Rick's Guitar School - Soloing over Chick Corea's 'Spain'
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- Опубликовано: 1 июн 2012
- Download this free lesson at my website now:: www.rick-graham.co.uk
Answer the following question to win a free download of your choice from my website: Name the Character (full name) and the Film which the 'Laugh' in the video was taken from. First comment with the correct answer wins a free lesson download of their choice from my website. Best of luck!
'Spain' backing track available from: www.bobbysbackingtracks.com/en/ 
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one of the smoothest and competent pickers in the planet,He is Rick Graham❤
The lesson is now available for download! Hope you enjoy it!
YES!!! You, sir, have not only won a free lesson download, but have also won my eternal respect.
BRO!!! You are a freaking MONSTER!!! I cant tell you how much I appreciate your time and your explanations with your scale choices. I am in the process of wrapping my mind around fusion, but musically I dont yet know exactly what to say and when. You are helping me to expand my vocabulary. Thank you so much bro! Peace and Love from DC!
Average? One of the very best in RUclips!
Yes!!!! I've been tinkering with this chart. Thanks, Rick!
Your killing it Great teacher/player. Thank you sir.
rick you really know what you're talking about, and you are a fantastic teacher and guitar player!
Great lesson Rick, thanks a ton for this. I've been watching this on and off for the last two weeks and finally worked up the chops to play it. Great teaching and playing as always!
Alex
Thanks so much for the lesson and by the way I think you are a fantastic awesome player.
I like your sense of humour Rick. Thank you for this lesson. God bless.
thanks. you inspired me to start practicing again!!!
you are such an amazing person. thanks for the free lessons
THANK YOU! I'm doing this for my senior recital at school, and now i've got more awesome ideas.
One of the Best players on earth♥️
I have my finals in a couple weeks, and this is gonna help heaps!!! Thanks bro your legend
I can only hope to be this fluent in guitar one day, fantastic playing and knowledge of scale choice. Good man!
Wow, absolutely fantastic lesson, Rick! If I could pay you to be my teacher, I wouldn't even hesitate! Great approach!
Love your sense of humor!
very useful video for me and my friends who are playing this track for an assessment at college!
amazing lesson
great lesson! nice playing too
Thank you! That was so explanatory so I can now make my own ideas looking to "Spain"!
Nice lesson and playing
The tone... it's the tone. Tone of the Gods.
Just wanna throw in my humble two cents here and there as I watch and learn from this wonderful master. My point of view is that, while learning the names and notes of interesting sounding scales is probably the superb thing to do, I am always looking for the "true root scale" instead. My mind is tiny, so I am compelled toward the simple (or perhaps more confessionally stated, the simplistic.) I am a self-taught enthusiast, but I admit to being a slow dummy.
In my tiny world, there are three basic "true root scales": the major scale, the harmonic minor scale, and the melodic minor scale. Of course there may be many others, but remember that my mind is tiny. For example, the "half step, whole step" scale is "legitimate" by all means, but in my tiny world, it occupies a secondary status to the "true roots."
So take my contributions for whatever they might be worth. When master Rick says "altered scale," what he means is that we are looking for an appropriate melodic minor. The chord B7b9 "belongs" to C melodic minor, and its notes are: C D Eb F G A B C --its character is that the first three notes make up any minor scale, and its remaining notes comprise the notes of a major scale.
When master Rick therefore says, "play the altered scale for F#7b9," what you are doing is playing "G melodic minor," but starting on its seventh note. I guess you can call it its own locrian scale.
Moving on, let's take on what master Rick calls the "phrygian dominant." Fair enough. And yet, this scale is (merely?) a harmonic minor starting on the fifth note of this "true root" scale. Thus, for example, "E phrygian dominant" is "A harmonic minor" but starting and ending on the note E. Transposing to the matter at hand, we have a F# phyrgian dominant, which is to say we are going to play B harmonic minor, but starting and ending on the note F#.
I admit that it is orgasmic to play as many open notes through B harmonic minor. Fun. Sexy.
I also confess to being hardcore about finding "true root scales." So even when master Rick says to go ahead and have fun, in one instance, with a F# "diminished seventh" run and, in another instance, to throw in your regular "Em7 arpeggio," my tiny mind can't handle all the names.
