Table of Contents

Introduction 8

Part I
The B Position 9
Exercises 10
The C Position 13
Exercises 14
The C or D Position 17
Exercises 18
Moving Positions by Hitting the Targets 21
Gettin Started 22
The B or A Position 23
Example from Gettin Started 24
A Dream Solo Example 25
The D Position 26
Flipper Solo Example 27
The A Position 28
Record Date Solo Example

29

The D or E Position 30
Apache Solo Example (Bridge) 31
Lazy Frog Solo Example 33
Harmonic Minor Scale 34
The B Position HM (A Harmonic Minor) 34
Exercises 35
Orpheus Solo Example 38
Now Here Solo Example 39
The F Position HM (E Harmonic Minor) 41
Autumn Solo Example 42
Altered Rhythm Changes in G Solo Example 43
The C Position HM (B Harmonic Minor) 44
Exercises 45
The C Position HM (B Harmonic Minor) 46
Exercises 47
The A Position HM (G Harmonic Minor) 49
Hosts and Guests Solo Example (Bridge) 50
Conclusion of Part I 51
Correct Positions for Playing in the Thumb Position 52

Melodic Playing in the Thumb Position

Part II
The Diminished Scale 53
Diminished Scales on the G String 54
Blues in F Using the Diminished Scales 57
Intervalic Playing Based on the Diminished Scales 58
Diminished Scales Incorporated Into the Thumb Position 62
The Pentatonic Scale 65
Pentatonics in the Lower and Upper Positions 65
Targets for Pentatonics 67
Pentatonics Used Over the II-V-I Progression 69
Standard Progression Solo Example 71
The Melodic Minor Scale 72
Melodic Minor Modes in the Thumb Position 72
Used Over a Minor/Major Chord, Nica Solo Example 74
Used Over a Dominant 7(11) Chord, Chelseas Cat Solo Example 76
Used Over a Minor 75 Chord, Love Affair Solo Example 77/78
Still Alone Solo Example 79
Used Over an Altered Dominant Chord, Altered Dominants Solo Example 81
Summary of Applications 82
Altered Blues in F 83
Altered Blues in B 84
Big Hug Solo Example 86
Solo Analysis 87
10ths and 7ths as Double Stops 88
7ths and 10ths in the Lower and Upper Positions 88
Blues Using Double Stops 92
Blues in 7ths/10ths with Rhythmic Variation 93
The Lilter 94
Chili Dogs at Midnight 96
Conclusion 98
About the Author 99

CD Track List
Gettin Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
A Dream . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Flipper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Record Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Apache . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Lazy Frog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Orpheus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Now Here . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Autumn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Altered Rhythm Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Hosts and Guests (Bridge) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Diminished Interval . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Diminished Blues Using Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Standard Progression (Pentatonics) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Standard Progression (More Pentatonics) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Nica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Chelseas Cat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Love Affair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Still Alone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Altered Dominants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Altered Blues in F . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Altered Blues in B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Big Hug . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Seventh and Tenth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Seventh and Tenth with Rhythmic Variations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
The Lilter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Chili Dogs at Midnight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Tuning Notes (A Concert) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28