scales – Page 2 – modern music theory and application

Alternate Picking Guitar Technique: The Plectrum/Pick Grip

Posted on July 9, 2023July 17, 2023 by Modern Music Theory

Alternate Picking: Essential Grip for fast articulated picking

IMPORTANT: Please watch video above for detailed info:

Hi Guys,

Today, a quick look at alternate picking plectrum/pick grip.

It’s not so important how you hold the pick or what finger you use. But, it is essential not to have a wobbly thumb and/or finger .

A lot of guitar players when they start out with alternate picking often change the grip just as they are about the pluck the string! This makes it impossible to gauge distance.

When the thumb is rigid and the grip is solid, distance, articulation and timing fall into place automatically.

Pic 1: Good solid grip

Pic 2: Pick confidently plucks string

Below [Pic 3]: BAD! At the last moment the pick is turned as it is about to pluck the string and the thumb and finger wobble/collapse:

2 BASIC EXERCISES:

Here are a couple of exercises for practicing whilst getting the feel of gripping the pick firmly.

The first is a simple A minor Pentatonic scale in sextuplets. Counting basic 1 2 3 4 5 6

This starts on a down stroke:

alternate-picking-guitar-techniques-exercise

Next we have the same thing but in groups of four 16th notes.

It’s a good idea to play around with these two exercises by mixing the groups of 4 and 6 together and create little phrases out of them.

PDF DOWNLOAD:

alt-pick-guitar-grip Download

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McLaughlin-esque ii V7 I Alt Guitar Line [140 Bpm]

Posted on May 13, 2023May 24, 2023 by Modern Music Theory

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John McLaughlin-esque ii V7 I Alt Guitar Line [140 Bpm]

Please watch video above for detailed info:

Hi Guys,

Today, a quick ii V7 I McLaughlin-esque lick

This is at 140 Bpm with an altered approach to harmony with strict alternate picking guitar technique.

The chords are as follows.

For the ii minor chord I employ a minor chord with a Major 7th and an added 9th.

mclaughlin-altered-harmony-guitar-theory

For the V7 chord I raise the 5th [#5] and add a flattened 9th note.

And for the I chord I make this augmented by raising the 5th.

So, the ii V7 I becomes harmonically altered and creates an interesting sound

john-mclaughlin-altered-harmony-guitar-theory

Guitar Line

The line starts on an upbeat with 3 target tones that deliberately set up the 1st note of bar one. This adds forward momentum and adds a colourful chromatic set-up.

mclaughlin-altered-harmony-guitar-chromatics-lesson

The target tones start on an “Up stroke” so that on the first beat of bar one you will land and start a “Down stroke”

mclaughlin-alternate-picking-guitar-how-to

Over the DmMaj7/9 chord I start with a Dm9 arpeggio and then exploit the D Harmonic minor scale by ascending in fragments.

mclaughlin-altered-harmony-guitar-improvisation-theory

Over the G+b9 chord I start on the third note B and then play an Eb 4-3 arpeggio.

mclaughlin-guitar-music-theory-improvisation

The Bb from this arpeggio then moves up to the B natural and then I play the b9 to tonic and #5 to5 which then finally moves down to the note C for the tonic of the next chord C+.

Whole Bar:

John-mclaughlin-altered-dominant-guitar-improvisation-theory

PDF DOWNLOAD:

mclaughlin-ii-v7-i-alt-lick Download

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Creating “Scales” from Scales Tetrachords [C melodic minor]

Posted on April 15, 2023April 19, 2023 by Modern Music Theory

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Creating “Scales” from Scales Tetrachords [C melodic minor]

PLEASE WATCH VIDEO ABOVE FOR DETAILED ANALYSIS:

Hi Guys,

The key to making scales from scales wether they be Triadic, Tetrachord, Pentatonic or Hexatonic is to highlight the key notes that give that scale its unique flavour/sound:

Below we can see this in the C melodic minor scale.

The crucial Eb note and B natural note against the C root note tells us that this is not major and that it has a specific vibe/atmosphere to it.

In this first example we will employ 3 notes and 2 notes for highlighting: This employs alternate picking starting on an upstroke:

This next example starts on a “Downstroke” and is even simpler. This is a simple 2 note fingering into a 2 note scale.

Now let’s create an ascending line:

HARMONIC MINOR

Next we will add an Ab and make 2 Tetrachord scales from C Harmonic minor and create a little run:

how-to-create-scales-tetrachords-example

This time we will ascend with the C Harmonic minor scale:

LASTLY

It’s also a good idea to play the key chord of a scale and then pluck the key note or notes that give that scale it’s unique flavour.

For example below is an F Maj7#11 chord that when you pluck the B natural it really stands out as Lydian:

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

Author: Clifford Martin Musical Artist: Guitar Gti

Modern Music Theory

Clifford Martin is a trained classical musician and composer. His 1st study being piano and composition and a deep study into the meticulous world of modern music theory. He also studied jazz piano and jazz drums privately. Clifford later came back to the guitar and studied in the jazz fusion style of John McLaughlin and Al di Meola. It was at this point that he put all of his years of learning together into one musical form This website is a sort of cataloging of ideas and musical concepts for exploitation and development in the arts of musical composition and improvisation. What started out as a jazz improvisation site has grown into a full blown, harmony, timbre, pitch and rhythm library. Peace, Enjoy!