Jazz Improvisation For Guitar - A Melodic Approach (Garisson Fewel)

[gingerjazz]

I have just begun to read Garisson Fewell's book "Jazz Improvisation For Guitar - a Melodic Approach".

From what i can gather he is suggesting using triads built of each degree of the scale to base you lines on.
Now my normal approach to improvising is to build lines around the chord of the moments arpeggio or a diatonic substitution.

My question: are there advantages to this approach and if so what are they,i suppose what i am looking for is you guys opinions on this method.

[randalljazz]

this is a GREAT book, if you are ready for it. i have spent 4-6 hours a day with this material for the last year or so. it has profoundly deepened my familiarity of the fingerboard (and i've been a professional classical guitarist for 30+ years), and exponentially increased my improv capacity (and vocabulary).

i must say, i went through the book superficially the first time, and came away with "yeah, so what". boy, was i ever wrong! when you get time to work with it (should you decide to do so), be in touch and i will show you some of the ways i practice the contents...

[gingerjazz]

Randall,please could you elaborate on your experiences with this book,i have only just got it and i am intrigued by it.However it would be great for me if you could tell me a bit about what you feel is worth investing the time in the book.My normal approach to improvising is fairly standard.I tend to base my lines on chord tones/arpeggios, linking them together with scale tones and a few chromatic notes where needed to help the chord tones land on the down beats,i also try to find good resolutions on chord changes(sevenths to thirds,flat9s to fifths etc..).If possible can you say if you think the garisson method is better or do you think it should just be thought of as another tool to add to our asenal.I only have a few more days of access to the internet before i have to have another operation so please forgive me if i suddenly stop posting,i promise to get back to you on this when i am back home,which may be some time im really not sure.Bye for now and peace.

[randalljazz]

would not opine that gf's approach is 'better' than what you are doing now...more arrows in your quiver, so to speak (actually, there are two approaches in this volume, which are woven together in the latter pages---more on that later).

though in no wise qualified to speak for the professor...the first approach is built on the idea that extended chords (specifically, minor 11ths) are built of compound (or interlocking) triads.

thus the Cmi11 contains the Cm triad, Ebma triad, Gm triad, and Bbma triad. this, combined with premise #2 (below), is a powerful tool for making fluid lines that don't sound like scales, and traverse the fretboard geometry smoothly.

premise #2 is that each minor chord (and ideas and licks derived from it) has multiple applications. thus, Cmi works over Cmi (obviously), Ebmaj, F7, Ami7b5 (and also over Abmaj, Fmi, and B7alt).

for this information to be of use, the player must know where all the triads lie on the guitar, in all keys, and how they fit together. the exercises on pages 14-16 should be THOROUGHLY practiced, including all possible patterns for all keys (the book gives only one pattern per key--work the rest out for yourself). i recommend re-barring them into two measures of 4/4, omitting the chord at the end. much more useful for 99% of all tunes. metronome on 2 and 4, at a comfortable tempo.

for this, and what follows, practice one key per day. (as you add exercises it will expand quickly.) this gets you through all 12 keys every two weeks (with one day off a week).

in similar fashion, the exercises on page 21-2 should be played in all keys, all possible octaves and positions. pay attention to which triad is featured in each pattern. this is important in bringing out various flavors (what chord tones are emphasized in the different applications--more on this later).

[whiskey02]

The following is directly from Garrison Fewell speaking of his use of triads:

"Among all the players I list in my book, I have seen all of them play in person and close up, except Charlie Christian and Wes Montgomery, both of whose music I have studied thoroughly, and I have played with more than several of these giants. I can give you hundreds of examples and entire solos they have built from the triadic system. Before there were schools that taught scales, there were always triads that fit neatly on the guitar and all these guitarists used to them improvise. Charlie Christian was the first electric guitarists to be well known and his solos are models of triadic linear thinking. In "Rose Room", he plays several times an Eb7,b9 sus4 chord... but wait: did he really know such a chord???? NO! But when he played the Dbmin triad over Eb7 - voila! And the fingering for that root position triad on strings 3,2,1 on the forth fret is exactly the way he plays it! That is essential if you want to understand where this all came from".

"When you look at the instrument using triads, it becomes easy to HEAR the lines you are playing because the structures of the sound are easier to identify and very little thinking is actually going on when you improvise that way. It's like having a solar panel wired to your brain so you don't have to use electricity to power up your mind when your batteries are low on juice. We have to get past thought and into the aural plane to make brilliant solos. Most guitarists are not capable of that initially, so here is a common thread that exists in all the great players, who ALL listened to C.C. and HEARD how he played those amazing lines ... amazing for 1939 or 2010! ... very advanced playing.... and he pioneered this approach. Now you can get closer to the sound so that when your talent takes over and your ears come alive, you will recognize this in many other players music as well. Then you can divert from that into any other area you wish to take it. Pat Metheny uses the same system as Wes Montgomery. Larry Coryell and John Abercrombie use the same system and listened closely to Wes and Charlie Christian and Grant Green".

And here is a link to a great lesson demonstrating how he uses them.
Jazzitalia - Lessons: Guitar - Garrison Fewell

[bluewaterpig]

I think I understand what you're asking. I think that the main advantage is that when you play these superimposed triads that end up containing the 9, 11, 13, etc., it just gives off a more sophisticated sound.

When we hear a triad being played, we hear 3 notes that go together, so it pleases our ear, and when we get away from that typical sound of the chord tones and start to include tensions, that's where the sophisticated sound starts to come into play.

[randalljazz]

"I invite all readers of my books to email me and ask anything." -- garrison fewell

can be emailed through his website.

he might be persuaded to drop in on us here...

[AlsoRan]

this is a GREAT book, if you are ready for it. i have spent 4-6 hours a day with this material for the last year or so.

Now this is how you use an Jazz instructional book! Instead of spending 30 minutes once or twice a week, if you REALLY want to learn an idea thoroughly, you do what RJ here does and give it the time it deserves.

RJ, you make me feel ashamed of my study habits and to a certain extent, myself.

What a reality check. But let me tell you, it is duly noted and I have already started narrowing my focus drastically!

I'm still going to work on the many other songs I am trying to perfect, but I am going to really stick with this one concept until I breathe it. Luckily I have plenty of books to supplement the Fewell book and By Gum!, I am following your lead!

Good night, all.

[monk]

I think that Garrison Fewell's two books are the best jazz guitar publications of the last 40 years, possibly ever. If Mickey Baker's book is elementary school, Fewell's books are high school & college.

I don't think that any book is a substitute for listening to & learning the solos of the great players but Fewell's books are the most lucid, logical, systematic demonstrations of jazz guitar soloing I've ever seen. I wish I'd had them when I started playing.

Here's a link to a video of Fewell. Given some of the discussion and debate we've had on this forum concerning scales & modes, I thought the segment from :45 to 1:10 would be of interest.

[FatJeff]

I have to admit that I bought the book, tried out the ideas for a while, then put it down. The picked it up again this past summer, tried it again, and put it down. I don't think I'm "getting" it. His approach doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

[NSJ]

I just ordered this book, on Randall's recommendation. I wonder how this compares with the guy who coined the term, "The Mighty Triad", George van Eps? I have a feeling you can get through this book, whereas, no one seems to finish Mr. v. Eps magnum opus (many years ago, he told my teacher that, before the three volumes were edited, the books were the size of Ma Bell PHONE books. )

Regarding the fingerboard knowledge, I'll relay a fantastic lesson I've been working on, that was given to me by my teacher. It's helped me a lot, and maybe it can help others as well. I take no credit for it, I'm just the student.

The fundamental concept is to make left-hand fingering incidental or irrelevant to your lines: to be able to play a line fluidly regardless of whatever finger you start with. The lesson was: start out in 3rd position:
1. Play Major Triads (1-3-5) chromatically (using the chromatic scale) with each finger (1,2,3,4). Thus, G Major triad, G# M triad, A Maj Triad, A# Major triad, Bb Triad....here you have to either go up a fret on the 6h string or down a fret on the 5th fret-- to get to the B Major Triad. Moving on to the 5th string (shift positions only when necessary, as in previous example with B triad): back to 3rd position C Maj Triad, C# triad...until you get to the 2nd string (D triad, D# triad, E triad)

2. Then, combine the Maj triad with the Min triad (flatten the 3rd) to get the tactile movement and feeling in the fingers. (I.e., from the top, again, G Maj triad, G min triad, G# Major triad, G# min triad...etc.

3. Then practice the same with Minor triads
4. Then practice the same with Dim Triads
5. Then practice the same with Aug Triads.

Eventually, when you get the triads down (the triads are FUNDAMENTAL, and getting them down means practicing them forwards and backwards, starting at any point in the triad (i.e., 1st and 2nd inversion as well), you can add notes (6th, m7, M7, P8, 9th, 11th, 13th)

I know that people practice triads all the time, but can we really perfect them with any fingering, in such a way as to render the idea of fingering incidental to our playing?

