How to play like John McLaughlin - 6 Examples

[@trayamolesh588]

best lesson on his style i've seen yet

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

Thank you so much brother! Hope you enjoy the rest of the content in this channel

[@lincruste]

You nailed it. I've been listening to John McLaughlin guitar playing for about 25 years, and it is the first time I realize that playing A BIT like him might be a reachable goal for a human being with a lot of work. It just seemed impossible before I saw your video. Thank you.

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

Thank you man! Hope you can get it !

[@toddwilliamson8557]

First time I've seen someone other than the Mahavishnu himself talking about the way he counts. Its not like we learned at music school. I've had several years with his 'This is How I do It' videos and this is exactly what he continuously emphasizes. The counting. John is not just playing music, he is imparting his belief system through his music. He literally talks about it in interviews and those videos. The other thing is his fingerings. He uses his first and middle fingers for stretches, he does not often use his ring finger for fretting patterns with whole steps. This is an incredible lesson! Thank you.

[@AW-kr9fl]

You absolutely nailed his style

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

Thank you man! I know ita something much deeper, but I tryed based on what I hear

[@johnvillasana64]

Not a guitarist. A musician and lifetime fan of McLaughlin. This is very revealing. It really helps my appreciation. I'm very excited to be seeing him with Shakti this summer. Thanks, and subscribed!

[@dalewilliams8001]

Same for me also. Not one either, but definitely a big fan of McLaughlin, since I found out about him way back in high school, in the early 70s, probably 1972 or by 1973, for sure. This type of illuminating lesson adds to my enjoyment. Thanks Felipe Coelho.

[@graemesandstrom5654]

You really are a SUPERB guitarist! I agree that the rhythmic aspect and figures that he plays go towards encapsulating his style. The modal and scale examples are very well presented buts what’s missing is his wildness, his willingness to go outside the limits of modes and scales and keys. He is quite prepared to to play those rhythmic figures that you presented so well then just shift them sideways. The aggression is the other factor particularly in the Mahuvishnu days. He did lots of fierce string bending. Anyway thanks for a wonderful video. 🎸👍👏

[@yoavyenon]

Great class and your dexterity is inspiring thank you

[@FlipArt57]

I always wanted to learn this style. Felipe is well rounded.

[@dalewilliams8001]

Very illuminating. I'm not a musician, but I enjoyed this, and it adds to my appreciation. Thanks Felipe.

[@ritwikmitra317]

Just excellent. Your every staff is very much important for me to develop my skill. Thanks again ❤

[@brandonlewisguitar]

Great playing and awesome ideas to try. Especially around fusion based music!

[@williamdillard8330]

Sounds just like John. I love it!

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

thank you! welcome to the channel

[@pvillez]

Thank you very much. Great playing and insights!

[@mattdowie92]

This is a brilliant lesson. You have explained these elements of his style in a very easy to understand way. Thank you! Your technique is great and effortless.

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

Thank you Matthew!

[@RicardoMarlowFlamenco]

Nice work. Another thing is some of the same patterns you show but he uses pinky barres or ring finger barres across adjacent strings when crossing. A good one from David is (4th string start going up) D#EF#B, ABCE, D#EFF#B, A. Pinky barres.

[@virginiapecoraro8935]

Great. It would be nice to have a lesson on this alternate picking style,..

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

Yeah I guess I could do that

[@virginiapecoraro8935]

@@FelipeCoelhoGuitar thank you! So difficult 2 notes/string so fast as in the JML style!

[@spyrosguitar]

Bravo Felipe!!! keep it up!!

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

Thanks bro

[@richardluther7043]

Fabulous explanations, without all of the overly complex descriptions of music theory. Useable, sensible, concepts that most people will enjoy whether playing or listening. Thanks for your perspective!!!👍👍

[@philthyphil2062]

Excellent.

[@monkeysbum999]

At around 4.46 ,you play the four note groupings down up down up ,as i would imagine Mclaughlin does ,then when you speed up ,you change the pick stroke to include two string sweeps followed by upstrokes.

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

Going from the first on the next string I do use econony because it ends up.with an odd number of notes (3) Só the economy is called for and for me its an automatic thing. Then on the other strings there Will be 4 notes played which naturally result in the alternate picking

[@jiminator904]

Awesome! I’ll be watching this video everyday for the foreseeable future 😆✌️

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

Be welcome bro

[@fernandesfernandes5997]

O difícil é ter a genialidade , a criatividade dele , em tantos estilos e épocas .