In these cases, and to respond first to the notion of a diminished seventh run, all I know is that if you start on the seventh note of any harmonic minor scale, and then do a minor third interval run for awhile, you will hit all the notes of that harmonic minor scale.
Should you look at the diatonic rendering of a harmonic minor scale (i.e., stacking up triads and/or quadrads for each note of the scale), diminished chords are found all over the place, and the seven position is one of them. So what the heck: start there on the seventh note of your newly found true harmonic minor scale for your minor third interval run, er, your diminished seventh arpeggio.
Hey, get back to me if you understand why a minor third interval run is called a "diminished seventh" anything. I fear that words might be getting in the way here, and thus may confuse a concept or two along the way. I guess I would advise to never connect the identity of a diminished chord to any dominant seven note added.
The principle character of a diminished chord is its major sixth, and thus belong to harmonic minors. When you substitute that major sixth for a dominant seven, you get (what should be considered) an entirely different chord with an entirely different role, because it belongs to an entirely different family. It assumes the seven chord of a major scale.
Ah, but I detract. Allow me to continue my paranoia regarding unnecessary nomenclature, as in regards to the benign naming of a scale called "Em7 arpeggio." Remember that I have a tiny brain, so my panties get all bunched up. Again, all I know is that Em7 can assume a major scale's sixth position in its "purest form," which is the natural minor scale, AKA the aeolian mode. (Yes: I realize that I just inferred that dorians and phrygians of a major scale are impure. I am such an asshole).
As a purist looking for true roots, I do not accept the idea of a "natural minor scale." Why? Because it should go home and behave itself: an unadorned, no-nonsense Em7 straight-ahead scale belongs to G major, period, I dare say! I see now that I easily would have been an eager Youth for Pol Pot.
And now for the "dorian with a flat 9" which is said can be used to solo over the chord A b9 add 13. This scale "belongs" to G melodic minor --the "true root scale." Tentatively, I am supposing that it may be safe to say that the chord "A b9 add 13" is a "two chord" and thus deserving of its own dorian-esque status. I say I am tentative because I have yet to get off my lazy ass and identify the chords corresponding to a diatonic rendering of a melodic minor.
By the way, I read once somewhere that if you stay with the melodic minor whilst both ascending and descending, you can call it the "jazz melodic minor." Take that, classical theory!
So on and on. "Bm pentatonic scale" is D major pentatonic, etc. Now, I freely admit that a principle weakness of my way of referencing chords is this issue of "tonality" that master Rick mentions periodically. When I find the "true root scale" for a particular chord, I tend to get promiscuous and end up masturbating in a frenzied orgy of mechanical scale runs over threesomes (er, triads), leaving behind the monogamous and solid tonic I came to the party with.
The proper prophylactic for me has been to slow down with experience, and to feel more comfortable with every mode up and down the shaft. The rod. Shit: the guitar neck.
"In my tiny world, there are three basic "true root scales"" Exactly, step out of your tiny world.
"Rick therefore says, "play the altered scale for F#7b9," what you are doing is playing "G melodic minor," but starting on its seventh note."
That's called modality, it's not G melodic Minor, it's F#7b9. Root note being F#, not D.
And it's actually not even a mode of Melodic Minor. G melodic minor would be ; G, A, Bb, C, D, E, F#, G
F#7b9 containing a root G for reference is; (G) F#, G, **A#, **B, **C#, **D#, E, F#
This is a mode of B Harmonic Major (maj b6)
and more accurately what is illustrated typically is the *altered scale
Which is typically meant to be played over dominants, diminished and augmented chords.
it is as follows, 1, b2, b3, b4, b5, b6 ,b7 if it is easier think if it as a major scale with the root note raised a half step.
One can easily ignore the fact that it lacks a perfect 5th and play it over a chord containing one anyway. It contains a minor third and dimished 5th, but it also contains a diminished 4th which is enharmonically the same pitch as a major third.
Focusing on the "root scale" as you call it will be detrimental to your playing in the long run. You can't think that way over moderately fast, fluid, or complex changes. The Key center, or pitch axis, is either the root of the current chord being played, or the smallest discernible harmonic phrase, ii7, V7, Imaj7 for example (two chord, five chord, one chord) in which case the "root scale" would be whatever the I (1) chord is.
Take all the scale knowledge and make it second nature, so you can treat each chord in the changes individually. It's boring to play the same scale that fits all chords being played in a sequence, and often is just downright impossible unless you build a scale containing all chord tones which will end up being essentially chromatic. The interesting color of phrasing comes form playing notes that work over the current chord, and then switching pitch sets to fit the next chord, when 1,2,3 or 4, etc notes form the 1st pitch set would otherwise conflict with the next chord.
Message me if you'd like clarification or have more theory questions.
*****
Hey Tyler! Nice stuff! Let's keep the party going! Now, I just played the following notes, as you identified them, following the formula you provided when you wrote, "...it is as follows, 1, b2, b3, b4, b5, b6 ,b7 if it is easier think if it as a major scale with the root note raised a half step."
Thus, for fun, I chose "B+9," and played the notes B(1) C(b2) D(b3) D#(b4) F(b5) G(b6) and A(b7). The notes I played in the chord are: B D# A D. I now observe that the notes for C melodic minor are: C D D# F G A B. The characteristic of a melodic minor is that it is a "first half minor and second half major."
These notes for C melodic minor are the very same notes you provide to determine what you identify as a B "harmonic major" scale, except, of course, that it is a mode of the C melodic minor, starting on its seventh note. My understanding is that some call this mode either the "super locrian" or the "altered" scale. I am comfortable with calling it what you would like it to be called, the B "harmonic major" scale.
So, now, when I apply your information, and attempt to say that the B harmonic major scale can be considered a "major scale with the root note raised a half step", well, that appears to be incorrect. That is to say, "B harmonic major" appears to be what I indicated it is --a C melodic minor starting on its seventh position. It is not any kind of straight major scale whatsoever, no matter where on that scale you start modally, even when you raise any starting note up a half step.
My basic point in having been tongue-in-cheek-self-deprecating in the post that you responded to is to question the need for having names for scales that, when all is said and done, "belong" (perfectly and directly) diatonically to commonly known (or easily accessed), basic scales. As I suggested, it may be interesting and nice to know the names of these myriad of scale names, but the likes of nomenclature such as "dominant lydian," dominant phrygian," "super locrian" super mixolydian" and now the "harmonic major" are modes of existing harmonic minors and melodic minors.
I did say that finding these "root scales" (as I call 'em), at least at first blush, might not highlight that sweet tonic, third, fifth, or seventh of the presented chord. But that is true for any chord anywhere when one is familiarizing oneself with available modal possibilities. Once a student becomes adept at knowing where to place fingers up and down the neck for the major scale, the harmonic minor scale, and the melodic minor scale (and to not try to fit in all notes of a scale in serving up a phrase), it is a matter of time and experience for that blessed "second nature" you speak of to "click in" sweetly.
I do agree with you that it is " boring to play the same scale that fits all chords being played in a sequence", but it seems to me that it is fruitful to know first whether chords in a sequence relate to the same "family" of chords of a given, easily recognizable, basic, "root" scale. Thus, in the same way an experienced improviser might roll her eyes over, say, a hellishly repeating "ii-V7-I" or a "I-vi-ii-V7" in C major and end up exhausting every trick covering every white note on a the piano, so too will she come to recognize that (to choose randomly from among scale family members) "IV7-V7-VII+9" signals a reference to its melodic minor "1."
I went over my diatonic renderings of the harmonic minor and the melodic minor. I do indeed reconfirm that the altered chords, X+9 and X-9 fall within the seventh position of a melodic minor. I do see a dominant 7 flat 9 chord in the fifth position of a harmonic minor. However, the only position that holds for both dominant seven raised and flat nines is the seventh position of the melodic minor.
I will be happy to share with you these diatonic treatments at your request.
muchacho56 yes.
fantastic, you're very cool.
Now j just to practice it.
where j can find this backing track.
Great lesson thanks Rick
nice guitardandan07! really great and interesting lesson, would love more of the same type
... damn. I'm impressed. Been getting into fusion as of late, so this is great listening.
Really nice - thanks for the lesson
Fantastic Channel, thanks Rick!
Wow i just wanted to transcribe this song and make my own version,now im overloaded with tons of Help videos, this one is really nice, thanks!
Thanks mate!
great lesson ..thanks probably gonna take a few years before im ready for the next lesson unless you can give an idea of how to memorize these scales faster ..thanks
Way cool, Rick!
i think he means that theyre the same in the sense of them being modes of eachother, altered is the 7th mode of melodic minor, play melodic minor up a halfstep basically.
