guitar lessons - chromaticism.pdf

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Guitar Lessons - Chromaticism http://www.guitarnoise.com/print/guitar/20020302

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Chromaticism

Hans Fahling

If youve heard of arpeggios, you have probably wondered how they could

possibly be used for improvising on the guitar?! This column talks about the useof chord tone structures as a grid for progressively adding the in-betweenelements, such as passing tones, bebop sequences and many more importantmusical building blocks of improv. We will illustrate how modes are arrived at inthe context of chromaticism, metric control, and bebop scales.

Lets take a modal chord progression and progressively layer the tools we willneed to create to get to those above-mentioned in-between elements. Here is achord progression taken from Coltranes Impressions:

||---- 16 bars of Dm7---||--- 8 bars of Ebm7---||--- 8 bars of Dm7---||

Lets examine the first of the two chords: Dm7; heres the arpeggio at the fifthposition (that is, starting at the fifth fret on the neck):

In a different layout (root on 5thstring, 5thposition):

Looking at the partials, the notes that make up this chord, we have the root(D all of which are circled on the fret chart), the b3(F), the 5(A), and the b7(C). These are arranged in a range of just over two octaves with the lowest notebeing a fifth and the top note a seventh.

Practice this form on the guitar for a few moments,starting at first very slowly on the lowest root, playing tothe top note, back down to the lowest note, and back upto the root. Always use alternate picking! It helps to realize

that this is the same as a D minor pentatonic scale with thefourth (G) omitted.

Once this gets easier after a few minutes (or however longit takes to practice to the point of the arpeggio becomingautomatic in your movement), play a Dm7 chord voicingbefore and after you play the arpeggio; this is helpful,because it creates a reference point to something familiar.Start the arpeggio now on not only the root, but the otherpartials (third, fifth, or seventh) as well.

With chord tones you are able to truly reflect the sound of the changes in a


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tune. The notes in-between give you options as to how to color your lines.Notice how the chord tones (boxed) in the illustration below fall on the strongbeats (1, 2, 3 ,4 ) and the passing tones on the weak beats; also, the passingtones in this ascending line approach the chord tones by half steps, practicallyfunctioning as leading tones to the chord tones.

Practice this approach now in similar fashion: Slowlyfrom the lowest to the highest notes in this position;make sure to play the notes of the arpeggio (the boxedchord tones) with down strokes, and the passing toneswith upstrokes.It is amazing how fast you can get atplaying this type of phrase with alternate picking buttake several days to slowly build speed;start the phrases on different notes down beats as wellas up beats, but be aware of metric placement:

The most common choice for the downward movement is the use of the D o r i a n

s ca l e ( a d d m a j o r 7 t h) as illustrated blow:

In some circumstances, the following scales [with differences to dorianindicated] need/can to be used:

A e o l ia n ( a d d m a j o r 7 t h)[step 6 is minor]

P h r y g ia n ( a d d m a j o r 7 t h)[steps 2 and 6 are minor]

Me l o d i c M i n o r [a special case that will be discussed in the following]

It will take a bit of time and practice to assimilate theelements il lustrated above. But it will be very rewarding tothen move on to the application part with taking a


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play-along track (self-made or a recording of So WhatbyMiles Davis or the song Impressionsby John Coltrane) orwith a musician friend, and to try a few improvtechniques.

Briefly apply the same practice steps to Ebm7 by movingeverything up one half step. Then play along with themusic using the elements elaborated on; make sure tochange after 16 bars to Ebm7 the arpeggio, the passing

tone layout, the resulting Dorian bebop scale.

Take time to get used to the new tools, and focus on the metric placement ofthe notes. You will notice how your consistent practice with careful regard to upand down strokes has paid off by giving you control over what notes to playwhen. The important chord tones will reflect the changes in your playing,enabling you to resolve your lines carefully and true to the harmonicbackground. With consistent practice this metric control will be accompanied byastonishing facil ity and speed and greatly improve your alternate picking.

Copyright 2002 by Hans Fahling. All Rights Reserved.

URL: http://www.guitarnoise.com/guitar/jazz/20020302.html

guitar lessons - chromaticism.pdf

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