September 3rd to 7th 2007
The focus in this workshop will be on modal improvisation.
This seminar addresses to guitarists already having some musical experience.
On guitar, it is relatively easy to perform groups of notes corresponding to pre-established positions, "licks". These licks allow realizing rather quickly codified interventions, shared by many guitarists in various styles such as blues, rock, and even jazz. The positions used to play most of these licks are built from pentatonic scales, enhanced or not with additional notes ("blue note", melodic notes, chromatisms, and so on...).
But we rapidly turn around the same notes, and easiness of these positions, which become automatic, prevent us from discover melodic possibilities, often near from these positions, but out of our playing habits.
It is possible then to accidentally find rather unusual developments, but improvising a chorus on stage often leads to use figures on which one feels safe. Performance is not always the best place to make experiments.
In the act of composition too, one often refers to harmonic and melodic sequences which "sound" and feel secure, but which often regrettably make titles be alike.
Most musicians refer to scales built from common western modes: major, minor (relative natural, more rarely harmonic and melodic modes), sometimes Dorian, Lydian or Myxolydian.
Who may attend this workshop :
Those who already have some experience with guitar and who wish to become familiar with melodic improvisation.
To be familiar with pentatonic scales is necessary.
What it will be about :
- Intensive work (4 hours a day during 5 days) on modal developments of basic scales.
- Melodic improvisations in those various modes.
- Working on rhythmic variations in improvisation.
- Some specific techniques like up and down strokes pick techniques, cross-picking...
- High spirits and motivation.
What it will not be about :
- Learning to play guitar.
- Working on an existing repertoire.
- Jamming.
- General technique.
What is needeed to apply :
- To be able to play guitar, it means knowing guitar neck rather well, some chords, pentatonic scales (eventually major and minor scales)
- Knowing sol-fa is not absolutely necessary but it could help a lot.
- To have a guitar.
When and where :
The workshop will take place 5 rue Duc in Paris 18th arr. (M° Jules Joffrin) from 17 to 21 december 2007.
How :
Sessions will be collective and will take place in Paris from Monday to Friday from 2p.m. to 6p.m., a public demonstration of the workshop could be performed on next Saturday or Sunday.
Personal meetings with Frederic L'Épée will be possible in order to fix some theoretic or technique specific problems.
Guitars :
Any kind of guitar is welcome : electric and acoustic of course, also basses, Chapman Stick and so on...
Anyway, sonic level during the seminar will not go beyond acoustic guitar's one.
Guitars will be tuned in traditional tuning (from bass to treble : E-A-D-G-B-E) and/or in New Standard Tuning (C-G-D-A-E-G).
Fee :
The price of the workshop is 250 €, housing and food are at the participants’ charge.
The amount of admissions being limited, thanks for informing of you participation as soon as possible.
Further informations - Registration
