GIT Nex Ten top guitarists offer their insights to guitar artistry. Larry Carlton Joe Pass Tommy Tedesco Joe Diorio Ron Eschete Don Mock Robben Ford Les Wise Jay Graydon Eddie Van Halen PLUS: A Special Chapter ‘Accelerated Learning” by Howard Roberts. :aydon Van Halen Lett to right: Joe Diorio, Joe Pass, Robben Ford, Don Mock, Tommy Tedesco, Howard Roberts, Jay Graydon, Larry Carlton, Les Wise, Eddie Van Halen, and Ron Eschete. SO eEC on te Soe ER eee cece handling, ($3.00 outside U.S.) to Musicians Institute Publications, 6757 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028 (213) 462-1425. re RR OUR atl CTO tosContents Forward Pat Hicks 7 HowardRoberts — On Learning Music 8 Larry Carlton Elements ofa Style 16 Tommy Tedesco — The GIT’s of Sightreading 30 Joe Diorio Modern Turnarounds 40 Jay Graydon The Studio: 52 Both Sides of the Glass Les Wise Target Tones 64 Ron Eschete Reharmonization Techniques 76 Robben Ford Developing a Solo 86 Eddie Van Halen — Rock Inventions 96 Don Mock Mastering “Triads Over 110 Bass Not Joe Pass Jazz Chord Soloing: 124 “Pasta Blues”Forward ‘The concept of Ten parallels the concept of GIT; a coalition of great artists who have joined together for the purpose of helping you, the player, develop into a true craftsman. In each chapter of this book, the artist attempts to capture the essence of his own style or approach. Of course, this essence can never really be transferred to you since each of us is a one-of-a-kind creation. It is our hope though, that what you learn from each artist will help in unfolding your own Each artist in this book was selected because he is an “original” and as such has made a permanent contribution to the evolution of guitar playing. Larry Carlton's “pure” sounds instantly recognizable and he is emulated by thousands of young guitarists everywhere. Joe Pass has become an institution in the jazz guitar world, Tom Tedesco is known as the “most recorded guitar player in the history of studio guitar.” Joe Diorio is the guitar player's guitarist, noted for his phenominal technique. Ron Eschete stuns most players when he spontaneously composes complex chord melody solos effortlessly. Don Mock's intensé energy and total command of the instrument astonishes players and non-players alike Robben Ford, the young “veteran” fusiowblues player, touches the deepest emotions with his Soulful solos. Les Wise enjoys that enviable position of having mastered the art of playing fast, non-stop, impeccable bebop lines through rapid chord changes. Jay Graydon’s “midas touch” borders on genius, with many years 8 a top studio guitarist to his credit, he now produces one Grammy Award winner after another ~ Twilight Zone, After the Love Has Gone, Turn Your Love Around, Breaking Away, etc. Edward Van Halen “breaks the mold,” with each new album he records he starts a new trend in rock guitar music. Howard Roberts, a renowned member of Gibson's “Hall of Fame” guitarists, and author of GIT curriculum, has earned the respect of top musicians everywhere as the player who becomes the best at everything he attempts, from studio to concerts to records to education, ‘The material in this book is a veritable gold mine of knowledge. You can literally spend months on any one of the chapters presented to you. For this reason, I recommend that before you begin your studies, you read and make every effort to understand the information contained in Howard Robert's chapter on learning (Chapter 1). Armed with the ability to apply the learning principles laid out for you, you can assimilate this priceless material much more quickly — which, by the way, is the main benefit of this book: By seeing music through the eyes of these master musicians, you will be knocking on the door of your own potential, Pat Hicks Fit Nabe President, Musicians InstituteHoward Roberts When I was seven years old - for some unknown reason I wanted to play the guitar more than anything else in the world. My folks wouldn't buy me a ‘guitar so all Idid was fantasize about it. One day, I was playing with a bunch of kids at their house and they got into bragging about things they had or things they could do that made them special. When it came my turn to brag about something, I couldn't think of anything. So I lied and told them I could play the guitar. To my chagrin, one of them said, ‘ok, we have a guitar here that you can play.’ So they pulled out an old Silvertone with rusty strings about one-half inch off the fingerboard. In the panic of the moment, I quickly, very quickly, tried to picture what a real guitar player would do; he would move the fingers of his left hand up and down the fingerboard (the faster, the better), and the ‘same would probably be true of the right hand. So Imoved my hands about the guitar with blinding speed in one short but furious burst. When I had finished, I did not know what had done, but neither did they. “But that experience gave me the subliminal message: I had in fact actually played the guitar and that all I would have to do from that point on was to become a little more particular about the notes I played. And nothing's changed Howard began playing professionally by age 11, and by his early teens had played a variety of obs including country music with Buster Fyte and his Western Playboys, and bebop with Art Farmer. HLR. gets a special satisfaction from guitar education through his curriculum design at GIT, his nationwide seminars, and his column in Guitar Player magazine. ‘The Roberts career has included uncountable studio sessions, concerts and recordings with the greatest players in the business. Has forty years of playing made him set in his ways? “No way! The opposite, as a matter of fact. I'm influenced from the moment I get up in the morning until get up the next morning.”On Learning Music by Howard M, Roberts Ifyou are like most people, you probably learned how to play a musical instrument in the public schools. Ifso, then be aware that you have probably been programmed to learn in an inefficient and largely unrewarding way. Asa result, many hours of practice have been lost because you cannot remember what you leaned. And, obviously, if you can't remember it, you can’t use it. You have wasted a great deal of time learning that learning music is all work and no reward ~ it is time to learn a new way. ‘The problem of the old way is that it depends for its success upon rote learning and ineffective methods of memorization. By contrast, the new way is compatible with the way the nervous system processes informat and enables you to make progress in a natural and satisfying way. Itis essential to bear in mind that the valuable years of learning, which passed ‘when you were very young and the nervous system was still being formed, have already been given up to the old way. Habits have been formed which are, for the most part, bad habits. These are destructive to the learning process, and will not contribute to your growth or pleasure in the study of music. However, simply recognizing these habits for what they are is not enough to get rid of them. You ‘may consciously understand the new way, but the unconscious is in the grip of the old way and will prevail unless you constantly remind yourself. Presence of mind throughout the entire learning experience is necessary if you want to break the spell of the old habits. The new way may seem alittle artificial to you because itis so unlike your previous training, but have faith ~ you will see results soon! Now, let’s look at the features of the new way. We will ake up in turn; Quality, Quantity, Motivation, Diagnosis, Two Kinds of Memory, Recall, Time Frames, Accuracy and Speed, and Overload. Quality With the old way of learning, you are fed a piece of information of dubious relevance or importance and expected to master it for some future good which you do not presently comprehend. Because the information is not perceived to ibe of use to you, itis not well enough imprinted for easy recall. Then, six months later, when you need it for a particular application, you have to go back and learn all over again. This has taken twice the time for half the musical payoff. This does not mean that you won't encounter material from time to time whose immediate relevance is not clear to you. You will. Should you ignore it and go on to the next assignment? The answer is no. Once your eyes, ears and hands have touched a thing, there is a kind of “deja vu" effect which makes it much easier to remember later when the need arises. For this reason you should go through the regimen and discipline of learning that piece of information, knowing full well that you may not fully retain it this time around. There is however, a more efficient way to learn. Itis based on the often heard but little appreciated rule that, states: a person learns what he wants to learn when he wants to learn it. This is of the uptmost importance in the selection of material. You must know exactly WHAT you are working on and exactly WHY you want it. You must see how it fits into your present body of musical knowledge and how and where you will use it once you master it. Therefore, whenever possible, work only with information which has a useful purpose now.Quantity Let's talk for a moment about dealing with large quantities of information. When approaching a new piece of music with hundreds of notes that you are supposed to learn, are you going to learn all of those notes simultaneously? The answer is — not likely. Nevertheless, it is possible to make the simultaneous learning of many notes appear to happen, as it does with good studio sight reading, but thisis an illusion. They are stil learning one note ata time, only the process is so accelerated as to seem like magic. The old Chinese proverb “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,” changes the nature of the problem of learning altogether. YOU HAVE ONLY TO PLAY THE FIRST NOTE SUCCESSFULLY AND PROPERLY TO INFORM YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM THAT YOU ARE CAPABLE OF PLAYING THAT FIRST NOTE WELL AND THAT YOU HAVE NOW PLAYED YOUR INSTRUMENT CORRECTLY. You have selected a note to play and you have performed that note well. You have now proven to yourself that you are a successful learner. Now you need only to build on this base — step by step, and the performance of the rest of the piece is merely a question of quantity rather than quality. In other words, if student skier can ski the first three feet correctly, he certainly can ski the next three feet correctly and the next and the next, With this recognition comes