How To Add Chromatic Notes To Your Playing: A Systematic Approach (Guitar Lesson)

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This is a snippet taken from a private guitar lesson I held with Nino Helfrich, explaining how to approach chromaticism in an improvisational, but systematic way. Nino has been a long-term student of mine, is an Ibanez artist and has original music out. Go follow him via / ninohelfrich

[@NowakP]

I think if someone's just starting out with chromatic notes the gist of it can be dumbed down to: - start on at least a decent chord note (2, 4, 6, 7), - end on a good note (1, 3, 5), - play chord/scale notes on the downbeats (accents), - when not on beat, anything goes but start out with the notes 'between the scale' to make it easier to connect at first, - don't stop on a 'bad' note (resolve your lines), - explore and push your lines further and further outside, eventually breaking the above rules! ;)

[@Erkki_Mela]

You are a fabulous teacher! This is how you teach people! Not just show the notes, but help someone else understand.

[@MartinMillerGuitar]

Thanks a lot! If you just show them the notes it'll mean nothing for them. Might as well use Guitar Pro 😉 I wanna offer something deeper and long-lasting in my lessons.

[@Erkki_Mela]

Absolutely. This is deep material that takes time to get together, and we all struggle with it first. That is something that maybe youtube-era players don't understand, they just want the notes and move on to the next thing.

[@michalmikolajmaslowski3994]

And this is how it's done, ladies & gents. Finally, a (guitar) method that reinforces learning & thinking in music rather than fretboard patterns. Excellent stuff, Martin, vielen dank!

[@NinoHelfrich]

Thanks a lot to Martin for having me! Always a pleasure to learn from you \m/

[@matthewws5694]

Thank you bro for sharing!

[@CharlesK441]

I've been playing guitar for years and not had lessons. I can play these lines by hearing them but understanding what it is will help me push boundaries. I feel stuck in a safe zone all the time. I started playing in church around the age of 10. I dont know how I did it because i didn't have lessons. I just watched and listened. All i can say it's never too late to learn. Subbed! Thank you.... !

[@chipperhippo]

Way to come around to it student! Impressive tenacity and ethic

[@dylanhebert7054]

Martin thank you for posting these unedited video conversations with students. You are making me think a lot as a guitar teacher about the way I interact with my students, I find your insight and example very helpful

[@NicoRubioGuitar]

Thank you Martin for sharing to all this personal lesson, i really like the way that you teaching. You are awesome!

[@axkmster]

Music only, Nothing else matters..Stop thinking about whatever and focus...U got this easy.. Great job Martin!

[@Csar-wj3od]

I hope Martin Miller keeps growing in his musicality and eventually achieve all the glory he deserves... but more importantly, I wish he will always be able to be a teacher!!!!!

[@loriseisaeian9614]

I love the way you teach

[@BigPhi84]

Martin, you’re such a great teacher! Thank you for sharing this. Currently, I’m working through a very similar lesson with my guitar teacher, and he wasn’t able to explain this chromatic approach concept nearly as well as you did! (My teacher just wants me to learn famous Bebop heads. He hopes that I’ll be able to pick up what the “greats” were thinking when they wrote their lines...)

[@StephanPankow]

Danke Martin, super "Lesson"! Ich wusste, warum ich Licks im Jazz-Kontext nie mochte/warum die mir nie so viel gebracht haben. Leider bin ich nie zu dem Punkt gekommen, die Chromatic-Approaches in der Art zu konzeptionalisieren. Danke für den Input! Perfekt!

[@Andrescm3]

Martin you almost broke that dudes brain.

[@claudiali4477]

You are absolutely an incredible teacher!

[@fakematteo]

The "draw a line in the air" thing to understand how the melody "moves" is actually a great idea!

[@fakematteo]

This video format is great, it's interesting to see the variety of students you have and how they approach new concepts. Keep it up

[@ManoGiba]

This is Amazing ! Everyone should learn and practice like that. Amazing job Martin !

[@vanguard4065]

Ah! The faithful and dutiful pupil Nino!

[@mihamihanik]

it feels like some iconic video game music line :) thank you Martin for your videos and awesome music!

[@WilmerLebron]

Wow 😮!! Nice Stuff Martin!! 🎸🎶🔥🤘🏻

[@7thString84]

I love your lesson vids! They count to the most worthy guitar videos for me on youtube. Theory is a great thing when applied cleverly. And you also teach it very well. :)

[@FabianRatsakGuitar]

Great lesson..also i love the new look of your studio ;)

[@motorcitysmitty]

Way to go, guys!

[@ronojoybarooah6513]

Wow!! Thank you both!

[@paulschneider7271]

Love the gaming chair from Mister Miller.

[@Aalii6]

great lesson, thank you

[@peterdragon2822]

I love this. This is great stuff to think about and develope further. I wonder, what other "chunks" would be suitable. I will definetely try this!

[@MartinMillerGuitar]

Don't worry. In learning an instrument doing > thinking. I recommend you spend a great deal of time with the one chunk and work it out in all combinations before worrying about what else to practice, which usually leads to practicing nothing at all.

