Hi Andy!
This is place where I will give you assignments and upload videos. You will do the same starting tonight. Bookmark it, subscribe to it as it will be easier to follow when I post new things in!
Lets get started Andy!
Here is your 1st assignment :
- Record chord progression in Phrygian mode. Root and tempo of your choice!
- Make an audio/video recording with two choruses of solo. 1st chorus soloing with chord tones, 2nd chorus soloing with tensions.
- Apply VST instruments of your choice but I would at least like to hear trio (bass drums and guitar or piano).
- Once you record backing track upload it here !
- When you record video, put it on Youtube and embed it here!
I will not put any time limit for this one Andy as you might have extra questions for me regarding chord progression and bass lines
I do have a hint to help you make Phrygian mode cadence !
Check out this link http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?s=&showtopic=30193&view=findpost&p=418884
It should help a lot!
Let me know if you need any help, I am here!
Pedja
Wao ... that sounds damn challenging and interesting !!
For sure some questions will come up, but first i will try to work out some ideas.
Thanks a lot for this great assignment Pedja
Hi Pedja,
Here is my backing and i wanted to check with you if this sound ok for you?
It's a loop 4x - Em7 | Fmaj7 | Dm7 | Em7 = Imin7 | bIImaj7 | bVIImin7 | Imin7
wrk_backing_E_Phrygian.mp3 ( 1.36MB )
: 174
Thanks !!
Andy perfect!
Smooth Jazz sounding, love it. What VST's did you use for it?
Its time to do some improvising over that
Great, glad you like it .. the drums are "Addictive Drums" the rest are VSTs which came with Logic and GarageBand.
I work on some improvisations now ...
Good Andy, show me now what you can do over this backing track, then we can expend it further and talk about approaches.
Hi Pedja,
Here is a first take over the Phrygian backing. It's a bit sloppy and i will for sure do other takes, but maybe we could use it for discussion as it is a typical solo i come up with when i jam over a backing.
Some question:
1. Does this solo sound phrygian to you? .. should i use the b2 (F) more often, even over the Em (Imin) to add more phrygian sound to the solo?
2. Do you have any advice how i could extend the chords. I mean, are there any extensions which works well within a phrygian chord progression?
3. Just to be sure, could you just clarify for me what you mean with "soloing with tensions". I guess you mean extended chord notes, right?
Thanks !!
Andy this very well done! Let me answer your questions :
1) Solo does sound Phrygian but it also sound like you were using minor pentatonic. You did use F (characteristic note of the mode) in the very beginning so you defined the mode in listeners ear early on. You don't have to over use it, but make sure you do melodic ideas with characteristic note and you will be fine.
2) Are you talking about adding more chords to the whole mix? Since its E Phrygian, you can pretty much use any chords from C major harmony. The thing is, you need to use correct harmonic rhythm for new chords so they fit. In other words, keep the existing cadence in the end but start with E minor and add characteristic chords in the middle. What chords in C major scale contain note F? This is great starting point, work from that idea
3) Yes, you were right. Soloing with tensions is using strictly extensions of the chord as soloing device. So E minor 7 is the chord, 7th is not a tension but b9 11 and b13 are. Question here is, can you use b9, 11 and 13 ?
Hi Pedja,
I recorded a 2nd take .. this time a bit closer to your assignment.
loop 1-2 (tension notes only, b9, 11, 13) - sorry, i start on E, but with a slide from F
loop 3-4 (chord notes, incl. 7th)
Sounds great so far Andy!
Keep working with the tensions sound, I like how you are using them in your soloing so far. After we will move to some approach patterns and chromaticism
Andy how is Phrygian b9 happening ?
I am waiting to hear your experience on expanded chords! Did you manage to use some in your backing track ? What about soloing with some of the arpeggios describing those extended chords?
Let me know if you need any tips, I think you are on a good way to discover something cool
Actually i start to get tensed by concentrating on all these tensions ... no, not true ...
I worked quite a lot on different ideas, even different backings, but by now it's only a collection of licks .. thats why i didn't upload something new.
Not sure really what i expect, .. somehow i think i should discover something, but i don't know what . Sounds stupid maybe, ... if you have any tips would be great, otherwise i just continue to play with ideas.
Well Andy, this mode is a little bit different then any other in major scale. Main reason for this is you will see many times Phrygian being used exclusively in the song, making it a modal composition (just like you did in the original backing track). To actually use Phrygian with other modes (modulating and changing keys) takes some skill.
