Jazz Guitar Lesson : 2-5-1 Pathways For Improvisation

Chris Whiteman

31 May 202410:36

Summary

TLDRIn this jazz guitar lesson, Chris Whitman introduces a conceptual approach to building a '251 single note pathway' as a foundation for improvisation. He emphasizes the importance of memorization and physical reflex to manipulate the pathway into endless lines, rather than memorizing a single 'lick'. The lesson outlines constructing a pathway with harmonic clarity over a 251 progression, starting in C major and moving through all 12 keys. Whitman suggests a 90-day daily practice for solidifying the technique and mastering the concept.

Takeaways

🎸 The lesson focuses on building and internalizing a '251 single note pathway' on the guitar, which is a foundational framework for creating musical lines.
🛠️ The concept of a 'pathway' is distinguished from a 'lick', with the former being a flexible framework for improvisation, while the latter is a specific line to be played as is.
🔄 The purpose of practicing a pathway is to eventually manipulate and build upon it to create endless lines, as opposed to memorizing and playing a single lick.
🎼 The lesson is part one of a two-part series, with part one concentrating on constructing and reflexing the pathway through all 12 keys.
📈 The pathway is built by outlining each chord in a 251 progression and ensuring voice leading between the changes for harmonic clarity.
📍 The example starts in the key of C major with chords D Minor 7, G7, and C Major 7, using shell voicings for orientation on the guitar neck.
🎵 The pathway involves playing the arpeggio of the D Minor 7 chord, moving to the G7 chord with voice leading, and resolving to the C Major 7 chord.
🆚 The G7 chord is where dissonance and tension are added, using the flat nine as the first altered tension explored in the lesson.
🔄 The pathway pattern is then transposed through the cycle of fourths, adapting to different keys while maintaining the shell voicing orientation.
📚 The lesson includes a PDF with tabbed patterns and analysis of the notes against the chords for further study.
🔄 A backing track is used to practice the pathway through all 12 keys, first at a fast tempo and then slow for better understanding and reflexive learning.
🧠 The script mentions the importance of daily repetition for about 90 days to solidify new neural pathways, which is crucial for mastering new concepts on the guitar.

Q & A

What is the main focus of Chris Whitman's jazz guitar lesson in the provided transcript?
-The main focus of Chris Whitman's lesson is on building and internalizing a '251 single note pathway' as a foundation for creating one's own musical lines, emphasizing the difference between a 'lick' and a 'pathway' in terms of musical concept and application.
What does Chris Whitman define as the difference between a 'lick' and a 'pathway' in jazz guitar playing?
-Chris Whitman defines a 'lick' as a line you play verbatim, while a 'pathway' is a more fluid framework of how a line moves through changes, allowing for the creation of endless lines based on the foundational structure.
What is the purpose of practicing a pathway in the context of this lesson?
-The purpose of practicing a pathway is to build a strong foundation that can be manipulated to create various musical lines, emphasizing the importance of memorization and physical reflex to allow for fluid and creative playing.
How does Chris Whitman suggest practicing the pathway initially?
-Chris Whitman suggests practicing the pathway initially by running it over and over until it's memorized and physically reflexed, similar to how one would practice a lick, to ensure that it can be played without conscious thought.

Outlines

00:00

🎸 Introduction to Jazz Guitar Pathway Building

In this introductory jazz guitar lesson, Chris Whitman explains the concept of a 'pathway' as opposed to a 'lick'. He emphasizes that a pathway is a more fluid and flexible framework for constructing guitar lines, with the goal of eventually manipulating it to create a variety of unique lines. The lesson focuses on building and internalizing a single note pathway for a 251 progression, starting with memorization and physical reflex to achieve a strong foundation before manipulating it. The instructor outlines the process of constructing the pathway by mapping out shell voicings and outlining each chord in the progression, with attention to voice leading for harmonic clarity. The lesson begins in the key of C major, with the chords D Minor 7, G7, and C Major 7, and demonstrates the pathway over these chords.

05:00

🎼 Developing Pathways Across the Cycle of Fourths

Continuing the lesson, Chris Whitman discusses the process of moving the constructed pathway through the cycle of fourths, which involves transposing the pattern to different key centers. He illustrates this by moving to the key of F, where the chords are G minor 7, C7, and F major 7. Whitman emphasizes the importance of orienting to shell voicings to maintain a sense of harmony and position on the guitar neck. He demonstrates how to build the line in the new key, focusing on voice leading and the addition of tension through the use of the flat nine in the five chord. The lesson includes a PDF with tabbed-out patterns and analysis of the notes against the chords, and Whitman suggests practicing this pattern through all 12 keys as a daily exercise to solidify the neural pathways, referencing the approximate 90 days of repetition needed for mastery.

