin Al di Meola alternate picking guitar lesson with tab, video and music notation
“Friday night in San Francisco” John Mclaughlin, Al Di Meola and Paco De Lucia

Guitar Trio alternate picking musical exercises.

Below are some examples from the guitar trio from their concert and C.D called “Friday night in San Francisco.

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

John Mclaughlin Al di Meola Paco de lucia alternate picking

Line 2- Extended version of the above exercise

Guitar Trio alternate picking lesson

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

 

In part 2 we will take a closer look at the use of “Sextuplets” [or groups of 6’s]

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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

Alternate Picking “Off beat” Jazz Fusion Guitar Lesson

Posted on by Jazz fusion guitar Improvisation lessons and modern music theory

The key to alternate picking with the guitar pick when dealing with jazz improvisation and jazz fusion improvisation is to be aware of the off -beat. In these two little examples we simply miss the 1st beat.

Remember that the 2nd note of a group of 16ths will be an “Off-beat” and an “Upstroke”. But, if you start on the “Off-beat” with a down stroke then the patterns will be opposite to what they would be starting on the beat. This may sound confusing but is “paradoxically” natural and an easy way to create and control ‘syncopation”, literally cutting off the first note.

You can do this anywhere in the bar, but to begin with it is best explained through the two short example alternate picking exercises.

This phrase below is a little “Off-beat” phrase found in the John Mclaughlin album/CD called “Belo Herozonte.

off beat alternate picking john Mclaughlin guitar exercise
Silent “Off-Beat” alternate picking guitar exercise

 

Below we use sextuplets and miss out the first beat. [Count the silent beat but pluck the string starting on the 2nd off beat].

Sextuplets alternate picking guitar exercise "Off-Beat"
Sextuplets off-beat alternate picking guitar exercise

 

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