***** Land of the Midnight Sun by Al di Meola - Definitely Add This Hard Jazz Rocker to Your Collection

When I got Land of the Midnight Sun, the main thing I wanted to know was whether or not it was on par with Al di Meola’s other classic albums I own, particularly, Hotel Splendido, Elegant Gypsy and Casino.  I was not in the slightest way disappointed.  Land of the Midnight Sun is as great as these three primary records that are recommended for purchase, especially if you are interested in jazz guitar.  In fact, the style is not really distinguishable from the other three, as all four of these album make one think of blazing fast Spanish jazz rock fusion.

I’ll go so far as saying that Land of the Midnight Sun is more solid straight through, but lacks a majorly outstanding track or two - think Race with the Devil on a Spanish Highway -, which is why I think this album failed to get heavy entries in the “This Is  Jazz,” series of sampling of great songs from the most important jazz musicians.

In fact, based upon the tracks from this one that are in the “This Is Jazz” collection, it would appear that they don’t represent the totality of Land of the Midnight Sun to the point of deception.  This album by itself is better than the This Is Jazz compilation entry for Al di Meola.  However, there are no weak tracks on Land of the Midnight Sun.  So, I would urge the potential buyer.  Don’t buy something from the This Is Jazz collection, but pick up one of the big 4, such as Land of the Midnight Sun.  I guarantee you that you will not be disappointed by going this way.

Perhaps, the greatest reason I give this album praise, is that I think it’s Al di Meola’s hardest rocker, but I can’t honestly say I know that yet, especially since I haven’t heard all of his albums, which are many.

Perhaps, the thing I like most about Al di Meola is that practically anyone is going to enjoy much of his work.  I’ll call Casino, Elegant Gypsy, Hotel Splendido, and Land of the Midnight Sun the big 4, especially if you want to rock out and have a martini, and use this as background music.  I, myself, am feeling like having a tequila sunrise about now and head to the beach, and scope some full bodied Spanish women out!  It hasn’t gotten to cold just yet!

*** Tour de Force by Al di Meola – Reworked/Remixed Classics With Clapping in the Background

Tour de Force should be thought of as secondary to the major Al di Meola albums.  Really, this album seems to be more for an Al di Meola buff, rather than someone who wants to collect great music.  So, what’s the problem?  The problem is that this is not new material.  It is reworked material with clapping in the background.  It doesn’t add much, and frankly, clapping is boring to listen to.  Clapping might as well be random static.  Really, only in rare cases am I a big fan of clapping.  For example, I really like the way the crowd is mixed in on Iron Maiden’s live album, A Real Live, so it not that I can say that I simply detest all live albums.

The other fact is, since these are some of Meola’s best songs, I had already heard them many, many times by the time I picked up Tour de Force.  Really, Meola’s catalog is more dense than he would have you think when listening to Tour de Force.  However, Tour de Force is a great way to get sick of the same old same old goodies, rather than unearthing some of his real treasures, such as the openers to Land of the Midnight Sun.

12th Blues Pentatonic Drill: 2 Fattest Strings. Mode 1, Position 1. Root, 5, flat 3, 4.

12^th Blues Pentatonic Drill:  2 Fattest Strings.  Mode 1, Position 1.   Root, 5, flat 3, 4.

Introduction to the Lesson

A.     1^st 1^st Position Pentatonic Soloing Drills: Mega Lesson Syllabus for 2 String Play of Single Notes

a.      1st Killing the 1^st Position Blues Pentatonic Scales in 4s on the 1^st and 2^nd Strings

1.      1^st 27 Lessons for Mode 1 Blues Pentatonic Drills in 4/4 Time on String 1 and 2, Position 1

·         12^th Blues Pentatonic Drill:  2 Fattest Strings.  Mode 1, Position 1.   Root, 5, flat 3, 4.

 

Note1:  Please note, that I call the fattest string, the 1^st string.  Thus, the second fattest string would be the 2^nd string, and the skinniest string would be the 6^th string, and so on.

Note2: If at any time you are experiencing pain during the playing of this exercise or any other exercise I give, then stop immediately!  Please!  It doesn’t help me as a teacher to gain students with tendonitis, or other guitar injuries.

Note3: 1: Refers to the section of pentatonic drills.  In this case, 1 means that the drill is for 1 and 2 strings.  For example, the second section uses 3 strings.

Note4: 1:1  The 2^nd 1 of 1:1 refers to the position of the blues pentatonic scale that is used.  As a pentatonic scale has 5 notes, there are 5 positions.  These positions are all part of a scale.  One can switch between positions and not play any wrong notes.  1:1a-1:1e in its entirety can be raised/lowered as much as 11 half steps to result in modes with root notes in different keys.  Also, note that the pattern changes between the 1^st and 2^nd strings because the intervals between open strings when using standard tuning are not always the same.

1:1a  Position 1 in the key of E minor is as follows.  1^st string; 12^th fret and 15^th fret.  2^nd string; 12^th and 14^th fret.  3^rd string; 12^th and 14^th fret.  4^th string; 12^th and 14^th fret.  5^th string; 12^th and 15^th fret.  And the 2^nd string follows the same pattern as the 1^st string.

1:1b  Position 2 in the key of E minor is as follows.  1^st string; 3^rd and 5^th fret.  2^nd string; 2^nd and 5^th fret.  3^rd string; 2^nd fret and 5^th fret. 4^th string; 2^nd and 4^th fret. 5^th string; 3^rd and 5^th fret. And the 6^th string 3^rd and 5^th fret.

1:1c  Position 3 in the key of E minor is as follows.  1^st string; 5^th and 7^th fret.  2^nd string; 5^th and 7^th fret.  3^rd string; 5^th and 7^th fret. 4^th string; 4^th and 7^th fret.  5^th string; 5^th and 8^th fret.  6^th string 5^th and 7^th fret.

1:1d  Position 4 in the key of E minor is as follows.  1^st string; 7^th and 10^th fret.  2^nd string; 7^th and 10^th fret.  3^rd string; 7^th and 9^th fret.  4^th string; 7^th and 9^th fret. 5^th string; 8^th and 10^th fret. And on the 6^th string 7^th and 10^th fret.

1:1e  Position 5 in the key of E minor is as follows.  1^st string; 10^th and 12^th fret.  2^nd string; 10^th and 12^th fret.  3^rd string; 9^th and 12^th fret.  4^th string; 9^th and 12^th fret. 5^th string; 10^th and 12^th fret. 6^th string 10^th fret and 12^th fret.

Note5: 1:1:1  The third 1 of 1:1:1 refers to the mode of the pentatonic scale that is used.  There are 5 modes.  Though there is at least one major mode and one minor mode, to my knowledge, these modes don’t commonly go by names such as Lydian, or Ionian.

Note6: 1:1:1:7  The 4^th in the sequence: 1:1:1:7 is a 7 and refers to the specific lesson title.  That is that this lesson is a drill that uses the Root note, the 4^th note, and the 5^th note of the 7 note major scale in a pattern, rather than the 4^th and 5^th of the pentatonic scale, etcetera.  That way a 5^th is always going to be a 5^th, even it is the 4^th mode of the pentatonic scale, where a 5^th would be the 5^th note of a major scale with 7 notes.

The Lesson Itself

1:1:1:12:1 A pentatonic scale is a 5 note scale.  Usually, for the blues pentatonic scale, scalar positions have 2 notes per string.  That is there are, 2 possible notes on the 1^st string, 2 possible notes on the 2^nd string, 2 possible notes on the 3^rd string, 2 possible notes on the 4^th string, 2 possible notes on the 5^th string and 2 possible notes on the 6^th string for any given position.  The notes for these exercises will all be played on the 1^st and 2^nd strings, which are the 2 fattest strings.  If your guitar is a standard 6 string with standard 6 string tuning then sometimes the 1st string is called the low E string, and the 2nd string is called the A string.

1:1:1:12:2  I will call the first mode of the blues pentatonic scale to be a minor scale.   5 notes of this pentatonic pattern follow the formula; root, flat 3, 4, 5, and flat 7, where the next note is an octave where the scale repeats itself.  Perhaps, it would be better to call it a hexave, but since intervals are told usually with respect to a 7 note major scale, the 8^th note of the Ionian mode, which is another name for a classical major scale is an octave.  An octave is the same note as the root note, only an octave higher.  In addition, one is often able to solo interchangeably between say the Dorian mode, and a minor Pentatonic scale, where according to the Dorian mode, such that the 8^th note is called an octave, while the same note when only using a minor pentatonic scale could be thought of as a hexave, the 6^th note.  For example, in A Dorian, the octave is the note A, while in A minor pentatonic the hexave is also an A note.  The reason for this paradox is that there are a different number of notes for the scales in question.  That is for A Dorian it takes 7+1 notes to get to the octave, and for A minor pentatonic, which is a similar scale it take only 5+1 notes to get to the same interval, such that it makes sense to determine intervals as relative to the Ionian mode, of which the intervals are 1 (the root), 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and the 1, which is also 8, which is also the octave.  The reason for this is that the Ionian mode is to be thought of as having no sharp intervals or flat intervals, even though these scales can be written with sharp notes or flat notes, depending on the key in classical notation.  Here, I have placed before the reader a key to some of the paradox I have written where note and interval may be considered as synonyms, or they might take on a different definition.  Noting this paradox is key for musicians, because notes can be intervals and intervals can be notes, yet if the word interval is used, it will always be with respect to the notes of the Ionian mode, commonly called the major scale, and it is such that for example the notes of the C major scale pattern can be moved up a half step, etc, and the result of moving the scale up a half step can be a Ionian mode in the key of C# major, which has sharps and/or flats on a G clef, etc, though it’s intervals with respect to the Ionian mode are neither flat nor sharp.

1:1:1:12:3   The root note will be the lowest note for this exercise.  The root note does not have to be the first note, nor the lowest note, but for this lesson it will be.  Laying out the pattern root, flat 3, 4, 5, on a fret board that has standard tuning will always follow the following pattern:  On the 1^st string, the root will be the first note, and the second note of the pentatonic scale ascends 3 half step on the same string, which is the 1^st string, and the 4^th is a whole step up from flat three, and is at the same fret as the root note, but on the 2^nd string.  Like the 4^th, the 5^th is also played on the 2^nd string.  This 4 note pattern represents a cross section of the blues pentatonic scale, where each drill will contain between 2 to 4 of this pattern of notes.

1:1:1:12:4  The time signature will be 4/4 time.  That means that it is to be counted in 4s.  Where the 1st note of the 4 note sequence is played slightly louder than or stressed compared the rest.

1:1:1:12:5  Time to play.  Make sure your guitar is in tune, and has standard tuning.  In another blog, I describe how this is to be accomplished through the usual methods.

1:1:1:12:6  With your index play the 12^th note of the 1^st string with a down stroke.  This place on the fret board is usually designated with a double dot marking.  This should be an E note.  Use your right hand to mute all the strings except for the string that is being played.  The next note to be played is a play is a 5^th  from the E.  It is also an B note, and played with an upstroke.  It is at the 14^th fret but on the 2^nd string.  It is to be carefully played with the ring finger such that pain does not occur.  If you feel unable to do this don’t force your hand to play it because that is how injuries occur.  Play the 3^rd note on the 1^st string with the pinky finger, such that the transition actually causes the 1^st string to be muted.  This note is played with an down stroke and is called a flat 3^rd.  In this case the 4^th is an A note in the key of E minor.  The 4^th is the 4^th note of the sequence.  It is to be played on the 2^nd string.  It is played with an upstroke at the 12^th fret with the ring finger.  Again, it is good to try to mute all the strings, except for the one that you are playing.  Thus, it is such that with this exercise, a pattern is created, with ones fingers, index, ring, pinky, index.

1:1:1:12:7  Next repeat this pattern, always using a down stroke on the 1^st sting when playing the root note.  Play the pattern four times.  Later, sometimes I will indicate that you should use down strokes for each note that is played.

1:1:1:12:8  Next, play the same pattern a half step lower.  This steps of moving this pattern up and down the fret board cause key changes.  It will follow the pattern, 1^st string 11^th fret using the index finger, 2^nd string 13^th fret using the ring finger, 1^st string 14^th  fret using the pinky finger, and finish with the 4^th note on the 2^nd string at the 11^th fret using the index finger.  Play this four times, counting 4s.  Use alternating picking and/or use picking with all down strokes.

1:1:1:12:9 Next, play the same pattern a half step lower.  This steps of moving this pattern up and down the fret board cause key changes.  It will follow the pattern, 1^st string 10^th fret using the index finger, 2^nd string 12^th fret using the ring finger, 1^st string 13^th  fret using the pinky finger, and finish with the 4^th note on the 2^nd string at the 10^th fret using the index finger.  Play this four times, counting 4s.  Use alternating picking and/or use picking with all down strokes.

1:1:1:12:10  Repeat the above described pattern moving up and down the fret board, changing keys every time the pattern is moved.  This pattern is well establish in exercises 1-10.

1:1:1:12:11 Repeat 1:1:1:12 6-10, except play the pattern only 1 time instead of 4 times working on the fluidity of your playing.

1:1:1:12:12 Repeat 1:1:1:12 6-10 using all down strokes, except play the pattern only 1 time instead of 4 times, similar to verse 32, working on the fluidity of your playing.

1:1:1:12:13  If possible on your guitar, then you may wish to continue this pattern above the 12^th fret, possible up to a 24^th fret if your guitar has one, and then return to the 12^th fret.

 

 

*** Chasing Time by Fates Warning – Don’t Like The First Few Tracks? That’s okay! Listen on.

Fates Warning has been ruminating around for decades as a lesser progressive rock/metal band.  In that sense, that are much like King’s X.  Today that means they could open for an arena rock bank, but that they probably aren’t popular to tour enough by themselves, especially not arenas.
Chasing Time doesn’t really get moving until track 4.  Many of their riffs are atonal, and do not mix well with the vocals.  Frankly, sometimes  it sounds to me like their guitarist had no material ready for the album so he just steps on the distortion pedal and precedes to first thing that comes to mind, rather than crafting a song.  Later in their career, however, that changed.

***** Portrait of Wes by Wes Montgomery – It’s Pretty Much Impossible to Go Wrong On This One

If someone questions the greatness of this compilation, the first this that comes to mind is: What is wrong with you!  To put it simply; this album is chock full of good music, such that if you are going to buy an album, no matter what walk of life you are in, you should be impressed with this one.  It’s not like some jazz that is only for elites.  Portrait of Wes should make the beginner want to practice, but it is more than that.  It is both dinner time jazz and jazz that can be the center of attention.  It is not only all those wonderful things it is also music that should appeal to even a musical snob such as myself.  However, most importantly, it easier for me to imagine that regular people will like this more than the work of Miles Davis, such that one doesn’t even have to like Miles to be thrilled by Portrait of Wes. 

36th Guitar Snake Exercises: Adding Playing below the 5th Fret Pt. 17 Open, Ring, Index, Middle in 4s

Note:  If at any time you are experiencing pain during the playing of this exercise or any other exercise I give, then stop immediately!  Please!  It doesn’t help me as a teacher to gain students with tendonitis, or other guitar injuries.

Note2:  Palm muting refers to muting the actual string that you are playing, and all the other strings.

Note3:  Without palm muting refers to not muting the string your are playing, while you are playing it, but then muting it after each note, while muting all the other strings.

Note4:  Down strokes refers to playing a string only with a downward motion of the pick.  Thus, the pick starts high hits the string and bounces off, and instead of picking the note with an upstroke of the pick on the rebound, return to a position with the pick above the string before making another down stroke.  This is a style of play Metallica commonly uses.  Generally, a down stroke sounds heavier than an upward stroke, such that using all downward strokes makes for a heavier sound.

Note5:  Alternating strokes refers to picking with upward strokes and downward strokes.  The purpose of alternating strokes is usually to gain speed while picking.

36:1  The first set of exercises I gave was primarily so that one doesn’t injure their fretting hand by stretch too much.  Next, I increase the amount of “jiggas,” to give a picking hand work out.  The lesson-blogs from 30 to 39 will be on strengthening one’s left hand, such that it is better able to reach.  It is probably a good idea not to start here.

36:2  The exercises in this blog will involve the ring finger, the index finger and the middle finger.

36:3  On string 6, at the 12th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: open, 14^th fret with your ring finger, 12^th fret with your index finger, and 13^th fret with your middle finger.  Repeat this pattern 4x counting to 4 each time the pattern is repeated.

36:4  On string 6, at the 11th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: open, 13^th fret with your ring finger, 11^th fret with your index finger, and 12^th fret with your middle finger.  Repeat this pattern 4x counting to 4 each time the pattern is repeated.

36:5  On string 6, at the 10th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: open, 12^th fret with your ring finger, 10^th fret with your index finger, and 11^th fret with your middle finger.  Repeat this pattern 4x counting to 4 each time the pattern is repeated. 

36:6  On string 6, at the 9th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: open, 11^th fret with your ring finger, 9^th fret with your index finger, and 10^th fret again with your middle finger.  Repeat this pattern 4x counting to 4 each time the pattern is repeated.

36:7  On string 6, at the 8th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: open, 10^th fret with your ring finger, 8^th fret with your index finger, and 9^th fret again with your middle finger.  Repeat this pattern 4x counting to 4 each time the pattern is repeated.

36:8  On string 6, at the 7th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: open, 9^th fret with your ring finger, 7^th fret with your index finger, and 8^th fret with your middle finger.  Repeat this pattern 4x counting to 4 each time the pattern is repeated.

36:9  On string 6, at the 6th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: open, 8^th fret with your ring finger, 6^th fret with your index finger, and 7^th fret with your middle  finger.  Repeat this pattern 4x counting to 4 each time the pattern is repeated.

36:10  On string 6, at the 5th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: open, 7^th fret with your ring finger, 5^th fret with your index finger, and 6^th fret with your middle finger.  Repeat this pattern 4x counting to 4 each time the pattern is repeated.

36:11  On string 6, at the 4th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: open, 6^th fret with your ring finger, 4^th fret with your index finger, and 5^th fret with your middle finger.  Repeat this pattern 4x counting to 4 each time the pattern is repeated.

36:12  On string 6, at the 3rd fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: open, 5^th fret with your ring finger, 3^rd fret with your index finger, and 4^th fret with your middle finger.  Repeat this pattern 4x counting to 4 each time the pattern is repeated.

36:13  On string 6, at the 2nd fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: open, 4^th fret with your ring finger, 2^nd fret with your index finger, and 3^rd fret with your middle finger.  Repeat this pattern 4x counting to 4 each time the pattern is repeated.

36:14  On string 6, at the 1st fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: open, 3^rd fret with your ring finger, 1^st fret with your index finger, and 2^nd fret with your middle finger.  Repeat this pattern 4x counting to 4 each time the pattern is repeated.

36:15  On string 6, at the 2nd fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: open, 4^th fret with your ring finger, 2^nd fret with your index finger, and 3^rd fret  with your middle finger.  Repeat this pattern 4x counting to 4 each time the pattern is repeated.

36:16  On string 6, at the 3rd fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: open, 5^th fret with your ring finger, 3^rd fret with your index finger, and 4^th fret with your middle finger.  Repeat this pattern 4x counting to 4 each time the pattern is repeated.

36:17  On string 6, at the 4th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: open, 6^th fret with your ring finger, 4^th fret with your index finger, and 5^th fret with your middle finger.  Repeat this pattern 4x counting to 4 each time the pattern is repeated.

36:18  On string 6, at the 5th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: open, 7^th fret with your ring finger, 5^th fret with your index finger, and 6^th fret with your middle finger.  Repeat this pattern 4x counting to 4 each time the pattern is repeated.

36:19  On string 6, at the 6th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: open, 8^th fret with your ring finger, 6^th fret with your index finger, and 7^th fret with your middle finger.  Repeat this pattern 4x counting to 4 each time the pattern is repeated.

36:21  On string 6, at the 7th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: open, 9^th fret with your ring finger, 7^th fret with your index finger, and 8^th fret with your middle finger.  Repeat this pattern 4x counting to 4 each time the pattern is repeated.

36:21  On string 6, at the 8th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: open, 10^th fret with your ring finger, 8^th fret with your index finger, and 9^th fret with your middle finger.  Repeat this pattern 4x counting to 4 each time the pattern is repeated.

36:22  On string 6, at the 9th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: open, 11^th fret with your ring finger, 9^th fret with your index finger, and 10^th fret with your middle finger.  Repeat this pattern 4x counting to 4 each time the pattern is repeated.

36:23  On string 6, at the 10th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: open, 12^th fret with your ring finger, 10^th fret with your index finger, and 11^th fret with your middle finger.  Repeat this pattern 4x counting to 4 each time the pattern is repeated. 

36:24  On string 6, at the 11th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: open, 13^th fret with your ring finger, 11^th fret with your index finger, and 12^th fret with your middle finger.  Repeat this pattern 4x counting to 4 each time the pattern is repeated.

36:25  On string 6, at the 12th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: open, 14^th fret with your ring finger, 12^th fret with your index finger, and 13^th fret with your middle finger.  Repeat this pattern 4x counting to 4 each time the pattern is repeated.

36:27  Repeat exercises 36:3 – 36:25 on the string 5.

36:27  Repeat exercises 36:3 – 36:25 on the string 4.

36:28  Repeat exercises 36:3 – 36:25 on the string 3.

36:29  Repeat exercises 36:3 – 36:25 on the string 2.

36:30  Repeat exercises 36:3 – 36:25 on the string 1.

36:31  Repeat exercises 36:3 – 36:30 using alternating strokes (up and down) instead of just down strokes.

36:32  Repeat exercises 36:3-36:5 except instead of repeating the each numbered verse 4x; play them 1x, repeating exercises 36:3-2:23 4x and work on the fluidity of your playing.  The first time, do it without palm muting and down strokes.  The second time, do it with palm muting and down strokes. The 3^rd time do it with alternating strokes and without palm muting.  The 4^th time do it with alternating strokes and with palm muting.

36:33  If it feels comfortable, this pattern can be played at higher frets than the one’s listed.  For example, on string 6, at the 13th fret, play the following: open, 16^th fret with your ring finger, 13^th fret with your index finger, and 15^th fret with your middle finger.  Repeat this pattern 4x counting to 4 each time the pattern is repeated.

36:34  Follow the pattern in 36:33 as far up is as still easy or playable on your guitar. 

36:34  Then,  feel free to work your way back to the 12^th fret using the same pattern.  Possibly consider moving the pattern down the fret in whole steps.  For example, start at the pattern at the 19^th fret, then the 17^th fret, then the 15^th fret, then the 13^th, then the 11^th fret.