240
MARCH 2015STRING SKIPPING
Sound impressive and sophisticated with this
technique used by rock’s lead-playing elite!
MARS VOLTA
Their edgy prog-rock style
JOHN FRUSCIANTE
His unique acoustic technique
MANFRED MANN
Sound like the R&B legends
PLAy LIkE
20 YEARS OF THE FINEST GUITAR LESSONS
LEVELS OF
Play better solos today, no matter what
level you are, in a variety of classic
and modern blues styles!
JOE BONAMASSA
King of contemporary blues
Theory questions
answered, learn to
read music, give
your chops a
workout, &
more!
PLUS...
MUSSORGSky
Pictures At An Exhibition
CLASSICAL
4
THE SHADOWS
Learn a legendary track from
the best ever instrumental group!
Atlantis
CLASSIC TRACk TABBED!
March 2015
GuitarTechniques
3Don’t know about you, but I’d rather do a journey where there are ‘goals’ along the way to break it into manageable portions, rather than tonking up a motorway for hours on end. I live in the west of England but often do gigs in the east, and while my sat-nav wants to take me from bath along the M4, M5, M42, M6, a14 and a1 to, say, Peterborough, I ignore it and go via Swindon, oxford, northampton, etc (of great interest to our overseas readers, I’m sure!). these towns are like mini ‘goals’ and help me feel like I’m getting somewhere.
“what is he on about?” you cry. well, it’s a bit like this month’s Four Levels of blues. as a beginner, were you to be shown a John Scofield solo and be told it will take years to get there, you’d probably give up on the spot. but should you be offered something simpler, but still complete and wholesome, and be informed that a few months’ work
should have it under your fingers, you’d more likely see that as an attainable goal. and having got to that point, the next level seems somewhat less daunting.
with so much tuition available these days it’s easy to get distracted, flitting from one thing to the
Just some of your regular
GT technique experts...
jon bishop
Jon is one of those great all-rounders who can turn his hand to almost any style. No ‘Jack of all trades and master of none’, he nails every one with ease!
phil Capone
Phil is a great guitarist who specialises in blues and jazz. He teaches at ICMP in London, writes for GT and Total Guitar and has published 10 top tuition books.
john wheatCroft A truly phenomenal guitarist, John heads up the guitar facility at Tech Music Schools in London. He’s a master at all styles, but a legend in Gypsy Jazz. stuart ryan
Head of Guitar at BIMM Bristol, Stu is an acoustic guitar virtuoso who performs throughout the UK. His latest book/CD ‘The Tradition’ is available now. bridget mermikides Guildhall and Royal Academy trained, Bridget is a Royal College of Music, examiner, a respected classical player and award-winning blues guitarist. phil hilborne
The UK’s original magazine guitar tutor, Phil’s something of a legend. A great player, he regularly plays guitar in the Queen musical, We Will Rock You. pete Callard
Pete’s credits include Lionel Richie, Gary Barlow, Annie Lennox and Shpongle. He can be seen and heard on numerous tv shows, recordings and film soundtracks.
Charlie griffiths
Guitar Institute tutor Charlie first came to fame in Total Guitar’s Challenge Charlie series. He’s also one of the UK’s top rock, metal and fusion guitarists. shaun baxter
One of the UK’s most respected music educators, Shaun has taught many who are now top tutors. His album Jazz Metal was hailed as a milestone.
andy saphir
A top teacher at the Guitar Institute (ICMP), Andy is a phenomenal player in a host of styles. He mixes just the right degree of flash with consummate taste. pat heath
BIMM Brighton lecturer, ESP product demonstrator and all-round busy musician, Pat brings you six cool licks each month in 30-Minute Lickbag.
neville Marten, Editor [email protected]
jaCob quistgaard Royal Academy trained, Quist is a superb player who can turn his hand to any number of styles and topics. He’s currently on tour with Bryan Ferry.
tristan seume
One of ACM Guildford’s leading tutors Tristan is also mega busy on the folk circuit playing with Jackie Oates. His brand-new CD, Middle Child, is out now!
next with little aim. but a lesson like this is totally focused, so whether you need to start at the beginning or are already pretty good and can dip in further up the difficulty ladder, there’s measurability so you can see progress as you make it. and although it’s called Four Levels of ‘blues’, many of the concepts here apply to all kinds of other styles.
If you fancy something a little higher up the technique food chain, check out our String Skipping with a Pick lesson - it’s a straight ‘how to’ feature that’s bound to test your mettle should you be new to the approach. Have a go!
and what about the Shadows’ atlantis? this beautiful track comes from 1963 and
Hank Marvin played it with incredible aplomb for someone so young. He was just 21 when he recorded it and remember he’d had no tuition CDs, DVDs - or Gt - to help him, but he
created a brand new sound all by himself, from nowhere.
I hope you enjoy another issue varied in styles and abilities, and I’ll see you next month.
Welcome
the
finest
guitar tuition you can buy!PLUS! Get a FREE iPad/iPhone sample of GT. For full details and how to receive our digital edition regularly, go to bit.ly/guitartechniques (if you live in the UK) or bit.ly/guitartechus (overseas). You can also find us on www.zinio.com (NB: Zinio editions do not yet have interactive tab or audio).
DON’T MISS OUR AMAZING
DIGITAL EDITION
Our digital edition for iPad, iPhone, Kindle Fire and Nook is now even better!
Tap the links
Finding your way around the magazine is easy. Tapping the feature titles on the cover or the contents page, takes you straight to the relevant articles. Any web and email links in the text are tappable too!
Animated tab & audio
Most songs and lessons have the audio built in, with a moving cursor showing you exactly where you are in the music. Simply tap the ‘play’ button then you can fast-forward or scroll back at will.Play the videos
Certain of the articles have accompanying videos full of useful insight and additional information. Once again, tap the play buttons to enjoy video masterclasses on your iPad or smartphone. ISSUE 240 march 2015Learning Zone
ViDeo MaSTerCLaSS
February 2015GuitarTechniques
5FeaTUreS
• C O N T E N T S • M A R C H 2 0 1 5 •
STRING SKIPPING...
...with a pick
36
Jon Bishop explains how you can sound instantly more impressive and sophisticated using a technique employed by rock’s elite!
SPECIAL fEAturE
THE SHADOWS
Atlantis
30
Steve Allsworth transcribes another of this great group’s memorable instrumentals, so turn your echo on, grab that whammy and go!
trAnSCrIPtIon #1
MUSSORGSKY
Pictures At An Exhibition
44
Bridget Mermikides arranges this powerful piece, once a cornerstone of prog-pomp as performed by Emerson, Lake & Palmer.
trAnSCrIPtIon #2
rEGuLAr fEAturES
LESSONS INTRODUcTION
49
Music editor Jason Sidwell introduces this month’s brimming lessons section.30-MINUTE LIcKbAG
50
BIMM’s Pat Heath has six great new licks to try.bLUES
52
Wheaty looks at the Rock Candy Funk Party blues of Joe Bonamassa and Ron DeJesus.
