Larry Coryell Jazz Guitar Lesson: Jazz Minor Scales 1 of 2

[@JDCullum]

I don't understand why certain people focus on the form and not the content of what we have here. Would you prefer that this video simply not exist? You're looking at a musical genius, and he is providing important insight for serious players. I request that you give him the respect he deserves.

[@irishmuso7129]

What a difference a year makes. I've been working at melodic minor scales for a while and remember having trouble keeping up with the maestro when I first looked at this about a year ago. I've watched it in detail a few times but it's been a while and tonight when I watched again, I was able to follow and play it all (almost). Thank you Larry. For those who want to learn this stuff, if you work hard at Larry's explanation, you will eventually get it.

[@adjazzmenlp5516]

Irish Muso definitely worked for me too after few years of watching the video again and again and practicing over chord progressions that involves the scale.. larry is a real genius..

[@ecaepevolhturt]

Yes, the first time I saw this I was baffled, a few month later, after getting to grips with the altered dominant mode/scale (6th mode of melodic minor), It makes perfect sense. He was a good teacher and left us too soon!

[@Larrinoma]

Thank you for the best guitar lesson I have ever had in my life. I've had to work hard at it but it has broken down some barriers in my playing. The right video at the right time!

[@mazmonsters]

Great lesson. Larry breaks down things very simply and is one of the most easy to comprehend teachers in the complex world of jazz guitar. Thank you for posting this stuff.

[@JAZZGITAN]

My teacher and mentor! I have these videos. Haven't seen Larry since 1998 when we played together. Hope to see him soon!

[@helloimbill]

gotta love the way the musical vision just comes natural to this guy - effortless and pure!

[@palfrensis]

That's what happens when something goes before the public. People have different reactions. Some people even dare to have fun and make light of things. But now I am extremely serious and have changed my whole way of thinking thanks to your message. Ah the power of words!

[@balkharianlion]

never really understood how good he is until I became playing jazz, after 17 years into electric and acoustic guitar, I can finally understand him.

[@TheFaso95]

This man is a genius. I got the chance to meet him at blues alley in DC! It was truly something special.

[@franjohnst]

To simplify there is only one scale to remember: the ascending melodic minor or Jazz minor. Its only difference with a major is the minor 3rd degree. Eb in a C scale. Now what is being referred to is the possibility of using that scale BUT starting on different degrees ie Take the C jazz minor that he shows , if u start on the 7th degree (B) you get a mode called altered dominant that can be used over a B dominant chord. I hope this helps

[@Lualua25able]

I know you posted this a long time ago, but I wanted to say thanks. Your post made everything a lot clearer.

[@junka22]

He has a perfectly valid reason to take it slow, this is some pretty advanced stuff. I'm watching this with a guitar to pick up some of the chords and stuff and if he was just whizzing by I'd have to constantly pause the video

[@Fitzliputzli23]

Agree! The modal/scale thing was originally "invented" to calm things down and make improvisation easier after the bebop-hype with everybody going wild on fancy arpeggios. But meanwhile the scalar thinking has become even more complicated than bebop ever was. People think in modes while playing over functioning chords (wich is the opposite of what it was ment to be). It is time to re-recover the roots. Take a listen to the gypsy players. Their single note lines are based on chords only.

[@Cabinboy1989]

He is a fantastic teacher and an amazing guitarist

[@KheopSI]

It's Lenny Breau's harmonics technique. Trace the chord with your index, hit the string with the thumb, and alternate with a pure note with your ring finger skipping a string. Practice everyday, its hard to get it fluid, and easy to lose!

[@rkelly62]

Thanks for posting. I have his Advanced Jazz Guitar DVD with his son Julian. Awesome! Larry is one of my fav guitarist and teachers. I have to pick up this DVD.

[@flangeres1752]

Thank you Larry. Keep the jazz guitar flowing! C.G.T. Ukiah, CA

[@clarkewi]

A true guitar genius.

[@CMinorDude]

He takes his time, doesn't he? What an awesome dude.

[@aynrandy1]

R.I.P. Larry, Great Genius and my first jazz record was 11th house, also with the late Alphonse Mouzon.

[@daviddoyle4516]

I think Larry has had that ax forever ,,,,from his first LP with Chico Hamilton,,,,,,WAY back in the day,,,one of the first jazz LPs I ever bought,,,,

[@SonsOfThunder229]

this was actually really informative and a different way of looking at chords and scales.

