Welcome back! In this lesson I would like to show you one example on how you can take a small pattern and turn it into a larger phrase that will sound cohesive. A lot of people may learn bits and pieces of things and never really put it all together. It is very important to make it flow and sound musical as much as possible. To demonstrate what I mean, I put together a couple techniques that I showed you in previous lessons and constructed a phrase for you to practice.
Example 1 is a one bar phrase that is based from a E Phrygian Dominant scale (E, F, G#, A, B, C, D), which is just the 5th mode of the A Harmonic minor scale. The first 2 beats are constructed from the up 4 back 1 pattern from the last lesson and on the last beat there is a 16th note triplet sweeping pattern that consists of 2 triads. The triads are E major and D minor, which are from the E Phrygian Dominant scale.
MP3 - Putting It Together, Example 1
Now with Example 2, we will take the phrase in Example 1 and make it into a longer line that moves down the neck. You will notice the same phrase repeats down the neck in 3 octaves and changes in bar 4, resolving to Am. The notes in bar 4 are all from the Am Scale, except the Eb, the b5th. Most of this line is all alternate picked except for the sweeping pattern. On beat 3 of each bar, I'm using pull-offs to play the pinky stretch, this sets up the right to get you prepared for the sweeping phrase right after. I found doing it this way makes it easier to play and it sounds smoother, but you will have to experiment.
MP3 - Putting It Together, Example 2
When I'm creating lines or phases I may move a phrase down or up an octave and maybe change the last section, etc. This type of line construction helps your audience latch on to what you are playing and will make it easier for them to follow. This is only one example of the many on how to make your lines sound more cohesive.
That is it for now! Be sure to make up your own lines and visit mikecampese.com.
Mike Campese is an all-around music performer, session artist and teacher competent in many musical styles, electric and acoustic. He has studied at G.I.T. (Honors Graduate), and with Paul Gilbert, Norman Brown, Stanley Jordan, Scott Henderson and Keith Wyatt.
His latest CD is entitled "Chapters", brand new for 2016.
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