music – Page 6 – Modern Music Theory Improvisation and Application

Earl Klugh Style Guitar Composing

Posted on February 6, 2025February 6, 2025 by Modern Music Theory and Application

Hi Guys,

Today, a quick look at the unique compositional and playing style of guitar maestro Earl Klugh.

EXAMPLE 1:

In the first example we will take a basic I IV V I [C to F to G to C] chord sequence and employ “Inversions”.

The employment of simple chord inversions are the key to getting creative in this beautiful, skeletal and spacious guitar style, along with the compositional process.

First we will create a short piece of music to then elaborate on:

Let’s begin with a simple C root position chord that then moves up into its 1st inversion with a melody note of B natural, which, will resolve down to the note A for chord IV [F Major].

From here we will employ a root position chord of G Major.

Now, we need to create a cadence.

In this case we could make this V7d or G/F or employ a simple F Major chord that resolves back to C/E or C 1st inversion.

Here, is the whole little structure that we can embellish in the next part.

PART 2: EMBELLISHMENTS:

Now, that we have a base, a little melody and a structure to work from, we can start to fill it out and colour it in.

First, we will add some simple melodic slides: These, are outlining – C Dm and C/E – and create percussive/melodic movement.

Next, we will exploit chord iii and make it Major and a Dominant 7th: From here, we will use this to modulate to chord Vi [A minor] the relative minor of C Major.

This gives a new emotional colour and pull as it moves away from the Major key.

Finally, we need to cadence. We will employ a ii V chord sequence to get us back to chord I [C Major].

To create a climax to the cadence, we will add colour with 6ths as melodic and rhythmic embellishments that push us to resolve to the tonic chord of C Major.

FULL EXAMPLE:

IN CONCLUSION:

This was just a brief look at this amazing style that is employed by the likes of Earl Klugh and Pat Metheny.

The use of chord inversions and basic harmony creates a very melodic and rhythmic world where composition presents itself naturally, within the movement of the chords themselves.

This is because, the melodies or melodic inflections result from the way that the chord inversion connect and resolve, thus, making the compositional process a natural and fluid one, resulting in spacious, rich melodic sounds that compliment the guitars resonance and fingerboard shapes.

FREE PDF DOWNLOAD:

earl_klugh Download

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Modal Chords For Guitar: Slash Chords and Substitution Voicing’s

Posted on January 14, 2025January 14, 2025 by Modern Music Theory and Application

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Please watch video above for detailed info:

Hi Guys,

Today, a quick look at modal chords.

The chords are from the backing track [below in this page] and they are “Transposed” with C as the root note.

These are exploited in the 12 bar form of a fusion blues.

Here are the chords for the chart:

modal_chords_guitar_lesson_explained_easily

To begin with, we will take the first chord for the basic Ionian/Major sound. Here we have a chord/triad of G Major over the bass note C as a substitution for Cmaj7:

Next, we have a C Dorian tonality. For this I am employing a 7sus4 chord with a triad of Bb over a C bass once again

From here, we will create a C Lydian sound. We will do this by employing a triad of D Major over a C Bass.

Now, we will move back to Ionian with another 7sus4 chord. This time it’s a triad of C Major over a D Bass.

To create interest, we will now make this tonality minor by adding a triad of Eb Major over a C Bass [a la C minor 7th]. [Aeolian/Dorian]

For, the Phrygian/Aeolian sound, we will employ a 1st inversion triad of Ab Major over a C bass.

To create some dissonance, and a more ethereal sound it’s a good idea to add a Locrian chord. In this instance, I am employing a triad of Db Major over the C Bass.

For the mixolydian sound I am employing a simple C7 chord. [You could also add a 4-3 suspension]

Now, let’s add a couple of Dorian chords.

These will be another 7sus4 chord of an Eb triad over an F bass.

And, a Major 9 [or sus2] no 3rd chord. For this we will add a triad of F major over a Bb bass.

For the penultimate Mixolydian chord, we will create a 3rd inversion [Dominant]. This will be a C Major triad over a [the 7th] Bb bass.

And finally, an Aeolian sound with an Fm6 chord over a G bass.

HERE IS THE BACKING TRACK:

Modes Backing Track Transposed in C Major with Chart and Scale Suggestions.

Here, is the Chart:

Here are some Modal/Scale examples to improvise on over the chords.

CHORD LIST:

FREE PDF DOWNLOAD:

modal chords Download

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12 Tone Pattern: Scott Collins Guitar Line:

Posted on January 3, 2025January 3, 2025 by Modern Music Theory and Application

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Hi Guys,

Today, a quick look at a Scott Collins 12 tone guitar pattern and applying it to alternate picking guitar technique as an exercise in descending intervallic movement.

First of all, let’s look at the pattern.

I am thinking of these motifs as 3 note “Tri-chords” [as in John ‘O” Gallagher’s book 12 tone improvisation].

Here, are the first 3 pitches as a tri-chord.

TRI-CHORD:

What makes this line interesting is that the “Tri- Chords” move in “Tri-Tones”.

You could view this from a diminished perspective but from a picking perspective it is more like tritones and semitones. This gives it that unique angular sound.

If we look at the example below we can see a classic example of a tri-chord pattern/sequence with the same guitar fingering.

PATTERN: Same fingering

scott-collins-12-tone-symmetrical-guitar-patterns

In the next example, we can see the tri-chords, the tritones and the semitone movement.

TRICHORDS-TRITONES-SEMITONES:

ALTERNATE PICKING:

I am using strict alternate picking guitar technique for this exercise starting this on a “Downstroke”.

I am counting in groups of three note triplets, although, you could count in sextuplets.

There is a lot of one note per string and two notes per string picking. So, remember when you pluck down to pluck back up equally. This very much Robert Fripp style picking and hence you need to be aligned with the string you wish to pluck.

Here is the first part: