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Soul jazz is a form of jazz commonly associated with hard bop. It has strong influences from blues, rhythm & blues and gospel. All the licks in this book are based on pentatonics and minor blues scale, inspired by guitarists like Grant Green, Melvin sparks, Wes Montgomery or Kenny Burrell. Hammon organ has an important place in that style of music, you can also go listen to Lou Donaldson, Big John Patton, Jimmy "Hammond" Smith, to soak up this style. To simplify learning, all these licks are two-bars licks and in the same key (B b7). Once you have memorized these lines it's important to play them in different keys by adding notes and varying rhythm. Free to you to play with swing or straight feel.
Minor pentatonic licks ...........................................3 to 5
Minor blues scale licks............................................5 to 9
Adding notes of the major pentatonic scale...........9 to 12
Pentatonic scales are the most common scales used in blues, pop, rock, funk, soul and many other music styles. They are generally the first scales that a guitar student learns because it is easy to remember, easy to play and it sounds very good. As its name implies it is made up of five notes ("penta" means "five and tonic means "notes"). There are two pentatonic scales : major and minor.
Minor pentatonic scale Major pentatonic Scale
1
b3
4
5
b7
1
2
3
5
6
In this eBook we will focus first on the minor pentatonic scale to get that blues sound specific to soul jazz music. Theoretically minor pentatonic scale must m ust be played over minor chords but you y ou can play it over dominant 7th chords (which are major chords). Mixing major and minor tonality, the clash of the minor and major thirds, it is that blues thing.
All the licks in this eBook are in the key of Bb so let's learn how to build the B b minor pentatonic scale :
Bb minor pentatonic scale Formula Intervals
Bb
Db
Eb
F
Ab
1 W+H
b3
4 W
5 W+H
b7
W
W
You need to know that B b7 can be replaced by B b7 #9 #9 because the #9 (C#) is the same note as the minor third of the minor pentatonic scale. In other words you can consider the minor third of the B b minor pentatonic scale as the #9 of B b7. As you can see C# is the same as D b.
Bb7#9 chord Formula
Bb 1
D 3
F 5
Ab b7
C# #9
Bb minor pentatonic scale Formula
Bb
Db
Eb
F
Ab
1
b3
4
5
b7
Here are the five minor pentatonic scale positions (boxes) to know. For example to play the B b minor pentatonic scale using box 1, you have to put your first finger on sixth string at the sixth fret. Remember that they are interconnected.
Box 1
Box 2
Box 4
Box 3
Box 5
2
- Add the 9th This lick consists to approached chromatically the D b by the ninth (C) using a hammer and a pull off. You must play this pattern four times. In the second bar you can hear a "double stop" stop" (minor sixth interval) before descending the scale. "Double stop" refers to the technique of playing two notes simultaneously.
- Minor third This line is widely played in jazz and soul guitar soloing, it consist to repeat a minor third several time. Grant Green was fond of this. Be careful of the sixteenth rests.
- Sixteenth note triplet and minor third Minor third again in this one following by a triplet on beat two.
3
4
- Perfect fourth Starts and ends with a perfect fourth (F-B b).
- Minor sixth and chromatic approach As in the lick # 1 we will play a minor sixth interval ( F-Db) but this time F is approached by sliding your first finger from E to F.
- Major thirds & major second There are three double stops in it : major thirds (D b-F) in bar one and a major second interval (E b-F) at the end.
- 16th rests - Minor sixth & perfect fourth
5
This line starts on the eleventh eleventh (E) and in order of appearence, appearence, two intervals, minor sixth and perfect fourth. Pay attention to the timing.
The minor blues scale is an hexatonic scale (it is made up of six notes), it contains the same notes as the minor pentatonic scale including a passing tone ( b5) also called "blue note".
Bb minor blues scale Formula Intervals
Bb
Db
Eb
E
F
Ab
1 W+H
b3
4 H
b5
5 W+H
b7
W
H
W
Here are the 5 same blues boxes as the minor pentatonic scale including the "blue note" (which is green in the diagram).
