More Improvisation

With these two improvisations I tried to develop themes as well as using melodic runs between them. My playing is usually predominantly pentatonic based but I have used chromatic passing notes and other scales such as Phrygian dominant in the first video. This allowed me to create more varied melodic lines rather than just pentatonic.

One thing that I think diminishes the diversity in both videos is the use of note rests. I have fallen into a habit of using rests too frequently whilst playing. I could potentially double the quantity of different licks I use if I sustained some notes rather than cutting them off for rhythmic effect. I will still use rests but in the future I will try to use them less frequently and more appropriately. I think this style does suit the first song but the second song could do with some longer notes.

The main thing I need to practise in regards to lead playing is using different modes. I always tend to begin an improvisation on the root note when it could sound interesting developing an idea on another note and using the corresponding mode to create melodic ideas. Using chords or simultaneous intervals would also be of benefit whilst soloing over songs. 

Improvisation over a backing track

Two attempts at improvising over a backing track:

Guitar - Strengths and Weaknesses

In about 12 years of playing guitar, there are some skills I have focused on developing more than others. This has led to good technique in some areas and a lack of knowledge and ability elsewhere:

Phrasing - My current main focus whilst practising is embellishments. I try to find new ways of approaching notes that stand out against basic picking. This includes slides, bends, vibrato etc. I have developed a strong vibrato however I have got into a bad habit of overusing it. Every time I play a sustained note, without thinking I automatically apply vibrato to it. It is always the same type of vibrato as well - fast and wide. More subtle vibrato or even none at all would suit some notes and different styles of music better than my current vibrato. In order to improve this I will need to consciously avoid overusing it and set myself limitations whilst improvising. If I am aware of it every time I practise, this habit will hopefully disappear.

Rhythm - One thing I focus on whilst practising is the rhythm of melodies I play. Rather than trying to fit as many notes as possible into a short passage, I experiment with a variety of rhythmic lines with the aim of making my melodies more exciting. I am much better at playing rhythmically than quickly.

Speed - When I play fast sections in my music, it tends to be with legato. I prefer the sound of legato in most cases rather than plucking each individual note. This could be considered a weakness in some areas of music because I can't shred. For example, whilst improvising solos, sections of shredding might be useful for powerful crescendos depending on the style of the music. At the moment I can only really play short bursts of speed. I have develop a fairly high level of precision with my legato technique however

Fretboard knowledge - My fretboard knowledge is very limited for the amount of time I have played guitar. Progression has always been fairly slow with learning and connecting new scales as I tend to develop other areas more. It would be beneficial if I spent time focusing mainly on developing this and filling in the gaps in my knowledge. This would lead to more diversity in my playing and would unlock new melodic and harmonic possibilities. 

Chords - My ability to switch between different chord shapes and my ability to strum rhythmically are both good but my chordal knowledge is poor. I tend to learn chord shapes and names but rarely know how to apply them correctly. In a way this can be beneficial to my compositions because it means I am not restricted by theory. However, I find myself too often stuck for what chords to play whilst improvising. I understand the theory of chords when I have time to study it but when I am under pressure in a musical environment I become lost. As well as melodic fretboard knowledge, chordal knowledge is something I really wish to improve because I think it is currently the thing that is holding me back.  

Tone - A big thing that detracts from the quality of my playing is my tone; this is mostly due to a lack of knowledge of sound. I have always been more interested in how to play guitar rather than what it sounds like. I have recently begun considering it more but it would definitely have been better if I'd spent more time developing it over time since I started. I consider my lack of technical knowledge to be the most detrimental to my tone. I am fairly good at applying dynamics to my playing through picking, but have never really understood what makes up sound. I have started focusing more on the tones used in different settings rather than overlooking them and I think I have improved at choosing the right tone in different circumstances over the past year. This is not only helpful for live settings but also for composition; the inspiration and association from a good guitar tone is far greater than from an unconsidered one.

Improvisation - My old method of improvisation would be to play as many complicated lines as possible, thinking that that was the most fun thing to do. However, recently I tend to focus more on producing interesting melodies that fit within the context of the piece. My main weakness when improvising is communicating with other musicians; especially if I don't know them. It is much easier improvising with someone you are used to playing with than someone you have just met. This includes establishing my own ideas for others to build upon but also noticing when an idea or phrase is being put forward by another musician.

