Pat Martino's Linear Expressions in a musical context?

[sjl]

Hi pals.
I am asking about an example where the activities showed in Martino's Linear Expressions are played in a musical context.
Do you know any example?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[kris]

Pat Martno's solos.

[ASATcat]

Martino is sharing his tools of improve. For example;
Am Bbm Bm Cm this is one way Martino thinks a ii Valt Imaj7 VIalt progression.
Am Cm Bm is a way to play a
iim7 V7alt Imaj7 progression.
The book expects the student to understand his substitution ideas.
To get a yet better understanding of that I suggest you hunt down
Martino's The Nature Of Guitar
book.
Martino is more interested in hearing this stuff more than laying out rules. That's why he calls all this stuff activities rather than specific scales. Imo of course =)
I would think this is good for writing out your own solos. And as already stated you will find these ideas, perhaps in a fragmented way in his solos.

[3625]

Pat Martno's solos.

lol. sjl the way the thread title sounds is kinda funny. I used to have that book a long time ago - I'm trying to remember... is it a bunch of phrases by themselves without actual chord progressions attached to them?

[ASATcat]

Martino books seem to be void of actual tunes. For that get Steve Kahns "Pat Martino, The Early Years". Thanks Steve.

[kris]

lol. sjl the way the thread title sounds is kinda funny. I used to have that book a long time ago - I'm trying to remember... is it a bunch of phrases by themselves without actual chord progressions attached to them?

Pat Martino"Linear Expresiossions" is the book that every guitarist should to study.
"Convert to minor" is a key.
Phase IV:Substitution & Reduction say how to use activities/line forms/.
Converting to minor through substitution:
Cmaj6=Am7
Cmaj7=Am9
Cmaj9=Em7
C7=Gm
Cm7b5=Ebm6
may be this help...;-)
Best
kris

[3625]

Pat Martino"Linear Expresiossions" is the book that every guitarist should to study.
"Convert to minor" is a key.
Phase IV:Substitution & Reduction say how to use activities/line forms/.
Converting to minor through substitution:
Cmaj6=Am7
Cmaj7=Am9
Cmaj9=Em7
C7=Gm
Cm7b5=Ebm6
may be this help...;-)
Best
kris

Yeah, I remember the convert to minor concept in the book, it's an interesting approach but something I never really investigated. I imagine it would be a good way of getting lots of upper extensions into your lines. Kris, what does the book say for an altered dominant like C7#5?

I get the vibe it would be a good approach for tunes with more spread out harmony like 'Inner Urge' & 'Maiden Voyage'. For something like 'I Remember You' with lots of packed in chords in a traditional format it might get a bit complicated... or not - dunno

[redwater]

Kris, what does the book say for an altered dominant like C7#5?

I am not Kris, but you could try to play minor two halfsteps down from the root of the c7#5. In other words: Bb minor.

Pat uses the minor Activities for Dominant 7 chords as Melodic Minor:

You could play them 1. up a half step 2. down two halfsteps 3. up a fifth (from the root of the Dominant chord)

After carefully investigation of the Linear Expressions, you should be able to convert any chord into a minor substitution.

[kris]

I am not Kris, but you could try to play minor two halfsteps down from the root of the c7#5. In other words: Bb minor.

Pat uses the minor Activities for Dominant 7 chords as Melodic Minor:

You could play them 1. up a half step 2. down two halfsteps 3. up a fifth (from the root of the Dominant chord)

After carefully investigation of the Linear Expressions, you should be able to convert any chord into a minor substitution.

+1
Exactly.

[dortmundjazzguitar]

deleted

[sjl]

lol. sjl the way the thread title sounds is kinda funny. I used to have that book a long time ago - I'm trying to remember... is it a bunch of phrases by themselves without actual chord progressions attached to them?

Yes that's right, phrases without chord progressions.
I understand the concept of minimization, but I think this book is not complete, I prefer the REH Pat Martino Jazz licks, it offers licks for specific situations.

[kris]

Yes that's right, phrases without chord progressions.
I understand the concept of minimization, but I think this book is not complete, I prefer the REH Pat Martino Jazz licks, it offers licks for specific situations.

:-)
Anyway...
This is one of the best jazz guitar book!!!!

[M-ster]

Pat Martno's solos.

Quite true. If you study some Martino transcriptions, you'll see that, in Linear Expressions, Pat's very literally showing you what he's doing.

[redwater]

Yes that's right, phrases without chord progressions.
I understand the concept of minimization, but I think this book is not complete, I prefer the REH Pat Martino Jazz licks, it offers licks for specific situations.

