Modern Music Theory and Application

Happy Birthday John McLaughlin! 2 Guitar Licks/Lines

Posted on January 4, 2025January 4, 2025 by Modern Music Theory and Application

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Hi Guys, and Happy Birthday John!

Here, are the two licks from the latest Youtube video!

Guitar Line #1

I am starting this phrase on an “Up” stroke with strict alternate picking guitar technique.

The phrasing of this line feels like two groups of sextuplets. It’s a sort of juxtaposed phrasing as it is picked in 4 note tetrachord groupings starting on an up beat.

john-mclaughlin-guitar-lesson-alternate-picking

In the second part of the first bar, the fretting is simplified as it works into basic 2 notes per string pentatonic style phrasing:

In the last bar we are playing over the Dominant 7th chord with the the same mixed phrasing as the first bar:

Finally, we finished with 2 triads of Eminor and F Major:

Guitar Line #2

This line, once again employs strict alternate picking guitar technique.

I am starting with an upbeat on the open E string. I am also starting my alternate picking on an upstroke.

As you will see, the “Up” stroke on the “Up” BEAT means that the 1st beat of the next bar will be on a Down Stroke.

From here, we can connect the Tetrachords [4 note groupings] together:

Finally, we have the same juxtaposed notes/groupings as in the first exercise. This line comes to rest on the tonic chord of C Maj7:

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12 Tone Pattern: Scott Collins Guitar Line:

Posted on January 3, 2025January 3, 2025 by Modern Music Theory and Application

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Hi Guys,

Today, a quick look at a Scott Collins 12 tone guitar pattern and applying it to alternate picking guitar technique as an exercise in descending intervallic movement.

First of all, let’s look at the pattern.

I am thinking of these motifs as 3 note “Tri-chords” [as in John ‘O” Gallagher’s book 12 tone improvisation].

Here, are the first 3 pitches as a tri-chord.

TRI-CHORD:

What makes this line interesting is that the “Tri- Chords” move in “Tri-Tones”.

You could view this from a diminished perspective but from a picking perspective it is more like tritones and semitones. This gives it that unique angular sound.

If we look at the example below we can see a classic example of a tri-chord pattern/sequence with the same guitar fingering.

PATTERN: Same fingering

scott-collins-12-tone-symmetrical-guitar-patterns

In the next example, we can see the tri-chords, the tritones and the semitone movement.

TRICHORDS-TRITONES-SEMITONES:

ALTERNATE PICKING:

I am using strict alternate picking guitar technique for this exercise starting this on a “Downstroke”.

I am counting in groups of three note triplets, although, you could count in sextuplets.

There is a lot of one note per string and two notes per string picking. So, remember when you pluck down to pluck back up equally. This very much Robert Fripp style picking and hence you need to be aligned with the string you wish to pluck.

Here is the first part:

Second Part:

Lastly, we will use half of the patten and play it over a traditional ii V7 I

ii V7 I Example:

FULL LINE:

Below, is the original line I took this from. As, you can see from the fingering, this was more of a symmetrical pattern with tapping.

SCOTT COLLINS ORIGINAL LINE/TAB:

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Scott Collins Link: https://guitarchitecture.org/2012/01/14/visualizing-video-game-licks-or-an-intro-to-symmetrical-12-tone-guitar-patterns/

scott-collins-12-tone-guitar-pattern-book

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Julian Lage’s Approach to Jazz Guitar Improvisation: 2Note Chord Voicing’s

Posted on December 27, 2024January 8, 2025 by Modern Music Theory and Application

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Hi Guys,

Today, a look at how jazz guitar master Julian Lage harmonises, creates and improvises on jazz standards with simple 2 note chord voicing’s:

Many guitarists, and many instructional manuals display what are commonly called jazz chords as big block barre chords with overbearing resonance and no resolution to the movement.

But, the reality is that someone really good at comping in jazz will distill big block chords into simple 2 note voicing’s that don’t intrude and that pierce through the band or ensemble.

2 NOTE VOICING’S PART 1

To begin with, let’s take a ii V I [Example below]. Notice that the C moves down a semitone to the note B and and then back up the semitone to C. The F note is played in both chords and then resolves down a semitone to the note E.

julian_lage_guitar_jazz_chords_lesson_example

Now, let’s apply this to the minor key. Here we have iim7b5 V7 i [note the 1 tone movement from the F to the Eb]

ADDING A SIMPLE MELODY:

Below, is an example of how to add a little melody to our 2 note voicing’s of our ii V I – [notice that it creates a clear and uncluttered sound].

julian-lage-jazz-guitar-chords-melody-example-lesson

We, will now apply this same concept to the minor key.

julian-lage-jazz-chords-chord-melody-example-guitar

Julian Lage: Chord Melody-“All Things” Concept.

Applying, what we have learnt so far let’s look at the first few bars of the standard “All the things you are”

First of all let’s take the basic harmony and see how the chords connect.

julian-lage-jazz-chords-melody-guitar-example

From here, we will now add the melody to this skeletal structure.

SOME MORE 2 NOTE VOICING’S:

Here, is a nice easy way to string some V I’s together on the guitar fingerboard.

julian-lage-jazz-chords-voicings-guitar-example

Below, is a great way to modulate. Here, we have V7 I with I becoming the new V7 [third inversion] that modulates/resolvess to the new I chord [1st inversion] This works so well on the guitar with simple 2 note voicing’s.

julian_lage_jazz_guitar_chords_lesson-tab-

This last example, is super easy and is a great case in point as the same shape just moves down in semitones through the cycle 4ths/5ths.

julian-lage-jazz-chords-voicings-example-cycle-of-5ths

julian-lage-jazz-chords-voicings-example

ADDING COLOUR NOTES:

Although, 2 note voicing’s cut through, it can still be okay to add colour notes. For instance, below we have the use of a Major 3rd and minor 3rd to create a bluesy sound on the dominant chord.