Solutions:
In terms of becoming better at melody, I think improving my ability to hear intervals and applying them on the neck would be the most beneficial. Rather than using theory, I tend to use my ear to improvise and to hear intervals in my head and knowing how to execute them would be ideal for my style of playing. In order to approach this goal I will train my ear to hear intervals up to an octave. I aim to learn where each interval from each string is located on the fretboard, including compound intervals, across strings and on single strings. 

I think the most beneficial way to improve chords for me would be to learn chord shapes and compose chord structures in my spare time. Whilst improvising, being able to hear intervals in my head would be ideal for choosing what chords to play. If I knew a selection of different chords to pick from then hearing intervals would allow me to choose the right chord. Knowing what different types of chords sound like will also help.

Whilst improvising in ensembles I need to focus more on what others are playing around me and try to lock in with melodies and rhythm they play. This tightness tends to sound much better than everybody playing unrelated phrases.

To help with interval knowledge, I have drawn out two fretboard diagrams with colour coordinated intervals using G minor and G major as examples. To help improve my chordal knowledge, I have drawn another fretboard diagram with colour coordinated 7th chords. 

I have only included Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Mixolydian and Aeolian because that is how I see the fretboard shapes in my head. I imagine Lydian to be the same shape as Phrygian but starting on the second note and Locrian as the same shape as Ionian but starting a semitone down. The stars above Aeolian and Phrygian are there because those are the two areas of the fretboard I am most familiar with. When I use this sheet to practise improvisation, I will refer to these two positions if I get lost. 

I have also drawn a table showing the corresponding 7th chords for major, minor, harmonic minor and melodic minor. I aim to familiarise myself with the chords in the major and minor scales before practising the other two.

Scales, Modes and Arpeggios

7-note Scales and Modes
The most common scales used in Western music are constructed using 7 notes. Modes are constructed by starting on a different note of the original scale each time. For example, if you took the C major scale, C D E F G A B, but started on the D instead of the C, you would have the second mode of the major scale. This would be D E F G A B C, which makes up the Dorian mode. Phrygian would begin on E; Lydian would begin on F; Mixolydian would being on G; Aeolian (natural minor) would begin on A; Locrian would begin on B. This means that whilst improvising over a C major chord, any of these modes can be used and fitted together to create more unusual melodies.

Major Modes
Ionian (Major) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Dorian - 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, 6, b7
Phrygian - 1, b2, b3, 4, 5, b6, b7
Lydian - 1, 2, 3, #4, 5, 6, 7
Mixolydian - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, b7
Aeolian (Minor) - 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, b6, b7
Locrian - 1, b2, b3, 4, b5, b6, b7

Much like dominant chords, any scale that includes a major 3rd and a minor 7th can be referred to as some sort of "dominant" scale e.g Phrygian Dominant, Lydian Dominant. Similarly, any scale with a sharp 5th may be referred to as augmented.

Harmonic Minor Modes
Harmonic Minor - 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, b6, 7
Locrian #6 - 1, b2, b3, 4, b5, 6, b7
Ionian Augmented - 1, 2, 3, 4, #5, 6, 7
Dorian #4 - 1, 2, b3, #4, 5, 6, b7
Phrygian Dominant - 1, b2, 3, 4, 5, b6, b7
Lydian #2 - 1, #2, 3, #4, 5, 6, 7
Mixolydian #1 - 1, b2, b3, b4, b5, b6, bb7

Melodic Minor Modes 
Melodic Minor - 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Dorian b2 - 1, b2, b3, 4, 5, 6, b7
Lydian #5 - 1, 2, 3, #4, #5, 6, 7
Lydian Dominant - 1, 2, 3, #4, 5, 6, b7
Mixolydian b6 - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, b6, b7
Aeolian b5 - 1, 2, b3, 4, b5, b6, b7
Altered scale (Locrian b4) - 1, b2, b3, b4, b5, b6, b7

Other 7-note Scales
Harmonic Major - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, b6, 7
Hungarian Minor - 1, 2, b3, #4, 5, b6, 7
Persian - 1, b2, 3, 4, b5, b6, 7
Byzantine - 1, b2, 3, 4, 5, b6, 7
Romanian - 1, 2, b3, #4, 5, 6, b7


5-note Scales (Pentatonics)
Some scales are created using five notes; these are called pentatonics. For example the most common scale in rock music is the minor pentatonic, which has a definitive "rock" position on the fretboard. Although used in a variety of genres, this position is commonly associated with rock music.

The "Xs" represent the other notes within the natural minor scale to show how the pentatonic is built within it:

Here are some examples of pentatonic scales and how they are constructed intervallically:

Minor (Aeolian) Pentatonic - 1, b3, 4, 5, b7
Major (Ionian) Pentatonic - 1, 2, 3, 5, 6
Dorian Pentatonic - 1, b3, 4, 5, 6
Phrygian Pentatonic - 1, b2, 4, 5, b7
Lydian Pentatonic - 1, 3, #4, 5, 7
Mixolydian Pentatonic - 1, 3, 4, 5, b7
Locrian Pentatonic - 1, b3, 4, b5, b7
Harmonic Minor Pentatonic - 1, b3, 4, 5, 7
Hirajoshi - 1, 2, b3, 5, b6
Japanese - 1, 2, 4, 5, b6
Indian - 1, b2, 4, 5, b6

8-note Scales (Octatonics)
Arabian - 1, 2, b3, 4, #4, #5, 6, 7
Symmetrical Diminished (Half-Whole) - 1, b2, b3, b4, b5, 5, b6, b7
Symmetrical Diminished (Whole-Half) - 1, 2, b3, 4, b5, b6, 6, 7

6-note Scales (Hexatonics)
Blues Scale - 1, b3, 4, b5, 5, b7
Whole-Tone Scale - 1, 2, 3, #4, #5, b7
Prometheus Scale - 1, 2, 3, b5, 6, b7

There are some hexatonic scales that are constructed with interlocking triads:
Tritone Scale - This scale is made up of the intervals: 1, b2, 3, b5, 5, b7. It combines the notes of a major triad with the notes of another major triad that is a tritone interval away. For example, the notes from a C major triad (C E G) may be combined with the notes from a Gb triad (Gb Bb Db) to create this scale. However, they are rearranged to fit within one octave.

Augmented Scale - This scale (1, b3, 3, 5, #5, 7) combines two separate augmented triads that are a minor 3rd apart. If you took the notes from a C augmented triad (C E G#) and combined them with the notes from an Eb augmented triad (Eb G B) and arranged them ascending within one octave you would construct this scale.

Arpeggios
Arpeggios are basically the notes from a chord played consecutively rather than simultaneously with the additional octave note (for arpeggios limited to one octave). For example, the corresponding ascending arpeggio for a C major chord (1, 3, 5) would be C, E, G, C.

Below are some examples of arpeggios, composed of the same notes as the chords of the same names:

Major - 1, 3, 5, 8
Minor - 1, b3, 5, 8
Major 7th - 1, 3, 5, 7, 8
Minor 7th - 1, b3, 5, b7, 8
Dominant 7th - 1, 3, 5, b7, 8
Suspended 4th - 1, 4, 5, 8
Suspended 2nd - 1, 2, 5, 8
Major 6th - 1, 3, 5, 6, 8
Minor 6th - 1 b3, 5, 6, 8
Augmented - 1, 3, #5, 8
Diminished - 1, 3, b5, 8
Augmented Major 7th - 1, 3, #5, 7, 8
Diminished 7th - 1, b3, b5, bb7, 8
Major 9th - 1, 3, 5, 7, 9
Minor 9th - 1, b3, 5, b7, 9
Dominant 9th - 1, 3, 5, b7, 9

Improvising Over Giant Steps

The chords in Coltrane's "Giant Steps" alternate between three keys:

B Major
G Major
Eb Major

These three keys are (non-enharmonic) major 3rds apart. Between them, the keys utilise each of the 12 notes, allowing a variety of improvisational methods. These are the chords that are present in this chart and the notes they are built from:

Bmaj7 - B D# F# A#
D7 - D F# A C
Gmaj7 - G B D F#
Bb7 - Bb D F Ab
Ebmaj7 - Eb G Bb D
Am7 - A C E G
Gb7 - Gb Bb Db Fb
Fm7 - F Ab C Eb
Dbm7 - Db Fb Ab Cb

The chords can be divided into small groups, each being either a V-I or a ii-V-I. Coltrane used dominant 7th chord substitutions to allow easy transitions between these keys. (D7 pulls to G, Bb7 pulls to Ebmaj7, Gb7 pulls to B). The corresponding keys for each chord are as follows:

Bmaj7 = I in B major
D7, Gmaj7 = V-I in G major
Bb7, Ebmaj7 = V-I in Eb major
Am7, D7, Gmaj7 = ii-V-I in G major
Bb7, Ebmaj7 = V-I in Eb major
Gb7, Bmaj7 = V-I in B major
Fm7, Bb7, Ebmaj7 = ii-V-I in Eb major
Am7, D7, Gmaj7 = ii-V-I in G major
Dbm7, Gb7, Bmaj7 = ii-V-I in B major
Fm7, Bb7, Ebmaj7 = ii-V-I in Eb major
Dbm7, Gb7, (Bmaj7) = ii-V-I back to the B major at the beginning. 

Arpeggios
Arguably the simplest method of improvisation is to arpeggiate each chord. This means you would just play the chord tones and nothing else. For example if you were soloing over the Ebmaj7 chord, the exclusive tones you would use would be Eb, G, Bb and D. For musicians who are familiar with their chords, this is one possibility, however it may become repetitive if it's the only technique used. 

Ionian and Lydian
Now that each chord has been categorised into a specific key, the major scale for each key would be an obvious choice for improvisation. This means that within each V-I or ii-V-I grouping, the corresponding major scale for the "I" will work. Theoretically, Lydian may also be used because each "I" chord is a major 7. The intervals in a major 7 chord are: 1, 3, 5, 7. Lydian and Ionian are the only two modes of the major scale that include each of these intervals. All the others include at least one "outside" note.

Minor Pentatonic
Using solely major scales for improvisation may not only be difficult to keep up with but also may be difficult to phrase with. There are three unique minor pentatonics for each key that can be used diatonically. These are from the 2nd, 3rd and 6th intervals of each key. (The 6th interval being the relative minor).

B Major - B C# D# E F# G# A#
2nd - C# Minor Pentatonic - C# E# F# G# B
3rd - D# Minor Pentatonic - D# F# G# A# C#
6th - G# Minor Pentatonic - G# B C# D# F#

G Major - G A B C D E F#
2nd - A Minor Pentatonic - A C D E G
3rd - B Minor Pentatonic - B D E F# A
6th - E Minor Pentatonic - E G A B D

Eb Major - Eb F G Ab Bb C D
2nd - F Minor Pentatonic - F Ab Bb C Eb
3rd - G Minor Pentatonic - G Bb C D F
6th - C Minor Pentatonic - C Eb F G Bb

Harmonically, the minor pentatonics from the 2nd degrees of each major scale (C# pentatonic, A pentatonic and F pentatonic) work particularly well with the minor 7th chords (which act as the "ii" chords in each key). This is because the tones that are present in the minor 7th chords all appear in the corresponding minor pentatonic:

Fm7 - F Ab C Eb
F minor pentatonic - F Ab Bb C Eb

Am7 = A C E G
A minor pentatonic - A C D E G

Dbm7 = Db Fb Ab Cb 
Db minor pentatonic = Db Fb Gb Ab Cb 

Dbm7, Gb7, Bmaj7 isn't an enharmonic ii-V-I to B major. If you are using the 2nd degree minor pentatonic from each major scale then the 2nd degree of B major would be C# rather than Db. This means that the resulting minor pentatonic would instead be C# E F# G# B.

Focusing on minor pentatonics allows totally different phrasing to major scale phrasing and with three to choose from there are many shapes that can be utilised and combined.

Problems
There are a number of problems that I have encountered whilst attempting improvisation over "Giant Steps:"

Losing the form - Not only is the sequence long and difficult to remember as a whole, it is also difficult to recover if you lose concentration for a split second. The ambiguity of the chord groupings means that you can't just revert to one scale and remain playing in it throughout. A thorough knowledge of the structure piece and the melodic sequence would be beneficial.

Phrasing - It is almost impossible to improvise coherent melodies over this piece if you don't know what you're doing. This is because the keys alternate at a fast pace and rarely stay in one key for long. However, during the second half of the chart, the time spent in one key is extended to two bars at a time. Although this is still fast paced, it is slightly easier to fit in melodies and appropriate phrasing.

Changes - The key changes are never on the first beat of the bar, which means that it is more difficult to feel the rhythm. The only way to improve your improvisational skills in this piece is to familiarise yourself with it to a point where the chord structure is ingrained.   

Melodies, Rhythms, Harmonies and Modulations

Melodies
Flying Bed:
I wrote a melody based on an extract from Stephen Laberge's "Exploring The World of Lucid Dreaming." The extract was a story about a dream involving a man lying on a bed flying around a room.

Modulation:
The modulation was to write the melody out backwards.

Mathon Church:
I wrote a melody inspired by a location I had never been to before. I drove to a town called Mathon and visited the church there.

Phone:
I took the numbers in my mobile number and used them as musical directions. In the first half of the melody I regarded each number as one semitone, so for example a 0 would represent unison or a 7 would represent perfect 5th. I then used these semitones to either ascend or descend, depending on which one was preferable. In the second half of the melody, starting on bar 5, I regarded each number as tablature on the bottom string of the guitar. For example, a 7 in the phone number would  mean the 7th fret of the bottom string.

Modulation:
I used a melodic inversion for the modulation.

Rhinog Run:
This melody was based on a picture of a dog chasing a rhino with caption saying "it's all about the attitude."

Modulation:
Octave dispersion - I replaced some notes in the piece for their equivalent octaves (above or below.)

Serial Filler:
I wrote a melody using serialism. This means using each of the 12 tones once before using any of them again.

Modulation:
I used augmentation and diminution to produce a new rhythm.

Slabfoot:
This melody is based on an event in my life. When I was a child I was searching for insects behind a slab. The slab then fell on my foot.

Modulation:
I added embellishments to this piece. I used vibrato, a trill and glissando.

Rhythms
Found Sound:
I recorded the sound from a fridge at my work.

Modulation:
I copied and pasted it into a rhythm.

Improvised Rhythm:
I tapped a rhythm on my desk and recorded it.

Modulation:
I then reversed it.

Play Then (Speech):
I recorded my friend speaking.

Modulation:
I then time stretched the recording to create a noticeable rhythm.

Metric Modulation:
I wrote a rhythm in 3/4.

Modulation:
I then metrically modulated it into different time signatures.

Strathingsky:
I listened to Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring" then wrote a rhythm inspired by it.

Modulation:
I then used additive and reductive rhythms to create a slightly altered rhythm.

Time Signatures:
I rolled a dice to get three different time signatures: 16/8, 9/16 and 18/16. I then wrote a drum rhythm that used each of these time signatures.

Modulation:
I then wrote it out in reverse.

Harmonies
Bitonality:
I wrote a chord progression using triads from both C major and D major. (A total of 6 notes per chord.)

Modulation:
Tritonality - I added triads from an extra key (E major) to create 9-note chords.

Chord Flakes:
I wrote 3 groups of 4 serialist triads.

Modulation:
I put each chord into the key of E major. I did this by replacing the out of key notes with the nearest diatonic note.

Dice:
I rolled a 12-sided dice for random numbers. Each number related to one of the 12 notes. I grouped these notes into chords and created a chord progression from it.

Modulation:
I added bass notes beneath the chords.

Quartal Harmony:
I wrote a 16-chord progression using quartal harmony. This means chords with intervals of 4ths.

Modulation:
I gave each chord a number from 1-16 in order and rewrote the progression, with the same rhythm, but wrote in this order: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2.

Van Gogh:
I wrote a progression inspired by a historical figure. I chose Van Gogh.

Modulation:
I gave each interval its own replacement interval:

Unison remains the same
b2 becomes 4th
2nd becomes b6
b3 becomes 6th
3rd becomes 5th
4th becomes b2
b5 becomes 2nd
5th becomes 3rd
b6 becomes 7th
6th becomes b7
b7 becomes b5
7th becomes b3

For example, if the original chord had a minor 3rd interval in it I replaced that interval for a 6th. I did this for each note to create new chords.

