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, a quick look at how JohnMcLaughlin creates interesting time signatures with his rhythm guitar playing by employing the open E string as a pedal note.
This unique approach to rhythm guitar makes it easy to play in odd time signatures and create alternate time signatures.
Okay, so whatis this E Pedal Note?
This is the open E string that is plucked as the time keeper.
[It can also play rhythms and add rhythmic drive of its own as we will see later on].
Let’s begin with simple quarter notes: Here, will will add chords on beats 2 and 4.
Now, we will do the same thing but with 8th notes as the pedal bass:
Let’s take this further with 16th notes creating that rhythmic drive:
To create another useful effect we will play the chords on the off-beat:
Now, let’s mix it all together by applying all of the 1/4 1/8th and 16th notes in the E pedal bass!
MANIPULATING THE 16 BEAT CYCLE:
This is really useful because we can play odd/ uncommon time signatures and also alternatetime signatures.
Let’s start by exploiting Indian “‘Teen Taal” or a 16 beat cycle and then alter it.
Above, we can see the 16 beat cycle with the accented red numbers/Beats 1 5 9 13
Now, we will count this and accent the numbers/beats 1 5 9 13 and repeat the cycle until it is effortless to do.
Next, we will break this cycle up, and only count to 11. From here, we will create a loop with our E pedal note holding time in quarter notes. So we have, 1 5 9 [11] REPEAT.
This in turn gives us an 11/4 time signature:
From this point on we can see how easy it is to create interesting odd time signatures and rhythmic patterns with the E pedal as our base and time keeper.
Our understanding of beats 5 and 9 tells us where we are in the bar or beat cycle and hence what might sound complex in theory is actually pretty easy to do and exploit.
ALTERNATE TIME SIGNATURES:
These, are the combing of two or more different time signatures.
Here we employ a bar of 5/4 and a bar of 7/4. We will highlight the E pedal bass note with some quarter and eighth notes for good measure.
CONCLUSION:
This was just a brief look at this concept, but, exploiting just one of these techniques can lead to lots of interesting and useful guitar rhythms and time signature manipulations.
The E Pedal note as the time keeper is so useful because it means that we are in control of the timing/signatures and can accent chords off of it.
Lastly, these techniques are incredible for composition/songwriting. We hear this a lot with John McLaughlin’s Shakti, especially the great albums from the 1970’s where the rhythm of the acoustic guitar is prominent.
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
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.
Here, is the first bar complete:
BAR 2:
In this bar, we employ semitones as they are easy to finger/fret, and, also to cross the guitar strings when descending.
Extended Variation:
Here, is an extended variation that employs the same alternate picking John McLaughlin concepts that we have just looked at:
INCONCLUSION:
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.
