Wind Chimes

for Guitar
B Y T O B I A S H U R W I T Z

YOU CAN CREATE MYSTERIOUS AND Ex. 1 ascends and descends through a
haunting sounds by playing lines composed of scaleA, B, D, E, and G containing natural
natural harmonics. The best way to develop this harmonics at the 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 12th frets.
sound is to practice scales and patterns con- This two-octave scale is simply a G major
taining only harmonics. Once you master these, pentatonic thats rooted on A, the 2nd degree.
you can find creative ways to integrate chimes Ex. 2 works an ascending four-note melodic
with fretted notes. sequence through the same scale. Be sure to

3 1
4

Ex. 1 1

#4 4

O
4 1
1

4 1 4

4
==========================
& =

12 12
T
12 12
A
12 7 5 5 7 12
B
12 7 3 7 12
12 7 7 12
7 7

Ex. 2
O
#4
4
==================================
& =

12 12 12 5
T
12 12 12 12
A
12 12 12 12 7 7 7 5 7 5
B
12 12 12 7 7 7 7 3
12 7 7 7 7
7 7

## 4
Ex. 3

& 4
=================== =

T
5
A
5 5
B
5 4 3 3 4 5
4 3 3 4
3 3 7

## 4 O
Ex. 4

& 4
================================== =

T
5 5
A
5 5 5 5 5
B
5 5 4 5 4 4 3 3 4 3 4 4 5 4 5 5
4 3 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 3 4
3 3

1 1 0 GUITAR PLAYER JULY 1999 Limitations make you workwhen you only have a few tools, youre left to your own devices. David Hidalgo, June 94 GP
flip the four-bar phrase around and de-
scend through it.
Ex. 3 is a B natural-minor scale consist-
ing of harmonics at the 3rd, 4th, and 5th
frets. Now try Ex. 4the same scale played
as an ascending and descending melodic
sequence.
Tips. To get clear, natural harmonics at
the 5th, 7th, or 12th frets, gently touch the
string with your finger positioned directly
above the fretwire. For 3rd-fret harmonics,
place your finger slightly ahead of the fret
(toward the bridge). To play 4th-fret har-
monics, touch the string slightly behind the
fret (toward the nut).
Whether you play acoustic or electric,
your harmonics will sound clearer on new
strings. On electrics, a bridge humbucker
usually works best. g
G.I.T. grad Tobias Hurwitz teaches rock
and metal guitar at the National Guitar
Workshop. His book Learn How to Tran-
scribe for Guitar is published by Alfred. For
gig info, free lessons, and audio samples
from Hurwitzs solo album Painted Sky, visit
www.tobiashurwitz.com.
JULY 1999 GUITAR PLAYER 1 1 1
SayAhh BACK TRACK

B Y A N D Y E L L I S
WEVE LOOKED AT TRIADS
and their inversions (see Map-
ping Triads in the Mar. 99 Ses-
sions), and discussed how these
three-note chords are the building
blocks for more sophisticated har-
mony. Triads are useful for comp-
ing and learning the fretboard, but
its hard to argue that they sound
magicuntil you pop them open,
that is.
Open wide, say ahh. Its easy
to transform a vanilla triad into
something more ear-grabbing.
Simply pull out the middle note
and move it up or down an octave.
The resulting open-voiced triad
sounds bigger and more in tune
than its closed-voiced cousin.
Check it out for yourself: First
play an A triad on the top three
strings, then kick the middle note
down an octave and listen to that
A triad (E Ex. 1a). The ringing result
works particularly well in a setting
where you need more beeflike
a trio. Its no coincidence that both
Andy Summers and Eric Johnson
featured open-voiced chords in
their classic work.
Examples 1b and 1c apply the
drop the middle voice technique
to D and Em triads on the top three
strings. Notice how in each case the
highest note moves from the first
to the second string, and the basic
fretting position moves two frets up
the neck. As you experiment with
open-voiced triads, dont settle for
a fingering until youre confident
that youve found the best one. Ex.
2 rolls open-voiced A, D, and Em
into a two-bar groove. Add tremolo
for maximum vibe, and try playing
this fingerstyle.
The process also works on the
next lower string-set, as shown in
Examples 3a and 3b . This time
we drop the middle note in root-
position G and Am triads. Ex. 4 puts
these two shapes to work in a mu-
sical setting. Notice how the top
two notes in the wiry Am, F, and G
voicings form a power chord.
Examples 5a and 5b illustrate
what happens when you toss the
middle note up an octave. Com-
pare the closed E and F#m with
their open versions. Big difference,
huh? A four-chord, two-bar pro-
gression, Ex. 6 combines major
grips from Examples 3a and 5a.
Keep hunting. Experience all
your triads as open-voiced chords.
Youll uncover a world of new
sounds and get better acquainted
with the fretboard. g
All of usno matter how long
weve played or how skilled we
arehave gaps in our knowledge.
Back Track is an ongoing Sessions
series designed to fill these holes
and inspire musical break-
throughs. Got a topic youd like to
see us address? Send your ques-
tion to Back Track, c/o Guitar
Player, 411 Borel Ave. #100, San
Mateo, CA 94402, or e-mail it to
guitplyr@mfi.com.

Ex. 1a Ex. 1b Ex. 1c Ex. 2

A A D D Em Em A(I) D(IV) Em(Vm) D
n ### 4 .. ..
= 72-92

###
1
1 1 2 4
1 4

.
4
n = & 4 { . n
1 1

=================
&
2
2
3
3 1

3
3
2 J
================ J {
w/ tremolo

T
5
5
6
5
6
5
7
7
10
7
7
8
9
12
9 T .. 5
6
10
7
12
9
10
7
..
A A
B 7 9 10 B 7 9 10 9

Ex. 3a Ex. 3b Ex. 4

G G Am Am = 72-92 Am(IIm) b
F( VII) G(I) F G

# # 4 . j

============
&
1
= 4
1
1
4

& 4 { .. n
=============== n ={

1

2 1 3
3
3 2

w/ tremolo

T
3
4 7
5
5 9 T .. 9 5 7 5 5 7
..
A 5 5 7 7 A 7 3 5 3 3 5
B B
7 8 8 5 7 5 5 7

b
Ex. 5a Ex. 5b Ex. 6
E # E #
F m F m = 72-92 E(I)
A(IV) B(V) D( VII)

#### #### 4 .. j . j

2

.
4

=============
&
1 3
4 { .
================
& n . ={

1 3 2
3 1
4 1 4

w/ tremolo

T 4
9
6
10 T .. 9
11
7
9
..
A 6 9 7 11 A 9 9 7 7
B 7 7 9 9 B 7 5
11 9

1 1 2 GUITAR PLAYER JULY 1999 C R AY PH OTO : J O N S I E V E RT

 F L A S H B A C K : M A Y 8 7

Robert Cray
on Roots, Songs,
and Solos
I LISTEN TO MUSIC ALL THE TIME, BUT I
learned the most from blues records and musicians
B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Hubert Sumlin, and Magic Sam.
Right now Im on a big Howlin Wolf kick. Im hearing
him like never before. But, you know, Im opposed to
trying to redo old songs. Im not going to worry about
trying to do the same old structures that have been done
in the past.
I dont like to work out solos. I like them to come out
the way they do. If I cant get it in a couple or three takes,
then I just forget about it until the next day.
Hear Cray pound a Strat and 6-string bass on Take
Your Shoes Offa new Rykodisc album featuring the
Memphis horns and a truckload of soulful R&B. g

L i c k o f t h e M o n t h
K A N S A S C I T Y S W I N G E R

OUR JULY LICK COMES FROM Mark Whitfield or Herb Ellis playing nails all the important notes within
Mike Drost of Willow Springs, Illinois. this phrase. It works over a IIm7-IIm/ the cadence.
Our two-time Lick of the Month maj7-V7-Imaj7 progression in F. The Go for a sweet, woody tone, and
champ writes, You can imagine line lays well on the guitar, and it make it swing. g

Gm7 Gm/maj7 C9sus4 C9 Fmaj7

. # .
(n) . # n w
4 1 4 4

1 2 3 1
2 4 2 1

4
3

&b4
=========================
3 3 =

15 1510 14 1410 13 1310 11 12 10

T
11 11 13 11 10
A
12 12
B

Send us your candidate for Lick of the Month custom T-shirt thats available only to Lick of the dress, and phone number. Materials wont be re-
(preferably notated and on cassette), along with Month club members. Mail your entry to Lick turned, and please dont call the office to check
a brief explanation of why its cool and how to of the Month, Guitar Player, 411 Borel Ave. #100, the status of your submission. Youll get your shirt
play it. If we select your offering, youll get a funky San Mateo, CA 94402. Include your name, ad- if your lick is chosen.

I dont subscribe to the theory that there is a musical goal, an end were working towards. David Gilmour, Feb. 72 GP
JULY 1999 GUITAR PLAYER 113
Octave
Displacement
B Y C R A I G
YOU CAN BREATHE NEW
life into your solos by using a sim-
ple technique called octave dis-
placement. Move any note in a
phrase up or down an octave or
two, and youll immediately add an
element of surprise to your lines.
H L A D Y
Eric Johnson, John Scofield, Pat
Martino, and Jim Hall all use this
technique to create wide intervals
in their solos.
Lets start with a humble C ma-
jor scale (EEx. 1). Contrast the first
two bars with bars 3 and 4, and
then bars 5 and 6. Amazing! Using For instance, Ex. 2a is a common
octave displacement, you can turn major scale sequence. Ex. 2b illus-
the worlds most boring scale into trates how you can transform it
something resembling music. into something fresh using only
Generally, you only need to dis- three displacements.
place two or three notes in a Octave displacement also works
phrase to create melodic interest. well on licks we all know and love.

w
4 1
Ex. 1

1 4

44
2

w w
&
4 1 2
1 3

==================================
=
2

4
4 1 2
1 3
1 2 4 1
2 4 2

7 12 8
T
8 10
A
7 10 7
B
7 9 10 7 10 9
7 8 10 7 8 10
8 10 8 8

w
Ex. 2a Ex. 2b 4
4

44 w
2
3 3

2 1
4 1


3 4

==================================
& 1 3 4
=

8 10 12
T
8 8
A
7 7 9 10 7 9 7 9 10 7
B
7 9 7 7 9 10 9 10 7 9 7 7 9 10 9
10 10

Ex. 3a Ex. 3b

1
4

44
4

1

&
============================
1
3
1 3

1 3
4
1

5 8 5 5 5
T
5 8
A
5 7 7 5 7 5
B
5 7 5 5 7
5 7 7 7
5 8 5 8

Ex. 4a Ex. 4b

4 w w
4 1 3
4
1 3 1 3

&4 3
=============================
3 1
3 3 3 3 3
3

8 5 5 8 5
T
8 8 5 8 5 5 8 8 5 5 10
A
7 7 5 7 7 5
B
7 7 5
7

1 1 4 GUITAR PLAYER JULY 1999 The only way I could really improve is to block out the world and practice like a fool. Hank Marvin, Sept. 77 GP
Take an A minor-pentatonic a scale, the notes takes on a Youve heard Jimmy Page placement to these A minor-
Ex. 3a).
scale in the fifth position (E whole different flavor with some and countless others play Ex. 4a pentatonic triplets, youll have
a new lick (E Ex. 4b). Take this

Ex. 4c

one step further: Alter the

44 rhythmic placement and phras-
&
=================== = ing by changing the triplets to
sixteenth-notes (E Ex. 4c).
Displacing notes within
8 5 arpeggios is another effective
T
8 8 6 5 10
A
7 7 5 way to generate melodic inter-
B
7 5
7 est. Ex. 5a shows a series of
arpeggiated triads: G, C, F, Bb,
Ex. 5a
G C Fb Ab B
F b Bb E
Eb, Ab, F, Bb. Sounds like an ex-

b n b ercise, right? Try Ex. 5b. Thanks

44 b b b
3 2
3 2 1 3 3 1 to displacement, the passage
=======================
&
3
now sounds musical.
A double payoff. Octave
displacement will open your
ears to wider interval jumps.
T
3 5 6 6 8 9 10 11 Displaced lines also make great
A
4 4 5 5 5 5 7 7 8 8 8 8 10 10 10
B
5 5 7 8 8 10 10 12 technical studies that will im-
prove your string-skipping
chops and enhance your abil-
Ex. 5b
G C Fb F Bb B b E b A ity to recognize notes on the

fretboard. g

44 b b b n
4 4
4
4 1 1
1 1 3 3
3

=======================
& b
2

Craig Hlady is an assistant

4 1 4

4
1 1 guitar professor at Bostons
1 3
4 4 3
3 Berklee College of Music.

T
13 15
A
7 9 10 10 12 13 10 10 10
B
5 5 5 5 7 7 8 8 8 8 10 10
12 13
7 8 8 10 11 11
Though not exciting played as Ex. 3b).
octave displacement (E to death. Add some octave dis-

Often the most musically effective thing is the simplest thing. David Bromberg, Mar. 73 GP JULY 1999 GUITAR PLAYER 1 1 5