Quick Tips for Jazz Guitar Turnarounds: Martino,Mock,McLaughlin

Posted on by Modern Music Theory and Application

Please watch video above for detailed info:

Hi Guys,

Today, a look at playing through a Vi ii V7 I Turn around/Cadence at a quick pace/tempo.

This is in the style of Don Mock, Pat Martino and John McLaughlin. So, this employs the alternate picking guitar technique.

PART 1:

In order to achieve our goal, we will exploit pentatonic fragments and connect them together in four note groupings.

This also means that we can make use of simple guitar fingering and hence pick quick rapid phrases.

Here, is the chord sequence:

A jazz chord turnaround and cadence featuring Gmaj7, E7, Am7, D7, Gmaj, Gm7, C7, and Fmaj7 in 4/4 time.

Now, we will solo through the first two chords of I VI [Chord VI as a Domoninat 7th]

Musical notation and tab showing GMaj7 and E7 jazz turnaround chords with corresponding notes and finger placements for guitar.

Starting, on a down stroke with alternate picking, we can see how easy it is to connect these simple pentatonic’s together through the two chord changes.

Now, let’s connect the pentatonic’s over the next two chords in the same manner. [Notice the G to F# resolution for Gmaj7]

Musical notation and tablature showing jazz ii V7 I chords Am7, D7, and Gmaj7 with highlighted notes and guitar finger placements.

PART 2:

Having completed our Turnaround, let’s cadence this to a new key: This will be F Major.

To do this, we will make the G Major 7th chord, minor, to G minor 7th.

Musical notation and tab for the Gm7 chord featuring pentatonic scale connections for jazz improvisation

From here, we will carry this pentatonic scale/line along and play it over the next chord.

This will be the Dominant chord of C7 [or chord V leading to/of the new key F Major].

Notice: the use of a few chromatic notes to fill out the pentatonic scale/line.

Sheet music showing a chord progression with annotations for C7 and Fmaj7, highlighting chromatic jazz improvisational movement.

PART 3:

Full Turnaround/Cadence:

Sheet music and tablature displaying chord progression for jazz Vi ii V7 I Gmaj7, E7, Am7, D7, and Gmaj7, with annotations and notes for guitar performance.
Sheet music showing a chord progression for jazz with ii V7 I with Gm7, C7, and FMaj7, highlighting chromatic scale movement and alternate picking guitar techniques.

This, was just a quick look at how easy it is to connect long lines together through very quick chord changes, especially, at the guitar with alternate picking technique.

It’s amazing the amount of chords we can play through fluently and quickly with this simple pentatonic four note [tetrachord] approach when improvising.

This short blog/lesson was just touching the surface. But, it does still give quite a comprehensive view of what can be achieved with this approach.

It’s a good idea to apply this method to any quick chord changes that you can find [e,g “Giant Steps”] and try this.

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Understanding the Farben Chord in Music: Schoenberg’s Chord:

Posted on by Modern Music Theory and Application

Please watch video above for detailed info:

Hi Guys,

Today, a look at the mighty “Farben” chord from Arnold Schoenberg’s five pieces for orchestra.

What is the “Farben” Chord?

This a C Augmented chord with a Maj7th and a 13th [or 6th].

The way that the notes are spaced/voiced creates a unique and dramatic flavour.

Below, is a quick piece of orchestration that I composed to display this.

Here, is the Farben chord voicing:

Musical sheet notation illustrating Schoenberg's 'Farben' chord with specific notes highlighted in blue and red.
Diagram illustrating the voicing of the Farben chord, showcasing the unique spacing and dramatic flavour.

Now, let’s play this as an arpeggio outline:

Sheet music showing a musical staff with notated Farben chord above and a tablature section for guitar below.
Arpeggio outline showcasing the Farben chord voicing.

This time we will extend it to two octaves.

Sheet music notation displaying schoenberg's "Farben" chord featuring a C Augmented chord with a Maj7th and 13th. The notes are arranged across multiple staves, showcasing various voicings and articulations.
Sheet music illustrating two-octave arpeggio of the ‘Farben’ chord.

From here, we will create a chordal picking guitar vamp from this chord voicing. [Careful, with your fingers as the intervals require a bit of a stretch]

A guitar tab showing a chord diagram for the C augmented chord with a major 7th and 13th, designed for educational purposes.
‘Farben’ chord guitar voicing

Here, is the vamp.

