Guitarist notebook: modulation matrix (triads in all major keys)

Matrix of triads in all major keys*

(in cycle of fourths and fifths)

Context: modulation to close and distant keys.

Exercise: Use matrix to modulate to close and distant-related keys.

(ex. from C to G#m)

notes:

Same target chord exists one adjacent key away to either side (fourth or fifth).

(ex. C chord exists in the keys of F and G).

Each major and minor chord exists in 3 keys only.

Major chords function as I- IV-V. Minor chords function as ii-vi-iii. ONLY.

There are other ways to modulate outside of this matrix, but matrix shows important ways to do this.

In addition to matrix scheme, minor chords can all become tonic (i) chords. Not just ii-vi-iii. This is a huge topic for another day.

Diminished chord is unique to a key and functions as a leading tone dominant chord to the tonic (V-I).

In columns diminished chords serve as a transition between major and minor forms.

(ex. Eb – E dim – Em)

*  For advanced musicians, this matrix shows many relationships beyond those noted above. A personal analysis will yield many useful insights into different kinds of tonal relationships. As one example, it is a way to look at the circle of fourths and fifths that includes all chords in the keys, not just keys. There are many others.

 

John Butler Live Rig

Check out John Butler's live rig. There is a lot to LEARN about an acoustic/electric set-up for that big tone which is always quasi-mysterious, especially on the acoustic side of things. John, however, goes through the black magic to a great sound. The GP interviewer (Robbie Ginett?) is an idiot and starts out with an insipid generic question which he then qualifies with a moronic follow-up question. Too much hair to distract him, I guess. Butler takes Robbie, and us, to a good place though. Compassionate dude.

 

Guitar movie: Notes on "It Might Get Loud"

notebook entry:

Jimmy Page is the royalty here, what with his early history as a first call London session guitarist (Kinks, Joe Cocker, played on "Goldfinger") and his later association with those bands whose names I can't remember right now. When he plays the intro riff to "Whole Lotta Love" for Mr. White and Mr. Edge,  they are reduced to adolescents in awe of black magic, as most of us would be. Their faces must have hurt from grinning for so long.

Jack White and Jimmy Page seem to have the most in common in terms of a musical aesthetic derived from the blues and are thus able to play music in various situations with a minimum amount of electronic gak. Edge requires U2, and so much gear that it makes him look ridiculous one on one with the others. Although clips of Edge w/U2 reveal the singular location of his mojo...in collective expression.

Jack White building a guitar in minutes is the opening of the film. "Who says you need to buy a guitar?" is his question. Then some wicked low slide riffs. Gibson and Fender take note and fuck you for your extortionate prices.

The jams between them are mildly interesting, but good inspiration for aspirants. Lots of mistakes = lots of encouragement.

Jimmy Page on the music that influenced him and showing you via gestures the techniques/touch used is awesome. He really studied these things. And he still loves it. Jack White too.

Although the movie bills itself as a history of the electric guitar through they eyes of three guitar icons. It's really about the personal history of music and guitaring in their lives. No Les Paul, no history of the electric guitar--let's face it.

It's hard to remember that Edge came of age in the punk era, and he is committed to the punk ethos and narrative of playing and performing without knowing much about music, at least in terms of his musical formation. Page and White come from a deep reverence for tradition and American roots music while simultaneously trying to forge their own individual voices.

It seems that Mr. White is not too enamored of Mr. Edge.

Concert footage you've seen and loved before--a million times. Stories you already know and love. I like Jack White bleeding on his Gretsch--very dramatic. Led Zeppelin--absolutely. Edge--where is U2 when you need them?




 

Guitar Gak: Talent Booster pedal for your shit licks!

Brian Wampler, the pedal designer/guru has finally designed the perfect pedal for the Guitar Hero generation desirous of glory without effort--sound without practice.  It's the Talent Booster* pedal that morphs your half-ass blues licks into monstrous Buddy Guy tones with just a click of the footswitch....click. Now you can be a badass half-ass in disguise, a turd cloaked as a hot shit guitar player....click. Yeah, I'm bad. I'm nationwide-tatatatatatata..., but, not really. :)

http://www.wamplerpedals.com/talent_booster

No women are referenced in this post (except as lookers on), since they don't fall for stupid stuff like this. This is male only stupid. 

* The Talent Booster is really a JFET based booster with a gain control.

 

Guitarist practice of the day: RELAX (those stupid guitar faces) and/or Try Yoga or end up looking like Yoda

“Named must your fear be before banish it you can.”