ROcK
58
Martin Cooper examines the prog-style rock playing of the incredible Mars Volta.
vIDEO
62
Session ace and all-round guitar wizard Carl Verheyen begins an exclusive masterclass series.
cREATIvE ROcK
70
Shaun Baxter takes a look at creating one-bar phrases using 16th-note patterns.
cHOPS SHOP
74
Andy Saphir wants to beef up your alternate picking with some classic ‘widdly’ licks.
bRITISH R&b
76
Phil Capone looks at Mike Vickers’s playing in 60s band Manfred Mann.jAzz
82
Pete Callard examines Mike Stern’s approach in the first of a superb two-part appreciation.
AcOUSTIc
88
Stuart Ryan unveils the funky acoustic style of Red Hot Chili Peppers’ John Frusciante.
MUSIc READING
92
Charlie Griffiths counts triplets and sextuplets.
cARL vERHEYEN Part 1
62
Hold onto your hats as Carl Verheyen gives his personal take on becoming a better guitarist.WELcOME
3
Well it’s 2, 4, 6, 8 motorway says Nev (don’t ask)!
TALKbAcK
7
GT’s monthly soapbox for your thoughts...
THEORY GODMOTHER
9
David Mead answers your musical questions.INTRO
10
News and regulars, plus Phil’s One-Minute Lick, That Was The Year, Hot For Teacher and more.
SUbScRIPTIONS
68
Save time and money – get GT delivered!bAcK ISSUES
94
Missed one? See how you can get it – here!
ALbUMS
95
New guitar CDs and DVDs reviewed and rated.
TAb GUIDE
96
Our terms and signs explained.
NExT MONTH
98
Learn The Who’s Baba O’Reilly; play lead using fingers only; your Ultimate Country Workout, plus George Harrison, Brad Paisley and more…
4 LEVELS OF BLUES
16
No matter what level of player you are, this lesson will have you creating better, more authentic and cohesive solos in no time.
CoVer FeaTUre
GuitarTechniques
7NEW ‘GUITAR HERO’
Reading the last issue about Peter recovering from a hand trauma (see Peter’s follow-up letter below: Ed), I thought I would add my experience to the mix. As a guitar player I was upset to find my fingers slowly contracting and becoming quite fixed, and playing became harder. My father had suffered with this - it’s called Dupuytron’s Contracture. He had some fingers amputated as they started to get in the way. Well, my GP told me it was my time to suffer and booked me to see a specialist and then an op to try and correct it. I had the op but when the bandages came off I was so upset with the pain and stiffness I decided to give up and sell my guitars.Back and forth to physio did little to up my mood as the exercises were hard, boring and I didn’t feel they worked. Then my wife bought me the guitar game Guitar Hero which was popular at the time, so, as I couldn’t play real guitar (there are those who say I still can’t) I threw myself into the game. It was painful at first but gentle enough to keep the fingers working out. Without even realising it my hand recovered and now, except for the scars, my hand is good. Although I’m sure not for everyone, I think it beats squeezing a rubber ball. Take it slowly but don’t give up!
Steve Tobin, Cardiff
That’s weird, Steve. I have Dupuytren’s too, although as yet it hasn’t begun to contract. I’d never heard of it but apparently it’s surprisingly common. My brother-in-law has it and has had operations to both hands. It’s terribly sad about your father, and that you now have it and felt so despondent you got rid of your guitars. But how inspired of your wife to find Guitar Hero. I’m so glad you’ve busted through the barrier and are now back playing – I’m assuming also you’ve begun to replace your instruments. Thanks for your encouragement and, as you’ll read below, Peter is getting on fine too.
BROTHER IN ARMS
– AN UPDATE
What a pleasant surprise to find my query to you regarding post-injury music physiotherapy guidance printed in GT238. Thank you for this and your written response. Yes, maybe some guitar playing medics/
Write to: Guitar Techniques, 30 Monmouth Street, Bath BA1 2BW.
Email: [email protected] using the header ‘Talkback’.
conservatory, played in many musical groups in many styles, have read many guitar magazines (English and Spanish) and yours is the best – in fact because of you I’m still learning guitar and music.
I hope that you will not change your musical direction; many magazines in Spain deteriorated for this reason. I also hope you don’t abandon the print edition – I love playing the scores written on them – I am of the old school.
Please, keep on supporting culture. Spain is going through difficult times with a lack of pub gigs and music lovers, with an education system that abhors music, and all kinds of other problems. The UK is a great example for me this way.
Furthermore, I also practise my English by reading your
explanations and articles. I like music, I like guitar, I like English culture, and my favourite magazine is Guitar Techniques as you give me courage month to month to continue with my passion.
Tony Marquina
Thanks for your kind words, Tony. We will indeed strive to carry on doing
what we do, as long as good people like yourself keep buying GT. I’m shocked that Spain seems so lacking in music – I’m sure most
Brits would imagine it to be culturally dynamic and more than a little proud of its great musical history, especially when it comes to the guitar. We struggle here with pub
gigs too, due to poorly conceived laws (which have thank goodness recently been repealed) limiting how many can play in public without expensive licences. It decimated the music scene; of course the recession didn’t help, but hopefully we’re beginning to see
green shoots of recovery in live music here – hopefully
when Spain pulls though its economic
struggles it will happen there too. In the meantime, thanks for spreading the word
about GT, keep playing and let us know if
things do get better. physiotherapists will respond to GT
on this; any appropriate feedback would be appreciated.
Since my email to you I’ve continued to recover very well. It’s nearly three months since the accident; I’ve been discharged from the Orthopaedic Department at Blackburn Royal hospital into the care of my local hospital
Physiotherapy Department. All the exercises prescribed by my physiotherapist, Maree, at Clitheroe Community Hospital, seem to be doing the trick for all my main areas of injury. Her main concerns at this stage are very much to do with all the major muscle motor areas affected by the various trauma I suffered.
So we are concentrating on hands, arm, shoulder and core-muscles. A lot of it is, when you think about it, common sense but her specific knowledge, skill and training clearly enable her to assess problem areas and suggest appropriate exercises to more specifically tone and develop the highlighted muscles. The whole experience and process is really quite interesting and uplifting; and my positive development very encouraging personally. Of course I’m now well on in my more personally-driven fine motor skills development with guitars and keyboards - not surprisingly I don’t yet have the stamina or the muscle tone to play for even moderate periods of time, but this will come with time and application; and so too with fret/key finger dexterity. A ‘little and often’ goes a long way and ‘rest before the pain’ work very well for me.
Shortly after I wrote to you, I
found a website on musicians’ health which had quite a few useful links to articles and organisations specialising in musicians’ injury. One link was to the British Association of Performing Arts (BAPA) whom I contacted and were quite helpful. In particular providing a list of BAPA Registered physiotherapists. Clearly if, further on down the line, I have any fine motor skill difficulties in playing, I might pursue this line for more specific instrument playing advice and guidance from specialist physiotherapists for musicians. Clearly these people exist and are not too far away... but not necessarily within the NHS. No complaints - the treatment and experiences over the last few months have been great and much appreciated by me. My well progressing and surprisingly quick recovery is as much a tribute to the skilled and professional people who have attended to me, as to my personal application and efforts to get better through graded exercise and rest. Long live the NHS.