Weetabass:
I wrote a serialist bassline and added 4-note chords over the top.

Modulation:
The modulation for this progression was to shift the top two notes of each chords and use them to replace the top two notes of the next chord. I used the top two notes of the last two chords to replace the top two of the first chord.

Solo improvisation

We recently had a visit from UK jazz guitarist Lee Jones, who discussed techniques for guitar solo improvisation. The main theme was to incorporate three separate "gears" of solo development:

Stages of solo improvisation

First gear - At the start of the improvisation, a good solo might begin with only a few well placed notes. These could be just one pitch played rhythmically or multiple notes with large gaps in between. Lee emphasised how important the space in between notes can be when drawing in an audience. When leaving long pauses in between melodic phrases, the audience is anticipating more so the longer they are left to wait the more satisfying it might sound when more melodic lines are played.

Second gear - After the initial notes and minimalist melody lines, the second stage would be to develop melodic phrases into longer sections whilst minimising the amount of space in between notes. It seems to me that this level of improvisation is important for focusing on cementing the main melodic themes and introducing interesting rhythms.

Third gear - Lee demonstrated these levels whilst playing over a chord progression. The third and final stage of his improvisation was to demonstrate a level of technical virtuosity. If performed well then the band might pick up on it and follow. Rhythms and basslines might become more complex to fit this stage. Some guitarists might use this stage to shred as fast as possible whereas others might weave complex melodies and harmonies to shock the audience. This might include playing outside the key with a high level of precision. Lee seemed to be capable of both these things so his solo was an effective demonstration of this three-stage method.

We discussed this three-stage solo method further with Andy, focusing mainly on the third stage. Andy suggested that the technical virtuosity of shredding could be substituted for experimenting with the sound you can produce with the guitar. As long as it still has the power to shock an audience, a guitar solo might end with dissonance and noise. We looked at Dimebag Darrell's solo in "I'm Broken" by Pantera and compared it to Lee's idea about three solo stages.

I'm Broken - Pantera

The solo (starting at 2.30 in the video above) begins with a simple blues bend followed by a short melody. The next section (2.36) introduces faster pentatonic and modal runs and in the final section (2.50) Dimebag performs screeches out of time to the backing rhythm. 
begins the final section with these unique screeching sounds and ends the solo with a run up towards the final climactic bend.

Lee suggested that if you begin a guitar solo with shredding then there is nowhere to go from there. Unless you are skilled enough, all the things you play after a heavy introduction like that might seem pointless and uninteresting.

Playing outside

We discussed how to effectively play outside the key by using non-diatonic tones. The idea was to shift up a semitone to create more tension in the sound, adding an extra layer of interest to a solo. Lee's advice was to focus on how to resolve it while practising over a single minor chord. His method was to aim for the strongest chord tones when resolving. For example, you could solo over a D minor chord using a D natural minor scale then shift it up to Eb natural minor and resolve it by aiming for the root, minor third or fifth of E minor (E, G and B). Not only does the dissonance add an extra layer of interest to a solo, it also makes the resolution more powerful and appealing to the ear.

Stacked 4th chords

Lee's lesson also included the concept of stacked 4th chords, otherwise known as quartal harmony. Quartal harmony refers to the use of diatonic 4th intervals in a scale. For example, C major is made up of C D E F G A and B. The usual 7th chords in C major are made up of diatonic 3rd intervals of the scale:

C E G B (Cmaj7)

D F A C (Dm7)

E G B D (Em7)

F A C E (Fmaj7)

G B D F (G7)

A C E G (Am7)

B D F A (Bdim7)

In quartal harmony, these chords are replaced with chords with diatonic fourth intervals:

C F B E

D G C F

E A D G

F B E A

G C F B

A D G C

B E A D

The lack of any 3rd in these chords makes them impossible to define as either a major or minor chord. This ambiguity allows these chords to be used in multiple situations. In Lee's lesson we took it in turns to alternate between a vamp in D minor, an improvised solo and improvised comping with these chords. The ambiguity of the chords allows free movement across the neck behind the solo.