november-2012

Chops: Intermediate Theory: Intermediate Lesson Overview: ā€¢ Learn the principles of quartal harmony. ā€¢ Play three- and four-note quartal voicings. ā€¢ Construct quartal harmony based on the Dorian mode.

Chops: Intermediate
Theory: Intermediate
Lesson Overview:
ā€¢ Learn the principles of quartal harmony.
ā€¢ Play three- and four-note quartal voicings.
ā€¢ Construct quartal harmony based on the Dorian mode.

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

When we start to think of how chords are constructed, we usually think in terms of triads and 7th chords, which are based on thirds. This is called tertian harmony, or harmony based on thirds. In this lesson we will be looking at the semi-ambiguous world of quartal harmony, which consists of chords derived from fourth intervals.

Quartal harmony is a style associated with piano players such as Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, and McCoy Tyner. The theory behind it is simple: Instead of building harmony by stacking major or minor thirds, we use fourths. For example, in the key of C, we could use Cā€“Fā€“Bbā€“Eb for a Dorian sound based out of a Bb major scale. You can then move up each scale degree of C Dorian constructing each voicing in fourths. Sounds easy right? Well, it is and I have done the work for you over a major and minor blues progression. Before we get to that, why would you want to do this?

The answer to me is simple: Itā€™s yet another way to be improvisational with your harmonic vocabulary. These voicings are what you might call ā€œopenā€ sounding, meaning they donā€™t clearly say minor, major, or dominant. They also sit nicely on top of major, minor, and dominant chords. I also think of them as more melodic harmony. Youā€™re less likely to play one voicing in one place for any length of timeā€”youā€™ll feel the urge to move quartal voicings around.

In Fig. 1, you can see the basic quartal harmony voicings in the key of G Dorianā€”which we will use later over the Im chord in a G blues. Youā€™ll notice these voicings are on strings 4ā€“1. Try to visualize the G Dorian scale (Gā€“Aā€“Bbā€“Cā€“Dā€“Eā€“F) going up the 4th string. In the first voicing, we have Gā€“Cā€“Fā€“Bb, all perfect fourth intervals, but not all fourths are perfect. In the third voicing we have a Bbā€“E, which is an augmented fourth. For you theory hounds out there, you will remember that an augmented fourth is another name for a diminished fifth, or tritone. In the fourth voicing of the example this happens between the 2nd and 1st strings (giving us Bb and E, respectively), and again in the last voicing between the 3rd and 2nd strings (again yielding Bb and E).

We apply the same idea to C Dorian (Cā€“Dā€“Ebā€“Fā€“Gā€“Aā€“Bb) in Fig. 2. These voicings will be used over the Cm7 or IVm chord in a G minor blues progression. Because of the layout of this key on the guitar, Iā€™ve opted to keep the fingerings below the 12th fret. These I think are the most practical in the context weā€™re using them. Finally, we transpose these quartal shapes to D Dorian (Dā€“Eā€“Fā€“Gā€“Aā€“Bā€“C) in Fig. 3, which will be the V chord. Again, I have kept the voicings below the 12th fret.

We finally get to some music in Fig. 4. Here I have outlined a G minor blues progression and used the various Dorian voicings from the previous three examples to harmonize each chord. Remember, there is no right answer here, I am just giving you one example of how these can be used.

Now that the minor shapes and sounds are out of the way, we can see how to use quartal voicings over a major-sounding blues progression. The theory doesnā€™t really change and we have already done a lot of the prep work. Just need to keep going. In a G blues progression, the I chord will be G7ā€”the V in the key of C. If we start on the second degree of the key of C, which is D, we have a D Dorian scale. Still with me? Good. Remember all the diatonic modes in a key use the same notes, it just matters where you start and what notes you emphasize.

In the following examples, we will keep the voicings to three notes and only on the 4ā€“3ā€“2 string set. In this set of voicings, the lowest note of each chord functions as the root. We could keep going but I have chosen to keep them in this range to show the difference in sound. In this key, our tritone happens between F and B, which you can see in the fourth and seventh voicings of Fig. 5.

For the IV chord (C7), we take this entire concept and transpose it up a fourth. Since C7 is the V chord in the key of F, we move to the second degree (G) in the key of F and base our Dorian shapes from there (Fig. 6). Again, I have started these with the root of the C7 chord in the bass.

Like before, we move everything up a whole-step for our voicings over the V chord (D7) in Fig. 7.

This might be confusing to a lot of you right now, but you should know that you donā€™t have to understand the theory completely to start using these voicings. Use them first and then as you understand the theory better, try developing your own set of voicings to explore. Now, we take the previous three examples and use them over a blues progression in Fig. 8.

These voicings are a very cool way to improvise harmonically around a general key center. As musicians, we always want to be adding to a musical vocabulary to keep things interesting for both the listener and ourselves, and this technique does just that. The most popular use of this is in the tune ā€œSo Whatā€ from Miles Davisā€™ Kind of Blue recording. Check it out.

