Posts Tagged by Solo
Playing in Fourths
I really like this style of phrasing, take some great examples like McCoy Tyner, and a lot of the ‘hard bop’ jazz cats. The basic idea is this: take a scale, in this example I will use a C major scale. Now play all the diatonic fourths contained in C major: In the video I am playing…
Tips: play Giant Steps on guitar
Giant Steps has always been a challenging standard to play, in this video I give a few tips on how to approach this famous tune. The Chords (from the fake book-as far as I know it is not copyrighted material so I am posting the original): One good ‘pattern’ to start familiarising with the progression in playing…
Jazz guitar: Altered Chords Pt2
In this video I show how to use the Superlocrian mode (nothing more than the 7th mode of a minor melodic scale) to improvise over altered chords. On C7 the choice would be C Superlocrian C, Db,Eb,E, F#,G#,Bb (also known as Db melodic minor starting from C). Listen to a few examples of resolution from C7(alt) to…
How to use the Diminished Scale Pt 2
Continuation of the diminished scale video…in this Pt2 I show how to incorporate triads into phrases or altered chords voicings. If we take a C half step/whole step scale C, Db, Eb, E, F#, G, A, Bb we see that four triads can be found within the notes of this scale: C major, Ebmajor, F#major,…
Triad Combinations (also known as Triad Pairs)
You can get quite a modern sound by alternating and combining major and minor triads. In the video I use variuos combinations like C minor and D major that touch different degrees of the key of the moment. Try different combinations and write down those that sound more interesting to your ears. You can find…
Tritone Substitution/Passing Chords
Very simple concept widely used in jazz ( but good for other styles). Like shown in the video, G7 and Db7 are two chords a tritone away (tritone=6 semitones) that share the same 3rd and 7th. G7= G B D F Db=Db F Ab B as you see the notes B and F are common…
Phrasing – Build your own vocabulary of melodic material
This is where things get quite interesting. In this video I will show you how to use material from other solos you might already know, or you want to learn. All this will build your vocabulary of musical ideas/ knowledge of styles if you do it the right way: 1. Learn a phrase (=musical idea…
Jog Scale
This is a scale I know as ‘Jog scale’. I am sure even though you might not know it by name, you have heard its sound before, as it is featured in a lot of Beatles tunes, and also a favorite of guitarist Eric Johnson. It has an Indian flavor to my ears…just watch the…
Modes of major scale pt3
This is a another classic chart to understand how modes are built by comparing them to the major scale staring from the same note…you’ll see right away how D Dorian is a minor mode and how it differs from D major scale. Printable PDF: Modes Pt3 C Ionian = C major by constitution and it…
Expand your vocabulary Pt2
Expand your vocabulary Pt2 After I have learnt my phrase in every key I will now use it in context. Here I am using it on ‘autumn leaves’ every time there is a 2-5-1. of course I use it in the appropriate key, and I fill the rest of the tune with material stylistically similar.…

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Professional guitarist, producer, internet enthusiast and overall geek, Gianni Chiarello has been playing, performing and recording for over 25 years in different parts of the globe. Read more about it here: