Posts Tagged ‘Jazz’

Basic theory knowledge pt 2: on Guitar!

Let’s now go back to the basic theory post (quite successful over 10k views just the day I posted!) , and let’s see how things apply to guitar…just read the explanatins in red and watch the videos!

Let’s start again:

The natural sounds are:

Sharps and flats.

# = sharp: raises the given note of a half step.

One half-step on guitar is a fret, easy. When you move up a fret (from the headstock to the body of the guitar) you are playing two notes that are a semitone/half-step apart from each other. From G natural to G# you would move up one fret.

## = double sharp: raises the given note of two half steps.

From G natural to G## you would move up two frets.

b = flat: lowers the given note of a half step.

From G natural to Gb you would move down one fret.

bb = double flat: lowers the given note of two half steps.

From G natural to Gbb you would move down two frets.

= natural: cancels sharps and flats.

The Chromatic scale.

In this first video I start from the chromatic scale and show you how to build a major scale:


The chromatic scale contains all 12 natural and altered sound (using sharps and flats).

Notes called with a different name, but identifying the same sound, are called enharmonic (i.e.: C# e Db). The shortest distance between two sound of the chromatic scale is a Half Step, the distance of a fret on the guitar.

Intervals.

An interval is the distance between two notes.

Intervals of a second, third, sixths and seventh are called major. If a major interval is raised by an half step it is calledaugmented. If a major interval is lowered by an half step it is called minor. If lowered by two half steps, diminuished.

Intervals of a fourth, fifth and octave are called perfect. If a perfect interval is raised by an half step it is calledaugmented. If a perfect interval is lowered by an half step it is called diminuished (note the difference).

All the intervals from the tonic of a major scale to any other note of tha scale are major or perfect (i.e. between C and D=major 2nd, C e E=major 3rd, C e F=perfect 4th, and so on…)

Intervals can also be calculated summing up half steps: one half-step on guitar is a fret, easy. When you move a fret up (from the headstock to the body of the guitar) you are playing two notes that are a semitone/half-step apart from each other.

where m=minor, M=major, P=perfect, dim=diminuished, aug=augmented.

How to build a major scale.

Read the theory and watch the video below:

The spacing of the notes in a major scales follow this rule:

WWHWWWH

Where W = Whole step (a major second)  H= Half step

Example : C major

To build major sales in other keys use exclusively either sharps or flats choosing the notes so that a note with the same note is never repeated. In doing so you will only use Diatonic half steps (given by two notes with different name, i.e. C-Db, opposite to Chromatic half steps given by two notes with the same name, as in D –D#).

ON GUITAR:

Major scale – fixed position patterns

The Major scale template above is from PlayGTR.net’s ‘The Guitar Kit’, a free collection of guitar templates.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD ‘THE GUITAR KIT’ FOR ALL THE SCALES AND TEMPLATES YOU’LL EVER NEED!!

This is a list of all the major scales in all keys. The order follows the amount of sharps and flats in the key.

Keys with flats.

Keys with sharps.

Relative minor (key)

Every major key has one relative minor which is made of the same notes, but starting from the sixth note. In other words, starting a minor third below (or a major sixth above) the root of the major scale. For example if we take C major its relative minor is A minor, spelled A B C D E F G.

On guitar: To play the relative minor, just start two notes before the note in the red circle.

Circle of fifths.

The circle of fifths one of the most used ways to summarize all I explained so far. It is very useful to memorize how many and which alterations a specific key has.

I find very useful to memorize FCGDAEB and the same sequence backwards BEADGCF. The first is the order of sharps the second, of flats. So if a key has, for example, 3 sharps (A major) they will be the first 3 notes in the first seqence (F# C# G#).

Harmonized major scale – How to build chords.

A practical application on guitar:

In the example below every note of a major scale identifies a ‘degree’ of the scale. In the example I have used C major, but this is valid for every other major scale in any key.

If I stack on every degree two more notes a diatonic third apart (basically every other one) I end up with different kinds of triads (triad=group of three notes). These triads are shown in the example below. If we analyse the intervals between notes:

a Major Triad has a Maj 3rd and a Perf 5th (Eg. C-E-G: C-E=maj 3rd , C-G Perf 5th).

a Minor Triad has a min 3rd and a Perf 5th.

a Diminuished Triad has a min 3rd and a diminuished 5th.

