Lessons from Jazz/World to 20 Century Classical Music Harmony Rhythm and Theory
Tag: John Mclaughlin
alternate picking guitar style and jazz fusion improvisation lessons in his style. Looking at Mclaughlins use of altered dominant chords and chromatics in john’s improvisations. Lessons in john mclaughlin’s guitar style and improvised line using altered scales, harmonic minor and melodic minor scales. Mclaughlins use of modes, dorian, phrygian,aeoloean,ludian,mixolydian, locrian. Also the modes of the diminished scale.
IMPORTANT: Please watch video above for Guitar Lick:
Hi Guys
Just a short John Mclaughlin jazz fusion acoustic guitar lick from my youtube shorts. This, as per usual, employs strict alternate picking starting on a “Down stroke”.
Also notice that the phrase starts in the bar with an anacrusis:
The Dominant chord G7 has been altered and resolves nicely to the tonic chord via the notes Eb to E natural.
Full Lick:
John Mclaughlin Altered style ii V7 I alternate picking guitar lick
John McLaughlin-esque ii V7 I Alt Guitar Line [140 Bpm]
Please watch video above for detailed info:
Hi Guys,
Today, a quick ii V7 I McLaughlin-esque lick
This is at 140 Bpm with an altered approach to harmony with strict alternate picking guitar technique.
The chords are as follows.
For the ii minor chord I employ a minor chord with a Major 7th and an added 9th.
For the V7 chord I raise the 5th [#5] and add a flattened 9th note.
And for the I chord I make this augmented by raising the 5th.
So, the ii V7 I becomes harmonically altered and creates an interesting sound
Guitar Line
The line starts on an upbeat with 3 target tones that deliberately set up the 1st note of bar one. This adds forward momentum and adds a colourful chromatic set-up.
The target tones start on an “Up stroke” so that on the first beat of bar one you will land and start a “Down stroke”
Over the DmMaj7/9 chord I start with a Dm9 arpeggio and then exploit the D Harmonic minor scale by ascending in fragments.
Over the G+b9 chord I start on the third note B and then play an Eb 4-3 arpeggio.
The Bb from this arpeggio then moves up to the B natural and then I play the b9 to tonic and #5 to5 which then finally moves down to the note C for the tonic of the next chord C+.
Today we will look at a ii V7 extension in the improvisational style of jazz/fusion guitarist John McLaughlin.
HARMONY/CHORD SEQ
This is a cadential ii V7 I, but before the chord I resolution there is an added chord. This is chord Vii as a Dominant 7th. In this case this is B7:
So, this is the chord sequence/cadence that we will improvise over.
I start this with an up-beat employing strict alternate picking.
I start the phrase on an “Upstroke” so that when I start on the 1st beat of the 1st bar I can start on a “Downstroke”for familiarity.
The first bar is basic pentatonic scale movement. But, notice that the 2nd half of the bar encapsulates the classic McLaughlinguitar fingering signature phrase.
The next part employs pentatonic movement again. The key is in shifting positions in the second half of the bar.
Lastly, we have the B7 chord. We start with a second inversion F#9 outline and then we establish the 7th with the A natural. We finally cadence by landing on the note G natural the 5th of CMaj7.
