How to Play in the Style of Charlie Christian
Short Description
jazz guitar solo...
Description
1
2
Table of Contents Introduction ............................. .......................................................... ........................................................... ................................................. ................... 5 Charlie Christian Biography .......................... ....................................................... ....................................................... .......................... 7 Charlie Christian’s Inuences........... Inuences........................ .......................... ......................... ......................... ......................... .................. ......8 8 Charlie Christian and Benny Goodman ............ ........................ ......................... ......................... ........................10 ............10 Charlie & Bebop ........... ........................ ......................... ......................... ......................... ......................... ......................... .........................11 .............11 Charlie Christian’s Guitar Technique ........... ........................ .......................... ......................... ......................... ................12 ...12 Charlie’s End ............. ......................... ......................... ......................... ......................... .......................... ......................... ......................... .................13 ....13 Charlie Christian’s Gear ............................ .......................................................... .......................................................... ............................ 14 Charlie Christian’s Guitars ............ ......................... ......................... ......................... .......................... ......................... ....................15 ........15 Charlie Christian’s Amps............. Amps.......................... ......................... ......................... ......................... ......................... .......................19 ..........19 Charlie Christian Discography........................... ......................................................... ................................................. ................... 21 Chapter 1 - Chord Concepts Concepts ........................... ........................................................ ..................................................... ........................ 26 Minor Family Shapes ............ ........................ ......................... ......................... ......................... ......................... ......................... .................27 ....27 Dominant Family Shapes ........... ........................ ......................... ......................... ......................... ......................... .......................30 ..........30 Major Family Shapes ......................... ...................................... ......................... ......................... ......................... ......................... .................35 ....35 Diminished Family Shapes ................................ ............................................. ......................... ......................... .........................38 ............38
3 Comping Study – Beginner ........... ........................ ......................... ......................... ......................... ......................... .....................41 ........41 Comping Study – Intermediate ............. ......................... ......................... ......................... ......................... .........................43 ............43 Single Note Concepts - Arpeggios .......................... ....................................................... ............................................ ............... 45 Major Family Arpeggios ................................. ............................................. ......................... .......................... ......................... ................47 ....47 Dominant Family Chords ........... ........................ ......................... ......................... ......................... ......................... .......................57 ..........57 Minor Family Chords............. Chords......................... ......................... ......................... ......................... ......................... ......................... .................65 ....65 Diminished Family Chords .................................. ............................................... ......................... ......................... .......................75 ..........75 Single Note Concepts - Scales Scales ............................. .......................................................... ................................................ ................... 85 Major Family Chords ............................. .......................................... ......................... ......................... .......................... .........................87 ............87 Dominant Family Chords ........... ........................ ......................... ......................... ......................... ......................... .......................94 ..........94 Minor Family Chords............. Chords......................... ......................... ......................... ......................... ......................... ......................... ...............101 ..101 Diminished Family Chords ........... ........................ ......................... ......................... ......................... ......................... ...................109 ......109 Soloing Study - Dinah............ Dinah........................ ......................... ......................... ......................... .......................... ......................... ..............120 ..120 Soloing Techniques - Chromatics Chromatics ........................... ........................................................ .......................................... ............. 124 Approach Notes............ Notes......................... ......................... ......................... ......................... ......................... .......................... .......................125 ..........125 Blues Notes ............. ......................... ......................... ......................... ......................... .......................... ......................... ......................... .................130 ....130 Passing Notes ............. ......................... ......................... .......................... ......................... ......................... ......................... .........................135 .............135
4 Enclosures ...........................................................................................................140 Soloing Study - Rose Room ..............................................................................147 Soloing Techniques – Concepts ........................................................................ 151 Repetition ............................................................................................................152 Phrasing...............................................................................................................157 Chord Substitutions ...........................................................................................163 Soloing Study – Seven Come Eleven ................................................................170 About The Author .............................................................................................. 174
5
Introduction Welcome to this Charlie Christian performance guide eBook, great to have you here! In this eBook, you’ll focus on breaking down the various parts of Christian’s soloing approach, so that you can use those techniques to create your own jazz guitar solos. The main sections of his approach that you’ll explore are chord shapes (which he used to base his singlenote lines), scales, arpeggios, licks, patterns, and more. As Christian based his soloing lines o of common guitar shapes, you’ll start by learning these shapes, then build up in each chapter from there. Using chord shapes as the basis for single-note lines isn’t for everyone, some people can use it comfortably and others struggle to see the fretboard in that way. Because of this, the book separates these items into dierent chapters, as opposed to placing them side-by-side as other Christian instructional books often do. This way, you can learn the chords in the beginning of the book, then use them to build your comping skills, or pair them up with scales and arps later in the book. If you decide to pair up your arps and scales with chord shapes, each scale or arpeggio ngering has text that tells you which chords they pair up with on guitar.
6 Lastly, while learning technical shapes is important, learning Christian’s vocabulary will get you directly into his thought process as you study his material on guitar. To help you get into the Christian’s ears and head when he was soloing, there are dozens of licks and phrases included in this eBook. There are also sample solos that you can learn that bring the technical items you’ll study into a practical, musical situation. Each of these licks and solos is based o of famous Christian performances, and will help you dig into his vocabulary as well as the technical components of his playing. Have fun with this material. Take your time, work each section slowly, and build your understanding of Christian’s soloing approach in the woodshed. Thanks for checking out this eBook, we hope you dig it! Matt & Dirk
7
Charlie Christian Biography There’s no question that Charlie Christian represents the genesis of modern jazz guitar. Christian’s uid, melodic lines that could swing like a horn, set the gold standard and template for virtually all jazz guitarists to follow. Until Christian hit the scene, the guitar was predominantly a secondary voice, constrained to a rhythmic role.
Although players such as Eddie Lang, Lonnie Johnson and Django Reinhardt represented early proponents of the acoustic jazz guitar as a dominant solo instrument, Christian not only took the guitar to a new level of electric amplication, he jettisoned it into a lead solo spot that would gain greater prominence and endure until this day.
It’s safe to say that if not for Charlie Christian’s brilliant work in electric jazz guitar, there wouldn’t have been a Wes Montgomery, George Benson, John McLaughlin, Chuck Berry, Eric Clapton or Jimi Hendrix.
8
Charlie Christian’s Infuences All jazz guitar players who came on the scene between 1940 and the 1960s cut their teeth on the solos of Charlie Christian who’s style and approach served as a foundation to their cognitive grasp of jazz guitar. Christian’s style was a direct ancestor of the bop sound which eventually evolved into the more complex styling of Tal Farlow, Johnny Smith, and Joe Pass. However, Christians inuence was so pervasive and far ranging, it even infected his direct competitors as well as followers such as Tiny Grimes, Billy Bauer, Billy Bean, Les Paul, Oscar Moore, Herb Ellis, Jimmy Raney and Barney Kessel, all of whom continued to expand upon Christian’s basic model with incredible creativity, each developing his own unique voice that would in turn, continue Christian’s legacy of jazz guitar evolution. No doubt Christian himself was probably inuenced and inspired by the virtuosos of his time like Eddie Lang and Django Reinhardt. Christian was the rst to explore the new realm of amplifed electric guitar, as opposed to Lang and Django, who played acoustic models. Christian’s primary musical inuence, in terms of his articulated swinging solos, was legendary saxophonist Lester Young. It was Young’s mercurial sax that seized the imagination of Christian and stimulated his quest to develop a similar sound on the guitar. By emulating a sax, Christian was able to meticulously develop a uid guitar solo technique that was unprecedented in jazz guitar history.
9
Christian, who left this planet at the age of 25, was originally a piano player in Oklahoma. After leaving his birthplace of Texas (by 1937) he began to experiment with the electric, amplied guitar after studying with the inventor of the guitar amplier, Eddie Durham. Originally using a primitive acoustic guitar with an attached pick-up, he used the new amplier to excite audiences wherever he performed, eventually catching the attention of pianist Mary Lou Williams in 1939. It was Williams who introduced Christian to producer John Hammond...
10
Charlie Christian and Benny Goodman In 1939, Charlie was invited by Hammond to try out for Benny Goodman’s Sextet in Los Angeles. Goodman was the rst white bandleader who employed black musicians, but during a short audition he wasn’t impressed by Christian’s playing. Hammond didn’t give up though and snuck Charlie on stage during a concert without informing Goodman. Goodman got angry because of this and launched his song Rose Room, assuming Charlie didn’t know it. Charlie knew the song and his solo impressed Goodman, who immediately became infatuated by his guitar abilities, calling it “unbelievable.” Benny Goodman accepted Christian as his guitarist for the next two years, prominently featuring him whenever possible including his most famous of all solos, Solo Flight. Countless famous guitarists have mentioned Solo Flight as the primary impetus that drove their interest and inspiration for playing jazz guitar. Many of Christian’s solo line concepts were reected in tunes like Seven Come Eleven, Charlie’s Idea and Breakfast Feud. Charlie Christian played in the Benny Goodman Sextet and Orchestra from August 1939 until June 1941.
11
Charlie & Bebop Christian was one of the pioneers and key gures of the bebop era, and played an important role in the transition from swing to bebop. While performing at Minton’s Playhouse in 1940, Christian jammed with some of the jazz worlds most famous budding talents, such as Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Kenny Clark and many more. It was Minton’s Playhouse that Christian found a second home, performing with many of the jazz greats who found a haven there to experiment and jam. Following his daytime duties with Benny Goodman, Christian would quickly run to Minton’s and dazzle audiences night after night.
12
Charlie Christian’s Guitar Technique Christian’s innovative technique very likely had such an imp act on other musicians, that it might have laid the groundwork for expanding the harmonic boundaries of jazz soloing. Charlie Christian did not only inuence Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonious Monk, but his playing eventually lead to the groundbreaking experimentations of Charlie Parker, which directly lead to the dissonant sounds of John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock and a new generation of jazz innovation. His technique encompasses a vast clinic on how to play owing, modulated, jazz lines over multiple chord progressions that are strongly rooted in diatonic harmony.
Christian was one of the rst jazz guitarists to creatively execute uid single note lines that dened the melodic harmonic points and extended harmonies of the diatonic progression in a linear fashion.
His notes are crisply picked, articulated cascades of improvisation strongly simulating the swing era sax lines such as Lester Young. Charlie Christian used the entire neck in the manner that most jazz greats do, accessing the full length of the fretboard in order to facilitate dexterity, pitch, and sonic ambience. Charlie used a technique that is now quiet common in jazz music, but not at that time, called tension and release. This technique helped to keep the music interesting for the listener. Tension is usually built up on the dominant chord by using altered chords and released on the tonic chord.
13
Charlie’s End Although Charlie Christian was not a drug addict (like many of his colleagues), his lifestyle was hectic, staying late at jam sessions and not eating very well. In 1940 he was hospitalized a few times to be treated for tuberculosis. Not being able to adapt his lifestyle, he was hospitalized again early 1942 in NY, where he died March 2 at the age of 25. He is buried in Bonham, Texas. Although Christian’s time on this planet was tragically abbreviated, his mark will be indelibly carved into the historic evolutionary root of modern jazz guitar soloing. Charlie’s brief catalog of guitar work has become the conscious and unconscious DNA of all jazz guitarists who have followed, and could be dened as the one guitar who spawned all succeeding jazz guitarists. It is no exaggeration that by historical standards, Christian can justiably referred to as the “father” of modern jazz guitar. - Bio by Jef Aarons (Edited by Matt Warnock)
14
Charlie Christian’s Gear One of the reasons why Christian was able to build his legacy in the way he did, was his access to the newest technological developments of his time.
