Chromazone theory.

[foxy1987]

I am learning Mike Stern's classic Chromazone. I have got all the way up to half way through the solo, which is very surprising because i don't normally stick with a song through to the end-this will be the exception though! Learning this song has improved so many sides to my playing including: strict alternate picking, the ability to play cleanly especially big bluesy bends and long twisting melodic lines, and also pinched harmonics. I like to analyse the solo because then it gives me an insight into the ways in which Mike Stern had come up with this solo, and then maybe i can incorporate these ideas into my own playing style. There are some things that i need clearing up with regard to Pete Callard's introduction of the song. He says, about part of the solo, "from the C#m11 chord moving from blues/rock minor pentatonic licks into a line fusing C# dorian with arpeggio substitutions, to the implied G#7 altered chords and chromatic passing notes...". I know about the pentatonic and the dorian mode but am a bit unsure as to what "arpeggio substitutions, to the implied G#7 altered chords" means.
One more thing: he talks about two other runs in the solo and the fact that they are largely comprised of Dorian and melodic minor with some chromatic and outside ideas thrown in. I don't have much experience with the Melodic minor but i know there are two versions, ascending and descending, so how do you use it in a soloing context. Also what does he mean by "outside ideas thrown in"?
This is why i prefer the new style GT because they explain things at the top of the pages of the transcription. I know i am asking a lot here but anything is appreciated!
Thanks alot.

[frankus]

Originally Posted by foxy1987

There are some things that i need clearing up with regard to Pete Callard's introduction of the song. He says, about part of the solo, "from the C#m11 chord moving from blues/rock minor pentatonic licks into a line fusing C# dorian with arpeggio substitutions, to the implied G#7 altered chords and chromatic passing notes...". I know about the pentatonic and the dorian mode but am a bit unsure as to what "arpeggio substitutions, to the implied G#7 altered chords" means.
One more thing: he talks about two other runs in the solo and the fact that they are largely comprised of Dorian and melodic minor with some chromatic and outside ideas thrown in. I don't have much experience with the Melodic minor but i know there are two versions, ascending and descending, so how do you use it in a soloing context. Also what does he mean by "outside ideas thrown in"?

C# dorian = C# D# E F# G# A# B
Chords: C#m D#m Emaj F7 G#m A#m7b5 Bmaj

The 5th degree is G# so perhaps the music has G#7 returning to a C#m11 in which case a jazzer might play G#7Alt. We'd think of it as a minor 5-1 (or V7-i but I was told to drop this approach). This'd mean changing some of the notes of the scale from G#m to G#alt (#4 for one). Arpeggio substitutions might involve turning C#m arpeggios to C#m b9 arpeggios (the b9 being the #4 of G#7 alt).

The melodic minor in jazz (also called the jazz minor has one form ascending and descending: it's function is R 2 b3 4 5 6 7) it's very close to the function of the dorian ( R 2 B3 4 5 6 b7).

The melodic minor is used a fair bit but more often the melodic minor modes super-locrian and lydian-dominant get used. These are used for playing over dominant chords to add spice or colour... if there's a dominant chord going to it's 1 chord i.e. G7 to Cmaj7 or Cmin7 then the pull is so strong you can really take liberties with the melody (say play all the notes different) you could play G7alt ( R b2 #2 b4 #4 b6 #6 ) and it'd sound horrid till you land on the Cmaj7 chord where all your sins will be forgiven.

This strongly dissonant sound prior to a strongly consonant sound is called "playing outside" there are loads of approaches - playing things a semitone up or a semitone down, playing the super locrian ... these are the most popular. Using the arpgeggios would create small melodic motifs (so quite strong) but pushing the melody to be more strident than the chords might suggest.

[foxy1987]

Thanks for that very constructive reply Frankus! I'll get drawing the fretboard charts for C# Dorian, C# Melodic Minor and G#7 altered scale. A REALLY vague question...is there a definitive set of scales that are commonly used in the fusion style? More to the point, how would you define the fusion style? :P

[frankus]

I think Fusion can cover so many genres there's not one set of scales.. dorian, mixolydian, major and super-locrian are rather common ... but rock fusion will probably contain more pentatonics.

[JaseMorris]

Ahh, the old "Ascending and descending melodic minor" chestnut - That comes from old, classical theory, and is of zero use in jazz or fusion. When the melodic minor is referred to in jazz and fusion, it is referring to the classical ascending version only - it descends the same as it ascends.

In any event, the "altered scale", which is commonly used (and arpeggios off of it) over altered dominant chords, is the 7th mode of this scale (also known as superlocrian) - in this example, the G# superlocrian scale would be A melodic minor, played from G# to G#.

[foxy1987]

I'm going to report back on this stuff after my guitar lesson tomorrow evening! :P