Lesson in Diagonal Playing for Bebop Guitarists Ok, here’s the deal: you know about jazz guitar scales a little or a lot. Maybe you’re curious about the so called bebop scale. You’ve heard about on the guitar or the CAGED system. You may already be a complete master of scales on the guitar.

Or perhaps you’re just a total beginner (in which case you should check out first.) No matter where you stand, here’s something to improve your jazz guitar playing: a new perspective! I now offer you this “other solution” for smooth phrasing and bebop melodic lines on the guitar (for jazz improvisation.) This approach is largely underrated and little known (I think), yet it yields enormous potential And it works for many jazz guitar greats (watch them on Youtube), for me and most of my students!! I’m sure you find it interesting. Ready?! The “Secret” to Jazz Guitar Lines: Diagonal Scale Motion The secret for amazing linear jazz guitar phrasing in your improvised solos: Never mind scale positions and play up-and-across-the-neck (AKA diagonal playing) It is, in fact a blend, between single string (horizontal) and position (vertical) playing concepts. Here’s how it works: So the term “diagonal” merely means to play up AND across the neck at the same time.

It is done by playing 3 or 4 notes on each string while shifting up (or down) the fingerboard. Actia Multi Diag Keygen Free. It is different from scale positions only in the fact that we basically play more notes on each string before moving to the next. The ensuing motion of the fretting hand is thus diagonal. This comes in extremely handy to play fast lines within the bebop scale 🙂.

Learn to play 6 bebop etudes arranged for guitar in tab. Practice technique to keep the lesson to a reasonable size but you could. Bebop Guitar Licks. Bebop Scale - Formula, Fingerings, Patterns, and Licks. Bebop Scale – Formulas, Fingerings, Patterns, and Licks. The bebop scale an 8- note scale that uses passing.

Check out the line I’m playing in the first 10 seconds video. I learned it directly from a Wes Montgomery solo on the blues in F. Do you see the diagonal motion of my left hand?

That’s exactly what diagonal scales are all about! Imagine if I had tried to remain in one position to play that line. How would the phrasing of that musical line would suffer? This approach to playing jazz guitar scales personally changed my hearing over the years. It is a powerful yet underestimated tool. Dig this: Most instrument have only “one way” to play a certain scale. If you play ascending on a piano for instance, you’ll use fingers 123 – 1234 then use the same fingers on the next octave. Which means that on the piano, you use the same physical motion to produce the same sound, in every register of the instrument.

“Do-re-mi” on the low keys can be executed with the same muscles and movements on the highest keys. Now try this on the guitar: C major in seventh position. The LH fingerings are: 24 124 13 then the next octave: 4 234 24 1 (2). And you wonder why it’s hard to learn and memorize fingerings for scales and arpeggios on the guitar!?!

Diagonal scales on the guitar allow the kind of piano-like evenness we are looking for on the fingerings fretboard, especially for 8-note bebop scales. You’ll find yourself using the same fingerings on 2 or even 3 different octaves.

Start practicing them and you’ll hear and see what I mean. Comparison / Explanation Here are the nuts and bolts of jazz guitar scales in diagonal playing in comparison with positions: Position playing (CAGED) characteristics • Restrict the left hand: doesn’t move up/down the neck while playing • Learn the same scale in many different positions (boxes) • Each note in the scale can be played in many locations • Usually, 2-3 notes on each string • Also implies: if you know every (12) major scale in 7 positions, it means that you can. Diagonal playing characteristics • Free the left hand: now it does move up/down the fretboard • Learn any bebop scale in one specific way, diagonally • Each note of the scale is played in only one location • Usually, 3-4 notes (or more) on each string (may require shifting) • Also implies: you know every (12) major scales in one specific way and you’re less likely to forget the fingerings The main advantages of this scalar diagonal approach: 1. Wider range it covers Position playing gives about 2 octaves while diagonal goes up to 3 octaves. Evenness of phrasing Fingerings repeat themselves on each octave. Every note has only one exact location. Guitarists can “play by sound and feel” rather than “by finger and eye”. Other areas of jazz guitar playing (and jazz guitar scales) also helped by diagonal playing: • Knowledge of fretboard • Speed/virtuosity • Bebop scales become easy 😉 • Reading (only one location for each note!) • Better LH technique • Better “finger to ears” relationship • Easy (very easy) octave transposition • Ease of learning/memorizing scales and modes • Range of melodic lines (above 2 octaves) • Playing in octaves (like Wes) And finally, before we start (my fifty cents) Honestly, I still don’t understand why this approach to jazz guitar scales is not more widely discussed and taught.