Because he was able to use electric guitars with pickups, and plug those guitars into amps, he could play single-note runs like a horn player, and be heard over the band.
This allowed Christian to explore soloing on the guitar in a way his predecessors had never been able to do, and set the stage for every jazz guitarist who followed. In this section of the eBook, you’ll look at the gear that helped Christian develop his sound, and revolutionize jazz guitar at the same time.
15
Charlie Christian’s Guitars To begin your review of Christian’s gear, you’ll explore the two main guitars that he used throughout his recording and performing career. As he was at the forefront of the electric guitar and amp revolution, Christian used the best guitars available to him at the time, Gibson archtop guitars with pickups. Because he died at such an early age, he wasn’t able to see the evolution of the electric guitar and amps that came in the 1950 and ‘60s. But, his contribution to the instrument, in the Charlie Christian Pickup, can be felt even until this day.
Gibson ES-150 The guitar that Christian played the most, and that most people associate with the guitarist, is the Gibson ES-150. ES stands for “Electric Spanish,” and the number 150 indicates that it cost $150 to purchase when rst released in 1936. The guitar also came with a 15-foot guitar cable and EH-150 amp, and it was the rst electric guitar that achieved commercial success on the instrument market. As you can imagine, the guitar became an instant favorite of jazz band guitarists, as it was amplied and therefore could be heard over the sound of the rest of the band. Because of this amplifcation, guitarists such as Christian were able to explore singlenote soloing in a whole new way, as their lines could cut through a band. This opened up new possibilities from an instrumental, technical, and musical perspective that guitarists such as Christian took full advantage of in their playing.
16 The Gibson ES-150 was made with an arched spruce top, solid maple back and sides, a mahogany neck, and rosewood fretboard. As well, the guitar featured a neck-position pickup that became known as the Charlie Christian Pickup. This pickup is so desirable that companies will make exact replicas of it today, and was used by Barney Kessel, Kenny Burrell, and Wes Montgomery, among others.
I, Mytto, via Wikimedia Commons
17
Gibson ES-250 Along with the ES-150, Christian performed on the Gibson ES -250, which was released in 1939 and cost $250 at the time of its release.
The ES-250 was released as the “2nd edition” of the 150, and was built with a 17” body width and 21” length. The guitar was built with a curly maple back, spruce
top,
maple
neck,
and
rosewood
ngerboard, which was slightly dierent in comparison to the 150 models. Both guitars used the Charlie Christian Pickup, though the 250 didn’t incorporate that pickup until a later version of the guitar was released. Similar in tone to the 150, both producing a warm, fat sound, this was a go-to guitar for Christian after it’s release up until his death in 1942.
18
Other Guitars Though he mostly played the ES-150 and 250 guitars, there is one photo that exists of Christian playing a Vega guitar and amp. While this photo suggests that he did play other guitars besides Gibson, it’s not certain how often he did, or even if this photo was a one-o occasion.
Before he died, Gibson produced an L-5 model for Christian, that contained the Charlie Christian pickups, but it wasn’t ready before he death. Though he never played that guitar, it’s interesting to speculate on the sounds that Christian would have produced with that style of jazz guitar at his ngertips.
19
Charlie Christian’s Amps As amp technology was at its infant stages during Christian’s career, his choices were slim for reliable technology. Again turning to the Gibson brand, Christian normally played two Gibson models, the EH-150 and 185. Though these were his go-to amps during his career, there is one photo mentioned earlier where he plays a Vega amplifer. It’s not known how often he played that amp, so it isn’t included in the description of his main guitar amps below.
Gibson EH-150 Used as Christian’s main guitar amp, an interesting fact about the EH-150 is that it was built before the Gibson ES-150 guitar, as it was used by lap steel players. The EH-150 had a 10” speaker, with one mic input, three instrument inputs, volume control, a bass expander, and echo speaker jack. The amp was small, and came as a package with the Gibson ES-150 guitar, and was lat er replaced by the larger, 12” EH-185 by many players, including Christian. Being a popular amp of the time, the EH-150 was used by other legendary guitarists such as Django Reinhardt and Mary Osborne.
20
Gibson EH-185 Made with a ip-top, and a two-piece head and speaker, the EH-185 was a larger, more powerful version of the EH-150. Featuring a 12” speaker and 18 watts of power, compared to the 15 watts the EH-150 produced, the 185 gave Christian more volume to cut through his ensembles. The controls for the EH-185 were similar to the 150, though this model did come with a variable tone control that gave Christian more tonal options with his guitar.
21
Charlie Christian Discography One of the most disappointing aspects of Christian’s ca reer is that he never recorded an album as a bandleader. While recordings exist of his playing, they’re under other leader’s names, or are amateur recordings of jams and rehearsal that Christian participated in. Below are a list of essential recordings that fans, or newcomers, of Christian’s will want to have in their library. As there are many compilations of his playing, often containing the same songs just under a dierent album title, these recordings give you the full Christian experience.
Recordings
* Electric – With the Benny Goodman Sextet and Charlie Christian Quartet
22
* Charlie Christian with the Benny Goodman Sextet and Orchestra
* Solo Flight: The Genius of Charlie Christian
23
* The Genius Of The Electric Guitar
* Guitar Wizard
24
* Live at Minton’s Playhouse
* The Complete RCA Victor Recordings – Dizzy Gillespie
25
Films
* Solo Flight: The Genius of Charlie Christian
* Charlie Christian: The Life & Music of the Legendary Jazz Guitarist
26
Chapter 1 - Chord Concepts When studying the playing of Charlie Christian, the main point to take away is that he based his soloing lines around chord shapes.
The arpeggio, scale, and chromatic ideas that ideas that are found in his playing can all be related back to familiar (and often simple) chord shapes on the fretboard. Because of this, you’ll begin your study of Christian’s playing style by learning the shapes that he used as the foundation for foundation for his single-note solos. As was mentioned in the introduction, each of those concepts has been separated in this eBook for those that prefer to keep them separate in separate in their playing. •
When learning these chords shapes, you can memorize memorize them them and use them in your comping and chord soloing phrases.
•
Or, if you prefer, you can treat them as Christian did and did and pair them up with arpeggios, scales, and chromatic concepts to form the foundation for your solos.
Whichever way you choose to use these shapes in your playing, learning them and havi ng them under your ngers is essential learning for learning for any jazz guitarist. Take your time with these chord shapes, memorize them, and work on playing them over tunes you know or are working on in the practice room. The more familiar with these chords you are, the easier it’ll be be to use them in your playing, and to pair them up with arpeggios and scales if you choose to do so. Have fun with these chord shapes as a s well, and don’t skip over any that seem “too easy” or simple to spend time on. Even the simplest shapes can open new doors in doors in your playing. Besides, if they were good enough for Christian to use, they’re probably important enough for us to spend time getting them under our ngers and into our playing.
27
Minor Family Shapes You’ll start out with breaking down Christian’s chord shapes, which he used to base his soloing lines o of, with minor family chords. The two main chord types in this section are minor and m7 (minor 7) chords, which have the following interval construction:
As the ii V and ii V I chord progressions weren’t as popular in Christian’s era as they were in later jazz eras, minor family chords were often tonic sounds when applied to tunes. Because of this, you can work these shapes to be used as Im and Im7 chords, but also adapt them to be used as iim7 chords in more modern progressions. As was mentioned earlier, Christian’s playing inuenced every player that came after him in one-way or another, but that didn’t meant they stopped there. Those later players such as Montgomery, Kessel, and others, took Christian’s approaches and adapted them for their eras. So, even if you don’t have an interest in pre-bop music, you can learn a lot from Christian’s approach to jazz guitar, and adapt it to your own musical style.
28
Minor Chord Shapes To begin, you’ll learn four minor triad shapes that can be used as the basis for your Christian-style minor family lines and phrases. While most players after Christian would play m7 chords at a minimum, Christian was still part of an era where minor chords were used in tunes and progressions. Because of this, you can begin your minor family chord study with minor triad shapes, before moving on to m7 chord shapes from that starting point. Sometimes the simplest ideas lead to the biggest revelations in your playing. Even though these shapes look simple, take some time to get them down; you never know what new doors they’ll open up in your playing.
Audio Example 1 Click here to play audio example
29
m7 Chord Shapes As well as basing his lines o of minor chords, Christian also used m7 shapes to derive his soloing lines and phrases. Here are four m7 chord shapes that you should learn and apply to your comping and chord soloing, as well as use as the basis for your soloing lines if you choose. Though he did use m6, m9, and m11 sounds in his solos, those colors were derived by focusing on particular scale tones in his lines. Because of this, you don’t need to learn chord shapes for those colors right now. Instead, you can learn m7 chords, then color those shapes when you work on the Dorian scale and other minor sounds later on in this eBook.
Audio Example 2 Click here to play audio example 2
30
Dominant Family Shapes Dominant family chords are some of the most common changes that you nd in Christian era tunes, and therefore in his improvised solos.
Because the ii V I wasn’t used very often in Christian’s era (compared to jazz eras that followed), V7-V7-I was much more common in major and minor keys.
Since the V7 chord was so prevalent, working dominant family shapes in your studies is an important aspect of developing the Christian sound. Later in this eBook, you’ll look at ways of applying diminished sounds to creating 7alt chords, which give you an option for altered chords in this style. For now, you’ll focus on 7th shapes, and some extensions such as 9ths and 13ths, which Christian used as the basis for his soloing lines much more consistently. It may seem weird to think of V7 to Imaj7 and V7 to Im7 as being the same thing, but in Christian’s mind they basically were. Rather than have one dominant shape for major keys and one for minor, Christian tended to use the same V7 shapes for both. Because this style of playing has grown over the years to incorporate more 7alt sounds, you will explore those ideas later in the book.
31
V7 Chord Shapes The rst group of dominant family chord shapes is based on 7th chords:
These shapes cover the entire fretboard, and can be used to pair up with the 7th-chord arpeggios and Mixolydian scale later on in this eBook. Because you’re working each foundational aspect separately, chords-arpeggios-scales, be sure to memorize these shapes so you can quickly reference them later. Even if you decide that you aren’t comfortable basing your soloing lines o of these chord shapes, they’re worth learning and applying to your playing. Modern guitarists, even playing in a traditional style, are expected to comp, and sometimes chord solo, over tunes in any jam situation. Having these shapes under your ngers will allow you do comp and chord solo with condence, as well as use them to build your single-note solos if you choose.
32
Audio Example 3 Click here to play audio example 3
33
Extended 7th Chord Shapes Because dominant chords were very common in Christian’s era, and they hold a number of common extensions, you can work these extensions in your studies. These extended shapes are closely related to the 7th chords you previo usly learned, but they feature the 9th and/or 13th intervals add on top of those chords. As you’ll see in the major family chord section, you don’t have to work these extensions into your chord shapes to use those sounds in those solos. Instead, you can build your foundation around 7th chords, and then work the 9th and 13th sounds into your playing with arpeggios and scale shapes. But, because these chords will come up in both Christian’s era tunes and modern tunes, they’re worth at least exploring to get these sounds into your ears.
34
Audio Example 4 Click here to play audio example 4
35
Major Family Shapes Moving on, you’ll now look at a number of major family chord shapes, built around major and maj7 chords. These chords are built with the following interval patterns:
While Christian often favored maj6 sounds in his solos, those phrases were created by working diatonic notes around the chord shapes found below. Because of this, you don’t have to learn a number of chord variations in this family, such as 6 and maj9 etc. Instead, you can work the shapes below, and then when you add in the arpeggios, scales, and chromatic notes later in this eBook, those soun ds will become available. Keeping things simple, based around a few chords shapes and expanding them with arpeggios and scales, makes it easier to apply these sounds to your solos. Rather than over complicate things in the beginning, work these shapes to create a solid visual foundation that you can then use to build more complex sounds later on.
36
Major Chord Shapes As Christian played in an era where major chords would be used, rather than always being maj7 or maj6 chords, it’s advisable to study those shapes in your playing. In this section, you’ll learn four major chord shapes, built on triads with no major 7ths, which Christian used to build his single-note soloing phrases.
Audio Example 5 Click here to play audio example 5
37
Maj7 Chord Shapes As well as base his lines around major triad shapes, Christian also based his arpeggios and scales around maj7 chord shapes. Here are four common ngerings that you can learn and use as the foundation for major family arpeggios and chord shapes.
Audio Example 6 Click here to play audio example 6
38
Diminished Family Shapes The last group of chords is the least common in Christian’s playing, but they do pop up from time to time and are worth studying. There are two types of chords in this section, half diminished (m7b5) and diminished (dim7), which are built with the following interval patterns.
Though you won’t nd as many examples of these chords in tunes that Christian played compared to 7th, maj7, and m7 chords, they do crop up in his playing. As well, if you’re looking to adapt the Christian style to other tunes, written after his era, both of these chords will be much more commonly used. Because of this, it’s important to spend time getting them under your ngers, and then us ing them as the basis for the arpeggio and scale shapes later in this eBook.
39
m7b5 Chord Shapes Though it was rare for Christian to use m7b5 chords in his playing, there are two shapes included here, as you’ll see m7b5 chords in many jazz standards. Here are two shapes that are based on dim7 chords that Christian used, which you can pair up with the Locrian scale and m7b5 arpeggio in upcoming sections. Often, when studying historical gures, you’ll nd that certain aspects of later jazz eras weren’t popular when that player was on the scene. Therefore, you need to adapt a bit of their approach so that you can apply their playing style to any musical situatio n, even more modern ones. The m7b5 chord, and later scale and arpeggio, is an example of this type of practice approach in regards to Christian’s style of playing.
Audio Example 7 Click here to play audio example 7
40
Dim7 Chord Shapes You’ll also learn two dim7 chord shapes that Christian used to base his arpeggio and scale shapes in his playing. Because dim7 chords can be moved up or down by 4 frets at a time to form the next inversion (with the same shape), these are very versatile chords. For example, if you play the rst Adim7 chord on the 4th fret, it’s the same notes but in a dierent order, so still an Adim7 chord but on a dierent part of the fretboard. Because of this, you can learn just two shapes, and then move them around the neck to match up with your arpeggio and scale shapes if you choose to do so.
Audio Example 8 Click here to play audio example 8
41
Comping Study – Beginner To help you get these chords further under your ngers and into your ears, you can apply them to a jazz blues chord progression in this beginner chord study. The study uses chords from the previous examples in a musical situation, allowing you to work them from both a technical and practical standpoint. Feel free to learn each four-bar phrase one at a time to make it easier to read and memorize this study. From there, you can glue each phrase together to form the progression as a whole. There’s also a backing track for you to use when practicing the study, as well as for building your own comping studies, and comping in the moment with these chords.
42
Audio Example 9 Click here to play audio example 9
Backing Track 1 Click here for backing track 1
43
Comping Study – Intermediate After you’ve learned the rst chord study, or if you feel ready for a challenge right away, you can learn this intermediate level chord study. Again, work the phrases separately to help with memorization, and jam along to the track with your own chord shapes for an extra challenge. When you’ve learned both chord studies, you can practice them back-to-back to see and hear the dierence between the chords used in each example.
44
Audio Example 10 Click here to play audio example 10
Backing Track 1 Click here for backing track 1
45
Single Note Concepts - Arpeggios Now that you’ve worked out the chord shapes that Christian used to create his singlenote lines, you’re ready to work on single note concepts. The rst single note concept that you’ll explore is Christian’s arpeggio technique. Arpeggios and arpeggio-based lines are commonly found in Christian’s improvised solos, as they are of any player from his era. Because of this, and because they outline chord changes more directly than scales, arpeggios are an essential tool for any jazz guitarist to have under their ngers. In each section, you’ll learn how to play two larger arpeggio shapes for each chord covered, one starting on the 6th string and one of the 5th string. From there, you can learn the smaller 4th-string shapes if you feel you want to move on to a third option in your arpeggio studies. As well as working the shapes in this section, you’ll learn three Christian-style arpeggio licks for each arpeggio family. This will allow you to integrate these shapes into your solos in a musical fashion, as well as study common Christian vocabulary at the same time. Before you begin studying these shapes, it’s important to address the fact that Christian, though he studied theory, probably didn’t think in scales and arpeggios. Whether he saw shapes on the guitar, or used his ears and some theory, or a combination of all three, it’s not entirely certain. What is certain is that his lines used shapes that we recognize today as being common guitar arpeggio and scale patterns. Because of this, you can use the information taken from analyzing Christian’s solos and build shapes on the guitar that you can learn and use in your solos. Shapes such as arpeggios and scales aren’t the ends, but they are a means to an end,
46 and a helpful way to understand what legends like Christian were thinking. They also allow you to visualize specic sounds on the guitar, such as notes that you can use to solo over various chord shapes.
47
Major Family Arpeggios The rst groups of arpeggios that you’ll study are major family shapes that Christian often used in his solos. The two arpeggios used in this section are major and maj7 arpeggios, and the interval structures for these arpeggios are:
As you work on these shapes, make sure to memorize them as well as solo with them over backing tracks in your practice routine. This will ensure that you learn the shapes, but are also adept at using them to create improvised lines and phrases when the time comes to use them on a jam or gig.
48
Major Family Arpeggio Shapes You’ll now begin to explore these arpeggios on the guitar as you rst learn how to play a major arpeggio from the 6th-string root note. This shape can be paired up with major chords and scales that have a root note on the 6th, 4th, and/or 1st strings. After you’ve memorized this shape, use backing tracks to solo with this arpeggio over single major chords, ii V I vamps, and full jazz tunes.
Audio Example 11 Click here to play audio example 11
49 You’ll now move on to a major arpeggio from the 5th-string root note. This shape can be paired alongside major chords and sca les that have root notes on the 5th or 3rd strings. Once you have this shape under your ngers, you can solo over a major chord and switch between the 6th and 5th-string major shapes in your lines. This will allow you to use these arpeggios to outline those changes, and cover a wide section of the fretboard at the same time.
Audio Example 12 Click here to play audio example 12
50 You’ll now add in the major 7th interval as you learn a maj7 arpeggio with the root note on the 6th string. This shape can be paired up with any major chord or scale that has a root note on the 6th, 4th, or 1st string. When you have this shape under your ngers, put on a backing track, one chord, ii V I vamp, or full tune, and work this shape over those changes.
Audio Example 13 Click here to play audio example 13
51 In the next shape, you’ll play a maj7 arpeggio from the 5th-string root note. Once you have this shape down, you can pair it with major chords and scales that have root notes on the 5th or 3rd strings.
Audio Example 14 Click here to play audio example 14
52 Moving on to the next string set, here’s a major arpeggio from the 4th-string root. Because there’s a bit of a stretch between the 5th and second root, you can use your ring fnger on the 5th to make your pinky available to hit the root on the 2nd string. This might be a big stretch for you, if so, feel free to shift positions to make it easier to “jump” to your 3rd nger rather than stretch over to reach that note.
Audio Example 15 Click here to play audio example 15
53 The last shape is a maj7 arpeggio with the root note on the 4th-string. When pairing this shape up with chords and scales, you can mix it together with major chords and scales that have a root on the 4th and/or 2nd string. After you’ve worked this shape out in the practice room, mix it together with the previous major 4th-string shape to compare those two sounds in your solos.
Audio Example 16 Click here to play audio example 16
54
Major Family Arpeggio Licks You’ll now take these arpeggio shapes and apply them to musical situations by learning Christian-inspired major family licks. This rst phrase uses the Fmaj7 arpeggio over the underlying chord, with one common and important alteration, the 6th (the note D), is added in. Christian loved to use the 6th mixed in with his major family arpeggios, and it’s a sound that you can integrate into your own playing as well.
Audio Example 17 Click here to play audio example 17
55 In the next lick you’ll use two types of triplets (8th and quarter notes triplets), both of which were an integral part of the Christian sound. By mixing in various rhythms, such as you nd in this line, you’re able to be creative and build interest even when sticking to a one-octave arpeggio shape.
Studying Christian’s playing is a lesson in simplicity, in a very positive way.
As you’ll see later in this eBook, he was able to use one note, or one-octave shapes, to create memorable lines. Christian taught us all that less is often more when it comes to jazz improvisation.
Audio Example 18 Click here to play audio example 18
56 The nal lick mixes in that classic 6th interval that Christian loved to blend into his maj7 arpeggio lines. The note D in the second bar adds avor to the line but not too much to distract from the overall sound of the maj7 arpeggio. Keep working on mixing in the 6th to your major and maj7 arpeggio lines as you integrate that popular Christian sound into your improvised phrases.
Audio Example 19 Click here to play audio example 19
57
Dominant Family Chords In the next section, you’ll learn how to play Christian-style dominant arpeggios across a number of string sets on the guitar. The two arpeggios you’ll cover in this section are 7th and 9th arpeggios, which have the following interval structures:
You’ll stick to these shapes for now in your studies, and then as you get into the scale section and chromatic section, begin to add color tones to these arpeggios. Building a strong foundation of 7th arpeggios, and some 9ths, will allow you to nail chord tones in your solos, and then add in color tones from scales as you progress.
58
Dominant Family Arpeggio Shapes You’ll now take these shapes to the fretboard as you learn how to play dominant family arpeggios on dierent string sets. The rst shape is the 7th arpeggio from the 6th-string root note. When working this shape with chords and scales, you can pair it up with dominant chords and scales that have a root note on the 6th, 4th, and/or 1st strings. After memorizing this shape, and working it in a few keys, put on a backing track and practice soloing with this arpeggio in various musical situations.
Audio Example 20 Click here to play audio example 20
59 In the next arpeggio, you’ll learn a 7th shape with the root on the 5th string. After learning this shape, you can pair it up with any dominant chord or scale that has a root note on the 5th or 3rd strings. When you have this shape down, put on a backing track and practice soloing between the previous shape and this one on the guitar. That’ll allow you to work these shapes together, and cover more ground on the fretboard in your dominant arpeggio soloing lines.
Audio Example 21 Click here to play audio example 21
60 As well as working 7th arpeggios, you can also add the 9th in to get an extended arpeggio shape into your Christian-style soloing lines and phrases. This 9th arpeggio begins on the 5th string, and can be paired with dominant chords and scales that have 5th-string root notes.
Audio Example 22 Click here to play audio example 22
61 The nal dominant arpeggio shape begins with the 4th-string root note. This arpeggio can be paired up with any dominant chord or scale that has a root note on the 4th or 2nd strings.
Audio Example 23 Click here to play audio example 23
62
Dominant Family Arpeggio Licks You’ll now learn three dominant family arpeggio licks in the Christian style as you take the shapes you just learned into musical situations. To begin, you’ll use a major triad to outline this C7 chord in a typical Christian style. Often times you’ll be tempted to use entire arpeggio shapes for the duration of that chord change. But, holding back and using smaller versions of those shapes, such as here where the b7 is left out of the line, can help you develop your phrases over time. If you were to continue this line, you could add the b7 into the phrase a few bars down the road. This would allow you to build the interest in your lines over time without stepping outside the diatonic arpeggio shape on the fretboard.
Audio Example 24 Click here to play audio example 24
63 In this next Christian-style phrase, you’ll use only the arpeggio notes as you outline a C7 chord in the three-bar line. The triplets at the end are a typical Christian rhythm, and are something that you should work on outside this lick to explore his sound further in your solos. As well, notice the register shift between the two halves of the line, with the second half being in a higher range than the rst half. This helps to create interest even though no new notes were used in the second half of the bar, and it’s a technique that can elevate your own jazz guitar solos.
Audio Example 25 Click here to play audio example 25
64 In this nal lick, you’ll use a typical Christian melodic phrase that’s played twice, with a dierent ending the second time. This type of melodic development is a key part of Christian’s soloing vocabulary. Notice that it’s not a complicated development; simply the last two notes in bar 2 have been replaced by an A (the 13th) in bar 3. Again, this is also an example of Christian’s use of the 13th to add color over 7th chords, something you’ll explore further throughout this eBook.
Audio Example 26 Click here to play audio example 26
65
Minor Family Chords In this section, you’ll explore minor family arpeggios that can be used to solo over minor and m7 chords in your improvisations. These arpeggios have the following interval structures:
As was the case with previous arpeggios and chord shapes, you’ll keep these minor shapes simple, adding color later on when you mix in minor family scales. You can think of these arpeggios as broken version of the minor chords you learned earlier, placed in note order on the fretboard. Then, as Christian often did, you can add color tones such as the 9th, 11th, and 13th, when bringing minor scales into the equation during the next section of this chapter. From there, you’ll also be able to add chromatic notes, such as approach notes, passing notes, and enclosures, during the nal chapter of this eBook.
66
Minor Family Arpeggio Shapes To begin your study of these arpeggio shapes, you’ll learn a minor arpeggio from the 6th-string root note. If you’re working chords, scales, and arpeggios together, this shape can be paired up with minor chords and scales that have root notes on the 6th, 4th, and 1st strings. When this shape is memorized, take it to a few dierent keys before putting on a backing track and working this shape into your soloing practice routine.
Audio Example 27 Click here to play audio example 27
67 You’ll now learn the minor arpeggio from the 5th-string root note. This shape can be paired with minor chords and scales that have a root note on the 5th or 3rd string. After you’ve got this shape under your fngers, practice soloing over a backing track and mix the 6th and 5th-string root shapes together. This’ll help with memori zation, but also help you work on covering more over the fretboard with your minor arpeggio soloing lines.
Audio Example 28 Click here to play audio example 28
68 You’ll now explore m7 arpeggios on the guitar, starting with the m7 arpeggio s hape from the 6th-string root note. This arpeggio can be paired up with m7 chords and scales that have a root note on the 6th, 4th, or 1st strings.
Audio Example 29 Click here to play audio example 29
69 Here’s the m7 arpeggio shape from the 5th-string root note. You can pair this shape up with m7 chords and scales that have a root note on the 5th or 3rd strings. When you have this shape down, as well as the previous minor shapes, begin to move between them on the fretboard. This will allow you to compare the minor and m7 arpeggio sounds in your solos, as well as move around the fretboard in your improvisations.
Audio Example 30 Click here to play audio example 30
70 You’ll now move up to the 4th-string root as you example a minor arpeggio in your studies on that string set. This shape can be paired up with any minor chord or scale with a root note on the 4th or 2nd strings, if you’re working your shapes in that manner. When you proceed to the next shape, the m7 from the 4th string, make sure to play them back-to-back so that you can hear and see their dierences on the guitar. These dierences are subtle, only one note, but they can be eectively used when coloring minor family chords in your improvisations.
Audio Example 31 Click here to play audio example 31
71 The nal m7 arpeggio shape has its root note on the 4th string of the guitar. You can pair this shape up with any m7 chords or scales that have a root note on the 4th or 2nd string, if you’re working your shapes together in that manner. After memorizing this shape, take it to a backing track and begin to apply it to your m7 soloing lines and phrases.
Audio Example 32 Click here to play audio example 32
72
Minor Family Arpeggio Licks You’ll now explore three Christian-inspired m7 arpeggio lines as you bring these shapes into your soloing practice. In this rst phrase, you’ll use the pure Am7 arpeggio to create a Christian-style line that works down, the back up again, the arpeggio shape. Sometimes you’ll want to spice up your arpeggios with outside notes, but not always, and this lick is a great example of a classy line built from only chord tones.
Audio Example 33 Click here to play audio example 33
73 The second m7 line uses an approach note, which you’ll explore further later in this eBook, to set up the rst C in the phrase. From there, the rest of the line is made purely from the Am7 arpeggio. By adding in a single approach note, from the diatonic scale, Christian brings a bit of color into the line that prevents the arpeggio from being boring in this phrase. When working arpeggios in your solos, you can keep them pure, or begin to add some approach notes to bring a bit of color into your phrases beyond chord tones.
Audio Example 34 Click here to play audio example 34
74 In this nal m7 arpeggio line, you’ll work on classic Christian triplets in the rst and second measures, before mixing in one scale note (the B) in bar two of the line. Christian loved to play triplets in his lines, and they’re anessential rhythm when studying the Christian style in your playing. Though you can work on arpeggio lines in their pure form, it’s also eective to practice adding in a few scale notes to begin mixing those two sounds in your lines. As you can see here, just that one note stands out in the phrase, and adds just enough color in the second bar to prevent the arpeggio from being predictable.
Audio Example 35 Click here to play audio example 35
75
Diminished Family Chords In this last arpeggio section, you’ll work on learning diminished family arpeggios in the Christian style, which include the m7b5 and dim7 arpeggio shapes. Here are the interval patterns for these two arpeggios:
Though the m7b5 chord, and therefore arpeggio, was rarely used by Christian, it’s worth studying in this section, as it was in the chords section of this eBook. This is because, though it was rare back then, this chord is commonly used in the jazz repertoire today, and has been for many years. By adapting these dim7 shapes to t the m7b5 sound, you’ll allow yourself to translate the Christian approach to a chord that wasn’t common in his time. Doing so allows you to bring a Christian vibe to tunes that weren’t popular, or around, during his time, which can be an eective approach to soloing in this style.
76
Diminished Family Arpeggio Shapes You’ll begin your study of diminished family arpeggios by working out a m7b5 shape from the 6th-string root note. This shape can be paired up with m7b5 chords and Locrian scales that have root notes on the 6th, 4th, and 1st strings. Remember, after you’ve memorized this shape, take it to a backing track so that you learn how to solo with this arpeggio, as well as run it from memory.
Audio Example 36 Click here to play audio example 36
77 Moving on to dim7 arpeggios, you’ll learn a 6th-string dim7 shape in the following example, which you can memorize and add to your soloing practice. This shape can be paired with chords and scales that have a root note on the 6th, 4th, or 1st strings, if you’re practicing your shapes together. As well, start by playing the two note groupings with 1-4 fngers to see how that sits with your hands. If you have larger hands, you can use 1-3 if it’s comfortable. Try both and see which one suits your hands better with this shape.
Audio Example 37 Click here to play audio example 37
78 In this next ngering, you’ll learn the m7b5 shape from the 5th-string root note. When pairing this shape up with chord and scales, you can work it on top of chords and scales that have a root note on the 5th or 3rd strings. After working this shape in a few keys, from memory, practice applying it to chord changes and you practice soloing with this m7b5 arpeggio in your studies.
Audio Example 38 Click here to play audio example 38
79 Moving on, you’ll now work the dim7 arpeggio from the 5th-string root note. If you’re working your shapes together, you can pair this arpeggio up with any dim7 chord or scale shape that has a root note on the 5th or 3rd strings. Because of the stretches between notes, as was the case with the 6th-string root shape, you can up 1-4 ngers when you have two notes on one string. Though, if you have larger hands, you could also use 1-3 fngers if that stretch is doable. Try both and see what’s more comfortable for your hands on the guitar.
Audio Example 39 Click here to play audio example 39
80 The next m7b5 arpeggio shape is built from the 4th string root note. Here, you can pair this shape up with any m7b5 chord or scale that has a root note on the 4th or 2nd strings. As well as working this shape with a metronome, you can apply it to m7b5 chords in your soloing practice to develop a fuller understanding of this shape.
Audio Example 40 Click here to play audio example 40
81 You can also learn the dim7 arpeggio from the 4th string root note. This arpeggio can be paired up with chords and scales that contain a root note on the 4th or 2nd strings, if you’re working your shapes in that manner. Don’t forget to memorize this shape, and then practice soloing over dim7 and 7b9 chords in your practice routine for a fuller practice experience.
Audio Example 41 Click here to play audio example 41
82
Diminished Family Arpeggio Licks
Now that you have these arpeggio shapes under your ngers, you can apply them to musical situations by learning three Christian-style diminished family lines. The rst arpeggio lick uses an Em7b5 arpeggio to outline that underlying chord. Though Christian rarely used this chord in his playing, it’s worth looking at how to adapt his playing to the m7b5 shape, as you’ll see it in many modern jazz tunes. Here’s an example of a line that would have been played more typically with a dim7 arpeggios, over a dim7 or 7b9 chord, adapted to a m7b5 sound. This adaption allows you to take concepts that were common in Christian’s time, dim7 sounds, and apply them to sounds that are common today, m7b5 sounds.
Audio Example 42 Click here to play audio example 42
83 Here, you’ll look at a typical Christian turnaround lick that uses an Abdim7 arpeggio to outline that chord in the second measure. Because the chords move by so fast, two per bar, using arpeggio s is often a more eective way to solo over these changes, especially at up tempos. Though he used diminished scales as well, dim7 arpeggios were prevalent in Christian’s playing over fast-moving changes such as these.
Audio Example 43 Click here to play audio example 43
84 In this nal lick, you’ll see a G7 line where an Abdim7 arpeggio is being used to outline a G7b9 sound over that chord:
Besides soloing over dim7 chords themselves, applying dim7 arpeggios to dominant 7th chords in this fashion is the most common application of these shapes. This’ll produce a 7b9 chord sound in your lines, and allow you to use your dim7 arpeggios in a new melodic situation.
You can solo over any 7th chord by playing a dim7 arpeggio from the b9 of that chord, a half step higher than the root. Example: play an Abdim7 arpeggio over G7
Audio Example 44 Click here to play audio example 44
85
Single Note Concepts - Scales As well as using arpeggios to create lines in his solos, Christian used scale shapes of various kinds to outline changes in his improvisations. This section will explore major, dominant, minor, and diminished family scales, how to play them, and their relationship to Christian’s playing.
