fusion – Modern Music Theory Improvisation and Application

Guitar Techniques: Safe Fretting for Better Performance

Posted on February 22, 2026 by Modern Music Theory and Application

Please watch video above for detailed info:

Hi Guys,

Today, a quick look at the fretting hand and fretting notes “Safely”and easily on the guitar.

This is essential to ensure a relaxed hand, relaxed elbow and relaxed shoulders that are aligned and in sync with the right alternate picking hand at uptempo BPM’s.

PART 1:

To begin with, let’s take a simple 5 note prime number pattern and alternate pick it.

This will be done starting on an upstroke.

Musical notation featuring alternate picking guitar technique notes on a staff, with markings indicating measures and guitar tablature below, highlighting certain fret positions. — A guitar sheet music notation featuring a simple 5 note prime number pattern with for alternate picking.

From this simple 5 note pattern, we can move the fretting hand quickly avoiding pressure on the tendons.

Now that we have this let’s add another 3 note prime number pattern.

When these are connected together we have a “Smooth” little phrase of picking and fretting in sync.

Sheet music showing guitar alternate picking tablature with notes and finger placements, including various symbols and measures. — Standard music notation for a combined 5 note and 3 note alt pick pattern on guitar.

Now, let’s turn the 2 prime number patterns into “Standard” music notation – as 16ths.

Sheet music featuring Shakti McLaughlin guitar tablature with notations and finger positions, including a section labeled '4 + 4'. — Standard music notation for a 5-note prime number pattern as 16ths.

From here, let’s add a chord, so that what we have starts to become/sound like music:

Musical notation with a staff displaying notes, rhythmic values, and a guitar tab indicating specific frets and strings for fretting hand when alternate picking technique is employed. — Shakti/McLaughlin style alternate picking technique on guitar

PART 2: Ascending/Descending:

In this example, we will start with a chord and then comfortably play off of that chord ascending and descending into the next chord.

As you can see we have what looks like a bit of a stretch.

But, it is only a barred 2nd inversion C Major triad, with an F# note in the bass on the 4th finger.

The point here is that from that F# note we will start the alternate picking line from that 4th finger as it is already in position.

This makes it easy to do and connect to the next chord as the 1st finger will be in position to play the next chord.

Sheet music notation showing John McLaughlin style notes with finger positioning instructions, including '1st finger' and '4th finger' indicated on a staff and corresponding tablature for guitar. — Diagram illustrating the finger placements for the C/F# and D/E chords on guitar like John McLaughlin

The second part then descends nicely into the last chord of F#+7

PART 3: Ascending 5

Here, is another group of 5 + 3. Again, this is easy to fret and pick, and as before we will start on an upstroke.

Musical notation with standard staff lines showing notes and tablature for guitar, including finger positions indicated by numbers.

The beauty of this is that when we finish the chord on the downstroke it is natural to then go into the opposite direction and descend into another chord connection.

A sheet of music notation featuring notes on a staff and guitar tab indicating finger positions on the guitar.

PART 3: Sextuplets.

Finally, let’s finish with a much favoured guitar picking pattern that encapsulates 6 notes [Sextuplets]

We will employ our 5 note prime number pattern and add 1 note.

This will give us a nice and quick 6 note sextuplet pattern to execute.

Sheet music showing musical notes, including key signatures and bar lines, along with corresponding tablature for string instruments.

Now, we will shift this up the fretboard as we repeat it.

Sheet music showing John McLaughlin and Al Di Meola guitar tablature and notation with various notes and techniques. — Standard music notation for John McLaughlin/Al Di Meola style alternate picking pattern/exercise

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Jazz Fusion Alternate Picking Guitar Exercise Analysis

Posted on July 8, 2024July 8, 2024 by Modern Music Theory and Application

Hi Guys

As requested, here are the two youtube shorts [uploaded horizontal] with the Tab/Notation. [Sorry, some notation is a bit messy]

VIDEO OF THE EXERCISE:

Alternate Picking guitar exercise. Jazz Fusion music mid tempo. Lesson/How to:

EXERCISE ANALYSIS:

PLEASE NOTE: These are only exercises to connect and get familiar with the jazz tools of improvisation in regards to alternate picking:

This exercise starts on a down stroke with strict alternate picking around 130-140 Bpm:

The point of the exercise is to “Connect” lots of jazz improvisation concepts together.

The first being barring 4ths and 3rds with the little finger [or pinkie]. This breaks up the monotony of the scale sound and creates a melodic inflection. It also makes it easy to play quickly as two notes are fretted with the same finger.

alternate-picking-guitar-jazz-fusion-lesson

This exercise is also good for exploiting phrasing on one string:

It’s also good for triad implications or sus 4-3 to lengthen the line.

Lastly, another tool that works really well for both the alternate picking right hand and the sound of the phrase is to employ an arpeggio. In this exercise we have also manipulated the open string to set up the next fragment of scale on the same string.

FULL EXERCISE:

DESCENDING ALTERNATE PICKING EXERCISE:

Alternate Picking mid tempo guitar exercise

This exercise starts on a downstroke once again, but, this time we descend:

The same improvisational tools are applied.

We start the line with some 4ths barred with the little finger into a bit of broken scale.

This leads us nicely into the employment of two arpeggios. These arpeggios create melodic colour over the A7 Dominant chord.

Next we exploit the alternate picking on the same string for two beats over the D Major 7 chord:

As with the previous exercise we exploit the Major 3rd and perfect 4th intervals, which means that we can alternate pick two notes quickly without having to change our fretting fingers.

Finally, we employ the chromatic scale starting on the #5 [Bb] of D7augmented chord:

IN CONCLUSION

In conclusion it’s through exploiting these improvisational devices that we can alternate pick and create long quick fluid lines lines that make improvisational sense.

In terms of jazz fusion this means that we can play smoothly through ambiguous harmony as well as standard chord changes at a quick tempo.

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Modern Jazz Fusion Chords:How to create them from scales

Posted on May 10, 2024May 20, 2024 by Modern Music Theory and Application

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Hi Guys,

Today, a look at how to create colourful and interesting jazz/fusion chords:

Because, we are dealing with jazz/fusion we will manipulate a scale in modal form. This will be C Mixolydian:

Now, let’s add one note above each note of the mode and create 3rds. [Here we can hear the mode in double stops].

Now, we will add another note a 5th above the root and create triads.

We have now harmonised the Mixolydian mode.

As you will hear it doesn’t sound very jazzy or have a fusion-esque sound.

So what do we do?

Well, we will add another note and manipulate the chord “Voicing’s”. Let’s exploit 4ths, flattened 5ths and Major 3rds.

Ascending Chord Scale:

Descending chord scale:

THE DORIAN MODE:

Now, we will apply this to the C Dorian Mode which has another flat note, this being Eb.

C Dorian Chord Scale : Harmonisation idea:

CREATING MUSIC:

Now, let’s play these chords in a sequence and make a bit of music from them:

EXAMPLE: Notice-Motifs and melodic movement from the chord voicings:

Melodic minor quartal harmonisation

Finally, to really get that “Fusion” exoticism let’s now exploit the melodic minor scale:

Below, we have the A melodic minor scale: Notice it’s just like the A Major scale but with the 3rd flattened: [In this case C natural]

Again, we will try out some ideas to harmonise the scale with some interesting chord voicing’s:

Here is a really nice set of chords built from from the scale.

jazz-fusion-guitar-chords-lesson-melodic-minor

From here it’s a good idea to play re-harmonised chords from chord scales in sequences like:

ii V7 I

Vi ii V I

iii Vi ii V7 I

IN CONCLUSION:

This was just a basic look at how to create interesting chords from scales and modes and how to create interesting and unique voicing’s.

At the end of the day it really comes down to your own ears and imagination and sense of creativity. But, this is how easy it is to create chords from scales and then put them into sequences for composition and re-harmonisation.

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chord-scale FREE DOWNLOAD

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