I can give you a suggestion which should be very useful.
Take characteristic notes of the mode (b9 and b13) and try to make melodies with them. If you are running out of ideas to make melodies using these notes, start playing arpeggios that contain one (or both) of the characteristic notes.
Ideally you want to create tension and release in your soloing, in other words don't just play tension but resolve it to E minor and equivalent sound.
I hope that makes sense Andy.
Let me know if that helps!
Thanks Pedja ... i will let you know how it goes
Here is a 3rd take
I have modified the backing a bit and removed the ambient sound to hear the piano chords more clear.
In loop 2 and 4 i added some extensions to the chords: A(11) to Em and G(9) to Fmaj7
1 - Em7 | Fmaj7 | Dm7 | Em7
2 - Em11 | Fmaj9 | Dm7 | Em11 / Em7
3 - Em7 | Fmaj7 | Dm7 | Em7
4 - Em11 | Fmaj9 | Dm7 | Em11 / Em7
I'm not sure if i start to get feel for the phrygian mode, but at least it becomes much easier now for me to be aware of each note i play.
Excellent Andy!
This is the real deal now. I am starting to like a lot your usage of tensions and characteristic notes. I can still in your playing hear more pentatonic based melodies but that is fine right now. I am more happy to hear F and C used in melodic context. You also did good with adding chord tensions 9 and 11, those are very useful and jazzy. If you add tension 13th somewhere in there, you will have very few if any avoid notes in soloing. Remember this is modal soloing so you have a lot more options to be dissonant then when doing other things!
Yes, melodic ideas are often based on pentatonic licks for me. I get a bit bored of this actually and i think assignments like this one will help me to develop new ideas.
Approach patterns are very useful for enriching the melody and/or target note.
Lets say you want to target E note, here are some possible approach patterns
1) Below (D to E or D# to E)
2) From Above (F to E)
3) Below and above (D F to E or D# F to E)
4) Chromatic approach (D# to E or F to E)
5) Double chromatic approach (D D# to E or F# F to E)
6) Above and below (F D to E)
7) Double chromatic + above (D D# F to E)
8) Double chromatic above + double chromatic below (F# F D D# to E)
9) Combination of approaches above
This technique can be also referred to as Delayed Resolution. You are delaying resolution to your target note by using specific notes to approach it.
Try to record couple of choruses now using approach patterns I mentioned!
Awesome ... Thank you Pedja !!
I guess a few of them i used in my takes before without knowing that these are approach pattern. Will be interesting to focus on it a bit more and play with variations.
Andy,
How are approach patterns coming along ?
We will very soon change the mode I just one to hear one take from you in this one using approach patterns!
I will be out of town today but I will be back tomorrow. Let me know if you have any questions!
Pedja
Hi Pedja,
Here is my 4th take over the phrygian cadence. As i told you via PM, i was running a bit out of ideas after the previous 3 takes.
I have tried to incorporate some of these approach pattern and some chromatic variations of it. I wanted to get away from using too many pentatonic style licks, keep the notes closer together and make more use of tension notes. I slowed down the backing a bit to avoid to play too sloppy .
I'm not really confident with this take, but anyway .. i'm curious about your feedback when you are back in "town" ... have a good time
Andy 4th take was good !
I have no complains because you did what I asked for. You applied approach patterns. In the beginning it will be harder to use it in your soloing and vocabulary, but more you practice them and try to create lines around them, ear will open up and hear them.
Lets move onto new mode now. I think we need to finish all important major modes (Dorian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian and Ionian) before we get to melodic minor and things that are cool. I will also teach you things regarding theory and harmony, how to modulate and expand your 4,8,16 bar modal sections into new areas.
So your new assignment is to pick one of the modes below and create a backing track for it!
- B Dorian
- F# Lydian
- Bb Mixolydian
- F Aeolian
Choose one of the above, create backing track using available cadences. Feel free to add tensions to the chords as well if you want to make it more jazzier and in fusion manner. It would be interesting if you tried to make now different type of backing track. Vary the tempo and feel of the drums and bass. Lets see what you can do and then I will assign you soloing assignment
Thanks for the new assignment Pedja !!