10:14

🔍 Future Lesson on Manipulating the Pathway

Chris Whitman concludes the first part of the two-part series by informing students that the next lesson will focus on manipulating the pathway they have learned to build their own lines. This will involve exploring ways to creatively use the foundational pathway as a starting point for developing personal and unique guitar phrases. The instructor encourages students to look forward to the next session, where they will delve deeper into the art of improvisation and line construction on the jazz guitar.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Jazz guitar

Jazz guitar refers to the performance of jazz music on the guitar. It typically involves a variety of techniques, including improvisation and chord-melody playing. In the video, the theme revolves around teaching jazz guitar techniques, specifically focusing on building a '251 single note pathway', which is a foundational concept for improvisation over a common chord progression in jazz.

💡Pathway

In the context of this video, a 'pathway' is a conceptual framework for how a musical line moves through chord changes, as opposed to a 'lick', which is a pre-composed line. The instructor, Chris Whitman, emphasizes that a pathway is more fluid and serves as a foundation for creating endless lines of music, which is central to the lesson's objective of teaching improvisation.

💡251 progression

The '251 progression' is a common chord progression in jazz music, typically consisting of a ii-V-I sequence in a key. In the script, this progression is used as the basis for constructing the single note pathway, with the chords being Dm7 (ii chord), G7 (V chord), and Cmaj7 (I chord) in the key of C major.

💡Arpeggio

An arpeggio is a musical technique where the notes of a chord are played in sequence rather than simultaneously. In the video, the instructor outlines the arpeggios for the Dm7 and G7 chords as part of the pathway construction, emphasizing the importance of understanding the chord structure for improvisation.

💡Voice leading

Voice leading is a compositional technique where the movement from one chord to another is achieved by having one or more voices move by step, creating a smooth transition. In the script, the instructor discusses the importance of voice leading between the Dm7 and G7 chords to ensure harmonic clarity in the pathway.

💡Shell voicing

Shell voicing is a type of guitar chord voicing that spreads the notes of a chord across different strings and frets, often used for easier movement between chords. The instructor uses shell voicings to orient himself on the guitar neck and to construct the pathway, providing a reference point for the chords in the 251 progression.

💡Dissonance

Dissonance in music refers to a tension created by certain combinations of notes that are not part of a standard chord. In the lesson, the instructor adds dissonance to the G7 chord by playing the flat nine, which increases the tension before resolving to the C major chord, contributing to the pathway's dynamic quality.

💡Cadence

A cadence is a sequence of chords or a harmonic pattern that signals the end of a musical phrase or section. The G7 chord in the 251 progression is described as a cadence point where tension is increased before resolving to the tonic, which is a key part of the pathway's construction.

💡Cycle of Fourths

The 'cycle of fourths' is a method of transposing a musical pattern or progression through all 12 keys by moving up a fourth each time. In the video, the instructor plans to move the 251 pathway through the cycle of fourths, demonstrating how the pathway can be adapted to any key, which is essential for versatile improvisation.

💡Neural network

In the context of this video, a 'neural network' refers to the brain's network of neurons that are strengthened through repetition and practice, leading to mastery of a skill. The instructor mentions the neuroscience behind practicing for 90 days to solidify a new neural network, emphasizing the importance of daily practice in mastering the pathway.

💡Improvisation

Improvisation in music is the spontaneous creation of melody and harmony without prior preparation. The main theme of the video is to teach how to build a pathway for improvisation over the 251 progression, allowing the musician to create unique and fluid musical lines based on a foundational structure.

Highlights

Chris Whitman introduces a jazz guitar lesson focusing on building and internalizing a '251 single note pathway'.

The 'pathway' is conceptualized as a more fluid and manipulable framework compared to a 'lick', which is seen as a fixed line.

The purpose of the pathway is to create a foundation for building one's own musical lines with fluidity and creativity.

The lesson is the first part of a two-part series, with the second part focusing on manipulating the pathway to create new lines.

The pathway is built by outlining each chord in a 251 progression and ensuring voice leading between chord changes for harmonic clarity.

Starting in the key of C major, the chords are D Minor 7, G7, and C Major 7, with shell voicings mapped out for orientation.

The D Minor 7 arpeggio is outlined starting on the fifth and moving through the chord tones to create a clear harmonic path.

Good voice leading is demonstrated by the half step movement from the flat seventh of D Minor 7 to the third of G7.

Dissonance and tension are added in the G7 chord by jumping to the flat nine before resolving to the root and flat seventh.

The pathway pattern is then moved through the cycle of fourths, starting with F major as the new key center.

In the new key, the chords become G minor 7, C7, and F Major 7, with shell voicings used for orientation and clarity.

The line is built with attention to voice leading, using the fifth, flat third, root, and flat seventh of the G minor 7 chord.

Tension is added to the C7 chord by incorporating the flat nine, creating a more colorful and expressive sound.

The resolution from the C7 chord to the F Major 7 is emphasized through the movement of the flat seventh to the third.

A backing track is used to practice the pathway through all 12 keys, demonstrating the versatility and application of the concept.

The importance of daily repetition for 90 days is highlighted for solidifying new neural pathways and mastering the technique.

The lesson concludes with a promise to return for part two, where the manipulation of the pathway to create original lines will be explored.