Lesson - Hybrid picked pentatonics, side stepping, 2-note/string patterns

[jzucker]

Lesson - Hybrid picked pentatonics, side stepping, 2-note/string patterns


Hey guys, it's been a while since I've done an online lesson. I wanted to try to get back into that so this is my initial foray after a long hiatus.


I want to just say that I love all of you guys and appreciate the support for me as I went through a spinal injury and surgery in May. And also, thank you for the kind words and wishes as I've dealt with my wife's surgery.


I may be talking about music but music is about love and I love all you guys and hope that the love I have for you comes through in my music as well as the lesson offerings I will be putting out more frequently now.


Let me know if you have any questions. This was a fairly short lesson on a topic that probably would require 2-3 hour long lessons if we wanted to cover the topic in person.


With much love and humility,


Jaz

[DawgBone]

This is a killer lesson right here! If you are looking to expand your blues playing or get a little additional speed out of it there is so much here to work on. A years worth or maybe more.

I was taught that same patterning of the blues scale. I was hoping to find speed in the 3 note per string blues scales but ultimately I discarded them as I found them mostly worthless for actual blues music because you need those standard patterns for easy access to bends. The hand positioning is better with the standard shapes.

I always called them sequences. Jack is doing a sequence of 4 here. I need to work on that sequence of 4 more, mostly I have done sequences of 3 which, when combined with pull offs and hammers nets you a pretty swift and mobile left hand. It seems 3's and 4's are the most useful IMO. I do not have great right hand picking skills so I often resorted to these techniques to access speed.

Jack, are you applying any particular approach to adding the side stepping movements? I'd like to add a little more of that to my playing, especially for some of those more crazy unhinged spots so any additional thoughts you could offer would be great.

[pamosmusic]

Jack, are you applying any particular approach to adding the side stepping movements? I'd like to add a little more of that to my playing, especially for some of those more crazy unhinged spots so any additional thoughts you could offer would be great.

The side-stepping or side-slipping is kind of inherently messy, so you can sort of do anything. Do one of those 3-note sequences you mention and slide up a half step after a pair, and then back down after a pair and then back up, etc. Or every sequence, or every three, or play three inside and one outside. Try it with the outside pattern being a half-step up, then again with it being down.

So that might be like … G Bb C, Bb C D, B C# D#, C# D# F#, D F G, F G Bb, F# G# B, etc

(The underlined ones are the outside patterns)

(Also Shorter liked to use a minor third up. Sometimes a tritone, but that’s a bit trickier.)

It’s such a fun thing because it’s kind of divorced from theory—just strips things down to “in” and “out.” So many things work so well, you can kind of just pick something and see if you like it. Derek Trucks, back in the old fusiony DTB albums would just play his kickass blues licks up a half step and then back down. Tension-resolution.

Jack—I love the point you make about starting on upbeats (or middle of the beat with sixteenth notes). That really does make it feel looser and less manufactured. Very cool. Thanks for posting!

[jzucker]

This is a killer lesson right here! If you are looking to expand your blues playing or get a little additional speed out of it there is so much here to work on. A years worth or maybe more.

I was taught that same patterning of the blues scale. I was hoping to find speed in the 3 note per string blues scales but ultimately I discarded them as I found them mostly worthless for actual blues music because you need those standard patterns for easy access to bends. The hand positioning is better with the standard shapes.

I had the exact same experience. I have another way of achieving speed on those which I'll do a video on soon but I need to work on them myself.

I always called them sequences. Jack is doing a sequence of 4 here. I need to work on that sequence of 4 more, mostly I have done sequences of 3 which, when combined with pull offs and hammers nets you a pretty swift and mobile left hand. It seems 3's and 4's are the most useful IMO. I do not have great right hand picking skills so I often resorted to these techniques to access speed.

Jack, are you applying any particular approach to adding the side stepping movements? I'd like to add a little more of that to my playing, especially for some of those more crazy unhinged spots so any additional thoughts you could offer would be great.

I'll do another video about the side-stepping in particular. I do have a few hints which I have taught myself but no longer think about it when playing. But I think it'd be helpful to discuss. I'll try to get to that today. It's easier to describe while playing than to type it out in text.

[jzucker]

The side-stepping or side-slipping is kind of inherently messy, so you can sort of do anything. Do one of those 3-note sequences you mention and slide up a half step after a pair, and then back down after a pair and then back up, etc. Or every sequence, or every three, or play three inside and one outside. Try it with the outside pattern being a half-step up, then again with it being down.

So that might be like … G Bb C, Bb C D, B C# D#, C# D# F#, D F G, F G Bb, F# G# B, etc

(The underlined ones are the outside patterns)

(Also Shorter liked to use a minor third up. Sometimes a tritone, but that’s a bit trickier.)

It’s such a fun thing because it’s kind of divorced from theory—just strips things down to “in” and “out.” So many things work so well, you can kind of just pick something and see if you like it. Derek Trucks, back in the old fusiony DTB albums would just play his kickass blues licks up a half step and then back down. Tension-resolution.

Jack—I love the point you make about starting on upbeats (or middle of the beat with sixteenth notes). That really does make it feel looser and less manufactured. Very cool. Thanks for posting!

Thanks Peter. The upbeat thing is important because forward motion (which is what hal galper refers to about it) propels the music (swing) harder. I like the vary it it bit so it's not every 3 or every 4 notes. Look for a video about it soon...

[jzucker]

This is a killer lesson right here! If you are looking to expand your blues playing or get a little additional speed out of it there is so much here to work on. A years worth or maybe more.

I was taught that same patterning of the blues scale. I was hoping to find speed in the 3 note per string blues scales but ultimately I discarded them as I found them mostly worthless for actual blues music because you need those standard patterns for easy access to bends. The hand positioning is better with the standard shapes.

I always called them sequences. Jack is doing a sequence of 4 here. I need to work on that sequence of 4 more, mostly I have done sequences of 3 which, when combined with pull offs and hammers nets you a pretty swift and mobile left hand. It seems 3's and 4's are the most useful IMO. I do not have great right hand picking skills so I often resorted to these techniques to access speed.

Jack, are you applying any particular approach to adding the side stepping movements? I'd like to add a little more of that to my playing, especially for some of those more crazy unhinged spots so any additional thoughts you could offer would be great.

Here's a video with a little more detail and example of the side stepping...

[DawgBone]

Thanks Jack, much appreciated. Thank you for taking the time, that's going above and beyond and very big of you since time is the most limited resource! I'm going to put some work in on this stuff this weekend as it looks like I will have the time to do it as one of my gigs got canceled. Someone rented the whole club. Maybe I'll hit the rehearsal room or the studio.

[jzucker]

Thanks Jack, much appreciated. Thank you for taking the time, that's going above and beyond and very big of you since time is the most limited resource! I'm going to put some work in on this stuff this weekend as it looks like I will have the time to do it as one of my gigs got canceled. Someone rented the whole club. Maybe I'll hit the rehearsal room or the studio.

no problem. I want to make these things useful and i'm happy to put the information out there. Let me know if you have any other questions or if you need more detail.