It's great to go through each mode of the major scale and focus on it for while. I needed to do this since a long time ... i'm really exited to finally do this
I think i will first start with the Mixolydian mode in Bb as i never used it before ... at least not consciously. As far as i understood the mixolydian mode is mainly used over a dominant 7th chord. I guess thats the reason a lot of lessons here at GMC are using a ONE CHORD vamp backing for the mixolydian mode and not so often cadences(?)
Actually that leads to another question i was wondering about in your cadence post .. you wrote .. "All the chords have the same duration !" ... is that a kind of standard to "define" a cadence? Just try to understand what possibilities i have if want to create a "typical" mixolydian backing.
If i do a progression like 8 bars I and after a 1xI, 1xbVII or 1xI, 1xVmin, would only be the last part called the cadence ? ... i just try to get the names clear i think.
Great ... i will work on it and let you know how it goes or if questions come up.
Thank you
Sure thing Andy, let me know if I can help in any way!
Hi Pedja, i hope you feel better now from your flu !!
Here is a backing in made with Bb-mixolydian cadence: I | bVII | I | V
7th chords, 4x : Bb7 | Abmaj7 | Bb7 | Fm7
wrk_backing_Bb_Mixolydian_noext.mp3 ( 1.63MB )
: 154
with tensions, 2x : Bb7 | Abmaj7 | Bb7 | Fm7 --- Bb9 | Ab11 | Bb11 | Fm9
wrk_backing_Bb_Mixolydian_ext.mp3 ( 1.62MB )
: 146
I have started to improvise over this backing with chord notes, tensions notes and some approach patterns. I will try to record a take very soon ...
Sorry for the delay to upload takes. I have some difficulties to find calm moments to record videos ... as i have some "annoying" people running around in the apartment all the time .. will try to kick them out as soon as possible
Hey Andy,
I am feeling a lot better. Today I will record a lesson actually
I checked out these two versions and they sound very similar to each other, almost identical. I like the backing track, it has ambient and openness like the previous one for Phrygian mode.
Record those soloing approaches when you get the chance and then we can correct things and develop from there!
One more thing Andy
Happy birthday man
Enjoy it today
Great you feel better ... and thanks for the wishes yesterday
Yes both backings are identical. I only added some tension notes over the 7th's chords to figure out how these notes sound. I will try to create some other backings, less ambient sound, but i have a lot of fun to play with Logic and some VSTs as i never really did this before and i want to get more experiences with that as well
I will let you know how the soloing comes together ..
Gig was awesome .. two guitar player improvising over jazz standards. It was lesser "manouche jazz" as i expected from someone like David Reinhardt. Beside that it was technically impressive what they did, i realized that i have to listen way more to this kind of music ..
I am happy to have found this place. It's basically a small bar/restaurant with live music every evening with great musicians. Tonight is playing Serge Krief for example, who has been a musician for George Benson. I guess i will hang out there a lot in the future ..
Back to work now ..
Great to hear that Andy!
Does that place have a website? I would like to check out performers they have lined up.
I will record a lesson now so I guess I will talk to you later today
http://www.ateliercharonne.com/
The website is in french, but you can find the program when you click on "Le Bar"(right) - "Programmation"(top)
Looks good !
Mostly Jazz manouche and some classical. That music is great for background I guess
Hi Pedja, here are finally two takes i did over Bb mixolydian backing. Once again quite melodic ..
Very nice Andy, both takes are melodic and similar somewhat. I like that you went a little bit outside of the chord tones and did some approach patterns and chromaticism. I would like to see that more and more into your lines as that tool will make them sound jazzier. Another advice I can give you is to start thinking in terms of time feel even more. In other words do a slow phrase followed by really fast one. Do this for whole chorus, see what you can make out of this idea!
Ok Andy great. Let me know when you have something new for me!
Hi Pedja,
Here is a 3rd take over the mixolydian backing. I tried this time to add some faster runs in there. Overall a bit shaky, but anyway ...
Good work Andy. I especially like the balance of time feel soloing in the first half of the solo. After that it wasn't that evident. Also, try not to use so much identical sequence and exercise based licks when playing double time feel. I got the feeling you could have gone in 3 octaves using that legato sequence. Idea is to brake out phrasing, use pentatonics, arpeggios, chromatic approaches and all the other devices we talked about. I get a feeling you can do better then what you did currently. Correct me if I am wrong please
I knew somehow you wouldn't like that, but thought to post it anyway
Will try to work on some other ideas ... Thanks !!
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