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.

Alternate Picking from Ascending 5’s

Posted on by Modern Music Theory and Application

PLEASE WATCH VIDEO ABOVE FOR DETAILED INFO:

Hi Guys,

Today, a quick look at building from the “Ascending group of 5” with alternate picking guitar technique.

This group of 5 exploits the “Up” stroke. It works well as a tool for building longer and longer lines/phrases.

This is NOT shred and is really only for jazz, fusion and world-esque music like John McLaughlin’s super creative outlet Shakti. It is an improvisers tool.

ASCENDING 5:

Here is an example of the 5 figure. It consists of an open string and starts on an upstroke.

This 4 note + 1 sets up the upstroke for the string cross.

alternate_picking_guitar_technique_example

Here’s how it would be as a tetrachord to the next beat. [As opposed to a quintuplet or Ta ka di mi Thom.

alternate_picking_guitar_technique_example

EXAMPLE/EXERCISE 1:

Let’s now build off of the ascending 5 figure.

In the example below, we can clearly see the extension from the 5’s to 7’s to two groups of 4 note tetrachords.

alternate_picking_guitar_technique_example

From here, we will add a Dom7th chord to the scale/phrase.

alternate_picking_guitar_technique_example

This sets us up nicely to descend smoothly starting on the upstroke.

alternate_picking_guitar_technique_example

EXAMPLE/EXERCISE 2:

Here, we will do exactly the same thing, except that this time we are moving from G7 to C Major. [Notice the open string and 5 figure extended].

alternate_picking_guitar_technique_example

Once again, the descent is on the upstroke.

alternate_picking_guitar_technique_example

FULL EXAMPLE:

alternate_picking_guitar_technique_example

EXAMPLE/EXERCISE 3:

Here, we see the process in action again. The line building from the 5 figure.

alternate_picking_guitar_technique_example

The descent starts on the upstroke as before, but, this time leads to a perfect V I cadence:

alternate_picking_guitar_technique_example

VARIATION:

Here is a variation, but, this time in the key of A Major.

alternate_picking_guitar_technique_example

The same form of descent is employed that once again ends in a V I cadence.

alternate_picking_guitar_technique_example

FREE PDF DOWNLOAD:

5-GuitarDownload

If this lesson was of use then please SUBSCRIBE to us on YOUTUBE below, Thanks!

Exploring John McLaughlin’s Unique Guitar Chordal Harmony

Posted on by Modern Music Theory and Application

Please watch video above for detailed info:

Hi Guys,

Today, a quick look at some of John McLaughlin’s amazing altered, slash and ambiguous guitar chords.

Johns harmony is a very rich palette indeed.

In the little example above in the video, I play about with some of Johns harmonic movement and colour.

EXAMPLE 1:

Although, I could employ diminished harmony, I am instead aiming at “Implication”….Why?…This is in order to bring out the big “Rich” resonance of the guitar.

F/F# [/A]

Eb/E [/B]

john_mclaughlin_guitar_chord_example_lesson

It is an ethereal sound where the natural harmonics and overtones can ring out of the guitars sound hole harmoniously.

SHORT CONNECTING RUN:

Next, we employ a Bb Major run with a few chromatic notes. These being, the B natural and the E natural chordal tones.

john_mclaughlin_guitar_chord_example_lesson

EXAMPLE 2:

Now, let’s add two more resonant chords,

A/Bb

john_mclaughlin_guitar_chord_example_lesson

B/C

john_mclaughlin_guitar_chord_example_lesson

ARPEGGIO CONNECTION:

We will now connect to the next part together.

This will be with an arpeggio of Ebm mostly [or D#m] implying BMaj7. [Although there is an implied resolution to B7 also].

This juxtaposition, creates another ambiguous move that opens up a fresh and unique sounding harmony.

john_mclaughlin_guitar_arpeggio_example_lesson

From here, we can manipulate and resolve into the Bb minor full barre harmony:

john_mclaughlin_guitar_chord_example_lesson

Now, let’s create a sequence. This will be, C#7sus4 to C7 with a sharpened 4th and a Maj7th.

Notice, the chromatic movement in the bass as we sequence this.

john_mclaughlin_guitar_chord_example_lesson
john_mclaughlin_guitar_chord_example_lesson
john_mclaughlin_guitar_chord_example_lesson

Finally, this resolves from CMaj7#11 to CMaj7 with open string guitar chords.

john_mclaughlin_guitar_chord_example_lesson
john_mclaughlin_guitar_chord_example_lesson

PDF DOWNLOAD:

ChordDownload

IN CONCLUSION:

In conclusion, this was just a quick look at Johns unique take on harmony and how to apply some scale and arpeggio movement to connect it all together.

John’s harmony is a lovely combination of ambiguity and resonance with a sense of calm.

The magical ethereal tone opens doors to really interesting solo applications that exploit implied harmonies and dissonances. These I find are met with with lingering resolutions that are never quite met.

It’s a sort of pairing of opposites that you can’t quite put your finger on that give it that alluring yet elusive quality.

If this lesson was of use to you then please SUBSCRIBE to us on YOUTUBE below, Thanks!

John McLaughlin-Prime Numbers-Alternate Pick Guitar Examples/Thoughts

Posted on by Modern Music Theory and Application

Please watch video above for detailed info:

Hi Guys,

Here are the Number groupings from the Youtube video I posted today as promised.

First of all we have the 4+1 or 1 e and a 2. [Hence nailing the next beat].

Sheet music showing rhythmic grouping of John McLaughlin's 4 + 1 with notes and time signatures for guitar technique.

This could also be transformed into a quintuplet. Or, Ta ka di mi thom from Johns use of Konokol.

EXAMPLE 1:

john-mclaughlin-guitar-lesson

Here, we double this amazing “Prime number”.

NOTICE: We start on a downstroke for the first grouping and then start on an upstroke for the next grouping.

Musical notation with notes and tablature for guitar, showcasing various rhythms and groupings of John McLaughlin guitar techniques.
Musical notation and tab demonstrating alternate picking techniques and rhythmic groupings .

In terms of “Alternate Picking” guitar technique this creates some magic dust in our favour as not only are we two beats ahead of typical 4 note picking groupings, we are also connecting with both the up and downstrokes resulting in very quick and fluid picking.

From this, we can then start to break it up into musical motifs or phrases or riff/unison material.

john-mclaughlin-guitar-lesson

The next great number for interesting phrasing and alternate picking groupings is the prime number 7

Music notation showing a sequence of notes with a 7 for John McLaughlin alternate picking and time signature.

Now, let’s connect these two prime number patterns together!

Sheet music notation showing guitar tabs and rhythmic markings for musical phrasing, prime numbers and John McLaughlin's alternate picking techniques.
Musical notation illustrating the connection of two prime number patterns in guitar technique.

This next example is also useful, although, it’s not a prime number but a group of 6 notes “Sextuplets”

Musical notation illustrating a sequence of six notes. McLaughlin's a rhythmic pattern.

From this, let’s add two more notes to form a common grouping of 8 notes:

john-mclaughlin-guitar-lesson

We will now add one more note for a group of 9

john-mclaughlin-guitar-lesson

9- Example 2

john-mclaughlin-guitar-lesson

Now, let’s go up one more again for ten notes.

john-mclaughlin-guitar-lesson

10-Example 2

A musical notation sheet showing rhythmic patterns and guitar tabs for John McLaughlin prime number guitar technique.

This time we will go back to prime numbers with a group of 13 notes

Musical notation showing a series of notes and tablature for guitar, with specific symbols indicating John McLaughlin's rhythm and phrasing.
Musical notation illustrating a grouping of 13 notes [Prime number] for alternate picking techniques.

Finally, let’s exploit a whole bar of 4/4 time

Sheet music displaying a John McLaughlin guitar exercise with notes, including various groupings and techniques for alternate picking.
Guitar tablature and notation illustrating alternate picking techniques and rhythmic groupings of John McLaughlin.

IN CONCLUSION:

In conclusion, this was just a concept related to alternate picking guitar technique specifically.

This is because sometimes the rhythmic motifs are not logical and need to be re-framed in order to make sense of the demands of the picking hand.

Also, sometimes starting on an upstroke works better than the down stroke or visa versa. These prime numbers generally put us a beat ahead which for alternate picking is extremely important because otherwise there is the age old tendency to just tremolo and hammer on willy nilly trying to catch up and this music is the antithesis of that.

So, in summation: These groupings help make sense of illogical phrasing for the picking hand whilst making sure that we are ahead in the music.

If this Blog/Lesson was of use then please SUBSCRIBE to us on YOUTUBE below, Thanks!