Micro Lesson 198: "G Major 7" Rhythmic Embellishment
This Micro Lesson explores the idea of applying rhythmic embellishments around a "Major 7th" chord.
The Major 7th is commonly used in; Pop, Funk, Jazz and Soul /R&B music. Often times if the guitarist just strums the chord, its sound will blend along with the keyboard and become lost within the mix of the music.
A useful way to overcome this problem is through applying embellishments that will highlight the chord and allow for the guitar to stand out.
Embellishments can take on the form of many different concepts. We can insert single-note phrases and articulate their effect with hammer-ons, pull-offs or slides. We could use arpeggiated picked patterns instead of strumming. We could work out specific scratch rhythms around our strumming or arpeggio work. And, we could also use double-stops to approach chord tones from above or below.
The "G maj7" chord in this lesson is highlighted using nearly every one of the above techniques. There are picked arpeggiated concepts present throughout. A 16th-note triplet figure appears with a hammer-on pull-off involved. And, there is also a scratch pattern with double-stop slides occuring in measure two.
Try getting a good feel for this two-bar phrase on its own, then experiment with taking the ideas shown here on to other styles and chord types as well. Enjoy!
Micro Lesson 198: "G Major 7" Rhythmic Embellishment
Categories:
