Shakti: Indian Raga alternate picking and fretting hand technique[Development]

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Hi Guys,

Today, a quick look at developing Shakti style Fusion guitar Raga’s from the Mixolydian mode.

Below, is the mode in a Pentatonic form:

shakti-indian-raga-guitar-lesson

Next, we have a phrase that is developed from this mode. In order for it to be smooth and fluid at a “Fast” tempo we will change the fingering:

shakti-indian-raga-guitar-lesson

So, here the 2nd finger comes into play. This makes connecting the phrase easy and smooth to execute with alternate picking.

shakti-indian-raga-guitar-lesson

Notice: I am starting on an upstroke. This is because it is a very smooth “Scalic” and mostly step-wise passage.

shakti-indian-raga-guitar-lesson

Below, we are starting with an anacrusis [Up Beat]. Because of this I am starting on a downstroke.

This means that the actual phrase [1st beat of the bar] will start on the upstroke for smooth step-wise scalic movement.

shakti-indian-raga-guitar-lesson

Below, we have the same thing. This time it starts on the off beat in the bar and employs the same concept:

Start on the down so the up carries the smooth scalic movement:

shakti-indian-raga-guitar-lesson

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Mirror Harmony [Negative Harmony] Music Theory Lesson

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Negative Harmony Mirror Harmony Lesson: How and Why it works

Here we will take a brief look at the major scale modes and their “Mirror” effect via inversion. When we employ contrary motion we get the same intervals descending as we do ascending. So for example if the Lydian scale ascends  T T T S the scale below descends exactly the same with TTTS.

Mirror-harmony-modes-Inversion

Other way around:

Mirror-harmony-reversed-modes-Inversion

The Dorian mode being “Palindromic” produces the same scale either way.

Palindromic-dorian-mode-mirror-harmony

Scale extension: 13 note scale

allan-holdsworth-13-note-music-scale

AUDIO of SCALE extension:

Polytonality and Polymodality Mirror Harmony with Scale:

Each mode of the major scale has it’s mirror [modal] opposite because the whole diatonic scale system can be symmetrically inverted.

Inverted Symmetrical Reflection. The intervals are the same both in harmonisation and contrary motion.

mirror-harmony-polytonality-music-scales

OR:

mirror-harmony-modal-music

modessss

Major scale mirrors

polytonality-major-scales-lesson

Polymodality modal mirrors

polymodality-modal-music-scale lesson

Hungarian Minor Polytonal mirrors

hunmgarian-minor-scale-poly-tonal

Polytonality exotic scales

enigmatic-scales-Superlocrian-scale- lesson
Polytonal Exotic Scales

Polymodality Modes in contrary motion

polymodal-scale-example
Polymodal “Contrary Motion” example

NEGATIVE HARMONY

negative-Harmony-major-phrygian
Negative Harmony or “INVERSION”

Here we see the opposites in the chords with Minor Reflecting Major and Major reflecting Minor. Diminished stays the same though.

negative-Harmony-chords-music
negative-Harmony-chords-music
 

UP-STROKE Alternate Picking Concepts

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UP-STROKE Alternate Picking Guitar Concepts

Hi Guys,

Today, a quick look at starting alternate picking runs on an upstroke.

upstroke, alternate, picking, guitar, technique, example

Starting on an upstroke can be useful when playing stepwise scalic patterns/runs. This can be modal, pentatonic or major/minor.

Here, is the first little exercise/idea: [Note that this starts on an upstroke and finishes on a downstroke]

upstroke, alternate, picking, guitar, technique, example

We, will now extend this and complete the bar.

upstroke, alternate, picking, guitar, technique, example

As you can see when starting on an upstroke it is easy to connect together fragments of scale and create extended fluid lines.

Here is another example of extending and varying by employing simple scalic movement starting on the up stroke.

upstroke, alternate, picking, guitar, technique, example

Connecting scale fragments is a bit like taking the first half of the bar and imitating it into 2 phrases.

upstroke, alternate, picking, guitar, technique, example

In this next example we have rests. These are useful as they give you a split second to get your fretting hand into position.

upstroke, alternate, picking, guitar, technique, example

This time we will employ the open string to create an even pattern to an odd pattern to set up the upstroke for the next phrase.

upstroke, alternate, picking, guitar, technique, example

This time we will use the same concept to ascend with a simple piece of pentatonic/scale:

upstroke, alternate, picking, guitar, technique, example

Now we will descend starting on the up-stroke [no open string]:

upstroke, alternate, picking, guitar, technique, example

Finally, we will employ a repeated note with some scale and open string distance.

upstroke, alternate, picking, guitar, technique, example

Notice that the repeated note and the open string are on the off beat:

One last thing: When doing these and any exercises it is essential to count time. Below is an example:

upstroke, alternate, picking, guitar, technique, example