Other things my teacher recommended--building on the above: starting on C, in each position (starting with 1st), find the root to the cycle of 4ths (C,F,Bb,Eb, Ab, etc). Once you get this down cold, move up the 2nd position, rinse, repeat, and then move on the to the 3rd pos, 4th pos (always start at C at each position). Notice you will have to use different fingers in each position. Shift only when necessary to locate the next root note in the circle of 4ths series.

Now, having done this, instead of playing just the roots at each position, play the Maj or Min triads in each position going up the circle of 4ths (C M triad, F M triad, Bb triad...etc.).

The work you have done in the first part, with the triads starting from all of the fingers (1,2,3,4), within the framework of the chromatic scale will pay dividends when playing triads in each position starting with C and going up the circle of 4ths.

the coverage area wil be 4 frets + 1 fret up and + fret down, so really 6 frets, which you cover with either the 1st or 4th finger.

I'm telling you, this is the best lesson I've ever had on the fingerboard. I'll be working on this a good long while.

Thanks again for the book recommendation!

[NSJ]

Randall and Monk,

This is a fantastic, fantastic book! Thank you for your recommendations.
Just making clear and elucidating a basic statement like "The G minor triad and its extensions divide the fretboard into 4 quadrants, using alternating minor and major triads: Gm, Bb, Dm, F."....

This one simple statement really really opens up a ton of musical doors, if one groks it fully.

[monk]

Jeff,
Check these videos and see if they help.

[FatJeff]

OK, well I can see the utility of what he's showing there. It's not a difficult concept, and I can see how it might open one's eyes and breed familiarity on the fretboard. I'll make a point to revisit this stuff once I get out of school in May of next year. :-)

It reminds me of other "tricks" I've been taught, like how you can take any pentatonic scale that works over a given chord and then play the same types of lines in the pentatonic shapes that are up a Maj2 or a P5. You have to shed these ideas to get them into your sound, which is probably the same truth here.

It also kind of reminds me of Sheryl Bailey's "Family of Four" concept, although I admit I don't fully understand that one.

[monk]

Jeff,
This is a triad shape based method for controlling the chordal extensions in your lines and viewing the fingerboard in a unified way.

To my ear, it's very Wes Montgomery sounding when soloing over tunes.

It's pretty much the same thing as Larry Carlton's Super Arpeggio which was Larry applying Wes' concepts to pop and funk grooves with an overdriven tone.

It's also similar to Pat Martino's Minor Conversion concept in which all chords in a progression are converted to minor which seems to be Martino's personal spin on how Wes influenced him.

It's very much derived from Charlie Parker's approach which is probably how Wes made the jump from his early Charlie Christian based playing to a more "modern" sound.

Regards,
monk

[derek]

I too have this book, and find it a wonderful approach. The only downsid is I haven't spent enough time working with it.

[randalljazz]

elaborating a bit on post #4, the following thoughts i sent in response to an email from one of our members, fwiw:

begin by learning the two different pattern sequences: ex 2.2 g minor shows the arpeggio peaking at the high F (the 7th) and resolving at the A (the 9th); the next one in c minor goes up to the F (now the 11th) and resolving back to the D (again, the 9th). all remaining keys follow one of these two melodic patterns, in different parts of the fretboard.

MY recommendation is to learn every key (that is, every minor 11th arpeggio) in both of these melodic patterns in all positions possible.

further, re-bar into 4/4 (most jazz is thus), for greater utility, and omit the measure with the chord, giving you two measures of 4/4 for each pattern, very useful as building blocks. practice slowly WITH THE METRONOME, as slow as you need to be 100% accurate, and when your facility permits, play with metronome clicks on beats 2 and 4 (imitating the drummer's hi-hat backbeat).

as you work through the keys, begin the exercises on page 21, again with all possible positions for each key, and pay attention to what you are doing, and why.

BE PATIENT AND THOROUGH with these preliminaries, and the rewards will come.

with fig 3.1 and 3.2, you begin to sound like music. again, all keys, all positions, with the metronome. ex 3.1 gives one way of playing for each key. work out all other practical positions for yourself.

do the same thing for fig 3.6 through 3.11 (that is, work out in all keys, all practical positions). same for the three lines in ex 3.4. all very hip-sounding lines. these transpositions will do wonders for your fretboard understanding.

(again, re-bar the last one into 4/4---jazz waltzes are really rare, as in don't worry about playing in three until you have mastered the time-feel of jazz swing and latin thythms, all in 4/4).

ymmv

[RyanM]

He has a second book listed online, "Jazz Improvisation For Guitar - A Harmonic Approach", but there isn't much info on it...
Does anyone know what's covered? Is it an extension of the other book?

[monk]

Fewell's second book, A Harmonic Approach, builds further on the information in his first book.

