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Steppin' Out
By Keijo Pennanen

Sessions From Guitar Player, June '99

Guitarists often ask, "How do you play outside?"

Here's a basic, yet effective, technique for
momentarily shifting away from the tonal center to
create tension and release. The concept is simple:
Move a major second interval chromatically up or
down within a line. Let's take a closer look.

The chromatic whole-step. There are four ways to organize

chromatic whole-step moves:

Ex. 1a comprises chromatically ascending whole-steps that start

on the lower tone of each whole-step.

In Ex. 1b, the whole-steps chromatically descend starting from

the higher tone.

The chromatically ascending whole-steps in Ex. 1c begin with

the higher tone.

In Ex. 1d, the whole-steps start on the lower tone and descend
chromatically.

Bluer than blue. So far, so good. Now let's put these moves to
use. Ex. 2a is an A blues scale with its intervallic construction
shown in whole- and half-steps.

Ex. 2b illustrates how you can color a typical A blues phrase with
chromatic whole-steps. Bar 2 offers two flavors of chromatic
whole-step movement: Beats one, two, and three feature
descending whole-steps that start on the higher tone. Beat four is
an ascending whole-step that begins on the lower tone. Notice
how the first whole-step consists of chord tones -- a sensible
setup to the spiky sounds that follow.

Modal mania. Now let's try going outside E Dorian. Ex. 3a shows
this mode's intervallic construction.

Ex. 3b is an E Dorian line that's punched up with chromatic

whole-steps in bar 2. Each of these descending intervals starts on
the higher tone. If you listen closely, you'll hear chromatic
movement on the downbeat of beats one, two, and three. The
pattern then shifts, however, with the chromatic action happening
between the and of three and downbeat of four. Such subtle
alterations prevent a chromatic whole-step line from sounding too
mechanical.

The bluesy cadence in Ex. 4 illustrates how to apply our chromatic

whole-step technique to a progression. Work this out, and then
build some lines of your own. Your ear and skills will improve in
the process.

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