Modern Music Theory and Application

Modal Chords For Guitar: Slash Chords and Substitution Voicing’s

Posted on January 14, 2025January 14, 2025 by Modern Music Theory and Application

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Hi Guys,

Today, a quick look at modal chords.

The chords are from the backing track [below in this page] and they are “Transposed” with C as the root note.

These are exploited in the 12 bar form of a fusion blues.

Here are the chords for the chart:

modal_chords_guitar_lesson_explained_easily

To begin with, we will take the first chord for the basic Ionian/Major sound. Here we have a chord/triad of G Major over the bass note C as a substitution for Cmaj7:

Next, we have a C Dorian tonality. For this I am employing a 7sus4 chord with a triad of Bb over a C bass once again

From here, we will create a C Lydian sound. We will do this by employing a triad of D Major over a C Bass.

Now, we will move back to Ionian with another 7sus4 chord. This time it’s a triad of C Major over a D Bass.

To create interest, we will now make this tonality minor by adding a triad of Eb Major over a C Bass [a la C minor 7th]. [Aeolian/Dorian]

For, the Phrygian/Aeolian sound, we will employ a 1st inversion triad of Ab Major over a C bass.

To create some dissonance, and a more ethereal sound it’s a good idea to add a Locrian chord. In this instance, I am employing a triad of Db Major over the C Bass.

For the mixolydian sound I am employing a simple C7 chord. [You could also add a 4-3 suspension]

Now, let’s add a couple of Dorian chords.

These will be another 7sus4 chord of an Eb triad over an F bass.

And, a Major 9 [or sus2] no 3rd chord. For this we will add a triad of F major over a Bb bass.

For the penultimate Mixolydian chord, we will create a 3rd inversion [Dominant]. This will be a C Major triad over a [the 7th] Bb bass.

And finally, an Aeolian sound with an Fm6 chord over a G bass.

HERE IS THE BACKING TRACK:

Modes Backing Track Transposed in C Major with Chart and Scale Suggestions.

Here, is the Chart:

Here are some Modal/Scale examples to improvise on over the chords.

CHORD LIST:

FREE PDF DOWNLOAD:

modal chords Download

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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:

FREE PDF DOWNLOAD:

wordpresss Download

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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: