Q: Currently, I'm studying modal jazz. In particular, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter. One chord type I keep seeing in plenty of songs is the, "Dominant 7th suspended fourth." Could you consider making a video showing some chord voicings and some ideas with related single-note (scale and arpeggio) lines for this chord? Thanks in advance.
Brent - Reno, NV. USA

 A: Even though we might not find the Dominant Suspended Chord in a great deal of pieces, it is actually quite popular. And, it's not just in modal jazz of the 70's, but also in modern pop and country-western songs, in big-band jazz music, in pop jazz, and in jazz fusion as well. The problem that many guitar players typically face with this chord type, centers around getting it to groove well in various harmonic situations. So, aside from being fully aware of the music theory associated to this chord, you'll need to have a good familiarity with several chord voicings on the neck, and it's also good to have the ability to be able to create composed and improvised single-note lines too. In the video, I begin by taking a look at the basic theory involved with creating dominant suspended chords. After that, we'll head over to the guitar to run through some practical chord shapes and a few single-note line melody concepts on the neck.

Follow the link to my Official BlogSite to get the handout, and a copy of the MP3 jam track used in the solo example at the start of the video lesson.