If you know the kind of guitar player I am, you'd probably be surprised to hear that one of the acts I'm working with these days is using me as a rhythm and acoustic player. You'd probably be further surprised to hear that it's a Led Zeppelin cover band. Is it going to go anywhere, I don't know, but it's good practice and shows promise, and besides, there's nothing wrong with killing a couple of hours in a studio on a weekday night.
One of the songs we targeted is "Since I Been Lovin' You". The lead guitar player is a total Jimmy Page disciple--in fact, it seems to be more or less all he's really interested in playing--so the song lets him showcase. The singer can pull it off, which is enough of a reason to hang in there and see where it goes, and of course if we actually can nail it in front of a crowd, it'll probably land well.
But...we don't have a keyboard player. So the guys were a little tentative when the lead guy pushed to get the song on the list. I understood the hesitation; if you listen to the song, there's no rhythm guitar, it's all keyboard swells and fills, and without them, the song would probably still work, but it wouldn't be the whole pig.
I'd actually been working on my synth/octave sounds recently, and had achieved some organ-like effects, and was looking at some other devices, in particular, the POG2, or "Polyphonic Octave Generator" from Electro Harmonix; it's brand new, and is an upgrade to their previous POG. I couldn't find it anywhere though, I'd only seen demos online, so figured "sooner or later", but I believed it was now my best chance to fill the keyboard void in this song.
I'm pretty heavily invested in Line 6 stuff; I've got a GuitarPort (if you don't have one and you're a guitar player, for shame, it's 80 bucks and, coupled with a GuitarPort Online seven dollar a month membership fee and a computer, is easily one of the best play-along, sound experimentation, learning tools ever made), a PodX3 (the BIG, BIG pro brother to the GuitarPort) for recording and sometimes stage work, and an M13 Stompbox Modeler for stage.
With all that digital wizardry, you'd figure I could get that organ sound; Line 6 offers a variety of octave, synth, etc. effects that I can mix and match pretty much any way I want. But, no; I tried and tried. I couldn't get the sound I wanted, simple though it may seem. Line 6 makes great distortion and time based effects, but IMHO, their octave stuff isn't really that strong.
I called the guys at Sweetwater (they're great, I mean they actually place follow up calls just to see "how it's going"), and inquired about the POG2; they said it was shipping in a few days, so I could reserve one, they'd send it to me, etc. It wouldn't make it in time for rehearsal though...hmm.
Suddenly the guy says, "well, you saw our online demo right? I could sell you that unit. It's been used only a couple of times and is in mint condition. We'll sell it with the full warranty, yada yada."
I did it; the pedal came the next day via overnight delivery. Man, am I glad I made that call.
In a couple of hours, I knew my way around this amazing device, and with some experimentation, got it up and running to do exactly what I wanted. It's got a dry sound level, -2, -1, +1, +2 octave volume settings, four Q settings, and three filters; Low Pass, Attack, and Detune. The Attack filter was of great interest to me; you can keep your dry signal strong, but set the attack filter to fade in to your sound, giving, at high settings, "ghost on drugs" swells, and at low settings, a very Holdsworth-like "I can't hear his pick" attack sound; it's also perfect for that Andy Summers-ish delayed attack thing. It's true bypass and such, so signal degradation isn't a serious consideration.
Anyway, my settings for the organ sound are a light -2 octave, pronounced -1 and +1 octave, and a semi-pronounced +2 octave, with no Q, a slight attack setting for a quick initial swell without losing the ability to "hit" a chord, no low pass, and no detune. I also run it in front of (on the M13) a lightly set Opto Trem for that organ tremolo effect, and a pretty "hall" reverb sound (though not exaggerated at all, just enough to fill it up a little). You can save eight presets on the POG2, and toggle them with a footswitch, so I saved everything and called it a night.
Note that I'm not mentioning what amp I use, because these days, I'm playing here, there, everywhere; I can't count on the amp for reverb or distortion. My personal amps are Marshalls (I'm looking at the new Vintage line in fact), but when you play in studios or a club, you have to use the backline, so one day it could be a Marshall, one day a Fender, one day a Bogner, one day a Mesa Boogie, or one day some piece of junk somebody kicked a lot. Bottom line, if all you need is a clean channel, and you otherwise walk in with your sound, you can stay consistent pretty much anywhere.
Anyway, I was pleased with the result of my M13/POG2 combo, so I brought it to practice and kicked on the preset I mentioned previously. The band mumbled a little about a keyboard player again, but when I started riffing a little to check my level, they were like...
"WTF IS THAT?!?!?"
I told them what I worked up for the rehearsal, and they immediately wanted to play the formerly maybe/maybe not "Since I Been' Lovin' You". I'd worked out a lot of the important keyboard fills and such, and they were completely blown away; all hesitation was gone. The singer went on and on about how he could finally "hear" the song, and so forth. It also opens up other possibilities; "Your Time is Gonna Come" for instance.
Aside from that though, I've set up some other octave/swell settings that are far more subtle than an organ (or are just really pure octave effects), and am pretty confident when I say that there is nothing else I've found that comes close to the quality of this pedal. It's really pretty much just amazing.
Maybe some day you'll hear me use it. If you play and have any interest at all in octave effects, GET THIS PEDAL.
As always, thanks for visiting.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Fretboard Framework: Targeting Triads
Lately, I've been reviewing my knowledge of triads, particularly because some of the guys I've been playing with like a bluegrass sort of thing. The chord changes we're using are pretty basic, which to me means, I've got a lot of opportunity to try new things.
I found the band vamping on A major, so I said, let me try moving up and down the neck, hitting the triad notes in their inversions here and there, embellishing them with riffs in the same position as whatever triad I'm playing, and see what they guys think. One of my favorites is the second inversion of a triad, because the root note will be in the middle of the three strings you play it on, so you get a "string skipping" interval if you leave out the root, which is something all the greats cultivate (and a lot of guitar players seem to neglect).
Anyways, I pulled it off, and the band approved; they seemed to think I had some deep knowledge of some sort of blue grass zen, when all I really did was blow around some of the triad inversions of A major, occassionally throwing in a run and the basic blues note, which in A major, would be C (the flatted third).
So, one performance note here; you CAN NOT go wrong if you know your basics and use them in creative combinations and phrases.
Anyway, I did find myself saying "ok, so an A major triad is A, C#, E. First inversion is C#, E, A, so let me find the C# and hit that, then the second inversion is E, A, C#, so let me find the E and hit that..."
I know the three triad patterns (root and two inversions) on all strings, so when I find my target note I can lay it on, and of course in A, G, C, or E major/minor, the target notes are in pretty familiar spots. But what about, say, Db major? I'll be honest here and say that I can't name the notes with the same no-thought immediacy of, say, C or A major.
It occurred to me that I should plug this somehow into my little Fretboard Framework, which is all about easy-to-recall points of reference for running around the fretboard (I still work hard to know all the notes at a glance and such, but l don't think there's anything wrong with using landmarks to get around a town you visit, but don't live in, which is how I look at some keys).
Say you're working in A major. The triad is A, C#, E. That's the first, third, and fifth, of the A major scale; pretty straightforward.
Start with A major on the sixth (low E) string. You start on the fifth fret, use your Ionian mode pattern, and get this (roots are annotated with "R":
5
R-x
Hmm...well, you can see your root (A on the fifth fret), and the second, B. We still need the third and the fifth. Throw in the Phrygian (which in the order of modes, is the third one) mode pattern, and you get this (the root, third, and fifth is indicated with an R and the corresponding numbers).
