Target Tones - Extension tasks
Level 1 is outlined on the main page of Improv exercises. Make sure you do the first part on that page before you try these parts. The additional stages here, will help you to develop a wide variety of harmonic values and range of articulation to your solos.
This page is mostly based in the Key of G minor pentatonic. Position 1 is found at the 3rd fret.
This page is mostly based in the Key of G minor pentatonic. Position 1 is found at the 3rd fret.
Level 2Stage 1
Find the 7th interval on all chords. You will notice that the 7th is always one letter lower than the chord itself : G = F as 7th, C = Bb as 7th, D = C as 7th. Once you have found the tones with ease, try playing a solo using a combination of roots and 7ths as target tones. For example - 7ths over ‘chords 4 and 5’, root over ‘chord 1’ or Roots over 'chords 1 and 5' and 7th over 'chord 4'. Stage 2
Use the 7th degree of each chord to implement expressive techniques targeting the root. Expressive techniques include bending, sliding and hammer on's up to the root. Experiment with slow and fast articulation of these effects. See audio examples on the right. For more information and guidance about these techniques follow this link to our theory vault : Articulation and Ornamentation. Stage 3 Start from the root of each chord and use the next note up in the scale to use these techniques to descend to the root. Techniques will include descending slides, ‘pull off’s’ (instead of ‘hammer on’) and releasing bends to the root - this means bending the string from the root note position up to the next note, then releasing the bend back down to pitch. These are big bends so it will require strength and control. Note that the descending bends in the audio example are played on 'fret 6' of the 'B string', for ease of bending. |
Targets for levels 2Expressive techniques - For each example you will hear two of each in this order: bends, slides, hammer on's or pull off's for descending. Please note the recorded examples are in the key of A not G, as most of the course is written in A.
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Level 3Stage 1
Targeting the major 3rd over all chords. This will entail creating lines using the minor pentatonic scale and then introducing a new note, that relates to the current chord as a ‘major 3rd interval’ to end the phrases. It has a stronger impact if you land on the first beat of the bar with the 'major 3rd target'. See the TAB in a PDF (below right) for an example of how lines like this can be constructed. Please note the TAB example is written in the key of A not G as most of the course is written in A. 3rds intervals for each chord are: G = B, C = E, D = F# Note - The ‘major 3rd’s do not belong to the minor pentatonic scale but fall into the hybrid blues scale, apart from the major 3rd of the 5th chord which is borrowed from the major scale. This note is only to be used on the 5th chord in this musical context which is Blues. Stage 2
Free use of the hybrid scale while observing a combination of major 3rds, 7ths and roots over the chords as target tones. Stage 3 Use expressive techniques to accent each target tone. Remember to use the notes next door to the target tone to implement these techniques - one degree up for descending motions or one degree down for ascending motions, as laid out in Stages 2 and 3 in Level 2. |
Targets for Level 3
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