One thing that master guitarists (across styles) seem to have in common is total relaxation of the body and hands while playing.*  For guitarists raised as rock and blues players (the majority), this can be difficult because of the "guitar faces" and "fastest gun hung low" requirements of the genre. Of course, every body is different and by extension the natural strength and dexterity of hands.

Edward Van Halen is a guitarist whose guitar faces and extreme use of his body do not hinder the relaxation in his playing. The dead give away of his relaxation is his penchant for smiling in the midst of his testosterone-driven guitar face displays. It's as if he's putting you on with his non-playing antics. Maybe he is naturally able to relax of disconnect  his relaxed guitar playing faculties from the tight guitar faces and acrobatics, or maybe that is something gained from practice. Can you do this? Or is all that tightness giving you constipation and slowing down your musicality instead?

Your  hands and arms are not disconnected from the rest of your body. Tension anywhere in your body is going to show up in your hands, and tension is not what you want in your guitar playing (or sports or anything) as it can be a hindrance to the free-flow of your ideas, and ultimately a path toward injury. Strength is a part of economy of movement, not an end in itself. All you need is the optimum amount of work (remember physics) necessary to achieve the "sound" of the technique you're working on (bends, vibrato, whatever). Everything else is overkill and a waste of your finite energy.  Sure. some sounds require some smack, but how much is the question. Too much and you actually shrink the amplitude of the string vibration (killing the low frequencies in the sustain) while over-emphasizing the transient (initial pick)....click, click, click.

We all have different bodies and different hand strengths (think of the difference in sound between Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughn). Try to gauge yours by feeling it out and by conscious, wide-awake, wide-eared, practice.** This is especially true for rockers from blues to death metal who could use a little chill factor anyway (I imagine Satan was a pretty relaxed, if fallen, angel.-lol).

Also, try yoga so you don't wind up looking like Yoda.

* Look at past Guitarist of the Day video postings of Vicente Amigo, Carlos Hayre, Joe Maphis, George Benson, Jerry Reed, etc. for examples of this.

** It also varies from instrument to instrument, and also on the particular techniques used. Hey, I didn't say it was easy.

- thanks to my wife Dana for advice and on-going corrections on this important subject.

 

Guitar CD of the Day: For A Few Guitars More: A Tribute to Ennio Morricone

There are lots of Morricone tributes, but I like the unpretentiousness of this one. No fancy "new" classical musicians ironically slumming for street cred, but rock/blues musicians who proceed with genuine affection for the man and the material. Lots of good, bad, and ugly guitar playing and tones. The CD is hard to get so, I've included links to homepages and sounds of participating musicians and groups. Make some pasta and let this collection be your cheese. Bust out your cheapest amp and crankiest Danelectro distortion, drench in reverb, and proceed to have some fun al dente. Ole!

Compilation organized by Larry "Moon Dawg" White and Dalibor Pavicic
Artwork and package design Don Vigeant, Ltd.
 

For ongoing discussions about the music and films, check out Listservs: Ennio Morricone, Spaghetti Westerns
Surf/instro music: Cowabunga, Reverborama

THE TRACKS/LAS PISTAS:

1. Guns Don't Argue
from Guns Don't Argue [Le Pistole non Discutono], dir. Mario Caiano, 1964 
performed by The Penetrators
(Atlanta, Georgia, USA)
Rip Thrillby (lead guitar), Spanky Twangler (rhythm guitar), Trace Lugar (bass), Illya "Stix" Stechkin (drums)

 

2. Titoli (A Fistful of Dollars)
from A Fistful of Dollars [Un Pugno di Dollari], dir. Sergio Leone, 1964
performed by Bradipos IV 
(Caserta, Italy)
Franz (g/k), Enrico (d), Ghigo (b), Max (g) 

 

3. For A Fistful of Dollars
from A Fistful of Dollars
performed by Dave Wronksi
(Los Angeles, California, USA)
Dave Wronski (guitars)

 

4. For a Few Dollars More
from For a Few Dollars More [Qualche Dollaro in Piú], dir. Sergio Leone, 1965
performed by Cosmonauti
(Rome, Italy)
Stefano Giustinani (g), Andrea Lauri (g), Massimo Petrozzi (b), Alessandro Petrozzi (d)

 

5. Sixty Seconds To What? [aka La Resa dei Conti]
from For a Few Dollars More
performed by Brent J. Cooper
(Calgary, Alberta, Canada)
Brent J. Cooper (guitar, Fender Bass VI), Russell Broom (faux Mellotron, bass), Jim Atomic (drums, percussion).
Recorded by Russell A. Broom

