Short Version: Start the Chromatic Run on a Chord Tone of the current Chord and end the run on a Chord Tone of the following Chord, preferably with a Tuplet landing on the Down Beat of the new Chord.
Long Version: As a guitarist who specializes in early Garcia ('68-'72) I've often struggled with some of the jazzier ideas he evolved towards, especially his extended Chromaticism. I've found some workarounds like adding Chromatic Notes to the Major Pentatonic scale depending on the position but it never sounded right.
I've been analyzing Jerry's Deal solo from 5/8/77 after learning it from Weeping Willow's transcription on YouTube (if you're out there WW, Thank You!). Jerry plays this really cool 4-Note Chromatic Line from F# to A at the end of the first chorus, connecting the 3rd of the D Chord with the Root of the A Chord. Mind... Blown!!!
Connecting the Chord Tones Chromatically might seem remedial to someone with a Jazz background but as a Blues based guitarist w/ a Classical Theory background it's been a huge revelation. I'm finding applications for this everywhere, especially the B to D Chords in Deal. If anything, I'm probably overusing this idea right now.
It's also opened up a lot of new ideas about Enclosure, but that's another thread.
How do you approach Chromaticism? What are some of your favorite Chromatic Jerry Licks?
Long Version: As a guitarist who specializes in early Garcia ('68-'72) I've often struggled with some of the jazzier ideas he evolved towards, especially his extended Chromaticism. I've found some workarounds like adding Chromatic Notes to the Major Pentatonic scale depending on the position but it never sounded right.
I've been analyzing Jerry's Deal solo from 5/8/77 after learning it from Weeping Willow's transcription on YouTube (if you're out there WW, Thank You!). Jerry plays this really cool 4-Note Chromatic Line from F# to A at the end of the first chorus, connecting the 3rd of the D Chord with the Root of the A Chord. Mind... Blown!!!
Connecting the Chord Tones Chromatically might seem remedial to someone with a Jazz background but as a Blues based guitarist w/ a Classical Theory background it's been a huge revelation. I'm finding applications for this everywhere, especially the B to D Chords in Deal. If anything, I'm probably overusing this idea right now.
It's also opened up a lot of new ideas about Enclosure, but that's another thread.
How do you approach Chromaticism? What are some of your favorite Chromatic Jerry Licks?
