Stretchminator!

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Members practicing this lesson:
Luc Hébert
sameoldscam
wylde guitar
TwinEclipse


   Hi folks! It's great to be on-board at GMC and I really look forward to introducing you to some new and interesting things!

This lessons focus is on chordal playing and the main challenge with this one is the large chord stretches - not for the faint hearted folks!

Many modern fusion players such as Allan Holdsworth utilize chords which have pianistic like qualities. Remember, to play a b2 interval in a chord on a piano is easy because it is only 1 piano key away. On the guitar however, it requires quite a stretch. Always remember that stretching is something you can develop - we aren't born with a huge stretch, we must develop and practice it. Over time you will find your hands making stretches you didn't think were possible.

Well good luck and don't hurt yourselves :)

Nick

The following modes relate to each chord and are the exact forms I used to extract chords from. Remember scales are so much more than just single notes, they are stacks of notes and can be combined in a number of ways to create very interesting harmonies.



D Dorian.jpg

D Altered Scale.jpg

G Dorian.jpg

Bb Lydian b7.jpg

A Altered Scale.jpg


     Lesson Questions, Feedback & Comments



Kristofer Dahl
post 11th March 2008


GMC Founder & Rocker


ohmy.gif Oh lord my hand almost died just by watching this! biggrin.gif Very cool lesson - welcome Nick, it's awesome you have joined GMC!

I find this lesson inspirational to dive into Holdsworth type chords - which I totally love but have never really got into! biggrin.gif

Also - I would like to recommend Danilo's finger exercises to prepare yourself for this lesson!
Marcus Lavendell
post 11th March 2008


Instructor


Wow! That's some large chord stretches! biggrin.gif Great first lesson Nick!
Joe Kataldo
post 11th March 2008


Instructor


Cool Lessons Amazing biggrin.gif
chast
post 11th March 2008


Member


Welcome again smile.gif
I remember these chords, my teacher showed me them when I asked him what he was practicing smile.gif
Dejan Farkas
post 11th March 2008


Instructor


Great first lesson, welcome Nick smile.gif
Bogdan Radovic
post 11th March 2008


Bass Instructor


Wow great first lesson Nick! Some insane stretches here wink.gif Welcome smile.gif
Nick Kellie
post 11th March 2008


Instructor


Thanks guys, glad you are enjoying it - Kris you are right, its good to warm up for this. Especially if such stretches are a new thing to you.
Nick
Trond Vold
post 11th March 2008


Instructor


Great first lesson! smile.gif
Some interesting chords there, makes me want to dvelve into and learn some more fusion.
Andrew Cockburn
post 11th March 2008


Theory Instructor & Moderator


Extremely cool Nick - some painful looking stretches there, but a beautifully mellow sound to this!
Jerry Arcidiacono
post 11th March 2008


Instructor


Cool chords!! smile.gif
SLASH91
post 11th March 2008


Member


Really cool smile.gif
Juan M. Valero
post 11th March 2008


Instructor


OUCH, I'm never gonna try this !! hahahaha just jocking, really interesting lesson, but I have a small hand tongue.gif I will try it with a mini-guitar XD
The Uncreator
post 11th March 2008


Fire Up The Blades, Moderator


Man those are some monster stretches!!

And your tone is great, i love it! smile.gif
Gen
post 11th March 2008


Member


Great first lesson! Welcome to gmc biggrin.gif
What kind of guitar is that? I love it!
David Wallimann
post 11th March 2008


Instructor


Nick, this is a wonderful lesson. Great voicings, thanks!
Jeff
post 11th March 2008


Member


Sounds like Holdsworth! Great tone and lesson Nick! Welcome smile.gif
Muris Varajic
post 11th March 2008


Instructor


Great first lesson Nick,welcome to GMC! smile.gif
Nick Kellie
post 11th March 2008


Instructor


thanks everyone! My gear is as follows:

Yamaha AES-FG (Frank Gambale model)

Boss FV-500H (volume pedal)

Sansamp GT2 pedal preamp (not really an ideal substitute for a full preamp rack but I dont have the money for anything more at the moment)

Mesa Boogie Stereo two:50 Poweramp - Great!

Marshall 1936 vintage stereo cab - not perfect for me but ok for now (not keen on the sound of the speakers)

TC Electronic Gmajor - ok for delay and reverb- not keen on the other effects though.

