The Diminished Workbook is a comprehensive study and explanation of diminished chords and scales. It is geared toward guitarists but can be used with any concert key instrument. the book employs exercises, etudes and examples to illustrate the many different ways diminished chords can be used and is accompanied by a CD featuring a rhythm section of world-class New York musicians. Author Bruce Saunders is a Professor in the guitar department at world-renowned Berklee College of Music in Boston, is a respected member of the New York city jazz community and has many recording credits to his name, including his release on Mel Bay Records entitled 8 x 5. This is his fourth book for Mel Bay Publications. Standard notation and tablature.

In a similar format to his other Mel Bay Publications, in Symmetric Solutions: the Whole Tone Workbook author Bruce Saunders uses exercises, etudes and chord progressions from jazz standards to explore the sound of the whole-tone scale, the augmented scale and drop-2, drop-3 and drop-2/4 chord voicings applicable to them. Blues, rhythm changes, Giant Steps, patterns, approach notes, across the bar line phrasing, examples from jazz greats such as Joe Henderson, Wes Montgomery, Mike Stern and Wayne Krantz among others. This book is full of great sounds that you can use on standard jazz progressions, vamps, funk tunes, Brazilian tunes - whole-tone can be used just about anywhere.

Presents hundreds of improvised melodic lines played by Joe Pass. Each of the melodic lines are grouped in the harmonic situation in which they were originally played (i.e. all minor lines are presented together and all dominant seventh lines are presented together, etc). the companion play along CD has a live rhythm section playing single chord vamps as well as vamps covering all twelve keys for each harmonic situation. an etude over the changes to Satin Doll shows how to apply the various lines and create improvised solos.Also available in Japanese from ATN, Inc.

String Skipping & Wide Interval Soloing: 212 Melodic Studies and Patterns for Guitar is a much-needed guitarist's guide to mastering wide interval soloing.This collection of repeating, continuous motion studies shows the guitarist how to develop melodic patterns that are characterized by large intervallic jumps in pitch, from one note to the next, in constant succession. This book presents four unique approaches to developing wide interval soloing, all of which utilize string skipping: 1) double pentatonic scales, which are three-note-per-string pentatonic scale patterns; 2) octave sliding, which uses sliding octave shapes in a variety of ways; 3) stacked fifths, which are wide interval shapes derived from pentatonic scales; and 4) wide interval arpeggios derived from the diatonic major scale.The sound that results from these techniques is exciting and unpredictable because it is such a departure from conventional melodic flow, which tends to be scalar, moving stepwise from one note in a scale to the next. By contrast, wide interval soloing is angular and skewed with big skips and sudden directional changes, creating a complex and fascinating sound. All of the studies in this book are designed as melodic etudes that can be applied directly to soloing in rock, jazz, fusion, and blues music.This book is ideal for serious guitarists in any style who want to break out of typical soloing patterns and create a more explosive, radical sound! CD included.

In a similar format to his other Mel Bay Publications, in Symmetric Solutions: The Whole Tone Workbook author Bruce Saunders uses exercises, etudes and chord progressions from jazz standards to explore the sound of the whole-tone scale, the augmented scale and drop-2, drop-3 and drop-2/4 chord voicings applicable to them. Blues, rhythm changes, Giant Steps, patterns, approachnotes, across the bar line phrasing, examples from jazz greats such as Joe Henderson, Wes Montgomery, Mike Stern and Wayne Krantz among others. This book is full of great sounds that you can use on standard jazz progressions, vamps, funk tunes, Brazilian tunes -- whole-tone can be used just about anywhere

"Melodic Improvising" is a systematic, detailed method to help the intermediate to advanced guitarist create melodies over harmony. Using techniques developed through his 15 years of teaching improvisation at the world-renowned Berklee College of Music, Bruce Saunders' book teaches guitarists the same techniques used by pianists and brass and woodwind players to create melodic solos; a necessary book for any guitarist wishing to play outside the box.

A modern arpeggio handbook and comprehensive training manual for developing fast, flowing arpeggio runs that connect the entire fretboard. Emphasis is on developing fluid, non-shifting arpeggio patterns (across the neck) using hammer-ons and pull-offs for speed and fluidity; and also on developing smooth position-shifting arpeggios (along the length of the neck) using slides. These two types of motion are then connected and combined in an extensive collection of soloing etudes for full assimilation. the result is a complete system of arpeggio pathways that connects every part of the fretboard and facilitates maximum speed, fluidity, and range. Complete whole-neck connections are presented for major 7th, dominant 7th, minor 7th, minor 6th, half-diminished, diminished 7th, major triadic and minor triadic arpeggios.This book is for all guitarists who are serious about improving their ability to solo over chord progressions using arpeggios, in any style of music; including rock, jazz, fusion, blues, country or pop. Having the ability to instantly outline any chord in a song with a fluid arpeggio run (no matter where your hand is on the neck) is immensely valuable for every guitarist. This book methodically teaches you the skills that make this possible. Loaded with melodic arpeggio passages that can be applied to your music immediately, this is perhaps the most practical and powerful arpeggio book ever written. CD included. Standard notation and Tablature.