Combining Diminished Chord With Raised Nine For Turnaround

I recently talked about the turnaround.It being the closing of a progression or phrase before starting over the same prior sequence or a new sequence.
The 7th raised 9(7#9) chord and the diminished(0) chord are used extensively in jazz for turnaround chords.So that being said,let's see how to use both together in a turnaround situation.We will use the key of Am as the key,the typical 5 of A is E,so an E7 chord would be a standard turnaround chord.Now let's add some color to that E7 chord by playing an E7 raised 9(E7#9) in place of E7 and then adding B diminished also.

This is the 1 chord,an A minor 9(Am9),or the chord we are resolving to,from the E7#9/Bdim ...Note...do not play the 6th string,and,play the 5th string open,strings 5,4,3,2,1.The fingering is open,then bar strings 4 thru 1 with 1st finger and play 1st string with pinkie finger



5th fret







Now...the E7 raised nine(E7#9) chord is...5 chord
Do not play the 6th string or the first string(only the dotted strings/5,4,3,2




7th fret





And now the B diminished...5 chord









7th fret(only play strings 4,3,2,1)fingering is 1,3,2 and 4,in order to the strings mentioned

OK...if you do not know these chords,get familiar with them and their fingerings or shapes.
Here is the sequence to play the three chords in...
E7#9 to B dim and finally Am9...What we are doing is adding B dim to E7#9,or an extra turnaround chord!Instead of talking E7#9 to Am9,we are now saying E7#9 to B dim and finally ending on Am9.And there are many add-ons to this simple thought!Like on the B dim,the top B note,add in,the note C(B dim with b9 on the top),then to Am9.Or E7#9 to B dim,then to D dim(remember the diminished chord moves in minor 3rds,or 3 frets spreads),then to Am9.
Here are 2 helpful examples,of just what is going on here...
//Am9 /Am9 /Am9 /E7#9 B dim /Am9 //
//Am9 /Dm9 /Am9 /Dm9 /Am9 /Dm9 /E7#9 B dim/Am9 //
So there are many additional additives to what we have just talked about,but for now,maybe this will add a new weapon to the ol' arsenol :-)!Turnarounds are a major force in music.

Michael Jackson Passes...Cardiac Arrest

Michael Jackson,50,dies from cardiac arrest.Tossing all the bullshit that came his way,i thought he and his songs were,well,great.He had so many great guitarist doing tracks and touring with him,and then you have Thriller!He will be missed,i am sure.But,you know,the way the media just butchered him up,it may just have been a relief!I surely did not go out and buy all his albums,but i do appreciate and respect the mans talents.
His 1982 album "Thriller" — which included the blockbuster hits "Beat It," "Billie Jean" and "Thriller" — remains the biggest-selling album of all time, with more than 26 million copies.
http://www.michaeljackson.com/
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_obit_michael_jackson
Michael Jackson: in his own words - Google Books... http://books.google.com/books?id=DEspWj_IN_UC&dq=Michael+Jackson&printsec=frontcover&source=bll&ots=W894JE2Ahi&sig=lhrNyV0YlpcufmQ6fsE3qoKqceA&hl=en&ei=bxRESr2UIqKwtgfeitSGBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=22

Buy Your Favorite Rock Stars Guitar

Ok,this will be fun.Just check out some of the guitars and prices at this site.It is one of Ed Romans pages that list...owned/once owned and played by your favorite rock star... guitar sale.The prices,well check it out for yourself...Rock Star Owned Guitars, Stage Played Guitars...
http://www.edroman.com/guitars/rockstarowned.htm

Voodoo Labs Wahzoo Pedal

Fathers Day Gifts and Beyond

Ok,Father's Day is coming up and there are some cool ideas for gifts at Premier Guitar's.And you can always get an item beyond Father's Day.There are the useful to the ridiculous gifts.The pick holder in the picture above is pretty cool,then there is a guitar toilet seat and lid,a guitar shaped fly swatter.Some cool items are a pants belt with NO buckle,i have scratched a many guitar with a belt buckle,a guitar tie clip,metal guitar pick with leather key chain and others.So go over and check it out... http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/Daily/News/Premier_Guitars_Fathers_Day_Gift_Guide.aspx

