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How To Develop
Virtuoso Single Line
Technique For
Jazz Guitar

based on
"The Virtuoso Pianist"
of CF Hanon

by Adam Rafferty

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Adam Rafferty

Boost Your Fretboard Knowledge!

Hello Jazz Guitarists! Thanks CLICK HERE to Download MP3’s
for downloading this lesson. http://touchofjazz.com/raffpages/mp3/index.html

Something that I’ve noticed

about many of my guitar stu-
dents is that theis scale knowl-
edge is limited to a bottom -
note - up concept.

Can you answer the question,

“What is a key?” Really, before looking ahead in
this lesson for an answer, try to articulate it and
you will find that it is not so easy. If you want to
say “notes in the scale”, you are missing it. D
Dorian has the same notes as C major, so what’s
the difference? It’s the same notes, but a different
key!

Anyhow, I will let your curiosity stew a little. The

answer is in the following pages.

I’d like you to be able to play in any key anywhere

on the neck, be able to weave in and out of keys
effortlessly (you’ll need to make some effort to
learn how though!)

Jazz tunes often change key several times, so

being able to shift key centers is essential. “Giant
Steps” by Coltrane changes keys every 2 beats in
some spots!

On the following pages is an excerpt from the

“How To Develop Virtuoso Technique For Jazz
Guitar” book. As I was looking through the book, I
realized that there were some very potent “mini”
lessons contained in it - so here’s something to
keep you busy.

I hope that you enjoy this lesson. It deals with

some basic major scale knowledge that you cannot
be without. The complete “Virtuoso” book also
gives complete fingerings similar to what you are
getting here for harmonic minor and melodic minor
as well.

Warmest Regards,

Adam Rafferty

Copyright 2001 Adam Rafferty, All Rights Reserved

http://www.adamrafferty.com
 9

Chapter 1: The 7 Positions of the Scales

Every key can be broken into 7 Positions of scales on the guitar neck if it is played 3 notes per string.

By examining these 7 Positions, you will uncover every possible location that a key can live on the
guitar fingerboard.

Most guitar players only learn the first position, which would mean that they play the scale with the
lowest note as the root. For example, playing a G major scale starting on a low G at the 3rd fret on the
6th string. Sort of a “barre chord” approach to playing scales. That’s fine, but it is just the beginning.

Why 3 notes a string? I see it as physics. It’s there to be learned, and it fits comfortably under the
hand. Plus, you’ll uncover all of the possibilities of playing a key anywhere on the neck and see how
one position of a key relates to the other. In real music making, I never stick to or even think of 7
Positions, but for practice sake, I impose them on myself, and now onto you, the student.

Question:
Aren’t the 7 Positions Just the modes?

Answer:
Good Question.

No. The Positions are not modes, even though they seem to be, and could be. Here’s why.

Please burn this next piece of information into your mind:

The best definition for a key or tonality is a central tone around which the others revolve.

Many people simply think of a key as “the notes of the scale”, but there’s more to it.

If we are playing in the key of C, all the notes will behave a certain way, in relation to C as the center.
You’ll need to forget about the guitar for a minute to understand this.

Play or sing a C major scale up to and stopping on B. Notice how the B is pulling up to the next C.
Once the center is established, all the notes serve the center and behave / revolve around it in a certain
way. Think of the central tone as you would think of the sun, and the other notes are the planets
revolving around it, and being ruled by its gravitational force.

Most students think of scales as “staircases” of notes that can only start on the root. That does describe
what a scale looks like, but does not really address the phenomena of a “key” that a piece of music is
in. Just remember, a key or tonality is a central tone around which the others revolve.

In D Dorian (the same notes as C major) the central tone is D, not C even though the notes are the
same. The sound and behavior of the notes is completely different. “So What” by Miles Davis and
“Impressions” buy John Coltrane are not in the key of C! They are in D minor . D Dorian has the
same notes as C major but the behavior of the notes is completely different.
10

Now imagine that our central tone is C and that the other tones are revolving around C. The music
does not care what fret the guitarist is at. A higher law of musical physics has taken over. The tones
are experiencing a behavior. It is for this reason that I want you to be fluent in any key, anywhere on
the neck.

