Examples – Page 6 – Modern Music Theory Improvisation and Application

12 Tone Pattern: Scott Collins Guitar Line:

Posted on January 3, 2025January 3, 2025 by Modern Music Theory and Application

Please watch video above for detailed info:

Hi Guys,

Today, a quick look at a Scott Collins 12 tone guitar pattern and applying it to alternate picking guitar technique as an exercise in descending intervallic movement.

First of all, let’s look at the pattern.

I am thinking of these motifs as 3 note “Tri-chords” [as in John ‘O” Gallagher’s book 12 tone improvisation].

Here, are the first 3 pitches as a tri-chord.

TRI-CHORD:

What makes this line interesting is that the “Tri- Chords” move in “Tri-Tones”.

You could view this from a diminished perspective but from a picking perspective it is more like tritones and semitones. This gives it that unique angular sound.

If we look at the example below we can see a classic example of a tri-chord pattern/sequence with the same guitar fingering.

PATTERN: Same fingering

scott-collins-12-tone-symmetrical-guitar-patterns

In the next example, we can see the tri-chords, the tritones and the semitone movement.

TRICHORDS-TRITONES-SEMITONES:

ALTERNATE PICKING:

I am using strict alternate picking guitar technique for this exercise starting this on a “Downstroke”.

I am counting in groups of three note triplets, although, you could count in sextuplets.

There is a lot of one note per string and two notes per string picking. So, remember when you pluck down to pluck back up equally. This very much Robert Fripp style picking and hence you need to be aligned with the string you wish to pluck.

Here is the first part:

Second Part:

Lastly, we will use half of the patten and play it over a traditional ii V7 I

ii V7 I Example:

FULL LINE:

Below, is the original line I took this from. As, you can see from the fingering, this was more of a symmetrical pattern with tapping.

SCOTT COLLINS ORIGINAL LINE/TAB:

PDF DOWNLOAD:

12 tone pattern Download

Scott Collins Link: https://guitarchitecture.org/2012/01/14/visualizing-video-game-licks-or-an-intro-to-symmetrical-12-tone-guitar-patterns/

scott-collins-12-tone-guitar-pattern-book

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Julian Lage’s Approach to Jazz Guitar Improvisation: 2Note Chord Voicing’s

Posted on December 27, 2024January 8, 2025 by Modern Music Theory and Application

Please watch video above for detailed info:

Hi Guys,

Today, a look at how jazz guitar master Julian Lage harmonises, creates and improvises on jazz standards with simple 2 note chord voicing’s:

Many guitarists, and many instructional manuals display what are commonly called jazz chords as big block barre chords with overbearing resonance and no resolution to the movement.

But, the reality is that someone really good at comping in jazz will distill big block chords into simple 2 note voicing’s that don’t intrude and that pierce through the band or ensemble.

2 NOTE VOICING’S PART 1

To begin with, let’s take a ii V I [Example below]. Notice that the C moves down a semitone to the note B and and then back up the semitone to C. The F note is played in both chords and then resolves down a semitone to the note E.

julian_lage_guitar_jazz_chords_lesson_example

Now, let’s apply this to the minor key. Here we have iim7b5 V7 i [note the 1 tone movement from the F to the Eb]

ADDING A SIMPLE MELODY:

Below, is an example of how to add a little melody to our 2 note voicing’s of our ii V I – [notice that it creates a clear and uncluttered sound].

julian-lage-jazz-guitar-chords-melody-example-lesson

We, will now apply this same concept to the minor key.

julian-lage-jazz-chords-chord-melody-example-guitar

Julian Lage: Chord Melody-“All Things” Concept.

Applying, what we have learnt so far let’s look at the first few bars of the standard “All the things you are”

First of all let’s take the basic harmony and see how the chords connect.

julian-lage-jazz-chords-melody-guitar-example

From here, we will now add the melody to this skeletal structure.