Box 1
Box 2
Box 4
Box 3
Box 5
- Blue note, sliding & hammer-on This lick is made up of notes from the box 4. In the first bar, be sure to slide from E b to E (blue note) using your fourth finger. In the second bar you have to to play a "hammer-on" between between E b and F.
- Minor & major second intervals This one begins with a dissonant interval which is a minor second (E & F) including the "Blue note". It continues with a major second (E b and F) and a minor third (Db and F). Please note that the minor second is approached chromatically a semitone lower by sliding the fourth finger from E b to E.
- Major sixth Another one lick built with notes from the box 1. You will notice that the first chord in bar two contains a major sixth (G) that does not belong to the B b blues scale but to the B b major pentatonic scale (this is discussed in details from lick #17)
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- Sliding technique This line consist to repeat the same note (F) played in two different places, one in two is played by sliding a semitone lower. The "blue note" (E) is used to approach chromatically the eleventh (E b) by sliding.
- Double stops Box 5 for this lick, starting with the eleventh (E b), ending with two "double stops".
- Chromatic lines This one starts with a chromatic line (E b-E-F) including "the blue note". This line is repeat an octave higher and repeat again at its original pitch.
7
- Minor second & third - Chromaticisms In this lick you will find notes from boxes 1 & 2. It starts with a minor third (B b-Db) following by a chromatic line (F-E-Eb) including "the blue note". Next, a major second interval (E-F) following by the same chromatic line as the first an octave lower.
In the second measure you can hear hear another
chromatic line (Ab-A-Bb) using a passing tone (A).
- Silding and perfect fifth In this one the first note (Db) is approac hed by sliding with the fourth finger. It ends with a perfect fifth.
- Repeated pattern and bend In measure on the same pattern (D b-Bb-Ab) is repeated 5 times. In the second bar be sure to bend up the Db a 1/4 tone.
8
9
Adding extra notes to the minor pentatonic scale is a common thing to spice up your soloing. We can add three notes of the major pentatonic scale to the minor pentatonic scale : the major second (ninth), the major third and the major sixth (thirteenth). In the key of B b we will add the major second (C), the major third (D) and the major sixth (G).
Bb minor pentatonic scale & major Formula Intervals
Bb
C
Db
D
Eb
F
G
Ab
1 W
2 H
b3
3 H
4 H
5 W
6 H
b7
H
W
Here are the 5 minor pentatonic boxes with the major second, the major third and the sixth added :
Box 1
Box 4
Box 2
Box 3
Box 5
- Hammer-on & major third Here is a common blues trick that consists to approach the major third (D) with the minor third (D b) by playing a "Hammer-on".
- Major third & sixth intervals You can clearly hear the major third (D) in measure one, beat four. The rest of this line is to play sixth intervals. In order of appearence : minor sixth (D-Bb), minor sixth (C-A b), major sixth (B b-G), major sixth (Ab-F).
- Accents & sixteenth notes This one got accents, just play a little bit louder every three sixteenth notes. It ends with the major third (D).
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- Major sixth Please note the presence of the major sixth (G) in bar one, third beat.
- Major third - Fourth & fifth intervals The major third is added once again. Ending with a fourth and a fifth intervals.
- Major second & third Major second (C) and a major third (D) in this one. Build with notes of box 1.
11
- Major sixth & major third You can notice that there is a major sixth (G) and a major third (D) added in this one.
- Major & minor t hirds intervals Measure one, major third added again (D). Measure two there is a major third interval (D b-F) following by a minor third interval (F-A b). It ends with the major third (D) approached with a Hammer on.
- Minor triad, major second, sixth and blue note. In this last lick you will find a F minor triad in bar two including the major second (C) a nd the sixth (A) of the major pentatonic scale. You can also hear the blue note (E) between the fourth (E b) and the fifth (F).
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