strengthened motivation. The next note is easier to learn and the process accelerates. Just remember; after learning that first note, ask yourself simply — what is the next step? The obvious answer is — the next note. In this way, you are never overwhelmed by dealing with hundreds of notes at once. ‘The next step is just to put the first two notes together and perform them in sequence. You've now doubled the amount of material you've mastered without increasing the difficulty. Next? The third note and the fourth note....and now all four together...! Motivation We are all accustomed to think that motivation results from the input we receive from others, whether this is a gold star, a word of encouragement, or evena failing grade. This is part and parcel of the old way of learning, but the motivation received in this way is short-lived. The only lasting and reliable source of motivation is successful performance, and only you can insure this. The self is the real source of motivation. ‘When you turn to a lesson and sit down to devote fifty minutes of your time and concentration, you must be assured that at the end of the period you will put your instrument down and walk away with what you sat down to get. You must give up the habit of failing and replace it with the habit of success. You've got to walk away with the reward every time, or know exactly what went ‘wrong. With the new way, failure to learn and grow is eliminated by design. You will never walk away with a blank because you are confused about what you are doing or because of poor study techniques. But how do you determine what to do if something does go wrong? This brings us to diagnosis. Diagnosis In your studies itis very important to be aware of the effects of environmental factors such as weather, light, and background noise. Ifitis a hot, stifling day, and the oxygen count is low, your learning is going to be affected. Improper lighting can cause fatigue and eye strain. Be sure thatyour practice area is welll; if you are particularly sensitive to this problem you ‘might solve it with full-spectrum lighting, etc. Next, be aware of distracting noises in the environment. We live in a world of 60-cycle hum. The electricity inall of our walls is humming away, producing a pitch somewhere between B flat and B natural. If there is an air conditioner or refrigerator nearby, the sound can influence everything you play. You can be severely out of tune with the refrigerator and easily mis-diagnose the problem as a fault ofa tin ear or lack of talent. All of this points toa larger concern — the problem of properly diagnosing and identifying the obstacle to successful and rewarding learning. You might think, for instance, “No matter how hard I try, I cannot play fast enough — there must be something wrong with my hands.” The problem may actually be only the poor synchronization of two excellent hands. A possible solution is to play in the bathroom, where it is extremely quiet and resonant, and where one can hear the most minute detail coming out of the instrument. This may serve to eliminate quickly the flam-effect between the right and left hand. Finally, relaxation is an important factor. Being relaxed effects your blood flow and your muscle-tone. Proper posture is equally important. Get up from your chair, get the instrument out of your hands, and stretch frequently. If the task starts to seem overwhelming — lie down flat on the floor and breathe deeply for a few moments. Imagine yourself playing the passage perfectly. Be kind and considerate to yourself — after all you are learning to play music forthe joy of it. Keep yourself relaxed and comfortable at all times, and your learning will be many times more effective. Two Kinds of Memory ‘There are two kinds of memory involved in the learning process. Your motor ‘memory is the training of the physical or motor skills (where to put your fingers, etc.,) and your data memory which is the acquisition of conceptual data and information. Your motor memory is stored in a different place and is trained differently from your data memory. The motor memory is trained by repetition. If you are training motor skills, you can practice for many long hours without doing any harm. The more of this kind of repetition the better. In fact, much of this learning can be accomplished unconsciously. A person can achieve wonders while mindlessly staring at the television, playing or noodling for hours, even with the sound on. With data memory — the memorizing of conceptual data, such as scale construction, fingering patterns, licks, harmony, etc., you must work within very short time frames, making sure you do not exceed your attention span. Bear in mind that your attention span will vary from day to day, and may be as short as five, ten or fifteen minutes at any one sitting. The signal that you have come to the end of your natural attention span, may be anything from staring at the wall, to thinking about your vacation, to playing that little ol’ blues lick you have known since you were seven. In this case, your unconscious mind is telling you, you have had enough for now. This is perfectly natural. So take a short break. It's no big deal. You'll recover quickly and you can continue on effectively. Remember, then, that there are two completely different aspects to gaining ‘musical control of the instrument: First, learning by mental rehearsal and ‘visualization and recalling it from memory, and second (though no less important), motor skill taining through repetition. Don't fall into the trap of confusing the two different types of learning and spending hours working without concentration trying to acquire conceptual data. And, conversely, don’t be fooled into thinking that there is a short cut to acquiring motor skills. Howard Roberts u2 Recall Studies have shown that the mind is like a camera. Once it gets a clear impression of the material, the picture is snapped into focus. You have it. It can now be recalled and replicated in order to train the motor system. Memory should not depend on repetition. Rather, the rote learning we are taught school is actually destructive to the learning process. What you should be doing is looking at the material once to get a very clear, focused picture; then, mentally rehearsing it without actually using the instrument. On the rote- memory system, you are taught to repeat the learning process over and over. This is where you start to forget. The picture blurs, and you do not learn how to remember. Reinforce this new way of learning by staying away from the printed page as much as possible. Make the snapping of the image only once a matter of habit. Practice recalling the sounds and visualizing the fingerings that match those sounds. Do this while waiting for the bus or having lunch. In time this will become second nature, and you will become a perpetual learner, able to learn ‘as much away from the instrument as you can with it in your hands. Time Frames ‘You may ask “How long should I work on new material at any one time?” ‘The answer is, you should work on new material in the beginning in very short time-frames. A few minutes of concentrated, thoughtful study can make a solid impression and can prove far more beneficial than hours of unfocused drudgery. In the beginning stages you will need to assign yourself breaks “by the clock” until you become sensitive to your own physical and mental signals. So get yourself a kitchen timer and time each section of your practice. Atfirst, when your timer goes off signifying that your time is up, obey the discipline of the signal. Do not break it and go beyond your assigned time-imit! ‘Then as you become more accustomed to managing your own time, you will become more and more sensitive to your own limits, and will be able to sense ‘when you have gone too far and need to rest. Remember that, while on the old method it is all right to practice until you drop, the new method requires you to re-train yourself for a whole new kind of learning experience. Accuracy and Speed Itis natural for any student of instrumental music to want to play fast right away. This is a perfectly legitimate desire. It is crucial to remember, however, that speed is a by-product of accuracy. If you are not accurate, your speed will simply not develop. If you try to play too fast too quickly you will simply reinforce the bad habit of sloppy playing.Howard Roberts ‘The first mistake should serve as a signal, informing you not to do it again. That little mistake might not seem like much to the casual listener, but to you, engaged in the training of your motor system, that one mistake is far too costly to let slip by uncorrected. If you do let it by, your nervous. system will begin to view that level of performance as acceptable, and the mistake will become more and more difficult to overcome. So a rule to bear in mind is: Do not make the same mistake more than once. Multiple mistakes of the same type are very dangerous. Once you make a mistake stop, go back and play it again more slowly ~ play only at a tempo which you can play without a mistake ~ then speed will come, naturally. The Overload Problem Now you might ask “All right, now I've broken the material down into very small sections, and I'm going to work on them slowly. But how many of these ‘small sections can I keep in the air at the same time?” Here, you have to answer your own question. The process of assembling small bits of material is like a juggling act. If you're attempting to handle four small sections and at that moment you are oniy capable of handling three, adding the fourth can make you fumble the other three. So, if you feel a sense of overload, back off and concentrate on parts 1, 2, and 3. It’s far better to leave your practice session with three bars of successfully accomplished study than to walk away with fifty bars of material you don't quite remember and can't quite execute. If you do subject yourself to overload, you will exhibit some discouraging symptoms. The most obvious symptom is, not getting around to practicing — you just don't feel like doing it, even though you can’t explain why. ‘You might wonder “After I become confident of my own ability to recognize things like loss of attention span and overload, should I still keep working within the time-frames imposed?” The answer to this question is that the management of time must always be kept in consideration; the chances are that it will never become completely natural to you, because your previous training is lixely to be deeply ingrained. The chances are that you'll have to remind yourself constantly that you are in the business of adopting new methods for more efficient learning. BM4 Keep the following pointers in mind, they will always be of help to you. Checklist 1. Make sure you are clear about the value of the material and its relevance to you. 2. Concentrate on mastering a small amount of material at one time. 3. Work within short time-frames and take frequent rest-breaks, especially with mental learning. 4. Don’t be overwhelmed by a dense page of notes: take them one ata time, 5. Strive to make no mistake more than once. 6. Diagnose your playing problems carefully. Don’t blame your mind for motor problems and vice-versa. 7. Remember that the mind is like a camera: one focused shot is better than a hundred blurry ones. 8. Pay attention to your practice environment. 9. Don't exceed your natural attention span: avoid overload at all costs. 10. Work with your nervous-system, not against it. A Word about the Book Remember that you are responsible for what you are learning. This book cannot do everything for you. Use it as a springboard to your own development. Take control. Be responsible for your own growth ~ every good player of any instrument is comfortable being his or her own teacher and a student simultaneously. Give yourself permission to go ahead as both. Don't think “I'm only a novice now, but some day I will be accomplished.” Instead, think “Now T'm accomplished at some things and a novice at others — but that’s okay, because I'm an effective student, and I learn fast.” ‘Thanks to Garry and Catherine Hagberg and Steven Gurgevich for their editorial assistance.Howard Roberts16 Larry Carlton LARRY CARLTON's first exposure to the guitar came at the ripe old age of four, when he spotted his mother's acoustic guitar. He was fascinated by it, but “they made me wait until I was six, till |was big enough to even hold it.” Eight years of lessons in Torrance, CA, followed, including two lessons with Joe Pass. All the while, Larry was absorbing influences like Barney Kessel, Joe Maphis, Johnny Smith, Tony Mottola, Wes Montgomery, and B.B. King. ‘Surprisingly, it was studying these “traditional” players that got him rock studio work, because here was someone who could read but still sound “young. By the ninth grade, Carlton was playing three nights a week. His first recording date was a surprise even to him. He'd hooked up with Tommy Rettig (of early Lassie fame) and his wife, and wound up ina garage in Pasadena recording tunes. About a month later, he heard himself on the radio on the frst record by the Tokens, Oh, What A Night. Larry's first “legit” recording work came with a group called the Challengers, one of the Ventures-like guitar bands of the sixties. Now a veritable vinyl veteran, Larry has five albums under his own name and has appeared on albums by over 150 major artists, including Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell, Michael Franks and the Crusaders. He is widely recognized as the progenitor and principle proponent of that “335 Sound, ”as well as for his innovative use of the volume pedal. How does someone with all this experience and time in the studio stay fresh? “What I'l do is stop playing. 'm 34 years old now, and from the time Iwas 16 or 17, Iwas playing constantly. So, for me, the best thing I can do is get a breath of fresh air, meaning take a lot of time off and then come back to the instrument. [enjoy it more and I'll work harder at it. Obviously, by doing that, my technique suffers, but it clears my brain. When you're playing, 10, 12, 14 hours a day, you get clogged, fall into cliches and stop growing. So I get away {from all music for a while and come back clear-headed, ready to play.”Elements of a Style by Larry Carlton We often hear the word “style” used to describe not only different types of music Gazz, classical, rock “style”) but also to characterize a musicians playing style within a given musical style. Since most guitarists use basically the same techniques (hammer-ons, pull- offs, bends, vibrato, etc.), itis when and how these techniques are performed that gives each player his or her own individual “style.” In this chapter, I discuss how I approach each of these techniques or elements which then come together in my playing to make up my style. Bending 1 would like to first describe some of the string bending techniques I use in my playing. There are basically three ways I would bend up or down to a given \ote. For example let's say the chord is Dm7 and the note we're bending to is a ‘D" note. The most common thing to do is bend up to the D from either a half step, whole step or even a minor third (3 frets) below. ao A second way to approach D, is to pre-bend the C up to D and then sound the D so the bend would not be heard. avy ‘To create the illusion of bending down, I use the fall off (released bend). Here I prebend the D up to E then strike the note and release it down to D. Now the listener only hears the fall off, not the bend, AV fe (af KEY B_ - Bend V - Attack orpick note RB - Reverse Bend S -Slide & - Grace notesare used toindicate the PO - Pulloff note that abend originates from. 7Another bending technique I use is to prebend the C up to D as in Example 2 then after a short fall off down to C, I make a quick position shift with my left hand, upa whole step, and bend up to E. Ves B Ae Here's another technique I use where I bend a note with the third finger (G up to A on the B string), then release the bend back to G then pull off to F with my index finger and bend back up a whole step (F to G), with the index finger and finally release the bend back to the F note. FB 7 5 #8 Ban co 8. 33% Here's a bending device that can create very large sounding bends. Here I begin with a bend from C up to D on the E string, with my index finger. Then Tl slide up and bend with my third finger, F up to G all in one motion on the same string and finally release the bend (G) back down to F. Tocreate an opposite effect of the above technique, I usually begin witha note already bent up (C to D) with my third finger. Now after releasing the bend I slide or gliss down the same string to a lower note in the scale with my first finger. v Vigo Vas 18Larry Carlton Vibrato use basically three different styles of vibrato. Remember that vibrato is the fluctuation in pitch of a note that we use to create a more vocal sound. ‘The first technique is to bend up to a note from either a half or whole step below and then apply vibrato. If| was bending a G note on the B string up to A, usually put my third finger on the G (8th fret), my first finger on the F (6th fret) and second finger on the F# (7th fret). | also wrap my thumb around the neck firmly for a strong anchor. The three fingers all work together to give a lot of strength and support to the vibrato which is all controlled from the wrist. ‘To practice this I would bend up a whole step and then release down a half step and back up to form a bent “half step” vibrato. | would play it at all speeds, making sure the half steps were true. Beg To put vibrato on a note that is not bent, I use a sideways motion. If the note is Gon the B string, again I would back up the third finger (Sth fret), with my first and second fingers on the 6th and 7th frets respectively. Also, I would keep my thumb and palm of my left hand free, not touching the neck at all and move the hand back and forth, while digging in with the fingers. You may notice that with this form of vibrato, which is more of what a classical guitarist or string player uses, you can actually hear the note dip below the fretted pitch ‘when the fingers are pushing to the right or towards the bridge. ‘The third form of vibrato [ often use is the simple up and down movement on a fretted note that’s not bent. [ usually use my first finger for this, but the second, third and fourth could also be used. Muting A technique I use to control the length or sustain of a note is to take the palm of my right hand, a right finger or thumb, and deaden the string after it has been picked. This can create more space between notes as opposed to always letting them run together. One way I ike to do this is to stop a note immediately after itis picked then bend the note up a half or whole step then pick it again. In this example, the bends up and down are not heard, only the two notes. ‘The pick can serve to stop a string too. eta 19ds, ‘Through the use of triadic thinking, Iam able to play wider interval jumps that can create interesting non-scalear melodic ideas. The examples below can all be played over a C minor chord and are constructed solely by triad fragments. ‘The first shifts back and forth between F and Cm triads. You will note that I often play only two notes of the triads. To my way of thinking, the two notes still represent the triad I have in mind and since I know the triad shapes all over the fingerboard and how they relate to the chord I'm playing over, I can freely pick notes out of the triads to create numerous melody lines. 2»Larry Carlton ‘The fingerboard diagram below shows one position where the Cm, Bb and F triads can be found and how they relate to each other. 1 would suggest you first learn the triad arpeggios, then experiment playing maybe two notes of one triad, then two of three of another and so forth. In this particular situation, any of these ideas will work well over Cm7, F9 or Ebmaj? as long as you maintain a sense of phrasing and resolve to notes in the chord you are playing over. cm = @ Bb =O F=O Common Tones When improvising, I sometimes like to use common tones. These are notes I might sustain while two or more chords change beneath me. Having a good working knowledge of harmony, I'm able to immediately determine if note Lam playing will fit the next chord coming up in the tune. If it does I might hold the notes over into the next chord to create tension and interest. This also attracts ‘more attention to my one note. In this example the D note fits well over the Cm7 and Dm7. The A note may sound a bit tense over the Ebmaj7, but resolves well to the D7. The F sounds good over the Cm7 and Dm7 and the Disa good common tone for the Ebmaj? to Dm? Ebmaj7 Dm7 21Delaying Another technique I use to determine more attention from the listener when playing a phrase that might be somewhat predictable, I might intentionally wait an ‘eighth or quarter note before playing the last note. The first line ofthis example shows a melody that ends in a predictable way. The second line shows how I might delay playing the last note. D7 Gm7 D7 Gm7 Here is another example of the delay technique. Bbmaj7 Ebmaj7 Bbmaj7 om 76 #2 the ee Dee Ebmaj7 Dee Te o—# bee Set ups To create a stonger dynamic pull when improvising through a chord change, I feel itis important for a player to be able to lead the listener to the next chord in the progression. In this example, we have the first few bars of blues in G. Inthe first three bars, I played a simple blues melody, but in the fourth bar I played a line that “sets up” to the C9 chord in the next bar.Larry Carlton G7 The following example demonstrates this same device. (Bar 4 is the set up melody that leads to the C9.) 8 ye Pee i ee. Simplicity A characteristic of my style of improvising is to start my solos simple. I prefer to establish a mood and think of something special to play and develop as opposed to “burning” right from the start, which can be exciting, but is not always the ‘most musical. Starting a solo with a lot of space allows the groove to set and also gives the other players in the band a chance to feed you harmonic and rhythmic information to play off of. For example, I might begin a solo with a short phrase and in the space I then leave, the keyboard player may react to what I ust played by playing some nice chord voicings or something which now might inspire me to play a new idea I may not have thought of before. Now the solo can build and as a result, there is more interplay and the band sounds more cohesive.Elements that give you your sound and style. 1. Instrument Even though many guitarists, including myself, are recognizable by their tone and type of guitar, every player will still sound like themselves no matter ‘what brand or style of instrument they choose to play on. Consider piano players. Most pianos sound basically the same. But it's still easy to recognize ‘who the piano player is by the way they play, not by the sound or tone of the instrument. It would be dificult for me, to disguise my style of playing by using a different amplifier sound or type of guitar. I may take advantage of certain characteristics of different guitars. For example, when using my “335” which sustains alot, my playing tends to sound more singing by holding notes out longer and using more vibrato. When playing ona Fender type guitar, which doesn’t quite have the sustain, I may move from idea to idea a bit faster. But even when using these different playing approaches, which may be inspired by a specific guitar, | will stil sound like myself no matter which type of guitar I choose. 2. Attack and Dynamics Players can sound very different even if they were to play exactly the same phrase because of the way they may choose to attack the notes. One player may pick a note sharply to express feeling, while another may play that note lightly or as a hammer-on ora bend. 3. The Vibrato ‘The vibrato can be a very strong characteristic of a players individual style. Vibratos can vary alot from slow to fast and narrow to wide. 4, Harmonic Concept The choice of notes and the use of various melodic concepts (triads, intervals, scales) can be a very identifing trait of a player. 5. Rhythmic Concept ‘This is the different way players express themselves through the use of rhythmic phrasing, syncopation and space. 6. Guitar Techniques Individual style can be evident through the use of these guitar techniques: bends, hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides, muting, etc.Larry Carlton, Solo from “Hill Street Blues” Here is a transcription and analization of my solo from the “Theme from Hill Street Blues” by Mike Post, Although it was overdubbed after the rhythm section had laid down the basic track, I feel this is a good example of a tasteful and well constructed improvised solo. The chord changes for the solo section are shown on the rhythm chart. Bar 1 The first bar begins witha simple pick up whichis held to allow the rhythm sections’ harmonic and rhythmic concepts to be established. Bars2-4 ‘The second bar is an imitation ofthe first which then moves into a Gm7 to Cmidea in the third bar. Bars5-6 Here inbar Sis again an imitation of the original theme. Bar7 Inthe seventh bar the theme continues (imitation of bar 5) andis, extended into the next bar. Bars8-9 Onthe fourth beat of the eighth bar, I anticipated the Gm chord in the next bar. Bars 10-11 _Inbarstenandeleven, I was thinking Bbmaj7 over the Gm7. Bars 12-16 The pick upin the last half of bar 12 sets up the unusual Bb over Eb chord with Db in the bass, found in bars 13 through 16. Here my thinkingis basically Eb major, although some of the ines (second beat ofbar 14) hint ata Bb sound, The last three notes of bar 16, which create an F7 feeting, set up the oncoming Bb chord of bar 17. (think of the Abover Bb chord basically as a Bb11 sound.) Bars 17-18 Inbar 17 my thinking was Bb to Fm9 then back to Bb in bar 18. Bars 19-20 The ideas in bars 19 and 20 came from thinking Fm7. think the main success of this solo was the use of short melodies and “themes” that were imitated and embellished upon, What often works well for me when developing a solo is to first state a theme then imitate it, turn it inside ‘out, break it up rhythmically and so on. I may not introduce very much new material which could distract from the flow and mood of a soto. By using these compositional techniques when improvising, your solos can have good structure, continuity and a sense of correctness. A strong solo can stand alone as its own tune.“Hill Street Blues” solo by Larry Carlton BR 8 ORB Le ne. BAN AY Slowly YoLarry Carlton “Hill Street Blues” rhythm chart solo; m7 Bo m7 Cm7 Ff m7 m7 Bb, m7 m7 Ke cm7 Gm7 KG Gm7 Gm7 Xe Gm7 Bboy) Br/nby s 2 : Abfsh —-Bb7 Abfgh Eb/gh Bb7 Abfgh BT Ebfgh Bb7 AbjghThe following phrases are taken from my solos on various recordings. Many of the elements I have described are present in these lines. Gm (C7) gn Bm (Dmaj7, Gmaj7) gu Bm (Dmaj7, Gmaj7) gnLarry Carlton F7 gn ' '30 Tommy Tedesco ‘Known variously as the Godfather, the Dean, or T.T., TOMMY TEDESCO is a perennial favorite of musicians the world over for his musicianship, his wit, and his accessibility. The Tedesco guitar (not to mention mandolin, banjo, lut, guitarron, balalaika, ukelele and anything else with strings on it) can be heard (on thousands of recordings, be they television and movie soundtracks, commercials, or Tommy's own albums. His column for Guitar Player magazine is one of its most popular features. Claiming that it was “so long ago I don't remember,” Tommy was attracted to the guitar after seeing it played at a wedding in his childhood Italian neighborhood. His father signed him up for what was to become several years of lessons till he was “starting to play strong in high school.” After high school, the took a break from the instrument that lasted several years. Working in an aircraft assembly plant doing “real work” was enough to drive him back to playing. And now, after some twenty-five years as one of the world’s greatest studio ‘guitar masters, Tom sees himself as “one of the rare guys trying to get back to his amateur status as a guitar player having fun” and playing clubs. “Il always be a guitar player, just like a dentist who might be 74 years old who only opens for his old cronies on Wednesdays. Ill always be open for my old cronies. You want me there on Wednesday, just call and Ibe there.” And to aspiring guitarists who might want to lose their amateur status? “Put 4 guitar in your hand and that comes first. Everything els have priorities any different, you ain't gonna make it.The GIT’s of Sightreading ty tommy Tedesco Is there anything more mysterious and painstakingly hardin the guitar world than sightreading? I doubt it! Some of the greatest guitar players I have known have been stumped in the sightreading category. Sightreading takes a certain type of dedication. It takes persistent effort and practice to let the notes on the score paper transfer tothe player playing the guitar. On many other instrumer the player has to figure out one or two ways to play the notes and that’s it ‘They are on their way (okay, maybe a few gimmick ways also). A guitar player, playing the note G just above the staf, for example, finds there are four strings the note can be played on. There are four different fingerings that can be used oneach note (Ist, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th finger). That shows sixteen ways of playing the note G. (Any of you mathematical geniuses write me a note if 'm ‘wrong. Reading on the guitar is harder than on most instruments. I think they will verify this. (Ihope.) y, let's see if we can help with some of your sightreading problems. alGitar players must know the notes on their fingerboard. The following exercise should be performed at a tempo that enables the player to get to the next note without struggling. I have kept the exercise free of time problems. Alter you have played the exercise comfortably with a minimum of mistakes, play it again increasing your tempo. To slow you back down a bit, read the ‘whole part backwards starting from the last note going all the way back to the first measure. If you pull this off, you definitely know the notes on the guitar and are not just memorizing patterns and sounds. You will notice that even though the key signature is in the key of C, the exercise modulates through ‘many different keys. A Change of Key 22‘Tommy TedescoA Change of Key (cont.)