5
R-x-3x-5
Notice that the Dorian mode is in there too (starting on the second of the major scale, Dorian is the second mode in the order of modes). That's not entirely relevant here though, because we're interested in the first, third and fifth notes. The Ionian and Phrygian modes, played sequentially, contain those notes, so there's our framework.
I've heard this sort of thing also called "one string theory" as well. While I think that you should know your mode patterns and think in terms of them for just about everything, it's worth mentioning that you can forego thinking about modes here entirely if you can just move all the way up a string in either a major or minor scale, so in A major, you'd count "A is one, B is two, C# is three, D# is four, E is five". However, if you know your mode positions, when you play that second inversion, you can more easily embellish it with phrases and runs, because you know what pattern works in the position you're playing the triad.
So, whether you're just counting, or you are thinking of modes, or both, now we have our first, third, and fifth. So without having to compute/hunt the notes of the triad, I know, just from knowing my mode patterns (or counting), that the root triad starts on the 5th fret, the first inversion starts on the 9th, the third on the 12th. True, I have to know the shapes of the triads, but at least I don't have to hunt 'n peck for the target notes to start them on, as long as I can identify the root note of the scale on any given string.
Let's map it out; because I only need three strings, I'm only showing the low E, A, and D strings (6, 5, 4). The roots are shown as "R", and the other notes use a number to indicate if they are the third or fifth (remember the number on top specifies the fret number for orientation, in this case I use 2, but note that the root is indeed on the fifth fret).
2 (root position A major triad)
5---
--3-
---R
7 (first inversion A major triad, the target note, C#, is on the 9th fret)
R--
5--
--3
11 (second inversion A major triad, the target note, E, is on the 12th fret)
3-
-R
-5
So, if I know those three shapes, and I know my mode patterns and/or if I can count, I can find the targets for my triads on the 6th string, in any key, easily.
Regarding the triad shapes, there's three sets of shapes to know: set 1 is the shapes with the target notes on the 6th and 5th string (the shapes are identical, but the frets you target them on change because A is now either an open string, or on the 12th fret), the shapes on the fourth string (so you'd apply this logic starting on either the 7th or 19th frets), and the shapes on the third string (apply logic on the 2nd or 14th frets). There's plenty of reference for triad shapes out there, so I won't go into that in this article.
The minor triads work the same way, except instead of starting with the Ionian mode, you start with the Aeolian one, and use the modes "to the right" until you have your third and fifth. In this case, Aeolian contains the first and third, Dorian contains the fifth, so we mentally move past Locrian and Ionian; or, we just "count" up the minor scale until we find the third and fifth notes. Note that minor triads are almost the same shapes as the major, except the third is lowered a half step in all the shapes (half step = 1 fret). Here's A minor:
5
R-x3-x-5
So I know my triad shapes start on the 5th fret (root shape), 8th fret (first inversion, note it's now 8 instead of 9, because this target note is the third, so we need to lower it a half step; the root and fifth remain the same), and 12th frets. Here's the map:
2 (root position A major triad)
5---
-3--
---R
7 (first inversion A major triad, the target note, C#, is on the 9th fret)
R--
5--
-3-
11 (second inversion A major triad, the target note, E, is on the 12th fret)
3--
--R
--5
Again, the only difference between the major and minor shapes, is that the third is lowered a half step. Diminished lowers the fifth a half step as well, and augmented starts with the major triad shapes, but raises the fifth a half step.
Ultimately, you want to know the voicing you're looking for (major/minor/dim/aug), know the inversion you want, then look at the fretboard and just bang them out without thinking, but that's a tall order for even an advanced guitar player (though I assume any of the "gods" can do it easily).
Play around with it, look both ways when crossing the street, and so on. As always, have fun.
I found the band vamping on A major, so I said, let me try moving up and down the neck, hitting the triad notes in their inversions here and there, embellishing them with riffs in the same position as whatever triad I'm playing, and see what they guys think. One of my favorites is the second inversion of a triad, because the root note will be in the middle of the three strings you play it on, so you get a "string skipping" interval if you leave out the root, which is something all the greats cultivate (and a lot of guitar players seem to neglect).
Anyways, I pulled it off, and the band approved; they seemed to think I had some deep knowledge of some sort of blue grass zen, when all I really did was blow around some of the triad inversions of A major, occassionally throwing in a run and the basic blues note, which in A major, would be C (the flatted third).
So, one performance note here; you CAN NOT go wrong if you know your basics and use them in creative combinations and phrases.
Anyway, I did find myself saying "ok, so an A major triad is A, C#, E. First inversion is C#, E, A, so let me find the C# and hit that, then the second inversion is E, A, C#, so let me find the E and hit that..."
I know the three triad patterns (root and two inversions) on all strings, so when I find my target note I can lay it on, and of course in A, G, C, or E major/minor, the target notes are in pretty familiar spots. But what about, say, Db major? I'll be honest here and say that I can't name the notes with the same no-thought immediacy of, say, C or A major.
It occurred to me that I should plug this somehow into my little Fretboard Framework, which is all about easy-to-recall points of reference for running around the fretboard (I still work hard to know all the notes at a glance and such, but l don't think there's anything wrong with using landmarks to get around a town you visit, but don't live in, which is how I look at some keys).
Say you're working in A major. The triad is A, C#, E. That's the first, third, and fifth, of the A major scale; pretty straightforward.
Start with A major on the sixth (low E) string. You start on the fifth fret, use your Ionian mode pattern, and get this (roots are annotated with "R":
5
R-x
Hmm...well, you can see your root (A on the fifth fret), and the second, B. We still need the third and the fifth. Throw in the Phrygian (which in the order of modes, is the third one) mode pattern, and you get this (the root, third, and fifth is indicated with an R and the corresponding numbers).
5
R-x-3x-5
Notice that the Dorian mode is in there too (starting on the second of the major scale, Dorian is the second mode in the order of modes). That's not entirely relevant here though, because we're interested in the first, third and fifth notes. The Ionian and Phrygian modes, played sequentially, contain those notes, so there's our framework.
I've heard this sort of thing also called "one string theory" as well. While I think that you should know your mode patterns and think in terms of them for just about everything, it's worth mentioning that you can forego thinking about modes here entirely if you can just move all the way up a string in either a major or minor scale, so in A major, you'd count "A is one, B is two, C# is three, D# is four, E is five". However, if you know your mode positions, when you play that second inversion, you can more easily embellish it with phrases and runs, because you know what pattern works in the position you're playing the triad.
So, whether you're just counting, or you are thinking of modes, or both, now we have our first, third, and fifth. So without having to compute/hunt the notes of the triad, I know, just from knowing my mode patterns (or counting), that the root triad starts on the 5th fret, the first inversion starts on the 9th, the third on the 12th. True, I have to know the shapes of the triads, but at least I don't have to hunt 'n peck for the target notes to start them on, as long as I can identify the root note of the scale on any given string.
Let's map it out; because I only need three strings, I'm only showing the low E, A, and D strings (6, 5, 4). The roots are shown as "R", and the other notes use a number to indicate if they are the third or fifth (remember the number on top specifies the fret number for orientation, in this case I use 2, but note that the root is indeed on the fifth fret).
2 (root position A major triad)
5---
--3-
---R
7 (first inversion A major triad, the target note, C#, is on the 9th fret)
R--
5--
--3
11 (second inversion A major triad, the target note, E, is on the 12th fret)
3-
-R
-5
So, if I know those three shapes, and I know my mode patterns and/or if I can count, I can find the targets for my triads on the 6th string, in any key, easily.
Regarding the triad shapes, there's three sets of shapes to know: set 1 is the shapes with the target notes on the 6th and 5th string (the shapes are identical, but the frets you target them on change because A is now either an open string, or on the 12th fret), the shapes on the fourth string (so you'd apply this logic starting on either the 7th or 19th frets), and the shapes on the third string (apply logic on the 2nd or 14th frets). There's plenty of reference for triad shapes out there, so I won't go into that in this article.
The minor triads work the same way, except instead of starting with the Ionian mode, you start with the Aeolian one, and use the modes "to the right" until you have your third and fifth. In this case, Aeolian contains the first and third, Dorian contains the fifth, so we mentally move past Locrian and Ionian; or, we just "count" up the minor scale until we find the third and fifth notes. Note that minor triads are almost the same shapes as the major, except the third is lowered a half step in all the shapes (half step = 1 fret). Here's A minor:
5
R-x3-x-5
So I know my triad shapes start on the 5th fret (root shape), 8th fret (first inversion, note it's now 8 instead of 9, because this target note is the third, so we need to lower it a half step; the root and fifth remain the same), and 12th frets. Here's the map:
2 (root position A major triad)
5---
-3--
---R
7 (first inversion A major triad, the target note, C#, is on the 9th fret)
R--
5--
-3-
11 (second inversion A major triad, the target note, E, is on the 12th fret)
3--
--R
--5
Again, the only difference between the major and minor shapes, is that the third is lowered a half step. Diminished lowers the fifth a half step as well, and augmented starts with the major triad shapes, but raises the fifth a half step.
Ultimately, you want to know the voicing you're looking for (major/minor/dim/aug), know the inversion you want, then look at the fretboard and just bang them out without thinking, but that's a tall order for even an advanced guitar player (though I assume any of the "gods" can do it easily).
Play around with it, look both ways when crossing the street, and so on. As always, have fun.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Interstitial Patterns, or, Why Some People Say I Think Too Much
Without a doubt, one of the lifelong quests of the guitarist, particularly the guitarist that pursues improvisational leads, is seeing the neck as one pattern, or looked at another way, eventually dispensing with the need to see any patterns at all; or, looked at even another (and more exaggerated) way, seeing the neck as having every mode and pentatonic position on every fret, it's just that they're all interconnected into one big pattern.
That's a lofty ambition for even the experienced pro. With the exception of people like Alan Holdsworth, who have a superhuman view of the guitar, I'd be willing to bet that almost every guitar player sees the neck as, at the advanced level, a series of intertwined patterns, and at intermediate and beginner levels, as a series of boxes (you've heard the term often lauded by many training courses as helping you "break out of the box").
I'm no different than anybody this way; while my view of the neck is evolving all the time, when I'm in a jam or run into a key or chord progression I'm not accustomed too, even if I see it coming a mile away, there I go into the safety of a known box. It's not a bad thing; I'm in key, I know where the roots are so I can hit at least the root chord tone, so I won't get thrown out of the bar for abusive wanking. And of course, most structured music leverages these vertical patterns on the guitar because they are readily accessible, both to the finger and the ear.
Not a bad thing, no; but it's safe, and feels "student-ish", and I like to experiment. Sure I can throw artificial harmonics, squeals and pops, some finger tapping, whatever, into the mix, but in the end I'm adrift in a river of music, floating in a safe cardboard box with the flag "A minor pentatonic postion 1" flying in the breeze. Not much of a differentiator there.
To that end, I started trying to figure out some useful exercises to join together the keystone positions of the neck; the seven modes, and the five pentatonic shapes. If you've read some of my previous articles, you might know of the CAGED PMAID 45123 framework. This exercise idea takes that to the next level by filling in the spaces between.
The crux of the biscuit; find patterns that aren't typically documented, between the patterns that are. I call these the "interstitial patterns". It's a little different than extended patterns, because it doesn't attempt to join two patterns, it attempts to create new ones, sorta.
Here's one example that I already use; it has an interesting sound, and joins together the Aeolian and Ionian positions without shifting between the two. Aeolian and Ionian are consecutive positions as far as most guitarists are concerned; Ionian is the relative mode of Aeolian, for instance, A Aeolian is the relative mode of C Ionian (or, A is the relative minor of C major); very seldom do I see a guitarist say, "that's when I moved from Aeolian, to Locrian, to Ionian".
Note that, as I've mentioned before, the Locrian mode is an important one, particular when playing over your half diminished chords and such. I should actually work on it more.
So... (starting at indicated number fret, you play the X and R symbols, the "R" symbols are the roots).
Here's A minor, or A Aeolian:
5
-R-XX
-XX-X
XX-X-
-X-R-
-X-XX
-R-XX
Here's the relative major, C Ionian:
7
XR-X-
-X-X-
X-XX-
X-XR-
XX-X-
XR-X-
Now, take the notes from the two patterns that make a single pattern that overlaps both. I came up with this:
6
-X--X
X---R
-X--X
-R--X
-X--X
-X--X
Very simple pattern, and contains notes not typically played as a sequential scale from either C major or A minor. But they're all in there, it's not random. It does have almost a Lydian quality to it though, notice that the "F" (or the sixth of the Aeolian / fourth of the Ionian) is doubled (no doubt what gives it the spacey, floating quality of the Lydian mode, I should probably analyze that a bit more).
Remember though, that the point of this pattern is to make the "bridge" from one typical pattern to another more seamless; although you can experiment with it in your improv, be careful, because it does sound kinda wonky if you just blow through it.
Complicate it a bit: add the blues note from related modes. In this case, A minor / C Major would be the D# (I indicate the blues note with a "B")
6
-X--XB
X---R-
-XB-X-
-X--X-
BX--X-
-X--X-
Now that's spacey.
Anyways, this is one of the things I experiment with; sometimes I take it out and it works, sometimes people say, "wtf was that can't you play anything straight". Either way, it's helping build my voice, whatever that may be, and if nothing else, has me staring at the neck and getting used to where notes and intervals are, which is always a good thing.
Have fun with this, remember, always listen to the band, mind your chord tones, show up on time, wear clean underwear (unless you're on a string of really great gigs then superstition rules the roost), and all that.
Fretboard Framework, the name, and all related articles, are the creations and property of Tim Consolazio.
Copyright 2009 By Tim Consolazio. All rights reserved.
That's a lofty ambition for even the experienced pro. With the exception of people like Alan Holdsworth, who have a superhuman view of the guitar, I'd be willing to bet that almost every guitar player sees the neck as, at the advanced level, a series of intertwined patterns, and at intermediate and beginner levels, as a series of boxes (you've heard the term often lauded by many training courses as helping you "break out of the box").
I'm no different than anybody this way; while my view of the neck is evolving all the time, when I'm in a jam or run into a key or chord progression I'm not accustomed too, even if I see it coming a mile away, there I go into the safety of a known box. It's not a bad thing; I'm in key, I know where the roots are so I can hit at least the root chord tone, so I won't get thrown out of the bar for abusive wanking. And of course, most structured music leverages these vertical patterns on the guitar because they are readily accessible, both to the finger and the ear.
Not a bad thing, no; but it's safe, and feels "student-ish", and I like to experiment. Sure I can throw artificial harmonics, squeals and pops, some finger tapping, whatever, into the mix, but in the end I'm adrift in a river of music, floating in a safe cardboard box with the flag "A minor pentatonic postion 1" flying in the breeze. Not much of a differentiator there.
To that end, I started trying to figure out some useful exercises to join together the keystone positions of the neck; the seven modes, and the five pentatonic shapes. If you've read some of my previous articles, you might know of the CAGED PMAID 45123 framework. This exercise idea takes that to the next level by filling in the spaces between.
The crux of the biscuit; find patterns that aren't typically documented, between the patterns that are. I call these the "interstitial patterns". It's a little different than extended patterns, because it doesn't attempt to join two patterns, it attempts to create new ones, sorta.
Here's one example that I already use; it has an interesting sound, and joins together the Aeolian and Ionian positions without shifting between the two. Aeolian and Ionian are consecutive positions as far as most guitarists are concerned; Ionian is the relative mode of Aeolian, for instance, A Aeolian is the relative mode of C Ionian (or, A is the relative minor of C major); very seldom do I see a guitarist say, "that's when I moved from Aeolian, to Locrian, to Ionian".
Note that, as I've mentioned before, the Locrian mode is an important one, particular when playing over your half diminished chords and such. I should actually work on it more.
So... (starting at indicated number fret, you play the X and R symbols, the "R" symbols are the roots).
Here's A minor, or A Aeolian:
5
-R-XX
-XX-X
XX-X-
-X-R-
-X-XX
-R-XX
Here's the relative major, C Ionian:
7
XR-X-
-X-X-
X-XX-
X-XR-
XX-X-
XR-X-
Now, take the notes from the two patterns that make a single pattern that overlaps both. I came up with this:
6
-X--X
X---R
-X--X
-R--X
-X--X
-X--X
Very simple pattern, and contains notes not typically played as a sequential scale from either C major or A minor. But they're all in there, it's not random. It does have almost a Lydian quality to it though, notice that the "F" (or the sixth of the Aeolian / fourth of the Ionian) is doubled (no doubt what gives it the spacey, floating quality of the Lydian mode, I should probably analyze that a bit more).
Remember though, that the point of this pattern is to make the "bridge" from one typical pattern to another more seamless; although you can experiment with it in your improv, be careful, because it does sound kinda wonky if you just blow through it.
Complicate it a bit: add the blues note from related modes. In this case, A minor / C Major would be the D# (I indicate the blues note with a "B")
6
-X--XB
X---R-
-XB-X-
-X--X-
BX--X-
-X--X-
Now that's spacey.
Anyways, this is one of the things I experiment with; sometimes I take it out and it works, sometimes people say, "wtf was that can't you play anything straight". Either way, it's helping build my voice, whatever that may be, and if nothing else, has me staring at the neck and getting used to where notes and intervals are, which is always a good thing.
Have fun with this, remember, always listen to the band, mind your chord tones, show up on time, wear clean underwear (unless you're on a string of really great gigs then superstition rules the roost), and all that.
Fretboard Framework, the name, and all related articles, are the creations and property of Tim Consolazio.
Copyright 2009 By Tim Consolazio. All rights reserved.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Visceral guitar theory
I'm going to take a chance, and write a blog article after a full bottle of Albarino, which is my favorite type of wine.
Me 'n my gal Debe went to one of three Spanish places I consider worthy. I love going out to dine, but have particularly pursued Spanish authentic. Follow me on twitter (tcoz_tweet) or facebook (google my name) if you want to know more.
I was at NGW (National Guitar Workshop) last week, you can read my article about it by looking to the links to the left (lazy html).
I'm moving forward from the NGW...and it's a lot to move forward from. But I've rebuilt my kit, and rebuilt my thinking of guitar playing. I'm a different player, thank you NGW. Shameless plug for her, Jane Getter is easily one of the best instructors evah.
Fanboi anyway, I clocked out of my tech project today (read Tcoz Tech Wire for a great pointer all you ECMA cats) and of course said, "eh, got some time, I should play guitar."
I worked it, metronome ticking, foot tapping. I was on, and happy, running pentatonic licks, adding fourths...etc, presto, ON the beat. Alternating thirds, fourths, string skipping patterns...like I said, the NGW is worth it.
I recorded it. I record everything now. It was ok, sharp, a little mechanical, but on...so ok.
I came home later after the meal and the wine. Debe was tired, she went right to bed, I went into the studio, loops waiting.
I started up the same loops (thank you Boss RS-20) I was so on over the tracks I laid out, I was amazed. Not at my "greatness", but sort of in the way you go "wow" when you see a really good photograph of yourself. There's nothing really different about you, you're just shinin' the light right.
I recorded it. It was, rough, but it swung swing on the first beat, which is very musical. I was surprised in fact...I tended to hold the first note of a run..just..a.little, andthenrun into the next beat. Hard to describe, sort of like water flowing when being dumped suddenly, it doesn't all move at once, but when it does, here it comes.
Anyway, it led me to some thoughts about visceral guitar playing. That is, the raw sensation of playing guitar. Perhaps I actually know enough about it after 25 years to say something.
- Don't practice in front of a mirror.
- It is GOOD to have a mirror and watch yourself play guitar.
- Practice with a metronome, always.
- Every now and then, turn off the metronome.
- You should stand, wear your strap, and MOVE.
- Always practice sitting down.
- Be humble.
- Nevermind all that.
Hope that makes sense. See you out there.
Me 'n my gal Debe went to one of three Spanish places I consider worthy. I love going out to dine, but have particularly pursued Spanish authentic. Follow me on twitter (tcoz_tweet) or facebook (google my name) if you want to know more.
I was at NGW (National Guitar Workshop) last week, you can read my article about it by looking to the links to the left (lazy html).
I'm moving forward from the NGW...and it's a lot to move forward from. But I've rebuilt my kit, and rebuilt my thinking of guitar playing. I'm a different player, thank you NGW. Shameless plug for her, Jane Getter is easily one of the best instructors evah.
Fanboi anyway, I clocked out of my tech project today (read Tcoz Tech Wire for a great pointer all you ECMA cats) and of course said, "eh, got some time, I should play guitar."
I worked it, metronome ticking, foot tapping. I was on, and happy, running pentatonic licks, adding fourths...etc, presto, ON the beat. Alternating thirds, fourths, string skipping patterns...like I said, the NGW is worth it.
I recorded it. I record everything now. It was ok, sharp, a little mechanical, but on...so ok.
I came home later after the meal and the wine. Debe was tired, she went right to bed, I went into the studio, loops waiting.
I started up the same loops (thank you Boss RS-20) I was so on over the tracks I laid out, I was amazed. Not at my "greatness", but sort of in the way you go "wow" when you see a really good photograph of yourself. There's nothing really different about you, you're just shinin' the light right.
I recorded it. It was, rough, but it swung swing on the first beat, which is very musical. I was surprised in fact...I tended to hold the first note of a run..just..a.little, andthenrun into the next beat. Hard to describe, sort of like water flowing when being dumped suddenly, it doesn't all move at once, but when it does, here it comes.
Anyway, it led me to some thoughts about visceral guitar playing. That is, the raw sensation of playing guitar. Perhaps I actually know enough about it after 25 years to say something.
- Don't practice in front of a mirror.
- It is GOOD to have a mirror and watch yourself play guitar.
- Practice with a metronome, always.
- Every now and then, turn off the metronome.
- You should stand, wear your strap, and MOVE.
- Always practice sitting down.
- Be humble.
- Nevermind all that.
Hope that makes sense. See you out there.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
A blurb on attending The National Guitar Workshop
I've been slacking a little on my blogs lately; reason being, I've been drilling my guitar skills at the National Guitar Workshop in Purchase, NY.
If you haven't heard about it, visit their website. In brief, it's a music education program focusing heavily, as the name implies, on guitar oriented music. At the same time, as the name does not imply, it's also for bass players, drummers, classical guitar players, jazz players, and so on. I haven't seen any horn or keyboard players involved in the courses or workshops I've been exposed to, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're not here; I certainly haven't seen it all by a longshot.
As I'm writing this, I just came from a run (yes some musicians exercise, Steve Vai goes to the gym and Herman Li studies martial arts) following another full day, 9-5, of exposing myself to just about every aspect of the instrument I love and have been playing for years. I've been playing guitar longer than I've been a technologist, and if you read my tech blogs, you get an idea that it's more than say...a couple of years (or 10x that).
However, I never took it to the pro level. I've been in bands, studied some classical theory, can find my way around notation, and have a walk-around repertoire of classical, blues, jazz, and rock songs, and have even "played out" as recently as last week, but I've never taken it to the "next level", as it were. I get a lot of compliments on my playing, but I know that, put into a setting with bonafied pros, I'd have some gaping holes in my overall package.
A few months ago, I received a Facebook notification from the Steve Vai fan page; it said that he'd be appearing at the National Guitar Workshop summer session. Steve is one of my favorite guitar players, I even have his signature model Ibanez JEM. I also play a Les Paul, a Strat, a Kramer, as well as classical and acoustic guitars, so I wouldn't say I emulate Steve heavily, but I'm clearly influenced by his style, and of course the JEM is just a great, top-of-the-line guitar.
Anyway, I decided to pull the trigger, sign up for the program, and see what it was all about. I'd just finished a stint in a rock band and advanced lead class at New York City Guitar School, and have been studying my composition, theory and technique diligently, as well as just playing hard, so figured I'd be ready for a more advanced program.
I have to say, so far so good. If you're a player looking for a crash course and exposure to some top notch teachers working in the industry at the pro level, you should visit the site and consider taking a week or two out of your life to polish up your chops and performance.
Day 1: I walk into class in the morning, and sitting there is a woman I know I've seen somewhere before. She's wearing a Fender shirt, is sitting next to a Fender Strat and a Fender practice amp...who the heck is she, I know that face from somewhere. My suite mate (we get individual bedrooms but share a suite, remember it's at Purchase college), had done his homework and knew she was Jane Getter, who has played with any number of big names, such as warming up for Alan Holdsworth (wow), as well as being part of the Saturday Night Live band for a stretch. This was going to be my teacher all week; I sat down and waited to see what it's all about.
Jane is great. She's laid back but in control of the sessions, which is challenging to say the least; it's a full class of rock guitar students, all plugged into amplifiers, in a closed-door classroom, so now and then it's GUYS PLEASE STOP PLAYING. In addition to keeping the roof on, she finds time to dissect solos and techniques from guys like Trey Anastasio, Eric Johnson, Alan Holdsworth, Robben Ford, and so on. We learn a little of how they might think about their approaches to composition and lead structure and improvisation, then we settle in with a drummer and bass player for a while, trade fours on the leads, and call it a day. Jane's son actually plays the drums, lucky for her (if you play guitar, have two kids, make one play bass, the other drums).
On top of that, we had guest sessions with Steve Vai himself, and Herman Li. Both were well spoken, revealed a number of interesting points about playing and the industry, and showed us a few things from their magic bags of tricks.
At night, we go to the concerts, and/or perform. The faculty here is, without a doubt, a group of the finest players I've ever seen under one roof at the same time. Even the guy who administers and runs the program, who you'd think of as the "business guy", turned out to be a brilliant jazz player. Bar none, they can all teach, play, and communicate in a variety of ways to show you how to do so.
The students are great as well; it's a mixed bag of ability, age and experience, but from a networking perspective, it can't be beat. I've already got some contacts for players back in NYC, which I plan on taking advantage of right away, so look out for me in the clubs; I'll be the guy playing guitar.
I'll leave it at that for now; just figured I'd blurb a word about this amazing experience.
As always, thanks for visiting, and see you out there.
Fretboard Framework, the name, and all related articles, are the creations and property of Tim Consolazio.
Copyright 2009 By Tim Consolazio. All rights reserved.
If you haven't heard about it, visit their website. In brief, it's a music education program focusing heavily, as the name implies, on guitar oriented music. At the same time, as the name does not imply, it's also for bass players, drummers, classical guitar players, jazz players, and so on. I haven't seen any horn or keyboard players involved in the courses or workshops I've been exposed to, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're not here; I certainly haven't seen it all by a longshot.
As I'm writing this, I just came from a run (yes some musicians exercise, Steve Vai goes to the gym and Herman Li studies martial arts) following another full day, 9-5, of exposing myself to just about every aspect of the instrument I love and have been playing for years. I've been playing guitar longer than I've been a technologist, and if you read my tech blogs, you get an idea that it's more than say...a couple of years (or 10x that).
However, I never took it to the pro level. I've been in bands, studied some classical theory, can find my way around notation, and have a walk-around repertoire of classical, blues, jazz, and rock songs, and have even "played out" as recently as last week, but I've never taken it to the "next level", as it were. I get a lot of compliments on my playing, but I know that, put into a setting with bonafied pros, I'd have some gaping holes in my overall package.
A few months ago, I received a Facebook notification from the Steve Vai fan page; it said that he'd be appearing at the National Guitar Workshop summer session. Steve is one of my favorite guitar players, I even have his signature model Ibanez JEM. I also play a Les Paul, a Strat, a Kramer, as well as classical and acoustic guitars, so I wouldn't say I emulate Steve heavily, but I'm clearly influenced by his style, and of course the JEM is just a great, top-of-the-line guitar.
Anyway, I decided to pull the trigger, sign up for the program, and see what it was all about. I'd just finished a stint in a rock band and advanced lead class at New York City Guitar School, and have been studying my composition, theory and technique diligently, as well as just playing hard, so figured I'd be ready for a more advanced program.
I have to say, so far so good. If you're a player looking for a crash course and exposure to some top notch teachers working in the industry at the pro level, you should visit the site and consider taking a week or two out of your life to polish up your chops and performance.
Day 1: I walk into class in the morning, and sitting there is a woman I know I've seen somewhere before. She's wearing a Fender shirt, is sitting next to a Fender Strat and a Fender practice amp...who the heck is she, I know that face from somewhere. My suite mate (we get individual bedrooms but share a suite, remember it's at Purchase college), had done his homework and knew she was Jane Getter, who has played with any number of big names, such as warming up for Alan Holdsworth (wow), as well as being part of the Saturday Night Live band for a stretch. This was going to be my teacher all week; I sat down and waited to see what it's all about.
Jane is great. She's laid back but in control of the sessions, which is challenging to say the least; it's a full class of rock guitar students, all plugged into amplifiers, in a closed-door classroom, so now and then it's GUYS PLEASE STOP PLAYING. In addition to keeping the roof on, she finds time to dissect solos and techniques from guys like Trey Anastasio, Eric Johnson, Alan Holdsworth, Robben Ford, and so on. We learn a little of how they might think about their approaches to composition and lead structure and improvisation, then we settle in with a drummer and bass player for a while, trade fours on the leads, and call it a day. Jane's son actually plays the drums, lucky for her (if you play guitar, have two kids, make one play bass, the other drums).
On top of that, we had guest sessions with Steve Vai himself, and Herman Li. Both were well spoken, revealed a number of interesting points about playing and the industry, and showed us a few things from their magic bags of tricks.
At night, we go to the concerts, and/or perform. The faculty here is, without a doubt, a group of the finest players I've ever seen under one roof at the same time. Even the guy who administers and runs the program, who you'd think of as the "business guy", turned out to be a brilliant jazz player. Bar none, they can all teach, play, and communicate in a variety of ways to show you how to do so.
The students are great as well; it's a mixed bag of ability, age and experience, but from a networking perspective, it can't be beat. I've already got some contacts for players back in NYC, which I plan on taking advantage of right away, so look out for me in the clubs; I'll be the guy playing guitar.
I'll leave it at that for now; just figured I'd blurb a word about this amazing experience.
As always, thanks for visiting, and see you out there.
Fretboard Framework, the name, and all related articles, are the creations and property of Tim Consolazio.
Copyright 2009 By Tim Consolazio. All rights reserved.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Fretboard Framework: CAGED, DPMAI, and 34512 for Minor scale improvisation.
This is a follow up to my last article, "Fretboard Framework: CAGED, PMAID, and 45123 for Major scale improvisation." As promised, here's how my little Fretboard Framework applies to minor scales.
To recap quickly, the idea of this all is:
CAGED
PMAID
45123
Which, in major mode terms, means:
"The first Caged position, can be soloed over using the Phrygian mode pattern, and/or the fourth Pentatonic Pattern".
"The second Caged position, can be soloed over using the Mixolydian mode pattern, and/or the fifth Pentatonic Pattern".
"The third Caged position, can be soloed over using the Aeolian mode pattern, and/or the first Pentatonic Pattern".
"The fourth Caged position, can be soloed over using the Ionian mode pattern, and/or the second Pentatonic Pattern".
"The fifth Caged position, can be soloed over using the Dorian mode pattern, and/or the third Pentatonic Pattern".
Or more simply:
First Caged - Phrygian - 4th Penta (CP4)
Second Caged - Mixo - 5th Penta. (AM5)
Third Caged - Aeolian - 1st Penta. (GA1)
Fourth Caged - Ionian - 2nd Penta. (EI2)
Fifth Caged - Dorian - 3rd Penta. (DD3)
So, how does this apply to minor scale improvisation?
If you know your modes and pentatonic scales, you know that, structurally there is no difference in the patterns; it's just where the patterns are that changes. Note that there are some classical variations and such that alter these rules, but again, I'm trying to stick to the basic modes and patterns here.
Anyway, here's how the patterns shift: CAGED, PMAID, 45123, becomes:
CAGED
DPMAI
34512
That's it...really. The root positions (see last article where I say I wish CAGED was just called "root positions") stay the same (they have to; notes on the fretboard don't move unless you retune the instrument). But the mode and pentatonic patterns all get pushed to the right, bringing the last one to the first column.
So, whereas last time in the major article we saw this, assuming starting on C with the first root position, and using C-P-4:
0
P X - P
X R - P
P - P -
P - P X
P - X R
P X - P
We would alter this for minor improvisation to C-D-3, or spelled out, first root position, Dorian mode pattern, third pentatonic pattern.
We're using "C" as the root again. Remember that this shift in the Fretboard Framework gets you C minor (C D Eb F G Ab Bb C), not C major.
0
- X - X P
- R - X P
X P - P
X P - P
- P - R
- P - X P
There you have it; by just shifting the columns one over, you have transposed all your mode and pentatonic positions from major to minor. If you're ever in a situation where the change shifts from a major to a minor tonality on the same root, you won't have to jump to another part of the neck; you stay in the same position, and just use the different mode (pitch axis theory think). The effect is really pro; you're altering your mood by understanding your modes, which is exactly what they're for.
Let's do another one; last week we did the second root position off of C, using A-M-5. To get to minor, it would be A-P-4, or spelled out, second root position, Phrygian mode, fourth pentatonic pattern.
It would look like this:
3
P X - P
X P - P
P - R -
P - P X
R - X P
P X - P
Note that the first and second root positions, and all the patterns around them, major or minor, connect. Thinking this way, you open up the fretboard as one big pattern with preferred areas of fingering, helping you to break out of the boxes you may find yourself frequently defaulting to.
So again, for major:
CAGED
PMAID
45123
And for minor:
CAGED
DPMAI
34512
Blow it out to the rest of the patterns. As always, remember to watch your chord tones for targeting and lead ins, and always listen to, and communicate with, the band, especially if you're going to take it live.
Have fun, see you out there.
Fretboard Framework, the name, and all related articles, are the creations and property of Tim Consolazio.
Copyright 2009 By Tim Consolazio. All rights reserved.
To recap quickly, the idea of this all is:
CAGED
PMAID
45123
Which, in major mode terms, means:
"The first Caged position, can be soloed over using the Phrygian mode pattern, and/or the fourth Pentatonic Pattern".
"The second Caged position, can be soloed over using the Mixolydian mode pattern, and/or the fifth Pentatonic Pattern".
"The third Caged position, can be soloed over using the Aeolian mode pattern, and/or the first Pentatonic Pattern".
"The fourth Caged position, can be soloed over using the Ionian mode pattern, and/or the second Pentatonic Pattern".
"The fifth Caged position, can be soloed over using the Dorian mode pattern, and/or the third Pentatonic Pattern".
Or more simply:
First Caged - Phrygian - 4th Penta (CP4)
Second Caged - Mixo - 5th Penta. (AM5)
Third Caged - Aeolian - 1st Penta. (GA1)
Fourth Caged - Ionian - 2nd Penta. (EI2)
Fifth Caged - Dorian - 3rd Penta. (DD3)
So, how does this apply to minor scale improvisation?
If you know your modes and pentatonic scales, you know that, structurally there is no difference in the patterns; it's just where the patterns are that changes. Note that there are some classical variations and such that alter these rules, but again, I'm trying to stick to the basic modes and patterns here.
Anyway, here's how the patterns shift: CAGED, PMAID, 45123, becomes:
CAGED
DPMAI
34512
That's it...really. The root positions (see last article where I say I wish CAGED was just called "root positions") stay the same (they have to; notes on the fretboard don't move unless you retune the instrument). But the mode and pentatonic patterns all get pushed to the right, bringing the last one to the first column.
So, whereas last time in the major article we saw this, assuming starting on C with the first root position, and using C-P-4:
0
P X - P
X R - P
P - P -
P - P X
P - X R
P X - P
We would alter this for minor improvisation to C-D-3, or spelled out, first root position, Dorian mode pattern, third pentatonic pattern.
We're using "C" as the root again. Remember that this shift in the Fretboard Framework gets you C minor (C D Eb F G Ab Bb C), not C major.
0
- X - X P
- R - X P
X P - P
X P - P
- P - R
- P - X P
There you have it; by just shifting the columns one over, you have transposed all your mode and pentatonic positions from major to minor. If you're ever in a situation where the change shifts from a major to a minor tonality on the same root, you won't have to jump to another part of the neck; you stay in the same position, and just use the different mode (pitch axis theory think). The effect is really pro; you're altering your mood by understanding your modes, which is exactly what they're for.
Let's do another one; last week we did the second root position off of C, using A-M-5. To get to minor, it would be A-P-4, or spelled out, second root position, Phrygian mode, fourth pentatonic pattern.
It would look like this:
3
P X - P
X P - P
P - R -
P - P X
R - X P
P X - P
Note that the first and second root positions, and all the patterns around them, major or minor, connect. Thinking this way, you open up the fretboard as one big pattern with preferred areas of fingering, helping you to break out of the boxes you may find yourself frequently defaulting to.
So again, for major:
CAGED
PMAID
45123
And for minor:
CAGED
DPMAI
34512
Blow it out to the rest of the patterns. As always, remember to watch your chord tones for targeting and lead ins, and always listen to, and communicate with, the band, especially if you're going to take it live.
Have fun, see you out there.
Fretboard Framework, the name, and all related articles, are the creations and property of Tim Consolazio.
Copyright 2009 By Tim Consolazio. All rights reserved.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Fretboard Framework: CAGED, PMAID, and 45123 for Major scale improvisation.
I get asked this once in a while (and I'm sure it's a very common question for any guitar player that can move around the neck while soloing):
"How do you move around the neck like that?".
Modern guitar playing instruction seems to make a very clear delineation between "guitar playing", and "music theory". The two used to be considered intertwined; just read any old guitar instruction book and you'll see they start you off with standard notation. That doesn't seem to be true anymore. Many guitar players can play impressively but know little or nothing about theory.
I'm convinced that'll only get you so far. Incorporate theory, and as part of your practice, ignore patterns and try to think entirely in terms of notes, intervals, chord structure, etc. Force yourself to avoid patterns by playing notes in places or positions you usually don't play them in. Eventually, you'll start to see the neck as one big pattern with preferred areas based more on convenient fingering than prescribed boxes.
Anyway, first things first. I decided to develop a somewhat simplified system of pattern relationships that I use in my practice regimen, as well as my improvisational toolkit. I'm completely aware this isn't where the relationships end at all, and I have all kinds of variations and interstitial patterns as well, but this core concept has helped me organize my thoughts.
Note that this isn't a beginner concept; it assumes you know your CAGED patterns, your seven major mode patterns, and your five pentatonic patterns. If you don't, there are large holes in your knowledge you need to plug up; look 'em up and get 'em straight.
I sum up these Major mode/pentatonic relationships as "CAGED, PMAID, 45123".
In a nutshell, that means...
For Major scale improvisation:
"The first Caged position, can be soloed over using the Phrygian mode pattern, and/or the fourth Pentatonic Pattern".
"The second Caged position, can be soloed over using the Mixolydian mode pattern, and/or the fifth Pentatonic Pattern".
"The third Caged position, can be soloed over using the Aeolian mode pattern, and/or the first Pentatonic Pattern".
"The fourth Caged position, can be soloed over using the Ionian mode pattern, and/or the second Pentatonic Pattern".
"The fifth Caged position, can be soloed over using the Dorian mode pattern, and/or the third Pentatonic Pattern".
Or more simply:
First Caged - Phrygian - 4th Penta (CP4)
Second Caged - Mixo - 5th Penta. (AM5)
Third Caged - Aeolian - 1st Penta. (GA1)
Fourth Caged - Ionian - 2nd Penta. (EI2)
Fifth Caged - Dorian - 3rd Penta. (DD3)
I'll do the Minor scale relationship in another post; believe it or not you're already looking at it (you probably already knew that though if you know how basic modes are all built off a common major key). Here's a hint "minus one".
Some notes:
- There is no Lydian or Locrian mode here. I'm in no way implying these modes aren't important; Lydian is great mode for adding flavor to otherwise straight sounding major solos, and Locrian is essential for work over diminished chords and so on. The point of my little Fretboard Framework is to relate the two sets of commonly known positions and patterns (CAGED and the pentatonics) to the most commonly used modes. You should most definitely be familiar with Lydian and Locrian, and know when to use them.
- I'm assuming that the first pentatonic position is the standard "minor pentatonic" pattern everybody learns when they first start any kind of rock or blues soloing. I don't think there's any benefit to me redefining this standard by saying that what most people know as the 4th pattern is my new 1st one.
- Although CAGED starts with C, and I'm using C as an example, the patterns here apply anywhere on the neck from any root; in fact, I'd prefer that CAGED was just called "Root Positions", because a lot of beginners get stuck on the fact that "C is the first Position". It's not; it's just a position built off a root that, for introduction to CAGED positions, happens to be C.
Anyway, let's write it out and see if it works, we'll take the first relationship, C-P-4.
In the CAGED patterns, the first root position, assuming we want to play in C, is typically introduced as:
- C on the 5th string, third fret.
- C on the 2nd string, first fret.
This gets you an octave, from C to C. Those are your roots. It applies to any note (move it up two frets, you're now playing D to D, which in CAGED, is still called "the C position" or "the C form". That's confusing; just think of it in terms of root positions and you'll be fine).
Anyway, say you want to solo in C major from this position. According to what I'm telling you, that means using the Phrygian mode pattern in this position. NOTE that I'm not saying "use C Phrygian". I'm saying, "use the Phyrgian pattern in this position".
The Phrygian pattern looks like this (the Xs are the notes you play, the dashes are frets you skip, and the roots, which you should also play are indicated by the letter "R" for "root"):
Also note that in this position, the first column of Xs are open strings, indicated by fret position "0".
0
X X - X
X R - X
X - X -
X - X X
X - X R
X X - X
There you have it. The first root position, or "C" position/form in CAGED terminology, expands to the C Major scale for soloing, by knowing that the phrygian pattern is built all around it this way.
To incorporate the pentatonic position (which removes the fourth and seventh degrees from the major scale), we know that it's C-P-4, so we'd have to find the fourth pentatonic pattern from these C roots. It's indicated below (the "P" letters are the Pentatonic indicators, the Xs are the modal notes that you'd skip if you just wanted to play the pentatonic pattern, and the Rs are the roots, which are part of both the modal and the pentatonic patterns, so should always be played):
0
P X - P
X R - P
P - P -
P - P X
P - X R
P X - P
And again, there you have it; the entire C - P - 4 relationship in one little grid. From here, if you know your mode and pentatonic patterns, you can solo in C Major all over the neck from this starting point, or if nothing else, just move this logic up one octave (so change the 0 to a 12) to do some upper register screaming.
Let's set up another one: A-M-5. Second root position ("A" position/form in CAGED terminology), Mixolydian mode pattern, 5th pentatonic pattern.
This root pattern, assuming we want to play in C, is typically introduced as:
- C on the 5th string, third fret.
- C on the 3rd string, third fret.
We know that the "Mixolydian" shape, and the 5th pentatonic pattern, are both built around this root position somehow, here's what it looks like. Note that you start on the second fret.
If it wasn't clear before:
- The full modal shape is the Xs, the Ps, and the Rs.
- The pentatonic shape is the Ps and the roots. The Xs are omitted in the pentatonic shape (they are the fourth and seventh notes of the major scale you're working with, which are omitted in major pentatonic scales).
2
- P - P
- P - P X
P - X R
P X - P
X R - P
- P - P
Again, if you can find the root of the major scale you want to solo in on the 5th fret, and you know the Mixolydian pattern and/or the 5th pentatonic pattern, you're set up to play some interesting stuff.
Take this logic and run with it, try and write out the other three grids (the GED, or 3,4,5 root positions). Any questions, let me know.
As always, don't just blow all over patterns. Consider the chords you're playing over, use them to target your notes and lead-ins, and always pay attention to what the band is doing.
Have fun, see you out there.
Fretboard Framework, the name, and all related articles, are the creations and property of Tim Consolazio.
Copyright 2009 By Tim Consolazio. All rights reserved.
"How do you move around the neck like that?".
Modern guitar playing instruction seems to make a very clear delineation between "guitar playing", and "music theory". The two used to be considered intertwined; just read any old guitar instruction book and you'll see they start you off with standard notation. That doesn't seem to be true anymore. Many guitar players can play impressively but know little or nothing about theory.
I'm convinced that'll only get you so far. Incorporate theory, and as part of your practice, ignore patterns and try to think entirely in terms of notes, intervals, chord structure, etc. Force yourself to avoid patterns by playing notes in places or positions you usually don't play them in. Eventually, you'll start to see the neck as one big pattern with preferred areas based more on convenient fingering than prescribed boxes.
Anyway, first things first. I decided to develop a somewhat simplified system of pattern relationships that I use in my practice regimen, as well as my improvisational toolkit. I'm completely aware this isn't where the relationships end at all, and I have all kinds of variations and interstitial patterns as well, but this core concept has helped me organize my thoughts.
Note that this isn't a beginner concept; it assumes you know your CAGED patterns, your seven major mode patterns, and your five pentatonic patterns. If you don't, there are large holes in your knowledge you need to plug up; look 'em up and get 'em straight.
I sum up these Major mode/pentatonic relationships as "CAGED, PMAID, 45123".
In a nutshell, that means...
For Major scale improvisation:
"The first Caged position, can be soloed over using the Phrygian mode pattern, and/or the fourth Pentatonic Pattern".
"The second Caged position, can be soloed over using the Mixolydian mode pattern, and/or the fifth Pentatonic Pattern".
"The third Caged position, can be soloed over using the Aeolian mode pattern, and/or the first Pentatonic Pattern".
"The fourth Caged position, can be soloed over using the Ionian mode pattern, and/or the second Pentatonic Pattern".
"The fifth Caged position, can be soloed over using the Dorian mode pattern, and/or the third Pentatonic Pattern".
Or more simply:
First Caged - Phrygian - 4th Penta (CP4)
Second Caged - Mixo - 5th Penta. (AM5)
Third Caged - Aeolian - 1st Penta. (GA1)
Fourth Caged - Ionian - 2nd Penta. (EI2)
Fifth Caged - Dorian - 3rd Penta. (DD3)
I'll do the Minor scale relationship in another post; believe it or not you're already looking at it (you probably already knew that though if you know how basic modes are all built off a common major key). Here's a hint "minus one".
Some notes:
- There is no Lydian or Locrian mode here. I'm in no way implying these modes aren't important; Lydian is great mode for adding flavor to otherwise straight sounding major solos, and Locrian is essential for work over diminished chords and so on. The point of my little Fretboard Framework is to relate the two sets of commonly known positions and patterns (CAGED and the pentatonics) to the most commonly used modes. You should most definitely be familiar with Lydian and Locrian, and know when to use them.
- I'm assuming that the first pentatonic position is the standard "minor pentatonic" pattern everybody learns when they first start any kind of rock or blues soloing. I don't think there's any benefit to me redefining this standard by saying that what most people know as the 4th pattern is my new 1st one.
- Although CAGED starts with C, and I'm using C as an example, the patterns here apply anywhere on the neck from any root; in fact, I'd prefer that CAGED was just called "Root Positions", because a lot of beginners get stuck on the fact that "C is the first Position". It's not; it's just a position built off a root that, for introduction to CAGED positions, happens to be C.
Anyway, let's write it out and see if it works, we'll take the first relationship, C-P-4.
In the CAGED patterns, the first root position, assuming we want to play in C, is typically introduced as:
- C on the 5th string, third fret.
- C on the 2nd string, first fret.
This gets you an octave, from C to C. Those are your roots. It applies to any note (move it up two frets, you're now playing D to D, which in CAGED, is still called "the C position" or "the C form". That's confusing; just think of it in terms of root positions and you'll be fine).
Anyway, say you want to solo in C major from this position. According to what I'm telling you, that means using the Phrygian mode pattern in this position. NOTE that I'm not saying "use C Phrygian". I'm saying, "use the Phyrgian pattern in this position".
The Phrygian pattern looks like this (the Xs are the notes you play, the dashes are frets you skip, and the roots, which you should also play are indicated by the letter "R" for "root"):
Also note that in this position, the first column of Xs are open strings, indicated by fret position "0".
0
X X - X
X R - X
X - X -
X - X X
X - X R
X X - X
There you have it. The first root position, or "C" position/form in CAGED terminology, expands to the C Major scale for soloing, by knowing that the phrygian pattern is built all around it this way.
To incorporate the pentatonic position (which removes the fourth and seventh degrees from the major scale), we know that it's C-P-4, so we'd have to find the fourth pentatonic pattern from these C roots. It's indicated below (the "P" letters are the Pentatonic indicators, the Xs are the modal notes that you'd skip if you just wanted to play the pentatonic pattern, and the Rs are the roots, which are part of both the modal and the pentatonic patterns, so should always be played):
0
P X - P
X R - P
P - P -
P - P X
P - X R
P X - P
And again, there you have it; the entire C - P - 4 relationship in one little grid. From here, if you know your mode and pentatonic patterns, you can solo in C Major all over the neck from this starting point, or if nothing else, just move this logic up one octave (so change the 0 to a 12) to do some upper register screaming.
Let's set up another one: A-M-5. Second root position ("A" position/form in CAGED terminology), Mixolydian mode pattern, 5th pentatonic pattern.
This root pattern, assuming we want to play in C, is typically introduced as:
- C on the 5th string, third fret.
- C on the 3rd string, third fret.
We know that the "Mixolydian" shape, and the 5th pentatonic pattern, are both built around this root position somehow, here's what it looks like. Note that you start on the second fret.
If it wasn't clear before:
- The full modal shape is the Xs, the Ps, and the Rs.
- The pentatonic shape is the Ps and the roots. The Xs are omitted in the pentatonic shape (they are the fourth and seventh notes of the major scale you're working with, which are omitted in major pentatonic scales).
2
- P - P
- P - P X
P - X R
P X - P
X R - P
- P - P
Again, if you can find the root of the major scale you want to solo in on the 5th fret, and you know the Mixolydian pattern and/or the 5th pentatonic pattern, you're set up to play some interesting stuff.
Take this logic and run with it, try and write out the other three grids (the GED, or 3,4,5 root positions). Any questions, let me know.
As always, don't just blow all over patterns. Consider the chords you're playing over, use them to target your notes and lead-ins, and always pay attention to what the band is doing.
Have fun, see you out there.
Fretboard Framework, the name, and all related articles, are the creations and property of Tim Consolazio.
Copyright 2009 By Tim Consolazio. All rights reserved.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
