Tag Archives: john mclaughlin

John McLaughlin – How To use Atonal Ideas on the Blues

Leave a reply

John McLaughlin has a very unique approach to soloing. In this John Mclaughlin Lesson, I discuss his approach to soloing using a mix of Blues, Jazz, and atonal shifting melodies. This lesson is on McLaughlin’s solo on the Jazz Blues “No Blues”, a 12 bar blues by Miles Davis.

This solo clearly demonstrates some strong melodic ideas that are used in creative ways and also some really interesting 8th note lines. Often when John Mclaughlin improvises he uses 8th note lines that shift out of the tonality and are more chromatic than chord related.

The recording is from a concert with Joey DeFrancesco on Organ and Dennis Chambers on Drums.

Content:

0:00 Intro – John McLaughlin on No Blues
0:23 How He uses Pentatonics, Atonal melodies and Blues
1:00 Example #1 – Avoid the 1 – m6 Pentatonic
1:06 Analysis of Example 1
2:14 Example #1 – Slow
2:20 Example #2 – Pentatonic but not blues – Surprising Note Choice
2:25 Analysis of Example 2
3:56 Example #2 Slow
4:04 Example #3 – From Blues to Atonal Melodies
4:17 Analysis of Example 3
6:54 Example #3 Slow
7:35 Example #4 – Motivic Development
7:43 Analysis Example #4
8:45 Example #4 Slow
8:59 Example #5 – From Bop into Chromatic Atonal melodies
9:05 Analysis Example #5
10:38 Example #5 Slow
10:48 What is unique about McLaughlin
11:31 Like the Video? Check out my Patreon Page

More John Mclaughlin Lessons

If you want to check out one of my other John McLaughlin lessons then have take a look at this lesson analyzing phrases from his solo on Take The Coltrane:

John McLaughlin – This Is Not Like Other Approaches

Get a free E-book

If you want to download a Free E-book of 15 II Valt I licks then subscribe to my newsletter:

Sign up for my newsletter – Get the II V I Ebook

Get the PDF!

The PDF with examples for this video is available through Patreon. You can check out my Patreon Page here: https://www.patreon.com/jenslarsen

Jazz Guitar Insiders Facebook Group

Join 1000+ Other Jazz Guitarists 🎸Join us in the Facebook Jazz Guitar Group Community: http://bit.ly/InsidersFBGroup

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions for topics then please let me know. Leave a comment on the video or  send me an e-mail. That is the best way for me to improve my lessons and make them fit what you are searching for.

Please subscribe to my YouTube channel and feel free to connect with me via Instagram,Twitter, or Facebook to keep up to date with new lessons, concerts, and releases.

John McLaughlin – This Is Not Like Other Approaches

This John McLaughlin lesson is an analysis of his solo on the F blues Take The Coltrane. What you will see is that his approach to creating lines is often very different from the usual ways that we use scales and arpeggios and think about melodies that move from chord to chord. In this solo his use of chromaticism, shifting melodies and longer melodic stretches is extra-ordinary and really worth checking out.

John McLaughlin – The Father of Guitar Fusion?

John McLaughlin is among the musicians who invented what we call fusion today. He is known for his extra-ordianry technique, and for mixing jazz with both Spanish and Indian folk music. He has worked with everybody from Miles Davis to Jaco Pastorious and Carlos Santana.

But he also has a strong grasp of more mainstream jazz and in this video I am going to take a look at some parts of his solo on Take The Coltrane, which is a Blues in F. This recording is from an album with Elvin Jones and Joey DeFrancesco where McLaughlin is exploring the Organ trio concept. An album which has a lot of material inspired by John Coltrane.

More John Mclaughlin Lessons

If you want to check out one of my other John McLaughlin lessons then have take a look at this lesson analyzing phrases from his solo on “No Blues”, a jazz blues in G.

John McLaughlin – How To use Atonal Ideas on the Blues

Get a free E-book

If you want to download a Free E-book of 15 II Valt I licks then subscribe to my newsletter:

Sign up for my newsletter – Get the II V I Ebook

Get the PDF!

The PDF with examples for this video is available through Patreon. You can check out my Patreon Page here: https://www.patreon.com/jenslarsen

Jazz Guitar Insiders Facebook Group

Join 1500+ Other Jazz Guitarists 🎸Join us in the Facebook Jazz Guitar Group Community: http://bit.ly/InsidersFBGroup

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions for topics then please let me know. Leave a comment on the video or send me an e-mail. That is the best way for me to improve my lessons and make them fit what you are searching for.

Please subscribe to my YouTube channel and feel free to connect with me via Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook to keep up to date with new lessons, concerts, and releases.