al di meola – Making Music Theory and Jazz Improvisation work for you

“Al di Meola” Alternate Picking Acoustic Guitar lesson/lick

Posted on April 5, 2020 by Jazz fusion guitar Improvisation lessons and modern music theory

In this video and lesson we look at a basic but very useful repetitive alternate picking 2 string guitar lick.

This is an excellent way to develop the right hand picking technique and get the left hand fretting fingers into synchronisation.

Alternate Picking 2 string “Al di Meola” guitar lick/lesson

al di meola alternate picking lesson — Al Di Meola 2 string alternate picking guitar lick

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Jazz/fusion improvisation Altered scale Theory Lesson

Posted on December 11, 2019December 26, 2019 by Jazz fusion guitar Improvisation lessons and modern music theory

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Today we will look at a John Mclaughlin alternate picking Jazz/Fusion improvisation cadence employing the altered dominant chord! Please watch the video below and then try it out yourself.

As you will see this cadence employs the Altered scale. It is a 2 [minor 7 flat 5] going to 5 [ “Altered Dominant”] 1 [major 7th]. This being Dm7 flat 5 G7 altered resolving to C major7.

I also employ a flat 5 substitution on the Dm7 flat 5. All of this resolves though and slips nicely into the altered dominant 5 chord. I also use pentatonics within the altered scale for rhythmic flow. Please look at the TAB/MUSIC below and play through it yourself to see and feel how it all “Naturally” unfolds. I employ alternate picking the same as John Mclaughlin.

John Mclaughlin alternate picking altered scale line Music/Tab

John Mclaughlin Alternate picking Altered scale jazz improviser line

VARIATION With an A flat Pentatonic shape replacing A flat minor/Major Arpeggio for the flat 5 substitution.

Altered scale jazz improvisation, jazz improviser lesson

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Al di Meola Chordal Picking 3/4 Guitar Lesson [Picking Arpeggios]

Posted on November 8, 2019November 8, 2019 by Jazz fusion guitar Improvisation lessons and modern music theory

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In this Lesson we will look at Al Di Meola’s 3/4 Plectrum “Chordal Picking” patterns as used in compositions like “Orient Blue”. This style picks the notes of a chord by employing fluid/specific picking patterns to bring out the arpeggios.

basic 3/4 pattern: “down down down up up up”

Al di meola basic chordal right hand picking pattern

4 bar sequence of basic 3/4 chordal picking pattern

Al di meola 3/4 right hand chordal picking pattern lesson basic

with the addition of a triplet pattern going “down down up”

Al di meola 8ths to triplet chordal picking right hand guitar patterns lesson

chordal picking with melody notes in the treble [1st string]

Al di Meola chordal picking guitar technique lesson

3/4 chordal picking riff

Al di Meola chordal picking guitar patterns lesson right hand guitar technique

Chord Reharmonization on common chord sequences

In this Blog/Vlog we are just re harmonising and altering common chord sequences like, VI II V I or I Vb first inversion.

Alternate picking guitar technique.Right hand mechanics secrets lessons!

Alternate picking is a strict Up/Down or Down/Up Picking Movement as opposed to a hammering on and pulling off technique. We do this by employing a relaxed wrist motion plucking up and down or down and up from the

Jazz II V I Improvisation Book Review.

This is a very useful book if you are “New’ to jazz improvisation. It covers all the needs of the beginner as it starts the with II V I cadence. It then goes through the II V I cadence with various altered dominants and chromatic embellishments. There is also written harmonic explanations for each variation.