Lessons
Video
Lesson: Freddie Green chords
Three-note chords on the bottom four strings over a IIm7 V7 Imaj7 (a '251')
in C.
See the information sheet here.
Chord progression:
|Dm7 G7 |Cmaj7
|
Video
Lesson: Bright voicings
Four-note chords on the top four strings over a IIm7 V7 Imaj7 (a '251')
in C. See the information sheet here.
Chord progression:
|Dm7 G7 |Cmaj7
|
Demo's
of techniques
Single-line
improvisation: plectrum / right hand technique
Me playing 'How Insensitive'
in D minor.
Rubato
playing
Usually I want to play in time, witht he beat. Here I am playing a rubato
(free rhythm) solo over a backing that has a straight rhythm. It starts
to interest the listener because the rhythm of my phrasing becomes highly
unprdictable.
The chord
is E, and the notes are mostly Eminor pentatonic, with some other things
thrown in.
'Castles Made of Sand'-type chords
Here I am playing some 'stacked 5ths' chords, a bit like the chords at
the start of 'Castles Made of Sand' by Hendrix. The chord in each case
consists of Root, fifth, ninth, i.e. in E it would be E natural, B natural,
and then F# on the top. This is clearly miles away from our favorite barre
chord: A major, fret 5!
Wide
intervals
Often we play lines (i.e. melodies / licks) that have small intervals
in them, e.g. seconds and thirds. That means for example, in E, we go
from, say, a B to the next note or two in the scale such as a C# or D:
that's a small jump. In this example I am surprising the listener by playing
larger intervals, like fifths, sevenths or octaves (e.g. B to F#, B to
A, B up to B, respectively). I don't want to overuse this as it starts,
like anything, to become predictable, but used from time to time it really
freshens things up. If you meet me for a lesson or on the course in France
I can show you ways of doing this even if your knowledge of music theory
is in its early days.
Improvising
within a limitation
It's really helpful to practice giving yourself a limitation and then
improvising within those set parameters. Examples:
Play only
on one string
Use only the top two strings, in one postion, and do not shift postion
Only use thirds and sevenths
Avoid the root
Just play three notes per bar
In
this video I am playing over a funky Em groove, and I am using only nine
notes, all in postion 12:
5th string:
fret 12, 13 and 14
4th string: fret 12, 13 and 14
3rd string: fret 12, 13 and 14
My
playing
Single-line
improvisation: over a 251
Me playing over a IIm7 V7 Imaj7 (a '251') in C.
Chord progression:
|Dm7 G7 |Cmaj7
|
Single-line
improvisation: Blues in B flat
Chord progression:
|Bb7 |Eb7
|Bb7 |Bb7 |
|Eb7 |Eb7
|Bb7 |G7b9 |
|Cm7 |F7b9
|Bb7 G7b9 |Cm7 F7b9 |
Ballad
on acoustic guitar
'Round Midnight'
by Thelonious Monk
Ballad
on acoustic guitar
'Darn That
Dream' by Van Heusen and Edgar Lange
Ballad
on acoustic guitar
'We'll Be
Together Again' Carl Fischer and Frankie Laine
Blues
on acoustic guitar
In the key
of A
|
tel:
0113 219 5526 email:richard@richardmills.com
