The Guitar Player's Resource
So, it goes like this... "whamp whamp whamp... diddle diddle diddle whamp whaaaahhh."
[Late night tele.... channel surf.... some guy playing a Strat and wearing a rainbow clown wig...]
"Tired of playing the same ol' licks and scales??? Are your frets worn only on the 5th, 7th, 9th, and 12th positions??? Do people run frantically out of the local music store when you plug in, because they know what you're about to play.. for the bazillionth time?? Is Joe Perry calling YOU up, telling you not to play pentatonics anymore..cuz you're wrecking his vibe? Well, friends, have I got a cure for those gi-tar playin' doldrums. It's not in a bottle... it's not in a box... it's not some magic pixie dust that you sprinkle on your callused digits while doing a 5-step polka reciting the directions on how to correctly use urinal cakes. NO! This may change your life as you know it..... and for $19.95......" [fzzpth]
Well, now that I have your attention..(hey- where'ya goin??)...
Since I've been graciously allowed to write a column (and given carte-blanche to discuss almost anything.. they didn't like the idea of debating the pros and cons of using cinnamon vs. mint dental floss (instead of hex-wound steel strings) on a '62 Strat ...oh well,maybe next time), I would like to discuss something that I frequently use, and find interesting uses for: chromatics.
Fun with notes. Okay, here we go. [the first example is taken from the title track from my CD, "Anvilhead." The whole song is (basically) chromatic, as far as "melody" lines are concerned. It wasn't written in any specific key signature, but for argument's sake, we'll just say E minor (as a reference point, and because the bass is just whacking a low E)]
Example 1 is the entire first verse section. The chords are A Maj. 6/E (A, C#, F#, E), Ab7/E (Ab, C, F#,E), Em13 (G, C, F#, A), Em (G, B, E), Am (C, E, A), Abm (B, Eb, Ab), Gm (Bb, D, G), and F#m (A, C#, F#). The horn/keyboard line is a basic descending line (E, Eb, D, C#). Notice that the bass is only playing an E note. Sticking to one, staccato note, and locking into the kick drum, it acts percussivly, rather than tonally. The solo guitar line isn't derived from any particular scale. When I played it, it was more of a feel thing. Notice the use of 1/2 step bends and slides, (ex: play a B on the the B string (12th fret), slide down half a step, play the Bb and bend it up 1/2 step) instead of playing the same note twice. The phrasing has it's own unique feel.... kinda like a guppy trying to swim in a fishbowl while caught in stop-and-go traffic (that squishy feeling in yer tummy after drinking too much Yoo-Hoo!) during rush hour.
MIDI file with Examples 1, 2 & 3.
Anvilhead
Anvilhead (chord prog.)
E-------||--------------0--------|--------------0--------|--------------
B-------||--------7--------7-----|--------7--------7-----|--------------
G---4:--||-----6--------------6--|-----5--------------5--|--------------
D---4:--||--7--------------------|--6--------------------|--------------
A-------||-----------------------|-----------------------|--------------
E-------||-----------------------|-----------------------|--------------
E---------------5--------|-----------|-----------5----------|-----------
B---------7--------7-----|--------5--|--------5-----5-------|-----------
G------5--------------5--|-----4-----|-----5--------------5|-----------
D---5--------------------|--5--------|----------------------|-----------
A------------------------|-----------|----------------------|-----------
E------------------------|-----------|----------------------|-----------
E---------4----------|--------3----------|--------2-----||--------------
B------4-----4-------|-----3-----3-------|-----2-----2--||--------------
G---4--------------4|--3--------------3|--2-----------||--------------
D--------------------|-------------------|--------------||--------------
A--------------------|-------------------|--------------||--------------
E--------------------|-------------------|--------------||--------------
Anvilhead (keyboard decend)
E----------------------||--------|-----|-----|------||------------------
B----------------------||--------|-----|-----|------||------------------
G---------------4:-----||*----9--|--8--|--7--|--6--*||------------------
D---------------4:-----||*-------|-----|-----|-----*||------------------
A----------------------||--------|-----|-----|------||------------------
E----------------------||--------|-----|-----|------||------------------
Anvilhead (solo)
E---------------||------------------------------|---------------------|-
B---------------||------------------------------|---------------------|-
G-----------4:--||-------------9---------9--11--|--13--11--12--11^----|-
D-----------4:--||--9--10--11-----11------------|---------------------|-
A---------------||------------------------------|---------------------|-
E---------------||------------------------------|---------------------|-
E-------------------------------------|---------------------------------
B-------------------------------------|---------------------------------
G---(11)--12--11--10------11--10-----|---------------------------------
D-------------------------------------|---------------------------------
A-------------------------------------|---------------------------------
E-------------------------------------|---------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------|-------------
B---------------------------------------------------------|-------------
G---9-h-10-p-98-h-9-p-87-h-8-p-76-h-7-p-65/----------|-------------
D---------------------------------------------------------|-------------