 

6. The Vice Of Killing
from For a Few Dollars More
performed by The Langhorns
(Lund, Sweden)
Michael Sellers (guitar), Rikard Swärdh (drums), Martin Berglund (bass), Petter Lindgard (trumpet)

 

7. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
from The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly [Il Buono, Il Brutto, Il Cattivo], 1966
performed by The Atlantics
(Sydney, New South Wales, Australia)
produced by Martin Cilia in cooperation with Sirena Music
Martin Cilia (g), Jim Skiathitis (g), Bosco Bosonac (b), Peter Hood (d)

 

8. The Ecstasy of Gold
from The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
performed by 3 Balls of Fire
(Austin, Texas, USA) 
Burniní Mike Vernon (guitars, six-string bass, dust storm), Mike Robberson (bass), Freddie 
Steady Krc (drums and keyboard) and The Amazing Sophomores (vocals)

 

9. A Gun for Ringo
from A Gun for Ringo [Una Pistola per Ringo], dir. Duccio Tessari, 1965
performed by the Bambi Molesters
(Zagreb, Croatia)
Lada Furlan (bass), Hrvoje Zaborac (drums), Dalibor Pavicic (guitar), Dinko Tomljanovic (guitar)

 

10. Navajo Joe
from Navajo Joe, dir. Sergio Corbucci, 1966
performed by Pollo del Mar
(San Francisco, California, USA)
Ferenc Dobronyi (g), Jono Jones (g), Jeff Turner (b), Jeremy Rexford (d)

 

11. The Big Gundown (Seconda Caccia)
from The Big Gundown [La Resa dei Conti], dir. Sergio Sollima, 1966
performed by The Irreversible Slacks
(New York, New York, USA)
Circus Slack (guitar), Havana Slack (sax), Idlewild Slack (guitar), Professor Slack (drums), Skipper Slack (bass), Wee Slack (saw)

 

12. The Hellbenders
from The Hellbenders [I Crudeli], dir. Sergio Corbucci, 1966
performed by The Hellbenders
(Detroit, Michigan, USA)
Rick Mills (guitar), Chris Flanagan (guitar), Bill Bowen (drums), Bill Rowe (bass); 
mixed by Jim Diamond

 

13. The Great Silence
from The Great Silence [Il Grande Silenzio], dir. Sergio Corbucci, 1968
performed by Kim Humphreys
(Sidney, New South Wales, Australia)
Kim Humphreys (guitars); produced by Kim Humphreys & John Roy, Now Hear This 2002.

 

14. Once Upon a Time in the West 
from Once Upon a Time in the West [C'erauna Volta il West], dir. Sergio Leone, 1969
performed by In the West 
(Hollywood, Florida, USA)
Dean Sire (Hammond organ, bass), Eddie Gregg (guitar), Lou Abbott (drums)

 

15. As a Judgment [Come una Sentenza]
from Once Upon a Time in the West
performed by Bernard Yin and David Arnson
(Los Angeles, California, USA)
Bernard Yin (guitars), David Arnson (guitars) 

 

16. Farewell to Cheyenne
from Once Upon a Time in the West
performed by Di Dollari 
(Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA)
Glen Jones (4-string guitar, whistle), Paul W. Horn (electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin, jaw harp, recorder), Dave Onnen (bass), Mike Croswell (french horn, accordion, mouth organ, whistle, penny whistle), Matt Zaun (drums, percussion).

17. The Loud, the Loose, and the Savage
composed by Davie Allan (inspired by Ennio Morricone)
(c) 2001 Arrow Dynamic Music (BMI)
performed by Davie Allan
(Los Angeles, California, USA)
Davie Allan (guitar, bass, keyboard, drums)
 

Above songs composed by Ennio Morricone

 

The Guitarist of the day is the Vicente Amigo

What do you do in a style that, at a minimum, is already hyper-virtuosic? Is it even possible to play with more eloquence, dexterity, force, and speed than Paco de Lucia? The smart way is to take another musical path entirely. Well, Vicente has somehow found a  personal path down calle flamenco.  You’ve got to have big ones to even imagine being a rudimentary flamenco guitarist, much less a classic one. Vicente Amigo (no relation) is of the latter type and brings an original tone, rhythmic astuteness, and a fresh musiclity to the art. Check out his fandangos and bulerias and switch styles fast. I like to think he’s my Spanish cousin and that this type of playing runs in the family, but I was only dreaming. hijo de puta!