‘Tommy Tedesco Tn modern music one of the problems a reader has is handling syncopated time figures. In the following exercise | am emphasizing different rhythms and should be played in a jazz feel instead of just a basic exercise rhythm pattern, At first, have someone accompany you using a Dm7 - G7 - Cmaj? - A7b9 progression, When a piece of music sounds like music, it will help you immensely. A Change of Pace Dm7 G7 8 Cmajz ppg ee eesteny Ate UNO = Ao 2A Change of Pace (cont.) + £ —‘Tommy Tedesco Time signatures in unusual times can throw many players. Here is an example of an exercise that goes back and forth through many different time signatures. (Remember the 8th note is constant.) To get you used to the time feeling I kept the melody on one note to enable you to concentrate on the time changes only. A Change of Time ZEN‘The following three examples, taken from actual film scores, each have a specific problem area that a player must deal with. 1. Concentration Complete concentration is needed to zero in on this example. Divide the bars mentally. Notes in bar 2 are on beats “one” and “two” then on the “and” of three and on “four”. Notes in bar three are on the “and” of one and on “two” plus the “and” of three and on “four”. Watch out for these kinds of slight but deadly differences in phrases. Concentrate > 2. Recognizing Intervals In this example, once you recognize the first double figure or interval, all the others will fall in line. Concentrate on the top note of the intervals and let the bottom notes fall in line with the same fingers used in the opening bar. 1. >A~ #23 me ay a ~~ —_—_ ~‘Tommy Tedesco 3. Finger and Pick Technique use the finger and pick technique to play music lke this. ‘The pick, which is held by the thumb and first finger, usually plays the bottom notes and the second and third fingers play the top. Ihave shown how I would play the first two bars. Try different combinations Additional ingredients for successful sightreading on the guitar: A. Good memory B. Natural time feel C. Ambition to succeed D. Practice Remember, after a while sightreading becomes as second nature as riding a bicycle, driving car, brushing your teeth, etc., except for the new combinations of notes you will run into occasionally40 Joe Diorio ‘en, JOE DIORIO brings thirty years of experience as one of the world’s premiere practitioners of hard bop and exploratory jazz. He has gained wide ‘recognition and reputation for his ability to take creative harmonic liberties while remaining melodically artistic, and his intervallic technique knows no equal. Born in Waterbury, Connecticut, Joe's first exposure to the guitar came about when his father one day brought home a phonograph and a stack of records. Amongst the pile were some early sides by Django Reinhart and Tony Mottola. The young Diorio was attracted by the sound of the instrument and began taking lessons at age 13. By 15 or 16, “we used to play in the park sometimes, some of the little affairs, We had a litle band.” ‘The Diorio guitar was first committed to vinyl in the early sixties on an album with Eddie Harris called “Exodus to Jazz." Other record dates followed, including albums with Benny Green, Monty Budwig, Sonny Stitt and Ira Sullivan, as well as concert and touring work with Stan Getz, Freddie Hubbard ind Stanley Turrentine. Joe's musical travels have taken him to New York, Chicago, Las Vegas, and to Miami, where he taught Jaze Improvisation at the University of Miami. Having weathered well the winds of musical change, Diorio remains one of the most uncompromising yet openminded guitarists in all of jazz. Now based in Los Angeles, his full schedule is divided by record and club dates, finishing touches on a third book, and teaching duties at GIT. To anyone wanting to follow in his fretsteps, Joe advises: “You have to make strong commitment and you also have to be patient. It doesn't come quickly. There are a few exceptions along the line that are really precocious, but I don't think that’s the rule. What you really have to do is hang in there, make up your mind, study, and be stubborn about it.Modern Turnarounds by Joe Diorio ES | would lke to share with you twenty of my favorite tummarounds and introductions. Hopefully, many of these ideas will find their way into other areas of your music. AS so much of improvised music deals with the II-V-I progression, for example Dm7, G7, Cmaj?, there are more than enough examples here to whet your creative instincts. Keep trying new formulas and combinations until you create your own ‘Some of the chords may be new sounding to you, (please don’t shy away from dissonance) and some of the finger stretches uneasy at first, but keep trying every day to make these chords part of your harmonic vocabulary. It will pay off with beautiful music. Turnarounds ‘Tunes are usually divided into sections, i.e. A-A-B-A. Each section is usually eight measures. Turnaround can appear at the first or Second endings as well as the last, two measures of the tune. In its basic form, the turnaround is usually a tonic chord (in this case, Gmaj7) for one measure and the V7 chord here being D7 for one ‘We will be dealing with the key of G major. Ist 2nd Last two bars Gmaj7 D7 Gmaj7 D7 Gmaj7 D7 In order to return gracefully to the beginning or repeated sections, more harmonic movement is needed. ‘The following five examples show how the basic Gmaj7 to D7 turnaround evolves into a more active progression. This is achieved by adding other chords from the key, (VI and II), secondary dominants and flat five substitutes. aHere is the turnaround with the addition of the VI and II chords from the key of G, (Em?, Am7). This is probably the most common form of turnaround which will serve as a foundation to build more advanced harmonic formulas. Gmaj7 Em7 Am7 D7 Itis a common practice, if the melody allows, to change the VI and II chords to dominant sevenths (secondary dominants).. Gmaj7 E7 Az D7 Here is the use of the flat five substitution principle for the VI, Il and V chords. (Each chord is a flatted fifth interval above its original chord.) Gmaj7 Bb7 Eb7 Ab7 A.common diatonic substitute fora I chordis the III chord (Bm7). This can give us an additional Il or V movement (Bm7 to E7) for a stronger sense of tension — resolution. Bm? voicings also make for nice Gmaj9 sounds. Bm7 7 Am7 D7 ‘There are many kinds of turnarounds involving different harmonic formulas. We can create more strength and tension to each chord by adding the 9th, 11th and 13th plus alterations, b5 or #11, #5,b9, #9. The dominant chord can handle the most tension (alterations).Joe Diorio ‘The following examples. will give a more complete picture of the harmonic formulas used in this text p fg 9 9 #5 5 bs bs Gmaj7,9, 6/9 B7,9,11,13 Am7,9,11 D7,9,11,13 9 9 be 6 ‘5 1S bs bs Bm7,9, 11 Bb7,9,11,13 Am7,9,11 Ab7,9,11,13 (b5 substitute for E7) (b5 substitute for D7) is 9 B 5 Bm7 E7 Eb7,9,11,13 D7 Ebmaj7 (b5 substitute for A7) To add more movement we can put the Il chord of the flat five substitute (Fm7) before the V chord (BP?) Bm7 Fm7 Bb7 Am7 Ebm7 AbT7 (5 substitute IT — V) (b5 substitute IT — V) Examples 17 through 20 deal with four bar intros. Examples 1 through 16 are turnarounds which can be two bar intro's, or by making each chord four beats you ‘can extend the intro’s from two bars to four. Explanation of chord diagrams: Roman numerals to the left of boxes are the fret positions, the first finger will determine what position you are in ‘The circled numbers are the fingerings. Play only the circled strings. All others are not to sound.Two bar turnarounds VI T I es v 1 Bmo E7#549 Am9 D7t5%9 Example 1. vil Example 2. Example 3. uelett [ Example 4. Gmaj6/9 Bbisti1 Amo AbmajgJoe Diorio Example 5. Mm uglOT@ wold ® I Bm9 BbI3 sus4 Am11L AbI3 sus4 on Example 6. Example 7. vu C16] Example 8. E HaExample 9. Faery ite Hi 1) ¢ T Gmaj6/9 Fm9 Bb13 Am11 Ebm9 AbI3 Example 10. 1 I I a eal vwi@rr w vp | a tt a] igtot] TH aa CO Gmaj6/9 Fm9 Bbi3 Am11 Ab7b5 Ab13 fT Gmaj6/9 Fmi1 Bbis#it Am11 Ebmi1 — AbI3#11 Example 12. m vole oe I o Gmaj7b5 Bmi1 ——_Bb7b5 Am9 Am11——Ab7b5 AJoe Diorio Example 13. Bbmaj7 Am11 Ab7bs Gmajo Bb13#11 Ebmaj7b5 Abmaj7b5 Bb13 Am11 D7bs aExample 15. Vil vill vil vit Bm7 Cmaj7 D9 Am7 & = Example 16. oo ® @ Gmaj9 cis#11 Bm7b5 E13$11 g @ Am9 Bm9 Dil D7b9 S ZL z Z E |Four bar intro’s. Joe Diorio Example 17. md Gmajo Eb13b9 D13b9 C mt [TT] tM of tern taot Bmll Bb9 Ebmaj7b5 Abmaj7b5 Example 18. a | vote au oe aa Ter Bmg Bb13 sus Am9 Abmaj7bs, XD GOTO iu Gmaj7b5 Bbi3sb9 D13 sus Abmaj6/9 #11 x > 49Example 19. vu T]oa ull vio Bmll Fmaj7bs Ami Ebmaj7bs T vo [ uf ee hy Tern 1] tenn de Bm9 Bbi3¢#11 Amg AbI3#11 Example 20. m On| vl Ix AbI3#11 Abi3#11Joe Diorio Words of Wisdom... Playing the full scope of the guitar means balancing out all areas, i. playing single lines, good harmonic movements, and absorbing and emulating as many styles as possible. When all these elements blend together, an original style begins to emerge. Now sometimes progress is hard to see because it takes time for the mind to digest all the information. But, when the mind is ready all we have to do is press the magic button in the desired area and the music comes flowing out. So patience is the most important lesson. It has been my experience that the only requirement for playing is the desire to doit, all else bows to this. Ron Eschete and Joe Diorio 5152 Jay Graydon ‘ma hermit, man. I stay in my studio, and I work, play the guitar, and 1 bowl.” That's why the name Jay Graydon may not be known to many, but millions have heard his work on records by Steely Dan, Christopher Cross, Manhattan Transfer, Joe Cocker and hundreds of others. One of those rare creatures known as a “Native Californian, " Jay's musical genesis happened in Burbank. There, at fourteen, he switched from drums to uitar after the first rehearsal of a junior high school rock band. By taking the bands guitar home he was able to learn the tunes overnight, which didn't leave much for the regular guitarist to do. Hooked on the instrument, Jay soon traded in his drums for a guitar. A high school teacher taught him how to arrange for big band, but Graydon’s real turning point came later. “I was serious about the guitar, but I really didn't study too seriously until I was 21. Then, I studied with Ted Greene and he turned me around, Displaying a confidence that is backed up by numerous hit records and studio accomplishments, Jay Graydon is a meticulous craftsman whose musical and producing skills are much sought after by the likes of George Benson and Al Jarreau. “Thave a lot of enthusiasm, man, for things that Iike. [just blasted through it. [knew that was what was for me. There was never, ever, a doubt what I was going to do after the age of I.The Studio: Both Sides of the Glass | ty.jay Graydon SS As a rhythm guitar player For years people have asked me, “How do you get started in the recording business?” The answer never seems to change. You need one of the successful studio players that respects your playing, likes you, and is willing to send you a8 a sub and tell people about the new “latest hot-shot.” In my case, Dean Parks was my sponsor. I'm basically a self taught player and really didn’t even practice that much but I did giga lot. I spent a lot of time on the road with the Don lls big band and also Gary Puckett. When I settled into the Los Angeles scene, I started doing demo type work. I tried to think like a “studio player.” After a few years in the recording business, I found myself beginning to be in demand on the record date scene. I got involved strongly in records but not so much in television film or movie work. I never thought I was tight for TV but on the other hand, TV was not right for me. Guys like Tommy ‘Tedesco and Dennis Budimir have been doing movies and ‘TV music for years, almost like a 9 to 5 job. It never seemed to bother them. A few times of having ‘my hands become sweaty, because sight-reading is not one of my forte's, was ‘enough to convince me to stay in records. In TV and movies, the music is used strictly as a background for scenes while in records, music is the primary goal. So eventually, with a lot of recording hours behind me, my studio playing, especially my thythm playing started coming together. I started learning what kinds of parts worked and didn’t work and also what sounds and effects were successful. Hints in Rhythm Playing 1. In most of my recording work as a rhythm top 3 or 4 strings of the guitar for my mu or 6th string for muted parts, player, I used primarily the patterns, I usually use my 5th 2. Try to find chord voicings that don’t interfere with the piano player. 