2 short John McLaughlin Acoustic Jazz Guitar Licks/Cadences
Please Watch Video Above for Detailed Info:
Hi Guys,
Today just a couple of John McLaughlin “Style” acoustic guitar licks/cadences on ii V7 I’s
LICK #1
The first one has a phrasing that really feels like two groups of sextuplets. This in turn creates a sort of juxtaposed phrasing as it is picked in 4 note tetrachord groupings starting with an up beat.
But, the alternate picking pattern starting on an Upstroke pushes this juxtaposition quite naturally.
The second part of the first bar simplifies this by employing basic 2 notes per string phrasing:
The next bar being played over the Dominant 7th chord employs the same type of mixed phrasing as the first bar:
We conclude with 2 triads of Eminor and F Major:
LICK #2
This lick starts with an upbeat and an upstroke on the open E string:
From here we start on a downstroke with 4 note groupings of Tetrachord connections:
The final phrase employs the same juxtaposed notes/groupings as the first exercise which finally rest on the tonic chord of C Maj7:
The good thing with alternate picking and the reason great players and improvisers employ it is because it offers the keys to performing rhythmically complex and fast tempo music. This is especially true with Jazz, Fusion and World Music.
Applying Indian Konokol or even Western Classical Tradition we can change the alternate picking patterns/groupings into rhythms for musical phrasing.
But, before we break these rhythms up though we need to get the basic idea and fundamentals down. This way we can nail any chords changes especially ambiguous ones.
PART 1:
This simple “Rhythmic Unit” of a group of 5 notes can be broken up. This gives clarity when nailing the changes at a very fast tempo.
Alternate Picking 5’s John Mclaughlin 180 bpm jazz improv “Nailing the Changes”
The Group of 5 now becomes one “Tetrachord” and the 5th note becomes the first note of the next chord [DbMaj9]. This way the changes are “Nailed” by the rhythm which has become 4+1
Alternate Picking 5’s John Mclaughlin 180 bpm jazz improv “Nailing the Changes”
So, as we can see the Ta Ka Di Me Thom or 1 2 3 4 5
Alternate Picking Fives Rhythmic Subdivision
Becomes 1 e and a2
or Ta ka di mi Ta
For anybody having problems with their alternate picking at fast tempos whilst nailing the changes this will really help you because you will automatically land on the first note of the next chord.
Below we can see a few examples with John Mclaughlin employing 5’s.
This time we will take a group of six notes [Sextuplets] and make a tetrachord and a half from it.
This will make 4+ 2 which will make us nail the changes with 4 notes on the first chord and 2 notes on the second chord with a short rest to reset our fretting hand to repeat the pattern again on the next two chords.
Alternate picking exercise warm up in Sextuplets/Triplets
Sextuplets John Mclaughlin guitar style into 4+2 Alternate Picking
1 2 3 4 5 6 or 1 trip let 2 trip let
or Ta ki ta Ta ki ta or Ta ka Ta ka di me
INTO:
1 e and a 2 e
Or Ta ka di me Ta ka
The first pattern for playing through the changes in Sextuplets
Sextuplets John Mclaughlin guitar style into 4+2 Alternate Picking
The first pattern is now changed into 16ths. From 1 2 3 4 5 6 into 1 e and a 2 e
or Ta ka di me Ta ka
Sextuplets John Mclaughlin guitar style into 4+2 Alternate Picking
The second part of the chord sequence in sextuplets
Sextuplets John Mclaughlin guitar style into 4+2 Alternate Picking
The second pattern is now changed into 16ths. From 1 2 3 4 5 6 into 1 e and a 2 e
or Ta ka di me Ta ka
Sextuplets John Mclaughlin guitar style into 4+2 Alternate Picking
Finally, the full one bar alternate picking chord sequence nailing the changes
Sextuplets John Mclaughlin guitar style into 4+2 Alternate Picking
VARIATION:
Sextuplets John Mclaughlin guitar style into 4+2 Alternate Picking
IF THIS LESSON WAS OF VALUE TO YOU THEN PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO US ON YOUTUBE BELOW, THANKS!
Today we will have a look at re harmonising with extra dominant substitutions and a chord ii variant…..
The first bar employs a C6/9 in place of the basic tonic chord of C major.
Also, note that this has a 3/4 time signature and starts with an up beat.
The next two bars alter the Dominant chord of G7. This is achieved by thinking of G as a 1st inversion and changing the harmony on top.
The BbmMaj7/B has the flattened 3rd like a #9 a flattened 5th [altered] but has the 9th and the 7th of G7. The first 4 notes of the improvised line establishes the BbmMaj7/B harmony whilst the next eight notes employ the A whole tone scale.
The next substitution is a Db chord over the B bass establishing the flattened 5th and a flattened 9th. But, what is really happening is that we are taking a triad a tritone away form the dominant chord G7 and superimposing that on the B [as a 1st inversion] bass note.
Next, we use a chord ii substitution. Again, thinking of F as the bass [1st inversion] we play an E triad over the top. This has the raised 6th and the flattened 5th as a sort of m7b5/Dorian mix.
The final Dominant substitution employs another triad from G altered. This time we use the Eb triad over the B [as 1st inversion] bass. [This has an added 9th acting as the 7th note of G]