[@sarahpalacioflorindo]

Ótima aula ...colem nele gerallllll.....

[@davidbaise5137]

Great technique! Sounds like country music - e.g. Roy Clark, Glen Campbell.

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

Country? I think of country as something very different from this. This here in the background is Tala Matrix by Zakir Hussain. But thank you for your comment!

[@davidbaise5137]

@@FelipeCoelhoGuitar I guess it sounds like country music from a different country! Not US. Thanks for this! 👍

[@guibbory]

bravo.

[@paulauksztulewicz4803]

Very thorough observation of John’s style. The one thing I notice John likes to do is bend notes down with tremolo as resolution of a run, imitating a sax in a way. Exactly opposite of Allan Holdsworth, who used to bend notes up. Just my noticing.

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

Exactly! Great true points on both examples

[@ItsFinigan]

Great lesson! I love how you build toward his sound from a technical level rather than jumping into it or mimicry

[@ItsFinigan]

& subbed!

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

Welcome friend!

[@joseph2707]

Excellent lesson.

[@bernasouza8734]

Linda aula irmão! Acho que as pessoas falam pouco desse cara... John é uma gande inspiração pra mim, me fez apaixonar pelo instrumento de novo. Parabéns pelo conteúdo e metodologia na aula.

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

Que honra!

[@titobattaglia7932]

Extremely useful lesson! The core idea is simple but essential to unlocking faster playing. Besides, your technique and sound are fantastic, and it's refreshing to see someone come on video with gear that would be accessible to most guitarist and have such a fantastic, top-notch jazz sound. Nothing to be improved there! I just subscribed but wanted to show you my appreciation. Muito obrigado!

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

Hello friend! Thank you so much for these words!

[@jimdep6542]

I heard some riffs in the first segment, right from the funk part of Vision is a Naked Sword. Great playing ! Those riffs also sound great using a phase shifter and panned back and forth.

[@ganazby]

Brilliant lesson. I already employ a couple of these ideas, but you’ve opened up a few more, for which I’m grateful. 🙏

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

Thank you friend

[@ivonsmith4255]

Excellent intro into 5the use of Konokol in guitar playing & phrasing - Ive not heard anyone come close to the way John sounds - It must be the constant use of the Konokol patterns in his playing. Excellent job! I hope to see more of Johns work here?

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

Exactly bro. His phrasing was definetly cultivated on those rhythmic fundaments. Sure maybe I could hit another video

[@jimdep6542]

I was just looking at all the other videos you have done . Thank you SO MUCH for sharing these . You are quite an inspiration.

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

Thank ypu brother! You are so welcome! Hope you get to see the videos from the Brazilian Guitar list which is my favorite

[@adamwright9741]

@10:07, Wow, wasn't that the basis for King Crimson's Frame by Frame lick??

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

Not sure! May be!

[@modernguitardiary]

Amazing lesson, very inspiring, many thanks!

[@DavidBrown-ez5jc]

Excellent fellow wow this so real a wealth of knowledge for all of us so great full thank you so much bro

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

Thank you much bro

[@ArthurBrendler]

Cara, muito bom. MESMO! Eu nunca parei para estudar o fraseado dele usando a linguagem hindu de música. Agora fez TODO o sentido ahahaha. Obrigado

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

Tamo junto irmão

[@patbreacadh]

Amazing lesson! It would be really great have to have the score for that, sell it on gumroard perhaps?

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

Yeah I guess. It would just take so much more work however to post any videos, specially considering I find the audio/video the best/fastest way to pick things up

[@johnmcminn9455]

Really great sequences,man! This would make a whole instructional of playing these in all different positions Hannon Style , or Vinnie Moore instructional style

[@andrewbanas3036]

Some great ideas!

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

Welcome my friend! Feel invited to check out the musical performances in the channel. There is a McLaghlin I spired tune called "Dois Sóis" in trio format

[@frisell1968]

Brilliant 👏

[@wodewose3456]

very nice ! thank you !!!!

[@mundokico4900]

This is video is awesome! You made me understand how John McLaughlin plays and it really helped me a lot, thank you!

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

Hey bro, welcome, thanks for watching

[@markchristopher4165]

Awesome!

[@Jameskeith1972]

I just subscribe to your channel. I think you’re an excellent instructor. John McLaughlin is in my top 10 faves.

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

Hey thank you sir! Welcome to the channel!! Make sure to check some of the musical performances, let me know your thoughts!