Peter Modern
Again, it’s really encouraging to hear how well you are getting on, Peter. And I’m sure that website will be of help to any other readers suffering trauma to their hands, whether through injury, the above Dupuytren’s Contracture, arthritis or any other disabilities that inhibit playing an instrument. What both your letters do so well is to state that, if one continues with the exercises (with help from professionals), it is possible to regain some, if not all of one’s facilities on the guitar.
SPANISH INTUITION
I’m a songwriter, a guitarist and a lawyer from Spain. I have been buying your magazine for two years now - and why? I play several kinds of guitar: Spanish/classical, electric, acoustic, and your magazine has material of every kind and for every music style. And the best of all is your quality!I have studied eight years at music
After the operation for Dupuytren’s Contracture
Spain’s music scene struggles, says Tony
&
E B G D A Eœ
Ex 1œ
IONIAN : straight major
œ œ œ œ œ œ
3 0 2 3 0 2 0 1&
E B G D A Eœ œ œb
DORIAN : minor scale, major 6th
œ œ œ œb œ
3 0 1 3 0 2 3 1&
E B G D A Eœ œb
PHRYGIAN : natural minor, flat 2nd
œb œ œ œb œb œ
3 4 1 3 0 1 3 1&
E B G D A Eœ œ
LYDIAN : major with sharp 4th
œ œ# œ œ œ œ
3 0 2 4
0 2 0 1
GUITAR TECHNIQUES MAGAZINE 2 4 0 Theory Godmother - David Mead
&
E B G D A Eœ œ
MIXOLYDIAN : major scale, flat 7th
œ œ œ œ œb œ
3 0 2 3 0 2 3 1&
E B G D A Eœ œ
AEOLIAN : straight natural minor
œb œ œ œb œb œ
3 0 1 3 0 1 3 1&
E B G D A Eœ œb
LOCRIAN : natural minor with flat 2nd and 5th
œb œ œb œb œb œ
3 4 1 3 4 1 3 1&
E B G D A Eœ
Ex 2œ œb œ œ œ œb
œ
Cm 3 0 1 3 0 2 3 1 March 2015GuitarTechniques
9Theory Godmother
Post your playing posers and technical teasers to: Theory Godmother,
Guitar Techniques, 30 Monmouth Street, Bath, BA1 2BW; or email me
at [email protected] - every wish is your Godmother’s command!
Q
&
A
EXAMPLES 1 - 2
Example 1 Sounds of the modes
Ex 2 Dorian mode over C minor chord
A La Mode?
Dear Theory GodmotherI’ve been taking a sideways look at the modes recently and have formed the conclusion that a more practical way of learning them is to treat them almost like chords and call the Dorian, for instance, a ‘minor 7, natural 6th’ scale. That way, you get an idea of what the scale might sound like and perhaps even a clue as to where you could use it, rather than have the original Greek names which don’t really give too much away. I’d be interested to know your thoughts.
Sid
It’s handy to know which mode is which by understanding the different names. But you get a far better idea of what they sound like by taking the path that you’ve outlined, Sid. In fact the modes of the Minor scales are often treated this way as only a few of them seem to have been ‘officially’ named.
So if we look at the modes of the Major scale and describe them in the way we would chords, we find the following: the Ionian would be a straight Major, the Dorian a Natural minor with a major 6th, the Phrygian a Natural minor with a flat 2nd, the Lydian a Major with a sharp 4th, the Mixolydian a major scale with a flat 7th, the Aeolian a Natural minor and the Locrian a Natural minor with flat 2nd and flat 5th (Ex 1). It helps to separate them into Major and Minor scales too, so that the Lydian and Mixolydian are variations on the Major scale (Ionian) and the rest are derived from the Natural minor (Aeolian).
So much for the naming
convention, though. I still think it’s best to remember that the true sound of each of the modes only comes into being when you hear them in their context – for example, when you hear the Dorian mode over the appropriate minor chord (Ex 2). I’ve also found that it helps people if they are encouraged to describe the sounds that they hear for themselves and make their own categorisations. For instance, I always tend to think of the Dorian and Lydian modes as the ‘sweet and sour’ scales. The Dorian has that minor feel to it, but the presence of the major 6th seems
to lift it somehow and give it a sweeter edge. The Lydian, on the other hand, is basically a Major scale with that slightly dissonant sharp 4th to spice it up. The Phrygian has a Spanish edge and the Aeolian a rocky, blues feel. These are personal definitions and have helped me remember the nuance of each mode in the past. So, once you are happy with whatever you want to call them, run them all through with a backing track and try to sum them up in terms of how they sound to you, too.
A Genesis Revelation
Dear Theory GodmotherI’ve always been a fan of Phil Collins
era Genesis and recently decided to learn a few of their tunes on the guitar, but I’ve hit a bit of a brick wall. The songbooks I’ve found aren’t really much help as they are a bit basic and don’t really sound much like the records. But even when I watch a video and freeze frame what Mike Rutherford is playing and match it note-for-note on my guitar it still sounds wrong. Someone suggested that he is using an alternative tuning and I wondered which one?
Pete
My understanding of the tuning situation is that, in the early days of
Genesis, Mike had a different tuning for virtually every song and often had difficulty remembering them from one tour to the next. So after Peter Gabriel left the band he decided to confine himself to a single tuning which is the unorthodox behaviour of tuning his first string down to a D.
This was confirmed when I interviewed Genesis’s touring guitarist Darryl Stuermer back in the 90s: “He's been doing this now for years - the first string tuned down to D.”
So, if you take another look at your Genesis videos with a guitar detuned the way outlined above, you might find you’re getting more of a perfect fit.
• G u i t a r t e c h n i q u e s • M a r c h 2 0 1 5 •
10
GuitarTechniques
March 2015Jam tracks tips
1. Rocky 12-bar Blues (E) Here’s a fun 12-bar blues in E. The turnaround chords in bars 9-10 of the progression are C5 and B5 (bVI-V), so slightly different than your standard V-IV. Good old E Minor Pentatonic scale (E G A B D) works a treat throughout, but you can also add in some E Major Pentatonic (E F# G# B C#), E Mixolydian mode (E F# G# A B C# D), E Dorian (E F# G A B C# D) and E Minor scale (E F# G A B C D). 2. Medium Swing Minor 2-5-1 (Em) Here’s a jazz jam track in E minor. The chord progression is F#m7b5 - B7 - Em7 - Em7, although you will hear extended versions of these chords – as is common in jazz. The E Minor scale (E F# G A B C D) works great for the F#m7b5 and Em7 chords, while E Harmonic minor (E F# G A B C D#) is perfect for the B7 chords. Next up, try out some more advanced colours on the dominant B7 by treating it as an altered chord and using the B Altered scale (B C D Eb F G A).3. Whole-Tone Jam
Try this Whole-Tone scale jam based around G! The scale itself goes G A B C# D# F, all notes being a whole tone apart, of course. The progression is based purely on notes of the scale, with the bass notes being G, D# and F. Top tip: try finding cool patterns and licks and then move them up and down in whole tones – or major 3rds (which equals two whole tones). The Whole-Tone scale is completely symmetrical, so you can easily move your ideas round!
