SYLLABUS FOR WORKSHOPS
AREAS OF STUDY FOR THE FORTHCOMING JAZZ GUITAR WEEKENDS IN 2012.
TREFOR OWEN
My approach to improvisation consists of five improvisational devices which, over a period of time, a student needs to master, and they are:
1). The minor pentatonic/blues scale.
2). The major tonality, (magic triad).
3). The jazz minor.
4). The diminished arpeggio and diminished scale.
5). The whole-tone scale.
ALL MATERIAL COVERED IN CLASS WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY COMPUTER PRINTOUTS!
Beginners in jazz: Using what is already under their fingers, e.g. pentatonic scales, which many rock and blues players use, students will have the ability to improvise over a harmonic sequence of a jazz standard in only one teaching session! Also, rock players can use my approach to improvisation to improve their rock playing with very little study.
My HENDRIX CHORD STUDY is an asset to players of all styles.
Advanced students: I have a way of discovering weak areas in players and offer suggestions for improvement. From my experience some of the weak areas are:
Creating tension when playing over II V I’s.
The correct use of whole-tone scales and diminished scales, which are tension devices.
Fingering correct chord shapes for accompaniment.
Accompaniment is also a weak area for most guitarists. In my opinion I have the correct approach to bass line comping, Bossa Nova, four in the bar swing style, and comping.
Other areas of study which can be included:
FINGERBOARD ORGANISATION
The C A G E D System.
FACILITY
Getting the most out of a practice session. Constructive practising. Correct right and left hand technique and developing independence.
THE MAJOR TONALITY
The preparation and conditioning of the Major seventh arpeggio as an improvisational device. The Major 7th arpeggio is the base for the Major Tonality.
APPROACH TO IMPROVISATION.
Identifying the main character notes of chords and applying the Major Tonality as an improvisational device.
THE JAZZ MINOR
The development of the Jazz minor and its application to the dom7th, minor and mi7b5 (half-diminished) chords.
THE DIMINISHED
The development of the diminished arpeggio and scale and their application to the dom7th, minor and mi7b5 (half-diminished) chords.
ECONOMICAL CHORD FORMS
THE HENDRIX CHORD
FOR THE SIX STRING GUITAR
A method of left-hand fingering which introduces the “Hendrix Chord” as a basic form to facilitate all chords including the altered and extended chords and can be used as an introduction to the “Locked Knuckle Technique” which is based on forming Major, minor and dom7th triads, (root, third and seventh).
KNOW YOUR CHORDS
Chord grouping, Converting chord symbols into numbers, Building a Repertoire, Harmonisation of the Major and minor scales, Minor scales, Chord families, Popular chords, Chord grouping, Chord substitution.
CHORDS & CHORD DIRECTORY
Basic and regular chord forms and fingering. A practical approach to chord grouping.
INTRODUCTION TO BASS LINE COMPING.
Introduction to bass line comping using the 12 bar blues chord sequence.
ADVANCE BASS LINE COMPING.
Building bass-line modules and their application to chord sequences.
7 STRING GUITAR
Easy conversion from 6 to 7 string guitar.
DEVELOPING THE BOSSA NOVA RHYTHM
Chord voicing and accommodating the melody.
MUSIC THEORY
Harmonisation of the Major and minor scales.
THE 12 BAR BLUES & RHYTHM CHANGES
Introduction to the harmonic sequence of the12 bar blues and
rhythm changes. Improvisation on the12 bar blues.
DOMINANT SEVENTH CHORD
From the improvisers point of view applying improvisational devices to
functioning and non-functioning dom7th chords.
VISUALISATION
The guitar is a pattern instrument.
Use it to your advantage through visualisation of the guitar fingerboard.
SYMMETRY
Creating tension in improvisation with the use of symmetric movement.
ADVANCED IMPROVISATION
Creating tension and expanding your musical vocabulary. Also the application of the secondary relative
minor in improvisation.
AUGMENTED FORM
Augmented chord form and the whole-tone scale.
RHYTHM CHANGES ADVANCED STUDY
Chord substitution and improvisation.
THE HALF-DIMINISHED CHORD.
The most misunderstood chord in music.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT TREFOR OWEN
on 07423 016888 or e-mail tojazzgtr@aol.com.