Tag: music theory

How to apply it to the guitar fingerboard. jazz theory and improvisation in practice at the guitar fretboard. How chords are made. How to use scales. The modes of the major and melodic minor scale. Altered chords and scale lessons.

Unlock Your Guitar Skills with Pat Martino’s Triad Pair Techniques

Posted on by Modern Music Theory and Application

Please watch video above for detailed info:

Hi Guys,

Today, a quick look at building interesting, creative, melodic lines by pairing simple triads together.

PART 1:

To begin with, let’s join the triads of F and G [back to F] together

Sheet music illustrating the chord pairing of F and G triads in a melodic line of jazz guitarist Pat Martino.
Musical notation illustrating the triad pairs of F and G for creative melodic lines.

We will now, extend the line further by employing the same two triads once again,

Sheet music showing melodic lines with F and G triad pairs of guitarist Pat Martino highlighted.
Pat Martino F and G triad pairs to create melodic jazz lines.

At this point we will end the phrase and create a cadence with our two triads,

Musical notation showing the triad pairs of G and F in a jazz melodic line, with highlighted notes and annotations.
Musical notation showing the pairing of triad pairs F and G for melodic development.

We will now shape a new line and ascend with the triads of F G and C

Sheet music showing pairing of triads F, G, and C of guitarist Pat Martino with annotations highlighting jazz melody and note positions.
Musical notation illustrating the use of F, G, and C triads for melodic jazz line construction.

At this point the triad pairs have started to become formulaic

So, we will add some colour.

To achieve this, we will now go in the opposite direction and descend with a classic Pat Martino lick

Musical notation showing a jazz guitarist Pat Martino melodic line with a labeled lick, featuring notes on a staff and highlighting specific sections for musical instruction.
Musical notation illustrating a classic Pat Martino lick, focusing on descending triad pairs.

This leads us in nicely to exploit some chromatic set ups with target tones

Sheet music showing jazz guitarist Pat Martino's musical phrase with highlighted notes and text label 'Target Tones'. for chromatic improvisation.
Musical notation for guitar illustrating target tones for improvisation.

From this, we can bring in our G Major triad/arpeggio to give a wider intervallic sound to give a sense of distance from our chromatic notes.

Musical notation showing a melodic line with notes and a highlighted segment in red, labeled with a G.

Finally, to complete the lick we will employ some basic scale movement with chromatic fragments for the A7 chord.

Musical notation for an A7 chord with highlighted notes and finger positions.

IN CONCLUSION:

Although, this was a long phrase It acts as a useful example to hear and see how natural it is to build off of triad pairs for the improvised line.

These triad pairs also create a really nice melodic and fluid way to start a phrase.

Lastly, due to the way triad pairs are offset rhythmically, the improvised line generally possesses a more composed and polished sound.

FREE PDF DOWNLOAD:

Pat Martino Triad PairsDownload

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Mastering John McLaughlin’s Unique 13th Chord Voicing

Posted on by Modern Music Theory and Application

Please watch video above for detailed info:

Hi Guys,

Today, a quick look at the unique 13th chord Voicing of guitar maestro John mcLaughlin.

PART 1:

This unique voicing possesses a 7th a 9th with the 13th ringing out on top. It has a lovely sonorous tone :

Diagram showing a guitar chord with labeled notes: 3rd, 7th, 9th, and 13th. John McLaughlin 13 chord voicing.
Diagram of a 13th chord voicing showing the 3rd, 7th, 9th, and 13th notes, highlighting the unique structure.

This chord works really well because it’s a 1st inversion, and, without a root it gives us that slightly ethereal painted sound:

Diagram of a D13 chord showing the 13th, 9th, 7th, and 3rd notes labeled.
Diagram illustrating the D13 chord voicing with 7th, 9th, and 13th notes labeled.

PART 2:

The sonorous nature of this chord makes it shine when moving to a diminished 7th chord for a resolution:

Sheet music showing chord voicings labeled D13, F#dim7, and Em7. John McLaughlin guitar chord examples.
Chord diagram showcasing the D13, F#dim7, and Em7 voicings, essential for understanding the unique textures in John McLaughlin’s 13th chord progression.

This in turn rewards us with fantastic melodic sequences:

Chord chart showing musical notation for D13, F#dim7, Em7, E13, G#dim7, and F#m7 chords. John McLaughlin guitar harmony lesson.
Chord progression illustrating John McLaughlin’s unique 13th chord voicing with associated diminished and major chords.
Guitar chord diagram showing C13, Edim7, and Dm7 voicings.
Chord diagram illustrating the C13, Edim7, and Dm7 voicings, highlighting their unique structures and relations.

PART 3:

Now, let’s make a sequence by employing strong Major 9th chords that move to John’s brilliant voicing.

If we play the example below we can hear the resonant nature of the two chords.

Musical notation displaying EMaj9 and E13 chords, indicating finger placements on the guitar fretboard.
Chord diagram illustrating E Major 9 and E13 chord voicings in a musical lesson.

Now, let’s create a little chord sequence with them:

Sheet music showing chord voicings for EMaj9, E13, DMaj9, D13, and C13 with annotations and finger positioning in John McLaughlin's guitar style.
John McLaughlin Chord sequence illustration featuring E13, D13, and C13 voicings.

To complete the sequence, we will cadence with a13b9 chord back to the tonic D

Musical notation showing the John McLaughlin A13b9 chord and D/A chord with finger placements for guitar.
Chord diagram for A13b9 and D/A used in the sequence demonstrating John McLaughlin’s 13th chord voicing.

Here, is the full sequence:

Musical notation chart displaying John McLaughlin's various chord voicings including EMaj9, E13, DMaj9, D13, C13, A13b9, and D/A.
Chord sequence illustrating John McLaughlin’s unique 13th chord voicing alongside related Major 9th chords.

PART 4:

John, also makes good dramatic use of this chord by exploiting a pedal note in the bass for rhythmic drive.

Musical notation for a John McLaughlin guitar pedal riff, showing measures with notes and tablature.
John McLaughlin use of pedal note in chord riff.

FREE PDF DOWNLOAD:

13th chordDownload

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John McLaughlin’s Pentatonic’s for Coltrane Changes:[Giant Steps]

Posted on by Modern Music Theory and Application

Hi Guys,

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.

Sheet music diagram showing giant steps chord names BMaj7, D7, GMaj7, Bb7, and EbMaj7, along with tablature for guitar. John McLaughlin version.
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.

Sheet music featuring john mclaughlin guitar tablature for Am7, D7, GMaj7, Bb7, EbMaj7, and F#7 giant steps chords.
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.

John McLaughlin Sheet music showing guitar tablature for the chords BMaj7, EbMaj7, and F#7, with annotations.
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.

Sheet music displaying John McLaughlin's chord progressions and tablature for Fm7, Bb7, EbMaj7, Am7, D7, and GMaj7 in giant stpes improvisation

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.

John McLaughlin musical sheet showing chord progressions for C#m7, F#7, and BMaj7 with annotations for specific notes.
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.

Sheet music displaying Fm7, Bb7, and EbMaj7 John McLaughlin chords with tablature for guitar.
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.

A musical sheet showing the John McLaughlin chords C#m7, F#7, and BMaj7 with corresponding tablature.
John McLaughlin guitar pentatonic’s example

PDF DOWNLOAD:

giant-steps-easy-guitar-fingeringDownload

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