not to scratch a record. This lick in Fig. 4
can easily be repeated or looped. Most ideas
that can be looped are a great starting point
for this approach. Now that we have established a motion, we can alter the notes to
build even more tension.
Once we have gained the listener’s attention through repetition, we are going to move
the root around to put an interesting spin
on something we consider home. Notice the
9–
9–root movement in Fig. 5. You can let
this motif rip and have the band building
Fig. 4
4
4 & oeoe oeoeoe oeoeoeoeoe oeoeoe oeoeoe oeoe oeoeoe oeoeoeoeoe oeoeoe oeoeoe fi oej oe oe ˙ OE
Fig. 4
Every practicing
musician should
make it a goal to
get more use out
of smaller ideas.
1
˙
≥≤ ≤≥ ≤≥≥≤ ≤≥ ≤≥≥≤ ≤≥
7
9
10
7
10
9
7
9
7
9
10
7
10
9
7
9
≤≥≥≤ ≤≥ ≤≥
7
9
10
7
10
9
7
9
7
9
10
7
10
9
7
9
97
Fig. 5
44 &
B‹ 7
oeoeoeoeoe oeoeoeoeoeoeoeoe oeoeoe
Fig. 5
˙
≤≥ ≤≥≥≤ ≤≥
7
9
10
7
1097
9
7
9
10
8
1097
9
≥≤ ≤ ≥
&
oe oeoe oen oe oeoen oe fi oe nj oeoeoeoe oe
3
75
767 7 6
≥ ≤≥≤≥≤
1/2
≥ ≥≥
9
77
9
9
9
oeoeoeoe oe oeoeoeoeoeoeoe n oe oeoeoe
≤≥ ≤≥≥≤ ≤≥ ≤≥
≥≤
3
oeoeoe
oeoeoe#oenoeoe˙
97
9
79
987 5
7
Fig. 6 Fig. 6
44 &
oe#
r
G7
oeoeoeoeoeoeoeoeoeoeoeoeoe oeoe oeoe oeoeoeoe oe oe n Ó
˙
≥
2
≥≥≥≥≥
3
25
35
4
36
373
6
4
6
7
≤≥≥ ≤≥
4
63
52
423
Fig. 7 Fig. 7
44 &
oe#
r
G7
oeoeoeoe oe oeoeoe oeoeoeoeoe oeoeoe oeoe oe oe oe oeoeoeoeoeoeoe oe n oeoe oe b oe n oe b oeoeoeoeoeoeoe oe OE
˙
1
2523 45
36
4745 67
69
78 910 67
8
7
68
7654
5
343
53
5
35
53
2
behind you to create more drama before
releasing the tension through the blues scale.
Dominant chords are great for building
tension. From a traditional V7-I cadence all
the way to a 12-bar blues, having an existing tritone inside of a chord allows creative
freedom. In Fig. 6 we use this idea over
a G7 chord. This sound has become one
of my favorites, especially when used in a
traditional format. Playing a diminished
arpeggio off of the major 3rd is a very interesting sound. It contains the primary and
secondary chord tones along with the
9.
A very obvious quality of the diminished
arpeggio is its minor third movement. This
can sound quite predictable if overused, so
let’s find a creative way to dress it up.
Fig. 7 offers a slightly different
approach, where I’m actually filling in the
blanks of the same diminished arpeggio
with chromaticism to create a sequenced
sound. The even number of notes makes it
very easy to play at faster tempos. Passing
tones can really assist your picking hand
while breaking you out of the “box.” A
good rule of thumb: The more notes per
string, the easier it is to alternate pick.
Once you have experimented with these
ideas, be sure to pick and choose what works
for your ears. When your ears have acclimated to these notes against a chord, you will
begin to hear a whole new realm of possibilities. Sometimes getting the listener’s attention is just as important as a great composition. Sometimes adding to or altering what
you already know is a lot more effective for
building style than completely diving headfirst into something that may take a long
time to incorporate. The goal is to be able
to play both sides of the field while opening
doors to new ideas and understanding.
