n

f,u
t

The
HowardRobefts'
Guitar Book

By
Howard Roberts&JamesStewart

Copyright @ 197i, by PlaybacM

k u s i cP u b l i s l i i nC
g o m p a n yP . o . B o x 4 2 7 8 ,N o r t h H o l l y w o o dC
, a l i f o r n i a9 1 6 0 7
All RightsReserved Printedand Publishedin U. S. A. InternationalCopyrightSecured

;-
 FOREWORD
Collaborationis a delicateart;few egosare small enough to
allow for a compatible, creativerelationship. Howard Roberts
a n d J i m S t e w a r t- - w o r k i n g a n d t h i n k i n g a s c l o s e l ya s R i m s k y
and Korsakov- - have brought collaborationto a new sophistica-
tion. At the sametime they have raisedthe stature of the gui-
tar to its proper level of respect.
They accomplishedthis by meansof a simple, direct tech-
nique that took full advantageof their 1S-yearrelationshipin
a n d o u t o f t h e s t u d i o s : H o w a r d a n d J i m d i s c u s s e tdh e f o r m a t
o f t h e b o o k , f l i p p e d o n a t a p e r e c o r d e r ,t h e n a l l o w e ds t r e a mo f
consciousness to outline the five major topics - - picking, cdmp-
ing, improvising,fingerboardtechniqueand chord solo playing.
To illustrate each of those functions, Howard provided
e v e r y n o t e o f m u s i cp l u s t h e a c c o m p a n y i n gf i n g e r i n g .A l l t h e
s l u r s ,a l l t h e a c c e n t s- - a l l t h e n u a r l c e so f n o t a t i o n- - r e U e c t
H o w a r d ' sg u i t a r t i s t r y . I n i t s f u l l e s tm e a s u r et,h i s i s T h e H o w a r d
R o b e r t sG u i t a r B o o k . W h a t J i m S t e w a r th a sd o n e i n v o l v e sm o r e
t h a n j u s t a d d i n gw o r d s t o m u s i c . H e a n a l y z e dH o w a r d ' st e c h -
n i q u e a n d i n t e r p r e t e dh i s t h o u g h t sa b o u t t l t e i n s t r u n t e n t .A l l t h e
s u b t l e t i e so f t h e t e x t r e t l e c tS t e w a r t ' sg i f t f o r u n d e r s t a n d i n g
"artistic
t h e m a n b e h i n dt h e m u s i c . T l i i s r o l e o f a l t e re g o " i s a
f a m i l i a ro n e t o J i m : h e p r o d u c e ds i m i l a rr e s u l t si n T h c _ W e s
M o n t g o m e r yJ a z zG u i t a r M e t l i o d f o r R o b b i n s .
T o c a p t u r et h e e s s e n c e o f H o w a r d R o b e r t si s t o r e - c r e a t e
t h e v i r t u a lh i s t o r yo f t h e g u i t a r . S t y l i s t i c a l l ay n d a e s t h c t i c a l l y .
H o w a r d ' sk n o w l e d g ea n d t e c h n i q u ee n c o m p a stsl t e en t i r c p l e c -
t r u m p a n t h e o n l f r o m t h e e a r l y a c o u s t i ce x p l o r a t i o n so t ' E t l d i e
L a n g ; t h e u n o r t h o d o x f i n g e r i n go f D j a n g oR e i n h u r d t :t h e r m p l i -
f i e d g e n i u so f C h a r l i eC h r i s t i a n ,t h e c o m p i r r gs t e a c l i r t c o
s ;t '
F r e d d i eG r e e n ; t h ei n v e n t i v e n e o s sf J i r n r n yR a n c ya' n c lJ r l
F a r l o w ; t o t h a t l i n e a r - c h o r d ga il a n to f t o d a y ,G e o r g eV a n E p s .
F r o m 2 0 y e a r so f e x a c t i n gs t u d i oa s s i g n m c n tps l.u s t h e d u e s -
p a y i n ga p p r e n t i c e s h i tph a t p r e c e d e da, n d t h e c l u b a n d c o l t c e r t
g i g st h a t h a v ec o n t i n u e d ,H o w a r d R o b e r t sh a sr e c k o n e dw i t h
e v e r yc o n c e i v a b l e t y p e o f g u i t a r a n d n r e t e v e r yp o s s i b l et y p e o f
m u s i c a lc h a l l e n g e .I f h e s y m b o l i z e sa l l t h a t i s p a s t i n t h e e v o l u -
t i o n o f t h e g u i t a r ,h e i s t h e l o g i c a ls p o k e s r n a fno r t h e e x p l o s i v e
r o l e st h e g u i t a r w i l l a s s u m ei n t h e f u t u r e .
"The guitaris the cuttingedge.
A s H o w a r d l i k e st o s a y ,
V a r i o u si n s t r u m e n t sh a v ee n j o y e dt h e i r d a y a s t h e v a n g u a r do f
n e w s o u n d s .N o w i t ' s t h e g u i t a r ,a n d o t h e r sa r e f o l l o w i n gs u i t
e l e c t l o n i c a l l y . " L i t t l e w o n d e r H o w a r d ' sm u s i c a le x a m p l e s" g o
b e y o n d t h e p a g e . " E a c h i s a c o m p a c t ,h i g h l y c o n c e n t r a t e ds t u d y .
T h e r e a r e n o w a s t e dn o t e s ;n o w a s t e dw o r d s . T h e a d v a n c e ds t u -
d e n t w i l l s o o n r e a l i z et h a t H o w a r d R o b e r t sh a ss u c c e s s f u l lcyo n -
veyed what he has digestedand coaxed it through the finger-
board. The beginnerstandsto benefit more from one example
than from any ten exercisesin a simple rote method.
There's a wealth of material condensedin these pages- - the
entire plectrum spectrum- - complimentsof the Roberts-Stewart
"fret-ernity." Now it's up to you to take your pick.
Harvey Siders
West CoastEditor
down beat masazine
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION I The Fingerboard 4

