The m7sus4 chord

Hi barret,
I like your book Chord-Tone Soloing,
In page 108 (track 69) at the beginning of the chorus you have a Dmi7sus chord.
How do you construct such chord?

Dmi7 has b3, but a suspended chord replaces the third. So, how do you build it?
Thank you,
Armando

Hi Armando,

The m7sus chord has the same notes as a dominant 7sus chord.

1 4 5 b7

For the Dm7sus chord on page 108, those notes are D G A and C. On the guitar I'd put the 4th an octave higher like this: D A C G.

The different chord name is there to provide a context for improvisation. In the progression

Cm/Eb Dm7sus

you would play a scale that includes the minor 3rd, F natural, not the F# that would be implied by D7sus4.

The book tells you to play C Dorian over the chord progression. That gives you D Phrygian over the Dm7sus chord. You would not want to play D Mixolydian.

Also, if you were playing rhythm guitar instead of soloing, you might want to play a riff or embellished chord figure instead of just strumming the chord as written. The m7sus chord symbol assures that your rhythm playing should not include F#, the major 3rd.

Barrett

Practicing Cumulative Material

This was in response to Roxine, who wants to know how to practice material in the Rhythmic Lead Guitar book/CD and the Guitar Fretboard Workbook at the same time.

I get a lot of inquiries on how much to practice exactly which items in specific order, when to move on to a new exercise, and so on.

The main advice is that whenever a topic is new for you it needs to be practiced for at least 2 weeks in order to enter your long term memory and for you to be able to use it without stopping to figure it out again. It could be 4 weeks or 6 weeks. The test is whether you know it enough to use it easily.

That means you should review any unfamiliar material in one chapter of any book every day for 2 weeks before moving on to any other topic that has that material as a prerequisite. This way you're not figuring out two things at once. When you feel this happening it means you are advancing too quickly.

I believe this applies to any educational process, not just music.

For these two books in particular, there's no worry about pacing one to match the other, because the two books cover different areas. I always write a book to stand alone as much as possible. You can study one for 10 minutes, then the other for 10 minutes, doing that once a day for several months, and see a lot of improvement in both fretboard knowledge and rhythmic command of music.

creating your own jazz soloing ideas

> DLE
> writes:
>
> I have your fretboard and chord tome soloing books.
>
> I'm in a jazz band. Pretty much self taught, and still
> learning. Your books are terrific.
>
> I'd love to have some soloing ideas stemming out of the
> standard jazz progressions. Any thought to applying your
> skills to such a work?
>

Hi,

Thanks for using my books! I'm glad you like them.

You'll find chapters 20-23 of Chord Tone Soloing contain major and minor II V I progressions to play over with linear targeting.

I have a new book out, Rhythmic Lead Guitar, which discusses motific development, long (4- and 8-bar) phrasing, and handling song forms (12, 16, 32 bars, etc.) when soloing. These are all very important concepts for jazz improv. It also has examples of solos for jazz waltz, 4/4 swing, 16th-note shuffle and other grooves on the accompanying CD.

Along with checking that out I'd suggest that you include regular transcription and analysis of your favorite solos by other players. Take time with the analyses to look for elements that you've been exposed to in your studies, so you can see how they are applied to make the solos stronger.

Thanks again,
Barrett

Pacing Your Practice Schedule

> Hi Barrett,
>
> first I just wanted to thank you for the work you have put
> in your books, I am currenlty following the Chord Tone
> Soloing. I have to tell you it has help me fill the gaps and
> have a more rounded picture of music.
>
> Barret, I wanted to ask you if you could share more
> Practice Plans, that could help me organize the content of
> your book as i progress.
>
> I would appreciate if you could do that.
>
> Again, thanks for sharing your knwoledge.
> Ivan

Hi Ivan,

Thanks for writing, and for using my book!

I often get asked to create a schedule telling how many minutes to practice each thing, and how many weeks to keep it on the practice list.

I could only do this if I watched your every practice session and constantly tested your ability to apply what you've learned. A private instructor can help, but you should learn to take responsibility for your own development and your retention of material. I am not copping out; it really has to be your job.

