Fusion lick over E7

[stephenanthony]

Nice lick and really appreciate the comment regarding seeing and hearing phrases rather than just the scales or modes. Mahalos!

[rotren]

The one note that "sticks out" here is the #4 (can be viewed as b5 too) and that is the note B flat (Bb). It creates extra tension. If you play Mixolydian, but move the 4th up a half step to 4#, you get a really cool sound. That creates the Lydian Dominant scale. Great scale to use over 7 chords! Search Wikipedia for "Acoustic scale" to learn more.

[Xavimanjazz]

@rotren Thats is called Lidian b7, or mixo #4. A famous scale in jazz performance :)

[eddieisfiction]

one way to use it very sparingly playing outside even those 9 basic notes... is if you switch to a melodic minor... or you are playing quartal notes..or other mathmatical scales or triads that are seperated by multiples.

thats the basic rules of fusion that make it so you can play what they say is "outside" and have it sound great and melodic. Then if you decide to get crazier, like changing scales completely for different notes, you still follow the rules to a degree. Its a basic map

[eddieisfiction]

and while I said how to use it with just that... thats just so you start to understand... afterwards... you can pretty much do what you want when you stay within those bounds... and then playing outside of even that... do during more of a drum fill type of scenario... though its really not needed when you got 9 out of the 12 notes being played... so use playing outside of even that very sparingly.

[eddieisfiction]

it takes practice playing it a bit though to play it... try playing it over a song with just 2 chords at first... like A minor and then a D minor... and give it enough space between each chord to practice... start with making licks in in either minor pentatonic, natural minor, or harmonic minor... switch between those three scales... then combine 2 of the scales together for some licks.. and then when you combine all three, do it very sparingly like its a drum fill... moving chromatically.

[BlikeNave]

I like to know where every note fits, and I can still use melodies in my head while understanding which notes are diatonic and chromatic. Asking the key or scale just helps to get a starting point.

[sjuulmi]

sounds like phish

[nemtall]

Tab Please

[holyssun]

u so awesome !!

[Gwnhugo]

What kind of effect would you recommend for Fusion guitar? I just don't know how to get that fusion sound.

[mymailtube]

Nice lick. There are a few unexpected notes......and I like that!

[bluesyinfinity]

@LinkBulletBill It's not a friggin scale! Chromatic = not a scale. That's why it's called fusion...it makes no sense. It shouldn't sound good...it just does and no one can explain with any sort of good, solid musical theory why it works!

The Chromatic scale is a true scale..12 true notes...also there are much more than 12 notes in the whole universal note system..for example listen to violinist L. Shakar

[applehat32]

im a rather new fan to this type of music. i would love to learn whole songs of stuff like this though. can anyone recommend any musicians in this style , or any songs?

[rotren]

I am not playing just one scale. There are some Mixolydian notes in there, but other notes too that aren't part of that scale. You don't need to view licks as coming from some scale - view them as individual phrases instead. Analyze the intervals used that create the cool sound you're hearing, and work from that instead. Hope that helps. That said, most of this lick is based around Mixolydian mode (and using D major over E).

[Blitzzkreigg]

@rotren So basically you're saying to not base everything we do off of scales but to recreate melodies that are in our head?

[eddieisfiction]

@Blitzzkreigg not quite, but now when you recreate melodies in your head, you know it can make sense!

[ickefes]

Vilken skala är det du spelar? MvH

[nemtall]

Alex from Testament Isn't scared To play Jazz ,classical or metal and He rules them all

[Jphthe2]

Nice lick.

[decus69]

I like  and study bebop but you fusion guys have made me think more deeply about substitutions. Thanks a millon

[Knukleheada]

nice balls dude

[AgRo518]

@Knukleheada Only would you look.

[meowtrox]

what scale is this? what should be my foundation if i want to play this kind?

[LinkBulletBill]

@meowtrox

the chromatic scale... all notes...

but with understanding of theory by using the pentatonic scale as the key notes you could make a lick.

you need to also understand the major & minor notes that work with the chords that are being played together as a group...

Basically this the bebop scale of E7, yet with extra chromatic notes added..

[ssteven4]

@LinkBulletBill It's not a friggin scale! Chromatic = not a scale. That's why it's called fusion...it makes no sense. It shouldn't sound good...it just does and no one can explain with any sort of good, solid musical theory why it works!

[LinkBulletBill]

@ssteven4

There is such thing as a chromatic scale, and it is all notes...

Both knowing theory, I could study this lick and find out why it works, and what are the major notes (keys) of this lick...

