The Core Philosophy: Blending Jazz Intellect with Blues Grit
Henderson treats the blues scale and minor pentatonic as home base. He uses bending, vibrato, and aggressive picking to maintain a raw, vocal-like quality.
Henderson famously describes his playing as being rooted in the blues but heavily influenced by jazz harmony. Rather than relying on scalar running up and down the neck, his approach prioritizes melodic storytelling and motif development. 1. Melodic Development and Motifs
He often alternates between two major triads a whole step apart (e.g., F and G over a G7 chord) to imply a Lydian or Mixolydian texture without playing a standard scale pattern. 4. Expressive Phrasing and Guitar Mechanics Scott Henderson Jazz Fusion Improvisation Pdf
The material focuses on "outside" playing—creating tension by using non-diatonic scales and resolving them back to familiar structures.
Henderson emphasizes this scale for creating sophisticated "jazz" colors over dominant and minor chords. Diminished & Whole-Tone:
Improvisation is not just about note selection. It is about sonic delivery. Henderson uses his gear dynamically to shape his musical sentences. The Core Philosophy: Blending Jazz Intellect with Blues
Practice scales, but insert two chromatic passing notes between every scale tone.
Fusion requires precise timing. Record your improvisations over backing tracks to hear if your "outside" lines sound intentional or accidental. Conclusion
I can provide a tailored tabs example or an exercise to target that exact roadblock. Share public link Rather than relying on scalar running up and
Scott Henderson’s " Jazz Fusion Improvisation " is a foundational instructional resource for guitarists looking to bridge the gap between blues-rock and advanced jazz harmony. Originally released as a video in 1988, it is now primarily available as part of the DVD, which includes a printable PDF booklet containing all the diagrams and musical examples. Core Instructional Concepts
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Vary the dynamics to make the phrase sound conversational. Target Tones and Voice Leading
: Solos are built by taking a small melodic or rhythmic "motif" and developing it through repetition and variation, ensuring the solo feels like a cohesive story rather than a string of disconnected licks.
: Over a minor 7th chord, play a minor pentatonic scale a whole step up (e.g., play B minor pentatonic over an Am7 chord). This highlights the 9th, 11th, and 13th intervals.