V-Picks New Ruby Red

V-Picks has a new pick out,it is the Ruby Red series.They are acrylic and come in 8 different shapes.The ones shown here would be my favorite,rounded corners.A lot of times,i will use the more blunt side of a pick instead of the pointed side.So these look like a winner to me,along with their grip and thickness.And the color may be easier to see on stage!
V-Pick says..."These colored picks are a result of listening to our players and trying our best to always give them what they want and need. It is a limited run and only 500 of each model were made."
We have 8 different models in this cool look:
- Small Pointed
- Medium Rounded
- Medium Pointed
- Large Rounded
- Large Pointed
- Freakishly Large Rounded
- Screamer
- Acoustic
http://www.v-picks.com/picks
***earlier post on the V-Pick... http://guitaranswers.blogspot.com/search/label/V-Pick?max-results=10

Greg Howe Shredding On Arpeggios

This is a recent link to Greg Howe's column at Premier Guitar.He is shredding on some arpeggios.He demos some Maj.7ths,dom.7ths,min.7ths and diminished.So if you are into speed/shredding,check it out...
http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/2009/Jun/As_the_Notes_Burn.aspx

A Jazz Guitar Primer

Some interesting reading at Premier Guitar on jazz guitarist.This is a jazz guitar primer and a good introduction to the history of the jazz guitarist,along with audio clips.
http://www.modernguitars.com/archives/004787.html

Some Of Guitarist Oz Noy's Pedals

Ok,i did a little blog on Oz Noy earlier.Oz Noy is a guitarist from Israel,his style is groove based and funky with static lines thrown in.He is a pedal guy and is into transparency,no colored up pedal sounds from this guy!Let's now look at some of his favorite pedals.He uses many pedals but mentions particular ones in the three videos following this.They are the R.C.Booster,Robotalk and the BB Preamp.All sound great and all are very transparent.I feel the same way about pedals,i want the effect without it coloring my original tone!
In addition to the three videos,there is an interview with him at Modern Guitar's site.And i have included his MySpace page for some great playing by the Oz.
http://www.xotic.us/video/ozNoy/index.html
http://www.modernguitars.com/archives/003772.html
http://www.myspace.com/oznoy

Blues Turnarounds On Guitar

You may be asking...what is a turnaround?A turnaround is used at the end of a chord progression,to end it and then start the chord progression over again.There is a lesson over at Premier Guitars with some examples of blues turnarounds,and it will give you an idea of what a turnaround is.Thanks to Dale Turner for the sweet licks.
https://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Article_Detail.aspx?Page_ID=D14A1DF3-A5D9-4A94-AED3-96E36C8B39FD

Guitar Parts

Sometimes you need to replace some inferior parts on your guitar,like the pick ups,or tuners.These are the 2 common replacement parts,along with maybe the pick guard or bridge/vibrato or wammy system,maybe even a new and different neck.If you know exactly what you want you can order directly from the manufacturer.But if you are not sure or just want to explore your possibilities,here are a few sites that may help...
http://www.allparts.com/
http://www.stewmac.com/
http://www.wdmusic.com/
http://www.warmoth.com/

Adding Style To Your Playing

Let's talk about creating a uniqueness to your playing.Creating or adding style to your playing.This can be done through your rhythm playing and melody playing.In rhythm playing choosing to play to the proper groove is essential.This can be done through strumming,arpeggios/muting and single note rhythms and chucking.Which type you choose and how you apply them creates a style and feel.And don't forget,not every strum or note starts on the one beat.You may want to start on the back beats 2 and 4.Or you may want to accent on the 3rd beat,for a funky feel or style.The feel and style you are trying to accomplish is the determining factor.Now with soloing,the scale or phrase you choose and how you play it creates a style.Even a single note can be played a lot of different ways,by the way it is attacked.You can just simply pick the note or bend into it,hammer it,slide into it,wammy up into it!There are so many ways to play just a single note,and thus doing so creates your own style.Once you try these different techniques and ways of playing you will be on your way to creating your own style.A style of playing that is you and only you.And it will create color to your playing and not just strumming away on say eighth notes or just ripping away on a scale!

Music Forte...Has A Cool New Update and Look

Music forte is a site for independent artist.It's people are very friendly and the services offered are premium.They have recently restructured their whole site and it is a great improvement.It is very easy and intuitive when getting around the site,and the services offered are outstanding,along with the personal service and attention you receive.There are many sites for the independent artist,but very few i have found to be sincerely caring and offers a great plans to get your music heard and sold.So if you are looking for a site to promote you and your music you need to check out Music forte.
http://www.musicforte.com/