The vast majority of jazz guitarists I know (students of mine, colleagues, teachers, etc.) know and rave about (and/or the CAGED system) but barely even mention the diagonal approach (if they know about it at all) It’s funny though: most influential (of past and present times) mix and match single string, positions and diagonal concepts in their solos. Ready for Jazz guitar scales exercises now? Major Scale played Diagonally The keys of G and C are used as models here: We clearly “see” the diagonal motion starting on 5th and 6th strings. Note: Start the scales with fingers 1-2-4 (NOT fingers 1-3-4) Some Guidelines for Jazz Guitar Scales #1 – Stretch Between Middle and Ring Fingers Stretch between first and second fingers. Don’t move the entire hand: simply “reach out” with the index while the left hand stays.

#2 – Shift with Index The shifts (slides) are performed with the first finger between half-steps. #3 – Break the Rules In other scales/modes you may have to stretch between third and fourth fingers and/or to shift with the fourth finger. -In General- It’s all about the hand “staying” while the outside (1st and 4th) fingers “stretching” and “shifting”. Experiment and you will find your way of doing it comfortably. Melodic Minor Scale played Diagonally The same principles apply in minor for this guitar lesson. Try the melodic minor scale fingerings below.

Use fingers 1-2-3 on the lowest string so you are still stretching between first and second fingers. The keys of G and C are used as models here: We clearly “see” the diagonal motion starting on 5th and 6th strings. Note: Start the scales with fingers 1-2-3 (NOT fingers 1-3-4) Your Lesson: Suggested Exercises for Jazz Guitar in Diagonal Scales • Learn C and G major really well in diagonal (2 octaves). They’re shown exactly in diagrams above. Using the same fingering from C major diagonal (above) play • Bb, B, C, Db, D and Eb and E major scales.

You simply have to move the hand up or down to the good starting note on the 5th string and employ the exact same fingerings. Using the same fingering from G major diagonal play • F, Gb, G, Ab, A, Bb and B major scales. Once again, simply move the hand up or down to the good starting note and employ the exact same fingerings. The two previous exercises made you play the major scale in 12 keys. I sn’t that great, that you can now play in twelve keys just by knowing only 2 diagonal fingerings for Jazz guitar scales?! 🙂 Optional but recommended: Apply the above to find the melodic minor scale in 12 keys. Learn other scales/modes for tunes your are improvising on diagonally on 2-3 octaves.

Find your own fingerings, and attempt to keep the same fingers on each octave. That’s the goal. Interested in Bebop Scale Fingerings?

See this cool lesson for fitting a jazz scale to each jazz chord without too much hassle: And lastly, checkout this Diagonal Scales for Jazz Guitarist: Video Course Wonder what to do next in order to apply this concepts to several scales, modes, bebop scales, etc.? See this online course: 25 Exercise For Better Jazz Guitar Phrasing Diagonal Scales Lesson: Wrap Up As you can begin to “feel” the diagonal scales under your fingers you will develop hearing instincts. Especially with the bebop scale.

When assimilated those jazz guitar scales help in developing a natural and instinctive improvisational voice. The hearing part of it comes mostly from the sameness of fingerings on each octave. Did you notice, it’s like the piano? After the octave, you have to “push the same buttons” to hear the same sound? Practice enough so they become second nature to you. You will want to rely on this material spontaneously.

It’s the same as learning to drive: you learn all the notions and they become reflexes after lots of practicing. Lastly, this way of playing jazz scales guitar is unique and “upgradeable”.

Apply the diagonal principles to others scales, arpeggios, song themes, composition, while transcribing, etc. For instance, see the. There are certainly advantages to this fingering system, but there are disadvantages as well. If you’re playing high notes and you suddenly want to go down low, you need to shift your left hand and find the note. With CAGED, you can just get the same note on a lower string in the same position.

And in the diagonal system, you’re locked into a certain range in the instrument because of where you start – sixth string F major will sound different than sixth string Bb major because of where you have to start. And finally, of course when you use the CAGED system, you need to know how to connect up or down to the next position, but you’re certainly not ‘locked in’ to any one box.