3. The biggest mistake a new player makes is trying to fil too much, primarily to show-off. Just find a rhythm part that adds color to the rhythm section and doesn't interfere with it. Fills will come in later on an over-dub. 4, When you run through the tune the first time, try to identify the feel and go with it. To prepare for this, a player needs to have listened to many records ‘or have had lots of ive experience to learn the different “feels” and rhythm concepts. Fit in with the strength of the rhythm section, Listen to the drummer and stay with him. Ifhe rushes, go with him. You are too new to be establishing apattern 6. Ifthe part doesn’t lay right, change it, try to make it fit. Ifthe leader insists ‘on what he has written, do your best to play it and if you can’t play it, level with the leader at this point, telling him you can't play it or it's unplayable. If you find a mistake in the chart, don't make a big deal about it, just correct it. 7. Sometimes you will find a dynamite rhythm part by accident. These are the things that Can really help make you known as a top rhythm player.* Remember, even though so many guitar players focus their energies on becoming lead players (soloists), ninty percent of the work you will do will probably be as a rhythm guitar player. Selecting a Rhythm Part ‘The following examples demonstrate various types of rhythm guitar parts, All of these were tried when I was putting down the rhythm guitar track on the AlJarreau tune “Roof Garden” from the album “Breaking Away.” The feel of the tune is what I term a “funk-a-shuffle.” In trying these parts, all of them seemed to work alright, but I was searching for a very special part. Let's go through each one and see why they weren't good enough. The parts all are for a Bb9sus chord. 1. This first example is a very stock kind of rhythm part. In any other tune it would have been fine, but the part was too predictable. Bb Bb9sus vJay Graydon reason this single note rhythm part was not used was the presence note, It tended to clash with the “AB” note in the melody and Bb9 3. This example is a semi-muted guitar part that was a little too busy. The part seemed to attract too much attention to itself. Bb9sus Bb9 Bb9sus Bbo 4. This was the part that I was looking for! It’s sparce enough not to dominate the song, yet strong enough to enhance it. Note the variations in the patterns. This eliminates predictability. This is the part that was used on the album. INTRO x Bb9sus > > Bbo > Bb9sus Bho4. (cont.) Bb9 > Rhythm “Feels” ‘The following examples demonstrate rhythm guitar “feels” in different ‘musical styles. The first is from the Al Jarreau album “Breaking Away.” The tune is titled “My Old Friend.” It's a good example of a muffled guitar part in arhythm and blues feel 1. Muffled Strings: F7aug/A AG o eT Fo Fmaj9 G13b9 ‘The next two parts are excerts from a disco style tune “Midnight Lady” by Cory Wells on the “Touch Me” album. Note the use of double stops in the first line and the muted single notes in the second. 2. Am9 pe Am9 De > a ea 3. Muffled Strings: Amo po >Jay Graydon Harmonized Guitar Fills A technique I am frequently asked to play are harmonized fill These parts, which are usually overdubbed, can add alot of color and interest. This device can be used for short phrases (as in the second example) to build up to a new section of a tune or simply fil in between vocal phrases. It can also be used for complete harmonized solos. (See “Twilight Zone” solo.) ‘Sometimes these fills were worked out ahead of time, but often after the rhythm tracks had been laid down, I would experiment recording various single note ideas along with the tape, and when I (or the producer) liked one, I would then figure out harmony parts for the line. ‘The following examples are guitar fills that have been arranged for two and three guitars. ‘The first is a fill that I used on the Steve Kipner album titted “Knock the Walls Down.” The example demonstrates a sound which I refer to as a “Wire Choir.” 1, Ag cil gg Fmaj Guitar 1 re Guitar 2 ‘The next two parts are also from the Steve Kipner album and demonstrate the use of harmonized fills in a pop-ballad idiom. 2 Eu Ctm7 gre Guitar 1 Guitar 258 Ell E9 Guitar 1 Guitar 2 gu Guitar 3 As a Soloist Tobe hired to play solos in the studio scene, you have to develop a reputation as a"“soloist.” I think my reputation was skyrocketed as a soloist after doing the solo for Steely Dan on the recording of “Peg.” After this, many recording people hired me to do their solo work. Nowadays, especially in the pop field, a player hired to play a guitar solo on a recording is often brought in after the basic tracks are laid down and is expected to over-dub the solo. The advantages to doing this is the player may get lots of “takes” at the solo and often gets to “punch in” parts and even piece together a solo in some instances. The disadvantages to doing this is sometimes the lack of a “live feel” and energy that is present when playing with the rest of the band, Also the pressure of playing alone in the studio with headphones on with the producer and maybe record company people watching from the control room can be nerve racking. Here is a short six bar solo that I was called upon to do onan L.A. record date. Due to the fact that I only had six bars of time to fill, [had to be really particular about my choice of notes, and at the same time, be as effective and tasty as possible, This brings me to the ultimate problem, what do I play? Being around the record business as long as I have, you tend to pick up certain ideas and licks which pertain to various and distinct styles of music. In this particular case, I heard an “Allman Brothers” type groove, which made me reach into my “Bag of Tricks” and come up with some of my more tasty “Country Rock” type ideas. With the aid of the written string symbols, I will try to guide you through this six bar solo. Starting on the sixth string with the third finger, I play a very “stock,” pentatonic, country type lick which ends on an “E” note on the third string (first finger). In the second bar, I use one of my “cliche” pedal steel licks which starts off by bending into a C# note on the second string (third finger). I hold this note in a bend (C#) while placing my first finger on the D note, first string, 10th fret, then back to the bent C# note. I now sound an “E” note on the first, string (fourth finger) and while holding that note release the C# which is still bent on the second string,Note: Keep in mind that as many notes as possible should be sustained for as, Jong as possible in order to duplicate the “pedal steel” sound. The lick ends with a pentatonic type pattern landing on a “B” note, which takes me to the third bar. Inbar 3, I play an interesting bending type lick. (See Larry Carlton's chapter.) It incorporates the bend, the reverse or release bend, and pre-bending (playing a note after itis in a bent position, then releasing it, so you only hear the “down sweep.” With the fourth finger, on the second string, bend an “E” to a“G" note. At the same time, with the third finger (third string) pre-bend a “B” note to a note. (Both notes are bent at the same time but only the E to"G” sounds.) Aiter sounding the “E” to "G ,” pick the prebent “C” note and release the bend back down to “B.” (If this technique is executed properly, you should hear the “E” to “G” notes ascending, and the “C” to "B” notes descending immediately following.) The second half of the bar is played the same way the exception of bending 2 “D” note to an “E” note with the second finger. ith After these bending ideas, I wind up my solo with another pentatonic run ascending to an“A" note (first string, 17th fret), which is bent to a high “B” note. I then conclude the solo with a very “Dicky Betts” type ending. Jay GraydonHere are two solos transcriptions, the first is from the tune “Peg” I did for the Steely Dan recor The second is the harmonized guitar solo I played on the tune “Twilight Zone” from the Manhattan Transfer album Extensions,” which I also produced, Solo from “Peg” Cmaj7 Gadd Cmaj7 Gadag Gmaj7 Daddy 6Jay Graydon Solo from “Twilight Zone” Dm7 Guitar 1 SS Dm(maj7) a vitae 2 RB Bai to Dm7 G7 Gm7 ATHS Az = Dm (maj7) Ss éle ;ht Zone” Solo (cont.) Dm(maj7) Dm7 G7 Gm7 ATES Da As a Producer ye My producing career was born when I produced four sides for Steve Kipner and RSO records. It was a happy moment for me. Just before producing these sides, I realized I was a song writer, I could sing, I could arrange, I was a good business man, I had studied some music electronics in school so I was @ good engineer, good musician, worked well with people, and had years of experience in the studio, so why not, I became a producer. The Steve Kipner recordings led me to producing the Mark Jordan album. A friend of mine got me the Manhattan Transfer album which led to my association with Al Jarreau and George Benson. Since these recordings, Ihave had a lot ofits. It’s a nice feeling being on the other side of the glass. Iam in charge. Now my job is basically keeping three people happy. Myself as a producer, the artist, and the record company. When a company wants me to record an artist and they are providing the budget, the following is the order of business:Jay Graydon 1. Pick a song, Remember a hit has to have a hook and be memorable. The Public is not very sophisticated musically. They know beats, words, and simple melodies. If hear a song that I think is perfect for a special artist, 1 will record it irregardless of who wrote it. 2. Now I hire an arranger that I think is right for this particular artist. We will decide on the key and discuss instrumentation, tempo and “feel.” 3. Inow organize the studio time and recording schedule and hire the players that I think are perfect for the project. Now we record the basic tracks. 