Now, before you go further, you’ll need to address the main issue that arises when discussing older players and their use of scales and modes. The issue that arises, is that many modern players believe that older players such as Christian didn’t think about scales in their solos, or even know what they were. This may be true; Christian could have come to the lines in his solos by ear or instinct rather than knowledge of scales and modes. While we may never know exactly what Christian was thinking from a scale standpoint in his solos, these scales appear all over his recordings. Because these scales are found in Christian’s playing, and we have the knowledge to label these scales, you can use that knowledge to develop your own playing. By analyzing Christian lines and full solos, you can develop an understanding for the note groupings that he preferred to use in his playing. When doing so, you can label the scales, as well as arpeggios and chromatic notes, he preferred to use over dierent families of chords. You can then take that knowledge and use it to develop your own soloing concepts and ability to outline chord changes in your playing. Scale names are just labels for groups of notes with various interval patterns, and those labels can help you shorten the learning curve when soloing over changes.
86 In this section, you’ll learn scale shapes that Christian used in his playing over essential jazz guitar chords. Whether he knew the labels for these scales, that’s hard to say. But, he did understand how to use them correctly in his solos. Working scale shapes is not the be all and end all to Christian’s sound, but it’s an important part of his soloing concept. Therefore it’s something you’ll need to study, practice, and apply to your playing if you want to dig fully into the Charlie Christian sound.
87
Major Family Chords The rst group of scale shapes that you’ll learn are based on the major scale, which Christian used to create lines over major family chords in his solos. Here is the interval pattern for the major scale, which is the rst mode of the major scale system, and the scale that all other major scale modes are built from.
If you’re not sure how major scales are built, check out this tutorial... There are a number of chords in the major family, and the major scale can be used to solo over each of them, such as maj7, maj9, 6, and maj6/9 chords. When you get into the maj7#11 chord, you’ll need to use the Lydian scale, so the major scale won’t t over that chord. Otherwise, this scale works over every chord in the major family when soloing.
88
Major Family Scale Shapes You’ll now take this theory onto the fretboard as fretboard as you work on learning three major scale shapes, as well as three Christian-inspired major scale phrases. To begin, here are three major scale shapes on the guitar, starting with the major scale from the 6th-string root note. note. If you want to practice this scale shape along with chords and arpeggios, it works alongside chords and arpeggios that have a 6th, 4th, and 1st-string root 1st-string root note.
Audio Example 45 Click here to play audio example 45
89 The next major scale shape is based on the 5th-string 5th-string root root note. If you’re working chords, scales, and arpeggios together, this shape pairs up with chords and arpeggios that have a 5th or 3rd-string root 3rd-string root note. As always, don’t forget to practice soloing with this scale over various keys keys and progressions as you take it further in your practice routine.
Audio Example 46 Click here to play audio example 46
90 Lastly, here’s a major scale that begins on the 4th- string root note. note. If you’re pairing up chords, scales, and arpeggios, this pattern will line up with chords and arpeggios that have 4th or 2nd-string root notes. root notes. After you’ve gotten this shape down, feel free to put on a backing track and mi x all three major scale shapes together in your solos. solos.
Audio Example 47 Click here to play audio example 47
91
Major Family Scale Licks Moving on to the practical side of major scales, here are three Christian-style licks that you can apply to your improvised solos. The rst lick uses repetition in the second bar in the typical Christian style. By repeating the Eb-D notes in the second bar, you’re using one melody multiple times to lead the listener along to the end of the line. Often times you’ll nd yourself searching for what to play next, when the best option would have been to repeat what you just played. Not only does this allow you to create two sections of a line, or two whole lines, with one melodic device, it connects with your listener’s ears on a deep level. Christian knew the power of repetition, both with his listener and in regards to creating energy in his solos, and it’s a big part of his personal soloing sound.
Audio Example 48 Click here to play audio example 48
92 Syncopation was an important aspect of Christian’s soloing lines, and this next phrase is a great example of just such rhythmic control. In the rst bar you see 8th notes placed on every up beat, followed by a more evenly placed line in the second measure. Playing on the upbeats can be tough, as it’s easy to rush lines like this, but if you can control the tempo, they’re also very eective ways to build interest in your solos.
Audio Example 49 Click here to play audio example 49
93 The nal major scale line features a favorite Christian scale pattern in the second half of the rst bar, one that you’ll see return throughout this eBook. Using scale patterns is an eective way to create melodies out of scale shapes, and it’s something Christian used to great eect. If you nd that you enjoy these types of patterns, feel free to extract them from any lick and apply them to other scales, keys, chords, and phrases in your solos.
Audio Example 50 Click here to play audio example 50
94
Dominant Family Chords The next group of scale shapes will be used to solo over dominant family chords. The scale that Christian used most often over these chords is the Mixolydian scale, the fth mode of the major scale, often mixed with chromatic and blues notes. Here’s the interval pattern for the Mixolydian scale.
Because there are several chords in the dominant family, you can use the Mixolydian scale to solo over 7th, 9th, and 13th chords in your improvisations. When you get into the 7#11 and 7b9 chords, for example, then you’ll need to explore other options, otherwise Mixolydian is a good t.
95
Dominant Family Scale Shapes You’ll now take this theory onto the fretboard as you learn Mixolydian scale shapes and Christian-style licks in your studies. The rst Mixolydian scale shape is built from the 6th-string root note, and can be paired with chords and arpeggios that have a 6th, 4th, or 1st-string root note. After getting this scale under your ngers, from memory, make sure to take it to chord changes as you work it into your soloing lines and phrases.
Audio Example 51 Click here to play audio example 51
96 In this next Mixolydian scale shape, you’ll work this scale from the 5th-string root. If you’re working chords, arpeggios, and scales together, this scale shape would pair up with chords and arpeggios that have a root note on the 5th or 3rd string. Lastly, make sure to work this scale in multiple keys with your metronome, as well as solo with it over chord changes in your improvisational practice routine.
Audio Example 52 Click here to play audio example 52
97 The nal Mixolydian scale shape begins on the 4th-string root note. If you’re practicing chords, scales, and arpeggios together, this scale shape will pair up with chords and arpeggios that have root notes on the 4th or 2nd strings. After working this scale as is in multiple keys, make sure to solo with it over 7th chords, ii V I vamps, and full jazz tunes in your practice routine.
Audio Example 53 Click here to play audio example 53
98
Dominant Family Scale Licks You’re now ready to explore a few Christian-inspired licks in your practice routine in order to expand on the Mixolydian scale shapes you just learned.
In this rst line, you’ll be breaking up the scale with large intervals, as well as a lower pedal A note, to create a typical Christian-style dominant 7th line. One of the big dierences between a master like Christian and a developing player is that developing players sound like scales when they solo with scale shapes. But, Christian was able to break up his scales into melodic phrases that allowed him to use those shapes without sounding like he was running scales in his solos. Working on lines such as this will help you bridge that gap in your own playing.
Audio Example 54 Click here to play audio example 54
99 Here, you’ll learn a melodic phrase that uses rhythmic displacement, melodic development, and carefully placed rests to built a dynamic line. One of the key elements in Christian’s soloing was his use of syncopation and rests to break up his lines, in comparison to his longer, 8th-note phrases. The lesson to take away from this lick is that you don’t have to run 8th-notes to create an interesting jazz guitar solo. In fact, it’s syncopated lines such as these that really sound jazzy when you apply them to your improvisations. Because of this, working syncopated and spread out lines such as these is something that every jazz guitarist should spend time on during their development.
Audio Example 55 Click here to play audio example 55
100 This nal Mixolydian lick uses repetition to create interest in the middle section of the line, something that was common in Christian’s solos. The F#-G notes are played four times in a row, enough to create energy but not enough to sound boring during the phrase. This is key when using repetition in your solos, play the no tes enough to hook the listener in, but not too many times that they know what’s coming next.
Audio Example 56 Click here to play audio example 56
101
Minor Family Chords Moving on, you’ll now explore the Dorian scale, which Christian used to outline m7 and other minor family chords in his solos. There are examples of Christian using other minor scales, such as melodic minor and Aeolian, but Dorian is the most common minor scale in his playing. Because of this, you’ll focus your attention on this commonly used jazz scale in your practice routine while working the material in this chapter. The Dorian scale contains the m7 arpeggio, as well as the natural 6th interval, making it stand apart from Aeolian, which has a b6 interval. Here’s the interval structure for the Dorian scale:
102
Minor Family Scale Shapes You’ll now take the Dorian scale to the fretboard as you learn three scale shapes in your practice routine, as well as Christian-style licks with this scale. In this rst shape, you’ll learn the Dorian scale from the 6th-string root note. If you’re working chords, scales, and arpeggios on top of each other, this shape pairs up with chords and arpeggios that have a 6th, 4th, and 1st-string root note. Be sure to work this shape with both a metronome and solo with it over backing tracks to develop a well-rounded approach to your practice routine.
Audio Example 57 Click here to play audio example 57
103 In the next shape, you’ll learn the Dorian scale from the 5th-string root note. If you’re working chords, scales, and arpeggios together, you’d pair this shape up with chords and arpeggios that have a 5th or 3rd-string root note. After you memorize this shape, make sure to take it to other keys, as well as use it to solo over backing tracks in your practice routine.
Audio Example 58 Click here to play audio example 58
104 The nal Dorian scale shape begins on the 4th string root note. If you’re pairing these scales up with chords and arpeggios, they match up with chords and arpeggios that begin on the 4th and 2nd-string root note.
Audio Example 59 Click here to play audio example 59
105
Minor Family Scale Licks Now that you’ve worked the Dorian scale around the fretboard, you can learn a few Christian-style licks to expand these shapes in the woodshed. The rst line uses a typical Christian mixture of rhythms and rests to create an interesting Dm7 phrase. Go slow with this one, count out the rhythms if needed, and then work the tempo back up from there. Learning the play licks in this style can be tough, they move fast and their sparse nature requires counting, but when mastered, they add a new level to your solos.
Audio Example 60 Click here to play audio example 60
106 In this Dorian line, you’ll see how Christian mixed arpeggios and scales together in his playing to create interest throughout his solos. Even though he used scales as the foundation for lines such as these, he didn’t simply run up and down shapes or patterns, he created melodies. In this line, you’ll notice the Dm triad at the start o f the line (D-F-A), as well as the Bm7b5 arpeggio in the second bar (B-D-F-A). The Bm7b5 arpeggio is diatonic to the underlying key, and it outlines a Dm6 chord at the same time, as B is the 6th of Dm:
When soloing over m7 chords, playing a m7b5 from the 6th of the underlying chord is a great sound to work with.
If you dig this sound, feel free to explore it further in your soloing practice routine.
107
Audio Example 61 Click here to play audio example 61
108 The nal lick uses typical Christian melodic patterns in the rst bar, followed by quarter notes and a triplet in the second measure. Though patterns sometimes sound like an exercise in your solos, mixing them up like Christian did prevents them from sounding monotonous. In fact, a carefully used scale pattern can create forward motion, connect with the listener, and build intensity in our solos.
Audio Example 62 Click here to play audio example 62
109
Diminished Family Chords You’ll nish up your study of Christian’s scales by working on scales that t over diminished family chords, including m7b5, dim7, and the related 7b9 chords. The two main scales in this family are the Locrian scale and the diminished scale, often referred to as the whole half diminished scale. The whole half diminished scale is so named because it’s built by alternating whole steps and half steps in its construction. Here are the interval patterns, and their related chords, for the Locrian scale:
•
And here are the interval patterns for the (whole half) diminished scale:
These scales aren’t as commonly used by Christian as the previou s scales in this chapter, mostly because these chords weren’t as commonly used at that time. In fact, it’s rare to nd an occurrence of Christian using the Locrian scale in his playing, but it’s included here for the sake of completion. As well, though it was rare in his time, the m7b5 chord and Locrian scale are commonly used in each period of jazz that followed. Therefore, you’ll come across it a lot in your playing, and so it’s a good idea to explore this scale, as you’ll struggle to solo over jazz standards without it.
110
Diminished Family Scale Shapes The rst scale shape you’ll learn is the Locrian scale from the 6th-string root note. If you’re working chords, scales, and arpeggio on top of each other, this shape pairs up with chords and arpeggios that have 6th, 4th, and 1st-string root notes. After learning this shape, in multiple keys, put on a m7b5 backing track and begin to solo over that chord with this Locrian scale. From there, you can take this shape to minor ii V I progression, as well as to full jazz standards.
Audio Example 63 Click here to play audio example 63
111 You’ll now move on to learning a two-octave diminished scale from the 6th-string. If you’re working scales, chords, and arpeggios together, this shape pairs up with chords and arpeggios that have 6th, 4th, and 1st-string root notes. After you’ve worked out this ngering on the fretboard, memorize it and take it to multiple keys on the guitar. From there, you can put on a dim7 or 7b9 backing track and solo over those chords using this scale.
If you work the diminished scale over a 7b9 chord, you’ll play the diminished scale from the b9 of that chord shape. Example: playing Bb diminished over A7b9.
Audio Example 64 Click here to play audio example 64
112 The next Locrian scale has its root on the 5th string, and can be paired up with arpeggios and chords with 5th and 3rd-string root notes. After memorizing this shape, work it in multiple keys, as well as use it to solo over backing tracks as you use it in your improvisational practice routine.
Audio Example 65 Click here to play audio example 65
113 The next diminished scale begins on the 5th string, and if you’re pairing it up with chords and arpeggios, works with 5th and 3rd string root notes for those shapes. When this scale is comfortably under your ngers, take it to as many keys as you can around the neck, and use it to solo over backing tracks.
Audio Example 66
Click here to play audio example 66
114 Next, you’ll learn a Locrian scale shape from the 4th-string root note. This scale shape will line up with arpeggios and chords that have their root note on the 4th or 2nd strings, if you’re working these shapes on top of each other.
Audio Example 67 Click here to play audio example 67
115 Lastly, here’s a diminished scale that begins on the fourth-string root note. If you’re comfortable combining chords, scales, and arpeggios, this shape will match up with chords and arpeggios that have root notes on the 4th or 2nd strings.
Audio Example 68 Click here to play audio example 68
116
Diminished Family Scale Licks Now that you’ve learned how to play these diminished family scales, you’ll work on applying them to real-world situations. The following three Christian-inspired licks will provide you with examples of how to apply diminished family scales to your improvised solos. As was mentioned earlier, it was rare for Christian to solo over m7b5 chords, and so these lines focus more on the diminished scale, which was more commonly used. Each line will outline a 7alt chord, 7b9 specically, using the diminished scale. Christian would more often than not use dim7 arpeggios when soloing over dim7 chords, though he sometimes used the diminished scale as well. Because of this, you’ll study a more common use of diminished scales with these three licks, soloing over 7alt chords. When soloing over 7alt chords, you can play a diminished scale a half step above the root note of that chord, creating a 13(b9) sound in the process:
Each of the licks below use this application, which can be found in Christian’s playing, and in the playing of every great jazz guitarist that followed him. Since it’s such an important aspect of the jazz soloing vocabulary, it would be worth your time to expand upon this application in your practice routine.
117 The rst lick mixes an arpeggio up with the diminished scale down as you outline an A7b9 chord in V7 to I progression in Dm. Mixing arpeggios up and scales down was a popular sound in Christian’s era, as well as in the Bebop era, and is a concept that’s worth exploring further in your studies.
Audio Example 69 Click here to play audio example 69
118 The second lick uses wide intervals to bring a Bb diminished scale over the A7b9 chord in a V7 to I progression in D minor. By using larger intervals, Christian would be able to use a scale (such as the Bb diminished scale used here), without his lines sounding like he’s running scales. Experiment with larger interval lines such as these in your playing, as they’re an eective way to use scales in your solos without telegraphing your lines.
Audio Example 70 Click here to play audio example 70
119 The last lick features the diminished scale used to outline the A7b9 chord in a minor ii V I progression in D minor. Again, you’ll be playing the Bb diminished scale over A7b9 so imply an A13(b9) sound over that chord change. As you’ve seen in these licks, this is the most commonly used application of the diminished scale, as Christian used arpeggios more often than not over dim7 chords. Because of this, make sure to keep drilling this application in your studies, as it’ll open up both your diminished scale and 7b9 soloing vocabulary.
Audio Example 71 Click here to play audio example 71
120
Soloing Study - Dinah To nish your introduction to the scales and scale shapes that Christian used in his soloing, you’ll learn an improvised solo over the tune Dinah. This solo study uses lines inuenced by Christian’s scale concepts, as well as his phrasing and pacing during his solos. Feel free to read through the whole solo to see how it sits on the guitar. But, when it comes time to learning this solo, breaking it down into 2 or 4-bar chunks is the best way to memorize and absorb this information. From there, you can piece those chunks together to form the solos as a whole. Lastly, there’s a backing track included so that you can work the solo without the guitar guide track, as well as solo with your own lines over the tune.
121
Audio Example 72 Click here to play audio example 72
Backing Track 2 Click to hear backing track 2
122
123
124
Soloing Techniques Techniques - Chromatics After breaking down the technical side of Christian’s playing, by working on the chord, scale and arpeggio shapes he used, you’ll have a look into his soloing techniques. techniques. In this chapter, you’ll explore two main sections of sections of Christian’s soloing approach:
• Chromatic notes. • Large-scale concepts such as phrasing and chord subs.
Both of these sections will present an inside look into look into how Christian created his most memorable lines, and how he used tension and release in his solos. By studying these concepts, you’ll take your scale and arpeggio lines arpeggio lines to the next level, and develop that cool sound that Christian had in all of his recordings. To begin, you’ll look at four dierent chromatic concepts found concepts found in Christian’s playing:
• • • •
Approach notes Blue notes Passing notes Enclosures
125
Approach Notes The rst chromatic soloing technique that you’ll explore is the approach note.
Approach notes are where you target a diatonic note (from an arpeggio or scale), and lead into that note chromatically by a half step above or below.
By doing so, you create a tension-release sound in your lines that is essential to developing a jazz, and also Christian, vibe in your solos. To begin, here’s an example of the most popular approach note, the ascending approach note. You’ll notice that you create tension with the approach note, and then resolve that tension as you lead it up into the next diatonic note. After you’ve worked on the D7 example below, practice applying ascending approach notes to other keys, chords, scales, and arpeggios.
Audio Example 73 Click here to play audio example 73
126 As well as the more commonly used ascending approach note, you can also use descending approach notes in your playing. Christian used both approach notes, up and down, in his lines, and therefore both are worth studying when breaking down the Christian soloing style. Here’s an example of descending approach notes added to a D7 arpeggio, rst demonstrated on a D note in the rst bar. Once you’ve played this example, practice applying descending approach notes to other arpeggios, scales, and specic intervals in your improvisations.
Audio Example 74 Click here to play audio example 74
127
Approach Notes Licks Here are three Christian-style lines using approach notes that you can study, add to your vocabulary, and insert into your jazz guitar solos. The rst line uses a b6 approach note that leads into the 5th of the underlying Bbmaj7 chord. Though they’re not as commonly used as the ascending approach notes, descending approach notes such as this one are worth studying and adding to your solos.
Audio Example 75 Click here to play audio example 75
128 In the next example, you’ll use the more common ascending approach note to lead into the 2nd over an Am7 chord. Because ascending approach notes are much more commonly used by Christian and his peers there’s only one example here, as you’ll nd them in many other studies. Though they’re more common, don’t take them for granted; make sure you spend time working these approach notes. Sometimes you think you have a technique down because you’ve seen it a lot in your lines, but then it slips passed your ngers when it comes time to jam on a tune. Avoid that scenario by working both ascending and descending approach notes in your studies.
Audio Example 76 Click here to play audio example 76
129 In this nal phrase, you’ll use an approach note to lead into the b7 during the opening two notes of the line. As descending approach notes aren’t as common as their ascending cousins, this is an eective example of a Christian-style line using that technique. Though you won’t use them as much as the ascending versions, practicing descending approach notes is still worth spending time on in the woodshed.
Audio Example 77 Click here to play audio example 77
130
Blue Notes The next set of chromatic notes is the most commonly used in any modern music, including jazz, blue notes. Blue notes are taken from the blues scale and used to create a bluesy, chromatic sound over various chords in your solos. The three most commonly used chords when it comes to applying blue notes are the m7, 7, and maj7 chords and their variations. This means that m7 blue notes can also work over m9, m6, and m11 chords. Here are those three chord types and their related blues notes that you can use as a reference in the practice room:
• m7 chords = b5 blue note • 7th chords = b3 and b5 blue notes • maj7 chords = b3, b5, and b7 blue notes Here are those three chord types and their related blue notes for comparison both on the page and on the fretboard.
Audio Example 78 Click here to play audio example 78
131 Here are the three blue notes applied to a Dmaj7 chord, rst in an arpeggio setting and then over a D major scale. You’ll notice how much these three blue notes jump out in this context, creating a bluesy, chromatic, and tense sound compared to the surrounding diatonic notes. This is an important aspect to consider when using these notes in your solos. Yes, they are simply blue notes and can be used almost anywhere in your solos. But, you still need to deal with these notes properly to avoid having them sound like mistakes in your lines and sound like hip, bluesy phrases instead.
Audio Example 79 Click here to play audio example 79
132
Blue Notes Licks To take this chromatic concept further, here are three Christian-inspired lines that you can practice and add to your soloing vocabulary. The rst line uses only one blue note (the b3), leading into the 3rd of the F7 chord in the last bar of the phrase. As you’ll see with any chromatic note concept, having restraint is very important to avoid these notes from sounding predictable or overdone. Often times one carefully placed chromatic note, such as this blue note, will go further in your lines than a dozen placed in a four-bar phrase.
Audio Example 80 Click here to play audio example 80
133 In this next classic Christian-style line, you’ll use the b3 blue note as note as a grace note, leading into the 3rd in both measures, as well as the b7 blue note blue note to end the line. This style phrase is commonly heard in Christian’s playing, playing, where you play a melody, then repeat that melody but change the ending note. This allows you to use one melody twice without sounding repetitive, repetitive, it sounds like you’re developing the melody over the course of the phrase.
Audio Example 81 Click here to play audio example 81
134 In this nal example, you’ll use the b3 and b5 blue b5 blue notes to create a two-bar F7 phrase in the Christian style. Notice the b3 follows follows the natural 3, emphasizing that note in the phrase, and the b5 resolves both down and up into the next diatonic note of the scale. Learning how to resolve blue notes is as important as learning where to use them in your soloing lines. An unresolved blue note can sometimes sound like a mistake if mistake if not handled properly, but a properly used blues note is one of the sweetest sounds in jazz. Working on that aspect of blue note application application will will get you the sound you want out of this common jazz chromatic concept.
Audio Example 82 Click here to play audio example 82
135
Passing Notes The next chromatic soloing concept is one of the most com monly used in jazz music, the passing note. note.
Passing notes are chromatic notes placed between two diatonic notes in your solos.
This creates a series of three chromatic notes (either notes (either ascending or descending), as you play a diatonic note, then chromatic note, and then diatonic note all in a row. Passing notes create that smooth, chromatic sound that you hear in the solos of your favorite players, including Christian. The easiest way to think about these chromatic notes no tes on the guitar is that whenever you have two notes two frets apart, you can connect them with them with a passing note. So, S o, if you see a space on the fretboard, you can ll that space with a passing note, as long as you lead it up or down into the next diatonic note in the arpeggio or scale. Here are two examples of passing notes on the fretboard, one ascending and one descending,, that you can explore. descending Audio Example 83 Click here to play audio example 83
136 In the example below, you can see ascending passing notes added to a D7 arpeggio, and descending passing notes added to a D Mixolydian scale. When learning how to use passing notes, it’s an eective practice tool to work them over both arpeggios and scales where applicable. That way you’ll be ready to use them in your solos with both of those improvisational devices, and not get handcued during your solos. It’s one thing to apply these concepts to a technical exercise, and another to add them into your solos in real time. Practicing adding passing notes to your soloing lines will ensure that you’re ready to use them with condence during your next jam session or gig situation.
Audio Example 84 Click here to play audio example 84
137
Passing Notes Licks You’ll now take the passing note concept and practice using it over various chord changes with these three Christian-style licks. In this rst phrase, you’re adding in three passing notes the 7, b6, and 7 again), over an Am7 chord to create a long, chromatic sounding phrase. Notice how the passing notes fall right on the beat, not in between the beat, as they create tension in the line. When working with passing notes, you can place them anywhere in the bar, or on the beat, that you want, as long as you resolve them into a diatonic note. Resolving the tension created by a passing note is more important than where you place it on the beat. In fact, placing a passing note on the beat creates emphasis on that note, and therefore more tension, that emphasizes the tension-resolution part of the line. But, if you don’t resolve the passing note, you leave it hanging; it’ll sound like a mistake in your line.
Audio Example 85 Click here to play audio example 85
138 In this Gmaj7 Christian line, you’re adding in a passing note between the 6 and 5 during the second bar of the phrase. Besides the one passing note, the rest of the notes are part o f the G6 arpeggio, a common Christian note choice when soloing over maj7 chords. Just the one passing note is enough to break up the diatonic sound of the rest of the line, creating interest while outlining the chord change directly at the same time. When working on passing notes, start by inserting one at a time, with arpeggios or with scale tones, in order to get the sound if this chromatic concept into your ears. From there, you can add more passing notes into your lines with greater condence.
Audio Example 86 Click here to play audio example 86
139 In this nal example, you’ll see passing notes used to connect the 2nd and 3rd, as well as the 3rd and 4th, in this Bb7 phrase. As was mentioned earlier, any time you have a free space on the fretboard between notes, you can add in a passing tone, such as between 2 and 3, and 3 and 4 below. Notice how though there are only two passing notes in this phrase, they add enough avor to create interest in an otherwise diatonic line. This is the main lesson to learn from Christian’s use of chromatic notes, that a little goes a long way, and a lot can sound overdone and predictable over time.
Audio Example 87 Click here to play audio example 87
140
Enclosures The next chromatic concept is one that is found throughout both Christian’s, and every major jazz guitarist’s vocabulary, the enclosure. Enclosures are devices that use diatonic notes, chromatic notes, or a mixture of both, to create interest within a melodic phrase. There are two main groups of enclosures:
• The ones that begin above the target notes. • The ones that begin below the target note.
You’ll start by looking at the more common of the two, beginning above the target note, and four variations of that style of enclosure. To build an enclosure, you rst choose a target note (such as the root of the D7 chord in the examples below). From there, you play one note above, then one note below, before nally landing on the target note that you chose for that enclosure. When doing so, you have four options to choose from, which are:
• • • •
Diatonic Above – Diatonic Below Diatonic Above – Chromatic Below Chromatic Above – Diatonic Below Chromatic Above – Chromatic Below
Each of these variations is played below so that you can hear how they sound, and try each out on your guitar to feel how they sit on the fretboard.
141 As you learn these dierent enclosure variations, experiment with each of them to see which sit better for you and your style of playing. You don’t have to use all of them in your solos, in fact it’s better if you choose one or two that you prefer and focus on those in your improvisations. That way you get the enclosure into your lines, but aren’t paralyzed by choice when it comes to applying them to your lines in the moment. Of course you could use every variation if you wanted, but it’s not necessary to build an eective enclosure vocabulary in your solos. Once you’ve played through the examples below, practice applying each enclosure to dierent intervals over chord changes in your solos. Start simple, one chord with one interval target note and one enclosure variation, then branch out from there as you expand upon these concepts.
Audio Example 88 Click here to play audio example 88
142 As well as applying enclosures that begin above the target note, you can use enclosures that begin below the target note. Though not as commonly used as the previous examples, starting below the target note gives you the same four options when applying these enclosures to solos.
• • • •
Diatonic Below – Diatonic Above Diatonic Below – Chromatic Above Chromatic Below – Diatonic Above Chromatic Below – Chromatic Above
Here are those four options applied to the root of a D7 chord so that you can hear these enclosures in action. Once you’ve listened to, and played through, these examples, you can experiment with applying these enclosure variations to your soloing practice routine. Work on picking an interval, such as the root or third, and one type of enclosure, chromatic below and above, and enclosing every root in a tune you’re working on. You can also mix and match intervals and enclosure variations when you’re ready, but in the beginning working one at a time is the best way to go. The key is to integrate these enclosures into your solos over dierent root notes as you take this Christian concept o the page and onto the fretboard.
143
Audio Example 89 Click here to play audio example 89
144
Enclosures Licks To help you take these enclosures to the fretboard, here are three sample licks in the Christian style that use various variations of the enclosure technique. The rst phrase encloses the root over an E7 chord, which you can see at the start of the nal bar of the phrase. Notice how the D# sounds a bit outside (it creates tension), before resolving into the root, E, bringing the line back inside at the same time. Enclosure that use chromatic notes are eective tension-creating devices, but they need to be resolved to be fully eective in your lines. This is an example of a tensionresolution sound that you can explore further in your jazz guitar practice routine.
Audio Example 90 Click here to play audio example 90
145 In this next Christian-style phrase, you’ll see a chain of enclosures used to highlight the 5th (E), 4th (D), 3rd (C#), and root (A), throughout the line. This type of sequencing was a favorite of Christians, and later players like Joe Pass, as it allowed him to work down the scale without just playing the scale notes. The enclosures keep the line interesting, and though he uses them four times in a row, it doesn’t sound repetitive as he encloses a dierent interval each time. Work on using enclosures with dierent intervals in your lines to bring a similar sound to your playing.
Audio Example 91 Click here to play audio example 91
146 In this nal example, you’ll use an enclosure to outline the 3rd of a Gmaj7 chord, which you can see in the nal bar of the line. Enclosing the third is a classic Christian sound, as the upper chromatic note is the 4th and the lower chromatic note is the b3, both from the minor blues scale. This integration of the blues scale and a maj7 chord tone is an essential sound for anyone looking to play with a Christian vibe in their solos. By using the enclosure, you not only get a chromatic concept in your playing, you bring a bluesy feel to your lines at the same time, a win-win in the practice room.
Audio Example 92 Click here to play audio example 92
147
Soloing Study - Rose Room Now that you’ve looked at these chromatic concepts individually, you’re ready to bring them all together in a soloing study. In this study, over the chord changes to Rose Room, you’ll apply the chromatic soloing concepts learned earlier to a full jazz standard. Since the form is 32-bars long, it’s recommended, to learn this study four-bars at a time. From there, you can glue those shorter phrases together to form 8, then 16, then 24 bar, and nally the entire 32-bar form. As well, you can work this solo with a metronome at slower speeds before bringing it up to the desired tempo, and playing it along with the backing track. Lastly, there’s a backing track below that you can use to solo over the chords with your own improvised lines. Once you’ve learned the study, practice creating your own Christian inspired lines over the chord progression as you expand these concepts in your studies.
148
Audio Example 93 Click here to play audio example 93
Backing Track 3 Click to hear backing track 3
149
150
151
Soloing Techniques – Concepts After zooming in and studying small-scale soloing concepts, you’re ready to zoom out and look at the large-scale concepts Christian used in his improvisations. These concepts include ideas such as repetition, phrasing structure, and chord subs, all of which are important aspects of the Christian sound. In this section, you’ll explore these three large-scale soloing concepts in detail, learn sample licks, and study ways to expand upon these ideas in your own playing. Often times you can become too focused on the small-scale items, such as chromatic notes, and forget that the bigger picture items are just as important. Working on both the smaller and larger concepts in your playing will help you bring an authentic Christian vibe to your solos. It’ll also help propel you to the next stage in your improvisational development.
152
Repetition A common soloing concept that is heard many times in Christian’s solos is repetition. Though he often repeat one, or two, notes for many bars at a time, Christian’s sense of swing and groove allowed him to create interesting ideas, even with one note. As well, his advanced sense of rhythm, especially syncopation, allowed him to play repetitive phrases without sounding predictable or boring in his lines. By studying the concepts behind each of these sample lines, you’ll be able to apply those same repetition concepts to your lines and phrases. Repetition can be taken too far at times, so watch that you don’t over do it in your solos. But, with the right amount of restraint, interesting rhythms, and strong swing feel, you can create Christian style lines with only one or two notes on the guitar.
153
Repetition Style Licks To help you work on understanding, absorbing, and applying the use of repetition in Christian’s solos, here are three sample lines that use various repetitive techniques. Each line is worth learning on its own, but it’s also important to study and apply the larger-scale concept behind these licks to your playing. Make sure to learn the lines, but also practice each concept further in order to get the most out of this section of the eBook in your playing.
The rst lick uses a three-note repetitive phrase with some variation over the rst two bars of the line. There is an Em triad in rst inversion (G-B-E), used to kick of the phrase, and the E note remains on top of each three-note group from that point forward. To add a bit of variety, Christian moves the bottom two notes down a fret to F# and A# in the second and 5th occurrence of the grouping. This allows him to repeat the three-note group, but not repeat himself directly every single time. It also brings a sense of tension and chromaticism to the line, which is then resolved immediately after. Lastly, by playing a three-note melodic shape in 8th notes (a two-note rhythm), there is a syncopated feel to the line. This means that every time the three-note group starts, it begins on a dierent beat of the measure. By playing the group on dierent beats, Christian ensures that he can repeat the melody for long periods without it becoming predictable or boring.
154
Audio Example 94 Click here to play audio example 94
155 This next line is the most obvious use of repetition in Christian’s soloing, playing a single note many times in a row over the course of a longer phrase. Here, there’s an A note played with an interesting rhythm over a G7 chord. The rhythm is what holds this line together, without an interesting rhythmic gure the line becomes boring. But, with the syncopation and rhythmic variety used in the line, the phrase is interesting and shows how far you can go with just a single note in a phrase. To work this concept further, practice soloing with one note at a time, but use many dierent rhythms to keep things interesting while focused on one note at a time.
Audio Example 95 Click here to play audio example 95
156 In this nal sample line, you’ll see a two-note pattern repeated for two bars before resolving into a moving line in the last measure. Repeating two notes, either diatonic or chromatic, is a staple of Christian’s soloing concept and his approach to repetition. To take this concept further in your studies, put on a backing track and solo using twonote repetition from time to time in your lines. You can work those two notes for as long as you want. But, to avoid soundingpredictable, it’s best to resolve the repetition after 3 or 4 bars at most.
Audio Example 96 Click here to play audio example 96
157
Phrasing Another important aspect to understanding Christian’s soloing concept is his approach to phrasing and phrase development.
Phrasing can mean the length of each musical idea you play in your solos. It also means how you organize those notes during your phrases.
By studying Christian’s phrasing, you’ll learn how to work melodies in your solos, as well as how to use sparse and busy lines to create contrast in your playing. To ensure that you get the most out of this section of the lesson, make sure to learn the sample phrases, but also apply the concepts behind those lines to your playing. By doing so, you’ll digest the vocabulary in each line, while at the same time expand your soloing by learning and applying the larger-scale concept behind the lines.
158
Phrasing Licks To help you understand Christian’s approach to phrasing, here are three sample phrases that are indicative of his approach to improvisational phrasing. The rst line is an 8-bar phrase that uses a common Christian technique, rhythmic displacement, throughout the line.
• Starting with a sparse approach to the line, a small melodic idea picks up in bar four, using the notes A, B, C, and D.
• This four-note phrase begins on the & of beat 3 in the fourth bar, and is repeated on that same beat in the following measure.
• From there, the melody is then moved back one beat in each bar, starting on the & of 3, then the & of 2, the & of 1, and nally the & of 4 in its last playing.
Taking a melody, repeating it over the course of a longer phrase, and then placing it on dierent beats, allowed Christian to repeat lines without being predictable. To take this concept further in your playing, work on coming up with a short melody, 3-5 notes long to start, and working it in a similar manner. Begin by playing it from the same beat in each bar, and then when you’re ready, start that melody on dierent beats of the bar in your solos. This approach to phrasing prevents you from starting your lines on the same beat in each bar. At the same time, it allows you to use one idea for a long period of time as you expand a melody across 4, 8, 16, or more bars in your solos.
159 Here’s the sample line to get under your ngers before taking this phrasing concept further in your studies.
Audio Example 97 Click here to play audio example 97
160 In this next phrasing example, you’ll see a busy, eight-note run at the start of the line, followed by a single-note played with an interesting rhythm in the second half. This is a common phrasing technique used by Christian in his solos, where he starts a line with moving notes and nishes on a single repeated note. The rhythm used in the last two bars is a dotted quarter note, also a favorite phrasing technique from Christian. When you play a series of dotted quarter notes in a row, you wind up placing that note on dierent parts of the bar each time. You can see this in the example below, where the G is played on the & of 2, beat 4, & of 1, beat 3, and the & of 4 in the nal bar. It’s a small, but highly eective, rhythmic technique that can open up your phrasing, and bring a Christian sound to your soloing lines and phrases.
Audio Example 98 Click here to play audio example 98
161 The nal phrasing example uses a reverse of the technique you just explored, as here you’ll play a sparse opening section followed by a busy second half of the line. Christian, and Wes Montgomery after him, was a master as mixing note densities in his lines to create interest and intensity in his playing. By having sparse sections in some sections of his lines, and busier sections in others, Christian was able to avoid sounding repetitive or predictable in his lines. Just when you think you know what’s coming next, he switches gears and hits you with an unexpected phrase grouping, keeping interest high at all times. When working on this approach in your practice routine, play one section of an 8-bar phrase with lots of space, and one section with lots of notes. Work on alternating these two phrase types as you develop the ability to move from busy to sparse and back again at will in your jazz guitar solos.
162
Audio Example 99 Click here to play audio example 99
163
Chord Substitutions Though he used chord substitution less than those that followed in his footsteps, Christian did use a few common chord subs of his time when soloing over changes. While you won’t see advanced subs in his playing, Chri stian was able to use simple chord subs to great eect, especially when creating colors over diatonic chords. In this section, you’ll look at three chord subs found in Christian’s solos:
• Relative minor over tonic maj7. • Upper structure arpeggios. • 3 to 9 arpeggios. All three of these sounds are not only important when working on Christian’s vocabulary, but they’re essential sounds for any guitarist to learn. After you’ve learned any of these subs, and the sample lick s provided, take these concepts to other areas of your practicing to expand upon them in your playing. For example, after learning about the upper structure arpeggio sub, take that concept to a tune you’re working on. You could focus on a section of that tune and run the upper structure arpeggios over the chords in that section during your solos. Or, you could work that sub over every chord in the tune. However you decide to take these concepts further in your playing is ne, as long as you work these subs in other keys, over other chords, and over tunes.
164
Relative Minor Substitution To begin your study of Christian chord subs, you’ll look at one of the most commonly used subs in jazz, the relative minor sub. In this sub, you play the relative minor chord when soloing over a tonic major chord. An example of this, as you’ll see below, is playing Am7 over a Cmaj7 chord. Here’s how you can quickly fnd the relative minor chord on guitar:
• You can look four frets down from the tonic major chord root on the same string. • Or, you can place your pinky on the tonic major root note, then laying down one nger per fret; your index nger will land on the root of the relative minor chord. These approaches will work for any string on the guitar, and in any key. When playing the relative minor chord in place of the tonic major chord, you’re highlightin g a major 6 sound in your soloing lines. For example, when playing Am7 over Cmaj7, you’re playing the notes A C E G. Those notes form the following intervals when played over the C root note:
The tonic 6th chord is a sound that Christian loved to use in his soloing, as did many of his contemporaries. Rather than learn something new, such as a new arpeggio shape, Christian often played a m7 arpeggio four frets down from the root to produce a 6 chord sound.
165 Here’s an example of this chord sub in action that you can learn and apply to your own improvisations. Once you’ve tried out this lick, take this chord sub to other musical situations in your soloing practice. You can put on a maj7 backing track in vario us keys and work on soloing over each chord with its relative minor arpeggio. Or, if you feel ready, you can put on a ii V I progression and use the relative minor arpeggio to solo over the Imaj7 chord in those changes.
Audio Example 100 Click here to play audio example 100
166
Upper Structure Arpeggio Substitution Even back in Christian’s time, upper structure intervals were an important and commonly used sound in jazz solos. Upper structure notes are those that occur above the 7th in any chord. If you think of the root, 3rd, 5th, and 7th as the chord tones, then the 9th, 11th, and 13th are the upper structure notes. When applying this chord sub, you play a diatonic arpeggio one tone higher than the root you’re one. For example, as you can see below, if you’re soloing over Cmaj7, you’d play a Dm7 arpeggio over that chord to hit all the upper structure notes, plus the root on top:
The cool thing about this chord sub concept is that it’s always the same formula for each of the three chords in a ii V I, play a m7 arpeggio a tone above the root. Because a m7 chord follows the iim7, V7, and Imaj7 chord in the diatonic key, iiim7, vim7, and iim7 respectively, it’s always the same. If you were to apply this chord sub to a ii V I in C maj or, you’d play the following arpeggios over the diatonic chords.
• Dm7 = Em7 • G7 = Am7 • Cmaj7 = Dm7
167 As you can see, each new arpeggio is a m7 chord above the diatonic change. Not only does this make it easy to remember and apply this chord sub to your playing, it allows you to move melodies around easily in your solos. As you could technically use a m7 shape over all three chords, you can play an idea, move it to the next m7 shape, and nish it on the third m7 shape. Here’s an example of a Christian style line that uses the upper structure arpeggio sub over a Cmaj7 chord for you to explore in your studies.
Audio Example 101 Click here to play audio example 101
168
3 to 9 Arpeggio Substitution The nal chord sub that you’ll explore in this section is often referred to as the 3 to 9 sub, though it has not that ocial name in music theory. This sub, which Christian used often in his solos, involves playing a diatonic arpeggio from the 3rd of any chord that you’re soloing over. When doing so, you highlight the 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th intervals over the underlying chord in your lines. Here’s a quick table to help you with remembering which 3 to 9 arpeggio to play over any diatonic chord:
As you can see, there’s no 3 to 9 arpeggio for a m7b5 chord, as it’s not commonly used in this situation.
169 To help you take this concept into your playing, here’s a sample Christian lick that you can learn and work in dierent keys around the fretboard. Once you have this lick down, practice applying the 3 to 9 chord sub to other changes in your practice routine. You can start with one chord at a time, using a backing track, before moving on to ii V I’s in major and minor keys. From there, you can apply this concept to entire jazz standards as you expand upon this important chord sub in your improvisational studies. Every well-known jazz guitarist from Christian onward has used the 3 to 9 chord sub in their soloing at one time or another. Therefore, it’s an essential sound to learn, understand, and apply to your own jazz guitar solos as you continue your development on the instrument.
Audio Example 102 Click here to play audio example 102
170
Soloing Study – Seven Come Eleven No that you’ve studied three big-picture soloing techniques from the Charlie Christian playbook; you can apply those techniques to a tune. In the following soloing study, over the chords to Seven Come Eleven, you’ll use phrases that you just learned, but in a larger, musical situation. Most of the phrases in this study are ones you’ve seen earlier in this section, but now chained together over a longer form to study them over an entire tune. To make it easier to learn, work on one phrase at a time, building up to two phrases, then three, and so on until you can play the entire solo in one sitting. There’s also a backing track included that you can use to practice the written solo, as well as to practice your own soloing over this jazz classic. Have fun with this solo, learn it note for note, and then start to improvise with it as you expand upon these lines further in your own jazz guitar improvisations.
171
Audio Example 103 Click here to play audio example 103
Backing Track 4 Click to hear backing track 4
172
173
174
About The Author Like many guitarists, I grew up listening to classic Rock and Blues, and I still love those styles of music. But it’s the improvisation I really love, and that’s what drew me to Jazz. My love of Jazz has taken me from small town Canada around the globe. I was able to study at three of the top Jazz programs in the world. Starting with McGill University, then Western Michigan, and nishing with a Doctorate in Jazz from the University of Illinois (UIUC). It’s also allowed me to teach over 5000 private Jazz guitar lessons. My students have ranged from complete beginners, all the way to Professors of Jazz at NYU, and everything in between. I’ve also taught Jazz guitar, popular music, and music business at:
• • • • • • • • • • •
Western Illinois University Western Michigan University University of Illinois Carleton University (Canada) Concordia University (Canada) The Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory University of Ouro Preto (Brazil) University of Sao Joao Del Rei (Brazil) University of Juiz de Fora (Brazil) Leeds College of Music (UK) University of Chester (UK)
My love of Jazz has also enabled me to play over 2000 gigs in 8 countries.
View more...
Comments
