TOSIN
ABASI
THE UNDISPUTED MASTER OF THE SEVEN- & EIGHTSTRING GUITAR REVEALS HIS PLAYING AND PRACTICING SECRETS!
JIMMY HUBBARD
PROG GNOSIS
CONTENTS 1 animal instinct
Getting a feel for picking techniques with the track “Somnarium”
2 economies of scale
Making effective use of economy picking, and how I play my solos in “Somnarium”
3 INTER-PLANETARY EXPLORATION
How to play the outro guitar solo in “Earth Departure”
Tosin Abasi performs with progressivemetal act Animals as Leaders. They have released two albums: Animals as Leaders and, Weightless, available on Prosthetic Records.
4 double up
Double picking, and the first solo in “An Infinite Regression”
5 thumbs up
How to play the thumb-slapped intro to “An Infinite Regression”
6 lucky sevens
Making odd meters feel natural, and how to play “Cylindrical Sea”
7 six sense
Playing in 6/4, and the hybridpicked arpeggios in “David”
8 six of Another
More on playing in 6/4 meter, and how I perform the hybrid-picked arpeggios in “David,” part 2
9 voicing opinions
Devising chord voicings on the eight-string guitar
10 turn on the heat
Effective ways to warm up both hands
11 rollercoaster ride Seven-string arpeggios
12 two-hand touch
Examining the two-hand tapping and odd-meter phrasing in “Isolated Incidents”
13 connect the dots
Analyzing the harmonized melody lines in “Isolated Incidents”
JIMMY HUBBARD
animal instinct
1
chapter
Getting a feel for picking techniques with the track “Somnarium” Eight-string guitar arranged for seven-string guitar
Eight-string guitar arranged for seven-string guitar FIGURE 1 A¨maj7 Fig. 1 FIGURE 1 w/hybrid A¨maj7 picking let ring throughout
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higher to lower strings. Notice also the inclusion of a single bar of 3/4 in bar 5 alongside a basic 4/4 feel. The riff in FIGURE 2 follows immediately on the heels of FIGURE 1, entering at 0:29 seconds into the track. I use the same approach but shift from Af major to Af minor. Using a similar motif but transforming it to a different tonality is a great way to expand on any musical idea. This figure is again performed with a combination of hybrid and economy picking.
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Hello everyone and welcome to Prog-Gnosis, my Guitar World instructional DVD. Over these 13 lessons, I’ll be demonstrating some of the techniques and approaches I rely on in the writing and performing of the music I play with my band, Animals as Leaders. Hopefully, you will find these ideas useful in your own musical endeavors. I’d like to begin with a look at some excerpts from the song “Somnarium,” from the Animals as Leaders album Weightless. The majority of the music I play with the group is performed on an eight-string guitar, tuned (low to high) E B E A D G B E. In the examples included here, the parts have been arranged for seven-string guitar (low to high, B E A D G B E). If you have only a six-string, fear not, as only one note—the low Af at the beginning of bar 6 of FIGURE 1—is played on the seventh string. On a six-string, this note can be played at the fourth fret on the sixth string, though a quick shift up to ninth position will be necessary to play the notes that follow. The opening riff to this song was written as an etude that I could use to practice my hybrid picking—the pick-hand technique that combines flatpicking and fingerpicking. Throughout bars 1–5 of FIGURE 1, I pick the lowest note of each figure with the pick and follow it with fingerpicking, using my middle finger, ring finger and pinkie to sound the notes on the higher strings. You’ll find some challenging pick-hand movement through this section as well as nice harmony as you shift from one chord form to the next. In bar 6, outlining the Afmaj9(+5) chord, I switch to alternating between a flatpicked and a fingerpicked note, and then I wrap up the phrase in bars 8 and 9 with a combination of alternate (downup) and economy picking. Economy picking, also known as “rest-stroke” picking, entails the use of the same pick direction when moving from string to string. In bar 8, there are two areas where three consecutive notes are performed by playing one note at a time on successively lower adjacent strings. This also occurs on two strings in bar 9. For these notes, I use consecutive upstrokes when moving from
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The last riff included here, illustrated in FIGURE 3, begins at 1:39, and I consider it to be the “hook” of the song in that it is repeated many times. Harmonically, I begin by moving maj9 voicings down the neck, but I wrap it up with a slight twist, incorporating m(maj7). Also, the rhythmic syncopation of the figure causes it to sound like the beat is turning around with each successive phrase, but, in fact, I think of it as alternating bars of 4/4 and 3/4.
economies of scale
2
chapter
Making effective use of economy picking, and how I play my solos in “Somnarium” In this chapter, I’ll show you what I play for two of the solo sections in “Somnarium.” These solos are played over the parts illustrated in the previous chapter. The majority of the music I play with AAL is performed on an eight-string guitar, tuned (low to high) E B E A D G B E. In the examples included here, the parts have been arranged for seven-string guitar (low to high, B E A D G B E). If you have only a six-string, the great majority of what is written here can be played on it. FIGURE 2, for example, depicts my primary solo on the song, and there is only one note that is played on the seventh string. FIGURE 1 is an arpeggio-based pattern that I play over the “chorus” of “Somnarium,” specifically the part that switches repeatedly from 4/4 to 3/4 (and which may also be thought of as consecutive bars of 7/4). The pattern moves harmonically from Emaj9 to Bmaj9 to Afm/maj7. I begin over Emaj9 with straight descending arpeggio figures that are played in groups of steady 16th notes. By the second half of beat two in bar 1, I’ve switched to a long ascending line that is performed using economy picking. Bar 3 is again split between arpeggios and ascending figures, followed in bar 4 by a long descending arpeggio across the first through the seventh strings. The descending arpeggios used to start this riff are executed with reverse sweeps, as the pick is dragged in an upward motion from higher to lower strings. I then use economy picking to play the subsequent ascending line. Economy picking is best described as a technique wherein the same pick direction is used to sound notes on adjacent strings: when moving from a lower to a higher string, the last note on the lower string and the first note on the higher string are each picked with a downstroke. When moving from a higher to lower string, consecutive upstrokes are used in a similar manner. I’ve found the technique invaluable for performing challenging figures with speed and precision. FIGURE 2 illustrates the main solo, which is played over the song’s opening— and primary—rhythm part. I use arpeggios along with “linear” excursions, and I stick closely to the Afmaj7-Bmaj7-Emaj7C7sus4-Afmaj9+5-Dfm chord progression. Every lick sits squarely over the accompanying chord. Starting in bar 6, I incorporate a “double-picking” technique, wherein each note is picked twice within a steady rhythm of 16th notes.
Fig. 11 Eight-string gtr. arr. for seven-string gtr. (low to high, B E A D G B E) FIGURE Bmaj9 FIGURE Emaj9 1 Eight-string gtr. arr. for seven-string gtr. (low to high, B E A D G B E)
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INTER-PLANETARY EXPLORATION
3
chapter
How to play the outro guitar solo in “Earth Departure” “Earth Departure” is one of the most adventurous tunes on the Animals as Leaders album Weightless. The song features some very intense, complex figures that require extremely tight band interplay. To my way of thinking, much of the song is in straight 4/4 time, but it doesn’t sound like it because many of the rhythms are based on unusual 16th-note syncopations and odd-length phrases. In this chapter, I’ll analyze the song’s outro guitar solo, which is one of my favorite solos on the record. As you know, the majority of the music I play with AAL is performed on an eight-string guitar, tuned (low to high) E B E A D G B E. In the example included here, the solo has been arranged for seven-string guitar (B E A D G B E), but a six-string will work just as well, as there is only one note—the first note of beat four in bar 6—that is played on the seventh string. FIGURE 1 illustrates the entire 14bar outro solo. Tonally, the solo revolves around an E major/Cs minor axis, but there are a few other elements thrown in that shake up the harmonic environment. I begin the solo by playing over a quick B5-A chord change, followed by E, starting with an eighth-note triplet line based on A melodic minor (A B C D E Fs Gs). When I get to the E chord, I switch to the E major scale (E Fs Gs A B Cs Ds), which, when played over the subsequent Csm chord in bar 3, can also be analyzed as Cs Aeolian, or Cs natural minor (Cs Ds E Fs Gs A B). Notice the “staggered”-sounding dotted-eighth-/16th-note rhythm of the solo lines in bars 2–4. Bar 4 switches to 2/4 time, followed by a single bar of 3/4, a bar of 4/4, two bars of 3/4 and another bar of 2/4. The solo then concludes with five bars of 4/4. In bar 5, I play a short line over Bfm, followed by a descending line, primarily performed with pull-offs and finger slides, played over A but based on the E Lydian mode (E Fs Gs As B Cs Ds). At the end of this bar, I begin a series of ascending sweeps based on the Bf minor pentatonic scale (Bf Df Ef F Af), performed by dragging the pick across the strings in a single downstroke.
Eight-string guitar arranged for seven-string guitar (low to high, B E A D G B E) Eight-string guitar arranged for seven-string guitar (low to high, B E A D G B E) FIGURE Fig. 11 “Earth Departure” outro solo (4:29-4:50) Eight-string guitarDeparture” arranged for seven-string guitar (low to high, B E AC#m D G B E) E FIGURE B5 1 “Earth solo (4:29-4:50) Am Eoutro D#5 Eight-string guitar arranged for seven-string guitar (low to high, B E A D G B E) E 1 FIGURE 1 “Earth Departure” outro solo (4:29-4:50) B5 Am E 14 14 11 11 D#5 C#m for 12 9 B 9 11 11 Eight-string guitar arranged seven-string guitar (low to high, E A DG FIGURE 1 “Earth Departure” outro solo (4:29-4:50) 1 12 13 14 9 12 12 9 B9 E) 7E B5 Am 13 14 E 14 14 11 11 C#m 12 9 D#5 9 11 11 14 1 FIGURE 1 “Earth Departure” outro solo (4:29-4:50) 12 13 14 9 12 12 9 9 7E 14 Eight-string guitar arranged for seven-string guitar (low to high, B E A D G B E) B5 Am E 14 14 11 11 C#m 12 9 D#5 9 11 11 14 12 14 15 13 14 1 12 13 14 9 12 12 9 9 7E Eight-string guitar arranged for seven-string guitar (low to high, B E A D G B E) 14 B5 Am E D#5 C#m FIGURE 12 1 14 “Earth Departure” 12outro 14 solo 14 (4:29-4:50) 11 11 9 9 11 11 14 14 15 13 1 12 13 14 9 12 12 9 9 7 14 FIGURE 12 1 14 “Earth Departure” 12 14 solo 14 (4:29-4:50) 11 11 9 D#5 9 11 11 B5 Am 13 Eoutro C#m E 14 14 15
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double up
4
chapter
Double picking, and the first solo in “An Infinite Regression” in This chapter, I’d like to talk about a cool, useful technique I sometimes use called “double picking,” which involves repeating each note in a melody twice using alternate (down-up) picking. A good example of this technique can be found in the first solo I play in “An Infinite Regression,” from Weightless (see FIGURE 1). I begin over an Fsm chord and play an Fssus2 arpeggio across bars 1 and 2, sticking with a rhythm of straight 16th notes while double-picking each different note. This creates a melody-within-a-melody effect, as your ear hears a slower eighthnote idea within the 16th-note rhythm, almost as if you were tremolo picking. In bars 3 and 4, I change the fretboard shape slightly to acknowledge the underlying D chord, with brief use of the sharp four, Gs, which I immediately resolve up a half step, to A, the fifth of D. I use the same approach in bars 5 and 6 over Bm, but here I truncate the idea by starting on the B root note on the A string’s 14th fret before moving down and then back up again. Across bars 7 and 8, I play a quick descending-ascending line over the five (V) chord, Cs, using notes from the Cs Phrygian-dominant mode (Cs D Es Fs Gs A B), which is the fifth mode of Fs harmonic minor (Fs Gs A B Cs D Es). I switch to much simpler and more melodic lines in bars 9–14, outlining the same Fsm-D-Bm chord progression of bars 1–6. At bar 15, however, I play a fast Cs Phrygian-dominant descending line again, using 16th-note triplets, quintuplets and 16th notes. The solo wraps up with a restatement of the “melodic” approach of bars 9–14, but at bar 21, I introduce a new chord to the progression, Ef, which affords a shift in harmonic content to what is already a “shifty” harmonic environment. I finish up in bars 31 and 32 with straight eighth notes and use descending fourths to outline the B-to-Cs chordal movement. Overall, this is a challenging solo to play up to speed, so I encourage you to take it one bar at a time and gradually work it up to tempo. Once you have the shapes down, you’ll find that it’s not as difficult to play as it may seem.
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FIGURE 1 “An Infinite Regression” first solo (beginning at 1:13) F#m DD F#m
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thumbs up
5
chapter
How to play the thumb-slapped intro to “An Infinite Regression” Eight-string guitar arranged for seven-string guitar (lowguitar to high,(low B E AtoDhigh, G B E)B Eight-string guitar arranged for seven-string
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11 11 11 13 13 11 9 9 13 139 7 9 9 912 12 7 9 9 9119 11 13 13 13
Bm E¨(sus2)
+
*
*
8
+
15 159 9 13 9 13 13 11 117
14 14 12 12 10 12 12 12 10 12 12 12 10 10 10
*
+
*
6
Gmaj7
+
+
E¨(sus2) *
+
*
9
7
Gsus2 D(sus2) *
9
14 14 1211 12 11 12 12 12 12 12 12 910 9 9 10
9
11 11 11
* +
+
*
+
*
9
7
F#(sus2)
D(sus2)
9
2
6
6
9
11 11
4 4 4
9
9
5 5 5 5 5 D5 + *
6
7
6
2 4 4 4 4 4 * 5 +5 5 5 5 + * 2+
FIGURE 3 2F#(sus2) 5 5 5 5 5 + * * 6 3 39 Fig. FIGURE
7
+
4 4 4 4 4 F#5 2 + *
6
6
5 5 5 5 5 D5 + * 6
9 9 9 9 9
6
2
+
9 9 9 9 9
+
D5
Fig. 2 2 FIGURE F#5 * + 2 4 4 4 4 4
* 1010 10 10 10
7
F#5 *
6
FIGURE 2 * w/pick-hand thumb F#5 * + w/pick-hand index and middle fingers + fingerpick
*
D5
7
1010 10 10 10
7 * w/pick-hand thumb + fingerpick w/pick-hand index and middle fingers
+
7
7
69
+
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E A D G B E)
D5
F#5 *
9 9 9 9 9 7 1010 10 10 10
+ (play 3 times) (play 3 times)
F#5 *
in This chapter, I’ll show how I play the intro to “An Infinite Regression,” the opening track from Weightless. This part features a very unusual and unique “doublethumbing” technique that, I believe, was pioneered by the great jazz bassist Victor Wooten. As usual, all of the licks in this chapter are arranged for sevenstring guitar (low to high, B E A D G B E), though I play the part on an eight-string. For this intro, I use my pick-hand thumb to sound consecutive notes with a downstroke followed by an upstroke, after which I use the index and middle fingers for fingerpicking. Along with the fret-hand tapping that initiates each phrase, the combination of these different techniques lets you devise cool, rhythmically complex and deceptive-sounding riffs like this one. First, I’ll illustrate the basic technique I use to play the intro lick in “An Infinite Regression.” As shown in FIGURE 1, I begin with an Fs root-fifth shape, which I hammer on with my fret hand’s index and ring fingers on the seventh and ninth frets of the low B and E strings, respectively. This is followed by the previously mentioned downstroke and upstroke with the pick-hand thumb, sounding the third and fourth notes in the phrase, followed by the pick-hand index and middle fingers sounding the fifth and sixth notes. In bar 2 of FIGURE 1, I use the same technique but switch to the notes E and D, played on the seventh fret of the A string and the 10th fret of the low E string, respectively. Many of you do not own seven-string guitars, so I’d like to show you how to play this lick on a six-string, as illustrated in FIGURE 2. On a six-string, begin with a hammer-on to the low E string’s second fret, followed by a hammer-on to the fourth fret of the A string. In bar 2, I move over to the second fret of the D string and the fifth fret of the A string. The lighter gauge and thinner tone of these higher strings hinders the power of the lick when played on a six-string guitar, so I suggest picking up a seven-string (or, even better, an eight-string!) to play this tune, as it will sound heavier and more authentic. Now let’s get to the riff that comes in at 0:17, as shown in FIGURE 3. Instead of playing the riffs as sextuplets (six-note figures) as I had done in FIGURES 1 and 2, I play it as straight 16th notes, which results in a “two against three” rhythmic feel, with two different melodic shapes consisting of six evenly spaced 16th notes falling across three beats.
7
999
*
9
9
+
11 11
+
11 11
9
lucky sevens
6
chapter
Making odd meters feel natural, and how to play “Cylindrical Sea” A signature element in the songwriting techniques I use with Animals as Leaders is the incorporation of unusual time signatures, also known as odd meters. In the quest for fresh-sounding new music, we will often superimpose different meters and/ or syncopations on top of one another, a technique explored to great extent by many of today’s progressive rock and metal bands, such as Periphery, Dillinger Escape Plan and, of course, Meshuggah. A good example is the song, “Cylindrical Sea,” from Weightless. As many of you know, I’m a huge Allan Holdsworth fan, and the sound and approach I use on this song are influenced by him. For all of the chapters up to this point, I have arranged my eight-string guitar work for seven-string guitar, as few of you have eight-string instruments. When possible, I have also arranged the parts for the universally accepted six-string. In covering “Cylindrical Sea” in this lesson, however, I have written the parts for both eight- and six-string guitar, as the use of the low eighth string, tuned to an E note an octave below the sixth string, is essential to performing these parts correctly. Illustrated in FIGURE 1, the intro consists of a melodic line played on the fifth and fourth strings, supplemented by low root notes on the eighth string. I play this part fingerstyle, using my thumb to sound the lowest notes and my index, middle and ring fingers for the melodic content played on the higher strings. Throughout this section, all notes are allowed to ring as long as possible. Be sure to keep the fingers of both hands properly arched so that clarity is maintained as you move from one chord voicing to the next. As mentioned, this part is easily adaptable to six-string guitar, as I’ve done in FIGURE 2. All of the notes fretted or sounded on the eighth string have been moved to the sixth string, which is tuned to E but one octave higher. Playing the low root notes on the sixth string makes the fretting slightly more difficult because it requires more careful and precise fingering to avoid accidental muting of notes. The intro continues with the riff shown in FIGURE 3, again arranged for six-string guitar. This section begins the same as FIGURE 1, but then moves back to the tonic, Em, followed by different resolutions from Cmaj7s11, first by E/Gs and then E major. The last figure in this chapter utilizes
Eight-string guitar (low to high, E B E A D G B E)
Eight-string guitar (low to high, E B E A D G B E) FIGURE Eight-string E B E A D G B E) Fig. Cmaj7(#11) 11 guitar (low to high, A¨maj7(#11) E5 FIGURE 1 Eight-string E BB EEAADDGGBBE)E) E5 Eight-string guitar(low (lowto to high, high, E FIGURE 1 ringguitar let throughout Cmaj7(#11) A¨maj7(#11) Cmaj7(#11) A¨maj7(#11) fingerstyle FIGURE let throughout FIGURE 1 1ringguitar Eight-string (low to high, E B E A D G B E) E5 let ring throughout Cmaj7(#11) A¨maj7(#11) E5E5 Cmaj7(#11) A¨maj7(#11) fingerstyle FIGURE 1 let 1 1 ringthroughout throughout fingerstyle let ring
E5 2 2 0 2 2 0 0 Cmaj7(#11)5 5 A¨maj7(#11) E52 2 2 0 00G 0 0 0 9 5 2 9 5 5 7 9 1 3 5 Cmaj7(#11) 8 8 9 8 9 4 4 5 1 4 5 0 20 0 G 0 5 7ring 9 throughout 1 3 5 1 0 8 4E5 0 8 4 4 0 5 A¨maj7(#11) 5 2E7sus40 0Em7 G 85 let 8 9 fingerstyle 87 9 8 9 4 0 Esus2 0 00 5 4 5 0 2 0 G 0 1 3 5 4 12 0 Esus2 8 4 E5 0 8 8 4 4 0 0 G 0 Em7 Cmaj7(#11) A¨maj7(#11) E7sus4 Cmaj7(#11) 1 1 12 11 1 2 E5 0 7 E7sus4 Em7 Esus2 Esus2 14 7 E7sus4 7 9 5 98 5 5 9 85 1A¨maj7(#11) 0 A¨maj7(#11) 0 G Em7 012 0 12 Cmaj7(#11) 58Cmaj7(#11) 3 45 5 5 4 E5 2 2 E7sus4 Em7 Esus2 15 7 12 2 1 3 15 12 11 5 7 59 59 9A¨maj7(#11) 5 E5 2 1212 0 7 7 1 1 12 11 Cmaj7(#11) 11 5 9 8 9 4 A¨maj7(#11) 1 3 54 1 5 5 0 E50 2 7 E7sus4 12 Em7 8 7 9 8 4 1 0 0 0 Esus2 12 0 11 58 578 7 9 9 558 5 989 5585 989 141 334 55 14 554 14 5 54 2 22020 2 0 770 77G 0 0 1212 012 12 12 0 FIGURE 5 27 six-string 9 9 version 9 1 3 5 1 5 1 5 2 7 12 11 0 8 Cmaj7(#11) Cmaj7(#11) A¨maj7(#11) 88 88 4 0 0 0E7sus40 0 0 8 4 44 44 E5 0 2 0 5 5 7 0Em7 012Esus2 A¨maj7(#11) E5 5 7 9 9 9 1 3 5 5 5 2 120 8 2 six-string 8 8 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 FIGURE version 1 1 8 Cmaj7(#11) 2 0 E507 7 012 12 011 0 FIGURE six-string version Fig. 22 2six-string FIGURE version 5 5 41 3A¨maj7(#11) 5 7 98 5 9 8 5 9 5 4 51 4 51 2 2 E5 2 G 2 2 2 ! FIGURECmaj7(#11) six-string A¨maj7(#11) 52 Cmaj7(#11) 7 9 9version 9 1 A¨maj7(#11) 3 5 5 5 2E5 Cmaj7(#11) 8 8 8 4 4 4 0 0 8 8 8 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 A¨maj7(#11) E5 FIGURE 2 six-string version 5 7 9 55 9 55 9 1 3 5 11 5 1 1 5 2 2 2 2 22 G 2 2 !22 0 2 ! Cmaj7(#11) G 2 G 2 Esus2 A¨maj7(#11) E5 FIGURE 1 1 2 2 2 ! 52 six-string 7 9 5 9 5 1 8 8 9 4 3 5 4 5 45 02 0 Em7 A¨maj7(#11) 1 3 5 4 5 4 E5 5 0 E7sus4 20 87 9 8 9version 8 9 4 8585Cmaj7(#11) 5 5 1 1 2 2 2 8 8 4 4 4 0 0 2 G 2 12 ! Cmaj7(#11) A¨maj7(#11) 7 9 9 9 1 3 5 5 5 E5 7 2 ! 8Cmaj7(#11) 8 8 4 1 4 42 E5 2 0 7 E7sus4 0 122 122 Em7 11 1 2 2 A¨maj7(#11) Esus2 55 5 5 11 G A¨maj7(#11) E5 E7sus4 Em7 Esus2 55 Cmaj7(#11) 7 9 9 9 1 3 5 5 5 2 7 9 9 9 1 3 5 5 5 2 8Cmaj7(#11) E5 0 E7sus4 4 4 4 8 8 8 5 8 85 4 A¨maj7(#11) 414 0 02 2 Em7 0 2 Esus2 012 10 02 2 11 ! 12 7 12 G 5 7 9 1 3 5 12 Em7 Esus2 Cmaj7(#11) 52 E5 12 5 8 95 8 9 A¨maj7(#11) 1 4 15 4 2 0 2 7 0E7sus4 12 11 8 4 7 7 12 7 12 11 5 57 7 9 9 5 99 5 99 1 3 55 1 55 1 5 5 2 1 3 2 FIGURE 3Cmaj7(#11) 12 58 5 1 1 2 0 0 E7sus4 7 0 12 0 Esus2 A¨maj7(#11) Em7 8 8 8 8 4 4 0 0 E5 4 3 5 44 0 11 7 0E/G# 12 0 5 7 9 9 8 9 1 5 4 5 0 2 Cmaj7(#11) Em A¨maj7(#11) Cmaj7(#11) 5 5 1 1 2 7 0Em7 12Esus2 8 Cmaj7(#11) 8 8 4 4 4 0 0 0 12 0 E5 E7sus4 FIGURE 3585 3 77 99 5 58 995 58 994 7141 533 455 14 55 14 55 205 22 075 7 74 0712 6124 1212011 11 0 FIGURE Em E/G# 7 06 4 Em E/G# FIGURE 7Cmaj7(#11) 29 0 538Cmaj7(#11) 7 9 714 5 1 4 5 Cmaj7(#11) 9 0 79 895 895 4 0 12 0 3Cmaj7(#11) 9 0 Em 1 3 5 5 7 58 Cmaj7(#11) 28 83 5 7 89 89 8 4 Fig. Cmaj7(#11) E/G#0 FIGURE 8 8 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 8 4 4 44 Em Cmaj7(#11) Cmaj7(#11) 7 55 44 5 5 5 5 7E/G# 67 4 6 4 55 55 FIGURE 3 77 55 5 57 79 9 Cm(maj7) 9 9 9 9 4B 7 6 74 6 4 5 57 7 9 9 99 99 4E Cmaj7(#11) FIGURE 3 8 8 8 0 7 8 8 8 8 8 8 0 7 5 4 7 8 8 8 47 6 4 Cmaj7(#11) Em Cmaj7(#11) 5 5 5 5 4 E/G# 4 5 Cmaj7(#11) 7 9 9 9 4 7 5 Cmaj7(#11) 5 7 9 9 9 Em E/G# 85 7 9 85 9 85 9 0 7 5 4 7 5 7 85 7 9 85 9 85 9 4 7 6 4 77 66 44 4 Cmaj7(#11) Cm(maj7) 87 9 5 58 9 585 9 404 4 7EE 75 54 4 7 76 84 58Cm(maj7) 5 Cmaj7(#11) 85 49 4 9 7B 6 B 4 5 6 5 7 9 9 5 9 9 9 7 64 7 6 4 7E 5 4 7 5 5 7 95 8 5Cm(maj7) 8 8 5 7 98 8 5 9 8 8 9 0 Cmaj7(#11) B7 6 4 0 7 5 87 9 89 47 7 5 98 8 8 8 0 4 7 8 8 8 4 Cmaj7(#11) E Cm(maj7) B 4 5 5 7 5 4 5 9 9 FIGURE5 4 7eight-string 5 7 5 4 7 6 4 5 9 9 9 5 9 guitar 9 6 8 Cm(maj7) 5 87 9 6 Cmaj7(#11) B 8 9 8 9 7 N.C. 8 8 Cmaj7(#11) 8 8 7 EE0404 7 5 4 77 66 44 Cm(maj7) 5 5 5 B 9 9 5 7 9 9 9 6 5 5 7 5 4 5 9 9 8 8 8 0 8 7 FIGURE 4 eight-string guitar 9 9 9 9 9 9 9guitar 9 7 6 4 FIGURE 4 9eight-string 9 9 96 9 9 9 9 97 9 9 N.C. 85 859 9 9 409 9779 595 9 494 9 9 9 9 999 8 585 477 N.C. 5 5 5 9 9 5 9 9 9 9 5 99 8guitar 99 5 8 FIGURE 7 7 6 6 4 4 6 76 8 58 4 77eight-string 70 5 8 4 88 88 0 7 8 8 7 5 FIGURE 4 N.C. eight-string guitar 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 44 N.C. 9 9 9 9 9 guitar 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 Fig. FIGURE 49eight-string guitar FIGURE 7eight-string 5 8 7 5 8 1. 2. 7 5 8 4 7 7 9 N.C. 9 9 5 9 9 9 8 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 5 9 9 9 8 9 9 N.C. 7 9 9 9 5 9 9 9 8 4 9 59 9 9 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 9 9 5 9 9 9 8 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 5 9 9 9 9 9 9 5 9 9 9 8 7 7 1. 9 9 79 9 99 995 99 9 99 89 9 9 97 9 9 95 9 9 92.8 99 99 99 49 99 99 99 9 9 9 9 79 9 959 9 9 98 9 1. 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 7 7 7 55 5 888 0 9 0797 90 90595 09 9 8 982. 97 94 94 9 59 595 9 978 097 95 89 095 989 98 9 1. 0 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 0 0 7 0 05 0 82.2.9 99 949 995 995 99 99 9 0 1. 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 08 0 0 0 0 2. 7 0 8 1. 7 5 2. 9 97 9 95 95 9 89 008 1. 9 9 7 9 9 9 5 9 9 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 9 9 9 9 9 09 0 0 080 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 0 0 0 0 0 97 9 9 9 5 9 9 9 8 9 99 7979 99 99 5959 99 9 88 88 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 7 5 8 7 5 8 7 5 8 8 5 5 2 Cmaj7(#11) A¨maj7(#11) 9 5 9 51 5 fingerstyle 7 9 1 3 5 1 fingerstyle let ring guitar throughout Eight-string 5 (low 5 to high, E B E A 1D G B 1E) 5 7 9 5 9 5 9 1 3 5 5 1 5 fingerstyle 8 8 17 9 8 4 1 3 54 11 4 FIGURE 5 1 50 5 5 9 5 9
0 00 00 00
7
5
8
a technique similar to standard classical guitar “tremolo” technique, wherein a single note is picked repeatedly and rapidly with different pick-hand fingers. As shown in FIGURE 4, the B note on the
7
5
00 00 00 8
8
fourth string’s ninth fret is picked repeatedly while the bass note under it continually changes. This is demonstrated on the eight-string but most if it is playable on a seven-string.
six sense
7
chapter
Playing in 6/4, and the hybrid-picked arpeggios in “David” In the last chapter, I discussed my penchant for employing odd meters in much of the music I write for Animals as Leaders, using the song “Cylindrical Sea” as an example. While “Cylindrical Sea” moves back and forth freely between 7/8, 5/8 and 6/8 time signatures, the idea was not simply to write a tune for the sake of complexity. In fact, I rarely even think about specific meters when constructing a tune. My goal is to create interesting musical compositions without taking an analytical or theoretical approach. Usually, it is only after a song is coming into focus that I will analyze the inner workings of the time signatures and harmonic structure of the chord progressions. “David,” the last track on Weightless, was recorded using a seven-string guitar tuned normally (low to high, B E A D G B E). I think of the song as being in 6/4 time, though one could just as easily reckon it as bars of 4/4 followed by bars of 2/4. FIGURE 1 illustrates the opening pattern, which is built from alternating arpeggiated Bf and D triads played on the top four strings and played eight times. I use hybrid picking to play these arpeggios, using a pick to sound all notes on the fourth string and fingerpicking the third and first strings, with the middle finger plucking notes on the third string and the pinkie plucking the high E. After FIGURE 1 is played four times, a second guitar enters with the pattern shown in FIGURE 2. I use the same hybrid-picking technique to perform the arpeggiated patterns in this riff, and you will notice that I expand on the implied harmony by including the augmented fifth, Gf, in the Bf triad played across beats one and two. This riff is layered under FIGURE 1 four times. At 0:24, the initial guitar drops out as the riff illustrated in FIGURE 2 is repeated, establishing the start of the next theme in the tune, shown here in FIGURE 3. In bar 2, the chord progression moves to the relative minor of Bf, Gm, followed by the augmented five chord, Daug/Fs, and the flat six chord, Ef (which can also be thought of as the four chord of the relative major key, Bf). One of the cool things about arpeggiating chords in this way is that it allows me to imply polyphony— multiple independent voices—while
Seven-string guitar, tuned, low to high, to B E A D G B E. Seven-string guitar, tuned, low to high, to B E A D G B E. Seven-string guitar, tuned, low to high, toFIGURE B E A2D G B E. FIGURE 1 Fig. 1 1 Fig. 22 FIGURE FIGURE
FIGURE 1 B¨ guitar, tuned,Dlow to high, to B E FIGURE Seven-string A DB¨aug G B2 E. B¨ picking B¨aug hybrid (playD8 times) B¨ D B¨aug picking 8 times) 14 (play 10 FIGURE 1 hybrid FIGURE 2 Seven-string guitar, tuned, low to high, to B E A D G B E. hybrid picking (play 8 times)
6 10 FIGURE 14 D1414 7 B¨aug 10 10 8 12 14 12 10 12 low to 8 FIGURE 2 18 1010B¨ Seven-string guitar, tuned, high, to B E A D G B E. hybrid10picking (play14 8 times) 8 5 7 14 6 9 B¨aug B¨ 10 8 12 10 12 14 D 14 12 7 8 10
Daug/F# Daug/F# (play 4 times) 6 7
64 6
Daug/F# 5 (play 4 times) (play 4 times) 6 5 Daug/F# 6 5 (play 4 times) 7 Daug/F# 4 7 6 4 5 4 (play 44times) Daug/F# 7 6 4 5 4 (play 4 times)
1 8 hybrid 2 9 8 5 88 10 14 FIGURE FIGURE 8 12 10 12 (play 12 picking 8 times) 6 6 9 7 8 5 B¨aug D 14 14 10 14 6 8 10B¨ 10 8 12 10 12 12 8 hybrid picking (play 8 times) 69785 6 7 10 14 m * m * 14 m * 3 8 10mm*** =10ppw/pick, 14 6 FIGURE m 8 10 12 m * m 12 8 4 * m12 6 = middle finger, p =*pinkie Gm Daug/F# 9 8 5E¨ B¨aug Daug/F# * = w/pick, m = middle finger, p = pinkie 10 10 14 14 7 7 6 6 6 3 8 m* p m 8* 12 10 12 m *6 m 12* 5 8 4 FIGURE Fig. 33 FIGURE 8 5 3 6 79 Daug/F# 6middle finger, p = pinkie * = w/pick, m = B¨aug Daug/F# Gm E¨ 7 7 3 3 7 m p m *8 * m4 * Gm 7 4 Daug/F# E¨ 5 1 1 4 mDaug/F# FIGURE B¨aug 3 9 ** = w/pick, 6 6 3 8 5 m = middle finger, p =6pinkie 5 6 5 6 6 3 6 m 6B¨augm* 7p m * m *7 * Daug/F# Gm Daug/F# E¨ 6 7 7 3 FIGURE 3 * =7 w/pick, m = 8middle finger, 4 7p =6pinkie 4 5 5 7 6 7 4 7 6 1 3 3 B¨aug 4 4 5 7 Daug/F# 4 1 E¨ Gm Daug/F# Gm D/F# FIGURE B¨aug366 99 7 88 55 8 6 Daug/F# 7 7 7 3 6 5 6 6 4 5 7 6 Daug/F# 4 8 10 1 E¨ 3 6 4 5 Gm B¨aug9 8 5 8 66 Daug/F# 77 7 3 7 7 7 7 6 B¨aug 6 44 5 6 1 D/F# 5 5 6 7Gm4 7 88 6 4 4 Daug/F# 3 9 9 8 8 55 9 B¨aug Daug/F# Gm D/F# 7 7 7 6 310 6 6 7 8 46 4 6 5 5 7 4 18 6 5 6 8 10 B¨aug 9 7 8 5 Daug/F# Gm D/F# 5 77 6 7 6 7 7 8 4 4 7 6 5 6 8 10 8 Gsus2 Daug/F# 4 5 E¨maj7#11 D7/F# Gsus2/B 4 E7sus4 B7/D# 7 D/F# 9 8 5 9 Gm B¨aug 6 8 5 9 6 9 7 8 7 10 10 10 10 10 10 7 5 5 610 6 104 5 10 510 6 8 10 10 10 11 11 10 10 10 4 4 5 8 4 7 B¨aug Daug/F# D/F# 6 9 Gm 7 7 6 9 7 98 5 8 6 5 6 8 4 4 5 7 10 E¨maj7#11 D7/F# Gsus2 Gsus2/B E7sus4 B7/D# 6 11 9 0 9 0 E7sus4 B7/D# 7 8D7/F# 5 8 8 Gsus2 8 87 0 0Gsus2/B 0 07 4 4 6E¨maj7#11 10 8 10 4 10 104 10 5 10 10 7 5 10 9 10 10 8 8 5 11 11 10 10 10 10 10 10 5 49 Gsus2 Gsus2/B E7sus4 B7/D# Cmaj7 10 10 D7/F# 11 11Baug 10 10 10 10 10G 10 4 6E¨maj7#11 10 8 10 10 10 10 10 10 5 9 00 E¨maj7#11 D7/F# Gsus2 Gsus2/B E7sus4 B7/D# 0 0 10 0 0 11 11 10 10 10 10 107 8 10 4 11 0 10 0 0 10 0 0 9 0 0 8 11 0 0 10 0 8 8 10 8 10 07 8 0 10 0 4 4 10 8 10 10 5 E¨maj7#11 E7sus4 8 8 10 8 9 Gsus2/B 0 0 10 0 4 4 10 10 D7/F# 11 Gsus2 10 10 10 10 0 B7/D# 4 9 11 10 11 0 0 10 7 10 11 10 8 10 10 10 10 10 5 1Cmaj7 8 8 10 0 0 10 0 4 4 1 108 10 0G 10 101 91 111 11 4 8108Baug Cmaj7 Baug 10 G 4 11 0 0 0 7 8 10 Cmaj7 8 8 8 0 0 0 0 4 4 0 10 0 8 7 8 000 000 0009 000 Baug G 0 11 0 0 7 8 8 0 8 8 8 0 90 7 80 0 4 4 00 0 0 0 0 7 8 10 Cmaj7 Baug G 10 9 0 0 0 0 0 8 m * p m *
4
m * m *
* = w/pick, m = middle finger, p = pinkie
0
0
1 1 0 0 0 Cmaj7 1 1 0 0 1 0
0 0 0 0 1 0 0
1
1
1
1
7 10 11 10
4 8 7 10 11 Baug 4 8
0 1 0
1 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
1
1
4 8
1 0 1 0
1
1
1 1
0
4 8 0
4 8
7 10 11 7 10 11 7 10 11
not actually sounding chords in a conventional way. Regarding the picking technique, the pick hand strikes the string closest to it, so the pattern is both logical and economical in terms of movement. For me, hybrid picking in this manner facilitates sounding notes on nonadjacent strings as the pattern evolves. In bars 6 through 8, I alternate between low
10 10 10
9 9 9
7 8 7 8 7 8
8 8
7 8 7 8
00 00
00 00
4 5 4
3 3 3 3 3
5 5 4 4 5 4 5 4 5 4
1 1 1 1 1
5 5
5 5 5
8 10 G 8 10 8 8 8
seventh-string bass notes and two-note figures sounded on the top two strings, culminating with an ascending line in bar 9 that outlines Baug. An influential resource for this type of playing is Gustavo Assis-Brasil’s great book, Hybrid Picking Lines & Licks for Guitar. It’s one of the most useful instructional books I’ve ever come across, and I highly recommend it.
six of Another
8
chapter
More on playing in 6/4 meter, and how I perform the hybrid-picked arpeggios in “David,” part 2 In the last chapter’s analysis of the track “David,” I described my penchant for writing songs in both odd and shifting meters. The opening sections of “David” are played mostly in 6/4 (also reckonable as alternating bars of 4/4 and 2/4), with bars of straight 4/4 briefly used here and there. Additionally, I use hybrid picking—a useful technique that combines flatpicking and fingerpicking—to perform the many different arpeggios and chordmelody patterns I play in the song. FIGURE 1 illustrates the phrase heard between 0:45 and 1:00 on the recording, after which I reprise the song’s opening phrase. In bars 1–3 of FIGURE 1, I fingerpick melody notes on the top two strings while simultaneously flatpicking low bass notes to provide implied harmony. I use my pinkie to pluck all of the melody notes except for the open B note in bar 3, which I’ll pluck with either my middle or ring finger. This is the most comfortable way for me to play this passage, but I encourage you to try other fingerpicking combinations to see what works best for you. One advantage hybrid picking has over straight fingerpicking is that it enables you to quickly and easily revert to flatpicking, which is what I do to play the ascending run in bars 4–6. In bar 4, I employ economy picking, also known as sweep picking or “rest-stroke picking.” When moving from a lower to a higher string, I “rake” the pick across the strings in a single downstroke. Bar 5 is performed with straight alternate (down-up or up-down) picking. To finish out the tune, the last thing that happens is a new melodicharmonic guitar part that is layered over the opening Bf-D loop shown in bar 6 of FIGURE 1, which is performed with hybrid picking. This part, shown in FIGURE 2, is also performed with hybrid picking and played in virtually the same rhythm as that introductory part but supplies its own harmonicmelodic content. FIGURE 2 begins with arpeggiated, open-voiced chord shapes nearly identical to those in bar 6 of FIGURE 1, except here the low bass notes are played on the sixth
Seven-string guitar (tuned, low to high, to B E A D G B E).
Seven-string guitar (tuned, low to high, to B E A D G B E). FIGURE Seven-string guitar (tuned, low to high, to B E A D G B E). Fig. 11 FIGUREG1 Seven-string guitar BE B E). G/B (tuned, low Em to high, to B/D# G A D G Cmaj7 FIGUREletG1ring throughout Seven-string guitar (tuned, low to high, to B E A D G B E). G/B Em B/D# G FIGURE 1 Seven-string guitar (tuned, low to high, to B E A D G B E).0 G G/B Em B/D# G FIGURE10let 10 7throughout 7 5 3B/D# 2 3G G1 ring Em 10 G/B 8 8 8 7 8 0 ring throughout FIGURE 1 10let G ring Em B/D# G 10throughout 7 G/B 7 5 3 2 3 let
Cmaj7 Cmaj7 0 0 Cmaj7 Cmaj70 0 0 0 0 Cmaj7
0 10Gletring10throughout 00 00 10 8 8 8 7 8 B/D# 7 G/B 7 5 3 2 3 Em G 10 7 10 0 0 8 8 7 8 7 8 35 33 221 33 00 1 00 00 810 let ring 10 7 0 10 8 8 5 7 8 74 8 5 0 0 10throughout 10 8 8 8 7 8 0 3 2 3 10 10 7 7 5 0 0 0 0 8 0 5 4 1 1 Gaug 10 8 8 8 7 8 B¨ 0 D 3 4 1 1 88 00 55 1033 4 1 1 14 0 8 5 4 B¨ 1 Gaug 8 1 14 D 7 8 10 8 7 10 3B¨ 10 DD14 121 14 Gaug Gaug 9 10 8 8 12 10 12 8 0 5 4 B¨ 10 1 5 6 10 Gaug 14 D 10 7 7 8 88 10 8 7 B¨ Gaug 10 10 10 14 14 14 4 8 8 10 10 10 8 12 10 12D 14 14 14 12 9 7 8 8 10 8 7 10 B¨ 10 8 7 10 10 8 12 10 12 14 14 12 88 10 9 7 8 7 55 66 10 8 * * * 8 12 p10 12 14 14 14 12 10 9 7 8 10 8 7 10 * = 10 10 finger; w/pick; m =10 middle = pinkie 4 8 7 5 6 10 8 10 12 14 FIGURE 42 8 7 5 6 10 99 7 8 10 8 7 10 88 10 10 88 12 14 12 10 G(9sus4) 4 8 7Am7 G(9sus4) m p m * 12D10 12 m p m 12 B¨ F * * ** =mw/pick; 4 58 7 5 65 10 m * * middle finger; 6 13 17p mm = 14 m p =p pinkie m p m
FIGURE 45228 5 5 5 5 FIGURE Fig. 22 G(9sus4) Am7 FIGURE 3 2 5 3 Am7 5 5 G(9sus4) FIGURE G(9sus4) Am7 5 5 5 FIGURE 2 G(9sus4) 5 5 Am75 5
m
p m
p mm = m p =p pinkie m * * middle finger; * =mw/pick; 14 mw/pick; p17 mm = m p =p pinkie m * ** =17 * middle14finger; B¨ F ** =mw/pick; = middle finger; p =p pinkie pG(9sus4) mm13 mD m * 12 * G(9sus4) 5 6 B¨ 66 13 F 13 15 10 finger; D 10 13 13 15 17middle 14 * = w/pick; m= p = pinkie B¨ F G(9sus4) D 13 17 B¨7 66 7 F G(9sus4) D 14 14 5 14 13 14 14 17 17 17 5 5 14 14 5 5 5 Am7 5 5 5 7 7 14 14 14 17 17 G(9sus4) B¨ F G(9sus4) D 14 14 14 5 6 13 B¨ 17 G(9sus4) Am7 F 13 12 5 bar) 5 5 5 5 7 7 14 14 14 17 17 14 14 (repeat prev. 3 5 3 5 5 5 5 5 6 65 6 13 13 13 613 15 17 13 15 13 12 10 14 10 5 5 5 5 5 7 7 14 14 14 17 17 14 14 3 3 5 5 5 6 6 13 13 13 15 15 13 12 10 10 5 5 5 5 5 7 7 14 14 14 5 5 5 5 5 7 7 14 14 14 17 17 14 14 3 3 5 5 5 6 6 13 13 13 15 15 13 12 10 10 3 3 5 5 5 6 6 13 13 13 15 15 13 12 10 10 G(9sus4) Am7 B¨ F 3 3 5 5 5 6 6 13 13 13 5 5 6 6 13 13 13 15 15 10 10 (repeat3prev. bar)3 5 G(9sus4) Am7 B¨ F 5 5 6 13 (repeat prev. bar) G(9sus4) Am7 B¨ F (repeat prev. bar) 5 5 13 G(9sus4) B¨ 7 66 7 F 5 5 5 Am7 D5 5 5 5 14 13 14 14 G(9sus4) (repeat prev. bar) 5 5 5 5 5 7 7 14 14 14 G(9sus4) Am7 B¨ F 17 14 5 5 6 13 (repeat prev. bar) 5 5 5 5 5 7 7 14 14 14 3 3 5 5 5 6 6 13 13 13 5 5 6 13 17 17 5 5 5 14 5 514 7 7 14 14 14 3 3 5 5 5 6 6 13 13 13 5 5 5 5 5 7 7 14 14 14 13 12 3 3 5 5 5 6 6 13 13 13 15 15 10 10 3 3 5 5 5 6 6 13 13 13 G(9sus4) D 3 5 5 5 6 6 13 13 13 G(9sus4) 17 3 D 14 G(9sus4) D 17 14 G(9sus4) D 14 14 14 17 17 17 17 17 G(9sus4) D 14 14 14 17 13 12 17 17 14 14 15 15 10 10 17 14 13 12 17 17 14 14 13 12 15 15 10 10 17 17 14 14 15 15 10 10 13 12 15 15 10 10 13 12 15 15 10 10
7
7
14
14
14
string instead of the fourth. The intervals of sixths on the third and first strings carry over from the initial theme. From bar 1 through beat two of bar 3, the bass notes steadily ascend the sixth string as the chords move from G(9sus4) to Am7 to Bf and F, culminating with G(9sus4) played one octave higher. I then alternate between this pattern and an arpeggiated D triad, which requires a rather wide fret-hand stretch:
while the index finger is planted on the sixth string’s 10th fret, the ring finger and pinkie fret notes at the 14th fret of the third and first strings, respectively. Gustavo Assis-Brasil’s instructional book Hybrid Picking Lines & Licks for Guitar, which I mentioned in the previous chapter, was an invaluable resource for developing the techniques I use in “David,” as well as many other of my original compositions.
voicing opinions
9
chapter
Devising chord voicings on the eight-string guitar
Eight-string guitar, tuned, lowlow to high, to E to B EEABDEGABDE G B E Eight-string guitar, tuned, to high, FIGURE FIGURE 2 22 FIGUREFIGURE 3 Fig. Fig. 33 Fig. 111 FIGURE FIGURE 5fr 1134211
1 153 4 2 1 1
1134211 5 5 6 5 7 5 7 6 5 7 5 7 5 5
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5 5
FIGURE 4
5 5 6 7 7 5 5 5
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A B C D E
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5 5 5 7 7 5 5 5
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Gmaj7/E
7 7 FIGURE910 9
15 15 0 0 16 16 14 14 0 0 Em7add4 0 0 0 10 0 10 12 12
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9 9 11 11
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Fig. 8 8 FIGURE
Gmaj7/E
17 19 19
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0 12 11 12 X Em7#5 12 0 15 17 15 0 14 12
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FIGURE 8 5
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FIGURE Fig. 99 Esus2
Em9
0 15 0 16 14 0 13 0 0 0
Gmaj7/E
Fig. 77 FIGURE
13 2
0 0 2fr 3 3 0 0 4 4 2 2 13 2 0 0 00 00 0 0
3 0 4 FIGURE2 9 0 Esus2 0 7 0
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4 5 5 5
4 4 4 5 5 7 242 2 1 141 4 1 6 4 4 4 4 44 44 5 55 55 5 45 45 5 45 45
2fr
Fig. 66 FIGURE
5
Em9
5 FIGURE 7
4 4 6 7 4 5 5 5
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Amaj13
2 2 24fr 11341
22211141
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5 6 FIGURE
4fr
4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 64 3 1 1 6 6 6 2221 7 7 7 7 44 4 4 4 4 4 54 5 5 4 4 5 56 5 5 5 6 6 57 5 5 7 7
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Amaj13
2 2 2 1 4 3 1 1 4fr
5fr
5 5 9 7 8 5 5 5
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55 9 57 58 95 75 85 5 5
FIGURE Fig. 55
4fr
Am#5
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1 1 3 2 451 1 1
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Amaj7#11
Am#5 Am9 11132411
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FIGURE 5
FIGURE Fig. 44
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5 65 75 76 57
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5fr
1 3 452 1 1
A A
134211
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A/E A/E
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AA
I love the extended range and chord voicing possibilities offered by the additional two lower strings on an eight-string guitar. I tune my eight-string, low to high, to E B E A D G B E. This way, my lowest string is an E, an octave below the sixth string, and the seventh string is B, as it normally is on a seven-string guitar. To show why this tuning is useful, let’s start by playing a normal major barre chord. In FIGURE 1, I begin with A major played on the sixth through first strings. I can also barre my index finger across the seventh and eighth strings to conveniently fill out the sound of the chord. In FIGURE 2, I ascend from A up to E at the 12th fret. This E barre chord can alternatively incorporate the open bottom three strings, with fretted notes played across the top five strings. Using this as a starting point, I can build a great variety of chords by keeping the index-finger barre and moving my other fretting fingers around. In FIGURE 3, I start with a standard Am chord and move to somewhat unusual Am9 and Ams5 chords. For the latter two voicings, be sure to place your fret-hand thumb squarely on the center of the back of the neck to accommodate the wide stretches. A favorite chord of mine is Amaj7s11. FIGURE 4 illustrates two voicings that I often use for this chord. For each, be sure to pick each note individually to check that all of the strings ring clearly. Likewise, FIGURE 5 offers two different ways to voice another harmonically richsounding chord, Amaj13. A technique I employ often is to fret chord voicings on the higher strings while incorporating the open lower strings. This approach can yield some unusually broad voicings, such as the Em9 shown in FIGURE 6 and the Gmaj7/E voicings shown in FIGURES 7 and 8. Notice in these latter examples that I include open higher strings as well, which, to my ear, provides some beautiful chordal options. Another technique I like to explore is to take a static voicing (one in which the “grip” stays the same) and simply move it up or down the fretboard, as in FIGURE 9. A great example of my incorporation of eight-string voicings can be heard in the song, “Point to Point,” from the first Animals as Leaders album. It’s based on the arpeggiated Bmaj7/E voicings shown in FIGURE 10. This phrase is performed with a combination of sweep picking and alternate picking.
11
11 ! 0 !
13
turn on the heat
10 chapter
Effective ways to warm up both hands One of the toughest things for me to do while traveling constantly is to find time to warm up quickly and effectively. I have devised a few different techniques over the years that have proven invaluable to me and which I’d like to share with you in this chapter. Two of the most common phrasing patterns I find myself using are either arpeggio sequences, wherein long lines are formed from playing one note per string across groups of strings, or chromatic lines, wherein a series of notes are played in succession on one string. In the two exercises presented here, both approaches are employed. Use alternate picking throughout, and strive for clarity and cleanliness in the articulation of each note. Once you have a handle on this, you can try incorporating economy picking, which is my picking preference when crossing strings. FIGURES 1 and 2 are exercises that I visualize purely for their symmetry, with “reverse diagonals” played across the strings alternating with chromatic notes on one string. FIGURE 1 begins with the pinkie on the high E string’s 15th fret, the ring finger on the 14th fret of the B string, the middle finger on the 13th fret of the G and the index finger on the 12th fret of the D. On beat two, I “walk up” the D string chromatically (one fret at a time) with each fretting finger until the pinkie is at the 15th fret, after which I reverse the diagonal and move one note per string back up to the high E. On beat three into beat four, I chromatically ascend the high E back up to the 15th fret, after which the first shape is repeated. The pattern then moves down one string and is repeated three times, and then I change direction and move back up. When you get back to the very beginning of the phrase, a neat twist is to move down one fret and repeat the entire sequence, as I do in FIGURE 2. As performed on a seven-string, the lick becomes even longer than it would be on a six-string. Now that you have the idea, try moving similar ideas around the fretboard in as many different ways as you can devise. You’ll find that exercises like this will keep your chops in shape, whether you’re about to walk out onstage or are preparing to record a solo.
Seven-string guitar (tuned, low to high, to B E A D G B E).
Seven-string guitar (tuned, low to high, to B E A D G B E). FIGURE 1 Fig. 1 sim. FIGURE15 1 1 Seven-string guitar (tuned, low to high, to B E A D G B E). 12 13 14 15 sim. 13 14 15 12 13 14 15 1FIGURE 114 13 14 13 14 14 13
15 13 12 13 14 15 1412 15 14 12 13 14
1
3 15
3 3
15
14
15 15
13
14
14
13 13
12 13 14 15 12 13 14 15
14
12 13 14 15
13
14 14
13
12 13 14 15
12 13 14 15
13
14
13
12 13 14 15
13
15 12
14
13 14 sim. 15 12 13 14 15
14
15
12
14
12
14
13
13 13
12 13 14 15 12 13 14 15
12 13 14 15
15
14
13
14 14
12 15
13 13
14
1314 15 12 13 12
14
12 13 14 15
13
14
13 13
12 12
12 13 14
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13
12 13 14
12 13 14 1213 13 1514 13 1112 12 1314141513 14 12 12 13 14 13 14 15 12 13 14 1512 12 14 15 15 13 14 13 13 14 12 13 14 15 14 13 14 13 14 15 5 13 14 15 121314 15 12 1314 15 1112 13 14 12131415 121314 15 12 13 5 15 12 13 14 13 14 12 1314 15 1112 13 14 14 13 14 121314 15 13 14 12 15 13 15 13 14 121314 15 13 14 14 1215 13 FIGURE 2 etc. 14 121314151 13 14 13 14 15 13 12 13 14 14 15 11 15 12 13 14 121314 15 11 12 13 14 12131415 13 13 12
5
14
13 13
2 FIGURE Fig. 2 FIGURE 2
12 13 14 15
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1 etc. 15 11 12 13 14 12 11 12 13 14etc.13 2 14 12 13 14 1 15111112 1213 1413 14 13 11 12 13 14 12 13 12 13 12 13 11 12 13 14 11 13 12 12 13 11 12 13 14 1214 13 12 12 13 12 13 14 12 13 11 11 11 12 13 14 13 11 12 13 12 11 12 13 14 11 2 11 12 13 14 24 14 13 12 13 14 111212 11 1313 14 14 12 13 13 12 13 12 14 11 12 14 13 13 12 11 12 13 14121311 12 1311 1212111312141313 12 14 11 12 1314 11 12 13 13 12 13 13 12 13 14 12 12 13 12 13 11 14 11 12 1314 14 14 11 12 13 11 11 12 1312 13 12 11 12 13 14
4 6 4
11
11 12 13 14
11
11 12 13 11 121314101112 13 10111213 11 12 13 14 12 11 12 12 11 12 11 14141313 12 12 13 12 11 11 12 13 11 12 13 11 12 13 13 14 10 11 12 13 14 11 14 12 12 13 1210111213 13 14 11 14 12 13 12 13 12 11 1213 14 13 11 12 13 14 13
68 6
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11 12 13 14
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11 12 13 14
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13 10111213 1011 11 12 1312 11 121314101112 12 11 12 12 13 10 11 12 13 11 121314101112 13 10111213 11 13 11 12 12 11 12 11 12 14 12 11 14 12 12 1210111213 11 11 12 10 10 11 12 13 13 10 11 13 11 1213 14 12 13 12 11 10 11 12 1311 10
13 14 12
10
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12 13 14
11 12 13 14
11
13 11
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11 1213 14
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10111213
10
10 11 12 10 11 12 13 10 11 13 13 10 10 11 11 12 13 12 11 12 12 11 12 13 10 11 12 13 12 11 12 11 12 13 13 1111 11 11 12 12 12 1310 11 12 13 10 12 11 12 13 12 1010 11 12 10 11 12 13 10 13 11 12 11 1111 12 12 13 13
11
10 11 12 13
12
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13 10 11 12 11 10 11 12 13 12 11 13 12
10 10
13 13
12 12
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10 11 12 13
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10
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10 13 13
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10 11 12
10 11 12
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10 11 12 13 9 10 11
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10 11 12 13 10 11 12 13 9 10 11 13 10 11 12 11 12 10 11 12 13 9 10 11 13 11 12 10 13 11 12 10 11 12 13 11 12 11 12 13 10 11 12 13
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rollercoaster ride
11 chapter
Seven-string arpeggios
one of my most valuable study practices has been to explore arpeggios (also known as “broken chords,” wherein each note of a chord is played individually and in succession) across all the strings. Like most guitarists, I began on six-string and soon graduated to seven- and then eight-string guitar. In this chapter, I’d like to demonstrate some cool ways to perform a variety of arpeggios across seven strings. I’ve devised a specific arpeggio fingering pattern diagonally across the strings, spanning over two octaves, for which I can then alter one or two notes in each octave to morph from one chord quality to another—for example, from minor seven to dominant seven or major seven. This way, the fingerings are visually and physically similar and easier to memorize. Let’s begin with Em7 (see FIGURE 1). After I strum the chord, I pick the notes of an Em7 arpeggio: E (the root), G (the minor, or “flatted,” third), B (the fifth) and D (the minor, or “flatted,” seventh), descending across the top five strings in seventh position and continuing across the bottom three strings in fifth position. When practicing, I’ll often incorporate economy picking (also known as reststroke picking) into the execution of arpeggios. Economy picking is a technique whereby you use the same pick direction when crossing to an adjacent (neighboring) string: when moving from a lower to a higher string, the last note on the lower string and the first note on the higher string are picked with downstrokes. Conversely, when moving from a higher to a lower string, the last note on the higher string and the first note on the lower string are picked with upstrokes. FIGURE 2 illustrates an Em7 arpeggio ascending and descending across all seven strings, with fret-hand fingerings and pick strokes indicated. I begin with an upstroke on the low B string, followed by three downstrokes as I move across the bottom three strings. This pick-hand movement is then repeated for the next four notes, followed by a hammer-on from the G string’s seventh to ninth frets and the continuation of the downstroke movement across the top three strings. I’m essentially raking across the top five strings. When I descend, I use consecutive upstrokes, or a reverse rake, to move across to lower strings. Now let’s tweak this pattern to formulate other arpeggios qualities.
Seven-string guitar (tuned, low to high, to B E A D G B E).
Seven-string guitar (tuned, low to high, to B E A D G B E). FIGURE Fig. 11 1 guitar Seven-string FIGURE Seven-string guitar(tuned, (tuned,low lowtotohigh, high,totoBBEEAADDGGBBE). E). Em guitar Em7(tuned, Em Em7 FIGURE 1 Seven-string Seven-string guitar (tuned, low low to to high, high, totoBBEEAADDGGBBE). E). FIGURE 17 7 7 10 7 7 7 7 7 10 7 7 Em7 Em FIGURE FIGURE1Em Seven-string to 8 guitar 8 (tuned, 8 B E A D G B E).8 8 81 8Em7 8 8 low8to high, 8 8 7 10 7 Seven-string Seven-string guitar guitar (tuned, (tuned, low low to to high, high, to to B E B A E D A G D G B E). B E). 9 7 7 9 7 7 9 7 7 9 7 7 7 7 7 10 7 to high, to B E A D G B E). 7 Seven-string guitar (tuned, Em Em7 88 8Em7 88 9 low88 88 FIGURE 198Em 9 9 9 9 8 8 9 9 9 9 FIGURE FIGURE 1 99 77 979 1 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 10 10 7 7 7 7 7 10 7 7 7 5 7 7 7 FIGURE 1 Seven-string low to Seven-string high, to to B 9B E9 E AA DD GG BB E). 7 (tuned, 7 low 10 7 7 7 5 Em Em7 989 7 8E). 89897Em guitar 8989guitar 8989(tuned, 8 8to 8 8 high, Em7 Em Em7 7 7 7 7 10 7 7 7 5 7 77 7 7 77 7 77 10 7 99 77 9 Em 8 5 10 7 7 5 FIGURE FIGURE 199717 Em7 7 107 78 8 7 7 7 77 8 8 8 8 99 9 97 9 9 97 9 9 710 7 7 7 7 10 7 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 5 9 7 7 9 7 7 7 7 7 7 10 10 7 7 7 7 7 5 5 Em Em7 Em Em7 8 5 8 7 8 7arpeggio 8 7 8 8 9 9 7 79 7 7 7 FIGURE98792 79 Em7 9 9 9 77 9 7 9 9 10 7 7 79 7 79 7 7910 107 7 9 9 Em7 9 2 9 9 7 7 7 7 5 88 55 arpeggio FIGURE 9 9 9 9 8 87 8 87arpeggio 8 87 8 88 8 FIGURE Fig. 779897Em7 22897 Em7 10 7 7 5 7 7 10 7 7 7 5 7 Em7 arpeggio FIGURE 10 7 7 5 7 78 5 9 97 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 * Em7 7 8 85 5 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 Em7 Em7 arpeggio arpeggio FIGURE FIGURE972Em7 29Em7 7 10 7 10 107 7 7 7 8 5 7 7 7 7 7 75 5 *** 7 8 8 7 7 Em7 arpeggio FIGURE Em7 2Em7 77 10 9 10 777 10 9 7 7 8 85 5 Em7 arpeggio arpeggio9 7 FIGURE FIGURE *Em7 *2 88 8 Em7 arpeggio 9 FIGURE 2 2Em7 8 8 8 77 979 99 77 7 7 10 10 7 7 5 7 10 10 7 7 5 Em7 Em7 9 9 * Em7 Em7 99 88 88 7 arpeggio 7 arpeggio99 9 FIGURE FIGURE * 2* 2Em7 5 7 10 10 7 59