When you find you are using elements of an exercise in your own soloing vocabulary, that means you know that exercise well enough to retire it from your practice schedule to make room for advancement. If you forget how to use it in your playing, it's time to go back and review.

To learn anything takes repetition, so your first practice schedule should include reminding yourself daily of the above parameters for moving ahead in your practice. Otherwise, you might forget what we talked about here and find yourself either repeating stuff you already know when you could be moving ahead, or setting material aside before you really have a handle on it.

If you are a beginner, you should only practice for short sessions, playing slowly and accurately so that you teach yourself good technique habits. With time you will be able to cover more material in a session, and the sessions can get a little longer. New exercises are added each week, while the old ones get covered in less time because 1) you already know them and 2) you can now play them faster.

Barrett

Mojito

An uptempo Latin instrumental inspired by "Armando's Rhumba" (Chick Corea) and "Tico-Tico" (Zequinha de Abreu).



Barrett Tagliarino - guitar.
Jon Rygiewicz - drums.
Alexis Sklarevski - bass.

The Difference between Rhythmic Lead Guitar and Chord-Tone Soloing

Hey Barrett, what is the major difference between the book you are sending me (Rhythmic Lead Guitar) and the Chord Tone Soloing book?

Jeremy

Hi Jeremy,

Even though they're about the same general topic of melodic guitar playing, Rhythmic Lead Guitar and Chord-Tone Soloing are very different. Rhythmic Lead Guitar is a top-down approach to understanding time, form, phrasing, and melodic development. The title does not refer to playing lead and rhythm at the same time. Learning the concepts in this book will help you make a coherent contribution to the song's message, not just insert a bunch of random notes or licks. It's crucial information for any style of music.

The other book, Chord-Tone Soloing, is a detail-oriented method that teaches you to feel each note as part of a line carrying momentum as it moves toward a new chord at a specific time in the future. Applying this skill makes your melodies an integral part of the band, capable of standing alone and implying the sound and movement of the chord progression. It does NOT mean that you play only chord tones in your solos.

Both topics are important but seldom covered in commercial books. They're hard to teach. Each of these books took me over a year to write. The study of form and phrasing (as in RLG) does get covered in classical composition textbooks (one reason it's a good idea to study classical). The chord-tone approach gets coverage in some jazz method books (one reason it's a good idea to study jazz!), but it applies to any style of music.

Thanks again for checking out my books, and best of luck to you in your musical pursuits.
Barrett

Rhythmic Lead Guitar on Amazon

Chord-Tone Soloing on Amazon

Avoid Guitar Practice Overload

mike@xxxx.com writes:

Hello Barrett,

I loved your last post on the "In Class Demonstration - Black Magic".

Since I cannot take lessons directly from you, I have to resort to your books and DVDs. I currently have:

Guitar Reading Workbook
Guitar Fretboard Workbook
Hal Leonard At a Glance Series: Scales and Modes

I am currently reading and studying the Guitar Reading Workbook and wanted to make sure that this is a good starting point for a beginner. I have been practicing for about two years now and know some notes on the fretboard and a few chords but that is about it. Besides the above 3 guitar learning aides, I have way too much material and I am at the point of frustration. I just wanted to pick your brain to make sure that I am at the right starting point for learning the guitar.

Mike
A beginner guitarist and a Fan.


Hi Mike,

Thanks very much for your kind words.

It's important to limit the things you work on, so that the guitar is always attracting you back to play it. If you do too much or organize things so that you can't see your progress, you're right, you'll become frustrated.

I recommend you continue to work on the the Guitar Reading Workbook (it's fine for someone with 2 years experience), but also put a strong focus on just learning things you'll enjoy playing within a short time, depending on your taste. For me, that might be copying some blues tunes and solos from Albert King. Crosscut Saw is a good example.

At two years, the Black Magic Woman solos might still be too hard, but you could make it a long term challenge, to go along with the other easy stuff. I do this myself. I have lots of easy songs to keep me seeing instant progress, and then one or two harder ones to kick my can.

Lots of other songs/licks/concepts might grab your attention, but resist the urge to wander over and work on them. Stick with one project for a few weeks at a time. Getting in a band with players near your level is one way to make that happen; you'll decide on a list of songs and by necessity only practice those until you're ready to play a party or club.


Barrett