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

I do offer online private lessons if you are interested

[@Jameskeith1972]

@@FelipeCoelhoGuitar Yes sir! Will do Felipe!

[@keithjb100]

great for beginners! .

[@reneraymond7807]

Fantastic!Merci...

[@hardikraval3390]

Could you please help with the backing track... Would be really helpful

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

Tala Matrix by Zakir Hussain

[@mattmugridge8839]

Sod McLaughlin. You’re playing is awesome

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

thank you bro!

[@guitarman6742]

Awesome lesson!

[@chickentwisties2298]

You can tell Zakk Wylde got alot of his picking technique ideas from John McLaughlin omg I'd love to have a lesson from you on how to play this stuff please!

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

Sure thing brother. We can schedule a lesson meeting. Hit me up on Instagram felipecoelhoviolao or email [e-mail] . Would love to help !

[@paulmcmordie]

Thank you so much very informative

[@railcar123]

Great lesson!

[@colinpadley1897]

Brilliant

[@5geezers]

Obrigado Felipe! Wow, that really stirred up the natives 😄 LOL What tremendous playing and not to mention your work to know and figure all that out. That's about the best take on John's playing I've seen or heard. I've followed McLaughlin since In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew, through Mahavishnu Ochestra and on and on. Had a great long hang with him when the 2nd MO played Christchurch, New Zealand. Talked for hours, he was interested in what I did which was classical guitar concerts...he said he love the Julian Bream 20th C. album etc etc, what a totally nice guy! Took me a while to relax I was so star struck! What a find your channel is, subbed, liked etc....You know your stuff man! Just one thing unless it's a state secret, what pick are you using ? Looks like a Jazz 111...but it's not the red one like JM uses. Looking forward to following your videos!

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

Hey brother! I really appreciate your words. I have also listened to him quite a bit. About the pick, i am not sure whixh kind but I can tell you I like the one that are small and pointy/sharp, as they have a quicker attack/response.

[@terryeverson9820]

If not for Lenny Breau John McLaughlin and Al Dimeloa these innovations would not have expanded to the depths they are today.

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

True!

[@iganpparamarta8813]

So guys like Vinnie Moore, Gilbert, and Petrucci basically copied this but instead of clean they played it on distorted tone.

[@yurib7067]

@@iganpparamarta8813 yes but mahavishnu orchestra used lots of distortion too.

[@iganpparamarta8813]

@@yurib7067 thanks for the info. Will look it up.

[@yurib7067]

@@iganpparamarta8813 checkout the songs “birds of fire” and “dance of the maya” let me know what you think.

[@dcwolf421]

VERY COOL

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

Look who is here!!! Congrats on the Xmad book!!

[@1122445]

Love from the Beaufort Street Cat's XxX

[@quietmind42]

Really great insights! I'm definitely going to try these out. Also, how is it possible that you have such technique with a pick and classical fingerstyle!?

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

Hmm well, I guess you really have to love this stuff and do it everyday

[@MrMjp58]

Brilliant.

[@harywhiteproductions]

Thanks so much

[@joanvivecomas8887]

Tablatura por favor 💓

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

Daria muito trabalho e infelizmente nao tenho este tempo. Se quiseres marcar uma aula estou à disposição. Caso contrario, tente entender o conteudo do video e voce poderá construir suas proprias linha melodicas neste estilo

[@Bob-wr4ep]

Great video. I’ve never heard of this concept, is it “conical”, “konical”, how is it spelt?

[@FacundoMontoya]

A little bit out of time, because you play sweep instead of alternate picking 😊

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

Ok

[@FacundoMontoya]

@@FelipeCoelhoGuitar I don't want to be misunderstood; your playing is great, and it lacks nothing. You are very professional, and your materials are fantastic. My observation concerns such insignificant nuances, for example, when you slow down the recording and compare it with McLaughlin, he still stays in the groove, while the sweep is already falling apart.

[@bernasouza8734]

Shut up 😊

[@JazzCatzs]

Any tabs for sale on these examples ?

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

No tabs, but I do offer private lessons in which can be recorded and I can show you these and other examples. Reply here or send me a message on Instagram if you are interested

[@draganmirkovic9377]

Ok, but how to play like Laurindo Almeida? :)

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

You got me!

[@LuFuki_Detroit]

Could you have this lesson scored or in tabs ?