4. C Minor Rockout
The progression here is Cm - Bb - Ab - G – Cm - G/B - Ab/C - F/C. You can effectively mix the C Natural minor scale (C D Eb F G Ab Bb), C Harmonic minor scale (C D Eb F G Ab B) and C Dorian mode (C D Eb F G A Bb) on this track. I’d suggest using C Minor scale for the Cm, Bb, Ab and Ab/C chords, C Harmonic minor for the G and G/B chords and finally C Dorian for the F/C chord. Have fun!
On the 10th anniversary of Milton Mermikides’ life-saving bone marrow transplant, there will be a unique opportunity to experience Milton’s Big eGO (eclectic Guitar Orchestra), a diverse ensemble of star guitarists including craig Ogden, Gary ryan, Bridget Mermikides, John Wheatcroft, Declan Zapala and
internationally acclaimed classical guitarist John Williams perform a specially arranged charity programme of jazz, classical and world music. the venue is Bush hall in West London, on 8th april 2015 7.30pm, and tickets are £25. Visit miltonline.com/ ego10 for further information and updates.
Guitarists support leukaemia charity
M ar c o V an r ooijen
Blues-rock legend robin trower will be releasing a new studio album, something’s about to change, on March 9, the same day as robin’s 70th birthday. the new album coincides with trower’s nationwide 17-date uK tour with special guest Joanne shaw taylor that kicks off on March 26. the dates are as follows: Lincoln engine shed (thursday March 26), Bury st. edmunds, the apex (Friday March 27), Birmingham town hall (saturday March 28), salford Lowry (sunday March 29), chester Live rooms (thursday april 2), Gateshead sage (Friday april 3), Glasgow arches (saturday april 4), aberdeen Lemon tree (sunday april 5), stockton arc (tuesday april 7), York Barbican (Wednesday april 8), sheffield city hall Ballroom (thursday april 9), holmfrith Picturedrome (Friday april 10), London O2 shepherd’s Bush empire (saturday april 11),
crawley hawth (tuesday april 14), exeter corn exchange (Wednesday april 15), salisbury city hall (thursday april 16), and finishing with Milton Keynes
stables (Friday 17 april 17. review of the new album and a q&a with robin coming in Gt soon! Visit www.trowerpower.com for further information and tour updates.
Trower marks 70th with a brand new album
Created for you by Jacob Quistgaard. For free scale maps and hundreds more tracks, visit www.quistorama. com. Also subscribe to www.youtube. com/QuistTV to get all the latest free jam tracks and licks!
Robin Trower: see him live!
John Wheatcroft John Williams Milton Mermikides
PHIL HILBORNE’S ONE-MINUTE LICK
AEOLIAN ARPEggIO LICK
& 44
E B G D A E©»¡¡º
1œ
¢
≥
œ
¡
≥
≤
œ
™
≥
œ
¢
≥
œ
œ
¡
≥
≤
œ
™
≥
œ
¢
≥
œ
œ
¡
£
œ
¢
œ
œ
¡
œ
™
œ
¢
œ
Am9 a m a m a etc etc 17 17 15 12 13 15 13 10 12 13 12 9 10 12 15 14œ
œ
¡
™
œ
¢
œ
œ
œ
¡
™
œ
¢
œ
œ
œ
¡
™
œ
¢
œ
™
œ
10 7 8 10 8 5 6 8 7 4 5 7 5w ~~~~~
~~~~~
12GUITAR TECHNIQUES MAGAZINE 2 4 0 ONE MINUTE LICK - by Phil Hilborne
AEOLIAN ARPEGGIO LICK
March 2015
GuitarTechniques
11 ji M T eMPL eT on -cr o SSImprove your recordings!
This month’s lick is an ear-grabbing descending arpeggio phrase in which a basic shape is played by the fretting hand and then moved diatonically down the neck - in this case a 1-5-1 D5 arpeggio (D-A-D). This arpeggio form is then kept as intact as possible as it travels down the fretboard, although you can see that at one point - from the F note - the shape has to change slightly to conform to this note’s presence in the scale - but fortunately this is very easy to deal with. The
scale use throughout is A Aeolian (A-B-C-D-E-F-G). Small downward sweeps across the top three strings or hybrid picking would be appropriate to use here. This kind of lick can be heard in the playing of Steve Vai, Blues Saraceno and Steve Stevens. As always, try to come up with similar phrases of your own invention - both descending and descending, in different keys, using different intervals and as many rhythmic variations as you can muster.
hal Leonard Books has published Zen and the art Of recording, the third instalment in Mixerman’s ‘art Of’ series of books. the entire series, which also includes Zen and the art Of Producing, Zen and the art Of Mixing is now available both in print and in multimedia e-book format with over an hour of bonus video content for each title.
in Zen and the art Of recording ($24.99, isBn: 9781480387430), Mixerman distills the inescapable technical realities of recording down to understandable and practical terms. Whether musician or self-taught recordist, at home or in a full-blown studio complex, you’ll hopefully discover a definitive blueprint for recording within the current realities of the business, without ever losing focus on the core consideration - the music itself. as Mixerman writes: “the moment you start to think in musical terms, your recordings will improve a hundredfold.”
“Mixerman has done it again,” says ron saint Germain, a producer-engineer with over 300 million in sales that includes u2, Whitney houston, 311, and more. “With his signature humorous and
Poole joins Shepherd tour
British blues-rock guitarist and singer-songwriter, Ben Poole, has been added as special guest on Kenny Wayne shepherd’s 2015 uK tour. Poole, whose Live at the albert hall album reached no.4 in the official amazon Blues chart, has been described as “Britain’s brightest blues-rock guitar talent”. he will join five-time Grammy-nominated and multi-platinum-selling blues-rock guitarist shepherd on a five-date uK tour that will culminate at the O2 shepherd’s Bush empire in London. the Kenny Wayne shepherd Band features long-time vocalist noah hunt, plus
drummer chris Layton, a 2014 inductee into the Musicians’ hall of Fame as a member of stevie ray Vaughan and Double trouble, ex-Firm bassist tony Franklin and former Willie nelson keyboardist riley Osbourn. the dates are as follows: salisbury city hall (april 10); holmfirth Picturedrome (april 11); Glasgow O2 aBc (april 12); aberdeen Lemon tree (april 13); and London O2 shepherd’s Bush empire (april 15). tickets can be booked online from the Gig cartel or from the 24-hour box office: 0844 478 0898. Please visit www.noblepr.co.uk for further information and updates.
entertaining style, he imparts a world of invaluable information for the aspiring recordist and musician in an easy to absorb commonsense manner.”
“Zen and the art Of recording describes an approach rather than a recipe,” adds Bob Olhsson - stevie Wonder, Jackson Five, Marvin Gaye among others. “this is important because in the real world nothing works the same way every time. this is an excellent overview of the issues to be considered, along with a broad variety of proven techniques for addressing them.” Visit www. halleonardbooks.com for more!