THank you so much. This helps a ton.
Hi, I'm subscribed to your channel, I'm very impressed with this video. I strongly recommend you with already adding the diagrams of the ladders you recommend that can much more help people. Thanks
The altered scale is basically the locrian scale ( natural minor scale with the 2nd and 5th tones lowered ) with the 4th lowered whereas the melodic minor is a natural minor scale with a natural sixth and seventh.
Cool lesson! I like B harmonic Minor over the D Major.
I'm guessing the laugh is from Ellis in Die Hard? The scene where McClane, Ellis and Takagi are talking just before Holly walks in. Classic movie. Incredible playing.
Hey Rick,
Did you instinctively know what scale you wanted to play over a specific chord or did you sit down and take the time to figure out what scale you wanted over the chord? I recently discovered your music, and am loving it! Keep up the awesome work, man!
Cheers from NZ!✊🏾❤️🥇
Amazing! I need to brush up on theory on this one!
That all makes perfect sense to me. I wish I had more people around me that understand this stuff. I'm not saying I'm very good at it all the time, or much of the time, but I'm glad you're here.
It comes with time. With practice you will start to notice chord patterns and relate them to scales. Best of luck!
Alex
Great lesson thanks Rick, any chance of a lesson showing the head etc? cheers
is B harmonic minor the same as the Phrygian one over the F# 7 flat 9?
I believe it is yes.
The #3 Phrygian scale that he's using is the 5th mode of the B harmonic minor scale.
Erwann Martin tx
scales are just notes of an octave...how you divide them up is up to you...you can use any notes...the idea is to make it sound interesting...there are no rules...but after your solo you have to learn to come back to the melody ...then the the other guy solos... :-)
ninjasbar I understand what you mean very well, and I do like to believe that rules are meant to be broken too.
But to me playing music is exactly like speaking, you can play whatever you want as long as it sounds right to you, but the steps of mastering the art of soloing are Learning the Rules, Understand the Rules, Master the Rules and then finally Break the Rules.
Erwann Martin
you are right there...
I'm sure Rick realizes this but didn't have time to explain; Dorian b2 works over the A dominant because the 1st 3 notes of the scale are the same as the first 3 notes of the altered scale (a dominant scale) and the upper 4 notes are the same as mixolydian which is the diatonic dominant scale. The A dominant chord is a functioning dominant, meaning that it resolves to the I chord (D), which in jazz theory means that it is open season for tension notes provided you resolve on the D chord. So in theory you could play more or less anything, but alternate examples to try over the A dominant chord might include; A whole-tone, A half-whole (diminished), A# Mixolydian (Eb major). Have fun trying these :o)
i filled a whiteboard writing out all these amazing sale choices then added the minor pent version for each chord just for more variety
Hey that's great, do you mind sharing it with us too?
@@KshitijKumar5595 these are the one i use the most
Gmaj7 = Bm penta *
(either)
F#7b9 = Am penta
Em7 = Bm penta
A13b9 = Cm pent
Dmaj7 = Bm penta
Gmaj7 = F#m penta *
C#7(#9)= Em penta
F#7b9 = Am penta
Bm9 = Bm penta
B7 = F#m /G#m /c#m penta
add 1 or 2 notes to each pent for more tonal flavours
@@genevai2893 thanks a lot brother.
Which backing track are you using?
Super Lesson Rick . Ellis is the man .
Офигенно! Спасибо!
A must channel to subscribe ... Anyway you are awesome and hillarious .. Love your tones too, please teach me masta ..
average noway rick your an amazing guitarist!!
I found the Practicing scales using Octave Displacement package at the bottom of the page but there doesn't seem to be a link or anything for this lesson, Rick. I would love to learn this. Let me know what is happening with your page please, sir. Thank you, Rick!
wow!
thanks ;)
the more times i watch this video the more and more i pick up
If it sounds good then most of the time it is, no matter what the question pentatonic is the answer!!! jp
ahah great competition! :)
Brush up? I think I need a powered sprayer :-) I have to learn altered scales and diminished scales and how to use them. I've only learned the Phrygian Dominant from Harmonic minor modes, but that's about it.
it's a lot easier than it all seems. Think of it all as major scale (that's the way that's easiest for me). For example, melodic minor is a major scale with a minor 3rd in stead of major 3rd. Just a note! and then each mode of melodic minor has a similar relationship to the corresponding mode of the major scale. E.g. if you want to play over a C7b5 chord, you use a Cmixolydian (like normally) but replace the '4' with a b5. So you get both a normal 5 and a b5. Anyways, learn a few shapes and try to memorize where the scale tones are, not just where the roots are. Eventually you'll sort of just start doing it without thinking.
