Lessons from Jazz/World to 20 Century Classical Music Harmony Rhythm and Theory
Category: How to apply Chromatics in jazz improvisation
By:Jazz fusion improviser guitarist, educator and composer. Don Mock approach notes,Charlei Parker embellishments, John Coltrane Passing notes, encircling and chromatic enclosure. How to: Chromatic altered harmony of John Mclaughlin and his alternate picking guitar technique.
Above is the “Classic’ Lennie Tristano superimposed #15 arpeggio for C Major7. The #15 sounds “Correct” because all of the 5ths in the arpeggio are PERFECT 5THS.
EXTENDING AN ARPEGGIO TO THE 23RD
TERTIAN HARMONY
If we keep stacking 3rds with superimposition and extension we create “Tertian” harmony. So, above a 15th we have a 17th, above that a 19th, above that a 21st and above that a 23rd. Hence a 23rd chord will use all 12 notes.
The 23rd chord example below has a major leaning
This example provides a 23rd chord with a minor leaning
Here we have a 23rd chord with an augmented leaning
Lastly we have a 23rd chord with a diminished leaning
Going back to our old friend George Russell and the Lydian Chromatic Concept we become aware of the shifting of tonal gravity and what is available with a 23rd chord that shifts out and how we can manipulate it to create new ideas and avoid cliches. Also going back to our 1st example of Lennie Tritano’s #15th arpeggio we hear how we can exploit the perfect 5ths to make something not right “Sound” right but fresh and new.
How to create music and improvisation with the 23rd chord
Below is a great example of my personal favourite 23rd chord creating a lovely Tertian Stack.
This example also reverts back to our 12 tone blog for improvisation and jazz heads/tunes. There are 3 sets of TETRACHORDS. Or 3 sets of 4 note groupings.
Next we can take the same 23rd chord pitches and make Hexatonic or 2 groups of 6 from the 23rd chord tertian superimposition.
Finally we can make 3 note cells to form a 12 tone line from the same tertian 23rd chord extension.
23rd chord Improvised line ideas:
Employing 23rd chord outlines in Major, minor, diminished augmented.
When it comes to learning music I still love to lean into the old dusty trusted paper. Man, I still really love paper!
The smell of candle fragrance, coffee and paper makes me want to enter into that private world of knowledge and digest!
I love the feel of a book. the allure and all that awaits like a beautiful women. To enter that secret world where magic happily appears and all that was old and grey is transformed into the fresh and colourful.
Paper always brings with it a sense of peace and stress relief from the distractions of computer learning. A book is a place where texts and messengers and news feeds have no place.
A book is a place where the mind is still and childlike filled with curiosity but all the time knowing that it will eventually absorb the magic that is presented before it and turn the pages of stardust into living breathing art. Man, I love paper!
Here are the top 5 music education text books and scores I use at the moment,
5] Twentieth Century Harmony -Vincent Persichetti
4] John Mclaughlin Improvisations [Transcriptions]-Mediastarz
3] Exploring Jazz Piano Book 2- Tim Richards
2] Jazz composition theory and practice-Ted Pease [Berklee press]
1] A chromatic approach to jazz harmony and melody-Dave Liebman
JOHN MCLAUGHLIN LEFT HAND FINGERING LESSON MUSIC TAB
The key to getting fluidity and developing the ability to play long jazz/fusion guitar phrases up tempo relies on good left hand fingering. Most people focus on the right alternate picking hand and then find it impossible to join/link up the improvised line phrasing /rhythm
The phrases and guitar fingering get generally “Un-guitaristic” when weaving in and out of altered [Dominant] harmony on the guitar fingerboard. This is why it is essential to manipulate the “Left fretting hand” fingering. The fingering that John Mclaughlin employs in much of his jazz guitar playing is available to all as is shown in my two guitar tab/notation examples and video. The secret fingering is actually quite simple and logical.
John Mclaughlin talks about fingering a lot in interviews and even said to Larry Coryell that “Fingering is everything”. When the fingers can move effortlessly and weave in and out of the complex harmonic lines it does become natural to articulate musical phrases into improvisation that way.
THE “SECRET” JOHN MCLAUGHLIN ALTERNATE PICKING GUITAR FINGERING! Revealed!
Above, is a very common John Mclaughlin fingering that he employs to get through fast uptempo phrases. It is actually quite repetitive and very useful for building any scale regardless of that scales intervals or complexity. This is the key to his explosive and effortlessness when alternate picking fluid modern jazz fusion guitar lines. Also, with this fingering it is possible to display excellent chromatic mastery,approach notes and jazz encircling set ups with ease.
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