Kenny Wayne Shepherd gets into the groove
12
GuitarTechniques
March 2015 eM iL e H o LB ait is the First Monday in January. it is 6.30am. Outside lies an alluring combo of the Dark, the Wet and the cold. the wheelie bins are stuffed to overflowing with wrapping and seasonal messaging.
the living room floor is littered with socks of random size, battery depleted games consoles and boxed sets of Breaking Bad. the offices of relate have run out of time slots. a lone figure loads a large estate car. it needs to be. Large, that is.
By the time he is done, it has swallowed a flightcased Mesa Boogie valve amp, an aer acoustic amp, a Gibson L4, Fender strat, Parker Fly, taylor acoustic, another taylor electro-spanish, collapsible guitar rack, effects board and three bags of accessories. it can mean only one thing: it is time for, wait for it: strictly come Dancing - the Live arena tour 2015.
and so i make way to John henry’s rehearsal studio complex in London’s deeply unfashionable Kings cross industrial estate for the start of rehearsals.
Our home for the week is a tad Dickensian in appearance. think Pentonville prison (only a couple of knotted sheets away) but without the charm. however, appearances are deceptive. Our rehearsal space is warm, there is parking and there is breakfast. the closest thing to Musician
nirvana this side of christmas! and so to business. the rhythm section is set up and at around 11.00am i turn over the first page of music. and there it is.
“scD 2015 Opening - Michael Jackson Medley”.
We are up and running under the watchful ears of the musical genius that is David arch. a man that can hear frequencies that
would defeat the auditory apparatus of a bat. the only man to correctly transcribe the exact chuck Berry guitar intro to Johnny B Goode, complete with the original mistakes on the record. and then insist that i play it that way. exactly.
to misquote a well-known popular music ditty, he Wants it all. he Wants it now. and he Wants it Played right. right now. and by and large we do, with a little guidance from the Maestro himself.
We sight read each chart pretty much immediately. there is a short discussion after every piece to fine-tune the exact synth sound, tidy up some phrasing or adjust
the level of a particular guitar effect. and then we’re on to the next dance.
at 2.00pm we are joined by the Brass section and the merry day wears on. By 6.00pm this bunch of hot-shot session superstars (present company excluded) have taken 14 individual dance arrangements in an assortment of styles, two group dances, an opening and a closing sequence and the generic “strictly” links and nailed them.
there is satisfaction to be gained from performing the material to the highest standard possible and in such a short time.
it is close of play. “thanks guys. same time tomorrow. We’ll do it all again.”
i am a trifle fatigued, it must be admitted. in this professional musician game, apparently, one has to concentrate. Why was i not informed at the outset?
The Strictly Come Dancing - The Live Arena Tour 2015 Band comprises: Allan Rogers (Musical Director/Keyboard 2), Brett Morgan (Drums), Trevor Barry (Bass Guitar), Jeff Leach ((Keyboard 1), Oli Blake (Percussion), Mitch Dalton (Guitars), Simon Allen (Sax/ Guitar 2), Tom Rees-Roberts (Trumpet 1), Chris Storr (Trumpet 2), and Barnaby Dickinson (Trombone). See you next month for some more shenanigans!
Mitch Dalton’s
This month Mitch works with “a man that
can hear frequencies that would defeat the
auditory apparatus of a bat”! Read on...
Fender announces
‘Learn To Play Day’
The 2015 Fender ‘Learn To Play Day’ will take place in the Weston Roof Pavilion at London’s Royal Festival Hall from 10am to 5pm on Saturday, March 21. Held in conjunction with the Registry of Guitar Tutors (RGT) and the Southbank Centre, the free event is for anyone interested in taking up the electric or acoustic guitar, bass guitar or ukulele. Visitors can enjoy a free introductory lesson from a qualified RGT tutor, meet the team from Fender, the world’s leading guitar manufacturer, and watch acoustic performances by Fender and Southbank affiliated artists. Celebrity guests will be announced soon. Visit Fender’s Facebook page (www.facebook. com/fendergbi) for details on how to sign up.Free guitar tuner
No it’s not a strange kind of fish! Guitar Tuna is a popular free the guitar tuning app for iOS, Android and direct online (browser) use. It is described by music education company Yousician.com as “super accurate, fast with automatic string detection and alternate tunings. It is so easy to use that you’ll just want to use it – over and over again!”The Guitar Tuna works for several instruments such as guitar, bass, ukulele, violin and banjo. Clear visual feedback and quick response make it straightforward to use. It works with your tablet’s built-in microphone, and also includes a metronome, a chord library and ‘minigames’ to train your ear and learn chords. You can take GuitarTuna with you wherever you go. The best part is it is free! Google Guitar Tuna to find your nearest compatible download or YouTube video demonstration.
Our home is a
tad Dickensian in
appearance. Think
Pentonville prison
but without the
charm
March 2015
GuitarTechniques
13What Strings Do You Use?
STEVE MORSE
GT: Do you have a type of pick that you can’t live without? sM: Yes, i use ernie Ball medium picks. i don’t have my micrometer with me, it’s in my shop at home, but they are roughly the same as Fender mediums. i used to use very heavy Fenders, then nylon Dunlops turned sideways to get the little grip surface to strike the strings. Basically, whatever you’re used to playing becomes the style you can’t live without!
GT: If you had to give up all your pedals but three, what would they be, and why?
sM: i pretty much did do that. right now it’s two tc electronic Flashback delays (with my ‘toneprint’ preset loaded in), and a Keeley compressor. the first delay is a long slap delay, which is controlled by an ernie Ball volume pedal into the ‘wet only’ amp. the dry amp is always on. When i want a little or a lot of delay, i just push down the pedal, the delay is always going, but only heard when i push the volume pedal down. the other delay is at the shortest setting and functions more as a chorus, so the slightly delayed or modulated sound is also only going through the ‘wet’ amp. the compressor pedal is the only one that is between the guitar and the amp, used for the country/bluegrass stuff on the clean amp setting.
GT: Do you play another
instrument well enough to be in a band? If so what, and have you ever done it?
sM: i’ve played bass in a musical production while i was in college, and also was a substitute in a hard-working cover band while my friend (the original bass player) tommy was sick and in the hospital. it is a very good idea for guitarists to learn to play simply and reliably, and bass is a great start for that, unless you’re playing Dave Larue’s parts (Dixie Dregs, Joe satriani, John Petrucci, Flying colors, etc).
GT: If a music chart were put in front of you, could you read it? sM: Yes, i did go to a music university. But, i wouldn’t be a fast enough sight reader to make it on a tV live band, or a Broadway production without looking at all
the hard parts first. Back in the day, i could read, because i had to, and practiced it. You use it or lose it to some extent!
GT: Do guitar cables really make a difference? What make are yours? sM: i have tested a number of them, and yes, they do make a difference. Particularly the low capacitance cables, offered as a high-end product. i personally like the old ernie Ball cables that they don’t make any more with the plug at one end that mutes the cord until you plug it in. i have some replacements that are very high-tech, made in Germany, that
we use with Purple. i always prefer what i’m used to, which are the old, typical co-ax cables, because the guitar amps were voiced for that sound. to my ears, many of the low-capacitance cables sound too bright, and there’s the loss of some fatness down low.