Five Distinct FingeringPatterns +
Slidins on Half-Sleps 5
The I-Eft Hand and'rheFinqerboard 6
Fingerboard/Left -Hand preisure 7
TechnicalExercise 8
Etude 9
The GraceNote 10
The Gliss 11
The Hammer-On(One String) 1 -
l z
The Hammer-On(AdjacentString) I2
SECTION II Picking 1"4
Warm-upExercise 15
Exercisefor Developmentof Up-pick Strokes 76
Exercisefor Developmentof Short Strokes 1 1

Back-Pickine 18
AdvancedPickinsExercrses 1,9
Cadenza 20
SECTION III Improvising 22
WholeTone ScaleLick 22
Run in Fourths 23
Run Built Over a Dominant SeventhChord ZJ
Lick and Run Over a Dominant SeventhChord 23
WholeTone/DiminishedScaleRuns 24
Minor SecondIntervalLick 24
Updatingan Old MusicalLick . A
L+
Eastern/Semite Sounds 25
TraditionalOld Blues 26
Lightening(JazzStylb of phrasing) 27
B e b o pJ a z zS t v l eB l u e s 2B
ContemporarvBlues 30
Expiorationsin the Bi-TonalityConceptof Improvisations JZ

SECTIONIV Comping 33
Exercisein CreatingGhost Notes 33
Catalogof IdiornatlcCompingColors 35
SECTION V Chord Solo Playine 40
The Guitar asa'Mi"niature
OrchestralAcc<_rmpanlmenr 40
^ l l ^ l
Lnoro 50lo +z

SECTION VI Glossarv 47
 INTRODUCTIONTO
THE FINGERBOARD
AND
THE FIVE DISTINCT
FINGERINGPATTERNS

"five distinct fingeringpatterns"whc'nlaid end to end

The
coverthe entire fingerboardfrom the lowestto tltc highestpoints
in any key.
A full commandof scalesand rrarietyof intervalsis a prere-
quisiteto the comrnandof eachof the "five distirrctfingcringpat-
terns". You shouldreacha point of visuallyseeing whlr you hear
and be able to relateto one or more of the five basicfingeriltg
patterns.
Whenall of the five basicfingeringpatternsarc-telescoped
into one position,you can play with cascitr fivc di1-1'ercnt keys.
I n o t h e rw o r d s , t w o o c t a v e s
a n d a t h i r c l
o f c h r o n r e t i c
t o n c sa r e
p l a y a b l ei n o n e o f t h e b a s i cf i n g e r i n gp a t t e r n sw i t h o t t tt n o v i n g
t h e h a n d . A f i n g c r| c r t ' r c ti s t h r ' g e n c r arlu l e . T l r e l ' i r . t l ' iI t g c r
is availableto stretchdown a fret anclthe littlc finger is available
to stretchup a fret. Harmony doesresultfrom scales.and so do
"five distinct fingeringpatterns".
chord fingeringsresultfrom the
The "five distinct fingeringpatterns"can be visuallyrelatedto the
five basicchord forms; i.e.,Cf, Af, Gf. Ef, anclDf.x
"five distitrctfingering
Two basicrulesfor connectingthe
patterns":
1 Slidethe fingerson the half--steps.
2 - Stretchwith the littlc finger iu ascending littes.
*The five basicchord forms are derivedfrom the open stringsix-
note chordsfingeredin first position.
 frrraecrr0af

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 THE LEF'THANID
AND
THE F'INGERBOARD

Positionof the_T&41Ll Your knucklesshoulclbe almost

parallelto the sideof the neck. F ingersshouldbe in an arched
p o s i t i o nu n t i l j u s t t h e t i p s r e s to n t h e s t r i n g ss o t h a t t h c y r v o r k
u p a n d d o w n i n a h a m r n e r - l i kfea s h i o n s, e a t i n gi n L r c t w c e tnh e
frets. It is neccssary to kecp tlre fingerssuspcndetl over the
fingerboardat all tir-nes.Do not let thcnr standr-rpstrlight or
-l-he
curl under the f ingerboarcl or lvanclcrin eny l'ashiorr. wrist
m u s tb e k e p t s t r a i g ha t t a l l t i n t c sc x c c p tw h c : nc r c c u t i n ga v e r y
l o n gs t r e t c h . T l i i s w r i s t . p o s t u rsch: o u l db e c o n t l ' o l t l b l ea n d
-l-lie
naturalwhen usedcorrectly. attack sitouklbc a r.lclibcrate
"I'ltr
snapworking to prorluc:e a gooclsound. lttuck is thc basic
criterioni'or good souncland fluid techniquc.

POINTSTO REMEMBER

T h e l e v e r a g ep o i n t - a t t a c k - t h e t h t r r n b s h o r r l t lr i t i c r r p a n c l
d o w n t h e c e n t e r o f t h e l - r a c ko t ' t h e n e c k l n c l y o r r t o r r n t l r c p r e s -
s u r e b e t w e e u t h e t h u n t b a n c ll ' i . n g eer x e c u t i n gI s l t l l pl t t l i c k .
T h e r e a s o nw i r y t h e w r i s t i s h e l c lf l a t i s s o t h c t c l t d o l t st h a t
o p e r a t e t h e t ' i r t g c r sc a n r i d e t h r o u g h g r o o v e s i n t h c u , r i s t a n d
k n u c k l e s a n c l f i n g e r s . I f y o u b e n c l t h c w r i s t y o u u r e l t r , r t t i n ga
f r i c t i o n o r a b i n d o n t h e f i n g e r s ,w r i s t l n c l t c n c l o n s .
 FINGERBOARD-
LEFT HAND PRESSURE

Exercisefor developmentof equal pressurefor fingersof the

left hand: As eachfinger is placedon the designatedstring,
the maximum of pressureis exerted throughout the exercise.
At no time after a finger has soundeda note is the pressurede-
creased.The object of the exerciseis to developmaximum pres-
sureof eachfinger soundingthe string at all times. Once a finger
soundsthe note it remainson the fingerboardand that pressure
is retained. When moving to the adjacentstring the fingersre-
main on the string that hasjust sounded. This exercisealso de-
velopsindependenceof each finger of the left hand.

NOte: EACH FINGER MAINTAINS MAXIMUM PRESSURE

AT ALL TIMES ON ALL SIX STRINGS.

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 TECHI\ICALEXERCISE

For cier,elopnrLrnt of the first joint of eachfinger,bending

a n r la t t a c k . E a c hr r o t ei s t o b e h c i c la sl o n g a s p o s s i b l ed,e v e l o p -
'f
ing a lcgatotcchniqne. he first joint ol' each fingershoulclsnap
to producea soundon the adjacentstrin-u.T'hisexerc:ise should
bc playeclslowly anclcleliberatcly listertrng1'orsound. The pur-
p o s eo f t h e e x e r c i s e
i s t o d e v c l o pt h e s n a pa t t a c ku s i n gt h e f i r s t
joint ot'eachfinger rvhenplayingacrossadjacentstrings.Hold
eqq\ n oJc 4_sl,o-tigj11fgs!fb_!e.

Ledalo d= too)
c)

J
J
 ETUDE

(STUDYIN THE FIVE BASICFINGERINGS AND THEIR []ONNECTIONS)

Etudeusingthe live basicfingerings
andtheirconncctions,and
their
relationship
to chordforms.

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 I

THE GRACENOTE

Symbol:I
The gracenote takesits time value from the note it em-
bellishes.whoseaccent it aszumes.
The execution of the gracenote differs accordingto whe-
ther the two notes are ascendingor descending.When ascending,
pick the gracenote and, without moving the finger, stop it. Then
let the proper finger fall on the following note without picking it.
When descending,set both fingerssimultaneously,pick the grace
note, then lift the finger so that the following note will sound.

:
T- oT-V
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l0
 THE GLISS

J-J
sv,nuot,
The finger employed stopsthe first note as it is picked, then
slidesacrossthe frets to the other note, pressingthe string suffi-
ciently to make tht: intermediatesemitonessound.

11
 I-|

THE HAMMERON
(OneString)

H
l-'l
Svmbol: J*o
In the HammerOn the left hanclexecuresrwo or nlore
notes,descending or ascending.
wliile the right hand picksonly
the first note. Fingersare placedsitnultaneously on thc uotesto
be sounded.

,.E*H n H

THE HAMMERON
(AdjacentStrings)

Here the left hand againexecutest\\'o notes.descending or

ascending,while the right hand picks onlr. the first note, the dif-
ferencebeing that the secondnote erecuted falls on a different
string,aboveor below. To executethis classof HammerOn,
pick the first note, then let the proper finger lall energeticallyon
the next note to be sounded.

)=92 F

12
INTRODUCTIONTO PICKING

Of all areasto be mastered,the techniqueof picking is the

most personaland subtle,and is the identifying factor of pri-
mary importancein creatingthe individual'ssound.
The picking motion is the end result of a seriesof coordina-
ted muscularmovementsbeginningwith the shoulderand ending
with the tip of the pick. This is a cantileversystem,with mus-
clespulling fingersand the bone structureof the arm supporting
the muscles.This systeminvolvesfive separateareas: the shoul-
der, the elbow, the wrist, the thumb and index finger, and the
tip of the pick. Movementsthat originatefrom the shoulderare
largesweepingmovements. The elbow motion is still a sweeping
movement,but more controlled or confined. The wrist move-
ment is a flicking type of motion. (Rhythm playing comesfrom
the shoulder,elbow, and wrist.) Small circular scalpelmove-
ments are produced by the thumb and index finger (singlenote
playing).
The ATTACK is achievedby the pressurepoint createdby
the thumb pushingthe pick againstthe index finger. When the
pick is held loosely rt producesa different type of attack than
with the pick held rigidly. Holding the pick in a rigid fashion
givesyou a rigid attack;holdingthe pick lightly givesyou a
looserattack. This doesnot changethe actual processof pick
contactingstring. The clarity of sound is createdby the precis-
ion with which the pick contactsthe string;the quality of the
attack by the way in which the pick is held. It shouldalsobe
noted that in order to dchievea good attack, a consciouseffort
must be made to synchronizethe action of the left hand with the
pickingmotion.
In summary,think of pickingin termsof the total picture,
startingfrom the shoulderand endingat the tip of the pick, at
the sametime beingawareof all the variouselementsinvolved.
Also keep in mind the goal to be aimedfor, which is an open
mind attitr-rdewhich allowsthe subconscious to do the oickine
action througirthe ear.
Througirthe evolutionof the guitar to the presenttime,
amplificationhasgreatlychangedthe picture. The guitar is now
capableof achievingmany different tonal colors,and the player
no longercan rely on a thoroughknowledgeof just one or two
of the elementsof picking;i.e.,wrist only, elbow and wrist only,
etc. He nrustdevelopall the elementsof picking. An assortment
of picks should be tried as well, different sizes,shapesand gauge,
sincethe type of pick usedis a governingfactor in achievingthe
desiredsound. It should be noted here that with an experienced
player the choice of fingeringsin the left hand will greatly influ-
encethe manner in which the stringswill be picked.

t3
 EXERCISES

WARM-UPEXERCISE
AND
EXERCISEIN FINDING
CENTERGROUND

The following exerciseshould be played coveringthe dy-

namic spectrum. The first time through very softly with tremolo.
The secondtime through fff with tremolo. The third time
through mp, fourth time through mf, which should be center
ground or normal playing level for your instrument.

Developmentof the short stroke or scalpelmovementsof the in-

dex finger and the thumb:
On the downstrokesthe thumb pushestowardsthe string
beingsounded;onthe upstrokesthe index fingerpushesthe right
side of the pick back up againstthe thumb making a small cir-
cular movement or small scalpelmovements.

Each exerciseshouldbe playedten times,with the wrist and

musclesof the forearmand the index fingerand thumb kept very
relaxed. The naturaldynamiclevelof this strokeis mp. The con.
centrationshouldbe at only the attack point at the tip of the
pick.
As the musclesdevelop,the feelingof the pick rn the liand
will be a "velvety" feeling.
Note: As a must, the pick shouldalwayssta1,in the strings.This
is true for eachexercisein this chapter.

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1,1
 EXERCISEFOR
DEVELOPMENTOF
CONSECUTIVEUP.PICKSTROKES

The following exerciseshould be played first time through

with all down-picks,secondtime through with all up-picks,with
the object of developingthe samedynamic leveland attack pro-
duced by down-picking. The object of playing all down-picks
first is to hear the difference in sound of your up-picks.

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l5
 I

EXERCISESFOR
DEVELOPMENTOF
THE SHORTSTROKE

The pick should be helf very lightly betweenthe index

finger first joint and thumb first joint. The movementof the
pick should be a small scalpelmovement of circular motion.
The front lower edgeof the pick is usedon the down strokes
(the side of the pick that is not visible to the eye. The back
upper edgeof the pick is usedon up strokes (the part of the
pick that is visibleto the eye). This circular movenrent
should be'exaggerated at first until the desirecleffect is ex-
perienced. Then the movementof the strokeshouldbe
scaleddown to the desiredsmallcircularmovement. It
shouldbe noted that this style of pickingis strictly usedfor
singlenote playing.
The following threeexercises shouldbe plaveclten times
each.

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l6
 BACK.PICKTNG

The following exercisesdemonstratethree ways of phrasingusing

the back-pickingtechnique:

l. The use of evenback-pickingaccomplishinga strict on-the-beat

feeling.

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@ @ @@ @@ s ^ n Es + f i n 1 t

2. A pseudoback-pickingschemedisplacingthe rhythm feel. The

hammer-ontechniqueis usedin conjunction with the back-picking.
T\ ?\
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@ @ @ @ @ @ @
4\
H Y v
av H V
ay a

@b-]b @ @
o-?\@-]
-\ n
V J H n

3. Each note is articulated.

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6 ,?\ I ?
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L7
 ADVANCED
PICKINGEXERCISES

l. Picking acrossadjacentstringSsoundingthe samepitch.

)=92' n F v n n t.t v FI
)t tt lt ., tt

?nf@O @ @ @

2. Quasi-moogsynthesizer
musicalsoundusingthe adjacentstringpickingtechniqde.

n F t a A . V
! n n v -. Llt+' i . , f l . V

"r{@ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ o @
n n y

3. Exercisein developmentof up-pickwith a diatonicline passingthrough

a pedal sopranonote.

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 ADVANCED
PICKINGEXERCISES

4. A harmonic elaborationof the up-pick pedal sopranotechnique.

CADENZA

An exampleof using back-pickingand hammering-on.

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1 decres.- -9, \7
 INTRODUCTIONTO
IMPROVISATTON

Improvisationis the creationof a spontaneousmusicalex-

pression- - a way of painting an emotional picture, sharingthe
individualsinner world with the listener.The psychological
overtonesof improvisation are the players moods in a here
and now situation, drawingmaterial from experiencein what
is an evolutionary process.In this processthe improvisor is using
four senses;thinking, feeling,intuition, and sensation.The
equilibrium and interactionof thesesensesis what produces
the total spontaneousmusicalexpression.
Tonality is the languageof improvisation. There are only
so many possiblecombinationsof notes available.It is lik' a
languagewith combinationsof words meaningdifferent things.
In essence, an improvisationis an assortmentof musicalideas
that are strung togetherto createthe musicalimpreSsion.
Someof the buildingblocksof improvisationare:
I Developmentof a contputermind that is constantly
updatingmaterial.
2 - Understanding the structuralnatureof lrne and its
relationshipto the background.
3 - A good ear (The brain usingmemory and intellectto
translatethe imageto sound).
4 - A good working knowledgeof harmorrl.
5 - The understanding o1 tlie rh1'thnticpulse.
6 - The singing quality of your music.
1 Over-technique for what y'ot-tare goirtgto plal'.
The elementslistedaboveare !re)'!n!lh! p!ge, They are
elementswhich the individualmay'or rnav not apply himselfto,
accordingto the degreeof his interest. And tirey are eiements
which the individualmay pursueas tar as hc wantsto - - their
study can neverbe exhaustedin tlie senseof beingcompleted.

WholeTone ScaleLick

t e
a=t}A r, r_#. { - ! ul
n .':

Note: Picking and hammering-onof left hand.

20
 Run in Fourths

Note: Left hand fingeringand the snapattack of the first joint

of the third fineer.

Run Built over a G7 Chord

n ,l sintle

@ @ @ @
Note: Picking and slurs.

_LICK a n d Run over an F7 Chord

F1 t- 4- +
)=ln A H ft Y t

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v l l

@
gb bq
a

?W:
2CJ--

Note: Picking,slursand hammer-onof left hand.

21
 WholeTone Scale/Diminished
ScaleRun
):?L Ft7
a

@ et

whole tore:scalcascercli'g/tr i r, i n isheclscaIe crcscercring.

S t r i c ta t t e n t i o nr n u s tl , c g i v e r tro c v e r yd e t a i li n n o t a t i o n
t o b r i n go u t t h c s u i t t l cc l t a r a c t eor f t h i s c u c l u r z a .
j= 8o
M i r r o r S c c o n dl r r r c r v a l - i c k

L-za
Using thc interval of'a rninor secondas point ol'arrival.
Accentsin notation.
T h e l o w e r n o t e c o n t i ' u e st o r i n g w h i r et h e . r n c o r t l . L l c sg i ' i r r g
the illusionof the legattosou.d of a' elcctrifiedker,.boarcl
instrument.

U p d a t i n ga n O l d M u s i c a L l ick
( T h i si s a c o u n t r yl i c k i n i n t e r v a l o
s f s i x t h sp a s s i r gt h r o ' g h a c y c l e
of fifths a'd playedover trredominart severtrrchclrcl('7.: 9.)

): !.n clie
 . 1
-t 4
@ a@ @t
\{elei Let eachnote ring as long as possible;left hand slideson
half stepsanclstringindications.

This nrusicalexamplcshowsthe ttseof slidingon half-steps.

)=loo

" E a s t e r n " ." S e n t i t e "sound.

T h i s n r n h a sa n
2mQ(srn4.) Wr/rlour'Cqef€R
-\ ZT\
t

@ @ @
---t\ rr FI
H b\v* l1

'r/,6'6 + L ^ :
I --.-
6-9 @ @
---T

Note: The trills, hammer-on,and stringindications.

23
 TRADITIONALOLD BLUES
(Funky Blues)

This study is written in the old traditional blues idiom us-

ing the traditionalbluesornamentation.

Notation Symbols for blues ornamentation(Left hand):

Vtg Vibrato: Producedby a shakingmotion of the left hand.
The soundis a minute fluctuationof pitch in order to increase
the emotionalquality of the tone without resultingin a notice-
ablefluctuationof pitch.
*J RwerseBend: A shakeis startedby bendingthe given
note up a half-step,whole step,and sometimesa quartertone
from the givenpitch. lt is then struck,immediatelyletting it
waveras rapidly as possiblebetweenthe neighbornote chosen
abovethe actualpitch of the note beingbent.
v B_."4 The given pitch is sounded,immediately bent
up a half-stepor whole step abovethe actualpitch, then allowed
to return to the actualpitch without strikingthe note again.
,r^* Shake: Givennote is sounded.imntediatelybent up a
half-step,whole step.sometimestluartertone. then allowedto
fluctuatevery rapidly betweenactualpitch anclthe proxirnity
note chosenfrom above. At no tirne is the note struck again.
pitch is sounded
,ly.z Up-Gtitt' Slidingof the hartdafter the
upwards.
?
E
? S t a c c u t o :S l t o r t c tttl t c p e r l i r r n ) J I r ur 'lct l t c t t o t r ' r ol l t e t
i t s o u n d so n l y f o r a m o m e n tr e p l a c i n gt h c n t a j o rp a r t o f i t s
written value.

Note: It is recommendcdthat !'ou usea guitar that is set up

with light gaugestrings.

Er"
uv!

a oo@ @ @
 @*t

@
@

LIGHTENING.
SKIMMINGOVER NOTES
J44gL1g !1p1Uqti',rg, l-his ererciseis baseclorr rt slln-
d a r dj a z z p r o g r e s s i o(tsr t a t r c l a rt d
r - l n ew h i c i ti s e h r t t . i . t c l i : 1 oi ut
improvised n r t t s i co f t h c 1 9 5 0 ' sa t r t l t h e e a r i y l 9 o 0 ' s ) . ' \ l l l r n-
"['ltc
geringand stringirtdicatiotts mttst be adhereclto strictl-v.
purposeof this str,rtly showsthe developmentof littearntusical
lineswithout the ltseof rltythrnic.motifs. f his is expelienceci by
playingone continttor.ts littc rvherebythe tlotcstitclnsclvcs ly sole
createthe ntttsicil clrlttla. In this exerciseberrdingol-the f irst
joint of fingersof the lcf'thand and slursare erploitccl. I'ir:king
must be at an mp level,as if skimmingover the strings,catlsing
the effect of lightening.This exerciscshouldbe prlcticeclslowll'
at first in orclerthat ltll pointsare understoocl thorottghly.and
only then shor-rlcl the str.rclent play it at tht'dc'sigrtrtted mctro-
nome marking. This is an excellentexampleof br-rilcling ll llltl:lt.tl
ideaor line witir a continuorisllow of notes, cacl-r notc clrrr\ rns
eclualweight.

