New triad lick/exercise using tritones

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 12 Jul 2014 8:16 am

This is meant for any tuning with a major triad spelled 1-3-5 on adjacent strings in that order. As far as I know, that means most tunings (except Leavitt).

It is a cool sound, like something you'd hear a sax player play. The triads are moving in tritone pairs down a major 3rd, so it is F/B, Db/G, A/Eb in my example.

This is a great lick to play over a static chord--lots of tension with release.

Here is a link to the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTH8aBNyu8o

Steve Cunningham · Post by **Steve Cunningham** » 12 Jul 2014 8:56 am

Cool lick Mike. Good idea, having a lick/exercise that can be used in pretty much every tuning.

Nate Hofer · Post by **Nate Hofer** » 12 Jul 2014 9:03 am

Tasty. Something I can absorb most of in a single practice session.

Roy Thomson · Post by **Roy Thomson** » 12 Jul 2014 9:06 am

Good job Mike, I like that!

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 12 Jul 2014 10:47 am

Cool. It's all about getting to know every note and the relationships between them, and sounding cool while doing it!

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 12 Jul 2014 5:07 pm

Sometimes I think my titles scare people away!

A few years ago, I decided to learn how to play electric steel and, in particular, C6 on its own terms. Once I did that, I was going to do it on my terms.

I tried to weigh all the things that come easy and those that would pose an insurmountable task. In some ways, it is really impossible, like Buddy Emmons said, to play jazz on the level of real jazz musicians. This is especially true of the bebop and post-bop periods.

But today, things have changed very much. I can't really get into it without writing 10 pages on it, but there is great value in looking at small relationships on the steel, especially triads and intervals. Everyone sees things differently, but if you have any kind of mathematical interest, especially geometry, you can appreciate the beauty of patterns and shapes and moving those small structures around. There has been much great music created by doing this.

Anyway, this is just how I think. The end result is to make great music, and I love simplicity just as much. But I need more.

I am like a child when it comes to music. It excites the crap out of me and it is on my mind 90% of my waking hours. I like to share ideas, but I need to document them, because there are many and I am forgetful. I really do this for me!

Graham Griffith · Post by **Graham Griffith** » 12 Jul 2014 5:35 pm

Nice to have your perspective - it always opens up new avenues in the way I think about my instruments and tunings. Much appreciated.

Patrick Harison · Post by **Patrick Harison** » 12 Jul 2014 5:55 pm

I can't wait to hear clips of guys playing this on their country gigs! But seriously, what a public service Mike, you the man...

Jean-Sebastien Gauthier · Post by **Jean-Sebastien Gauthier** » 12 Jul 2014 7:48 pm

Very nice lick thanks Mike! I like the idea of mixing the 2 inversion to dont have to move 3 fret for every triad, the slant is a big challenge to!

Ian Kerr · Post by **Ian Kerr** » 13 Jul 2014 1:12 am

So Mike, are all these triads meant to be played over a F chord? Is that the idea?

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 13 Jul 2014 6:37 am

Ian Kerr wrote:So Mike, are all these triads meant to be played over a F chord? Is that the idea?

Ian, this could work in a few different scenarios. It is a good transition lick, so if you were playing a Blues in F, in the 2 bars before switching to the IV chord (bars 3 and 4), this would work. It would also work over the V7 chord (C7) going back to the I chord.

If you are playing a tune with a static chord vamp over an F7, this kind of lick is perfect. I haven't experimented with other tonalities yet.

To me, it also has a sound that would function well for a turnaround if the lick was extended.

Sonny Jenkins · Post by **Sonny Jenkins** » 13 Jul 2014 7:30 am

I'm not following your reference to "static" chord???? Could you give an example of static chord?

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 13 Jul 2014 7:37 am

A static chord is one that doesn't change, like a one chord vamp.

Proceed with caution on this type of lick. The idea is to get the sound in your ears and the notes under your bar. Anytime we learn something new, it goes through our own filters and results in something unique if we take the time to play with it. I will spend hours now working up different ideas just based on a simple thing like this

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 13 Jul 2014 7:36 pm

Totally, totally groovy, Mike. The notion of "technical exercise that sounds like MUSIC" is dear to my heart. I can only add: we don't HAVE to play the notes in that order. The slants and positions, yes. And yes until it's under the fingers (i.e. "in tune", or whatever them steel guys wanna call it

). I mean, I just immediately grabbed a blank sheet of "neck picture paper" and drew it up. I have a 1-3-5 on strings 3-2-1 and strings 7-6-5 on my seasick tuning. For me that tab translates to:

play strings:
5->6->7; 7->6->5; 5->6->7; 7->6->5; 5->6->7; 7->6->5; etc.
up 3 down 3 up 3 down 3

But the middle note can be a mover, i.e. play
5->7->6; 6->7->5; 5->7->6; 6->7->5.

Changing the order of picking, changing which notes are the "movers", playing it in triplets and fours; this bitty thing can go huge. You're a fiend, Mike. Crap. See you in September!

Bosse Engzell · Post by **Bosse Engzell** » 15 Jul 2014 4:44 am

Thank you for show us this

Bosse in Sweden

Len Amaral · Post by **Len Amaral** » 15 Jul 2014 6:52 pm

Mike:

Bravo and you are very precise twisting the bar and moving across strings. You have given me a goal to work towards.

Thanks,

Lenny