GT: Is there anyone’s playing (past or present) that you’re slightly jealous of, and why? sM: Where do i start? a while back i was onstage with Joe Bonamassa, Paul Gilbert, steve Vai, albert Lee, Blues saraceno - and that’s a great start! seriously, look in almost any direction, and
Li
Ve
Pi
X
we’ll see amazing people, each with their own way of playing. For instance, yes, i’m slightly jealous of how easily John Petrucci can play some of the lines that he and Jordan rudess write together; or i’m slightly jealous of how easily Pat Metheny can improvise over anything and make sound heavenly; or... Bottom line: Jealousy is no good for our lives, but do appreciate the fact that every player has a unique niche that they can do like no other.
GT: Your house/studio is burning down: which guitar do you salvage, and why?
sM: My Musicman signature model, serial number 1. it has always been with me at every gig since the 80s and has that special ‘mojo’. it has lots of miles on it and has been refretted nine or 10 times since i saw it being built.
GT: What’s your favourite amp and how do you set it?
sM: it’s an enGL signature amp - because they made it like i wanted it. the first two channels are the ‘meat and potatoes’ of the sound, and if you put every dial on about 6, it will sound great with any guitar. channel 3 is much more complicated, and i use that for getting a solo to stand out without getting louder, by emphasising different midrange components.
GT: What kind of action do you have on your guitars - any particular quirks etc?
sM: We keep my electric guitars pretty easy to play, action wise. so, if i play slide i have to keep a light touch to keep it from fretting out.
GT: What strings do you use – make, gauge and why?
sM: i use an ernie Ball custom set: 10,13,16,26,32,42 in standard tuning. i love the company and its products because they are consistent and reliable.
Steve Morse’s band Flying Colors, featuring Neal Morse (keyboards), Mike Portnoy (drums), David LaRue (bass) and Casey McPherson (lead vocals, guitar), record on Mascot Label Group/ Music Theories Recordings. Visit www.flyingcolorsmusic.com. Steve will be touring with Deep Purple later this year – more info at www.deeppurple.com.
Steve Morse with signature Music Man guitar
We ask a famous guitarist all those little questions you really
do want the answers to. This month, Dixie Dregs and current
Deep Purple axeman, the multi-talented Steve Morse.
That Was
The Year...
Roadstar, Thrust 2
And Moonwalk
14
GuitarTechniques
March 2015HOT FOR TEACHER yOUR RgT TUTOR
Name: Adi Hughes Town: Andover,Hampshire Styles: All contemporary styles
Speciality: Rock and music theory Qualification: Higher Diploma in Guitar Levels: All levels, RGT Electric and Rock
grades if desired Sight-reading: All levels
Charges: £25 per hour lesson
Special: Fully-equipped music room, audio &
video recording Contact: 07445 450966
Email: [email protected]
PEAVEY PULLS THE PLUG on its budget range
T-15 guitar with double cutaway offset body and maple neck. Although amply equipped with a pair of oversized single-coil pickups and even the option to buy an ‘electric case’ with a 10-watt amp and a five-inch speaker built in the guitar failed to cause much interest.
THE LARGEST RECORDING CONTRACT in
history is signed by The Rolling Stones with CBS
Records for a colossal $28 million; Kiss officially appear in public without makeup for the first time on MTV; the Red Hot Chili Peppers release their eponymous first album; the first ever Now album is released and during a TV special to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Motown; Michael Jackson introduces the moonwalk during his performance of Billie Jean.
BAD NEWS FOR THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY following a series of
major incidents. The automatic shut-down fails at the Salem Nuclear Power Plant in the USA but fortunately the reactor in Russia’s Kursk Plant does shut-down successfully after a fuel rods failure. Argentina has a total loss of coolant at their Embalse Nuclear Station causing an “Accident With Local Consequences” then in Germany the Philippsburg Plant releases deadly
iodine-131 after a ‘technical failure’ occurs. Hinkley Point C anyone?
A NEW LAND SPEED RECORD of
633.468 mph (1,019.468 km/h) is achieved in the Black Rock Desert by British entrepreneur Richard Noble driving Thrust 2; Margaret Thatcher’s government is re-elected by a landslide majority; the privatisation of cleaning, catering and laundering services is introduced for the NHS to save money and Bill Gates’s Microsoft Word is launched.
SUCCESSFUL FIRST FLIGHT of the Space Shuttle Challenger and
subsequent missions include Sally Ride becoming the first American woman in space and Guion Bluford the first African-American in space. Pioneer 10 ventures beyond the orbit of Neptune and leaves the major planets of the Solar System behind, the first man-made object to do so.
SAD TO LOSE Muddy Waters, Dennis Wilson, Billy Fury, James
Jamerson, Karen Carpenter, Winifred Atwell, Chris Wood (Traffic), Earl Hines, lyricist Ira Gershwin and conductor Sir Adrian Boult.
DISNEYLAND IN TOKYO OPENS then the company kicks off
channel broadcasting with the Disney Channel. Cinemas are showing Star Wars Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi and Flashdance and after winning five consecutive Wimbledon championships Björn Borg announces his retirement from tennis.
IBANEZ INTRODUCES ITS ROADSTAR RS1010SL Steve Lukather
Signature series with gold hardware, bound arched Birdseye maple top and bony fretboard with pearl
snowflake inlays. The Super 58 and SL Special pickups are wound to Lukather’s specs and coil-tap options are switched by a push on/push off function on the controls. The Hard Rocker Pro vibrato is revolutionary and comes with a black arm.
Beth Hart announces new tour
Following her critically-acclaimed performances co-headlining with robert cray at London’s BluesFest at the royal albert hall last October, Grammy nominated singer-songwriter, Beth hart will embark on a seven-date uK tour in May 2015. Beth does it all: sultry blues, jazzy blues, rocking tunes and touching ballads. the tour dates are: Bristol colston hall (Friday May 1); Liverpool Philharmonic hall (sunday May 3); Glasgow O2 aBc (Wednesday May 6); London Barbican (Friday May 8); Leeds academy (saturday May 9); cambridge corn
exchange (Monday May 11); and nottingham rock city
(Wednesday May 13). Visit www. noblepr.co.uk or www.bethhart. com for further details.
Make music
with your iPad
the iPad in the Music studio $19.99, isBn: 9781480343177) is the second of two iPad-related publications by the authors thomas rudolph and Vincent Leonard. this new book is designed to increase the spontaneity and creativity of musical productions by opening up the world of the iPad to
musicians, recordists, and DJs. the iPad in the Music studio focuses on the iPad’s connectivity to the professional, project, and home music studios. the authors take the reader on a tour of the latest iPad-related music hardware and software on the market. the use of qr codes throughout the book quickly links to demo videos of the products covered, turning the book into a multimedia experience. the book looks at: hardware to link microphones and instruments for live multi-track recording; controlling desktop software with the iPad; using the iPad and iPhone with mixers; the iPad and Guitar eFX software and hardware; and using the iPad to publish and distribute your music on social media. it features step-by-step guides through the most popular and productive apps for all iPads running the latest versions of the iOs. Visit www. halleonardbooks.com for further details of this and other products.
16
GuitarTechniques
March 2015play:
BlUES
For this special feature, Milton Mermikides presents not one
but four blues guitar lessons, each set at a different level and
designed to improve your playing, regardless of your ability.
Ask A hundred guitarists the simple question, “What should I play over a blues?” and you’ll likely receive just as many different, but equally impassioned, responses: “don’t think about it, just use your ears”; “use minor blues but play with feeling”, “don’t just play minor Pentatonic, follow each chord”; “Imitate the players you like and then make it your own”, or any number of ever more complicated theoretical instructions of what to do – or not do. For the developing guitarist, this avalanche of often contradictory advice can be both overwhelming and confusing.
The best way to proceed (as is the case with any musical pursuit) is to become aware of a number of different possible effective approaches, and be less concerned about which is the right – or best – one. The more options you have the richer your palette for musical expression becomes, the more choices you’ll have in performance and the more you’ll be accepting (rather than challenged by) any new idea that comes along.
In this spirit, this article presents four different approaches to playing over a blues progression. These have been organised into four levels, and although these levels are representative of increasing harmonic sophistication and theoretical depth, don’t be tempted to think that ‘good playing’ is at the higher levels, and ‘bad playing’ is as the lower ones; these are simply different approaches with different expressive effects. It’s possible – actually encouraged – to learn to improve at all of these different levels and to employ them all in your playing. You can mix them up within a solo (or even a chorus). We’ve presented these four levels at a variety of keys, tempos and blues styles, and
TRACK RECORD Level 1 solos include Albert King’s Crosscut Saw and Buddy Guy’s Damn Right I’ve Got the Blues; Level 2 try solo one in Cream’s Crossroads or Peter Green’s The Stumble; Level 3, Kenny Burrell’s Saturday Night Blues, Freddie King’s Hideaway or Larry Carlton’s I Gotta Right; Level 4, Robben Ford’s Help The Poor, Joe Pass’s Limehouse Blues or Scott Henderson’s Well To The Bone.
Four Levels of Blues
although some of these approaches are more common in certain styles, it’s possible to apply the concepts quite freely.
here’s a breakdown of the four levels together with some representative artists who are good exemplars of the approach in question. There follows four two-chorus solos (with a backing tracks) showing each ‘level’ in action. Feel free to use these solos as the basis of something original, and use the backing tracks as an aid to developing ideas of your own based on these ‘levels’.
Working through this article, and
developing the ideas within your own playing,
will help you see the countless ways you can play over a ‘simple’ blues (and other contexts), and will liberate you from dutifully following any one particular system.
LeveL 1
The use of minor Pentatonic (or minor Blues) based on the key over all the chords - for example C minor Pentatonic on a blues in C: C7 F7 G7. This may feel like the simplest approach but it’s actually quite interesting and helpful to see how and why it works.
Let’s look at C minor blues over the three chords C7, F7 and G7. (In the table, r = root).
C minor blues C Eb F F#/Gb G Bb C7 R #9/b3 4 #4 5 b7
F7 5 b7 R b9 9 4
G7 4 b6 b7 7 R #9/b3
All the notes of the minor Pentatonic ‘work’ over all three chords, but different notes are relatively more stable or unstable on each chord. The diagram indicates in yellow the root notes for the three chords. notice that for each of the three chords, the root is available in the scale. Chord tones other than the root
are indicated in green and are quite stable. The orange squares indicate ‘tolerable dissonances’, which have a tendency to resolve (but don’t necessarily). Much more unstable are the notes indicated in red, which tend to be used in passing, or emphasised for dramatic effect. Finally the blue notes; these represent the characteristic ‘blue’ effect of playing a minor 3rd (also known as #9) over a dominant 7 chord.
You can use the backing track to hear the effect of all these notes on each chord: for example the root (C) works well on all three chords (although a bit unstable on the V chord). The #4/b5 (F# or Gb in this case) is unstable on all the chords, so is used only in passing or for intended edginess.
Blues curls: Great players like stevie ray Vaughan add some sophistication to this ‘Level 1’ playing with the use of quarter-tone bends. The b3 notes (indicated in blue in the diagram) can be teased slightly sharp on the appropriate chords so they pull towards the major 3rd in the underlying chord.
In short, the b3 (eb) can be bent slightly sharp when on the I chord (but not on the IV chord). The Bb can also be bent a quarter tone sharp when on the V chord, but is rarely done so otherwise.
LeveL 2
Whereas Level 1 playing fixes the scale over all three chords, Level 2 adapts the scale to fit
Get the tone
5
6
6
7
3
Gain Bass Middle TReBle ReveRB
As we are dealing with a general concept, essentially you can go for any tone you like. But keep it quite clean with a little reverb at first, so you can hear every note in every chord. Only add in effects like distortion and big delays or reverbs when you are confident that you’ve nailed each idea.
ABILITY RATING
Key: Various
Tempo: Various
CD: TRACKS 4-12
Info
WIll Improve your
Scale and harmonic theory All-round blues vocabulary Improvisational skills
easy to Advanced
A useful tip for when
coming up with your own
chord progressions is to
look out for what the top
line is doing.
March 2015
GuitarTechniques
17ULTIMATE BLUES LESSON
Albert King: a masterful player in Level 1 category PA UL NA TKIN / GE TT Y IM A GES
18
GuitarTechniques
March 2015play:
BlUES
each chord. In a blues the I7 chord (C7 in a blues in C) contains a major 3rd in the key of C (e). however, the IV7 chord (F7 in a blues in C) contains a minor 3rd (eb). This major-minor ambiguity between the I7 and IV7 is negotiated in Level 2 playing by using major Pentatonic on I7 and minor Pentatonic on IV7. Let’s see how it works.
C Major Pentatonic C D E G A C7 R 2 3 5 6 C Minor Pentatonic C Eb F G Bb F7 5 b7 R 2 4
You’ll see that with this approach the scales ‘agree’ with the underlying chords, there are no harsh dissonances to manage, and by simply switching from major to minor Pentatonic (chords I7 and IV7 respectively) a harmonic agreement is ensured, and there is more scale variety than in Level 1 playing.
For the V7 chord (G7 in the key of A), both minor Pentatonic (as in Level 1) or – a little less commonly - major Pentatonic (which gives a sweeter, less tense effect) may be used.
C Minor Pentatonic C Eb F G Bb G7 4 b6 b7 R b3 C Major Pentatonic C D E G A G7 4 5 6 R 2
note that the major and minor Pentatonic scales in Level 2 are often extended to major blues and minor blues (by adding the b3 and b5 respectively); in fact this is a core approach throughout blues playing. This major-minor Pentatonic ambiguity is a fundamental technique in the blues, so Level 2 examples abound, but a good point of reference is the British Blues of the late 60s, with players like Peter Green, Mick Taylor and eric Clapton.
LeveL 3
In Level 3, we engage completely with the concept of ‘agreeing’ with the underlying harmony. In levels 1 and 2, one or two scales built on the root of the key are selected and these work on all the chords. In level 3 only one scale type is used but this is transposed (shifted) for each chord in turn.
A common scale used to negotiate a dominant 7th chord is the Mixolydian (C Mixolydian – C-d-e-F-G-A-Bb). This works well, as all the notes are relatively consonant. Playing the 4th degree is unstable but not jarring, and all the rest of the notes are very well seated with the chords.
C Mixolydian C D E F G A Bb C7 R 2 3 4 5 6 b7
To play over the other two chords, we can simply transpose this scale so it becomes F Mixolydian for F7, and G Mixolydian for G7.
F Mixolydian F G A Bb C D Eb F7 R 2 3 4 5 6 b7
G Mixolydian G A B C D E F G7 R 2 3 4 5 6 b7
This means we are presented with the challenge of having to learn (and switch between) Mixolydian scales in a number of positions, but we are able to navigate the changing harmonies fluently (known as ‘making the changes’) which results in a quite sophisticated musical effect. These
Mixolydian scales can also be furnished with a quickly resolved b3 (for a touch of bluesiness) or a major 7 and a #4(b5), which
are often used as a passing note between root and b7, and 4th and 5th respectively.
Incidentally, if one wants to think of all these scales as based on one root, you can use C Mixolydian, C dorian and C Ionian (C Major) for I7, IV7 and V7 respectively. This may help for remembering fingerings, but it’s also important to understand the scale degrees of the underlying chords.
Level 3 can be found in the playing of many guitarists including Jimi hendrix (who uses it between the V7 and IV7 chords in red house) but is used routinely in ‘country-blues’ and by jazz-blues players.
LeveL 4
Finally, Level 4 may be seen as an extension of Level 3 playing, where some alternatives to the Mixolydian scale are used to negotiate each chord in turn.
A common ‘Level 4’ scale is the Lydian dominant (which is the 4th mode of Melodic minor and is also known as Mixolydian #11, or the ‘Overtone’ scale). It’s identical to Mixolydian but with a raised 4th, which gives it a floaty, dreamy quality. It can be used transposed to any of the chords but is perhaps most common on I7 and particularly IV7 (pictured here in the key of C):
F Lydian b7 F G A B C D Eb F7 R 2 3 #4 5 6 b7
On the I7 chord, a half-whole ‘symmetrical’ diminished scale can also be used. It’s so called because there is a repeating pattern in the scale of a semitone (half step) followed by a whole tone (step). This works on the chord but feels quite unstable, so is often used on bar 4 just before the I7 chord moves to IV7.
C half-whole C Db Eb E F# G A Bb C7 R b2 b3 3 #4 5 6 b7
This eight-note scale may seem entirely arbitrary, but it works because it contains the root, major 3rd and minor 7, which make up the core ‘function’ of the chord.
The most tense scale commonly used on a dominant 7 chord is the Altered scale (or Superlocrian), where every note is flattened from its natural ‘major’ position.
G Altered G Ab Bb B Db Eb F G7 R b2 b3 3 b5 b6 b7
Again this scale ‘works’ because it contains the fundamentally defining degrees of a dominant 7 chord (the root, major 3rd and minor 7th) but is so tense that it usually appears on the V7 chord, which already has an unstable quality that wants resolving.
One way of employing this scale is by taking a minor Pentatonic based on the key of the blues in question (so in C: C-eb-F-G-Bb), then dropping the root by a semitone. This creates the notes (B-eb-F-G-Bb) which you can see are five of the notes from G Altered scale. Very cunning, but a great ‘way in’ if this style of approach is new to you.
One final technique for you to employ, is known as ‘side-stepping’, and is a good first primer in the sophisticated field of ‘chord superimposition’, where different chords are implied over an existing chord progression. side-stepping involves the chromatic transposition of a phrase up or down a semitone, which creates an angular ‘out’ effect. Try it - if played with confidence and good phrasing it can sound superb!
Level 4 players include robben Ford (particularly for half-whole diminished and Altered licks), scott henderson (for side-stepping and all sorts of chord scale use), and in the straight-ahead jazz vein, Joe Pass and kenny Burrell, who employ all of these ideas in a perfectly accessible way.
I’ve prepared four solos over four different blues styles, but the backing tracks can be used to explore any of these levels; in fact, switching between levels is a powerful music expression in itself. so try playing all of the four levels on each of the tracks (and of course in other music, including your own). You’ll also notice that I’ve set the chords as straight I7, IV7 and V7 (even in the jazz examples) so we can really focus on the character of each level, and are not distracted by background harmony. I’ve kept all the tracks in the same key too, and with quite similar fretboard positions, so you can see more clearly the relationship between the levels. Importantly, you should apply these ideas all over the fretboard, and in all different keys.
Half-Whole Diminished
scale works because it
contains root, 3rd and b7th,
which make up the core
‘function of the chord.
& 44
E B G D A EExample 1: Level 1 Solo (Classic Blues)
Ó
©»¡¢º
Œ ‰ Jœ
12jœb
.˙~~~
~~~
‰ Jœ
C7 11 13 12jœb
œ œ
jœ
œ œb
11 11 10 8 13 12œ Œ Ó
10Ó Œ ‰ Jœ
10&
E B G D A E 5jœb
œ
jœ
œ œ œ ‰ Jœ
F7 810 8 10 10 12jœb
œ œ
jœ
œ œb
11 11 10 8 13 12œ Œ ‰ Jœ œb œ œ
C7 10 8 10 8 10œb
'
'
1/4 1/4Œ Œ œb
( ) BD PB 12œ
( )œb
11 10 8&
E B G D A E 9œ œn œ. Œ Œ ‰
G7Jœ
10 8 10 12jœb
œ
jœ
œ œ œ ‰ Jœ
F7 810 8 10 12jœb
œ œ
jœ
œ œb
C7 11 11 10 8 13 12œ œ œ# œ œ œ œb œ
G7 10 8 9 10 10 8 10&
E B G D A E 13œb œ œb œ œ œ ‰ Jœ
C7 8 10 8 10 8 10 8œb œ œb œ œ œ ‰ Jœb
10 8 10 8 10 8œb œ œb œ œ œ
jœ
œb
BU ( )œ
10 8 10 8 10 10 11 10œ Œ ‰ œn œb œ
10 8 10&
E B G D A E 17œb œ œb œ œ œ ‰ Jœ
F7 8 10 8 10 8 10 8œb œ œb œ œ œ ‰ Jœb
10 8 10 8 10 8œ
BUœ
( )œ. œb~~
~~
Ó
C7 10 8 8 12œb œ œb œ œ œ ‰ jœ
8 10 8 10 8 10 10GUITAR TECHNIQUES MAGAZINE 2 40 Milton's
4 LEVEL BLUES
March 2015
GuitarTechniques
19ULTIMATE BLUES LESSON
This solo in the style of Freddie or Albert King uses D minor Pentatonic over all three chords but with a different approach on each chorus. [Bars 1-12] Here we outline the roots of the chords as they change - so, C
for bar 1, F for bar 5 and G for bar 9 etc.
[Bars 13-24] Here we see how the same phrase can be played over each of the chords to create a slightly different effect.