Read MoreShow less

Chops: Intermediate Theory: Beginner Lesson Overview: ā€¢ Understand the basics of funk guitar. ā€¢ Create two- and three-note voicings that imply dominant and minor harmony. ā€¢ Learn how to

Chops: Intermediate
Theory: Beginner
Lesson Overview:
ā€¢ Understand the basics of funk guitar.
ā€¢ Create two- and three-note voicings that imply dominant and minor harmony.
ā€¢ Learn how to account for every 16th-note in the measure.

Click here to download the sound clips from this lesson.

Do yourself a favor and get a copy of James Brownā€™s In the Jungle Groove today. If youā€™re into funk guitar, this is a must-have album with a small army of guitar players throwing down some uĢˆber-hip lines and parts. Even if you arenā€™t into funk guitar, this is still an essential album. Get it anyway and show your friends that your taste in music is not monochromatic.

This album is a compilation recorded between September 1969 and July 1971 when Brownā€™s band was undergoing some dramatic personnel changes. By ā€œdramatic,ā€ I mean that his entire band quit in 1970. Jimmy ā€œChankā€ Nolen, a staple of Brownā€™s band from 1965ā€“1970, and Alphonso Kellum appear on the earlier recordings while Phelps ā€œCatfishā€ Collins and Hearlon Martin team up for the later session dates.

Funk guitar requires you to play a part that interlocks with drums, bass, and horns. Most of what youā€™re playing is only one or two measures long and you have to play it in the pocket for a long, long timeā€”like six minutes or more. That can be an eternity onstage at the local sports bar, when itā€™s tempting to check out and stare at the 103" plasma TV.... but I digress. Iā€™ve played many funk tunes over the years, but itā€™s always good to go back and really check out what pieces make up a style of playing. What voicings and rhythms will sound funky when I put them back together?

Harmonically, funk leans heavily on partial dominant 7 and minor 7 chords and their related Mixolydian and Dorian modes. The chord voicings in Fig. 1 are built with only two or three notes, and can include the 6 and 9 from the Mixolydian mode. Fig. 2 shows the minor voicings, again with only two or three notes, adding the 9 and 6 from the Dorian scale. Youā€™re playing the essential notes of the chord and using the extensions to give your voicings a little melody. Thereā€™s a lot of other things going on with the bass line, horn line, and drums, so smaller, lighter chord voicings wonā€™t get in the way. Single-note lines are typically derived from the minor pentatonic scale and used to outline the chord. Weā€™ll explore those in later examples.

On the rhythm side of things, the 16thnote subdivision is king. I suppose you donā€™t get the nickname ā€œchankā€ without being able to scratch out some funky 16th-note rhythms. To strum 16th-note grooves, you use the same ā€œdown-up-down-upā€ patterns as eighth-note strumming, just twice as fast. But remember youā€™re counting ā€œone-e-and-ahā€ and the downstrokes fall on the ā€œoneā€ and the ā€œandā€ while the upstrokes are on the ā€œeā€ and the ā€œah.ā€

Fig. 3 shows some common rhythms (for chords or single-note lines) that emphasize the downstrokes, or the ā€œoneā€ and the ā€œandā€ of the beat. These are based out of a dominant sound and can work over any flavor of G7. We use a basic minor voicing for the rhythms in Fig. 4. These are a bit more syncopated and focus on more upstroke rhythms.

As always, start at a slow tempo so you can think through all the ā€œdown-upā€ motions and count ā€œone-e-and-ahā€ at the same time. If the ā€œeā€ and the ā€œahā€ are hard to keep track of, ā€œdoc-tor-pep-perā€ works well too ... seriously, it does. Sliding into a chord voicing is another piece of the funk guitar pie and Fig. 5 shows a couple of possibilities Ć  la ā€œCatfishā€ Collins.

Once youā€™ve got a handle on the characteristic voicings and rhythms, give the next two examples a try. I employed a catch-all, schizophrenic method that incorporates most of the voicings and rhythms, adding single-note pentatonic lines in places. Funk guitar parts are not necessarily this busy. (In fact, I would definitely get thrown off the bus for playing stuff like this.)

Fig. 6 starts with a two-measure D minor pentatonic line and goes into another twomeasure phrase that uses the Dm-Dm6- Dm7 combination with a little pentatonic action thrown in for good measure.

Fig. 7 is a little longer. It starts with some G7 combinations involving two- and threenote voicings and a slide. A two-measure ā€œbreakā€ follows, with C7 and a D minor pentatonic line. It ends with another twomeasure phrase that uses almost all of the Dm chord combinations and some more slides. Make sure to check out other players like Eddie Hazel (Funkadelic), Prince, Ernie Isley (Isley Brothers), Hiram Bullock, Nile Rodgers (Chic), Tony Maiden (Rufus), Freddie Stone (Sly and the Family Stone), and Al McKay (Earth, Wind & Fire) and see how they put the pieces together.

Now, get down on it!