A---------------------------------------------------------|-------------
E---------------------------------------------------------|-------------
E------12-p-11-p-10--10--11----12--11--10---------------------|---------
B-----------------------------------------------10-h-12-p-10--|---------
G-------------------------------------------------------------|---------
D-------------------------------------------------------------|---------
A-------------------------------------------------------------|---------
E-------------------------------------------------------------|---------
E-----------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------
B---(10)-----12--11--10^------|--(10)-----9--10--97--8~~~--|-----------
G-----------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------
D-----------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------
A-----------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------
E-----------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------
E-------------------------||--------------------------------------------
B---(8)-----10--9-----8^--||--------------------------------------------
G-------------------------||--------------------------------------------
D-------------------------||--------------------------------------------
A-------------------------||--------------------------------------------
E-------------------------||--------------------------------------------
Example 2 is the end of the main solo section in Fleshtones (also from "Anvilhead"). This time, the melody guitar(s) play ascending chromatic notes, while the rhythm (guitar and bass) play an ascending chromatic passage that builds to the resolve in E. Who says that rhythm guitar can be boring!! Hahahahaha....ahem. The melody notes are E, F, F#, and G (E, F, D, Eb (+8va) harmony notes). It's a nice build that adds tension, making the resolve on the one that much more solid.
Fleshtones E----------------------------------------------------------------------- B----------------------------------------------------------------------- G---9--8--7-----7--8--------9-----------7--8--------10--9--8------8----- D------------9-----------------7--8--9----------------------------10---- A----------------------------------------------------------------------- E----------------------------------------------------------------------- E--------------------------------|-------------------------------------- B--------------------------------|-------------------------------------- G---9-------10------------8--9--|--------------------------------------- D----------------8--9--10--------|-------------------------------------- A--------------------------------|-------------------------------------- E--------------------------------|-------------------------------------- E----------------------------------------------------------------------- B----------------------------------------------------------------------- G---11--10--9------9--10--------11--------------9--10--------12--11----- D--------------11----------------------9--10--11------------------------ A----------------------------------------------------------------------- E----------------------------------------------------------------------- E--------------------------------------10--11--|--12--------||---------- B-------------------------10--11--12-----------|------------||---------- G---10------10--11--12-------------------------|------------||---------- D-------12-------------------------------------|------------||---------- A----------------------------------------------|------------||---------- E----------------------------------------------|------------||----------
Sometimes just switching one note in a passage, makes it more interesting. Example 3 is a lick from Cracker (a la "Anvilhead" tune.... notice the shameless plugs!! Hee hee hee). The C is raised 1/2 step, just for an accent(A F# E F# A B C B C# B A F#).
Cracker
E-------||--------------------------------------||----------------------
B-------||--------------------------------------||----------------------
G---3:--||--------------------------------------||----------------------
D---4:--||--------------------------------------||----------------------
A-------||-----------------2--3--2--4--2--------||----------------------
E-------||--5--2--0--2--5-----------------5--2--||----------------------
-bass line=same fingerings/same strings
Yeah, I know.. it's not a new concept, but it's one that I find you can achieve unique results, if used correctly. Of course, you could use it incorrectly, and sometimes the results sound the same... but then again, there's really no correct way to play, just do it. Gotta love those passing tones! 'Correct' is in the ear of the listener. It's not just how fast you can shred, or many scales you can wing. Just do
what you hear and feel. When a jazz cat is going off, doing his improv wail during "Jazz Odyssey", I doubt there's anybody in the audience critiquing his note choice...at least not too analytically (there are always a few...and you know who you are...and stop coming to my shows and scaring the locals away!! Hahaha). Unfortunately, in the "commercial" music market (AOR/rock/pop), chromatic phrasing and cringing generally go hand in hand. So, why do it??? It's flavor... spice... goofy.... not the norm... just a dab will do ya!
So why do it? Why not?
Joe Bochar is an original guitarist originally from Rhode Island. When he's not playing with his guitar or Lego's, Joe can be found wandering the streets of Los Angeles, pedaling crack to lonesome, down and out 3-legged mice who suffer from fromagaphobia.
His latest project is "X", a self-produced instrumental guitar CD release.