8 5 *5 8 5 710 77 99 7 10 7 99 77 10 7 5 8 5 Em7 77 7 5 7 910 7 5 8 7 710 107 78 9 *Em7 7 8 55 7 9 8 87 10 7 8 89 7 7 10 10 99 1010 7755 710 8 3 515 7 1 7 8 5 1 4 93 71 7 93 982 1 4 1 82 93 971 7 93 4 1 1 737 48 87 7 *55115*55=8844upstroke 9 9 7 7 710 107 7 9 97 9 910 7 5 8 3 51 7110 848 515 = downstroke 9 9 4 3 1 3 2 1 4 1 2 3 1 3 4 1 1 3 8 8 8 8 1 4 7 3 5 1 57 1 710410 3 1 3 2 1 4 1 2 3 1 3 104107 1 75 1 57 3 4 1 5 7 10 7 5 7 78 5 7 7 7 9 9 8upstroke = FIGURE 47373 731arpeggio 14downstroke 31 1 424 1 11 2 24 393 19171FIGURE 2 393394 4411Emaj7#5 11 1 1 3 4 1 1 1 13 3734 84 4arpeggio 1 111 10 = downstroke *5515*3*11=5Emaj7 4 4upstroke 4= 39w/economy 3491 13 3 13 2 2picking 8 85 5 8 8 8 arpeggio 5 7 10 107Emaj7#5 75 5 5 7 10 104 = upstroke = downstroke FIGURE 3 Emaj7 arpeggio w/economy picking FIGURE * * = = upstroke upstroke = = downstroke downstroke sim. FIGURE 3 Emaj7 arpeggio w/economy picking FIGURE 4 Emaj7#5 arpeggio 115 51448 84337 7311 111 144 4337 11311 71 33 322 211 144 411 122 233 311 1 33 344 411 111 1337 73448 841155 51 Fig.*3 Fig. 1arpeggio 2 picking 1 4 3 4 1 3 4 4arpeggio 1 sim. ==94downstroke FIGURE FIGURE Emaj7 Emaj7 arpeggio w/economy picking FIGURE Emaj7#5 Emaj7#5 arpeggio 3 1arpeggio 1 w/economy 1 2 3 1FIGURE 9 3w/economy 9 3 FIGURE Emaj7 picking Emaj7#5 arpeggio sim. = upstroke = 7downstroke upstroke **31133*===31Emaj7 44411FIGURE 44upstroke 8 8 711 1177 9 8 downstroke upstroke sim. 9493w/economy FIGURE Emaj7#5 4331arpeggio 31 1 993 3 2 picking 291 1 4 4 1 1 2 23 3 1FIGURE 1 3 3 44 4 sim. 1 1 1 3 3 4arpeggio 410 1 1 9 1 1 1=4 downstroke sim. FIGURE 3 Emaj7 arpeggio w/economy picking FIGURE 4 Emaj7#5 arpeggio FIGURE 3 Emaj7 arpeggio w/economy picking FIGURE 4 Emaj7#5 arpeggio 88 99 7w/economy 88 711 6 7 11arpeggio FIGURE arpeggio Emaj7#5 =6 upstroke =9 downstroke upstroke downstroke 119 777791199999878889picking 9911 99 = 10 9 8 5*39*=7Emaj7 45sim. 7 11 7776667 9 5 FIGURE FIGURE FIGURE 10 6Emaj7 11 66 7711 sim. 11 8arpeggio 8 9 9 7w/economy 88 9sim. 67711 11arpeggio 11 11 3 w/economy picking 4 Emaj7#5 arpeggio FIGURE 3 Emaj7 picking FIGURE 4 Emaj7#5 arpeggio sim. 7 11 7 11 7 7 77 1111998 9 98 99 79911 7 99 99 8 991111877669779955 55 99 886677111110108 1010 1088 8 6 7 11 10 8 sim. sim. 7 9911889 899 99 7 117 117 97 99 889 899 9 FIGURE 65 Emaj7#5 711 7 88 55559999776676776711 (G#/E) 7 9 95 5 5 9 9 6 7 11 10 8 5(G#/E) 7 6 76117 119 8 8 9 99 9 9 99 89 8 9 111111 11777 6667FIGURE 6 7 11 7611 7FIGURE 8 6 Emaj7#5 557 G#triad G#/E 6 9Emaj7#5 5 75 8 7 115 98 8 7 5 (G#/E) 9 8 7 9 9 9 9 9 sim. 55559995879791166712776 11 9 59 5 9 5 89 G#/E G#triad Emaj7#5 (G#/E) FIGURE 11 8 G#triad 55(G#/E) G#/E 9 7 11 6 9 5 55 Emaj7#5 6 7 11 11 11 7 67FIGURE 6 7 11 8 8 1110 10 FIGURE 7 7 5sim. 9 59 958879111171212111188 9 9 8 sim. Fig. Emaj7#5 G#triad G#triad5 5(G#/E) G#/E Emaj7#5 85 9 9 G#/E 8 55 9 9(G#/E) FIGURE 55FIGURE 5Emaj7#5 99 99 FIGURE 10 10 (G#/E) 10 (G#/E) sim. 59sim. Emaj7#5 (G#/E) 6Emaj7#5 FIGURE G#triad 99 8 811 99 88 11 7 6 88 99 G#/E 88 1112 1211 118 8 7 11 11 G#triad G#/E G#triad G#triad G#/E G#/E 10 6Emaj7#5 10 10 99 99 8 8 010 sim. FIGURE FIGURE 10 6 10(G#/E) G#/E (G#/E) Emaj7#5 5 75G#triad 7711 sim. 9 9 8 11 12 11 8 9 98 8 11 8 9 9 11 811 8 sim. 5 sim. 9 1177 66 9 11 8 sim. 11 8 12 12 11 11 8 8 8 11 12 11 8 8 8 0 9 8 9 10 10 6 6 10 10 10 10 8 8 0 G#/E G#/E sim. 8 11 12 11 8 9 9 99 8 55 7G#triad 9G#triad 9 9 811 11 117 76 6 99 7 711 11 8 9 11 7 9 9 99 9 9 89 10 sim. 9 8 8 8 FIGURE 7998 9 10 6 10 8 88 8 8 0 0 8 8 9 FIGURE 9 9 99 68 11 9 8 10 8 8 8 11 12 12 11 11 8 8 10 6 6 10 10 10 10 108 11 7 6 7 11 11 9 9 5 5 7 7 9 9 86 77FIGURE Em/maj7 10 6 10 10 11 11 10 7 10 9 69 E7 9 9 7 67 6 11 7 11 11 11 FIGURE 0 FIGURE 7 FIGURE sim. 11 11 9 9 6E7 9 8 9 8 11 7 6118 8 8 9 9 8 8 sim. 7 6 7 11 8 8 0 0 5 775 989687 FIGURE Em/maj7 E7 7 10 7 8 8 9 0 10 6 10 10 10 108 10 110 9 9 8 5 7Em/maj7 FIGURE FIGURE6 6 sim. sim. 9 11 11 5 7 9 79FIGURE 7 6 7 96 9 9 11 75117 79 11 11 sim. sim. E7 7710 Em/maj7 Em/maj7 6 E7sim. 7 9 8 8 0 0 1077 8 98 7 5 75 789 FIGURE FIGURE 9 sim. sim. 9 FIGURE 77Em/maj7 FIGURE 7 6 7 10 9 8 FIGURE FIGURE 66 E7 6sim. 5 7 11 9 77 99 997 710107 7 99 999 797 FIGURE 7 FIGURE 11 7 5 E7 Em/maj7 Em/maj7 FIGURE 799 8 99 sim. FIGURE 99 99 7 7 9911117755 7 9 Fig. 6656E7 7 sim. 57sim. Fig. FIGURE E7 Em/maj7 sim.55 7711 66 7710 sim. 10 7 FIGURE 7sim. 9 97 7 88 9E7 8 FIGURE 6sim. FIGURE 11 7 7 9 9 7 10 sim. Em/maj7 7 10 7 7 77 77 9 7 99 99 5E759E7 99 117755 77 99 Em/maj7 79 10 10 7 9 9 sim. 55Em/maj7 88 6 67 710 99 7 11 8 5 57 711 11 7 9 9 10 9sim. 9 9 sim. sim. sim. sim. 7 9 9 7 7 9 9 7 7 FIGURE 98 77 5599775 7 11 999 79 9 9 79 107910779710 5588776 7 10 999 889 8 9 7 9 9 7 5 99 9Em7¨5 998811 9 77 557 775 11117 11 7 79 79 9 FIGURE 77 667 776 10107 10 8 8 11 11 7 5 7 5 7 FIGURE 8 9 7sim.117 7 5 7 97 9 7 512 9 11 Em7¨5 79 7 6 10 9 9 9 989 97 9 9 87 11 68 555 8885 78 6 76 107 109 9 6 7 10 9 Em7¨5 5 9 5 FIGURE FIGURE 8 5 9 9 7 85 5 87 5511 7 71111 11 11 7 57 5 11 sim. sim. 777 9 8 10 sim. Em7¨5 Em7¨5 7 77 9 6 66 9 7 878 7 5 8 7 9887711115121295511711 67 10 8 FIGURE 9 sim. FIGURE FIGURE 88 8 5 710 8 97 99 886 6101096 68895785 9 7 788 9 8 9 10 7 6 99 7 711 FIGURE 1112 1211 11 Em7¨5 98 7 9 9 7 10 7 5 99 88 88 Em7¨5 Em7¨5 88 88 88 88 7 Fig. 6 6 sim. 8FIGURE Em7¨5 8 55710 10 6 9 97 7 10 9 9 7 11 12 11 7 9 98 8 10 sim. sim. 5 88 107766 8 FIGURE 710 7 7 9 9 6 107755 8 5 sim. 7 11 12 11 7 6 10 6 7 11 12 11 7 6 10 6 FIGURE 8 7 6 66 8 7 11 12 11 7 8 8 6 10 6 8 99 88 88 7 6 Em7¨5 Em7¨5 87 8 8 sim. 5588 5 5710 9 8 9 8 10 107 76 6 88 710 7 9 8 10 107 75 5 8855 89 8 8 8 89 8 89 sim. Em7¨5 9 9 8 9 8 7 7 9 9 7 9 7 9 8 8 7 7 6 6 6 E minor pentatonic lines FIGURE 9 9 7 11 7 11 6 10 12 12 11 11 7 7 9 8 9 109 7 6 8 8 6 6 9 7 8 108 7 5 68 85 5 sim.88 78 9 8 6810 10 7 101255108867555 10710 910 10 8 87911E 8 78 pentatonic 8 8 6810 7 6 776 lines 710 5 710 10 10 76 5 minor FIGURE 12 11 E minor pentatonic lines FIGURE 9 10 7 6 710 5765 9 9 9 89 8 7 79 9 9 79 7 10 7 6 5 810 8 8 9 9 7 77 8897 812 8 8 8 866 886558 5 7710 12 10 68776 12 8 89 7 10 12 5 8 5 minorpentatonic pentatonic lines FIGURE FIGURE 10 9 99 EEminor 9108910 7 9 9875 9 58 5 710 7 67 6 8lines 5 10 710 10 10 7 57 5 10 10 5 7 10 12 9 777 79912 9 E minor 6 6 8 8 10 7 5 12 7 7 12 71010121251081056877610101212 959 7710 pentatonic lines FIGURE 99 10 7 99 10 10 7 minor 7 8lines 8 8 58 5 10 7 5 6 E pentatonic E minor pentatonic lines FIGURE FIGURE 9 9 55 77pentatonic 10 5 98 E10minor 12 10 7 912 12 12 12 69 9 7 7 12 5 lines FIGURE 1012 12 7 7 9 1210 1077 55 10 8 710 77 10 6 10 7 12 10 10 12 10 7 7 77 77 10 99 99 7 10 12 10 7 8 5 8 85 10 10 10 10 5599889E10510Eminor 9 12 9 7 5 12 5 5 7 7pentatonic 10 10 12 1210 107 7 5 5 5 10 minor pentatonic lines lines FIGURE FIGURE Fig. 1088 55 5129 7 5 5 10 12 10 7 7 9 12 9 12 12 12 9 7 9 7 9 77 7 7 7 9 12 7 10 7 10 12 12 10 10 7 7 12 9 7 9 12 9 9 9 5 7 10 12 10 7 5 5 5 8 8 10 10 10 10 8 8 5 5 55 9 5510 5510 10 595 5 10 55E77 minor 5 7 12 10pentatonic 12 12 10 7 55 5 12 10 7 5 FIGURE 5 7 7 10 10 12 9 12lines 7 7 9 12 12 12 9 97 7 12 10 7 5 7 7 8 5 585 10 55 9 9 55 5 5 12 10 7 595 9 57 7 7 7510 555 8858910 7 10 10 10 10 8 85 10 5 5 7 10 5 57 10 12 12 10 10 7 75 5 10 8 10 10 5 12 12 5 5 5 5 5 7 7 7 7 5 58 10558 105 7 55 95 12 55 5 55 5 55125 9 7 55 10 5 10 8 85 5
00 000000 0
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5 8 10 FIGURE 3 offers5 an Emaj7 arpeggio (E Gs B Ds)5 5 picked the same way as FIGURE 2, and FIGURE 4 formulates an Emaj7s5 arpeggio, achieved by changing the B note of Emaj7 to C (the augmented, or “sharped,” fifth). Interestingly, Emaj7s5 can also
5 5
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5 12 5 10 7 5
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10 8 5 be analyzed as a Gs major triad (Gs Bs Ds) played 5 5 5 over an E bass note (Gs/E). FIGURES 6, 7 and 8 illustrate similarly structured arpeggio patterns for E7 (E Gs B D), Em/ maj7 (E G B Ds) and Em7f5 (E G Bf D), respectively.
two-hand touch
12 chapter
Examining the two-hand tapping and odd-meter phrasing in “Isolated Incidents” For the track “Isolated Incidents,” from Weightless, I devised an unusual two-handtapping figure that serves as the song’s primary melody and sets up the distinct rhythmic syncopation from which other musical ideas evolve as the song unfolds. This type of “theme and development” concept is a songwriting tool that I use in many of my compositions. The intro of “Isolated Incidents” is performed by tapping notes on the fretboard with both hands simultaneously. Some of you may be familiar with this approach through the playing of jazz guitarist Stanley Jordan. When the track begins, the first thing you hear is the melody, which I play entirely with my fret hand. Without picking conventionally, all of the notes are sounded by firmly hammering onto the fretboard with the fingertips. At 0:17, an ostinato (recurring accompaniment) figure enters, which is produced by repeated pick-hand fretboard taps on Fs on the D string’s 11th fret. The term ostinato is Italian for persistent(ly). In music, it usual refers to a short, repeating pattern performed simultaneously with a melody. When the ostinato is above the melody, it is sometimes referred to as a rhythmic ostinato, or isorhythm. FIGURE 1 shows the part as played with both hands tapping simultaneously. While the pick hand taps the Fs in steady quarter notes, the fret hand taps the syncopated melody on the bottom four strings of the eight-string guitar. An additional twist is provided by the unusual meter of 11/8, which can be thought of as four quarter notes (or eight eighth notes) followed by three eighth notes (8+3=11) and counted “oneand, two-and, three-and, four-and, onetwo-three, one-and, two-and, three-and, four-and, one-two-three,” etc. Personally, I don’t think about counting the beats; I prefer to internalize the rhythm of the phrase until it feels natural to me. In terms of harmony, my fret hand outlines an Fsm7 chord by tapping the notes Fs, A, Cs and E while my pick hand taps the steady high Fs root note (the ostinato). This carries through bars 1–4, after which I switch to Fs major by tapping the notes Fs, As and Cs, including the fourth, B, as well. Notice that, as the phrase moves from bar to bar, I alternately begin with the two notes tapped simultaneously
Eight-string guitar (tuned, low to high, to E A E A D G B E) Fig. 1 1 “Isolated Incidents” q = 156 FIGURE
F#m7
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Fig. 22 q = 156 FIGURE 1
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and then tapped eighth notes apart. Of greatest importance when performing this part is to strive to achieve an even volume among all the hammered notes. Try to sustain each note into the next by not releasing it until the next note is sounded.
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At 0:47, I switch to a heavily distorted tone and transpose the fret-hand figure down an octave (see FIGURE 2). After eight bars of 11/8, there is a bar of 2/4, and then I switch to a syncopated figure in 4/4 that emphasizes D and Ef pedal tones.
connect the dots
13 chapter
Analyzing the harmonized melody lines in “Isolated Incidents” In the previous chapter, I demonstrated the unusual twohand tapping technique that makes up the first section of the song, “Isolated Incidents,” from the latest Animals as Leaders album, Weightless. The section of the tune that follows features a transition to a heavily syncopated pedaltone pattern with a single-note melody played above it. In this chapter, I’d like to go over that single-note melody, as well as the way in which I harmonize it when it is repeated. As shown in FIGURE 1, bars 1–6 of the melody are played over a low A pedal tone, with the tonality of A major implied by the presence of the major third of the chord, Cs, in the melody. At this point of the song, the melody is very straightforward, with all of the notes falling directly on the strong downbeats of either “one,” “two,” “three” or “four.” The line is rhythmically simple, too, built from a combination of half notes, quarter notes and eighth notes. The slight twist added here is that I base the lines on the A Lydian mode (A B Cs Ds E Fs Gs) instead of the A major scale (A B Cs D E Fs Gs). The only difference between Lydian and the major scale is that in Lydian the fourth degree is raised one half step, which results in a s4 (sharp four), Ds in the key of A. At bar 7, following a single measure of 2/4, the pedal-tone accompaniment shifts up one half step, from A to Bf, and the implied harmony moves from A major (with a s4, or s11) to Bf minor. The melody from this point on is based on the Bf minor pentatonic scale (Bf Df Ef F Af) and mimics the primary “theme” of the tune that was outlined in the opening tapped figure. Simple as this line may seem, I switch between accenting notes only on the eighth-note upbeats—on the “and” counts between the downbeats—in bars 7, 10 and 11, and accenting notes squarely on the downbeats in bars 8, 9 and 12. Normally, these shifts between upbeats and downbeats would sound acceptable and be easy to comprehend. However, by laying the aggressively syncopated, Mesuggahlike offbeat line underneath it, I create rhythmic tension, making the whole thing sound rhythmically dense.
Eight-string Eight-stringgtr. gtr.arr. arr.for forsix-string six-stringgtr. gtr.
Eight-string gtr. arr. for six-string gtr. 1:1:melody FIGURE Gtr. melody FIGURE Fig. 111 Gtr. Gtr. 1: melody Eight-string gtr. arr. for six-string gtr. FIGURE 1 N.C.(A5) N.C.(A5) six-string 11 Eight-string gtr. arr. for gtr. FIGURE N.C.(A5) 1 Gtr. 1: melody 1 8899 Gtr. 1: melody 8 FIGURE 1 8 1111 N.C.(A5) 99 ! 11 99 six-string 11 Eight-string gtr. gtr. 11 arr. for 11 ! 1 N.C.(A5) 8 Eight-string gtr. arr. for six-string gtr. 8 1:arr. melody six-string FIGURE 1 Gtr. 1Eight-string 11 9gtr. 11 9 11gtr. gtr. Eight-string gtr. arr. forfor six-string ! FIGURE N.C.(A5) 1 Gtr. 1: melody 8 8 1111 Gtr. 55 1: 9 ! 11 11 Gtr. 1:melody melody 9 FIGURE 8 8 1FIGURE
11 9 11 11 11 11 11 99 9 ! 11 11 9 11 11 9 ! 11 11 11 9 11 11 9 11 11 9 9 ! 11 9 B¨m 11 B¨m 11 11 9 9 ! 9 11 11 9 11 N.C.(A5) N.C.(A5) 11 9 ! 11 9 11 11 66 66 11 9 11 9911 9 66 11 ! 9 11 6 6 8 N.C.(A5) 11 6 6 8 B¨m 5 1 1111 999 111111 11118 99 9 8811 B¨m11 86811 6 9 11 11 11 11 11 99 9 6 ! ! ! 1111 1199 9 ! 89 9 5 8 11 11 11 8! 11 99 ! 11 9 11 9 9 11 11 1111 9 11 11 9 1111 6 9 116! 9 9 ! B¨m 118 11 9119 11 5 11 611 6 9 8 11 11 11 9 ! 1111 11 8 11 9 9 11 ! 9 6 11 9 9 11 9 6 6 8 9 11 9 11 ! 6 6 8 9 6 11 B¨m 9 6 9 9 6 9 6 6 8 9 11 69 9 9 6 9 5 11 966 88 811 66 11 9 B¨m 888 66 88 ! 11 8 8 88 9 55 8 88 11 11 11 9 8 11 9 B¨m 8 6 886 9 6 ! 9 B¨m 5 69 6 8 6 6 6 6 6 9 6 6 6 8 11 8 9 611 11 9 9 89 68 66 911 6 6 99 8 9 6 11 9 6 11 8 11 9 8 6 8 8 66 88 ! 11 8 11 9 11 11 9 6 9FIGURE 8 22 9Gtr. 8 811 9 9 8 2:2: harmony 911 9 6 8 8 9 11 11 9 6 11 FIGURE Gtr.! harmony ! 6 8 11N.C.(A5) 96 11 6 9 9 8 9 8 6 911 8 11 8 9 6 9 ! 8 N.C.(A5) 8 8 6 8 6 6 8 8 8 8 9191 8 8 8 8 9 11 12 14 9 6 9 9 6 9 9 6 9 9 6 9 13132 611611Gtr. 8 11811 81313 11 612 61313 148 1313 11811 1313 13136 1111 68! FIGURE 13 11 9 8 ! 1392: 8harmony 11 9 ! ! 6 8 88 8 9 9 13 88 8 6 13 8 N.C.(A5) 8 8 6 6 6 8 FIGURE 2 6Gtr.92: harmony 9 9 8 6 9 8 8 8 6 8 6 8 8 8 6 8 1 FIGURE 2 Gtr. 2: harmony 8 N.C.(A5) 8 8 8 13 11 12 B¨m 13 14 13 11 13 1FIGURE 213N.C.(A5) 2: harmony B¨m 5Fig. 11 13 11 13 11 11 5 2 ! FIGURE 2 Gtr. Gtr. 2: harmony 13 1313 ! 1 11 12 14 N.C.(A5) 13 13 16 13 13 16 FIGURE 2 11 Gtr. 13 132: harmony 11 13 13 13 11 13 13 1315 11 11 13 13 N.C.(A5) ! ! 13 13 13 15 1 11 12 14 13 11 13 13 11 15 FIGURE 13 11 Gtr. 2: harmony 13 2 11 11 13 ! 13 11 13 13 11 13 ! 11 ! 1 ! N.C.(A5) 13 1111 1311 131211 1315151413 13 11 1513 1313 13 11 ! 1311 13 13 13 11 11 N.C.(A5) ! 1 11 12 14 13 13 11 12 13 B¨m14 13 11 13 5 13 11 ! 1 13 11 13 11 11 ! 13 13 11 13 13 13 B¨m 1116 11 11 12 1413 13131311 13 16 13 9 13 11 16 ! ! 59 13 16 13 13 13 13 13 11 13 13 16 1313 11 13 15 131411 ! 13 16 11 13 11 16 16 16 13151513 151414 151515B¨m 16 11 1611B¨m 16 16 5 13 13 16 13 1316 13 15! 13 16 15 13 1114 ! 5 15 13 13 13 13 13 15 15 13 13 15 16 13 11 ! 1315 1513 13 11 15B¨m 13 13 11 13 13 13 16 13 13 15 5 13 13 15 11 13 13 11 13 13 13 11 13 13 13 13 13 11 15 ! 11 ! 5 13 15 13 13 16 13 11 15 15B¨m B¨m 5 15 9 15 13 13 1616 15 13 13 1313 13 16 13 11 13 13 11 13 13 13 11 ! 13 13 16 16 14 16 16 16 16 14 15 9 13 11 13 13 11 13 11 15 13 13 13 15 15 13 15 13 ! 16 13 16 1515 16 14 15 99 13 1114 16 13 16 13 16 11 15 1513 11 16 16 13 16 13 ! 16 13 13 16 15 16 16 15 14 13 16 15 15 1415 1416 16 14 16 16 16 16 15 16 15 13 15 15 15 13 15 15 15 15 9 16 13 15 15 13 16 9 14 16 16 16 16 16 14 16 13 13 15 13 15 16 9 15 14 16 13 15 15 16 16 13 15 14 16 16 16 16 15 14 13 16 16 16 16 15 14 16 15 13 15 15 15 15 15 15 99
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FIGURE 2 shows the aforementioned harmony line to the melody in FIGURE 1, which enters at 1:17 on the recording. In bars 1–7 and the first three beats of bar 8, I harmonize the melody line a fifth above each note, diatonic to the previously mentioned scales. For that last note of bar 8, I move up and double the melody an octave higher, and I stick
with the octave-doubling approach through the next bar, after which I move back down to a fifth harmony for one bar and then back to an octave above for the final two bars. This is the last chapter in Prog-Gnosis. I hope you have enjoyed these lessons and have found them useful and informative. Thanks for watching.