You will have the same series of chords in all the other keys Eg: F major: F, Gm, Am, Bb, C, Dm, Em.

Already with this knowledge we can understand how to Analyze simple songs or how to write pop songs:

If we stack another note a diatonic third apart from the last note of the above triads we will have Seventh chords.

This again is valid for all the 12 keys. This concept is vital to understand how songs are built and how to pick the correct scale for a solo.

On Guitar this note choice for 7th chords might not work…let’s see some more popular choices to play this on guitar:

With this we can now analyse more complex songs like a simple jazz standard…watch the video:

I hope you enjoyed this lesson!

Wow, I don’t think this needs words…

Herbie Hancock – piano

Derek Trucks – slide guitar

Susan Tedeschi – lead / backup vocals

Oteil Burbridge – bass, backup vocals

Kofi Burbridge – organ, backup vocals

Mike Mattison – backup vocals

Vinnie Colaiuta – drums

Basic theory knowledge

What follows is just a brief summary of basic theory and harmony necessary to understand practical applications on your instrument.

The natural sounds are:

Sharps and flats.

# = sharp: raises the given note of a half step.

## = double sharp: raises the given note of two half steps.

b = flat: lowers the given note of a half step.

bb = double flat: lowers the given note of two half steps.

= natural: cancels sharps and flats.

The Chromatic scale.

The chromatic scale contains all 12 natural and altered sound (using sharps and flats).

Notes called with a different name, but identifying the same sound, are called enharmonic (i.e.: C# e Db). The shortest distance between two sound of the chromatic scale is a Half Step, the distance of a fret on the guitar.

Intervals.

An interval is the distance between two notes.

Intervals of a second, third, sixths and seventh are called major. If a major interval is raised by an half step it is calledaugmented. If a major interval is lowered by an half step it is called minor. If lowered by two half steps, diminuished.

Intervals of a fourth, fifth and octave are called perfect. If a perfect interval is raised by an half step it is calledaugmented. If a perfect interval is lowered by an half step it is called diminuished (note the difference).

All the intervals from the tonic of a major scale to any other note of tha scale are major or perfect (i.e. between C and D=major 2nd, C e E=major 3rd, C e F=perfect 4th, and so on…)

Intervals can also be calculated summing up half steps:

where m=minor, M=major, P=perfect, dim=diminuished, aug=augmented.

How to build a major scale.

The spacing of the notes in a major scales follow this rule:

WWHWWWH

Where W = Whole step (a major second)  H= Half step

Example : C major

To build major sales in other keys use exclusively either sharps or flats choosing the notes so that a note with the same note is never repeated. In doing so you will only use Diatonic half steps (given by two notes with different name, i.e. C-Db, opposite to Chromatic half steps given by two notes with the same name, as in D –D#).

This is a list of all the major scales in all keys. The order follows the amount of sharps and flats in the key.

Keys with flats.

Keys with sharps.

Relative minor (key)

Every major key has one relative minor which is made of the same notes, but starting from the sixth note. In other words, starting a minor third below (or a major sixth above) the root of the major scale. For example if we take C major its relative minor is A minor, spelled A B C D E F G.

Circle of fifths.

The circle of fifths one of the most used ways to summarize all I explained so far. It is very useful to memorize how many and which alterations a specific key has.

I find very useful to memorize FCGDAEB and the same sequence backwards BEADGCF. The first is the order of sharps the second, of flats. So if a key has, for example, 3 sharps (A major) they will be the first 3 notes in the first seqence (F# C# G#).

Harmonized major scale – How to build chords.

In the example below every note of a major scale identifies a ‘degree’ of the scale. In the example I have used C major, but this is valid for every other major scale in any key.

If I stack on every degree two more notes a diatonic third apart (basically every other one) I end up with different kinds of triads (triad=group of three notes). These triads are shown in the example below. If we analyse the intervals between notes:

a Major Triad has a Maj 3rd and a Perf 5th (Eg. C-E-G: C-E=maj 3rd , C-G Perf 5th).

a Minor Triad has a min 3rd and a Perf 5th.

a Diminuished Triad has a min 3rd and a diminuished 5th.

You will have the same series of chords in all the other keys Eg: F major: F, Gm, Am, Bb, C, Dm, Em.

If we stack another note a diatonic third apart from the last note of the above triads we will have Seventh chords.

This again is valid for all the 12 keys. This concept is vital to understand how songs are built and how to pick the correct scale for a solo.

Just a few examples from the triad pairs video:

http://www.playgtr.net/triad-combinations-also-known-as-triad-pairs/

You can get quite a modern sound by alternating and combining major and minor triads. In the video I use variuos combinations like C minor and D major that touch different degrees of the key of the moment.  Try different combinations and write down those that sound more interesting to your ears. You can find a pdf file with triads in different positions and inversions free to download HERE

Very simple concept widely used in jazz ( but good for other styles). Like shown in the video, G7 and Db7 are two chords a tritone away (tritone=6 semitones) that share the same 3rd and 7th.

G7= G B D F

Db=Db F Ab B 

as you see the notes B and F are common to the two chords. This means that I can also substitute the IIm chord that usually comes before it (as in a II-V-I) 

I can play both

Dm7 G7 Cmaj7

Abm7 Db7 Cmaj7 

This is a guest post: by Guy Gardner. Gifted jazz pianist and author, Guy's début recording as a leader is 'Emma's Dream' with Bassist Jeff Clyne and Drummer Trevor Tomkins, featuring original material. ‘New Directions’ will be available later on this year. You can find more about him @ www.GuyGardner.co.uk 

It’s a cold November morning, and we’ve been driving since 6 am.  We get to the studio which is called Red Gables, and located in south east London. Richard the bass player isn’t there yet and so we bang on the door which is answered by Dick Hamett, the engineer and owner of Red Gables. 

We start shifting the drum kit in whilst Dick puts the kettle on. I see this particular studio for the first time in seven years, since I did my last trio album. The piano (a beautiful Steinway loved my many pianists both classical and jazz) crouches sulkily behind a partition covered in blankets looking like a large unmade bed.

 I feel doubt set in. It seems like an impossible task at times; in a few moments I’m going to be sitting at that piano with a pair of cans on and I am going to try to play like myself and get something down which will, after all, be around for a very, very long time. 

 I was incredibly nervous on the first album recorded there Emma’s Dream (available from Cd baby). But I used that I suppose the way an actor might, and made the album about the presentation of the compositions which were all mine apart from two standards. I knew it wouldn’t be a roof raiser in that sense, so I concentrated on creating a world of sound, light and shade. 

 Listening to it now I think it worked well, but that kind of thing is a one trick pony, you need to be able to do more than that the second time around or what was interesting becomes merely tedious.

 In the intervening years between then and now I worked in a lot of different situations which I think is what built my playing up. I did everything from concerts with musicians who far surpassed me in musical intellect and ability to really play, to pop gigs and anything and everything else. 

 When you play enough you begin to get comfortable in your own musical skin. You learn the standards, and you begin to get an overview of how and more important when to play. I found that just learning to play with, and listen to other people to an enormous amount of practice. 

 ‘Time,  said pianist John Horler, my teacher throughout the time I studied music at Dartington College of Arts,  is everyone’s biggest problem.’ I think it is the single most true statement I’ve heard. So I worked on my time, not just the metronome beat but the pulse which runs through all good music.

 So, aspiring musicians you get all this stuff together. What next? You are ready to take on the world, but actually the world isn’t much interested. 

 That’s the truth; there are many people who can play beautifully, and they all deserve their place in the sun. I didn’t know this really when I recorded the first album, if I had I might have approached it differently, so perhaps then it was a good thing. Ignorance is bliss they say.

 I spent a lot of time promoting the first album and I got a good review from the late Ian Carr and about 11 really nice gigs…eventually. It was very hard, I mean really hard. You have to get on that phone and pester people who don’t know who you are and have a lot of other stuff to do. To them you are a massive pain in the backside, but if you pester them enough they might relent or they might not.