Yamaha UD stomp Delay - this has 8 heads all of which you can set at different speeds and pitches so you end up with a kind of chorus effect - i use that in this video - great unit but I take it out of my signal chain when its bypassed because I feel it effects the tone too much.

I mic this up with a behringer mic - not the best mic in the world but its cool, its really an SM58 copy
Danilo Capezzuto
post 11th March 2008


Instructor


Cool Lesson!
Tuubsu
post 11th March 2008


Member


Now that is nice sounding chords! streches are one of my weaknesses. smile.gif
Nick325
post 11th March 2008


Member


nice lesson nick
Maximus
post 11th March 2008


Member


Well Done!
Ivan Milenkovic
post 11th March 2008


Instructor


Interesting first lesson man. Keep them coming! smile.gif
at lights end
post 11th March 2008


Member


blink.gif that first stretch is huge!
great lesson!
Marcus Siepen
post 11th March 2008


Instructor (Blind Guardian)


O_O Great lesson Nick, but are you sure that mortals without bionic implants can stretch their fingers that much? ;-)
eddiecat
post 11th March 2008


Member


Nice one, Marcus!

Lovely lesson, Nick, a bit too much for me, though.
Can I ask you a little more information
about that altered scale?
Why/when it's used,etc.?
Looking forward to your next lessons.
Cheers
Eddie
Nick Kellie
post 11th March 2008


Instructor


hehe biggrin.gif ... well even if you only take one or two chords from the whole excercise then it should be good to add to your chord vocab... that first chord is huge but with the correct hand, arm and wrist positioning and lots of practice.. it should be obtainable... eventually
The funny thing is, I met Allan Holdsworth a few times and people always think and say he has huge hands because they see him making these huge stretches, but the fact is he is average height and I didnt think his hands were that big - he just practiced like a demon for years!
All the best and good luck!
Nick
smile.gif
Nick Kellie
post 11th March 2008


Instructor


Hi Eddie,
RE altered scale. The altered scale (AKA Super Locrian) has the following interval formula - R b2 b3 b4 b5 b6 b7
notice it has a b4 which is the same as a major 3rd but called b4 so the interval formula numbers go up in order. Therefore it contains a major and minor 3rd... it also has a b7 making it have a dominant sound. Examples of chords the scale would go with are as follows:
7b9, 7#9, 7#5, 7b5, 7#5b9, 7#5#9, 7b5#9, 7b5b9 etc..
these are known as altered dominant chords. These kind of chords can be hard on the ear and sound quite dissonant, but with constant exposure to such sounds, your ear will grow to love the sound.
It is generally seen as a non static sound. ie - leading into another chord. As kind of a tension before the resolution. The altered dominant chord would be seen as a V chord leading to a I chord. For example in the key of C we could go:
G7#5 into Cmajor7.
So in this case we would play a G altered scale on the G7#5 and then C major scale or C Lydian (personal choice) on the C major 7.

In the case of this lesson you will see I used D altered to lead into G dorian. Thats because the D altered chord is the V compared to the Gminor chord that follows it. So it has a nice leading sound.
Also I used A altered at the end which is the V to the Dminor we go back to on the repeat of the entire chord progression.

Hope this helps!
Nick
Toni Suominen
post 11th March 2008


Instructor


Great first lesson Nick!
Carlos Carrillo
post 11th March 2008


Instructor


Great first lesson, very interesting!!welcome Nick!!!
eddiecat
post 11th March 2008


Member


Thank you very much indeed!
I love the name: Super Locrian, funny what a flattened 4th can do!!!
"Chords for scales" is a topic I'd love
to see in your future lessons.
Oh, and welcome once more!