Fuck! That laugh cracked me up so bad 😆
YEAHHHH, CHICK!
Wow
Altered scale...is the same as Melodic minor? right?
hahaha love the start
Class
Holy shit Rick! You used to be mahoosive :P
Great lesson - as always!
Any particular reason for calling a scale Dorian b9 instead of Dorian b2?
Irritatingly good play btw.
***** Just put it this way. Would you ever say F#7b2? No of course not. F#7b9. Obviously both are theoretically correct but Dorian b9 just sounds better. For the same reason more than half of people would call the 5th mode of melodic minor Mixolydian b13, rather than b6. No normal person would say C#7b6, but rather C#7b13. That one is a bad example because I would much rather call it a C#7#5 cause having a flat and a sharp in the same chord sentence is just nasty.
+TheGodlessGuitarist maybe because he use it on a dominanth chord,the b2 becomes b9..in that case A7b9,resolving to Dmajor
What is the altered scale??
+Nick Franzini The altered scale is the 7th mode of the Melodic minor scale. Root b9 #9 3rd b5 #5 b7 played over altered dominant chords.
I think the laugh comes from Die Hard 1, right? When that guy is high and introduced to “Holly’s husband - Holly’s Police Officer husband” :-)
Craaa!
More simply altered scale is the 7th degree of melodic minor ;)
The only ones that might have laughed at the beginning are the ones that never heard this guy play LOL
Rick, stylish as always. Thumb up for your taste in clothing man
Just use your ears...... good'n, Mr. Graham..... LOL
slowdown will you? jeeezz
What guitar brand?
+Gerson Urbina If you're still wondering; it's a Suhr
You used to look like Buzz Lightyear.
theres some aids music majors in the comments lol, but i secretly love it because Im a music major too
Playing a solo is like eating a 3 course meal...gradually work your way to the main course and end it off with something sweet! DO NOT start off so abruptly...let your listeners enjoy the moment!
As it is obvious...you are of the rock 'n' roll style of types. Need to hear LESS speed playing and more expression and conviction. Slow down!!!!!!!!!! We can't understand the outlining of the chordal structure. Try diminished and half diminished structured progressions and don't be afraid to play OUTSIDE. Also, when you're playing certain modes...you seem to play the full amount. You don't need to do that! Just hints of it! Try listening to players like, Lenny Breau, John Scofield and Pat Metheney. Don't be afraid to try and swing the notes. As Jaco said, John McLaughlin is a great player but he can't swing. REMEMBER...less is more!!!
"REMEMBER...less is more!!!"
Says WHO, exactly? People who can't play like this?
Any more banal, trite cliches you'd care to share with us, Mark?
If it's good enough for Mozart...
www.toomanynotes.com/Amadeus.htm
I think Rick has done a great job on that solo...now jazz is not only about swing...jazz is your freedom to express in whatever way, if you like it then great, if you dont then you dont...peace...
+Keith Reeder I think he meant quality over quantity, i.e. you don't need to play 16th notes and shred all over the place to sound good. Lots of musicians focus on that, it's very common. And speaking of clichés, you had to name Mozart ;) just kidding buddy
Yes, rests are a good thing. I do agree with what you said but the thing is, this is Rick Graham. Speed is part of his playing. It's all about context right? If you expect an approach like Jim Hall would do or (any great jazz guitarist), well don't watch this lol It's kinda going into a Boston Pizza and complain that they don't sell any Big Macs. As well it's a lesson, the intro solo is an "overview" of how it could sound ala Rick Graham, not a performance. It's a very well explained lesson, maybe not the kind of approach you usually do when you learn a standard. But I DO agree with what you're saying. Just a couple of nuances on some points. Cheers ! (lol funny that Jaco said that about McLaughlin)
wow!