[@TV2DAYproductions]

good slow lesson. Well explained as we would expect from Larry

[@badmutha07]

Has anyone else noticed how awesome his guitar is?

[@PhilipPoland1987]

Wait a minute!! We can alter the Bb7b5#11add13 to a simple Gminmaj7b5#11 and reslove simply to any chord cause no one knows what we're taking about :D Great advance knowledge btw, thanks for upload, really helpful.

[@RaeZoladawn777]

ty Larry i have a lot to know why all these majors and minors work together I love the sounds I write so I sing and i tend 2 scat but I would love to learn more scales ty again sounds so cool;

[@redskin133]

in a nutshell, when playing over a dominant chord in a 2 5 1 sequence, you can play the jazz minor scale or think melodic minor up a half step from root of the chord. eg. A7, play Bb melodic minor that way you get nice tension before resolving to D major

[@byemould2553]

+Neil Dawson Yes, it should be an altered dominant though. You can also play the jazz minor scale over the 2. In minor ii V7 i use the jazz minor from the third degree of the ii chord and again use the altered scale over the altered V chord. Very neat sounds which have become a favourite of mine (especially Dorian b2).

[@sleddy12345]

Having problems getting to sleep ? - your troubles are over ! Simply put on this action packed, dynamic piece of guitar pedagogy

[@MxSmack]

Man, that sound is sick! I have to study more, I want to play like this!

[@matthewcross]

thank you for this great video! I LOVE THE INTERNET! it's so incredible, having private lessons with the greats of the instrument.

[@johnhguitar]

"Spaces" with John McLaughlin, Billy Cobham, Mirislav Vitus (sp?) and Larry Coryell (leader) was one of the most progressive jazz guitar albums in history. Larry was way out and that's what we need now. We don't need Kenny G music played on guitar. Kenny is Kenny and that's cool but let's keep the guitar moving forward.

[@nickfanzo]

Didn’t Derek Bailey push it as far as we could? Maybe

[@erezjonathan]

What Larry forgot 20 years ago many here will not learn in a lifetime.

[@MusicEd1]

Continued response to Larry Coryell... If I'm going to improvise over a minor/maj 7th chord or any chord for that matter, then I'll most likely reach for those particular chord tones, adding passing tones in the mix for color and so on. But rarely would I think in terms of scales these days. It's just not necessary in my humble opinion. The chordal approach to improovising just simplifies everything I think. Just my two cents. Either way it's a great and imformative lesson. Peace. :)

[@ghostguy1]

RIP thanks for the sounds

[@leoosiku]

This is a fantastic lesson

[@mminjarez]

That's about the most helpful 8 minutes ever (my guitar was already tuned), but seriously great!

[@mykar52]

I'm with you Larry.

[@nikguitar07]

it gets much better after the first minute

[@nickfanzo]

melodic minor ascending scale and its modes is my favorite.

[@renixe]

Jazz minor refers to ascending melodic minor. Bb jazz minor would then be a way to play the A altered scale, which you would play over a dominant chords.

[@Hucho]

Larry comes up with his lessons right on the spot. No preparation. jazz right?

[@dorne]

Great lesson!

[@kosmikblues1]

That Gibson is killing me. It sounds like a choir of angels... drooool

[@Mike3303]

What he's doing is playing the E chord then outlining it by touching (not actually pressing down on) the corresponding notes an octave higher and using his thumb to pluck the string to sound the actual harmonic. He also uses his pinky to play some open strings to give a more melodic effect. Jazz guys do this all time. I can't quite remember the originator of it, though.

[@bboyMarcus]

Absolutely first rate. Thanks!

[@sarnold58lp]

Great instructional video!

[@sidhrtha]

one word..................................GENIUS

[@LukeAir2008]

I love these chords

[@LersterPanther]

very neat video thank you for making it. Lots of 7th and talk of the more unique chordal/mode voicings which is nice.

[@frimpit]

oh, that's funny! I was trying to figure out who he looked like, and you nailed it, lol.

[@jplent]

A great lesson.

[@acrap56]

Man, I feel like just hanging my guitar up and looking at it. Wish I had gone to Berklee!

[@robertosozio3425]

Nice lession one great 🙏😌☀️

[@thebrainwavehub]

Wake and bake

[@julianlongden4054]

Instead of thinking melodic minor a half step above the A alt dom chord it may be less confusing to think in terms of playing the altered scale starting on A. Being the 7th mode of melodic minor it of course has the same notes as Bb melodic minor and if you harmonise it you get altered dominant chords which makes it clearer to see why its such a good choice for these chords.

[@Louis-we6lh]

thank you larry for graciously sharing -- if you don't mind me asking--- been searching for decades of an acoustical live performance you did - i believe the tune was " A song for my father" i could be wrong"... i'm not sure if you had another performer with you-- i heard it on PBS radio in Boston- late 70's--would love to hear it again --thank you

[@nickinjersey2]

larry is amazing. all you guys that say all the great guitarists never went to school have a very low definition of great. you think jimmy page never took guitar lessons? how about all of the music majors from the 80's? sure you don't need lessons but you need to know what the hell your doing or your just a thrashing bang your head flash in the pan where guys like this are the greats. period. you're just too young to appreciate it..or you dont play.

[@RickFreeloader]

It's a CminMaj7 without the root. Jazz guitarists/ often don't play the root of the chord, which is played by the bassist/pianist. The fifth is usually not played unless it's altered.

[@francisco070]

Dude this class will harm my brain :( Excellent class for advance musicians!!

[@shrd11]

but his stuff with Philip Catherine (splendid) was rather nice and he did a live concert with steve khan(Kahn???) (two for the road) which was pretty nice , too.

[@69cohonas]

this is really good, thx dude!!

[@Mikenc342]

If you played C jazz minor over a B7 then you would effectively be playing a B altered scale (the seventh mode of the jazz meloc minor). This is interesting because as well as outlining the 1, 3, 5 and 7 of a dominant 7, it also implies all the alterations of the 5th and 9th as well.

[@jdu6]

I just watched ''Meeting of the Spirits''.....AWESOME

[@alphonsemouzon]

****The original band members of Larry Coryell and The Eleventh House will reunite for a concert on April 5, 2013 at Oakmont Regional High School in Ashburnham, MA. EleventhHouseReunion.comm

[@Dvareckas]

Larry Coryell master,jazz virtuoso guitarist

[@tazmaniaco65]

Yeah. A minor major chord is constructed by a natural seventh and a raised ninth. It's a crazy chord because the natural seventh makes you think it's a major chord, but then the raised ninth mixes up to emphasize the minor third. That's why it's called major minor. It's actually not as difficult as it sounds.

[@Jamminmotorking]

This guy is way ahead of everyone! Its not fair! Lol

[@ugamayne]

Tap harmonics - lightly lay index finger above fret exactly 12 frets higher than what is fretted with your left hand and sound string with right thumb.

[@bobgure]

What specific melodic minor scale(root note please!) would be played on top of the B7 as it resolves to I (E maj)..... Wait a minute...I get it. The C jazz minor played over B7 will cover the 3rd , 7th and flat 9 contained in the B7 dominant chord. Sounds better in arpeggio. Is this correct?

[@righturnonly]

His giitar sounds really really great. I wonder what year, what pickups, what amp.?

[@dreadnought45]

@ danieldude713: Forgive me for coming in on the discussion months late, but you are correct. Even though the Bb jazz minor scale based on the B melodic minor scale I consider the Bb (the seventh degree of the B melodic minor) as the root note since Bb7 is the 5 chord th of E flat maj 7. Sometimes called the super locrian scale, is it not? Ken, Toronto Ken, Toronto

[@giouzerneim]

Coryell plays Bb jazz melodic minor over the E- A7 change. Question: How can the notes F and Eb of Bb jazz melodic minor fit with the notes E and D of E- chord (seems pretty dissonant to me, since they are a semitone apart, they form a D Eb E F line)? Maybe he means to play the jazz melodic minor only on the A7 chord?

[@MoGiMaL]

Pull the third string with your ring finger, pluck the 6th string-12th fret harmonic with your index and thumb, second string with your ring finger, fifth string harmonic (but it's fretted at the second fret, so pluck it on the fourteenth), first string with your ring finger, fourth string harmonic on the fourteenth fret, then 3rd, 2nd, and 1st string harmonics at the twelth fret. You should hear the guy who invented that trick do it, find some Lenny Breau albums.

[@sclogse1]

@Bignatelhs I find myself playing close to his scale, but then playing around and making up my own scale. But I have to play this a lot to remember it. Memorization on guitar is endless....sometimes it seems like there isn't enough time in you whole life...

[@Luke.hello.]

Rotfl, I don't get any of this, but it's so impressive and mesmerising that I favourited it.

[@leoosiku]

Tough guy. It can be taught many different ways. This is one way that Larry felt like teaching it some 15 years ago. Comment less and go practice more.

[@numanuma20]

I don't know how to play guitar, but this is great.

[@LukeAir2008]

No sure what you're trying to say? The scale is C melodic minor (ascending) C D Eb F G A B Its a C minor major 7chord. Eb minor 3rd - B major seventh.

[@hughjardon09]

@3:07 BAHHHHHHHHHHH About shit myself laughing.

[@ProbableCauseBluesBand]

Wow, he's a genius!!!

[@cavasnel]

"When you hear a chord like this, I want you to be able to play that!"

[@cavasnel]

@nucking figger Yeah, and still a beginner in jazz.

[@sclogse1]

@Bignatelhs I find myself playing close to his scale, but then playing around and making up my own scale. But I have to play this a lot to remember it. Memorization on guitar is endless....sometimes it seems like there isn't enough time in your whole life... So I play a lot by ear....

[@Grimgator]

what's your opinion on playing jazz with a pick?

[@Grimgator]

What is the Bb minor jazz scale? Is it an ascending melodic minor? Confused.

[@dreadnought45]

@danieldude713: Further to my comments the jazz melodic minor scale always resolves to the one chord as you have stated. Those on this site should see Emily Remler's lesson on the jazz minor scale for a clearer explanation and example. Re. Advanced latin and Jazz lesson part 3,4,and 5. Ken, Toronto

[@hendrixjoe555]

You guys are confusing the level you are and the level he is teaching. If you are complaining about his teachings, do like me, go learn your stuffs and come back to understand the videos properly.

[@oneeyemonster3262]

FFS....it's just min 3rd interval at the front end of the scale and a maj3 interval on the second half. Like his said..... it's kind of like the dominant 7th...but backwards. The dominant 7th has maj 3rd interval on the first half of the scale and min 3rd interval on the second half. Just flatten the 3rd in the Ionian he said.... But fucken really?...I can rasie the 7th in the Aeolian to get the harmonic minor. Flatten the 7th in the Lydian to get a dominant Lydian. Play a -2 to make any scale sounds hunting People just simple formula....1,2,-3,4,5,6,7

[@grochford626]

@guitarprodigy14 That was the best part of the video :) Just plain harmonics, but you use you pinky to pick another string. It's a technique that I first heard from Lenny Breau. Search for 'harp guitar'

[@oliverthorpe]

That low C at 3:07 was heavy!!!!

[@bobgure]

Question re: C Major/minor chord demonstrated here. Doesn't the inclusion of the "D" note (Eb A D G B) make this chord a major/minor add 9 ? A beginner's question...Thanks for some clarification.

[@cnrbsmth]

I love him I think he is great

[@Fitzliputzli23]

And...? Is he right? Arn't we a bunch of lazy, insufferably ignorant dudes, after all?

[@leoosiku]

Did not feel that at all. Perhaps you should work on your self esteem or whine less.

[@woodyallensmother]

A Cminor major seven chord has these notes: C , Eb, G, B Right? The chord larry coryell is playing, has these notes: Eb,A,D,G,B So it's a C minor major 7 chord, WITH the notes A and D.

[@giddeo]

@surrealillness I appreciate that there are a lot of great guitarists who didn't go through education but you shouldn't fool yourself into believing that you'll be a better guitarist if you don't get lessons. Be humble, I think one to one tuition is unquestionably the best way to learn. Even if its to only have another pair of ears and a different perspective on your playing. The worst mistake a good salesman can make is to buy his own bullsh!t

[@xxczerxx]

3:07, Larry Coryell does death metal!

[@deanway123]

how do u play the Cmin maj 7 scale?

[@voncoolio]

How does he do that amazing thing at 1.30?!

[@elewojo]

I'm all about metal, and am a fairly technically gifted guitarist, but ill be the first to say that jazz blows metal out of the water in difficulty. He's throwing around music theory I didn't even know existed

[@nickfanzo]

Metal is no where near as complex as jazz, usually. you’re right

[@Iamcmac08]

This guy looks absolutely thrilled. Good info though.

Jazz musicians always know where to get the best weed

[@FrettieFingers]

man, this cat KNOWS his stuff.

[@GicaEric]

3:07 BAAAAAA - Oh my God I'm laughing so hard.........

[@Dahkkloudmusic]

yeah he looks jazzy enough. i can learn now