Jazz/Fussion tips, ideas, tabs

rice_pudding · Post by **rice_pudding** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 10:09 am

Side Slipping
This is another basic element of jazz, (often used in reharmonisation) that can prove very effective. It's not too different from the sequences idea. It basicaly involves playing something in its "proper" position then moving it a tone or semi-tone out before returning to the original position.

I've not got much time to go over this at the moment since i have a lecture in 45mins but here is a basic example for now. Its a SRV style progression. Dont play it litteraly as written. My skills at translating the proper rhythm to power tab are all to little. It should be played with a varied pedal tone style like SRV uses on superstition. check this if you dont know what i mean http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xX-GJ46kiCo

The side slipping here is not used much but it shows how SRV used this element in his playing.

just two things to notice. 1)the fith is raised an octave on two of the chords like i discussed in a previous post, see what you think of the quality this lends the piece. 2) the chords are root position.

RhoadsFan · Post by **RhoadsFan** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 4:38 am

Just wanted to say thanks to Rice for the help and lessons, they have been extremely helpful, especially the tabs. Please keep them coming!!!

Oh and on a side note > to be more specific with what I personally am trying to do with the knowledge of Jazz/Fusion style music, Im trying to absorb what I learn from it and integrate it into heavy metal. Chris Poland did this when he was in Megadeth, and I thought it was very interesting.

rice_pudding · Post by **rice_pudding** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 11:37 am

RhoadsFan wrote:Just wanted to say thanks to Rice for the help and lessons, they have been extremely helpful, especially the tabs. Please keep them coming!!!

Oh and on a side note > to be more specific with what I personally am trying to do with the knowledge of Jazz/Fusion style music, Im trying to absorb what I learn from it and integrate it into heavy metal. Chris Poland did this when he was in Megadeth, and I thought it was very interesting.

Thanks, im glad they are usefull. I might not get aything up for a couple of days, im rushed off my feet with stuff at the moment, in fact i have to go scout a location for a shoot in a couple of hours. I'll think about coming up with a specific lesson to help you out with Metal/fusion, i think maybe something about modes or modal interchange might interest you.

what albums did Chris Poland play on, he's not the guy with the strange technique who played on Peace sells is he?

RhoadsFan · Post by **RhoadsFan** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 5:37 pm

yea Im really wanting to do the metal/fusion thing, especially like really fast jazz type metal guitar solo's. And yes Chris Poland is the guy who barely uses his pinky (that might be the weird technique you were talkin about) and he did 2 albums (well technically 3 if you count "The System Has Failed" album where he did solo's for Dave Mustaine) with Megadeth. the first was Megadeth's first album, "Killing is my buisness..." and then their follow up album (which is considered one of the most defining metal albums of the 80's, and one of my personal favorite albums of all time), "Peace Sells...But Who's Buying". Chris is one of my favorite guitarists, and he is the main reason I want to learn more of the jazzy type stuff.

If any of you want to see a video of Chris Poland shredding, check out this link> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PsJEYU1n08

rice_pudding · Post by **rice_pudding** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 6:32 pm

RhoadsFan wrote:yea Im really wanting to do the metal/fusion thing, especially like really fast jazz type metal guitar solo's. And yes Chris Poland is the guy who barely uses his pinky (that might be the weird technique you were talkin about) and he did 2 albums (well technically 3 if you count "The System Has Failed" album where he did solo's for Dave Mustaine) with Megadeth. the first was Megadeth's first album, "Killing is my buisness..." and then their follow up album (which is considered one of the most defining metal albums of the 80's, and one of my personal favorite albums of all time), "Peace Sells...But Who's Buying". Chris is one of my favorite guitarists, and he is the main reason I want to learn more of the jazzy type stuff.

If any of you want to see a video of Chris Poland shredding, check out this link> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PsJEYU1n08

Peace sells is a fantastic song. I still remember strugling to try and learn it a couple of years ago. Im not so good with the metal/fusion thing, im more jeff beck esque, but im sure i can still give some usefull advice, all the concepts and ideas covered can be translated to other genres. all it takes is imagination and bravery.

rice_pudding · Post by **rice_pudding** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 6:49 pm

Im gonna divert from all the theory stuff to give some more hands on examples. This lesson doesnt strictly apply to jazz/fusion, but its equaly valid. Specificaly this lesson is about interval choice in solos and lead lines.

Most players (rock/blues/metal) go into solos using just second and third intervals. This is all well and good but it gets very samey after a while. If you introduce 4th's or some wider intervals into your playing it makes things more diverse and more jazzy IMO.

the first example demonstrates stereotypical lick and scalar run using seconds and thirds. the next demonstates how to add in some 4th's

the short solo is in the style of randys solo on just how you want it. take a look at the staff, this piece mixes in different intervals, it really gives it a unique sound IMO. The final example demonstrates even wider intervals woven into an ascending scalar run.

LordThurisaz · Post by **LordThurisaz** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 11:18 pm

rice_pudding wrote:Im gonna divert from all the theory stuff to give some more hands on examples. This lesson doesnt strictly apply to jazz/fusion, but its equaly valid. Specificaly this lesson is about interval choice in solos and lead lines.

Most players (rock/blues/metal) go into solos using just second and third intervals. This is all well and good but it gets very samey after a while. If you introduce 4th's or some wider intervals into your playing it makes things more diverse and more jazzy IMO.

the first example demonstrates stereotypical lick and scalar run using seconds and thirds. the next demonstates how to add in some 4th's

the short solo is in the style of randys solo on just how you want it. take a look at the staff, this piece mixes in different intervals, it really gives it a unique sound IMO. The final example demonstrates even wider intervals woven into an ascending scalar run.

Thanks for the lessons rice_pudding. I don't want to step on your toes, but if I have something Jazz based to use for this column, think I could add it? May be what RhoadsFan is looking for. I'll have to dig up my Jazz Improv books and make up a neat little metal/fusion lesson for him. Do note though, if I do this: I will be throwing in open strings in place of fretted notes of the same note and string skipping.

So... mind if I were to come up with something, rice?

rice_pudding · Post by **rice_pudding** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 11:49 pm

go for it

this is not my column by any means + you seem more qualified where metal/fusion is concerned.

LordThurisaz · Post by **LordThurisaz** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 5:05 am

rice_pudding wrote:go for it

this is not my column by any means + you seem more qualified where metal/fusion is concerned.

Well awesome... Too bad one of my jazz improv books is stowed away somewhere. I'll have to find it and make a nice little lesson for Rhoads Fan.

Cpt Matt Sparrow · Post by **Cpt Matt Sparrow** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 4:23 pm

Hi guys

I have posted below too but wanted to try and make you jazz dudes proud

This is my first ever live performance of a jazz standard and I ballsed up You'll see!) but it was tremendous fun to add this to a recital of mainly Classical music!

Ain't Mibehaving improvisation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfsD-LHQ2po

Matt

LordThurisaz · Post by **LordThurisaz** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 4:59 pm

LordThurisaz wrote:
rice_pudding wrote:go for it

this is not my column by any means + you seem more qualified where metal/fusion is concerned.
Well awesome... Too bad one of my jazz improv books is stowed away somewhere. I'll have to find it and make a nice little lesson for Rhoads Fan.

Well, I found my Jazz Improv book, and I have a few scales each for Poland and Friedman. Hopefully I can find some stuff on Alex Skolnick, because I want to include him as well. Dunno how long this will take me, but I am shooting for a week.

rice_pudding · Post by **rice_pudding** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 6:41 pm

LordThurisaz wrote: Well, I found my Jazz Improv book, and I have a few scales each for Poland and Friedman. Hopefully I can find some stuff on Alex Skolnick, because I want to include him as well. Dunno how long this will take me, but I am shooting for a week.

guitar techniques have a column at the moment on Alex Skolnick, if you cant find anything i could post up some tips from that.

rice_pudding · Post by **rice_pudding** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 7:21 pm

A couple of notes on dominants

In any given key there is one primary dominant - V7 - which resolves to the tonic. Any other dominant chords that appear in a song would be considered secondary dominants. The key point here though is whether or not they function as dominants. By that i mean that any dominant 7th chord that resolves down by a perfect 5th to a diatonic chord is considered a functioning secondary dominant, since it carries out the dominant function.
So for example in the key of C, A7 would funtion as a dominant for Dm, we would signify the A7 as:
V7/ii
meaning it is funtioning as a dominant and resolving down to ii.

This kind of harmony creates a momentary feeling of being in a different key. You could also add the relative ii, to the V7 to extend the tension. thus you would get a Em - A7 - Dm progression.

Backcycling dominants are another thing that come up in jazz basicaly dominant will follow each other resolving by 5th until the tonic is reached. For example in the key of C:

E7 - A7 - D7 - G7 - Cmaj
V/V/V/V - V/V/V - V/V - V - I

im a little shaky on this but im 95% sure thats how it would be notated under analysis

Again you could try ading the relative ii's to these chords for added effect.

Bar lines
when a chord progression crosses a bar line its function is said to be disrupted and cancelled out (i dont really understand why this happens but ive been told it does

, i think it has something to do with harmonic rhythm) the exception to this is functioning dominants. They can cross the line! so for example if you had G7 - Cmaj seperated by a bar line they would still be seen as functional so you could conclude a cadence etc.

next up modulation, modal interchange ( a dead simple and effective jaz element) and common reharmonisation techniques.

LordThurisaz · Post by **LordThurisaz** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 8:31 pm

rice_pudding wrote:
LordThurisaz wrote: Well, I found my Jazz Improv book, and I have a few scales each for Poland and Friedman. Hopefully I can find some stuff on Alex Skolnick, because I want to include him as well. Dunno how long this will take me, but I am shooting for a week.
guitar techniques have a column at the moment on Alex Skolnick, if you cant find anything i could post up some tips from that.

Hmm, what is guitar techniques? You may wanna send some of those tips over my way (or all of them if you don't have to type it up.)

rice_pudding · Post by **rice_pudding** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 8:43 pm

LordThurisaz wrote: Hmm, what is guitar techniques? You may wanna send some of those tips over my way (or all of them if you don't have to type it up.)

tis an incredibly good guitar magazine foccusing almost exclusively on lessons.

i figure i might just scan the articles in and post them up. Its all good as long as no one gets sued

. It will take a couple of weeks before i have acces to a scanner again though.