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.
Today, a quick look at John McLaughlin’s “Pentatonic” guitar concepts for playing over the Coltrane Changes.
Although I am employing alternate picking guitar technique at quite a fast rate, these pentatonic’s simplify things enormously.
THE RHYTHMIC SIDE OF THINGS:
To keep the solo line tight, we will count in a basic manner,
1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and
This way, you will know where you are in the bar and what chord you are playing over.
To begin with I use the B major pentatonic scale. Next, I employ a simple 2 finger pentatonic scale over D7 and GMaj7.
I then play the second part [same fingering] up a semitone and land on the note D for the EbMaj7 chord, counting 1 2 3 4 in preparation for the next chord.
John McLaughlin Giant Steps BMaj7, D7, GMaj7, Bb7, and EbMaj7 for guitar players.
For the first three chords I play what could be called “A Dorian Pentatonic”. But, I am not really thinking in that way. [I am just adding the F# note for the 3rd of D7]. This in turn creates a very simple and “Fluid” guitar fingering that is very common to most guitar players and hence easy to play.
John McLaughlin giant steps guitar chords Am7, D7, Gmaj7, Bb7, EbMaj7, F#7, and BMaj7.
On the F#7 chord I play an F#7 arpeggio that then resolves into an Eb minor arpeggio for the BMaj7 chord.
McLaughlin Musical notation showcasing the BMaj7 and EbMaj7 chords alongside the F#7 arpeggio.
For then next part, I again employ a simple Pentatonic to get through the first three chords.
This Bb minor leaning works well because over the Bb7 chord it gives us the “Blue note”. Finally we use our A Dorian Pentatonic again to resolve to GMaj7 for our last three chords.
Here, I just use C#m pentatonic and F# Pentatonic to land on the D# to nail the change to the BMaj7 chord. Very simple and very common guitar fingering.
Musical notation highlighting C#m7, F#7, and BMaj7 chords for McLaughlin’s giant steps.
For the last part, I employ an Fm9 arpeggio and a C minor pentatonic scale that then goes up a semitone and repeats our C#m7 F#7 to Bmaj7 phrase.
Music notation for Fm7, Bb7, and EbMaj7 chords, illustrating McLaughlin guitar techniques.
But, this time we land on an F# for the 5th of BMaj7.
Today, a look at the alternate picking guitar style of the great John McLaughlin.
PART 1:
Before starting it is essential to look at the rhythmic aspect.
To do this, let’s take basic 8th notes.
Here, we will accent the 3rd note in each 4 note grouping.
Now, let’s add another 4 note grouping and do the same thing.
Musical notation illustrating the technique of alternate picking with accents on specific notes.
What you will notice is that this is like a basic 4/4 drum rhythm with the accent landing on the snare:
With this in mind, let’s now take this and add a shuffle or swing feel to it.
Tip-This accent and swing feel keeps the picking hand secure and focused on plucking the rhythm and not jumping ahead.
PART 2: Double Timing.
Now that we are comfortable with 8th notes, let’s double the time with 16th notes.
It dosen’t matter how you want to count 16th notes. Regardless of 1 e and a or Ta Ka Di Mi or some inner murmur, the point is that your counting needs to be internalised so that the picking hand knows what to pluck.
So, let’s pluck this around 110 to 140 bpm
Musical notation demonstrating alternate picking techniques in guitar practice.
Okay, let’s now apply everything we have studied so far:
1] Accent 3rd note in each 4 note phrase
2] Apply a swing/shuffle feel
3] Count time – follow internalised rhythm
and play the whole phrase:
PART 3: RIGHT HAND TECHNIQUE:
For the picking hand [Right hand technique] one needs to be aware of plucking inside of the string and outside of the string:
From the outside of the strings it will be:
Up skip over and pluck down:
Diagram illustrating alternate picking technique for guitar, showing the directions of plucking from outside the strings.
From the inside of the strings it will be:
Down skip over pluck up:
Diagram illustrating alternate picking techniques with directional arrows for upstrokes and downstrokes from inside of the strings.
For most players it is easier to pluck [alternate pick] from the outside of the strings.