[@peterdragon2822]

Yes. I tend to do fall in this trap...

[@Gwarnak]

You're awesome at teaching, great video!

[@lawleo2973]

Great Lesson!

[@Adrian_Weiss]

Very interesting. Thanks.

[@javierrobledo83]

Hello Martin, when are you going to release the Masterclass Vol.2? Great lesson by the way.

[@aslazaimi5824]

Good boy!

[@Theosis78]

Nino Helfrich has the biggest hands with the longest fingers in the guitar world. Ideal for gilbertesque stretches. Besides, it's a nice lesson.

[@PatP1508]

Hey Martin, you're such an outstanding teacher! Any eta for Part 2 of your masterclass?

[@MartinMillerGuitar]

I hope to start writing in april, then it usually takes 3-5 months. Let's see, I'll be on it :)

[@razmusik]

Martin, I wonder what you are thinking when you play that line starting at 19:46. I transcribed it and it's based around E minor plus some B altered. At some parts I have difficulties to put chord symbols over the line. I enjoy your lessons and approaches. Thank you.

[@XgamersXdimensions]

Wonderful lesson! What other embellishments/Chromatic Patterns did you also work on? Also do you use any of these patterns for Diminished Chords or do you have a different approach? I’ve been practicing the pattern shown here for Major 7, Dominant 7, Minor 7, and Half Diminished Chords. I worked them out for 7 going to 5, 5 going to 3, 3 going to 1, 13 going to 11, and 11 going to 9. I guess the next step is to apply these to a standard !

[@MartinMillerGuitar]

Good work, sir. I've worked on all kinds of embellishments I could get my fingers on, not just chromatic ones. Great point about applying this to a standard, I actually give a little example of that using Autumn Leaves towards the end of the video.

[@phillipfischer961]

Taking a Skype Lesson from you is on my Wish-List :)

[@StefanoKunosCasillo]

Nice racing seat at the back.. do you do some racing on PC?

[@MartinMillerGuitar]

I wanted this to be my new office chair but it was impossible to play guitar in it so I shipped it back.

[@ToastedAndButter]

What chair do you use to play in? My back has been killing me lately.

[@doublek321]

At 8:33 what does he mean by "you're in the D position of A Maj7"?

[@maximedanjou7927]

It would be interesting to know, once you're able to play fast accurately (here i'm creating a link with the other video :p) if you practice and play those lines of little legos on the beat or ''over the beat'' (freely over the tempo) like some guitar players and how you approach those two methods (legato, hybrid picking etc...). Maybe a subject of another video :)

[@MartinMillerGuitar]

Watch the entire video, the question about the rhythmic placement is adressed. For hybrid picking I have a huge course on Jamtrackcentral. Left hand I mighr cover in a video soon! Thanks Maxime.

[@TheAiket]

Quick quiz. Do anyone know which one of Guthries licks started lke Martins beggining example? :)

[@neljav84]

I think this is an example of indirect approach?

[@roba1899]

That might be key here. Martin says he's practiced these 'little cells' over all the chords and inversions to be able to bring these musical ideas together and interlink them. He's done the tedious homework to train his ear-finger connection. My mindless noodling (while entertaining) won't get me there.

[@alexandereisen3486]

Truth, been noodling on the guitar for close to 30 years. I best keep my day job😂

[@tontinbagnole]

Waw, Ari Hoenig plays guitar , I knew it

[@MrLaRcOrE12]

👍

[@xonankjabat1070]

don't look,just listen 👍

[@cazziebb1707]

holy sheikie

[@Sandarpan]

I guessed the right notes the first time but then I thought if this guy is having a hard time figuring this out, I must be mistaken

[@MartinMillerGuitar]

Keep in mind he‘s also put on the spot.

[@Sandarpan]

@@MartinMillerGuitar Yup. Brain freeze happens all the time when put on the spot .

[@rodolfoamaralguitar]

0:44 Super Mario Bros ?

[@SuperWeedPower]

Thats clearly Super Mario Bros 5, because the bottom lines are gone.

[@BigPhi84]

Love this comment! 😂😂😂❤️❤️❤️

[@bintang_sakti]

F

[@hansbendixen5430]

if you are a teacher you know this situation too well, sometimes you really have to spell it out... but it is not that the student cant do it, he is just insecure and thinking too much.

[@cornpuppies5687]

martin miller twin?

[@paulschneider7271]

Really poor guy. I remember when I had been in his situation. He is far off the level of this educational unit. Which will have a tremendous learning effect.

[@AbhayNayak]

1st

[@leejaybirdmusic9829]

Sounds like Mario.

[@stipser1]

na guck mal, den hab ich doch schonmal gesehen

[@jannatinkarlen8702]

Two people that look same

[@philipianvillamarin6174]

Remove all your hair so that you will understand

[@guitarnut7438]

this dude shouldn't be playing any instrument at all, since he has no musical ear AT ALL. 10 minutes to pickup a simple 5 note line... I stopped watching.

[@cx777o]

You are a moron