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

Man, I guess I couls but that would take sometime I dont have. I post lessons without tabs because I particularly have always been used to learning stuff from audio-video, never feeling the nessecity of scores unless learning a major classical composition. Its good exercise for the ears. Plus with the image, cant go wrong! But I do teach lessons and would love to provide any materials of your need in a professional manner. Send me a message if youre interested!

[@5geezers]

Suggest you get yourself a Vidami !

[@LuFuki_Detroit]

@@5geezers what is that ?

[@davidmajor4484]

Begin the Beguine

[@kjellbratt6301]

Nice Bro!! But where is the Melody?

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

The melody is the single line played over the background. If it is made of mostly sixteenth notes, doesn't mean it is no longer a melody. This content attempts to shed light on McLaughlins style. For "melodic" content, I suggest my original orchestral music, which you can find here in the channel as well

[@jcmd2473]

🚨🚨🚨🤘🤘🤘🤘

[@SelfPropelledDestiny]

6:17 Not sure what happened here, but you said D Dorian, then used C# as a chromatic approach to D. (Basically arpeggiating a Dm(maj7) chord. Maybe you were already anticipating the harmonic minor example?). Then suddenly at 6:42, you're using C, and I can see the D Dorian aspect stepping up in fourths, ii V I IV. Not sure if you were trying to convey this (with the C# usage) but I wonder how it would sound to just use a half step into every chord

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

Good point bro. Harmonically should have been a C natural, but melocally if approximating the tonic one can always use the chromatic leading tone. But the idea of the phrase works with either one, C natural or C#. You are right, theoretically in dorian we would need C natural. Just used C# to have a strong gravity towards the root D

[@victorwong9622]

We need the lesson on how to play like John McLaughlin… FINGERSTYLE!!

[@Hologhoul]

So from this, John uses economy picking whenever crossing strings? Does he definitely do that or is this your preferred way of playing the same notes? If he does, at what point in his career did he start using that technique? Great video!

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

Thats my preferred way. But the occasion in which the economy is used covers I would say only about 10-15% of the notes. The rest, in case of even numbers on a string, one will alternate the picking normally

[@echofloripa]

Wow 🤯

[@emporiumdabelezapalhoca8150]

👏👏👏👏👏

[@bozzolanmusic3617]

show !!!

[@pyroseed13]

Are you using straight alternate picking or economy picking for playing fast?

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

Economy

[@SorinPopovici985]

and subscribed!

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

thank you bro! welcome to the channel

[@evertvanderhik5774]

I always thought Mclaughlin had a lot of different styles.

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

he has played jazz, fusion, world music, and indian music, as far as I know, but the idea of the video is just to capture the essence of his musical phrasing

[@rillloudmother]

1:13 subscribed, liked, etc...

[@kencutter1094]

I wish when you play slow you would name the note not the degree of the scale it's easier to visualize the pattern for me as you speak over what you're playing and slow your speech when naming the scale you're using I have old years old eyes But the fingers still fly thank you. Peace

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

Telling you de scale degree is far more useful, believe me.

[@kencutter1094]

Well thanks for the reply I taught myself to play by memorizing were each A. Note is the guitar By a simple. ABCDEFG Finger pattern I would walk it up the neck down the neck, also do the pattern skipping around 5th fret 4th fret first fret,,,, In sequence out of sequence then I started learning scales So try giving the note and it's degree of the scale or vice versa now and then You give a great lesson all in all thank you again Peace ✌️

[@jamiemorgan4146]

Good observations. You’re pronouncing John’s name wrong! It’s: McLachlan ( mə-KLOKH-lən) and yes I know him.

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

Wow! Só the "gh" in there is not ans F sound, but K sound?

[@jamiemorgan4146]

@@FelipeCoelhoGuitar You are Correct. Before I met him ( at Berklee), I’d heard his name pronounced both ways. Then I asked him ... 👍🏻🙂

[@fabiosky4368]

thanks for tips and tricks, but HOW BEING SPEEDY? not only become speedy with thousands of hours of exercises.can an older player having hands and muscles for speedy exercises? speed is not peculiar but can be so funny.thankss ciao from Italy

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

Hey brother! I can help you by designing exercises specific for your condition. Let me know if would like to do one or more private sessions

[@inner_zen_peace]

Nobody does play like john mclaughing

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

True

[@tabordex5185]

Not his Style...

[@FelipeCoelhoGuitar]

Some say its the best lesson on his style they have seen. If his style is not a rhythmic based improvisation with an oriental twist, then I dont know what it is. Please explain or show it to me