Allan Holdsworth / Tim Miller inspired EMaj7Alt riffs


These 2 riffs are from Sheets of Sound for Legato Guitar Vol 2.


It's a really cool riff because i'm using BMaj9 Arpeggio over EMaj7 which gives you the 9, #11, 13 which sound very exotic without having to think about it!


The 2nd riff is based on the Eb 1/2-whole diminished scale. This is an underappreciated way to play over a Maj7 chord which I first heard in the late '50s with Bird but not taken to its fullest potential until the mid '60s when it became a staple of modern jazz musicians such as Liebman, Abercrombie, Bierach, Herbie, Chick, Weather Report etc. The idea is that you can play an Eb triad with an E in the bass and it generates an EMaj7#9#11 chord, based on the Eb 1/2 whole diminished scale although it's also the 6th mode of harmonic minor (for those who are theory geeks)


Regardless, it's a great sounding riff and a good way to end a tune on Maj7 or even to suspend the Maj7 chord for a bit, or be brave and just use it as another sound!





#AllanHoldsworth #TimMillerGuitar
#sheetsofsound
#jazzguitarlessons #guitarlessons
#jazzguitar #modernjazzguitar #jazzguitarriffs
#KieselZeus #altereddominant