Tag: fretting hand

Mastering John McLaughlin’s Guitar Motif Techniques Part 2:

Posted on by Modern Music Theory and Application

Hi Guys,

Here, is the extended version for the 2nd finger John McLaughlin motif:

MOTIF:

The motif is a 4 note [Tetrachord] in 16th notes- D C# D E

John McLaughlin shakti guitar lesson with music notation and guitar tab example

Notice that this starts with the 2nd finger on the first note:

Now, let’s extend this and add a “set up” by employing the Mixo-lydian mode to create a more Indian/Shakti flavour to the phrase:

I am starting this on an upstroke with strict alternate picking guitar technique:

John McLaughlin shakti guitar lesson with music notation and guitar tab example

This time, we will replicate/imitate the 4 note motif and use it as material to create/extend the phrase into a longer line.

John McLaughlin shakti guitar lesson with music notation and guitar tab example for guitar fingering

Below, is the full line/lick:

John McLaughlin shakti guitar motif and fingering lesson with music notation and guitar tab example

Let’s now, extend the motif and descend as far as we can down the fingerboard with the motif:

John McLaughlin shakti guitar lesson with music notation and guitar tab example

Finally, we will add our little set-up and create a full phrase:

John McLaughlin shakti guitar lesson with music notation and guitar tab example

MOTIF: Starting on a down stroke:

We can also start on a downstroke. This works best and is most natural when picked/phrased in triplets/sextuplets like this:

John McLaughlin alternate picking guitar lesson with music notation and guitar tab example

Full Phrase starting on a downstroke:

John McLaughlin shakti alternate picking guitar lesson with music notation and guitar tab example

IN CONCLUSION:

This little motif/concept is only a small detail, but, it is a good representation of how a lot of material can be created/repeated or imitated from such a small cell. It is like a little hinge that can swing a big door.

This way of building solid lines is really useful for the alternate picking guitar technique as it means that we can unfold material quite easily and if we ever do get lost we can slot back in with simple motif material and rebuild our phrases and keep our lines going.

FREE PDF DOWNLOAD:

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“Shakti/McLaughlin” Mid Tempo Guitar Exercise [Alternate Picking]

Posted on by Modern Music Theory and Application

Please watch video above for detailed info:

Hi Guys,

Today, a short “Mid-Tempo” [around 140bpm] JohnMcLaughlin/Shakti style alternate picking guitar exercise for scale connections in the fretting hand.

This is in regard to crossing the strings and connecting different scale fragments together.

BAR 1:

The first concept is that of employing the open string. This gives the fretting hand a hundredth of a second to rest and hence easily get into position to fret the next note at a mid and fast tempo.

Note: fourth 16th note = Open String

shakti-mclaughlin-indo-jazz-guitar-exercise

In the next part, we can see both open strings employed to make it easy for the fretting hand to get into position and connect to the next scale fragment.

The last note in the bar, the open B natural, makes it easy for us to cross the string smoothly.

shakti-mclaughlin-indo-jazz-guitar-lesson

Here, is the first bar complete:

shakti-mclaughlin-indo-jazz-guitar-exercise

BAR 2:

In this bar, we employ semitones as they are easy to finger/fret, and, also to cross the guitar strings when descending.

shakti-mclaughlin-indo-jazz-guitar-exercise

Extended Variation:

Here, is an extended variation that employs the same alternate picking John McLaughlin concepts that we have just looked at:

john-mclaughlin-indian-guitar-scales

IN CONCLUSION:

These simple concepts for the fretting hand when alternate picking might not seem much, but, they are the little hinges that swing the big door when holding the tempo together. Especially, when playing with a tabla/drum.

It also makes it easier for the right picking hand to pluck the strings as the fretting hand is not under pressure, and, there are spaces for the fretting hand to rest and get into position.

PDF DOWNLOAD:

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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:

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PDF DOWNLOAD 2:

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