It's complicated... This is basically mix of bebop scale and some chromatic notes.

Look why does a Bb Major scale work over coordination of the chords G to F and again?

You can't just answer "because it just works." since it is vivid... It is unanswerable, but some elements are understandable.

[ssteven4]

@LinkBulletBill I was really just venting, and you make a valid point.

[TheMrFunktastic2]

@ssteven4 that was probably the biggest load of BS I have ever read. Thanks! :)

[eddieisfiction]

@ssteven4 wow.. seriously?  Its called combining different scales within the same mode. While you are playing a chromatic, the outlying notes otherwise instill a feeling of musicality because you are combining the scales correctly because you accent each scale correctly. Imagine a 9 note scale, thats minor scale, both natural and harmonic plus pentatonic scale. A B C D D# E F G G#. The way to make it sound good is to not mesh them all the time, and when you do, dont mesh them the same way

[BlikeNave]

@eddieisfiction I loved everything you said but I can't see where you obtained the D# (b5) from. If you say pentatonic I need to relearn my pentatonic. I thought minor penta was just ACDEG??

[eddieisfiction]

@BlikeNave D# is the middle note in the pentatonic 3 half step notes in a row. becuase minor Pentatonic would be A C D D# E G A you could also make a minor b5 triad (diminished scales) starting with A not just Ab. Also as well you can have C E and Ab Augmented chords and scales.

[BlikeNave]

@eddieisfiction What I have learned is conflicting with what I'm hearing :[ I feel that the scale we're talking about is six notes (the extra D# in A pentatonic). Since it's penta (five notes) + 1 note (D#) we get the six note hexatonic minor blues scale, Same as minor penta with a flat 5. Also I don't see what the Ab has to do with all this. I understand the dim triad point, but not the "starting with A not just Ab". TEACH MEEEE

[eddieisfiction]

@BlikeNave no you are right, I didnt fully explain it right... Its still part of the blues scale... so yeah just take it as that... it works. Ab is the harmonic minor part... which is a #7th note of the scale... so instead of G, its Ab.

natural minor the 7th note is G, melodic minor has a #7th #6th. meaning Ab, and instead of F, its an F#... I tend to never mix melodic and and harmonic minor together... but you can... my suggestion when you pick harmonic natural and melodic minors, pick 2

[eddieisfiction]

@BlikeNave so basically your chromatics are with D through F because you have D present in all scales, D# present in blues scale, E all scales, and F natural and harmonic minors then you have G through A because Ab is in harmonic minor. then you also have Ab-C exception with A# so it can flow like a chromatic almost. If you use melodic instead of harmonic minor.. then you have F# as well.

[BlikeNave]

@eddieisfiction Ahh I see. I am fluent in all the modes of the three primary keys. I wasn't thinking clearly about the Ab as the 7th in harmonic. I call it G# (my brain didn't register the Ab as the Maj7th lol!) since we already have an "A" in there. That's some pretty interesting stuff. I tend to borrow chords from melodic/harmonic keys as is typical in jazz substitutions, but I don't use the scales exactly like this (over same root). Pretty interesting stuff! Thx for the communication :]

[eddieisfiction]

@BlikeNave np, thats just primarily my way to determine where to use chromatics.. tends to make musical sense that way, and you can especially tell with a backing track.

[eddieisfiction]

@BlikeNave minor pentatonic is ACDEG... but thats the shell of the scale... its fully ACDD#EGA

[eddieisfiction]

just keep in mind man, you play the notes of the the scales seperately in licks, then you combine them, and then you use chromatics... but you dont completely mix it all the time, and it will always sound like it makes sense.

[FuZioNHD]

I lick E7?

[progjazzfusion]

to me there is no such thing as a fusion "lick". one either can play fusion or they cant. You cant fake it by stringing licks together like in rock and blues. licks work in rock but sound fake in fusion and jazz, cuz it's not about licks, it's about improvised self expression, and licks are the opposite of that. Fools wont know the difference, but anyone who does will see you as a poor player and a phony wannabe, so this is best avoided. Sorry but you have to actually work hard to play fusion.

[Vlaxitov]

@progjazzfusion

Theres no such thing as "fusion" in music and anyone who uses the term takes themselves WAY too seriously.

[progjazzfusion]

@Vlaxitov - fusion means mixing jazz+rock music, and that kind of music exists, so it's a handy shorthand term. anyone who thinks that mixing jazz and rock doesnt exist must not know of music outside the spoonfed mainstream. I see on your page you are a 'cypress hill' rap fan, so that explains it. dont know why you are checking this video out in the first place, as fusion music obviously aint your thing so why comment on something you dont know about.

[Vlaxitov]

@progjazzfusion

I obviously listen to people like Mr Bungle/Fantomas, King Crimson, Frank Zappa, Polvo, and a bunch of other stuff you would consider "fusion." Page Hamilton from helmet is a trained jazz guitarist so you could call that fusion too,... not. Seriously, "fusion" is a cheesy term that comes in handy for people who take themselves and their music too seriously, period. Don't say I don't know what I'm talking about just because I like a wider variety of music than you do.

[progjazzfusion]

@Vlaxitov - no i dont consider any of those bands fusion, though zappa+crimson have dabbled in fusion they are not known as fusion groups. And yes music should be taken seriously...are you saying zappa and crimson didnt take their music very very seriously? You will read that they did. oh and wider variety of music? I listen to most everything but rap, which is not music anyways. fusion and prog are just my favs.

[Vlaxitov]

@progjazzfusion

Only an old white biggot says something like rap isn't music. Rap is clearly music that you just don't like. Let me get this straight, playing jazz with distortion or overdrive = fusion. If you don't consider mr bungle "fusion," when what is it to you? "Fusion" or "prog" are useless terms like "grunge" that people have been using for over 40 years now to declare that these musicians are better because what they play is more complex or complicated. Its all about promotion.

[progjazzfusion]

@Vlaxitov - well I havent heard any jazz chords, scales or rhythms in the mr bungle I've heard, so if they dont have at least some of that, then they arent fusion. I've heard them called avant metal, experimental rock, stuff like that, but not fusion. White biggot for not liking rap? what about me liking Jazz, Blues and Funk? Those are THE ORIGINAL BLACK MUSIC FORMS! the biggest Fusion bands were largely black too: Return to Forever, Weather Report, Mahavishnu Orchestra.

[nezmaster1]

@Vlaxitov Jazz with distortion is fusion? Hahha, that's kind of stupid man... Fusion is the literal FUSION of Jazz and Rock styles...

[Vlaxitov]

@nezmaster1

What exactly is rock style in comparison to blues in comparison to jazz? Yeah, kind of stupid man.... Fusion is an irrelevant term... give it up...

[nezmaster1]

@Vlaxitov Hahhaa, I'm stupid? You just said that Blues jazz, and rock may as well all be the same styles, you're retarded. Fusion is not an irrelevant term as much as Blues is not an irrelevant term. I could go into further detail but I shouldn't waste my time on someone with such limited knowledge as you.

[Vlaxitov]

@nezmaster1

You're a fucking troll and you know it. Fusion is like prog, in an irrelevant term. I'm sorry the truth leaves your fragile ego butthurt. It's not "fusion," its jazz with some rock influence or the other way around. Lets make up a new term for rock & rap like its serious business while were at it. Fusion is an egomaniacs term just like prog for someone who thinks their music is oh soo much more. Now please go into further detail dumbass. Yes you ARE stupid.

[nezmaster1]

@Vlaxitov My point is, does Fusion sound like Jazz, rock, blues? NO. So it is different. Does prog sound like rock, blues, jazz. NO! Does JAzz sound like blues, or rock...All these styles utilize completely different song writing structures, available scales, chords, and progressions. There is no such thing as an irrelevent music term, if that were true, Death Tech, hardcore, Thrash, bepop, all the facets of these styles wouldn't exist. Lincoln Park= rap rock, tell them their music doesn't exist

[Vlaxitov]

@nezmaster1

Vocals clearly seperate death from other metal. Hardcore and tech are bullshit terms. Bepop is basically a dead term that originated with one song "hey bop a rebop" and the genre was defined by the listeners, not the musicians. So the term was only half full of shit at the time as it was really just poppy jazz. It was the hype made up genre of the time but unlike "prog" wasn't pushed by egomaniacs who needed to convince the audience that their music was special needing its own name.

[nezmaster1]

@Vlaxitov Go argue with a musician to their face and see how they feel about saying their style is an irrelevant term. I'm done with you, you must be under the age of 15, and blindly dumb. If you have such a bull shit view on music you shouldn't even be studying it. Especially watching a fusion tutorial if fusion doesn't exist. You're a waste of life.

[amac1010]

@Vlaxitov

LOL...Metal?? Bebop is a "poppy" jazz!!! Like the "jacket on the chair"!!!. Metal is a "poppy" guitarist afraid to play bebop...

