improvisation – Page 3 – Modern Music Theory Improvisation and Application

LINKS to ALL of my past Blogs/PDF Downloads/Lessons

Posted on March 31, 2025March 31, 2025 by Modern Music Theory and Application

Hi Guys,

Below, is the list of all of my past “Blogs/Lessons” that many of you have enquired about:

As you can see, in the list/links below I have delivered hundreds of free lessons/blogs and pdf downloads over the years!

This is a great thing!

But,

I cannot organise them all, as there are just too many.

So, putting them in a long list is the only way to catalogue and contain them all at this moment in time.

You can also find them all in the website menu:

BLOG SEARCH BOX

HERE ARE ALL BLOG/LESSONS/PDF

Many [not all] have free PDF Downloads

I hope that some of the lessons and downloads were of use to you!

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Happy Birthday John McLaughlin! 2 Guitar Licks/Lines

Posted on January 4, 2025January 4, 2025 by Modern Music Theory and Application

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Please Watch Video Above for Detailed Info:

Hi Guys, and Happy Birthday John!

Here, are the two licks from the latest Youtube video!

Guitar Line #1

I am starting this phrase on an “Up” stroke with strict alternate picking guitar technique.

The phrasing of this line feels like two groups of sextuplets. It’s a sort of juxtaposed phrasing as it is picked in 4 note tetrachord groupings starting on an up beat.

john-mclaughlin-guitar-lesson-alternate-picking

In the second part of the first bar, the fretting is simplified as it works into basic 2 notes per string pentatonic style phrasing:

In the last bar we are playing over the Dominant 7th chord with the the same mixed phrasing as the first bar:

Finally, we finished with 2 triads of Eminor and F Major:

Guitar Line #2

This line, once again employs strict alternate picking guitar technique.

I am starting with an upbeat on the open E string. I am also starting my alternate picking on an upstroke.

As you will see, the “Up” stroke on the “Up” BEAT means that the 1st beat of the next bar will be on a Down Stroke.

From here, we can connect the Tetrachords [4 note groupings] together:

Finally, we have the same juxtaposed notes/groupings as in the first exercise. This line comes to rest on the tonic chord of C Maj7:

FREE PDF DOWNLOAD:

wordpresss Download

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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.

FREE PDF DOWNLOAD:

alternatepicking-lesson Download

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