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Guest Column: Chromaticism Made EZ
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Chromaticism Made EZ
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by Scott Hughes
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Page added in
April, 2001
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About the Author
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Scott Hughes is one of New England's busiest guitar teachers, maintaining a roster of 50-60 private students and a part-time faculty position in the University of Maine music program.
The July 1997 issue of Guitar Player featured him in the "Spotlight" column saying, "...strong vestiges of Holdsworth and Beck throughout...a tasteful player with a promising musical personality...his compositions possess an appealing, narrative quality."
Scott endorses Brian Moore Custom guitars and DiMarzio pickups.
Send comments or questions to Scott Hughes.
© Scott Hughes
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This lesson represents a simple (but quite effective) way to incorporate
chromaticism into your diatonic lines. When playing lines/licks built from 3
note-per-string scale patterns, you are most likely to play one of three
left-hand sequences:
- Whole step - half step
- Half step - whole step
- Whole step - whole step
With a few exceptions (harmonic minor and pentatonics to name two), these three
left-hand fingerings will accommodate most 3 note-per-string scale forms.
Simply put, you take any 3 note per string scale form, and use the 'extra'
finger (usually the middle or ring) to chromaticize the string you're on.
(see examples).
The examples only chromaticize every other string, which I feel helps to make
the 'extra' notes a little less obvious (as opposed to doing it on every
string).
An added bonus is that this can get the player comfortable using 4 notes on a
string, and thus open up new possibilities for playing ideas outside the 3
note-per-string format.
The four licks are built using these 'chromaticized' scale patterns, and can be
played with any style you choose (picking, legato, etc...). These should give
you some ideas to start incorporating the chromatic concept. The sounds are
similar to those used by great players like Brett Garsed, Greg Howe and many
other rock/fusion stylists.
MP3 - Example 1
MP3 - Example 2
MP3 - Example 3
MP3 - Example 4
Most of these lines are rhythmically 'ambiguous', meaning that they could be
played with a triplet or sixteenth note feel (or any combination thereof).
Experiment with different rhythmic feels, and starting the line on different
parts of the beat.
Have fun!
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Additional Guitar Technique Columns
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- And 309 more in the Guest Columnists category, view the index
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