Guitar Lessons Here

Dominant 7th ideas Part One

2010-11-25T17:51:00.000-08:00

Let's say G dominant 7th. If you spell that its G B D F. If you take off the root and spell B D F you have a Bmin flat 5 triad, if you spell G B D F A that spells a G dom7th with nine. If you take the root off of that you have BDFA. That spells a Bmin7b5. So when you have a G dom7 you can play a Bmin7b5 chord or arpeggio. When you play arps or triads make sure you play them from the other way as well like A F D B. Now if we extend up we will leave off the B and we will have D F A..that spells a D minor..if you extend up to C we have D F A C..now we have a Dminor 7th over G dom 7th. If we continue we leave of the D we have F A C E now we have an F major7th over a G dom 7th. You can also play a D minor pentatonic over G dom 7th or D Dorian over G7 which is DEFGABCD. So over any Dom 7th chord you go up a major third and play a minor7b5 arp or chord, up a fifth you can play a minor 7th arp or minor triad, down a whole step you can play a major triad or major7th arp. The only thing with the Fmajor triad over G7 is the C note in Fmaj makes it sound like a sus chord. But I find F maj 7th over G dom7 sounds real nice especially when you start on the E and come down the Fmaj7th chord. Here's a quick example:

C dom7th, you can play Bbmaj, Bbmaj7th, Gmin triad, Gminor7th arp, Emin7b5

Adom7th, you can play G maj triad, G maj7th, Emin triad, Emin7th, C#min7thb5

Fdom7th you can play Cmin triad, Cmin arp, Eb maj, Eb maj7th, Amin7b5

Bb dom7th you can play Abmaj triad, Abmaj7th, Fmin triad, Fminor7th, Dmin7b5

Try to do these in all keys. They are useful and get you away from scales. Plenty more coming on dominant scales. JC

When you have alot of chords ask yourself..

2010-11-25T16:06:00.000-08:00

What do these chords have in common? there's 12 notes so maybe more than one thing is in common. There seems to be an overwelming need to play a new scale on every new chord that's coming your way right? There's more than one way to navigate. Take C Bb E F G lets say they are all major chords or major seventh chords, there are alot of common tones there to try. Make all those chords minor, Cmin, Bbmin, Fmin, Gmin..still got common tones there. One thing I like to do is find a note on C major, lets say I play an E..now whatever the next chord is move to the next closest right note of the next chord up or down, the closest best sounding note. You can do this on Giant Steps all day cause the chords change quickly. I'll show examples of this in notation later this week if it helps. Some of my favorite players have mastered this. Is economy of motion and makes sure that you are playing the right notes instead of going up and down scales. This way of playing also helps create longer ideas and melody. It's the simple things. The next step is just do it. Take a tune you are working on and apply it. You can try some pretty extreme changes too like E, Ab, D, B, Eb, G, Db, A, Gb. Cool stuff..once you have it down on basic chords the next step is on altered dominant chords, minor7b5, polychords, major7#5..gets interesting. Makes you hit the target more.

Happy note hunting, JC

What to practice...Melodies..

2010-11-25T15:09:00.000-08:00

How about melodies? just melodies. All kinds, less scales, less arps, less chops, melodies. Learn some but mostly create them. What you play on stage is what you practice. I remember more than one player that loved to play as fast as possible and never played a melody. It's funny that a person can play fast as lightning on changes and not know melodies to tunes. So, what is one actually playing then? More and more I hear free music as improvised melodies or melodic ideas. If you listen to Ornette everything he plays is melodic. The other thing is having good time and making it swing. I'd rather hear someone play one scale and make it swing than someone who plays a million notes with no feel. Swinging and time are a never ending thing to get right. All of my favorite Blues players have killer timing. It's in the timing. It's memorable. Seems like when someone wants to learn they want to learn scales, which is fine, but what, where and how to use those scales is a different animal. A scale is just a scale. A melody is never ending. Where does the melody go? How do you resolve it? How long do you incorporate it? Is it time to link some melodies? this kind of thing is interesting to me. So long story short..if you are in school, if you are taking lessons, if you want to work on some things, seems like melodies and melodic playing are over looked and have good solid time. Again, I'm on this journey too, no teacher, no student. Never ending creative process. Just some things to remember and try. Can't hurt. So if you practice melodies when you get to the gig you'll have plenty to play. Cause more than likely you know the scales you know the information. Sing melodies and play them. While your playing sing in your head what you're doing. This will get you closer to what you actually hear. We all do it just trying to do it more and all the time is a life long goal.

Best, JC

So Many Options..Try Limiting Some

2010-11-25T13:08:00.000-08:00

So many options right? Here's some things to try. Let's apply this to Free playing..have your drummer play just toms while you improvise, have your drummer play just snare and ride, snare and bass drum, just snare, just bass drum, snare bass drum one tom, all toms no bass drum, all toms and cymbols..you can see where this is going. The drummer in the case doesn't have specific beats just general direction in playing one part of the kit. You can create different textures this way. As for the bass maybe just quarter notes, just half notes, more of 8th notes, maybe a pulse, maybe a tonal center, maybe no center, bass will solo, bass will lay down groove, not lay down groove. You see also where this is going. We haven't added guitar or horn. You can give direction without being specific yet you are giving specific directions but the player have freedom to create within that. This lesson will continue, this idea. This is where you can come up with new things. Getting the most out of limiting yourself. You can come up with unlimited ideas and textures instead of going to what you know right away. Get's you away from licks. More on this later. Give it a shot and record it and see what you find. I'm on this journey with you. It's never ending. Let's get out of our heads and into making sound. You don't even have to really know how to play anything to apply this.

Best to you, let's make new music, JC

SPACE

2010-11-25T12:51:00.000-08:00

Try leaving more space. Almost everyone can learn from this. I continually learn to play less. Of course we PLAY instruments we want to play alot. Especially as Jazz/Improvising musicians we love to play. The drums are active, the bass is active everything is active. Sometimes someone needs to be less active but still make a statement..maybe that could be you? Chops don't equal a statement. More and more good playing speaks because it is a voice. Like speaking. Space. Play and leave space. Try leaving space where you normally wouldn't. Or come in where you normally wouldn't end where normally would keep playing. Vary the space. This all sounds simple but it isn't. We all know less is more but do we apply that? Music is call and response. The best way to always ensure that you are doing that is to play and rest. Over and over..just try it. Rest and play. Next time you play with your drummer ask him to play alot and you will play less. Maybe together you play alot, dense..next improve you take turns playing and resting at different times. This all sounds simple but..is it? This type of playing helps so much in arranging, pacing, how the audience hears you, how we hear each other. As a band..dense..less dense..poke holes..build together..maybe build at different times. This can go on forever. A lifetime of playing is also a lifetime of SPACE.

Go forth and play less, JC

For a minute forget styles, forget what you know, forget convention

2010-11-25T12:29:00.000-08:00

First lesson, forget what has been done.
It's ok, let it go. Forget convention. Forget being influenced and just create. Do this more. Do it with other players. Everyone comes with their ideas on what they THINK they should play or what they think you will like. As a group forget that and just play. Try not to judge yourself just let the music or sound or vibe come through. Forget the notes. The idea is to create. To just be. It's a totally different vibe and this is where you create from. As a band, as yourself. It works. It takes time. Don't worry about writing a hit song, don't think or worry about what the supposed "they" want. It's what you want it's your music. You are free. We are all free to create. This is the place to start.

Thanks for reading, here's to freedom of individual expression. You can do it. More to come..JC