Read MoreShow less

Chops: Intermediate Theory: Intermediate Lesson Overview: ā€¢ Develop techniques to milk everything from your go-to phrases. ā€¢ Learn how to tailor each phrase to specific chords. ā€¢ Create simple

Chops: Intermediate
Theory: Intermediate
Lesson Overview:
ā€¢ Develop techniques to milk everything from your go-to phrases.
ā€¢ Learn how to tailor each phrase to specific chords.
ā€¢ Create simple phrases over more complex harmonies.

Click here to download the sound clips from this lesson.

How many times have you left a gig or a jam session feeling less than inspired by your playing? After rehashing your stable of licks and ideas, youā€™re tired of hearing yourself, and everybody elseā€™s ideas sound far more inspired than yours. I confess, Iā€™ve felt this way many times. Instead of giving up though, I search for ways to remedy this problem. Typically, my initial thoughts are ā€œIā€™m going to transcribe so-and-soā€™s entire album,ā€ or ā€œIā€™m going to shed 50 more ii-V licks.ā€

While these remedies may be beneficial, why abandon the licks you already know? Letā€™s look at a few ways we can increase the ROI (return on investment) of those old licks.

Move Around
To breathe new life into tired licks, try moving them around. Start by transposing the lick into new keys, ideally all 12 keys. This may seem obviousā€”and to some it will beā€”but itā€™s an important step that must not be overlooked. Fig. 1 is a lick that we will spend some time with in this lesson, so take a moment to get it under your fingers.

In Fig. 2 we see the chord progression of Eb6/9ā€“Db6/9. To apply our lick from Fig. 1 to this progression we need to transpose it so that it will work over the Db6/9. While retaining the same fingering, shift the original lick downā€”towards the headstockā€” two frets and youā€™ve just transposed it to Db. Spending time transposing your favorite licks in to all 12 keys is a great way to increase a lickā€™s ROI.

Here are three suggestions for moving a lick to different places on the fretboard:

(1) Same pitches, different string group.
(2) Same pitches, different fingering. For example, if you start a lick with the 2nd finger, try starting it with the 1st, 3rd, or 4th finger.
(3) Move the original lick up or down one or more octaves.

In Fig. 3, Iā€™ve taken our original lick and played it in two different octaves. Mapping out a lick with the above suggestions and playing those variations in all 12 keys will greatly improve your mastery of the lick, increase the lickā€™s potential uses, and will expand your fretboard knowledge.

In and Out
Play through Fig. 2 again. At the points where the chords change you may hear that the line has a broken or jagged sound. This is because the lick has simply been shifted from one key to the next. This abrupt shift breaks the flow of the musical line. To avoid having your licks sound as though theyā€™ve been dragged-and-dropped into your solo without considering the lineā€™s musical continuity, youā€™ll need to vary the way you play into and out of the lick.

In Fig. 4, Iā€™ve made a few adjustments to the original lick in an attempt to create a more musical line. The example begins with the lick transposed down one octave. However, the last four notes of the lick have been changed. Instead of keeping the shape of the original lickā€”where the end descendsā€”I adjusted the lick so that it ascends to connect to measure three, where the lick is transposed to Db and is in the original octave. When the chord progression moves back to Eb from Db, thereā€™s another adjustment to the original lick: At measure four, the end of the lick ascends to connect to G at the beginning of measure five. This finishes the example with the original lick. These few slight adjustments create a more cohesive musical statement.

Flavor to Taste
Our final investment strategy is what Iā€™ll call Flavor to Taste. To accomplish this, take a lick and adjust it to fit the flavor, or sound, of the given chord it will be played against. Letā€™s explore a new lick, Fig. 5, and start by identifying all the notes. When we analyze them in the key of F, we have the 7, root, 9, 3, and 5.

Why is this important? Well, if we want to change the flavor of the lick, we need an inventory of the notes that make up the lick, and we must know how those notes fit with the chord. We also need to know the harmonic formula of the new chord weā€™re going to make our lick fit over.

For example, to adjust Fig. 5 so it will fit over Fm11, we must know the formula for Fm11ā€”1, b3, 5, b7, 11. Then we adjust the notes of the original lick to fit the formula of the new chord. Take a look at Fig. 6 to see the changes necessary to make the Fmaj9 lick fit over Fm11. By adjusting only the 3 and 7ā€” lowering them a half-stepā€”weā€™ve changed the flavor of our original lick from major to minor. Letā€™s apply this to a longer musical setting.

Fig. 7 is a common progression found in jazz standards like ā€œAll of Meā€ā€”specifically the last eight measures of the tune. By using chord formulas, we can make the necessary adjustments to the original lick so it will work over every chord in the progression. Take a look at the melody line in Fig. 7 for the results of this procedure. Note: Over the Db9(#11), I treated the 5 as a #11 and also ended the lick on the 9 to create a smoother resolution to the D of the C6/9.

So, the next time youā€™re feeling less than inspired by your playing, donā€™t ditch your go-to licks for something new. Instead, explore the suggestions Iā€™ve presented in this lesson. By doing so, you not only increase the ROI of your existing licks, but I believe youā€™ll further develop your individual voice, your solos will sound more cohesive and compositional, and it may just put the spark back in your playing. Good luck and have fun!

Read MoreShow less