intermediate

Phish’s nimble guitarist navigates changes with ease largely because he takes inspiration from jazz greats.


Chops: Intermediate
Theory: Intermediate
Lesson Overview:
• Develop a better sense of melody by using arpeggios.
• Create tension-filled lines with the diminished scale.
• Improve your understanding of the fretboard by connecting triads.


Click here to download a printable PDF of this lesson's notation.

Trey Anastasio is easily my biggest influence as a guitarist. Throughout a career that has spanned 30-plus years, Trey and his band Phish have touched upon a mind-boggling number of genres and blended them into a unique sound. Not only that, but today I’m a huge fan of many styles of music because I heard Phish explore them when I was a teenager.

Admittedly, before Phish came along I thought jazz was lame. But now, I love it. Phish wore the disguise of a carefree rock band, but they were the ones to introduce me to a lot of the harmonic, melodic, and improvisational characteristics that made jazz one of the great art forms of the last century. It was as if they were shoving spoonfuls of extra-healthy kale down my gullet while convincing me it was actually ice cream.

Read MoreShow less

It’s all about subtle but powerful choices.

Intermediate

Intermediate

  • Learn about appoggiaturas.
  • Develop ways to highlighting dissonance.
  • Transform your playing with pitch-led dynamics.
{'media': '[rebelmouse-document-pdf 17516 site_id=20368559 original_filename="Bach-July22.pdf"]', 'file_original_url': 'https://roar-assets-auto.rbl.ms/documents/17516/Bach-July22.pdf', 'type': 'pdf', 'id': 17516, 'media_html': 'Bach-July22.pdf'}
Bach’s BWV 995 Sarabande is a special piece of music. It’s sparse, delicate, and deceptively complex even though it looks simple on the page! There are some approaches, informed by Baroque performance practices, that will open your ears to discovering your own musicality within Bach’s music. The piece doesn’t require advanced right-hand classical guitar technique. You can play with a combination of pick and fingers, or fingerstyle. This lesson is not so much about technique, but about the subtle nuances that bring the written note to life. With a little knowledge of Baroque performance practice, you can lend your own interpretation to Bach’s masterpiece.
Read MoreShow less
Photo by Anna Shvets

Add color and ear-twisting twang to your playing by using “wrong” notes.

Intermediate

Intermediate

  • Gain a better understanding of intervals.
  • Learn how to connect chord tones with “outside” notes.
  • Develop a deeper sense of tension and resolution.
{'media': '[rebelmouse-document-pdf 17283 site_id=20368559 original_filename="ChromaticTwang-Jul22.pdf"]', 'file_original_url': 'https://roar-assets-auto.rbl.ms/documents/17283/ChromaticTwang-Jul22.pdf', 'type': 'pdf', 'id': 17283, 'media_html': 'ChromaticTwang-Jul22.pdf'}

I find myself adding “outside” notes to spice up typical progressions or chords I encounter all the time. Just like a chef, you need to know when to use this technique, as too much spice isn’t always nice. I’m not trying to take you on a jazz odyssey or have you overthink your lines. We will simply use the entire musical alphabet to help us get from point A to point B in a different way.

Read MoreShow less