Sheet music showing musical notes and guitar tablature for a chord progression.
Sheet music representation for a guitar vamp based on the ‘Farben’ chord voicing.

Here, is another vamp idea:

Sheet music depicting a guitar tab and notation for an arpeggio outline of the Farben chord.

RE VOICING:

Another, lovely sound that we get [thinking from the relative minor] is AmMaj7/9.

This voicing works beautifully on the guitar creating a colourful resonance:

Diagram showing the notes and finger positioning for the C Augmented chord with a Maj7th and 13th. Fabern chord as minor

Now, let’s play it as an arpeggio outline:

Sheet music displaying annotations for 'Am', 'Maj7', and '9th' chords, with notes positioned on a staff.

From here, we will extend this to create an ascending line:

Sheet music displaying a musical piece with various notes and rhythms, designed to illustrate the 'Farben' chord by Arnold Schoenberg.

Finally, we will make another voicing.

Musical notation showing the C augmented chord with a major 7th and 13th intervals.
Diagram of chord voicing illustrating the unique structure of the Farben chord variation.

If we take the top part, we can create a nice lick from it. This gives a sort of modal improvised line impression.

[Side thought: Unordered 01348: s Forte number is 5-z17, in the taxonomy of Allen Forte].

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Mastering Chromatic Guitar Techniques Inspired by John McLaughlin

Posted on by Modern Music Theory and Application

Please watch video above for detailed info:

Hi Guys,

Today, a quick look at adding colourful chromatics to your playing.

I am employing the concepts/style of guitar great John McLaughlin.

PART 1:

EXAMPLE LINE: Ascending

For many guitar players that employ the pick, ascending chromatics seem to be more awkward and rhythmically difficult to phrase and play than descending.

One, of the great secrets, that John exploits, is the use of the open string to connect everything together smoothly.

john_mclaughlin_chromatic_guitar_improvising_techniques

This, is unbelievably useful at up-beat tempos and with odd time signatures.

WHY IS THIS?

Because, the open string gives the fretting hand a fraction of a second to get into position…. and so, the picking right hand doesn’t have to rush or fight against the fretting hand and interrupt the synchronisation.

This makes it easy, to count time and play in a natural and fluent manner.

Here, is the first part of the example line Ascending:

Notice, the melodic set up with a simple C Major Triad.

This, then moves back down a 4th for the open string to be plucked. Also, notice that this open string is plucked on the off-beat.

john_mclaughlin_chromatic_guitar_improvising_techniques

Let’s, now complete the ascending phrase by employing another open string:

Notice: The way the pick brings out the chromatics naturally in this way.

john_mclaughlin_chromatic_guitar_improvising_techniques

[Although, these can be classed as synthetic or symmetrical scales and some may deem them “Unemotional” or “Un-melodic” they serve an important purpose and weave beautifully in the improvised line].

Complete Ascending opening phrase:

john_mclaughlin_chromatic_guitar_improvising_techniques

VARIATION: [With Up-Beat]

PART 2:

Descending Phrase: Chromaticism

In the answering phrase we will employ Target Tones [Enclosure/Approach notes].

We will set up the phrase with an anacrusis, this being [4] e and a

john_mclaughlin_chromatic_guitar_improvising_techniques

NOTE: I am starting this on an “Up” stroke, so that when I start on the beat of the first bar I can employ the “Down” stroke” for “Even” tetrachord [4 note] groupings.

john_mclaughlin_chromatic_guitar_improvising_techniques

On the third beat, I am exploiting the use of the EbMajor arpeggio to get out of the key.

john_mclaughlin_chromatic_guitar_improvising_techniques

But, this then resolves nicely, back to Em. [Notice, the Bb resolves a half step down to the note A]

john_mclaughlin_chromatic_guitar_improvising_techniques

FULL EXAMPLE LINE:

john_mclaughlin_chromatic_guitar_improvising_techniques
john_mclaughlin_chromatic_guitar_improvising_techniques

IN CONCLUSION:

This was just a brief, but informative look at how easy chromatics can be brought into anyone’s guitar playing.

The key, is not the notes themselves so much, but, “How” they are done.

McLaughlin’s chromatic guitar techniques are actually quite simple and amazingly effective as they work at any tempo with the crafted alternate picking guitar technique.

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