4, Next we start work on the vocals. I usually take the time to insure that the vocals are perfect. I will punch in every other word if necessary for the sake of having a hit record. 5. The overdubs are now added. They may include back up vocals, percussion, horn, string or synthesizer parts and maybe a solo. 6. Finally, I mix all the tracks down to a two track tape for mastering. We may. add some last minute effects (echo, compression, EQ, etc). Alter the record is completed I try to get a good balance on the order of the ‘tunes. I try to start with an “up” tune first. If there is a ballad, I put it last. If there are two ballads, I will put one second or third and last. I try to put my ‘weakest tunes third or fourth on side two. Asa guitar player your job is over after approximately three hours. As a producer the job goes on and on. Just as a musician has no room for mistakes it is likewise for the producer. If he is over the budget, he has to answer to the record company. So there you have it, my whole story. If you are interested in developing a career as a studio player or producer, these final suggestions may be helpful 1, Become a good listener, not only to music but to the people you're working with. 2. Keep up on the latest hit tunes and artists. Be aware of the instrumentation and the way the tune was mixed. Listen for any effects used (flangers, echo, chorus, etc.) Keep up on who's using what and when. 3. Have a professional attitude and try to meet the right people in the business (arrangers, engineers, contractors and of course the record people and artists). 4. Ultimately, you will want to be yourself ~ try to develop a technique or sound of your own ~ separating you from the rest of the crowd. 5. Strive for perfection — while some people say that's good enough — don't settle for less than the best.64 Les Wise, educator extraordinaire, has long been a favorite teacher at ‘Musicians’ Institute for his lucid explanations and demonstrations of the bop idiom. Beginning his musical career in New Orleans with the clarinet and saxophone in the fourth grade, Les was attracted to the guitar at age 12 by the music of the Ventures. By high school, he was playing in rock and roll groups and school stage bands. At one point, he was rehearsing with a rock group in a garage when fabled Dixieland bassist Plas Adams happened by. Adams exhorted the group to explore the jazz side of music and a whole new world opened up to Les. “Around the late Sixties, Ijust went for it! An alumnus of the Naval School of Music, Les became a jazz guitar instructor at Loyola University in New Orleans, and spent five y a member of the New Orleans Pops Orchestra. A four-year stint as staff guitarist at New Orlean’s famous Fairmont Hotel afforded him the chance to play for more than 300 major acts, including Tony Bennett, Nancy Wilson, and Lou Rawls, On moving to California, Les studied with Joe Pass and now is quite busy recording, teaching, writing music, method books, and a monthly column for International Musician & Recording World magazine. He recently was invited to Denmark as a visiting lecturer at the University of Copenhagen How has Les maintained the courage to continue at something as nebulous as music, especially during the down times players inevitably go through? “It’s important to actively participate in a band, because then you aren't so rabidly striving to become something as a musician. When you're playing in a band, no ‘matter what level you're at, you are a musician. While you're in the woodshed, you are striving to become something, so at that moment you are still a student. That helped me a lot because my mind was so preoccupied with playing the job and reaching the people.” That's WiseTarget Tones by Les Wise ‘The use of “Target Tones" is an approach to improvising which I have found to be a very helpful too! for guitarists to gain a more jazz or bebop sound in their playing. Any chord tone (1, 3, 5, etc.) may be approached by a note a half-step or a whole-step above (upper neighbor tones) or a half-step below (lower neighbor tone). The target is actually the chord tone we come to rest on after playing the upper or lower neighbor tones. There is a simple way in which guitar players can immediately put this to use in their solos. By placing the second finger of your left hand over each chord tone, the first, third and fourth fingers will automatically be in position to play all of the neighbor tones. In the diagram below, the 2nd finger outlines an Am chord (1, 63, 5, 1). The [st finger is in position for the lower neighbor tones, and the 3rd and 4th fingers are ready for the upper neighbor tones. ‘The basic idea here is to create melodies with the upper and lower neighbor tones that set up or target to the chord tones. Since we are resolving or coming to rest on the chord tone, any of the notes above or below that note that are not in the chord or scale, act as chromatic passing tones. KEY Chord Tone Upper Neighbor Tone Lower Neighbor Tone Chromatic Half-Step ‘Sequence of notes in fingerboard diagrams (ex. 5-8)66 Whole-step above and half-step below neighbor tones. G minor chord form FEA ‘The following three examples are all played in the G minor chord position shown above. By using different finger combinations and rhythms we can create some interesting ideas, 1. Fingering Pattern: 4-1-2 Rhythm Pattern: efeale Gmin Fingers . Fingering Pattern: 3-1-2 Rhythm Pattern: t f a f Gmin —_ | 2 UNT CT LNT CT — 3. Fingering Pattern; 2-4-2 1-2 Rhythm Pattern: cer cf Gmin 247 1 2 2 — cruNT CT LNT cr —We are now going to use the major chord form and add the upper neighbor tones a half-step above each chord tone. This is accomplished very simply by playing the notes under our 3rd finger. G major chord form Les Wise 4, Fingering Pattern: Rhythm Pattern: G major 4131 9 UNT LNT UNT LNT CT Men tn es ‘Try these other fingering and rhythm patterns: An2-1-2 1-4-3-2 4-3-2-1-2 ofry cerr cfr er You can see that by outlining any basic chord form we know with our 2nd finger, and using the finger combinations that we have learned, we can create instant ideas to fit any chord. NOTE: Since our upper and lower neighbor tones cover most of the alterations (b5, #5, b9, #9) and extensions (9, 11, 13) our system works best with basic chords: Cmaj 7 Cmin7 C7 , 3,5, 7) 1, b3, 5, b7) (1, 3,5, bayete. 67Idea Development Using Targeting, Scales, and Arpeggios Targeting and Arpeggio Combined Here is a G minor idea that begins with neighbor tones targeting to the G. natural followed by a G minor arpegsio. Gmin UNT LNT UNT LNT L_~__4 1 5 b3 ot . Scale, Targeting and Arpeggio ‘This line starts with notes from the C major scale followed by targeting to the G natural and on to a C6 or Am? arpeggio. C major C major seale Targeting u——_—= C6 arpeggioLes Wise Ascending and Descending Chromatic Targeting Any chord tone may also be approached by four ascending or descending half-steps. Adding this approach to the ones we just learned, we can create some pretty exciting ideas! ‘The diagram below shows an Am7 chord with chromatic targeting from above and below. Ascending Descending fingering) Examples 7 and 8 are for an Am7 chord and both use descending targeting followed by an arpeggio. as Am7 cas ‘Am9 arpexsio FaPutting It All Together Here is a series of “Super Guitar Licks” using upper and lower neighbor tones, descending chromatic targeting, scales and arpeggios. Am7 feta 4 11 et 3 ry NS Os = Ws r Tastaral nine Targeting °F as oe ee Am® arperigio 10. Am7 D7 Gmaj7 1432, 4 3 ee Iv meereeraneeenete ‘natural minor CHS “Dabs amet Anatural CHS cas D7b5 arpexgio 1. Am7 D7 Gmaj7 D aS a ee ay - += Targang ~ ‘hein acale Tasting , [ee Deh ae 27} 2 Gmaj7 arpeggio 12, Am7(D9) 134 12421 4 3 SE pee See ee SS = =~ +S = 3 SH aa ea aaa, \—Fareting Am7arp Targeting A melodie minor nese 4 221Les Wise Here are eight solo choruses demonstrating how | improvise over a jazz tune. You will find all of the targeting techniques discussed in this chapter used along with scales, arpeggios and many jazz-bebop phrases that are a part of my improvising vocabulary. Am7 34 D7 Gmaj7 E7(b9) 3 1 4 1 4 om: ei fye 4924 me 2 2 24t2i 42314 249 Dm7 2. G7K5) Cm7 1a) i414 7 1 142 Smt tera eee Am7 D7 Gmaj7 E7 2313 4232 1441 4 214Am 2 br Gmaj7 3. Am7 D7 Gmaj7 o E7(b9) 1att14 4324123314 14 ae ahora s24n Amt bz 121214 142112143014 4 124134 Laragria4Les Wise Am7 b7 Gmaj7 E7 Am7 br Gmaj7 E79) Dm7 m7 Am7 D7 4 Gmaj7 E7 4 232 fete mls 3 4 1 3 yn — “y - ~~ Sa ‘ € vil Am7 b7 Gmaj7 Amz D7 Gmaj7431313 14 21 24124134 Dm7 G75) m7 Am7 bz Gmaj7 E7 4 14211232 14422.) 2344 41 1} 4Am7 Am7 Dm7 G45) 4 Gmaj7 E71b9) Les WiseRon Eschete 2r chord melodi CHETE can only be compared with the likes of George Van His command of concept and idiom far exceed his age and un uming manner. About Ron, renown jazz critic Leonard Feather wrote: “Keep an eye on him! His sound is attractive and his technique remarkable!” John Abercrombie gave him five stars in a Downbeat Blindfold test. And you can hear the Eschete expertise on nearly a dozen albums, including three of his own on the JAS and ‘Muse labels. He has worked with Ray Brown, Bob Brookemeyer, Lionel Hampton, Putter Smith, Warne Marsh, Morgana King, and Milt Jackson. And he is the author of the definitive method book Jazz Guitar for Lucky One Publishers. Ron’s earliest influences were various, ranging from the televised Hit Parade, with tunes like “Stella by Starlight,” to early rhythm and blues types like Ernie K-Doe and Irma Thomas. He went through the whole garage band routine in a town called Houma in Louisiana and didn't begin any formal study of the instrument till he went to Loyola University in the South of New Orleans as assical guitar major. In 1968, he won the Outstanding Musician Award at the Mobile Jazz Festival, beginning an enduring friendship with Mundell Lowe, who presented the award. In 1970, he moved to California at the request of a Newport Beach club owner, and he’s been busy ever since, working the Merv Griffin show, teaching at GIT, recording, and playing all the “good rooms.” For me, it’s always been listening a lot. I think that's done the most for me. Even if you can’t play i, if you keep listening, listening, listening, it gets inside of you, and sooner or later itll come out. And it pays to be studying along with that, doing a daily routine of scales and chords and fingerboard shapes. Lots of trial and error.Reharmonization Techniques ce Se Chord melody is simply