Jazz Soloing Tip #2b - The Blues

Here I talk about the use of Mixolydian Scales when playing in the blues.

The progression is a very simple, stripped down blues progression...

|A7|A7|A7|A7|

|D7|D7|A7|A7|

|E7|E7|A7|A7|

The scales used...

Over A7 - A Mixolydian - A B C# D E F# G A
Over D7 - D Mixolydian - D E F# G A B C D
Over E7 - E Mixolydian - E F# G# A B C# D E

To learn more about the Mixolydian scale watch these videos...

Intro to Modes- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPPBzB2nvss
The Modes Formulas - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCZs8f2CAwg
The C Mixolydian Mode - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwiELB1N024

Jazz Soloing Tip #2a - The Blues

A simple alteration to your basic minor pentatonic scale can make your blues playing more interesting, nay, more "jazzy".

The progression is a very simple, stripped down blues progression...

|A7|A7|A7|A7|

|D7|D7|A7|A7|

|E7|E7|A7|A7|

The scales used...

Over A7 - A minor pentatonic - A C D E G
Over D7 - A minor sixth pentatonic - A C D E F#
Over E7 - E minor pentatonic - (E G) A B D E G

Jazz Soloing Tip #1b

An addendum to the previous post.

Again the changes are...

|Fm7|Bbm7|Eb7|Abmaj7|
Ab-------------------------------

|Dbmaj7|G7#5b9|Cmaj7|Cmaj7|
(Ab)------Chm------C------------------

Voicings I used -
Fm7 - x81089x, Bbm7 - xx81099, Eb7 - x6868x, Abmaj7 - xx6888
Dbmaj7 - x4656x, G7#5b9 - xx3444, Cmaj7 - x3545x

Ab major - Ab Bb C Db Eb F G Ab
C major - C D E F G A B C
C Harmonic Minor - C D Eb F G Ab B C
(common tones - C, F & G)

A relative C scale to Ab major is C Phrygian.

C Phrygian - C Db Eb F G Ab Bb C

Jazz Soloing Tip #1a

Here's a tip to help you navigate through chord progressions that change key.

The changes are...

Chords - |Fm7|Bbm7|Eb7|Abmaj7|
Key -     Ab----------------------------

|Dbmaj7|G7|Cmaj7|Cmaj7|
(Ab)------C-------------------

Voicings I used -
Fm7 - x81089x, Bbm7 - xx81099, Eb7 - x6868x, Abmaj7 - xx6888
Dbmaj7 - x4656x, G7 - xx5767, Cmaj7 - x3545x

Ab major - Ab Bb C Db Eb F G Ab
C major - C D E F G A B C
(common tones - C, F & G)

A relative C scale to Ab major is C Phrygian.

C Phrygian - C Db Eb F G Ab Bb C

Don't Just Listen to Guitar Music (part one)

This is a huge subject. In fact, I would suggest dedicating a year to not buying guitar CD's but recordings of other instruments. Sax, piano, trumpet, xylophone, zither. Part of what will make you stand out as a guitarists among other guitarists is if you don't sound like all the other guitarists. Great rhythm ideas can be found in trying to emulate piano players. Out of the box phrasing ideas can be found in transcribing sax solos.

Case in point, when I was in high school I spent hours and hours (and hours!) transcribing Charlie Parker solos off of LP's. A tedious undertaking of lifting the needle off the vinyl, writing down a note or two and then trying to get the needle back in the groove right before the next phrase. I'm sweating now just thinking about it. I didn't know about the Parker Omnibook, but a book of transcriptions wouldn't have provided the same intense lesson as creating a book of transcriptions.

Writing out sax solos worked my ear and my reading chops and saved me money on the book! I did however get one major thing wrong and that was tempos. I could fathom tempos of 280-320 so I wrote everything at half tempo and thus all the 16th and 32nd notes. See a page below...

I called it "The Parker Tomnibook."

I transcribed piano solos. Synth solos. Jean Luc Ponty and Stephane Grapelli violin solo. Any solo that moved me and made me think, "how did they do that?"

In order to understand how "they did that" it's also important to figure out the harmony, or chord progression. too. That way you can see the relationship between the phrases and the harmony so you can more easily replicate it yourself.

The Drop Two Chord - Lesson 32 (ii-V-I's)

ii-V-I chords starting with the root inversion Dm7 Drop 2 chord.

Some of the voicings from the video

x5756x - Dm7, x5546x - G7, x3545x - Cmaj7
x5656x - Dm7b5, x5546x - G7, x3545x - Cmaj7
x5656x - Dm7b5, x4546x - G7b5, x3545x - Cmaj7
x5656x - Dm7b5, x5646x - G7b9, x3545x - Cmaj7
x5656x - Dm7b5, x4646x - G7b5b9 (Db7), x3545x - Cmaj7
x5355x - Dm9, x5546x - G7, x3545x - Cmaj7
x5355x - Dm9, x5546x - G7, x3545x - Cmaj7
x5355x - Dm9, x4546x - G7b5, x3545x - Cmaj7
x5355x - Dm9, x5646x - G7b9, x3545x - Cmaj7
x5355x - Dm9, x4646x - G7b5b9 (Db7), x3545x - Cmaj7

My blog...
http://proguitarsecrets.blogspot.com/

The Drop Two Chord - Lesson 31 (ii-V-I's)

ii-V-I chords starting with the 2nd inversion Gm7 Drop 2 chord.

Some of the voicings from the video

xx12121113 - Gm7, xx10121112 - C7, xx10101012 - Fmaj7
xx12121113 - Gm7, xx10121112 - C7, xx10101013 - F
xx12121113 - Gm7, xx12121112 - C9, xx10101012 - Fmaj7
xx12121112 - Gm6, xx10121112 - C7, xx10101012 - Fmaj7
xx12121113 - Gm7, xx10111112 - C7b5, xx10101012 - Fmaj7
xx12121113 - Gm7, xx10131112 - C7#5, xx10101012 - Fmaj7
xx11121113 - Gm7b5, xx10111112 - C7b5, xx10101012 - Fmaj7
xx11121113 - Gm7b5, xx10111112 - C7b5, xx10101012 - Fmaj7
xx11121113 - Gm7b5, xx11121112 - C7b9, xx10101012 - Fmaj7
xx13121113 - Gm7#5, xx11121112 - C7b9, xx10101012 - Fmaj7

The Drop Two Chord - Lesson 30 (ii-V-I's)

ii-V-I chords starting with the 1st inversion Gm7 Drop 2 chord. Some of the voicings from the video xx810810 - Gm7, xx8988 - C7, xx7968 - Fmaj7 xx810810 - Gm7, xx8988 - C7, xx10101012 - Fmaj7 xx810810 - Gm7, xx10121112 - C7, xx10101012 - Fmaj7 xx810810 - Gm7, xx10121112 - C7, xx10101010 - F6 xx810810 - Gm7, xx8988 - C7, xx7768 - F6 xx81089 - Gm7b5, xx8988 - C7, xx7968 - Fmaj7 xx81089 - Gm7b5, xx8988 - C7, xx10101012 - Fmaj7 xx810810 - Gm7, xx8978 - C7b5, xx7968 or xx10101012 - Fmaj7 xx810810 - Gm7, xx89811 - C7#9, xx10101012 - Fmaj7 xx81089 - Gm7b5, xx89811 - C7#9, xx10101012 - Fmaj7 xx5666 - Gm7b5, xx8989 and xx11121112- C7b9, xx10101012 - Fmaj7  xx5666 - Gm7b5, xx8989 and xx11121112- C7b9, xx14141313 - Fmaj7  Not in the vid, just thought of it now...  xx810811 - Gm7#5, xx8989 - C7b9, xx7968 - Fmaj7

The Drop Two Chord - Lesson 29 (ii-V-I's)

ii-V-I chords starting with the root inversion Gm7 Drop 2 chord.

Some of the voicings from the video

xx5766 - Gm7, xx5556 - C7, xx3555 - Fmaj7
xx5766 - Gm7, xx5556 - C7, xx7968 - Fmaj7
xx5766 - Gm7, xx8988 - C7, xx7968 - Fmaj7
xx5766 - Gm7, xx8988 - C7, xx10101012 - Fmaj7
xx5766 - Gm7, xx8978 - C7b5, xx7968 - Fmaj7
xx5766 - Gm7, xx4556 - C7b5, xx3555 - Fmaj7
xx5766 - Gm7, xx2314 - C7#5, xx7968 - Fmaj7
xx5666 - Gm7b5, xx4556 - C7b5, xx3555 - Fmaj7
xx5666 - Gm7b5, xx4556 - C7b5, xx7968 - Fmaj7
xx5666 - Gm7b5, xx5656 - C7b9, xx7968 - Fmaj7
xx5666 - Gm7b5, xx5656 and xx8989 - C7b9, xx7968 - Fmaj7
xx5666 - Gm7b5, xx5656 and xx8989 - C7b9, xx10101012 - Fmaj7

The Drop Two Chord - Lesson 28 (ii-V-I's)

ii-V-I chords starting with the 3rd inversion Gm7 Drop 2 chord.

Some of the ones from the video

xx3333 - Gm7, xx2313 - C7, xx2211 - Fmaj7
xx3333 - Gm7, xx2313 - C7, xx3555 - Fmaj7
xx3333 - Gm7, xx5556 - C7, xx3555 - Fmaj7
xx3335 - Gm9, xx2313 - C7, xx2211 - Fmaj7
xx3335 - Gm9, xx2313 - C7, xx3555 - Fmaj7
xx3333 - Gm7, xx2314 - C7#5, xx3555 - Fmaj7
xx3335 - Gm9, xx2314 - C7#5, xx3555 - Fmaj7
xx3323 - Gm7b5, xx2314 - C7#5, xx3555 - Fmaj7
xx3333 - Gm7, xx2333 - C9, xx2211 - Fmaj7
xx3333 - Gm7, xx2333 - C9, xx3555 - Fmaj7
xx3335 - Gm9, xx2335 - C13, xx3555 - Fmaj7
xx3335 - Gm9, xx2325 - C13b9, xx3555 - Fmaj7

Giant Steps Harmonized for Solo Guitar

Using mostly Drop 2 chords and some Drop 3 chords. Basically just voiced the chords with the melody on top. Simple as that. Click on chart to see it bigger.

Gibson 175

Drop Two's Notated

With all the video lessons posted about drop two's I wanted to give you a visual aid to remind you why they exist.

In the image below you can see how the first, stacked Cmaj7 chords are quite hard to play on the guitar. If not impossible. On piano no problem. So drop the second note from the top in the stacks on the left down an octave to create a new and improved second chord voicing that you can really rap your hand around.

Cool Tool - 1940's Kay "Archtop"

Me and my Kay Archtop in Gangster Squad

The Drop Two Chord - Lesson 27 (Altered Chords)

Third inversion Drop two chords on the bottom four strings...

G7 - 13 14 12 12 x x
G9 - 13 14 12 14 x x

G7b9 - 13 14 12 13 x x
G7#9 - 13 14 12 15 x x

G9#5 - 13 14 13 14 x x
G9b5 - 13 14 11 14 x x

G7#5#9 - 13 14 13 15 x x
G7#5b9 - 13 14 13 13 x x
G7b5#9 - 13 14 11 15 x x
G7b5b9 - 13 14 11 13 x x

When moved up and down all 12 frets that's ANOTHER 96 chords!

The Drop Two Chord - Lesson 26 (Altered Chords)

Second inversion Drop two chords on the bottom four strings...

G7 - 10 10 9 10 x x

G9 - 10 12 9 10 x x

G7b9 - 10 11 9 10 x x

G7#9 - 10 13 9 10 x x

G9#5 - 11 12 9 10 x x

G9b5 - 9 12 9 10 x x

G7#5#9 - 11 13 9 10 x x

G7#5b9 - 11 11 9 10 x x

G7b5#9 - 9 13 9 10 x x 

G7b5b9 - 9 11 9 10 x x

When moved up and down all 12 frets that's ANOTHER 96 chords!

The Drop Two Chord - Lesson 25 (Altered Chords)

First inversion Drop two chords on the bottom four strings...

G7 - 7857xx
G9 - 7877xx

G7b9 - 7867xx
G7#9 - 7887xx

G9#5 - 7878xx
G9b5 - 7876xx

G7#5#9 - 7888xx
G7#5b9 - 7868xx
G7b5#9 - 7886xx
G7b5b9 - 7866xx

When moved up and down all 12 frets that's ANOTHER 96 chords!

The Drop Two Chord - Lesson 24 (Altered Chords)

Root inversion Drop two chords on the bottom four strings...

G7 - 3534xx

G9 - 5534xx

G7b9 - 4534xx

G7#9 - 6534xx

G9#5 - 5634xx

G9b5 - 5434xx

G7#5#9 - 6634xx

G7#5b9 - 4634xx

G7b5#9 - 6434xx

G7b5b9 - 4434xx

The Drop Two Chord - Lesson 23 (Altered Chords)

C7 - x 13 14 12 13 x

C9 - x 13 14 12 15 x

C7b9 - x 13 14 12 14 x

C7#9 - x 13 14 12 16 x

C9#5 - x 13 14 13 15 x

C9b5 - x 13 14 11 15 x

C7#5#9 - x 13 14 13 16 x

C7#5b9 - x 13 14 13 14 x

C7b5#9 - x 13 14 11 16 x

C7b5b9 - x 13 14 11 14 x

Three Jazz Guitar Songs That Changed Me...

And what I practiced after that...

Joe Pass - Night and Day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5uBmznvTgU

Wes Montgomery - Tear It Down
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iteKJQRXsno

George Benson - Affirmation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUXRELGO9kk

The Drop Two Chord - Lesson 22 (Altered Chords)

C7 - x 10 10 9 11 x
C9 - x 10 12 9 11 x

C7b9 - x 10 11 9 11 x
C7#9 - x 10 13 9 11 x

C9#5 - x 11 12 9 11 x
C9b5 - x 9 12 9 11

C7#5#9 - x 11 13 9 11 x
C7#5b9 - x 11 11 9 11 x
C7b5#9 - x 9 13 9 11 x
C7b5b9 - x 9 11 9 11 x