bl o/s
 2hnol

Eb,^'l

Qo{l
Ahr

BEBOP
JAZZ STYLEBLUES
This musicalstudy usesthe l2 bar bruesformula. unlike
the traditional blues this structuredependssolely on the devel-
opment of a musicalline from the designatedchord progressions.
The improvisationis subjugatedto the vertical imprications
and
its correspondingscale. The study is approachedwith the
nzz
style of phrasingdiscussedon page 2g.
J - !1,6
Cnat|

I @ O
3,'^'( LlW)
 Ab^1

c'@e)

@
Bbq0s)
E atl
s?+->

-- - -t 1 ^
4

+n
e-b @ O
 CONTEMPORARY BLUES
(Usingsuperimposedtonality)

Bi-tonality is a procedurein which two or more keys are

combined simultaneously.The scalesand chordsthat form the
different tonic centersare intervalicallyidenticalor contrasting.
Although eachtonal planehas its own organizationalcenter,a
singleoverallstructureis usually felt. The use of this musical
techniquedecreases the stability of the tonal center.
The following is a bar by bar analysisof the degenerationof
the tonal center,the exampleis built over the basicC7 chord
sound implying the key of C tonal center.
Bars 1 through 6 are basicallyan Fnul chord and scale orCrnil
chord and scale. At the endingof bar 6 parallelharmoniesof
chordsbuilt in fourths are usedunder the improvisedline con-
cludingat bar 8. Bars9 and 10 enter the tonal areaof fF
and frntf scaletonality. Bars 1l through l4 ente'rthe tonal
center of Gb . Bars l5 and l6 enter the tonal centerof .o.
Bar l7 entersthe tonal centerof Gb Bar lB entersthe
tonal centerof Sl Bars 19 and 20 fndland Gnl
scaletonality. Bar 2l through 23 use EP,a?rn,E?rAh chord
and scaletonality, the study is concludedat Bar l-1 r.rsing
r
$bf chordand scaletonality as a transitionback to the re-
peat of the study.

): t44 g9 sw1

ad
\4/

5,tt+
 --T /h
c\#t)

@ @ @ o @ @ @"6
et|dfs

-7\ /-\ /J\

o-G @-16 (t i { l

"15t|le)
+ -L^

,-i
l l - .

o@@ g(e 3-.g\--

7 ,li :?\ ,3
ffi:#q
#d*{
 EXPLORATIONSIN
rHE Er-TONALTTY
COxcspr
-
OF IMPROVISATIONS
This conceptis a horizontal approachto improvising. The
infinity symbol is usedto indicate the endlessor unlimited
duration of time spent improvisingover the given bi_tonality
chords. In the following eight examples,the possibilitiesof this
conceptare shown using the superimposedchord and scale
tonalities,with a melodic shape. It leavesopen to the improvi-
sor, the areaof rhythmic elaborationand developmentin addi-
tion to what could be calleda point of departureto a point
of arrival. This conceptshould be explored with musicalwisdom
and taste.

f oeig
c'tCsus+)
2

G*&
c@)

e ab b/0
h3b*pa-ry8

@ e $
e

@ €cvtq
12+ebz

eV.

30
 Vn
+ yehuve
Note: @ lnfinity Symbol.

INTRODUCTION
TO COMPING
A musician'sterm tor the act of providingaccompaniment
is "comping". We shallhighlightthe important factorsin ac-
complishinga good accompaniment in this chapter.
The most important factor in comping is the preservation
of the feelingand nrood which has alreadybeen establishedby
the existingmelody. It shoulclbe noted,however,that in some
casesa cross-relationship of feelingand/or mood may be desir-
able.
In approachingthe problemof accompaniment, first de-
terminewhat the job callsfor. Will the guitar be usedas a per-
cussiveinstrument,or will it be providingharmony,or both?
What is the idiom or "bag" the accompanimentshouldbe in? Is
its purposeto act as a mirror or reflectionof the melody,or to
providea blanketof soundover which everythingelseis happen-
ing? Will the guitar be usedto reinforcethe rhythmic feel of a
piece,or is it to carry an accompaniment whereinits own melody
will stand out by itself'j

Note: The discussion of the relationshipbetweenmelody ano

backgroundsuggests the enormoustopic of counterpoint,which
is beyond the scopeof this book.

L Every tune must be treatedas an individualproblem,and it

is essentialthat you exerciseyour own musicalimaginationat all
times.

EXERCISEIN
CREATINGGHOSTNOTES:
The followingseriesof exercises for developing the tech-
niqueof playingghostnotes.
"ghosting"effect,the chord is
To createthe desired
fingeredand then the pressureis quickly released,achievinga
deadenedstring effect. It is as though you were raking the pick
over stringsthat havebeen dampened. At no time should the
stringsring a true chord sound.
31
 In the exercises,ghost notes are alternatedwith accented
true chords(normal playing pressureL.H.). In notation the
chordswhich are soundedas true chordsare marked with an ac-
ceni above;the chordswhich are ghostedare enclosedin paren-
theses.The patternsstart off with simple one bar phrasesand
increasein complexity, with on-the-beatand off-the-beataccents.
It is important that the right hand keep strumming with up and
down strokes,the only changebeing in the pressureexerted by
tire fingersof the left hand.

Note: It is recommendedthat theseexercisesbe practicedwith

the left hand only, counting and exerting or releasingpressure
accordingto the notated accentsand parentheses.

firs
11

Ql*q fi19
rr
t
FI
7

, AmQ
J=tfto I n7
sinile

ta-t
J

').)
 V F r F r v

CATALOGOF
IDIOMATICCOMPINGCOLORS
F o l l o w i n gi s a r t r u s i c aclx a r r r p ltcr t i l i z i n gt h e g h o s t - n o t tee c h n i q u.e

)= tw f*I G1
FI

OLD BLUESLICK
T h i : i : l : t u n d l r d o l t l b l L r c s( o n t p t ' i ! I u t ' c .I t u s c r sa h a m m e r - o na n c l
g h o s t r r o t c .r l L - e o r u t i o lt o l i r l l l ' b r i n g t o l i f c t h e c h l r a c t e r o f t h i s l i c k .

G1
n X n Y F y - n y -
 BO-DIDDLEYLICK
The accentsand ghost notes are very important to fully realizing
the character of this lick.

) =!2t Elh
?

,fe

FUNKY BLUESINTRO
This self-containedmusicalphrasesetsup a funky blues mood.

)=nt

BOSSANOVA
This exercisecan be played in two fashions: finger style;
pick and finger plucking*. The top part should practiced
be
alone until mastered;then the bottom part should be played in
order to achievethe straight eighth note feel; and then both
parts should be played togetheras a composite,thus obtaining
a
desirableeffect - - that of the bossanova rhythm.
*Note: Finger plucking is the use of the right hand fingers
that are not being held by the pick.
I

)= tllo e b/E Att

A+f

&+1

- j - = = = = = = . _ -
- - T--- T T TIT T T Zi
-
@ @ @
34
 SAMBA
It would be advisableto practicethis exerciseby first play-
ing only the accentednotes in order to get the feelingof the
characterof the figure. Then add the ghost notes.
In essencewe are attempting to createthe impressionof a
guitar as a completeLatin rhythm section.

a b/E

1
{

JAZZ SAMBA
Accentsand the slurredchordshigtrlightthe characterof thisjazz sambaexample.

)=t4* Ah,-'l br'I sts

N H Ailrswlt
V N V V

CLOSEDCHORDVOICINGS
compact closedvoiced chordsare usually played in fasterrhythmic values.

)-! 2D
,h

!@
E

35
 OPENCHORDVOICINGS
Open spreadchordsare usually of long rhythmic value.

)='fz
ELsPl) ,Aneig

FULL STRINGSECTIONEFFECT
WITH USEOF TREMOLO
This exerciseis achievedby turning the pick on edgeand striking
the string in a tremolo fashion. Thesechordsare spelledin big open
voicings,characteristicof the string sectionorchestraldevicenormally
usedin creatinga soft etherealsound.

A"t, CtnQ
)=to +a_ \.tsu+t 2

T
!2@ruaao @

GUITAR - HARP SOUND

To achievethe desiredmusicaleffect the stringsshould be
pickedover the top of the fingerboardat the I 7th fret letting each
note ring evenlyin a leeatofashion.

I
ufla- ehadL
)=60
 *t

..ACOUSTIC
RHYTHMCOLOUR"
A type of open threc note chord voicingcommon to certainstyleso1'
rhythm playing. This exerciseis basedon the twelvebar blues.

)=nt afo Am'l Amb a^f5 A,'^(

F neiT

I
2 2
"f@
L h t l Cn*5 gr AYnlll N,t*4

Avnail AV^I U / l A'*1 ,* ,r

*b Arnl clt s1
 TO
-_INTRODUCTION
CHoRDSoLo PLAYTNc
The guitar is truly a miniature orchestra,capableof cover_
ing the completemusicalspectrum. It can provide total harmonv:
it can staterhythmic figuresand perpetuaterhythmic feel; it
can sustainlike a keyboardinstrument;orit can play percussive-
ly like a drummer. It is a forceful instrument in all idioms - - folk.
rock,iazz,and traditionalmusicbf other countries.chord solo
playing is like writing for a band or orchestra,thinking in terms
of a stringsection,brasssection,saxophonesection,rhythm sec_
tion, and soloist. You should try to hear the miniature orches-
tra in your head,and make yourself increasinglysensitiveto i1.
The conceptof the guitar asa miniatureorchestrawill open up
your mind to the unlimited rangeof orchestralimpressionsto be
found on the instrument.This conceptwill broadenyour play_
ing so that you are not thinking totally from a guitaristicstand-
point, and will enableyou to reacha higherlevelof musicalex_
pression.

AS A MINIATURE
^THJ-GUITAR
ORCHESTRALACCOMPANIMENT
Hereis a musicalexantplebuilt on a standarcl pop,tunepro_
gressiondemonstratingthe subtleimpressionof the guitar
asa
miniatureorchestralaccompaniment.we will now analyzethe
tollowingmusicalexanrpre:Throughoutthe first five barsthe
inrpression is that o1'arhythrn sectior playingwith the keyboard
rnstrument,usingpunctuatior.r chordsto set both the rhythmic
a.d harmonicfeel of the piece. The next impressionbeginsat
the end of Bar 6. The impressionis a full studio stringsection
playingout a blanketof harmony. At the end of Bar
l l the
closedvoicedchordsare the inrpression of the lower brassele-
ment, trombonesand Frenchhorns,beingjoined by the full or_
chestralensemblefour bars before the first cadencepoint at Bar
14. The next strain,Bar 17, beginswith semi_closed voiced
punctuationchordsgivingthe impressionof the brassteam
(trumpetsand trombones)ioined by the saxesat the last
beat
of Bar 20 throughBar 21. At this poinf you rviil notice 5/zbeats
rest. This is an over exaggeration of leavingspaceto perpetuate
a senseof drama. We beginthe next impressionwith the en-
tranceof the saxophones and trombo'es layingor.rta rnat with
semi-puncuated chordsreadingup to the final cadenceand turn-
aroundending. This elementis now joined by the stringsat Bar
lB and 29. Bar 30 thins out to the impressionof the lower
brass
clenrent,tliat of trombonesand Frenchhorns,for the first
two
beatsjoined by saxophones on the last beatof Bar 30. The
sec.nd beatof Bar 31 beginswith the full ensembleorchestra
leadrngup to the repeatsign.
38
 I

'\9./ , 7
@
n+,--lllll= *ri.j --.-

- +- zrc-d--T
s-i- r
--_A 4tiltZ *+n *t -o,

*bo=t. 1

ti-!t 2"7

t t t t r -
6"q=- @

39
 CHORDSOLOSTUDY
T'hisHoward Robertscornpositionjs an exploratorystudy
in the techniquesutilized for chord soio playing. Take cogrri_
zanceof the following voicings,sir-rgle
note runs used to fill a
deadspot (wheremeloclyrests),inclependent chord movement
over melody,pedalbaseto'e. modulationa'd meloclicsequellce.
chromaticchord structures,punctuationchordsto highlightthe
melody,melody with strongcoulltermelody implicatio's,ostin-
ato base,parallelharmonicstructures,chorcichrsters, rnerod-v
changedin octave,and repeatedrhythmic figures.

Note I : Sustaineachchordaltone to the maximum rluratio'

of time.
2: The string indications,fingering,exprcssior-r
nrarkings,
atrd time signaturechanges.
*'rhe latty third joint oi
the tirst fingersoundsthe note maki'g
one fingersoundtwo notesthat are not on tire sameiret. 'ilrrsrs
accomplished by lightty pulling down the fatry Lrrrrof tire tliirtl
joint while still keepingthe fingerarchecl.

.a'n---r,

:
T- TI
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:-- t 4) 7

Itt
 4 v L a - ^ 7t
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 GLOSSARYOF MUSICAL ABBREVIATIONS
AND SYMBOLSUSEI) IN THE TEXT

MUSICALNOTATIONS

A TEMPO . . . in time, a term indicatinga return to the originalrate of

movementafter somedeviation.

CRESC. . . graduallylouder.

DIM . . . graduallysofter.

DYNAMICS . . . degreesof power or volume. Dynamicsignscommonly usedare

as follows:

ppp . . . softly as possible.

pp. . . pianissimo. . . vcry softly.

p...piano...soft.

mp . . . mezzopiano. . . rnoderatelysoft.

mf . . . mezzoforte . . . moderatelyloud.

f ... forte...loud.

ff . . . fortissimo . . . very loud

fff . . . fortissisimo. . . loudly as possible.

sfz . . . sforzando. . . suddenlyloud

7 . . a c c e n t .. . s t r e s s r nagt o n e .

ESPR...expressive.

FERMATA . . . to hold indicatinga tone or chord to be held or prolonged.

HARM...harmonics.

LEGATTO . . . no breakbetweentone.

MENO MOSSO. . . a steadyrate of speed,slowerthan the precedingphrase.

PIU f,lOSSO'.. . a steadyrate of speedfasterthan the precedingphrase.

4J

,ii:
ji
l,t'
 POCCOACCEL. . . fasterlittle by litile.

Poco Mosso . . . a steadyrate of speed,slower than the precedingphrase.

POCORIT. . . a little retard.

RALL. . . decrease
speedslightly.

RUBATO . . . not in strict time.

SENZA MISURE . . . without measure.

SIMILE . . . in similar fashion.

TEN...holdalittle.

VIB . . . meansto uplift the fingersof the left hand whiie the note is sounding

like a violin to producea pleasingvariationin pitch.

UNO CHORDO . . . two notesplayedlegatto(evenasone chord).

TR . . . trill, a rapid alteration of two adiacenrnotes.

SYMBOLS

,\
3 Slide up or down with the samefinger.

F Down pick.

V Up pick.
,G\
U) Stringindications;numbercircled.

t Left hand fingeringindications;numbernot circled.

U Five basicfingerings; Roman numerals.

*
a' Gracenote (Flag with line throughit).

l'l Hammer on.

+- Bendingat note (seenotation symbolsfor biuesornamentation).

*Ve
Reversebendingof note (seenotation symbolsfor bluesornamentation).

16
 2-/
Gliss,which is slide,usesamefinger (or chord).

Slur.
-
Glissdown.

z_ Glissup.

sde,G the shake.

I
x Slap. Fingersof right hand slap the fingerboardat the l6th fret.

frr Pull of f slur mark more than one note ascending.'

C Slowfour tempo.

Fast four tempo.

T . . . fleshy part of first joint of the left hand thumb usedto stop assigned
notes.

L. H. Left hand.

R. H. Right hand.

EXPRESSIONMARKINGS:

) suddenacceptfull value.
A
I accentnote, hold half of value.
4
2 an accented,short staccato.
I

7 soft attack,hold full value.

I

; short staccatoattack, playeclas half value.

I
infinity symbol,unlimiteddurationof time.
t &

(f) ghost note, falseimage.

47