Modern Jazz Guitar Techniques: Tritone Soloing

m78w · #1 06-26-2011, 07:46 AM

Hey Everyone
Just wanted to share a new article I wrote about working on Modern Jazz sounding soloing concepts. This is the first in a 5 part series I'll be doing this week, this one deals with using the octave division of a tritone, 2 equal parts, to spice up any solo. Check it out, thanks!

Modern Jazz Guitar Techniques: Tritone Division Soloing | MattWarnockGuitar.com

markf · #2 06-26-2011, 05:33 PM

thanks, I have been working on using these sounds. when I am able to make it work, I really like it.

for me, it is not easy.

Quote:

I was often surprised at how it sounded, and therefore couldn’t use it properly in a live context.

It was only when I started practicing new concepts with the harmony running in the background that my ears began to adapt to these new sounds, at first they sounded harsh but then grew on me over time.

that is my experience.

I do as you have suggested here, but,

I find playing live with these sounds requires a lot of concentration and attention, and If I am a little tired, can't make it work, and I lapse into more conventional sounds.

also, for me using the notes from the tritone arpeggio or scale, on the E and A strings, seems to be a little more difficult than on the lighter strings. no idea why that is.

but it really expands the "sound palette" when I can make it work. I really like the sounds I can get when this is working for me. just keep trying I guess.

thanks, great lesson.

Jake Hanlon · #3 06-26-2011, 05:51 PM

well written and laid out. I've been using this stuff as a big part of my stuff lately, you've really explained it well. which is no surprise.

m78w · #4 06-26-2011, 07:24 PM

Thanks guys, yeah that's why I like to practice any new idea with only one or maybe two chords to start, like a ii-V, or better yet just the ii or just the V. That gives me time to internalize it into my hands, ears and brain, then when I'm ready I take it into a tune, usually blues in F first and then an easy minor tune like Softly, then onto harder tunes.

A new concept might take me 1 day before I can bring it on stage, or 1 year, I can never tell, each one is different so I just keep plugging away at something, trying it in my practice room and then in jams and rehearsals before finally bringing it onto the stage.

Billnc · #5 06-26-2011, 07:47 PM

Thank you so much for that. I did something like that with Pat Martino type stuff. Play a line in A minor, shift to Eb minor and back. Never really knew if that approach was considered valid.

m78w · #6 06-26-2011, 07:54 PM

absolutely, it's a great way to take the Bebop material you already know and stretch it our more longer lines and new ideas, I use Martino's stuff all the time with this approach, works great!

markf · #7 06-28-2011, 07:12 AM

you're in belo horizonte?

off topic, what's that like? John Mclaughlin must have been there sometime, didn't he have an album by that name?

m78w · #8 06-28-2011, 07:16 AM

Yep it's great here, i really love it. The music scene here and in brazil in general is really strong, i played 15 gigs this month, and they really know how to treat misicians. The pay is great and any out of town gigs pay for travel, food and a nice hotel, so i am having a great time. Besides brazil is growing like crazy right now so there are new opportunities every day for musicians here

aquinas · #9 06-28-2011, 07:39 PM

Thanks m78w! This was an eye-opening lesson! Can you possibly recommend any tunes by Woody Shaw (or any others) where this approach is utilized? I would love to hear it in a jazz solo context. Thanks for the great lesson...

m78w · #10 06-28-2011, 07:42 PM

no problem, glad you dug the lesson, I don't have any examples off the top of my head, I can look some up, but if you listen to just about any of the modern sounding Woody stuff he's using this technique. I'm going to be adding videos to my lessons next month when I have more time so you'll be able to get an audio/video companion to the lesson.

petepachio · #11 08-28-2011, 06:10 PM

MAtt ur licks lessons and concpets are amazing.I just subbed u on youtube and sent a facebook request.AMAZING!

m78w · #12 08-28-2011, 06:12 PM

Thanks Pete! Just checked out your String Insanity vid,shredding!!

Providence · #13 12-04-2011, 07:30 AM

Hello Matt! I'm sure you can bring clearance in this thread. thank you!
http://www.jazzguitar.be/forum/impro...echniques.html

Foulds Jazz Guitars · #14 12-04-2011, 08:30 AM

You've got some great things going on in your playing there man. I too have added you on the 'tube!

m78w · #15 12-04-2011, 08:33 AM

Cool Foulds, actually I'm about to move to Manchester so i've been checking out your store. I need a new amp so I will be dropping by, and will be going to all the Jazz Guitar Club monthly meetings for sure. Glad to find a great jazz guitar store so close by in the UK!

Kataway · #16 12-06-2011, 07:03 AM

Very well done...congratulations.

I don't know why but on my side I like to see the same situation but with a different angle. For example to play on a G7 I like to play a mixolydian on Db7 starting with a chromatic approach...with the note D and not the note Db to start my phrase. Also I'm conscious of playing in fact a Db7b5 (also b9 if I play a Db7)...the G note is important in my scale...like this Ab for the b9 relationship with my resolution on the next chord...Cmaj7, Cm7, etc...

I also think (on a G7) in another way...playing a scale over an Abmmaj7 chord...I think it like a II of this Db7b5 (a II of V of the substitution of G7). Well...as you can see...I like to "see" chords instead of seeing scales. It's only a different way, a different path to reach what I'm looking for.

jmstritt · #17 12-06-2011, 09:15 AM

Matt, this has really helped me get some more language under my fingers. I have been working on this lesson and the other lesson on your site that talks about octave division with M3rds. I love things like this that take something you already know and then stretch it out to give you a million more uses for it. I have really been able to get more inside/outside/inside type lines by incorporating this. Also I have been using this concept a lot with different digital patterns to follow along with the chords that we are superimposing.

m78w · #18 12-06-2011, 09:37 AM

Cool, glad the lessons are helping! I think the digital patterns stuff is important, or at least using recognizable lines/patterns such as pentatonics, arpeggios, triads, groups of notes, when playing across outside subs. That way the chords are outside, but the lines you're playing have a connection, say triads over each chords both inside and outside to construct the phrase. Sometimes we can dig in on scales too much over subs and then we sound muddled and loose the foundation of the harmony, so stuff like patterns etc can really help ground those moments when we step outside on the harmony.