Here the Linear Expressions are often misunderstood. In my opinion, Pat wants to demonstrate, that you can get good results by playing minor, without thinking to much and have a flow in your playing (what often is so hard on the guitar).
So for specific situations you already got a Phrase/Lick/whatever while playing/thinking in minor keys.
And that benefit is a big one. On the guitar!

After some years of analizing other musicians with the "minor view" everything makes sense. Again: ON THE GUITAR!
I realised that Wes is so much easier to understand with minor in mind. Even Charlie Parker...

[docbop]

You're talking about two different types of books. Pat's own books tend to be his observations and thought process he uses in practice room. Then the other books are transcriptions. Kind of one is the chicken the other is the egg.

[redwater]

That´s what I tried to say: Linear Expressions is (in my opinon) not a Lickbook, it is rather a conceptbook.

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

Martino is sharing his tools of improve. For example;
Am Bbm Bm Cm this is one way Martino thinks a ii Valt Imaj7 VIalt progression.
Am Cm Bm is a way to play a
iim7 V7alt Imaj7 progression.

What key were those progressions in?

[redwater]

Am Cm Bm is for ii Valt Imaj7 in G

Aminor over -well- Am7
Cminor over D7alt (2steps down from root)
Bminor over Gmaj7

[kris]

sure... Scof video"On Improvisation".He show how to use minor pentatonic over 2 5 1 6 progression/ Penta Am Bbm Bm Cm key of C/.
really great Scof's video from 1983!

[kris]

That´s what I tried to say: Linear Expressions is (in my opinon) not a Lickbook, it is rather a conceptbook.

anyway you can find in this book a lot of nice sounding lines...I like all of them...:-)

[ASATcat]

What key were those progressions in?

If the progression went
Dm7 G7alt Cmaj7 A7alt use
Use Martino's ascending 1/2 steps moves like this Am Bbm Bm Cm.

Am lines work over Dm7 to create a Dm9 sound.

Bbm lines work over G7alt to give all altered tone ala Ab melodic minor.

Bm lines work over Cmaj7 to create a lydian sound, popular move.

Cm lines work over A7alt the same as G7alt, just a whole step higher deriving from a Bb melodic minor or A altered dominant.

This is all common moves I learned in college back in '85. Sco had an early video that also discussed it using just minor pents. Martinos loose usage of the 6th or b6th is simply some chromaticism for added color and forward movement.

[docbop]

This is how I think about Pat to try and understand him. Not saying it's gospel just what help me understand him.

I heard/read Martino say he doesn't like major so he using minor sub's instead. You look at his lines and he's got tons of minor and dominant vocabulary. A lot of his dominant approach you see in his books is his variation of Barry Harris approach seeing relationships between chords (Barry tends to look from diminished POV, and Pat dominant.) Pat to me take advantage of symmetric harmony to move patterns/line around, think of those geometric drawings of his. Those are the things I keep in the back of my mind when looking at Pat transcriptions and listening to him.

[ASATcat]

Not trying to go off topic but has anyone seen the documentary on Martino's brain surgery called Pat Martino Unstrung? I haven't, but it sounds fasinating.
Back to regular programming.

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

If the progression went
Dm7 G7alt Cmaj7 A7alt use
Use Martino's ascending 1/2 steps moves like this Am Bbm Bm Cm.

Am lines work over Dm7 to create a Dm9 sound.

Bbm lines work over G7alt to give all altered tone ala Ab melodic minor.

Bm lines work over Cmaj7 to create a lydian sound, popular move.

Cm lines work over A7alt the same as G7alt, just a whole step higher deriving from a Bb melodic minor or A altered dominant.

This is all common moves I learned in college back in '85. Sco had an early video that also discussed it using just minor pents. Martinos loose usage of the 6th or b6th is simply some chromaticism for added color and forward movement.

Are we just talking min7 arpeggios here? I'm referring to Bminor lines over CMaj7. B-D-F#-A is okay, but C#? G#? Should I assume this is B Phrygian?

[ASATcat]

Good points
B minor pent works great.
B D E F# A

Add C and G to the mix, the C# and G# can be used but with an ear on chromaticism and targeting.

If you name things from B, I wuld think it resembles phrygian.
But the chord is Cmaj7 so I would name it from C.
B - major 7
D - 9th
E - 3rd
F# - #4 lydian sound
A - 6th

Of all these tones I would avoid the C# the most. Yet it can sidestep the better tones C and D. But careful.
I can't support it too we'll except as a chromatic passing or targeting tone.. G# is fine. Imo of course.

Or just play B minor pent and be done with it.