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Lets take a break from these triad exercises and talk about phrasing and articulation. It seems as though you cant get two guitar players to agree on the way the right hand functions, and there are as many theories as there are players. I have personally heard some of the worlds top jazz guitarists blatantly announce that they had no idea of what their right hand was doing. I was amazed to hear this and observed that picking technique is something that most guitar players just dont come to grips with. I dont profess to have all the answers about picking and phrasing and I will agree that it is a personal thing. With this thought in mind I would like to offer a few tips for the right hand. My basic pick stroke is down ( ) for long tones.
Figure 20a:
cw &
). Here are a few examples and tips for picking. All downbeats and accents get a down pick ( ).
For eighth notes and beyond (i.e. 16th. 32nd etc) I typically employ alternate picking ( A syncopated note is an accented note that falls on an upbeat, and it will also receive a down pick. Figure 20b:
1 2 & 3 4
&c
>
(Accent)
Figure 20c:
F6
&c
T A B
> J
> J
>
.. . .
Figure 20d:
>. J &c
C6
T A B
C6 # >
D m7 G7
24
Ab 6
. >
Figure 21b:
c &
T A B
>
5 5
Two-note slurs such as hammer ons (H), pull offs (P), and slides (S) all begin with a down pick. Figure 22a:
P P &c b n
T A B
b n .
> J
3
Figure 22b:
j Hb n # H N P c &
C
T A B
25
b b # b # # &c
(Sweep) T A B
3 5 4 3 4 6 5 4 5 7 6 5 6 8 7 6 7 9 8 7 8 10 9 8
Ab
Bb
Figure 23b: Notice the slur and the use of the hammer on.
3 & 4 # n #
H
Eb
# b
H
# n #
H
T A B
3 4 3 4
4 5 4 5
5 6 5 6
H H # n #
T A B
3 5
4 6
5 7
Figure 23d: You work out the picking direction for this exercise. Watch the slurs and the use of hammer ons and pull offs.
b b & c #
P H
Eb
n # #
H P
T A B
26
&b w
b w
1/2
In figures 25a-d, you will hear and see the use of both Upper (U.N.) and Lower Neighbor Tones. Remember that youre just approaching the chord tones with their surrounding notes. Dont forget to swing the eight notes and use jazz phrasing and articulation. Figure 25a:
& b c ( ) ( ) J j J .
U.N. etc...
T A B
5 3 5
3 2
5 3
3 2
7 5
8 7
6 7
Figure 25b:
. b j &b c J J
T A B
4 3
Bb
3 4 3 3 3
27
Figure 25c:
j j j & c # J # J # b n
3
T A B
7 5
4 5
7 5
6 5 5 7 5 4 5 5 7 5 4 5
8 6 5
8 5
4 5
Figure 25d:
. b c # J &
F6
3
b #
3
T A B
5 7 5
6 7
5 7
5 7 5
6 7
5 7
28