: Used to create an airy, floating tension over augmented dominant chords (C7#5). 3. The "Blues Concept" in Fusion
This is a staple in Henderson’s arsenal for dominant 7th chords, particularly sharp-eleven ( 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 -
Scott Henderson stands as one of the most influential guitarists in the history of jazz fusion. As a co-founder of the legendary band Tribal Tech and a longtime instructor at the Musicians Institute (MI), Henderson bridged the gap between raw, emotional blues and highly sophisticated jazz fusion. scott henderson jazz fusion improvisation pdf work
Learning licks from Henderson’s catalog and applying them to backing tracks. The Target Tone Exercise Record a simple 2-chord vamp (e.g., Am7 to D7).
This involves shifting a standard blues or minor pentatonic phrase up or down by a half-step for a brief moment, then shifting back. The key to making this work—as Henderson teaches—is rhythm. If your rhythm is strong, the outside notes sound intentional rather than accidental. 4. Integrating the Blues into Jazz : Used to create an airy, floating tension
Scott Henderson ’s instructional materials on jazz fusion improvisation are primarily centered around his classic videos, Jazz Fusion Improvisation and Melodic Phrasing , often bundled as the Jazz Rock Mastery DVD which includes a printable companion booklet in PDF format. Core Improvisation Concepts
Unlike traditional jazz guitarists who think modally (Dorian, Mixolydian), Henderson starts from the blues scale. In his PDF work, he demonstrates how to play a standard over complex changes like a Dm7-G7-Cmaj7 progression. The "wrong" notes (the D# against a G7 chord) become "blue notes." As a co-founder of the legendary band Tribal
Scott smiled and began, "You know, improvisation is all about being present in the moment. For me, it's about connecting with the music, the band, and the audience. I try to stay focused on the groove, the chord progression, and the melody."
Choose a slow section of a Scott Henderson solo (e.g., from the album "Illusions" or "Tore Down House"). Learn it by ear. Do not just learn the notes; analyze why those notes work over the chords.
Contrary to the stereotype of fusion as note-dense, Henderson's improvisational worksheets advocate for harmonic minimalism. He reduces each chord to a maximum of three essential tones: