Tom Bukovac is not a guitar player. Well, technically, he is—but more so, he’s a musician who plays guitar. He’s someone who always strives to make the best musical choice above all else. Bukovac, a first-call Nashville session guitarist and four-time winner of the Academy of Country Music Guitar Player of the Year award, has played on over 1,200 sessions for artists such as Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, and Sheryl Crow, while also being called upon to tour with heavyweights like Joe Walsh and Vince Gill.
Bukovac has gained legions of fans via his YouTube channel (@501chorusecho) where he regularly posts his Homeskoolin’ lessons. There, he imparts nuggets of musical wisdom with humor via extended segments of playing, proving him to be a seemingly endless font of creativity—with a killer collection of guitars.
His latest release is 2024’s In Stereo, an album of original music he co-headlines with fellow Nashville session wizard Guthrie Trapp.
Chords Are the Key
One of Bukovac’s superpowers is his profound understanding of chords, which informs both his lead and rhythm playing. Watch how he uses organ-style voicings to play through a blues in G.
Ex. 1 is inspired by his playing here. While he’s thinking G7 for the entirety of the first four bars, note how he employs various three-note chord fragments, including F and C triads—but not to create a chord change. Think of it more as splashing various “colors” over these four bars of G7. For example, the F triad (F–A–C) brings the b7 (F), 9 (A) and 11 (C). These first three examples are played fingerstyle.
Ex. 1
Bukovac often plays solo in his videos. But even when he’s improvising with single notes, he often deftly uses his fret-hand thumb (usually) to play bass notes that imply the chords he’s hearing in his head. Here, he adds just a few subtle thumps to propel the rhythm as he solos.
Ex. 2 explores similar territory. Be sure to palm-mute the bass notes to keep them nice and punchy. Note your fret-hand thumb should fret all of the notes on the 6th string except the final one, where your 3rd finger is a better choice.
Ex. 2
Bukovac is an encyclopedia of chord voicings, and he is remarkably musical in how he composes with them. This video is over seven minutes of inspired, beautiful music. There’s so much here to explore, even if you just randomly skip around.
Ex. 3 is a variation on his intro here—just simple seventh chords, but voiced in a unique way. Note how the melody clearly sings out, being so far from the accompaniment. There are no thirds in any of these chords; you can alternately think of them as power chords with melody notes on top.
Ex. 3
Grab Yer Pick
Bukovac is equally skilled using a pick. In this video, he’s employing hybrid picking—alternately or simultaneously using the pick and fingers.
Ex. 4 begins in the key of E, then borrows from E minor for the final two chords. In measure three, fret the down-stemmed notes with your middle finger, executing the slides with your pinky.
Ex. 4
Now, for something completely different, as Bukovac’s got a wide range of styles in his bag, here he shows his country-style pickin’ prowess.
Throughout his solo, over F7 throughout, Bukovac again keeps things interesting, here by employing different textures. Played with your pick, Ex. 5 travels from triads to dyads to single notes, ending with some death-defying open-string pull-offs. Be sure to pick close to the bridge for those to give ’em extra bite, and don’t forget the slapback echo.
Ex. 5
In the first two bars of the previous example, Bukovac uses Dm and Cm triads over F7. Let’s use some Bukovac-style creativity to see how we can take this knowledge a step further. You likely already know that, when soloing, you can use the D minor pentatonic scale (D–F–G–A–C) over F7 — remember it’s the same as F major pentatonic (F–G–A–C–D). But how about using the C minor pentatonic scale (C–Eb–F–G–Bb) over F7? The rule of thumb is you can play the minor pentatonic scale a fifth above the root of a dominant seventh chord. Ex. 6 demonstrates with a Bukovac-style lick. Note that the C minor pentatonic scale brings into play the F7 chord’s 5 (C), b7 (Eb), root (F) and 9 (G). The phrase colorfully touches upon C Dorian (C–D–Eb–F–G–A–B) by including an A, the 3 of F7 at the end of bar 1, as well as a D, its 13, at the end of bar 2.
Ex. 6
Bukovac is especially expressive in the way he bends. In this video, he’s executing two half-step bends simultaneously, using the pick.
Ex. 7 is a similar phrase, and, of course, these bends need to be in tune. If this proves to be challenging, the thing to do is simply slow things down. Bend by turning your wrist only, keeping your fingers stationery as it turns. If that doesn’t feel comfortable, try pulling both strings towards the floor. Tricky….
Ex. 7
Next, over the same groove, Bukovac uses his pick-hand index and middle fingers to create a melody over an open D-string drone. Ex. 8 explores similar territory; execute the final bend by pulling the 3rd string towards the floor to allow the open 4th string to continue to ring.
Ex. 8
Practice Creativity
Like so many of his longer videos, here, Bukovac—off the top of his head—continually finds new musical ideas, taking time to explore each one.
Ex. 9 is based on another idea from the same video. Note the final two examples are played with the pick.
Ex. 9
As Bukovac does, let’s create a couple of simple variations on Ex. 9,as demonstrated in Ex. 10.
Ex. 10
Finally, inspired by Bukovac’s creativity, try exploring your own by simply taking time to fool around with the previous two examples. Don’t think too much. Just start playing, and you’ll undoubtedly discover some brand-new ideas of your own.
Improvising over one chord for long stretches of time can be a musician's best friend or worst nightmare. With no harmonic variation, we are left to generate interest through our lines, phrasing, and creativity. When I started learning to improvise, a minor 7 chord and a Dorian mode were the only sounds that I wanted to hear at the time. I found it tremendously helpful to have the harmony stay in one spot while I mined for new ideas to play. Playing over a static chord was crucial in developing my sense of time and phrasing.
The following is the first improvisational device I ever came across. I want to say I got it from a Frank Gambale book. The idea is that there are three minor pentatonic scales "hiding" in any given major scale. If we're in the key of C (C–D–E–F–G–A–B) we can pluck out the D, E, and A minor pentatonic scales. If we frame them over a Dm7 chord, they give us different five-note combinations of the D Dorian mode. In short, we are building minor pentatonic scales off the 2, 3, and 6 of the C major scale.
Viewing this through the lens of D minor (a sibling of C major and the tonal center for this lesson), D minor pentatonic gives us the 1–b3–4–5–b7, E minor pentatonic gives us 2–4–5–6–1, and A minor pentatonic gives us 5–b7–1–2–4. This means you can use your favorite pentatonic licks in three different locations and there are three different sounds we can tap into from the same structure.
If you smashed all of them together, you would get the D Dorian scale (D–E–F–G–A–B–C) with notes in common between the D, E, and A minor pentatonic scales. Ex. 1 uses all three scales, so you can hear the different colors each one creates over the chord.
Ex. 1
Ex. 2 is how I improvise with them, usually weaving in and out using different positional shapes.
Ex. 2
The next idea is one I stole from a guitarist who often came into a music store I worked at. On the surface, it's very easy: Just take two triads (in our example it will be Dm and C) and ping-pong between them. The D minor triad (D–F–A) gives us 1–b3–5, which is very much rooted in the chord, and the C major triad (C–E–G) gives us the b7–9–4, which is much floatier. Also, if you smash these two triads together, you get 1–2–b3–4–5–b7, which is a minor pentatonic scale with an added 2 (or 9). Eric Johnson uses this sound all the time. Ex. 3 is the lick I stole years ago.
Ex. 3
Ex. 4 is how I would improvise with this concept. Many different fingerings work with these, so experiment until you find a layout that's comfortable for your own playing.
Ex. 4
If two triads work, why not seven? This next approach will take all the triads in the key of C (C–Dm–Em–F–G–Am–Bdim) and use them over a Dm7 chord (Ex. 5). Each triad highlights different three-note combinations from the Dorian scale, and all of them sound different. Triads are clear structures that sound strong to our ears, and they can generate nice linear interest when played over one chord. Once again, all of this is 100% inside the scale. Ex. 5 is how each triad sounds over the track, and Ex. 6 is my attempt to improvise with them.
Ex. 5
Ex. 6
If we could find all these possibilities with triads, it's logical to make the structure a little bigger and take a similar approach with 7 chords, or in this case, arpeggios. Naturally, all the diatonic chords will work, but I'll limit this next idea to just Dm7, Fmaj7, Am7, and Cmaj7. I love this approach because as you move further away from the Dm7 shape, each new structure takes out a chord tone and replaces it with an extension. I notice that I usually come up with different lines when I'm thinking about different chord shapes, and this approach is a decent way to facilitate that. Ex. 7 is a good way to get these under your fingers. Just ascend one shape, shift into the next shape on the highest string, then descend and shift to the next on the lowest string.
Ex. 7
Ex. 8 is my improvisation using all four shapes and sounds, but I lean pretty heavily on the Am7.
Ex. 8
This last concept has kept me busy on the fretboard for the last five years or so. Check it out: You can take any idea that works over Dm7 and move the other diatonic chords. The result is six variations of your original lick. In Ex. 9 I play a line that is 4–1–b3–5 over Dm7 and then walk it through the other chords in the key. These notes are still in the key of C, but it sounds drastically different from playing a scale.
Ex. 9
In Ex. 10, I try to think about the shapes from the previous example, but I break up the note order in a random but fun way. The ending line is random but felt good, so I left it in.
Ex. 10
While all these concepts have been presented over a minor chord, you can just as easily apply them to any chord quality, and they work just as well in harmonic or melodic minor. Rewarding sounds are available right inside the harmony, and I am still discovering new ideas through these concepts after many years.
Though the above ideas won't necessarily be appropriate for every style or situation, they will work in quite a few. Developing any approach to the point that it becomes a natural extension of your playing takes considerable work and patience, so just enjoy the process, experiment, and let your ear guide you to the sounds you like. Even over just one chord, there is always something new to find.
It’s a familiar problem: You know your pentatonic scale patterns, but they’re only getting you so far. In this lesson, instructor Caitlin Caggiano breaks down the pentatonic scale and helps you elevate you patterns and deepen your playing. Want to learn how to make your pentatonics feel less boxy and more musical? How to use multiple pentatonic scales to emphasize chord tones? How to add certain notes to add more dimension and color to your playing? This lesson is for you.
Great music tells a story. It builds on a plot and holds the listener’s attention as the story unfolds. We are especially moved by soloists who bare their souls and who keep us riveted with every twist and turn from their narrative. Pentatonics are the backbone of modern guitar vocabulary. Partially because they just sound good, but also because they lay so easily on guitar. There are several ingredients that make a guitarist sound brilliant, but one of the most important is chromaticism. Could there a be a way we could combine these two? Let’s find out.
This term chromaticism comes from the Greek word chroma, which means “color.” Using chromaticism means having the freedom to use all 12 notes over a given chord. Imagine the possibilities and freedom to play any note over a chord in composition or improvising! The quickest way to start adding color notes to the minor pentatonic scale is to add the 2nd and the 6th, which then gives you a Dorian mode. I’ve outlined it below using the A minor pentatonic scale.
A Minor pentatonic: A–C–D–E–G
A Dorian: A–B–C–D–E–F#–G
In general, there are chromatic notes that are outside the chord/scale, and notes that are outside the key. The latter carries a lot of tension against a chord and needs movement or resolution. From my days of playing jazz gigs in Toledo, OH, I recall what legendary trumpeter Jimmy Cook once told me regarding playing outside: “You can go up to the attic, but you have to come back down.” In other words, you can play outside tonally, but you must resolve at some point in order for your music to sound coherent.
Let’s get started on this journey of chromaticism together.
Before we go hog wild and add random notes, let’s begin by taking an A minor pentatonic scale and fill in the chromatic notes between the already existing box pattern. It’s almost arbitrary, but it will enable you to hear different colors added within the scale (Ex. 1).
Chromatic Burst of Energy. In beat 1 of Ex. 2, we start with an A Dorian fragment followed by an extended chromatic line. The line in beat two starts on the b7 (G), highlighting the b5 (Eb) on beat 3, descending chromatically all the way down to B, and ending with A major pentatonic.
Bounce Around! We start on the b5 (Eb) followed by a typical chromatic rotation where we bounce around the b5. This idea lays quite well in the familiar pentatonic box. It’s easy and will add spice to your shredding (Ex. 3).
Side Stepping. A common approach to playing “outside” is side stepping. In other words, take the scale you’d normally use and displace it by a half-step above or below. By doing this, you’ll have instant access to notes that are harmonically outside the key—don’t think of them as wrong notes, just coloring notes. In Ex. 4 we take a pentatonic pattern from E minor pentatonic and sequence it in F minor pentatonic. As the notes can be analyzed over the E5 chord, it’s more important to view them as passing notes. Remember, the power of the sequence overrides the harmony!
Extend the Side Step. Ex. 5 uses the same concept of side stepping above but adds a note (D) to the displaced pattern. By doing so, this breaks the predictability of the phrase and places subsequent notes in new places.
Changing Tones.Ex. 6 is a fun lick to learn that starts with a strong, repeated three-note polyrhythmic figure (A#–B–D). The chromatic part occurs on beat 4 and utilizes changing tones, which is a type of non-harmonic tone.
Don’t Start On 1. The line starts on the 2nd (B), goes up a whole-step to C# followed by a double chromatic approach to Bb, down a whole-step to (G#), and finally resolving to the root (A). Once the A note is reached, there’s a cascading flurry of four-note groups settling in A minor pentatonic (Ex. 7).
Scrambles. This example (Ex. 8) was inspired by the legendary New York guitarist, Mark Hitt. Mark was a unique player, combining a rock sensibility with a jazz quotient. He developed an arsenal of twisting lines using chromaticism that he referred to as “scrambles.”
The pattern alternates between 1–3–4 and 1–2–4 fingerings, a typical fingering of the diminished scale. It can be analyzed where notes of the pentatonic are being targeted, but it’s all about the texture and excitement that is created. Make sure to play the line with slurs to get a fluid, legato sound.
Half-Step Approach. In this instance, we take the Im triad (Am) from the pentatonic scale and approach each chord tone from a half-step below (Ex. 9). This is more of a concept and exercise rather than a lick. This idea can be used with just about any improvising application.
One String Wonder. Ex. 10 highlights a series of chromatically descending half-steps. It’s an easy technique to get down and one I often use. It provides melodic interest, but also serves as an easy way to connect one position to the next. Here, we start on a high F that walks down a fourth to C in half-steps, followed by a C minor blues phrase.
Practice Tip
These chromatic lines sound best when played fast and with conviction. As always, approach new material slowly and accurately. Ignore your inner voice that may tell you that the “outside” notes are wrong. Once you’re able to play the lines up to speed, you’ll be amazed by how impressive it sounds. These ideas that will add motion, color, and excitement to your playing and enhance your musical expression when soloing.
In August 1960, hot on the heels of releasing his breakthrough record as a bandleader, Wes Montgomery won the New Star guitarist award in DownBeat magazine’s International Jazz Critics Poll. The album, The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery, set the jazz world on fire, and featured one of the guitarist’s most electrifying approaches to soloing—moving from stunningly swinging single-note lines to breathtaking cascades of his trademark octaves, and culminating in wickedly masterful chordal soloing.
Playing with his thumb instead of a pick—initially, so as not to wake his family and neighbors during his late-night practice sessions—Montgomery’s tone was strikingly smooth and warm, while simultaneously being the epitome of cool.
The album has more than a few standout tracks, but, as DownBeat writer Ira Gitler raved in his 1960 review, “‘West Coast Blues’ will knock you out.” Composed by Montgomery, it is a decidedly non-traditional 12-bar blues, evoking a smoke-filled, late-night jam session. Also unique is its use of 6/4 time. But, fear not, you can think of a bar of 6/4 as simply being two bars of 3/4, with an invisible bar line in between.
Here’s the tune in its entirety. Note how Montgomery keeps his solo (0:58) compelling throughout, all the while building to a dazzling chordal crescendo. You can follow along using the accompanying chord chart.
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Note: You can play all of the examples in this lesson either with a pick, or Wes-style with your thumb, but you’ll notice a snazzy change in tone trying the latter.
Half-Steps Are Hip
For the first four choruses of his solo, Montgomery focuses exclusively on single-note lines. Along the way, he injects new life by conjuring unique twists and turns. Every chorus is vibrant, always keeping us on the edge of our seats.
Let’s begin with Ex. 1 (1:09), in which Montgomery spices things up with some subtle rhythmic detours.
Ex. 1
Coming off of a series of eighth-notes in the solo’s previous bars, notice how adding just a slight hitch, like the tie in the middle of bar 1, can throw us rhythmically off balance for a moment (in a good way). The triplet figure in measure 2 is also pretty cool.
Now, you may have noticed that even though the initial chord is Ebm7 (Eb–Gb–Bb–Db), Montgomery chooses to treat it as if it’s Eb7 (Eb–G–Bb–Db), playing the major third right on beat 1. In jazz (or blues or rock), if you play with confidence, and phrase musically, you can often get away with breaking the rules.
Ex. 2 (1:28) demonstrates Montgomery’s skillful use of über-memorable motifs.
Ex. 2
Here, he establishes a unique rhythmic motif that he repeats, altering his note choices along the way to fit the underlying harmony. This creates a unique moment that immediately distinguishes the second chorus from the first and, again, keeps things moving along nicely.
Also, notice his use of neighbor tones—the note a half-step below any target note, regardless of whether it’s in the key (it often isn’t). This is an extremely hip jazz concept that can make your phrases come alive, as Montgomery’s does here.
He also employs another nifty melodic device, one that is often useful over a dominant chord: playing a min7 arpeggio starting on the chord’s 5. Over the Ab7 (Ab–C–Eb–Gb) in measure 1, Montgomery outlines an Ebm7 arpeggio (Eb–Gb–Bb–Db), the 5 of Ab7. Notice how its first two notes are the 5 and b7 of Ab7. Next comes some magic, as you begin to add the chord’s extensions—color tones that go beyond the b7—here, the 9 (Bb) and 11 (Db). Repeating the idea, he then plays an Fm7 arpeggio (F–Ab-C-Eb) over the Bb7 (Bb–D–F–Ab).
Ex. 3 (1:44) is another example of Montgomery employing an ear-catching motif, this time whipping up a bouncy descending phrase that also happens to include some neighbor tones.
Ex. 3
It’s so musical, yet Montgomery is simply playing the key of Bb’s diatonic arpeggios—those found naturally in the key—each introduced with a quick nod to a neighbor tone. But why does he target an Ebmaj7 arpeggio (Eb–G–Bb–D) to start? Another basic jazz melodic device, used over a minor 7 chord, is to play a major 7 arpeggio starting from its 3. Here, the chord is Cm7 (C-Eb-G-Bb) and its 3 is Eb, so your major 7 arpeggio starts from there; note that it adds D, the chord’s 9, to the conversation. (Conversely, over a major 7 chord, playing a minor 7 arpeggio from its 3 can also be very hip.) Montgomery ends the phrase in style, on a C, the 9 of Bbmaj7.
Octaves, Octaves (and More Octaves)
There are more great moments in the opening choruses, but we must move on to Montgomery’s trademark—his unearthly ability to play complex melodies entirely in octaves. This interval is most often played on two non-adjacent strings, with the unused string in between muted with the inside of your picking-hand index finger.
First, let’s take a quick look at Montgomery doing his octaves thing on tenor sax icon John Coltrane’s “Impressions.”
Ex. 4 (3:09) is a slickly syncopated line—emphasizing the “and” of beats—that climbs straight up a Cm11 arpeggio (C–Eb–G–Bb–D–F). Montgomery then ends the phrase with a bluesy descent of the Bb minor pentatonic scale (Bb–Db–Eb–F–Ab), exhibiting his keen sense for knowing when to just keep things simple.
Ex. 4
In Ex. 5 (3:52), Montgomery introduces an octave motif that he cycles through the chord changes. Notice how he changes it up slightly each time, either rhythmically or melodically, in a musical way.
Ex. 5
A Cavalcade of Chords
The final section of the solo features Montgomery’s thrilling mastery of chord soloing. It could easily be a full lesson in itself; below are just a couple of examples to get you started.
Ex. 6 (4:25) shows Montgomery creatively playing off of the basic chord changes from measures 18 to 20 of the chart.
Notice how he’s not rhythmically tied down to exactly where the chords change on the chart (beats 1 and 4). And he’s using partial chords, most notably omitting the root notes that might be added on an additional lower string in more standard rhythm playing. This makes for lighter-sounding voicings and more economical movement.
Now, even though he’s exclusively playing chords here, Montgomery is still thinking melodically, creating a melody by connecting the highest note of each chord. While an oversimplification, this is one of the most important considerations for choosing the different voicings he plays.
Ex. 7 (5:04) culminates with a brilliant descending phrase that closes out Montgomery’s solo, over the final three measures of the chord chart. Note the two different voicings of Db13 chord in bar 1. The first has the 9 (Eb) in the melody, whereas the second has the 13 (Bb). Having this arsenal of voicings allows him to freely construct flowing melodies. At times, he’s more implying the chords than outright playing them; for example, most of the F7 chords in bar 2 lack both their root (F) and b7 (Eb).
Ex. 7
Let’s close out with Montgomery playing yet another of his swingin’ tunes, “Twisted Blues.” And, if you enjoyed this lesson, check out my similar looks at jazz icons Mike Stern and Barney Kessel.
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