lesson – Page 20 – Modern Music Theory Improvisation and Application

Fripp/King Crimson style Guitar Picking Exercise:

Posted on February 6, 2024February 10, 2024 by Modern Music Theory and Application

CLICK SUBSCRIBE!

Robert Fripp/King Crimson Style Guitar Picking Exercise: Alternate Picking/Cross Picking

Please watch video above for detailed info:

Hi Guys,

Today, a “Quirky” Fripp-esque/Crimson-esque guitar picking exercise.

Here is the first part:

As you can see this is very intervallic and as Robert Fripp might call it, “Finickity” picking pattern.

GUITAR TECHNIQUES:

Alternate picking starting on an upstroke works really:

Also, the pattern “Down Down Down Up” works well: [with a short amount of alternate picking on the C B E notes in the bass]

Fripp-king-crimson-cross-picking-guitartechnqiue-example-lesson

Moving on from this we have chromatic movement: So from here on in we employ strict alternate picking starting on an “Upstroke”:

In this next phrase we have a contrapuntal effect with arpeggio and scale movement put to good use.

We finish the first part with more descending chromatic movement with the last line imitating the phrase before it.

2nd Part “Chordal”

In the 2nd part we exploit whole tone scale movement:

We will decorate this by employing 4ths:

Now we will dismantle the whole tone scale by making a chordal quartal melody and strum this up a semitone and back to create a colourful sound:

This is then repeated up in Major thirds.

Up another Major third:

Finally we descend from the 12th fret with this little motif:

FREE PDF DOWNLOAD:

fripp-revised Download

IF THIS LESSON WAS OF USE TO YOU THEN PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO US BELOW ON YOUTUBE, THANKS!

“Lotus Feet” Shakti Scale Solo Concepts

Posted on December 12, 2023February 10, 2024 by Modern Music Theory and Application

CLICK SUBSCRIBE!

Please watch video above for in depth analysis:

Hi Guys,

Today, a quick look at exploiting the Em scale for John McLaughlin’s and Shakti’s composition “Lotus Feet”.

The key to making a solo sound interesting is to highlight the prominent notes of the scale: In this case it is the semitones F# G and B and C.

Here are the semitones ascending:

Here, they are descending:

Also, take into consideration that the F# note will make the Cmaj7 Lydian:

Now, let’s add one extra note to the semitones and create an imitated phrase going through the octaves.

Now, we will connect some scale to the semitones ascending:

Here we will connect three tetrachords in 3/4 creating a smooth pentatonic style line:

ARPEGGIOS FROM THE SCALE:

Another key component when improvising is to exploit the arpeggios within the scale:

Two arpeggios that work well for this composition are Em and Bm:

E minor:

Mixing the scale with the arpeggio also works really well.

PENTATONIC’S FROM THE SCALE:

It’s always a good idea to have a few pentatonic’s from the scale at hand:

Here we can manipulate the Em, Bm, and Am to good effect. Again we can make them more unique by adding the semitones:

Em Pentatonic:

Bm Pentatonic:

Am Pentatonic:

Now, lets connect two fragments together:

FREE PDF DOWNLOAD:

lotus-feet Download

IF THIS LESSON WAS OF USE TO YOU THEN PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO US BELOW ON YOUTUBE, THANKS!

CLICK SUBSCRIBE!

Hexatonic Connections: [Basic Alternate Picking Exercises|

Posted on December 7, 2023December 12, 2023 by Modern Music Theory and Application

CLICK SUBSCRIBE!

hexatonic-guitar-exercises-alternate-picking-examples

Please watch video above for in depth analysis:

Hi Guys,

Today a quick look at connecting “Hexatonic” groupings together with strict alternate picking guitar technique.

The key is to glide or slide or let the fretting hand fall naturally into each position. This way the connections are made smoothly.

If the fretting hand panics, or releases from the position then it will fall apart: So connecting SMOOTHLY from each 6 grouping to the next= The Key

This is the same process as connecting 4 note groupings “Tetrachords” but we have 2 extra notes to contend with:

Because we have the 2 extra notes Hexatonics work well at a slower tempo’s like 100 to 120 Bpm for Fusion double timing:

EXERCISES:

Here is the first Exercise/Example: This starts on a down stroke with strict alternate picking:

Notice, that in the second bar we have an arpeggio/triad figure:

This arpeggio can throw your alternate picking because it breaks up the scale momentum. So, you have to prepare for it and be aware that there is a quick change of movement in the fretting hand as you cross the strings.

Exercise 2:

Here, we have an ascending exercise that connects together easily and naturally.

Again, it starts on a downstroke with strict alternate picking.