Today, we will employ chromatics [Target Tones]to a simple guitar fingering/scale that everybody knows.
Yes, this is our old mate the A minor Pentatonic scale.
TARGET TONES/CHROMATICS- GUITAR FINGERING:
Before we start: Both fingerings are essential and very useful, but, in different instances.
Okay, let’s compare fingering.
Below, is the more “Traditional” fingering:
Now, let’s simplify this with a more intuitive John McLaughlin style guitar fingering. [2 fingers to 2 fingers with a slide].
We will now now apply this to the simple A minor Pentatonic scale guitar shape.
Here, we will employ a “Side Step” with chromatic target tones for more interest and chromatic colour.
This time we will extend the line with an upbeat of 4 chromatic descending notes starting on the note D as the tonic:
Lastly, let’s try this over a ii V7 I [Dm7 G7 CMaj7]
IN CONCLUSION:
This simple minor pentatonic guitar scale/shape allows us an easy way to employ chromatics and chromaticism by exploiting it with what we are already very familiar with.
This familiarity means that it is not only easier to learn, but, also, easy to remember. Hence, we can apply it to any strings of the guitar and create some colourful and interesting sounding lines.
Today, two exercises for building jazz fusion 16th note double timed improvised guitar lines.
This is applied in the way that guitar great John McLaughlin exploits his alternate picking guitar technique.
This is a “Line builder” that builds through connecting key concepts together and at the same time creating familiarity with them as you do so.
For Example:
Arpeggios, Chromatics, Pentatonic’s, Motifs, Melodic content, Resolutions and Rhythmic offset.
The key is to connect them together in a melodic single note manner that is musical and at the same time logical for the alternate picking.
EXERCISE #1
This exercise starts with an upstroke with an open E string on an “Up beat” [anacrusis].
This then employs an F Major arpeggio with a C to B note resolution.
Straight away, it’s easy to hear the melodic content of the wider intervals of an arpeggio and the resolution.
From here we will now add some chromatic colour.
To complete this phrase we will add the John McLaughlin scale. This slots in nicely to the chromatic scale that we’ve just applied.
It’s smooth, quick and creates that very fluid liquid line sound: Also, notice the offset of the rhythm.
To descend, we will exploit the use of the semitone interval. This is easy for the fretting hand to sequence as it employs repetitive fingering and so is easy to cross the strings with. [The semitones are in the orange marker].
2nd part “Descending”
Finally, we finished with a CMaj9 chord that is then shifted up.
EXERCISE #2 VARIATION:
This exercise is similar to the one above, but, in a different key and different chords.
As before, we start on an up beat with an upstroke. We employ the arpeggio, but, this time it is a suspended fourth with the A note moving down to the G note.
From here, we ascend and exploit the Bb note to emphasise the D Augmented chord. This is then rounded off by slotting in a fragment of our old friend the John McLaughlin scale once more .
We descend with a pentatonic fragment this time and once again exploit the interval of a semitone and sequence it. But, this time with the last 5 notes we also have the intervals of a tone a major 3rd and a minor 3rd.
Finally, we cadence with the chords of E/G#[or E 1st inversion] that then raises the5th to make it augmented. This then resolves to a hanging A9 chord.
IN CONCLUSION:
These are only exercises, but, they do show the melodic/musical nature of the improvised line in regards to alternate picking.
In the jazz fusion style, motifs, melodic content, chromatics, pentatonic’s, rhythmic offset, etc, all work to great effect as they all slot together creating sophisticated double time lines.
Jazz Guitar Alternate Picking Exercises: ii v7 I [Double Time]
Please watch video above for detailed info:
Hi Guys,
Today, we will look at some alternate picking guitar technique exercises forjazz improvisation when double timing
We will exploit ii V7 I’s as a basis for honing our alternate picking skills whilst employing 4 note tetrachord groupings.
In the first exercise it’s a good idea to accent the third note in each four note grouping. We are also starting on a downstroke:
Here is the same exercise but with a variation in the second bar:
SEXTUPLETS EXERCISE:
The next exercise will employ groups of 6 notes called sextuplets: As an exercise we will start with an “Upstroke” this time. This will be played over an AmMaj7 pad:
First Part:
2nd Part:
Full Exercise/Line:
CHROMATICISM/PENTATONIC
The following exercise uses some chromatic movement that smoothly connects to pentatonic movement starting on a downstroke:
PENTATONIC/ARPEGGIO MOVEMENT
In our final exercise we will join together some of these principles.
In Conclusion
This was just a brief look at how to create alternate picking guitar exercises for improvisation through chord changes by applying simple patterns/fingerings that work naturally.
This was only around 140 bpm. But, this is essential before moving onto much quicker tempos with the alternate picking guitar technique.
With the 4 note “Tetrachord” groupings you will get fluidity through the changes. They will give you stability. They can then be broken up to create anticipation and syncopation-which will in turn create the natural expression of musical phrasing.
