August 1, 2021 | Pete Sklaroff

Chromatic Approach Notes

August 6, 2021 by admin@petesklaroff.com

Chromatic Approach Notes, Jazz Improvisation, Jazz Language

Chromatic approach notes are used in jazz to embellish otherwise diatonic melody lines. They add a lot of ‘colour’ to a line and as you’ll see in the illustrated examples here, they can make a simple arpeggio sound very sophisticated.

Chromatic approaches notes can be played individually or in combination. The simplest concept is to use a chromatic approach from either below or above a chord (arpeggio) tone. Once you are familiar with single approaches, you can then combine them.

Remember that these approaches are written as exercises and in regular playing many jazz players will employ them differently. It is very common for example that the approach notes are placed on weak beats leading to the chord tones on strong beats. Be sure to experiment with this.

Chromatic approaches should be used sparingly at first, until you become familiar with how they sound. Listen to how other players employ them too.

Happy practicing,

Pete

Jazz Turnaround Lines

August 6, 2021 by admin@petesklaroff.com

Jazz Improvisation, Scales and Arpeggios

Jazz Improvisation, Jazz Language, Jazz Turnaround Lines

Here are some jazz turnaround lines for a I VI II V chord progression. These melodies are typical of the bebop jazz language and make use of scale passages, arpeggios and approach notes.

I have offered some suggested fingerings in the tablature, but you may well want to use your own.

The target tempo here is very fast, but these will also work well at slower speeds. I would suggest starting at a comfortable tempo and build slowly from there.

Note as well that the chord VI is a dominant chord here, rather than a minor chord as would be the case in regular diatonic harmony. The conversion of the VI chord to a dominant chord is very common in jazz harmony and here it produces a secondary dominant leading to the Amin7.

I play these lines mostly using alternate picking, but feel free to experiment with other picking styles if they feel more comfortable to you.

I hope you enjoy playing these jazz turnaround lines and I’ll post some more in the near future.

Happy practicing,

Pete

Rhythmic Subdivisions

August 6, 2021 by admin@petesklaroff.com

Jazz Improvisation, Rhythm and Time

Jazz Improvisation, Rhythmic Subdivisions

This short lesson is all about learning how to subdivide specific rhythms against a single beat (in this case a quarter note)

In the practice sheet shown below, I have illustrated a variety of different rhythmic subdivisions ranging from 8th notes through to 32nd notes all played against a single quarter note pulse.

Working with a rhythmic exercise like this can really help you become more familiar with different subdivisions and how they sound against a beat. It’s especially useful if you haven’t played groupings in 5 and 7 before too.

Before you play any of the examples, listen several times to the accompanying Soundslice audio file above whilst you follow the music to hear how the various subdivisions sound.

Each rhythmic subdivision is played four times and the whole exercise is performed at 55 bpm. The first eight bars just use a single pitch to illustrate each rhythm and the following eight bars use a simple C major scale again playing the same rhythms.

Once you have a clear idea of how each subdivision should sound (you may have to listen to the audio several times for this) then try to play along with the recording.

If you are a pick-style player, I’d highly recommend using alternate picking for these exercises, so that you can just concentrate on the rhythms and not worry about picking technique.

Learning these different rhythmic subdivisions won’t make you a brilliant soloist overnight, but they will considerably increase your facility with rhythm. You may also find that your rhythmic vocabulary becomes a little more varied as well.

Enjoy!

Pete

The Bebop Major Scale

August 6, 2021 by admin@petesklaroff.com

Jazz Harmony, Jazz Improvisation

Jazz Improvisation, The Bebop Major Scale

The Bebop Major Scale is a modified version of the regular major scale and has an extra note added between the 5th and 6th scale degrees.

The scale is constructed like this: Root, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, b6, 6th, 7th.

From a root note of C this would give you the following: C D E F G Ab A B

The Bebop major scale adds an extra note to the above giving us this series of notes:

C D E F G Ab A B (C)

As the bebop scale now gives us an eight-note (rather than a seven-note) scale, we have to re-think our harmonisation approach a little.

Harmonisation Comparison

The regular major scale gives us the following 7th chords when harmonised:

Cmaj7 – Dm7 – Em7 – Fmaj7 – G7 – Am7 – Bm7b5 – (Cmaj7)

The bebop major scale works differently than the above when we harmonise it however, and let’s first examine why this is the case.

If we construct four note chords (building them in thirds) the bebop scale actually gives us alternating major 6th and diminished chords as seen here:

You’ll see that instead of the rising progression of different diatonic 7th chords we saw with the regular major scale, the bebop major scale now just gives us four inversions of a tonic major 6th chord each one separated by a diminished 7th chord. The diminished chords themselves are really all the same chord too, as each one is just an inversion of the previous one:

Ddim7 = D F Ab B

Fdim7 = F Ab B D

Abdim7 = Ab B D F

Bdim7 = B D F Ab

What this finally produces is therefore a series of alternating Major 6th and Diminished 7th chords.

The above musical example uses close-position voicings which are very difficult to play on guitar if not impossible, however if we re-voice the chords as Drop 2 voicings, then the whole harmonisation becomes much easier to play.

Here are Drop 2 voicings arranged for three strings sets (each of four adjacent strings)

Practice Notes

Take each string set above and practice the various voicings along the fingerboard. You’ll find that all the diminished voicings are exactly the same chord shape (per string set)

You may also note that the major 6th voicings are ones that seem familiar if you’ve worked on Drop 2 chords before. They are exactly the same as Am7 Drop 2 voicings. The reason for this is that Amin7 and Cmajor6 are in fact the same chord (just two different names)

When you play the above chords, especially on the top four and middle four strings you’ll likely hear passages that sound very like players such as Wes Montgomery and Joe Pass. They used chord movement like this a lot in their playing.

In the next lesson, we’ll examine how to convert all the above to minor keys.

Happy Practicing!

Pete

Coltrane Changes

August 6, 2021 by admin@petesklaroff.com

Jazz Harmony, Jazz Improvisation

Coltrane Changes, Jazz Improvisation, Jazz Language

Coltrane changes (sometimes also termed the Coltrane matrix or cycle) refer to a progression of substitute chords employed by the great jazz saxophonist John Coltrane. These substitute chords have now become a commonplace harmonic device with many modern jazz musicians. Coltrane began experimenting with these chords in the 1950s and continued his work with the cycle on his legendary album ‘Giant Steps’ in 1960. The substitute chords Coltrane used for his cycle are perhaps best explained by comparing a standard II V I progression with one modified to include his matrix. A great example of this is his re-harmonisation of the Miles Davis composition ‘Tune Up’, which he re-wrote as ‘Countdown’. Illustrated below (in the first stave) is the first four bars of the composition ‘Tune Up’ which features a II V I progression in the key of D major. In the second stave you can see the application of the Coltrane cycle over the same sequence.

HARMONIC ANALYSIS

At first glance, the two staves seem to have little to do with each other, except perhaps that they begin and end on the same chords (Em7 and Dmaj7) There is however an ingenious harmonic process at work here. Coltrane uses a multiple key approach in his cycle which moves keys by major thirds. The sequence begins with the IIm7 of D major (Em7) and ends with the Imaj7 chord in the same key (Dmaj7) In between these two chords are two II V’s (the first in Bb major and the second in Gb major) If we take these key centres in isolation, we get the following three major keys: D, Gb and Bb If we then count up (intervallically) from D, we find that Gb is a major third above D and Bb is a major third above Gb. In simpler terms, this just means that the three keys Coltrane is using are separated by the interval of a major third. To further emphasise the key changes, Coltrane added a V7 chord just before each new tonic chord, giving us: F7 – Bbmaj7 and Db7 – Gbmaj7. He also adds the V7 of the final key (A7) just before the last chord (Dmaj7)

TUNE UP’ – ‘COUNTDOWN’

Coltrane used his cycle on his own composition ‘Countdown’ which in itself is based on the chord changes to ‘Tune Up’ and it provides a way to enhance the original harmony without having to completely rearrange it. In a future lesson I’ll explore some improvisational patterns that you can use to negotiate these tricky looking chord changes. In the meantime try and memorise the changes above and play through the chords I’ve written above. Enjoy, Pete

Tritone Substitution Jazz Lines

August 6, 2021 by admin@petesklaroff.com

Jazz Harmony, Jazz Improvisation

Jazz Improvisation, Jazz Language, Tritone Substitution Jazz Lines, Tritone Substitutions.

Here are some lines utilising a tritone substitution chord within a regular II V I chord progression. Usually a II V I chord progression (in this case in C major) would be this harmonic sequence: Dm7 – G7 – Cmaj7

In the case of these lines however, the G7 chord has been substituted with a Db7. This is the tritone substitution most commonly employed (over the dominant V7) in a II V I progression.

As the G7 and the Db7 chord both share a tritone interval between the notes F and B (Cb) the Db7 chord is considered a good substitution for the original G7 chord.

Enjoy the lines!

Pete

Four Note Melodic Cells

August 6, 2021 by admin@petesklaroff.com

Jazz Improvisation

Four Note Melodic Cells, Jazz Improvisation

Most jazz guitarists routinely employ arpeggios and melodic cells in their soloing, as they really help to outline chord changes accurately. Having said that, some players don’t fully explore arpeggio note combinations and instead keep playing the same sequence (order) of arpeggio notes when they improvise. For a long time, this was very true of my own playing until I began working on some different note combinations. In this lesson I’m going to suggest an approach to arpeggio note combinations (the four note melodic cells) that I have found very helpful in my own practice.