Here is a 2 string exercise plucking from the inside of the strings starting on a downstroke:
Illustration of a 2-string exercise demonstrating alternate picking techniques on guitar.
Here, is a 2 string exercise plucking from the outside of the strings, but, starting on an upstroke:
An illustration of a musical exercise showcasing alternate picking techniques on the guitar.
Now, let’s start on a downstroke on the outside of the strings:
Musical notation demonstrating 2 string alternate picking exercises for guitar.
Finally, let’s mix it up a bit starting on a downstroke:
Illustration of alternate picking technique showing ‘inside’ and ‘outside’ stroke patterns on guitar.
From these short repetitive exercises, we can gauge where we are with the picking hand. We can acknowledge wether we are picking inside or outside of the strings.
For fluid right hand technique this is essential, as you will know where you are and what you prefer or what’s easiest and most natural for you.
This in turn means that you can start creating phrases either inside or outside the strings that fit your style.
PART 3: CONNECTIONS
In order to play fluid phrases it’s essential to “Connect” parts, groupings, lines and licks, etc, together.
This means, having the fretting hand ready to “Shift” positions.
This also means, employing simple logical fingering by having the fingers prepared for fretting.
Here, is the natural movement from our example line-[built in 3 deliberate parts]
Demonstration of a guitar phrase highlighting finger positioning for fluid playing.
The fretting hand prepares shape to shift down to the next positions with the hand and fingers “Aligned” for the next phrase.
Demonstration of Phrase 2 in alternate picking technique on guitar.
Fretting hand plays the phrase and prepares the shape and fingersto shift down to next position:
Illustration of Phrase 3 technique in John McLaughlin’s alternate picking style.
Fretting hand plays the last phrase comfortably. Hand, shape and fingering are aligned to the correct position.
Full Line -Shifting Positions:
A musical score demonstrating alternate picking techniques for guitar, highlighting shifts in position.
In conclusion this was just a quick look at the basics of Johns alternate picking guitar technique style.
From here, one can start to form and develop the improvisational elements needed to complete the style. [“This is the way I do it” video-a great example]
As John has taken so many paths in his musical journey it is impossible to get everything down in one webpage/blog. But, from a basic perspective, hopefully this lesson helps somewhat in understanding John’s alternate picking guitar technique.
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Today, a look at the amazing minor flat 6th chord as used in the compositional styles of Carlos Jobim, John McLaughlin, Astor Piazolla and Al Di Meola.
PART 1:
Most people seem to have a preference for the minor 6th chord, [which in this case has the F# or the Major 6th].
But, the minor flattened 6th chord [F natural in this case] has an amazing character of its own, [especially when it resolves to the first inversion, as we will see].
PART 2:
What makes the minor chord with a flattened 6th work really well is to move down to a first inversion chord.
EXAMPLE:
Here, we have a Db minor chord moving down to a 1st inversion Ab Major chord:
Notice the flattened 6th note of A at the top moving down a semitone to the Ab note:
Illustration of the Db minor flat 6th chord to 1st inversion Ab Major chord, highlighting the flattened 6th note.
This smooth chordal transition works beautifully when creating melodic sequences.
Diagram illustrating the transition from Db minor to Ab major first inversion, highlighting the flattened 6th note.
Let’s now add some more first inversion chords:
Here, we employ F#m/A with the bass resolving a half step down to the G # note.
Once again, we have a wonderful melodic transition, this time going to the E first inversion chord.
Illustration of F#m/A and E/G# first inversion chords highlighting tone and semitone relationships.
In order to move away from cliche-dom we will now alter the harmony a bit.
Here, we will add a chord of D9/F#[1st inversion] and let the bass move down a semitone to a chord of F7 [but with a Maj7th also and a #11th].
Chord diagram illustrating the first inversion D9/F# and F7Maj7#11 chords
To complete this example, we will exploit chains of 7 Sus4 chords: Here, are the first three chords moving up in semitones.
Illustration of 7sus4 chord transitions in semitones, featuring Bb/C, B/C#, and C/D for musical composition.
Here are the next three chords moving up in semitones :
