String Skipping/Intervallic Guitar Part 3-HARMONY

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String Skipping/Intervallic Guitar Part 2-HARMONY

PLEASE WATCH VIDEO ABOVE FOR DETAILED ANALYSIS:

Hi Guys,

Today, one last look at “Intervallic string skipping” for a contrapuntal-esque picking style.

The first thing to do is take one position on the guitar fingerboard and find the “Harmony” embedded within that position.

I have taken the A Major position [F#m Relative]

al-di-meola-cycle-of-4ths

Now, let’s make an A Major basic arpeggio from the 1st string and the 6th string.

al-di-meola-string-skipping

Straight away, you will notice that the notes on the 1st string and the notes on 6th string are the same but in different octaves. This gives us an easy and excellent way to exploit the High to Low or Low to High counterpoint effect.

Now let’s do the same with a piece of scale: [Starting on an “Upstroke”]

al-di-meola-string-skipping-scales

Again, the octave makes this flow and connect easily from the low to high.

The next point is to take a chord sequence and use this “String skipping/intervallic” effect: Here we have Vi ii V7 I

al-di-meola-string-skipping

HARMONY

Th next essential point is to acknowledge the harmony in this position:

We will do this by exploiting the Cycle of 4ths in this simple 5 fret position.

al-di-meola-cycle-of-4ths

Here you can see that we have a huge amount of harmony available to us right under our fingertips. These chords don’t have to be Major, they can be minor, diminished, augmented etc. This gives us even more material to work with.

If we move down a fret [Semitone] then we have another set of harmony in 4ths awaiting us.

al-di-meola-cycle-of-4ths

Along, with this we have chord inversions and all of the inversions of A Major:

So, as you can see there is a huge amount of harmony right in front of us even in this one position that we can exploit and create lots of music from.

Lastly, let’s create another “String skipping intervallic” example:

I’m going to create a phrase outlining a D Maj#11 chord.

al-di-meola-string-skipping

To make this sequence quite quick I am going to add some scale from high to low:

al-di-meola-string-skipping-scales

Now we will add a V -I cadence

Now, let’s view the whole line:

al-di-meola-string-skipping

PDF DOWNLOAD:

PDF DOWNLOAD 2:

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Messiaen’s 3rd Mode Backing Track

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Messiaen’s 3rd mode Backing Track

Hi Guys,

Today we will look at a backing track for Messiaen’s 3rd Mode of limited transposition.

Here is the 3rd mode in its most commonly used form in jazz/fusion: [This is a 9 note scale]

messiaen-3rd-mode-backing-track

Here is the outline to the chords in the backing track: Remember, these are all formed from the same 3rd mode.

messiaen-3rd-mode-backing-track-chords
messiaen-3rd-mode-chords-outline
messiaen-3rd-mode-backing-track-chords

Here is the Chord Chart and Video/Track:

Messiaen’s 3rd mode Backing Track

CHORD CHART:

messiaen-3rd-mode-backing-track-chord-chart

PDF DOWNLOAD:

Here is some more information/Examples on Messiaen’s 3rd Mode: [Video and Tab/Notation]

 

Messiaen Modes and Compositional/Improvisational Technique: Modern Music Theory Lesson

Mode 3 has 4 Transpositions and is very useful for jazz. The second transposition was Messiaen’s favourite of his modes.

Messiaen, mode 3, 2nd transposition, detailed, lesson, music theory, examples,
Messiaen Modes and Compositional/Improvisational Technique: Modern Music Theory Lesson
Messiaen mode 3 lesson
Messiaen Modes and Compositional/Improvisational Technique: Modern Music Theory Lesson

Below are some examples employing this scale for improvisation which in turn can be used to create interesting composition.

MESSIAEN MODE 3 [2ND TRANSPOSITION]: EXAMPLE 1

Messiaen, 3rd mode, improvisation, composition, lesson, example, transposed, jazz, fusion, classical, music
Messiaen Modes and Compositional/Improvisational Technique: Modern Music Theory Lesson

INTERVALLIC IDEA: EXAMPLE 2

Messiaen, intervallic, mode, 3, example, intervals, improvisation, composition, technique, transposed, 5rd, mode,
Messiaen Modes and Compositional/Improvisational Technique: Modern Music Theory Lesson

Many composers like Tora Takemitsu and improvisers like Allan Holdsworth have manipulated this mode in one form or another. In the example below this mode sort of weaves in and out of itself. nother. As you can see in the example belomode sort of weaves in and out of itself.

Weaving in and out of F major 7th: EXAMPLE 3

Messiaen, mode, 3, transposed, Weaving, in and out, of F major 7th, lesson, improvisation, composition, how, to
Messiaen Modes and Compositional/Improvisational Technique: Modern Music Theory Lesson

WEAVING IN AND OUT OF A ALTERED: EXAMPLE 4

Messiaen, mode 3, improvisation, Composition, example, for jazz, classical, music
Messiaen Modes and Compositional/Improvisational Technique: Modern Music Theory Lesson

Below is a Short Compositional Study where I use Messaien’s Modes.

Messiaen Modes and Compositional/Improvisational Technique: Modern Music Theory Lesson

IF THESE EXAMPLES WERE OF USE TO YOU THEN PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO US BELOW ON YOUTUBE, THANKS!

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Scale Application for Guitar Improvisation

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Guitar scales made easy!

Please watch video above for detailed analysis

Hi Guys,

Many players ask, “How do I apply scales”?????

Many people get shred guitar mixed up with improvisational styles especially in regards to alternate picking.

Then, when improvisational chord changes appear the scalic structure, guitar fingering, rhythm and phrasing go out of the window. Because, the clumpy classical fingering impedes the rhythmic flow needed to weave in and out of rapid chord changes.

So what to do?

The key is to make simple fingerings with pentatonics, triad pairs, arpeggios, and chromatic passing notes and target tone set ups.

In the example for this blog/video we will go to the absolute basics and create a very simple scale. [please watch video above for more detail]

So, let’s look at the example of a simplified scale built from the basic major scale. [This could be seen as Phrygian but it is just exploiting a simple fingering]

This Ascends and Descends starting on a “Downstroke” with strict alternate picking.

guitar-scales-simplified-tab-example

For most players the most awkward part is descending on the last 2 strings the A and the E string.

Here is the same scale but with an even easier final 4 notes on the E and A strings:

guitar-scales-simplified-tab-example

Next we will apply this concept of breaking up scales and apply it to a bit of John Coltrane’s “Countdown”.

Notice the “Tetrachords” and 2 beat phrases through the rapid changes of harmony.

countdown-guitar-tab-improvisation-example

With the chords moving so quickly and the harmony changing in this manner you can easily hear, see and feel how important it is to be able to improvise with simple broken up scales that inevitably result in simple fluid fingering.

PDF: DOWNLOAD:

“Countdown” Example: PDF DOWNLOAD:

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