 But you have to go on. Try everything. That’s my advice. Get a recording together, which is the highest quality you can make it, with the best musicians you can. Put your heart in it and believe it is a true statement of your artistic soul. 

 Done that? Good. Now view it as a product. That’s what you are selling after all. Your brand, your unique selling point.

 Look at the images of Miles Davis. He was a product and he knew it and used it as a vehicle to speak the truth through his music.

 As a musician especially a jazz musician. You have to expect disappointment. The musical market isn’t geared for us and it hardly makes any money. If you get a record deal you are doing extremely well, and if you earn enough money to buy a sofa from it you are in the elite few.

 You can’t blame the record companies. They are in the business of selling products and jazz is a bit like some amazing brand of crisps that a few people love, but well, they’re not Walker’s crisps are they? 

 So why then bother trying it at all? I went into the studio knowing all this, feeling about 50 years older in musical experience, knowing our next cd will be a hard slog (a trio album is even harder to sell by the way). I know there will be a lot of difficulty and we will find it hard to make our money back and get gigs.

 As Richard calmly puts rosin on his bow and Simon experimentally plays a few licks on the snare (one of 5 he brought to the session). I know the reason and it’s simple. 

We all belong here. We make music and that’s the truth of it. 

‘New Directions’ will be available  in the new year.

When learning songs, I always suggest using a simple metronome or, best of all, getting together with some other musicians, to keep yourself motivated and focused…but when you cannot do that, this is a great site that has a great variety of guitar backing tracks for you to learn some jazz-rock, fusion, jazz and blues tunes. You will find them all at guitarbt.com, I have selected a few links below of tunes tha I am sure you'll be happy to checkout. Of course don't forget our very useful blues tracks! 

Look at the end of the link for the guitarist's name:

http://www.guitarbt.com/index.php?page=dl_list&cat=Jimi%20Hendrix

http://www.guitarbt.com/index.php?page=dl_list&cat=Allan%20Holdsworth

http://www.guitarbt.com/index.php?page=dl_list&cat=Andy%20Timmons

http://www.guitarbt.com/index.php?page=dl_list&cat=Blue%20Saraceno

http://www.guitarbt.com/index.php?page=dl_list&cat=Django%20Reinhardt

http://www.guitarbt.com/index.php?page=dl_list&cat=Eric%20Johnson

http://www.guitarbt.com/index.php?page=dl_list&cat=Jeff%20Healey

http://www.guitarbt.com/index.php?page=dl_list&cat=Jeff%20Beck

http://www.guitarbt.com/index.php?page=dl_list&cat=Joe%20Satriani

http://www.guitarbt.com/index.php?page=dl_list&cat=Larry%20Carlton

http://www.guitarbt.com/index.php?page=dl_list&cat=Shawn%20Lane

http://www.guitarbt.com/index.php?page=dl_list&cat=Steve%20Morse

http://www.guitarbt.com/index.php?page=dl_list&cat=Steve%20Vai

http://www.guitarbt.com/index.php?page=dl_list&cat=Tony%20Macalpine

http://www.guitarbt.com/index.php?page=dl_list&cat=Wes%20Montgomery

http://www.guitarbt.com/index.php?page=dl_list&cat=The%20Shadows

In terms of quality of the tracks you must understand that most of these are user submitted, but I must say some are quite good. Have fun.

A while ago I stumbled online on a few good articles on practice tips: a few of these included these12 rules by master jazz trumpet player Winton Marsalis. I want to share them with you as I think they are a great way of approaching practice and playing in general. Enjoy.

THE WYNTON MARSALIS 12 RULES OF EFFECTIVE PRACTICE:

1. Seek out the best private instruction you can afford.

2. Write/work out a regular practice schedule.

3. Set realistic goals.

4. Concentrate when practicing

5. Relax and practice slowly

6. Practice what you can't play. – (The hard parts.)

7. Always play with maximum expression.

8. Don't be too hard on yourself.

9. Don't show off.

10. Think for yourself. – (Don't rely on methods.)

11. Be optimistic. – "Music washes away the dust of everyday life."

12. Look for connections between your music and other things.