SOME MORE 2 NOTE VOICING’S:

Here, is a nice easy way to string some V I’s together on the guitar fingerboard.

julian-lage-jazz-chords-voicings-guitar-example

Below, is a great way to modulate. Here, we have V7 I with I becoming the new V7 [third inversion] that modulates/resolvess to the new I chord [1st inversion] This works so well on the guitar with simple 2 note voicing’s.

julian_lage_jazz_guitar_chords_lesson-tab-

This last example, is super easy and is a great case in point as the same shape just moves down in semitones through the cycle 4ths/5ths.

julian-lage-jazz-chords-voicings-example-cycle-of-5ths

julian-lage-jazz-chords-voicings-example

ADDING COLOUR NOTES:

Although, 2 note voicing’s cut through, it can still be okay to add colour notes. For instance, below we have the use of a Major 3rd and minor 3rd to create a bluesy sound on the dominant chord.

In the next example let’s add the 13th [F#] and the #9th [C]. This again, works well and creates colour when used sparingly.

julian-lage-jazz-chords-voicings-example-lesson

Playing simple 2 note voicing’s in a structure:

Here, is a simple Blues structure example exploiting these voicing’s:

julian-lage-jazz-chords-voicings-blues-example

FREE PDF DOWNLOAD:

comping-ebook Download

FREE DOWNLOAD #2

2 note Download

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Right Hand: Alternate Picking Guitar Technique

Posted on December 20, 2024December 21, 2024 by Modern Music Theory and Application

Please watch video above for detailed info:

Hi Guys,

Today, a quick look at the “Right Hand” aspect of alternate picking guitar technique:

This is not cast in stone, but, to serve as a useful reference/guide to anyone that might be having problems.

THE WRIST/FOREARM:

alternate-picking-right[hand-guitar-technique-diagram

Picking works best for the jazz/fusion [McLaughlin] style when picking from the wrist. Having said this, there is relative movement from the elbow to the wrist as the forearm follows through.

This becomes one motion that connects the music/phrase [we are playing] together as we alternate strictly down/up or up/down aligned with the strings we wish to pluck.

The differences of the 3 great alternate pickers.

The Fripp style is more for “Pre-learnt” playing 100-152 Bpm [Yes, there will be some improvisation] But, the McLaughlin style is really geared towards “In the moment” improvisation around the 130-200 bpm. With Al di Meola being a combination of both [Think “Hotel Splendido” to “Cielo et Terra”.

This in turn means that each are approached in a slightly different manner, but this would be a whole blog in itself. So, for the sake of time I am addressing the all round basic concepts for the Right Hand in this post.

Crossing the 6 Guitar Strings: PART#1

When crossing strings I like to follow a straight line as is taught in Ivor Mairants brilliant book “Perfect Pick Technique”.

Below, is the diagram that demonstrates this.

This is extremely useful as it means that we are aligned with the string we wish to pluck at the moment we wish to pluck it and the forearm wrist and pick are in line and ready to pluck.

Feeling, and knowing this gives us confidence for ascending and descending naturally without any interrupting from unnecessary nervous or tense movements.

1st string aligned: “Down” stroke:

2nd string aligned/Plucked through on the “Up” stroke:

3rd string aligned:“Down” stroke

4th string aligned: About to be plucked through [on the “Up” stroke]

5th string aligned: “Down” stroke

6th string aligned: Plucked through on the “Up” stroke

As you can see from the 6 diagram alignments above, the wrist and forearm follow naturally as they cross the six guitar strings.

FLOATING OR PIVOTING?

Floating, is literally as it sounds and means floating with the right hand above and not resting whilst plucking the strings.

Pivoting, on the other hand means resting on [generally] the bridge of the guitar and plucking.

I like to be in a floating position and then pivot on either the first note and then float or……float and pivot on the “Down” strokes:

[Please not that the floating is overly emphasised in the photo’s as it is the only way I found to show it].

From Above:

CROSSING STRINGS: PART #2

Always, remember with Alternate Picking we are either picking:

“Up” skip over pluck down.

Or:

“Down” skip over pluck up.

Simple as this is it’s essential to take into account so that you don’t get confused or do two of the same stroke.

IN CONCLUSION:

In conclusion, this was just a brief examination of good solid alternate picking right hand technique. Much of it depends on what you wish to play. Many just wish to play guitar fast, which, ironically defeats the task.

To play at fast tempos one needs to be able to articulate phrases slowly, and, for the prog or jazz fusion improviser this means 8th note to 16th note to 32nd note. Forms of double timing. Because, from that the musical phrasing emerges and so does the speed.

In summation I would say that alternate picking technique is really a simple technique to play complex music and not a complex technique to play simple music.

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