[BlikeNave]

@Vlaxitov Hey vlax, I see you're quite popular in these video comments :]. I am interested in jazz theory and harmony, but I play it with distortion and straight 8th notes instead of the swingin jazzy groove. I title most of my (what some might call) "Fusion" videos "Jazz Metal". Not trying to start any beef, but is this acceptable in your eyes? What else should I call it if not? I want people to know what style I'm playing from the title. What should they call it instead of fusion- jazz rock?

[Vlaxitov]

@nezmaster1

"I wouldn't waste my time on someone with as limited knowledge as you."

Thats exactly something I'd expect a dream theatre fan to say to someone. You know someone whos "very knowledgable" when it comes to the subjective terms of music. I checked out your page and your guitar playing blows nutts btw. Have a nice day.

[BlikeNave]

@progjazzfusion Reading through your argument and man you've got it right on. Vlax is ridiculous.

[progjazzfusion]

@BlikeNave - cool, thanks for the backing!

[Vlaxitov]

@progjazzfusion

"Fusion music" by its very own silly ass definition is combining any genres of music, not just "prog rock." It's douchebags who think they play "prog rock" that come up with silly ass terms like "fusion" in order to congratulate themselves for being so "cutting edge."

[progjazzfusion]

@Vlaxitov - fusion just means jazz and rock combined, I dont know why you feel threatened or insecure about the term as if it has some kind of pretentious meaning to belittle others who dont like it. Fusion is the least pretenious music on the planet...no image, no money in it, little promotion, no face or voice for people to identify with as it's all instrumental, etc.

[progjazzfusion]

@Vlaxitov - cutting edge? only in the 70s prog and fusion were considered that. Fusion and prog are never really in style, so cant really ever go out of style. it is always underground. Fusion players play for the sheer love of artistic expression to the few diehards who love that, not for some perceived pretensiousness. The term fusion music has meant jazz+rock for over 40 years now, so its a little late to argue over terminology.

[joserra79]

Mixolydian?

[anycolouryouwant]

what mode is it using?

[MrUrech]

mixo - fucked in the face - mode

[turnagegp]

awesome lick

[voidstuff]

my first fusion lick learned now

[6stringbadger]

25 replays. Finally got it. Thanks.

[afwef1]

@6stringbadger only 25? you'r good

[squabs217]

Very Steely Dan-ish lick ... making it very cool .

[AcDc109]

One question, this are like open triads played over the chords right? Its seems as if a 9th chord was played there

[somebassplayer580]

Yea i know there was F# which woul make it a 9th chord.

[BlikeNave]

@AcDc109 Such a sick concept you're talking about. Stacking triads. A simple example is Emin over Cmaj = Cmaj7. You can do this with any chord. For G9 (1 3 5 b7 9 or G B D F A) you would have to have Gmaj triad [GBD], B diminished triad [BDF], and Dmin triad [DFA]. Together these three simple triads create the sound of a harmonically rich five-note ninth chord (G9 for this example). Idk if this is exactly what you were getting at, and you posted years ago, but thought I'd give my two cents :D

[AcDc109]

@BlikeNave thx for responding i really dont remember what was I talking about, got to get myself to try and play fusion again

[mrmichael20]

great lesson

[kimnelcrew]

nice one i can lick now

[Hestjaevel111]

6000 views and 30 ranks...

[xxxxxTRIVIUMxxxxx]

sounds like a cartoon theme song haha

[maviamo1]

Nice impress.Congratulation.

[Barnekkid]

Nice lick, Robert. Impressive but manageable.

[lazeedawgs]

Awesome that you're posting the GP5 files. Once I started using that program my rate of improvement probably tripled.

[RunTMCfan]

GP5?

[lazeedawgs]

GuitarPro 5. It's a program for writing guitar tabs, but you can also use it to isolate sections of a song, and vary the tempo while you're learning the lick. It's also got a speed trainer that increases the speed of the loop each time through so you can work up to speed. It's helped me a ton w/weird time signatures and rhythms.

[prjctcivilian]

how much/ how do u get this program

[saddam5]

I heard of this new cool thing called "Google".

[hygumvej45]

Cool... I have heard of this just today, and it can find things for you!!!

Nice lick BTW!

[schecterfanboy]

Wow saddam5, you are pure genius.

[olebendik]

@schecterfanboy

Wow, you really got his point!

[DeepSeaSeamus]

you would improve even faster if you learned these things by ear

[someweirdkid95]

Thank you. Very nice lick.

[Shogun777]

very nice

[MusiciansQuarters]

Bravo, thanks!!

[xstevenx88]

bro!!!! put more stuff like this man,,,, please!!!! you'll get more subscribers and more hits!!! lol

[th31337n00b]

keep it up man. this is tech shit.