When guitarists usually encounter tricky fingerings, harmonically dense progressions and fast tempos. All of these require a fair amount of technique on the instrument compared to say using one mode to improvise over one chord for four bars at a medium tempo. This article features 6 bebop etudes that use perpetual motion and help develop some of the techniques required for playing bebop. Each bebop etude can also be used to warm up at the beginning of a practice session to help you Though the etudes are not written to sound completely musical, each of the four note patterns found with each example can sound musical when mixed with other jazz licks and.

So besides developing your technique, you are also Each of the etudes is applied over a cycling dominant progression starting on G7, but you can throw in these patterns over or any The tab fingerings are only suggestions and I recommend starting from a different place on the neck when you have played through the positions I wrote out. Bebop Etudes Example 1 The first example uses a cool pattern I learned from watching a fantastic which is 3, 5, R, 7. This is the pattern for the first chord (G7), and the octave of the root is flipped for the next chord C. If the pattern continued to ascend for each new chord in the cycle, you would quickly run out of frets on the guitar which is why the octave is lowered for the 2 nd chord in the bar. Bebop Etudes Example 2 The second example uses another pattern I learned from the Barry Greene Video lesson which is 3, b9, R, 7. The 3 rd — b9 movement is one of the most common jazz patterns and is often associated with the great jazz saxophonist.

Because of this, it is important that jazz guitarists have the 3-b9 pattern down in all 12 keys and in positions across the guitar neck. Bebop Etudes Example 3 Bebop guitar etudes example 3 is a variation of the first exercise and the pattern is 3, R, 5, 7. This bebop exercise works particularly well as a warm up because it features a 4 th interval which can be tricky to apply all over the guitar neck. The fingerings in the last bar begin to get tough so if you are finding them difficult start the exercise in a higher octave on the guitar neck. Bebop Etudes Example 4 The first 3 examples feature the 7 th as note of resolution between each chord, so to mix things up the note of resolution in Bebop Etudes example 4 is the 5th.

The 5th of the chord resolves to the root of the next chord half way through the bar. Since the note of resolution is changing I decided to change the pattern to to show how different four note groupings work in this exercise. Bebop Etudes Example 5 Besides using the same pattern for each chord, why not mix two different patterns together? This next bebop etudes example shows how you the formulas that have already being looked at in earlier examples can be mixed.

The etude starts with 3, 5, R, 2 nd and descends with a Bebop Etudes Example 6 This last etude looks at how diminished arpeggios can be used to outline the cyclic progression. The first half of the bar is a straight whereas the second half features a 3, b9, 7, 5 patterns, but you could easily use a 3, b9, 5, 7 pattern for the first half of the bar too.

Practice Bebop Etudes Each of the patterns in this article features ascending eighth notes in the first half of the bar and descending eighth notes in the second half. To get more mileage out of each etude you could reverse this by starting with a descending pattern and finishing with an ascending pattern. Here is an example of this applied to a etude featuring a 5, 7, 3, b9 pattern You can also try mixing the patterns up in different bars by starting a new pattern in each as demonstrated in the example below. To show how these bebop etudes patterns can be musical here’s a lick I composed using the first and second patterns as a basis. I used rhythmic, chromatic, and chord type subs taught in my to make the line sound musical. If you want to apply any of these patterns to a regular ii-7, V7, and I major 7 change the four note patterns to fit the chord type.

You could also try starting on a different dominant 7th chord within the cycle. I have only scratched the surface of each of this practice technique to keep the lesson to a reasonable size but you could experiment with any four note grouping be it,, or even. Hi Jamie, Excellent studies.

I'm a subscriber to Barry Greene's lessons.Whew!. He doesn't muck around.ha ha.No good for beginners in jazz. Quite a stretch, keeping up, and I thought I knew my stuff.

I'm thinking of putting up a post on the Jazz Guitar Forum about Barry's work.it really is first rate. But the main reason I contacted you is to enquire how to print out your excellent lessons without getting 'bleed over' from one page to the next. It seems that you are using a similar format as Matt Warnock, who's page I've encountered the same prob. Any hints as to what to do.other than.bleep.bleep. Bleep.ha ha Best wishes.keep up the good work.Milton.