These are the chapter headings:

1. Diatonic Substitution and Upper Structure Triads
2. Diatonic Substitution 7th Chord Arpeggios
3. Parallel Modes and Diatonic Structure
4. Secondary Dominants
5. Improvising over Minor Chords
6. Common Uses of the Melodic Minor Scale
7. bII7 and V7(alt) Chords
8. Diminished 7th Chords
9. The Symmetrical Diminished Scale
10. The Four Tonic System
11. Melodic Counterpoint
12. Building a Solo: Chromatic Motion and Compound Lines

[eddy b.]

I was lucky enough to study with Garrison back in my Berklee days and let me just say the guy is the real deal. A true educator and amazing player and a great guy to boot. His method is logical well thought out and concise for considering the subject.the funny thing is that now that I am digging into the Bach Lute suites all I see are triads and their inversions all over the guitar. I wasted alot of time with scales...oh well.

[gingerjazz]

I am still working on this book,and have to say i am struggling a bit to fully grasp the concept.I want to stick with it though because the lines i hear on the cd and Garrisson himself playing are incredible.I think the idea is to be able to play all the m11 apeggios any where on the neck,i was getting confused at first by thinking about the triads being the basis for the lines but i think the triad is ther to help find the position on the neck while still playing the same m11 arp.Help me Randall i am confused.

[randalljazz]

I am still working on this book,and have to say i am struggling a bit to fully grasp the concept.I want to stick with it though because the lines i hear on the cd and Garrisson himself playing are incredible.I think the idea is to be able to play all the m11 apeggios any where on the neck,i was getting confused at first by thinking about the triads being the basis for the lines but i think the triad is ther to help find the position on the neck while still playing the same m11 arp.Help me Randall i am confused.

exactly which exercise are you working on? don't get hung up on 'the concept'. this is a method to learn how to play fluid, coherent lines, and will only 'make sense' as you get it in your fingers.

[gingerjazz]

Hi Randall,on page 28 "hot saw" Garrisson starts to talk about using the dorian mode,i am very familiar with the dorian scale.This confused me a bit because i thought we were supposed tobe using this triadic method.However after reading through your previous posts i think i have had a light bulb moment.You mentioned that we are using the m11 arpeggio and learning it in all places and keys.Is that essentially what he is doing,giving us the m11 as a kind of scale to work from but using the four triads included in it to locate different places on the neck for different phrasing.If this is the case i find it odd that Garrison does not mention the m11 arpeggio so far in the book(i dont think i have seen it anyway).I think this is what threw me a bit,it has been starng me in the face but i could not see the wood for the trees,typical of me.I am thinking of starting from the beginning of the book again and will keep you up to date.I got lost somewhere but am not really sure where it was.The book still seems amazing to me,but does not seem to want to give up its secrets easily.It is strange that i am struggling with this because i am normally quite good at learning concepts from books but this one seems somehow different to the others,which may turn out to be a good thing.I think i may start a persona progress thread in case any one else is interested in the book.I know Fatjeff also found the book interesting but confusing.

[AlsoRan]

Hi Randall,on page 28 "hot saw" Garrisson starts to talk about using the dorian mode,i am very familiar with the dorian scale.This confused me a bit because i thought we were supposed tobe using this triadic method.

gingerjazz, here is my two cents after consulting with a very sharp source I have.

The book on page 4 talks about that raised 6th note in the Dorian mode as being the characteristic note of the Dorian mode.

Jumping to the A, which is the 5th of the D Minor chord, and deriving triads based on A minor gives you access to that raised 6th of D Dorian which is B natural.

Summary:
D Dorian: D E F G A B C D. The note "B" is the "characteristic" note of this mode (page 4); hence, the going to the triads built from A (starting with A minor) will give you direct access to that note and allow you to linger on it as you utilize it as you please to help get that Dorian sound.

Disclaimer: I am not completely confident in throwing out jazz theory so forgive me if I made an error in my use of terminology, notation, etc.. Still, this appears to be where Mr. Fewell is coming from. Using triads to cover the entire fretboard in little pieces (see page 18). In this case, you can construct a solo based on the Dorian mode (with apologies to those forum members that don't believe in Modes).

Hope this helps.

[gingerjazz]

Thank you alsoran,i was wondering why he suddenly did this and you have helped me clear that up.I am now starting out again with this book from scratch because i believe in its value.I think it might be a deliberate teaching style that Garrisson uses in that he does not spoon feed the reader and makes you think about things and work things out for yourself.Randalljazz has inspired me to stick with it.I have a very high regard for Randalls opinion,and if he says it is worth putting in the time with this book then i believe him.Take care and thank you once again for your help and support.