the playing of the melody and chords (harmony) at the same time. This is when the guitar can truly become a “mini orchestra, ‘where we can play counter melodies, bass lines, rhythmic and harmoni variations all along with the melody. In this chapter I have taken a simple three bar II-V- melody in the key of G and have shown several ways to apply chord melody techniques to it ‘The choice of which of these techniques I may call upon in a given situation ‘would depend on the following: the style of tune, (swing, ballad, bossa, rock, etc.), the tempo, amount of notes in the melody, the harmonic and ba movement and the instrumentation (solo guitar, trio, quartet, etc. ). Of course my ultimate decision would be based on my experience of what 1 felt was appropriate for the particular musical situation. Example 17 is a thirty-two bar tune which uses many of the techniques demonstrated in Examples 1-16. An improvised chord solo of this quality over any standard tune or chord changes is attainable by having a good working knowledge of these chord melody techniques. Also, it is necessary to learn a ‘good number of tunes which can provide you with many harmonic and melodic situations to apply these techniques to. Soon you will start seeing similar movements and progressions common to many tunes. And finally, a lot of time must be devoted to listening and studying the works of other players. Example 1 We will begin with the basic melody and changes as written in a fake book. Note: Guitar sounds an octave lower than the written melody; therefore, the melody should be raised an octave in order to be in proper playing range for choral accompaniment. Am7 D7 G © a Example 2 chords to accompany the melody. Am7 D7 GExample 3 ‘This example is basically the same as Example 2, with the exception that the chords underneath the melody are sustained (played legato) throughout each measure. In the second measure, I used an extended chord (D9) for the V chord. In the third measure, the I chord, Gmaj7, is used in place of Gmiaj to provide more color. Am7 D9 Gmaj7 Example 4 ‘This example is harmonized in diatonic thirds. In other words, a note that is diatonic to the key of G is placed a third below the melody. Note: The open A, ‘open D and open G are optional for play. If played, they establish more root ‘movement direction. ‘The last chord (because of diatonic E note) gives us a G6 chord. Am7 D G6 Example 5 In this example I harmonized the melody in diatonic sixths. As stated in Example 4, a note that is diatonic to the key of G is placed a sixth below the melody. Note: The Eb on the third beat of measure two suggests a b9 chord and is the only non-diatonic note in this example. Am7 D7 bo G oD 20 4 1Example 6 This example deals with octaves used in conjunction with chords or chord partials. Octaves can be used in situations where the melody becomes quite busy as they are physically easier to play than chords. Note: A chord is used on the first beat of each measure giving the octaves harmonic direction. Am7 (Am) +9 Example 7 Here I've employed the use of triads diatonic to the key of G. Notice what chords the diatonic triads suggest by looking at the chord symbols placed above each chord. Note: On the third beat of measure two, the B triad suggests a 11369 chord. Triads, like octaves, thirds and sixths may be used in places where the melody becomes busy. (Am7)(Bm7) (Am7) (Am9) (D9) (D13b9) G c D Cc Em Am B 12 Example 8 This example employs the use of clusters. Clusters are usually made up of an interval of a third and a second within three notes regardless of placement. Note: The Bdim on beat four of measure one is functioning as E79 thus giving a stronger pull into the Am7 to D13. The Am7 in the second bar is used to delay the V chord giving the sound of Dsus to D7. This sound will be used with some alternates through most of the remaining examples. Am add9 C add9 (E79) (C add9) Bm add9 Bai ce Di3 G6 180 Example 9 Here is the use of close voicings with the same harmonic structure as the previous two examples. The difference being, close voicings are made up of four notes rather than three. Looking at both clusters and close voicings, the two should be used together without losing harmonic continuity as can triads. Again I used the Bdim for E79. In addition, on the third beat of measure two, we have an altered V chord (D13b9). In the last measure, the I chord is Gadd9. (Cmaj7)(Dmaj7) (E79) Am9 = Bm9 Am7 Ddim7 Am add9 —D13b9 G addo i 1 i 1 1 | GS) Example 10 This example opens up the chord voicings and uses basically the same harmonic scheme as Example 9. We have the E7b9 on the fourth beat of measure one. This time the chord is not a Baim, but rather a true E7b9 in that the root note (E) is added. Measure two has an Am7 chord to D13b9 and ends ‘on the same Gadd9 chord as Example 9, except this time we add the low G and low D giving us a fuller sound Am7 Bm7 At?) E7b9 Am7 D13b9 G add9 Fae eee 4{ a 1 5 2k ( 1o Example 11 In Example 11, I stayed with the open voicings, however, there are some harmonic changes. On the fourth beat of measure one, we have C#min7b5, acting as A9 which would be a secondary dominant in the key of G. C#is used as a root because it moves nicely to the Eb in the second measure, which, in tum moves to the D13. The Eb chord gives a half step pull into the D13 as opposed to the Am7 used in the previous example. Both the C# and the Eb pull by a half step into the D (V chord), making for a more interesting approach. Measure three makes use of a delayed cadence. It was necessary to play the last melody note twice because of the lack of independence in the last two chords. This is a common practice. Am7 Bm7 Cmaj7 Cim7b5 Eb7b5 DIS Abmaj13 Go Ml PP 4a 1 me Fe TE i i ieRon Eschete Example 12 This example uses the same root motion as in the first measure in Example LL. This time the C2m7b5 goes straight to D7 and on the third beat of the second measure, the bass line is kept moving up in half steps to D# with a B7 chord played on top. In the last measure, Em7, which is the relative minor of Gmaj, is played. Moving to this minor chord gives us a deceptive cadence. ‘The next four examples should be played in a right hand finger style in order to maintain the independence of the notes to get the intended sound, If played witha pick, some bass notes may have to be omitted or refingered. Am7 Bm7 ¢§ Ctm7b5 D7 —_-B7b9/DE Em7 12 Example 13 This example employs a series of II-V moves preceeding the Am11 chord. This gives the melody a new shape as well as extensive harmonic color. In the second measure, the Am1I with D in the bass, is played since we are going down a half step to C11. The C# moves into the third measure by a half step into the C6. Again the G chord is delayed so that cadence is IV to I, commonly called a plagal cadence. Ctm7 F#7#5 Bm7$5 E79 Am11 ceil cé | | | | Ie i" =s ® Example 14 Again, a series of II-V are used to get to the A chord, but this time, the bass line moves down in half steps rather than up in fourths. The A13 in the second measure is the secondary dominant which moves down a half step to G#13. On the fourth beat of the second measure, the natural D moves to Db as an independent bass line to get to Gmaj7 in the third measure. The Cmaj7 moves to Gmaj? by passing through Bm7 and Am? which creates an embellished plagal cadence. Note: The second finger on the G melody note switches to the fourth finger which must be placed on the G note before the second finger i moved so that the melody can be sustained for the full two beats. C#m7 C7b5 Cb7#5 Bbisb9 A13 GH13 Cmaj7 Bm7 Am7 Gmaj7 4 oO 8Example 15 ‘This example finds the melody in another voice rather than the top voice. It is imperative that finger style be used so that the melody can be brought out of the chords independently. The last two chords have different bass notes because of the melody falling on an inner voice. Am7 Bm Am7 D13sb9/C GB add ® ®) 3 Example 16 ‘The final example makes use of two voices moving independently. The harmony is outlined by the bottom line moving in a scale and arpeggio motion. ‘The last chord (G) uses a 4-3 suspension, Am7 Am6 Am7 Am9 — Am7 Disb9bs. G | | je ies 40 =Ron Eschete Example 17 Cua Gaim7 Bbaim7 Bm7 Bbm7 Am?» zOQ 2 2F 29 —F D 27 OE 7 2 6 “ @ One 4 aa Bm7 Bbm9 Am7_ E13)9 Am7 Bm7 Am7 Bm7 Am7 — Cm7 Dm7 Cm7 Dm7Cm7 ao 1 ey Le len, 1 1 Fim7 C#m11 Fim7 B7 Badd9 (pg) Em7 Fim7 Gmaj7__ Em7 o jee Ft749 =“ | Bm7 Bm9/A ~—-o 20 ) © 5 a) (D13 sus) (F13 sus) (D13 sus) Fem7 B13b9 Em7 A13b9 Am9 Cm9 _ Am9 —~ = a Tt ine ag eo(B13 sus) 5 = ee om7bs ab7b5 B7#5 — Ebdim7 7 — = e— ies fer Dm7 ‘o Cmaj9 Cmaj7 Em7 Cmaj7B7 74589 42 1 C4m7b5 a 42) 2 5 E7#9 Bb9 Cm7 BY —" 5b9 E7b9 E7b9 AMZ D13 Am7 Am9 ere (re pr / aoe 5Robben Ford and Don Mock Joe Pass Jay Graydon ®Robben Ford Tasteful blues playing with the Charles Ford Band, Jimmy Witherspoon and Charlie Musselwhite gave ROBBEN FORD a cult following that grew into worldwide acclim when he worked with Joni Mitchell, George Harrison, the L.A. Express, Barbra Streisand and Kenny Loggins. By guitar standards, Robben seems to be leading a well-deserved charmed life, with each band situation leading to his being heard by his next employer. It all began in the days right after the Charles Ford Band seperated. Robben's new jaz quartet was heard by Jimmy Witherspoon at a Palo Alto club called In Your Ear, ‘Spoon needed a band and ended up taking Robben and group to Los, Angeles. At age 22 in L.A., Ford was heard by Tom Scott, who enlisted him to tour with the L.A. Express and Joni Mitchell. George Harrison heard them in England and signed up the guitarist for a European tour. A return engagement with Joni Mitchell led to Robben’s “discovery” by Elektra/Asylum Records chief Joe Smith, Robben is currently playing with his group the “Yellow Jackets.” Anyone who hears any of Robben’s solo records, records with other artists, or any of his concerts, can understand what all the excitement is about. Though his influences range as wide as from Ravel and Debussy to Archie Shepp and John Coltrane, there’s always that raw, earthy blues feel he gained by listening to his main man Michael Bloomfield, And yet it always comes out pure Robben Ford. “Making music is to me far more important than being an incredible technician. A player should rely on his ears as well as fingers and technique, and hear the ‘music in his head before it can come out on the instrument. Play your guitar as much as you can...and I mean play as opposed to practice...and as disciplined as you can be. Be patient, and don’t expect overnight results. It takes a Jong time.”