All the best,
Eddie
Nick Kellie
post 11th March 2008


Instructor


thanks guys!
thats a good idea Eddie, maybe a sort of improvisation workshop - playing over chord changes. Mental note taken!
all the best,
Nick
Hisham Al-Sanea
post 11th March 2008


Instructor


nice stretching lesson Nick .and welcome first lesson
Pablo Vazquez
post 12th March 2008


Instructor


Wow!! Nice first lesson!!! Great, Nick!
Victafor
post 12th March 2008


Member


Great first lesson! for me these stretches are not really a challenge to me... its just i have large hands lol and im only 15...the one that was hardest for me was the first chord... but i got it...

great melody btw
Nick Kellie
post 12th March 2008


Instructor


Thanks chaps! - Victafor, congrats on getting that first chord - its not easy!
nick
Eat-Sleep-andJam
post 12th March 2008


Member


Ouch ! Nice Lesson Nick !
Nemanja Filipovic
post 12th March 2008


Singing Instructor


great first lesson...welcome to GMC...
one question...the bass on this backing is it some software or live.
Nick Kellie
post 12th March 2008


Instructor


Hi Namanja. The bass is programmed - its a software instrument. I use the latest version of logic. Some of the sounds are actual samples but programmable samples. Software instruments are like a cross between audio and midi.

Nick
Eat-Sleep-andJam
post 12th March 2008


Member


The D Minor with the added 9 nick is really giving me trouble- I just simply cant the index all the way down to the first fret-ITs INHUMAN AHHHHHHH tongue.gif
Nick Kellie
post 12th March 2008


Instructor


yeah it is tricky! Why not try this instead... rather than play it as a chord with the notes ringing into each other, for now you can jump your hand to reach the note... Saves you from having to have your hand static... That is until you can eventually reach it the chord way.

Also here is another option - you can re position the notes to this:

Dm add9

E||----------------------------------------|
B||--------------5-----6----------5--------|
G||*----------7-----7----------------7-----|
D||*--7---------------------------------7--|
A||----------------------------------------|
E||----------------------------------------|

its almost the same except you now play the F note on the 6th fret B string as opposed to the 1st fret E string... you don't get the E ringing into the F like you would if you play the chord but its just a small compromise for being able to play the right notes.

Good Luck!
Nick
Alejandro Piñero
post 12th March 2008


Instructor


Good work and cool chords!!
Gabriel Leopardi
post 12th March 2008


GMC Coordinator & Instructor


Great lesson Nick! I'll try it and then I'll tell you if it hurts...

Nick Kellie
post 13th March 2008


Instructor


thanks guys! Gabriel - I hope it doesn't hurt smile.gif
I would be interested to hear anyones interpretation of this if you would like to post on the forum.
all the best,
Nick
Eat-Sleep-andJam
post 13th March 2008


Member


yeah thanks Nick that will help smile.gif This is a really nice lesson, im going to work on this biggrin.gif
Gerardo Siere
post 13th March 2008


Instructor


Love the tune, but my hands refuse to play them
Gerardo Siere
post 13th March 2008


Instructor


Just played the whole thing, Impresive harmony, I may be easier and seems to sound with the mood of the piece playing the e open

------0------0---
------6-----10---
------7-----10---
------7-----10---
-----------------
-----------------

loved this....

--1---
--1---
--3---
--4---
--5---
------

Nick Kellie
post 13th March 2008


Instructor


thanks guys
Gerardo - yes.. I should have remembered that one as an alternative. Thanks! Glad you liked it.

Nick
kyldeee
post 14th March 2008


Member


Dude!!! My fingers just exploded just for watching this biggrin.gif Thanks for the lesson, this is going to be very helpful smile.gif
Nick Kellie
post 14th March 2008


Instructor


thanks dude! glad I can help.

Nick
John In Socal
post 20th March 2008


Member


where is your thumb on the neck for this first chord (fret position and vertical position) ? I can almost reach the first fret with my index finger but am not close to actually making the note ring out.
Nick Kellie
post 21st March 2008


Instructor


Hi John - my thumb is right near the edge of the neck around 4th fret and parallel to the neck... you can take your thumb off the neck all together - it might facilitate the stretch better. I am 6' 5" tall with rather large hands so I can manage to do it with my hand still on the neck ... doesn't mean you have to though. Use what works best for your hands.
All the best,
Nick
FrankW
post 9th May 2008


Member



Beautiful voicings, Nick. Holdsworth all over the place!
Nick Kellie
post 9th May 2008


Instructor


thanks frank - indeed Allan has been a big influence... and made me go for chords out of the comfort zone technically speaking.
Vinod Saranga
post 11th May 2008


Acoustic Instructor


You are right Nick at first Jazz chords give me the dissonant feeling but after having exposure to them many times simple chors sounds naked to me smile.gif


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