In this video I explain how to approach right hand technique to have a better ‘swing’ when playing jazz solos…obviously this works well for any style of music that has back beat (blues, rock and so on…). The idea is to PICK the note on the UPBEAT and SLUR the note on the DOWNBEAT, using hammer-on, pull-off or sliding to the next note. As I show in the video, this is not to be done constantly, but with taste, mixing it up to create a lot of different rhythms.

1. Use your metronome!

As cliche’ as it sounds, your metronome is your best friend. Whatever scale, phrase, exercise you want to improve or speed up,  start with a slow metronome speed and try to lock in. Only when you have played the material correctly for at least 10 times in  a row, increase the speed by 5bpm.

You can find a list of good on-line metronomes here:

http://www.trueguitarist.com/5-free-online-metronomes-that-work/

They are all free at the time of writing.

2. Finger combination exercises.

This is something I’ve been doing myself for years, and even though it can be an overwhelming amount of work at the beginning, I can now quickly cover all finger combinations in less than 10 minutes.  The idea is to play all left hand finger combinations up and down the neck to cover all possible motions of your left hand fingers.

Find all about it here:

http://www.trueguitarist.com/finger-combinations-pt-1/

http://www.trueguitarist.com/finger-combinations-pt-2-the-next-level/

…and this is the PDF file with the combinations.

http://www.trueguitarist.com/LESSON%20MATERIAL/Finger%20Combinations.jpg

3. Transpose.

Technique and speed of execution, has a lot to do with how well you know a certain scale, phrase or exercise. Transposing this material in all keys is a great way to achieve this. Try transposing up and down a half-step to star with, but challenge yourself and try transposing a forth up or a minor third up. Not only you will connect all your senses, but you might end up with some new interesting musical ideas.

4. Play with friends/ other musicians.

I always suggest this to all my student. Practising by yourself is better than doing nothing, but playing with fellow musicians will improve your playing and technique tenfold, as your level of concentration is much higher when playing with friends or in a group.

5. Write challenging material.

If you want to achieve a certain musical goal, try and write a tune about it. Do you want to master the harmonic minor scale? Write a tune based on it…and learn it thoroughly. Seeing things on paper sometimes is the best thing to crystallize new and challenging material.

…and most of all be patient and have a positive attitude!

We have seen in the previous lesson al the major triads in close (or closed) position. As already stated if these notes of the triad (or ‘voices’) are contained within an octave we call it in ‘close’ or ‘closed’ position, as opposite as ‘spread’ position (more than an octave). Just watch the video where I go through all the most popular shapes for the latter.

OTHER TRIADS

Just like for the close position, it is really simple to find other (minor, augmented, diminished) triads from the major triad.

Major triad – R,3,5 – C,E,G

Minor triad – R,m3,5 – C,Eb,G (Lower the 3rd one 1/2 step)

Augmented triad – R, 3, #5 – C,E,G# (Raise the 5th one 1/2 step)

Diminished triad – R,m3,dim5 – C,Eb,Gb (Lower both the 3rd and 5th one 1/2 step)

Download -here- the page with all the triad inversions on a printable PDF file or click the image below (2 pages, both close and spread voicings).

In this lesson I go through all inversions for the most popular major triad ‘shapes’ on guitar.

The theory behind triads is quite simple: a major triad is basically the 1st, 3rd and 5th note of a major scale. If analysed in intervals:  from the root I will have a first note that is a major 3rd apart and a second note that is a perfect 5th apart. As an example, for the key of C major (C,D,E,F,G,A,B)  my C major triad will be C,E,G (C-E major 3rd, C-G perfect 5th).

If these notes (or ‘voices’) are contained within an octave we call this ‘close’ or ‘closed’ position, as opposite as ‘spread’ position (more than an octave). We will see the triads in Spread Position in another lesson.

INVERSIONS

When the triad is in its Root-3rd-5th configuration we call it ‘root position’ – C,E,G

If we move the root up an octave we have the first inversion – 3rd, 5th, Root – E,G,C

If we then move the 3rd up an octave we have the second inversion – 5th, Root, 3rd - G,C,E

OTHER TRIADS

It is really simple to find other (minor, augmented, diminished) triads from the major triad.

Major triad – R,3,5 – C,E,G

Minor triad – R,m3,5 – C,Eb,G (Lower the 3rd one 1/2 step)

Augmented triad – R, 3, #5 – C,E,G# (Raise the 5th one 1/2 step)

Diminished triad – R,m3,dim5 – C,Eb,Gb (Lower both the 3rd and 5th one 1/2 step)

Download -here- the page with all the inversions on a printable PDF file or click the image below.

http://www.TrueGuitarist.com/never-ending-chromatic-scale/

Just yesterday I found this video of a clinic by Pat Metheny. Check out the video, what he’s doin at the very beginning is exactly what I am talking about.

This is the exercise I play at the end of the video:

The goal here is to be able to accent every possible 16th note in a very simple strum pattern. Of course the accent will happen in places you would not usually put it, so at the beginning, this might feel a bit odd. You will realize right away that this exercise will give you more control over your right hand strumming.

I advice to mentally count the 16th notes in this way:

1-e-&-ah, 2-e-&-ah, 3-e-&-ah, 4-e-&-ah

where 1,2,3,4 are your beats in 4/4 bar.

So the first exercise will put an accent on your ’1,2,3,4′

The second exercise will put an accent on the e’s of every beat

The third exercise will put an accent on the &’s of every beat

The fourth exercise will put an accent on the ah’s of every beat

In better words, you are playing an accent on the 1st, the 2nd, the 3rd and the 4th 16th note of every beat.

Good luck!