THE BASIC ARPEGGIO PATTERN – 1 3 5 7

As you’ll likely know, the majority of jazz standards employ seventh chords of one form or another in their harmonic structure. In arpeggio terms, this gives us at least four arpeggio notes to work with if we play the root, third, fifth and seventh degree of each arpeggio. Many players just practice playing what I call the ‘basic arpeggio pattern’ of root, third, fifth and seventh of each chord. They then take this pattern through the chord changes of the composition they are working on. In doing this, they modify each arpeggio pattern to match the chord quality, lowering the third for example if the chord is minor , or lowering the seventh if the chord has a b7 present etc. Whilst this is undoubtedly a valuable practice routine, it does sound very much like an exercise and is only scratching the surface of what is possible with four note arpeggio combinations.

USING A NUMBERING SYSTEM

After becoming rather frustrated with playing the same note combination every time I employed arpeggios (i.e. just using the basic arpeggio pattern) I began to explore some different combinations. I soon realised just how powerful they can be if they are played in different note combinations. Play the exercise below which is illustrated on the first four bars of ‘Autumn Leaves’. I begin with the basic arpeggio pattern ascending, then played descending. Thereafter I use some different arpeggio combinations, but I keep them consistent over each chord. Listen to how the later combinations sound really melodic against the chord changes, but don’t sound as much like an exercise as the first two patterns. To work on arpeggio note patterns like these, I employ a simple numbering system. The root of each arpeggio is numbered 1, the third is 3, the fifth is 5 and the seventh degree is 7. A very simple system to use, just as long as I remember that some chords will have a minor 3rd and others have a b7th etc. I still just call the intervals 1 3 5 7 etc. regardless of chord type.

Working on different note combinations such as those illustrated above, can really enhance your soloing and in total there are 24 different combinations possible of the four arpeggio notes, so you have plenty of variations to work with.

PRACTICE SUGGESTIONS

At this point, you may be thinking that you should write out all the 24 different note combinations. I recommend not doing this. In my view, writing out all 24 possible combinations of four notes is counter-productive as when I did that at one point i simply ending up reading them and not using my ears. You need to be able to play these combinations without reference to any written music, so that they become an automatic part of your improvisational vocabulary. I set about learning these patterns by telling myself that I was going to play for example; 1 7 5 3 on each chord. At first, this was agonisingly slow, as I had to really think carefully about the notes I was playing on each chord, but after a few weeks, things became much faster. I generally just work on a couple of note combinations at a time until I feel comfortable with them, before moving onto others. Don’t rush this process! It will take as long as it takes. OK, that’s it for this lesson. Take your time and learn the combinations thoroughly and slowly. You may be quite amazed at the difference it will make to your playing! Happy practicing, Pete

Guardian Angels – John McLaughlin

August 6, 2021 by admin@petesklaroff.com

Transcription

Guardian Angels, Jazz Improvisation, John McLaughlin

The composition ‘Guardian Angels’ first appears on John McLaughlin’s 1979 solo album ‘Electric Dreams’.

This recording was his sixth solo album and ‘Guardian Angels’ is the track that opens the recording. Despite it’s rather short length (the track is only 51 seconds long) it displays a perfect blend of McLaughlin’s harmonic background in jazz and also his intense interest in Indian and World music.

Here’s the original track:

John McLaughlin – ‘Guardian Angels’

The composition features McLaughlin playing double tracked acoustic 6 & 12 string guitars and his fast-moving arpeggiated chords, with multiple meter changes offer a rich harmonic and rhythmic background for the melody played by both McLaughlin and violinist L.Shankar.

McLaughlin is well known for his formidable alternate picking technique and my guess here is that he plays the arpeggiated chords entirely with this technique, making this therefore one of the more challenging pieces I have featured.

This composition requires a very assured picking technique to execute the multiple arpeggios accurately and my suggestion would be to work on it in small sections at first. In addition, some of the chords may sound a little unusual in isolation, but it is very important that you are comfortable with each arpeggio before trying to put everything together at tempo.

If you are going to attempt to play the entire composition with alternate picking, it might also help to write out your picking directions on a printed out score. I have found sometimes that this really helps in practice as you maintain the exact same picking attacks (i.e. downstrokes and upstrokes) each time you practice.

Some of the suggested fingerings I have indicated in the tablature could also be played in other ways on the fingerbaord and I’ll leave it up to you if you want to experiment with this. Sometimes an otherwise difficult musical passage can be made much easier if you use a different fingering so experimentation is always worthwhile in this regard.

Here is the transcription with both regular music notation and guitar tablature. Take especially careful note of the multiple time signature changes as well, as the composition moves rapidly through them and they can catch you unawares.

Enjoy working on this great composition by the master guitarist John McLaughlin

Happy Practicing,

Pete

Monthly Archives: August 2021

Chromatic Approach Notes

Jazz Turnaround Lines

Rhythmic Subdivisions

The Bebop Major Scale

Coltrane Changes

HARMONIC ANALYSIS

TUNE UP’ – ‘COUNTDOWN’

Tritone Substitution Jazz Lines

Four Note Melodic Cells

THE BASIC ARPEGGIO PATTERN – 1 3 5 7

USING A NUMBERING SYSTEM

PRACTICE SUGGESTIONS

Guardian Angels – John McLaughlin