The 7 Positions will teach you how. Once you have tackled each position, there’s nothing left. You’ve
uncovered every possibility of where to play a scale and key on the guitar fingerboard.

So, it is with that in mind that I hear Positions 1 - 7 as belonging to one key or tonal center. Not only
that, but what would we start calling the modes of the minor scales?

Question:
I still don’t get why Position 2 would be different from Dorian, Position 3 from Aeolian, etc.

Answer:
To the eye, it is the same. In fact you are learning the fingerings to the modes as you do this.
However, to the ear, each of the 7 modes is completely different. So, if you do Position 1 and establish
the sound of F major in your ears, then Position 2,3,4,5,6 and 7 will simply sound like a continuation
of the sound of F major.

If you can only play a key starting with the bottom note of the scale being the root, you are at a
tremendous disadvantage. By studying the 7 Positions and doing all your exercises in each position,
you will be able to tap into the “behavior” of a key more spontaneously, and never be lost anywhere on
the neck.

Not only that, but switching keys when you are soloing will become easier too.

Question:
Since C major (ionian) and D dorian are the same notes, couldn’t I solo on a C major tune using D
dorian and couldn’t I solo in a D dorian situation using a C major scale?

Answer:
Yes. That technique is called polymodality - the use of many modes in a musical situation. I
personally use this technique, but all too often people use it as a crutch.

For example, some players get very good at soloing in the Dorian mode. Instead of learning how to
solo in Major they might just think “To solo in C major, I just play in A minor” which would mean that
to solo in C major they would have play A minor, not C major.

That’s an excuse for not wanting to do the homework of learning how to solo and play in C major.
Yes, the notes will be the same and not sound wrong neccesarily and you can play valid music doing
that, but sooner or later the crutch will give out.

My gospel is to know how to play in the key that the music is actually in. Once you can do that, then
you can experiment with polymodality.

About the fingerings on the Positions:

They are a starting point. Please understand that when I refer to a fingering I mean the actual left
hand finger that is shown above the note. By location I mean where the note is played, on which
 11
string and at what fret, regardless of the finger.

I discovered that the exercises “revealed themselves” when I stuck to playing the notes in the locations
that the Positions yeilded. 9 times out of 10, the best fingering would be the basic ones shown on the
7 Position pages.

Please don’t let this confuse you. Follow this example.

When you are attempt Hanon Exercise 1 Position 1 for the first time -

1. Review Position 1 of F major on the 7 Positions page.

2. Look at how it lays on the fingerboard, where the 3 notes are laying on each string.

3. The Hanon exercise will scramble those notes up, and you will play them in the same locations that
you just played, just not in the same order, and will use the fingers specified above the notes.

Many of the fingerings will correspond to the 7 Positions section. Some won’t - but that’s the best
place to start for comfortable fingerings.

Left Hand fingers are:

1 index
2 middle
3 ring
4 pinky

I have left out string numbers in the exercises intentionally. They would simply confuse rather than
clarify. Keep referring back to the 7 Positions section as much as you need to.

Some fingerings will seem very strange at first. As you do the exercises it will become clear why I
chose the fingerings. If, after checking them out, you find fingerings that feel better to you, by all
means use yours.

Nothing would make me happier than you developing your own concept! Take the ball and run
with it!

I hope you now understand why I have put all of the exercises in the book in 7 Positions for Major,
Harmonic Minor, and Melodic Minor.
12

7 Positions of the Major Scale

6th String 5th String 4th String 3rd String 2nd String 1st String

1 3 4
1 4 2 4 1 2 4 1 32 4
1 2 4 1 2 1

Pos 1

1 2 4
1 4 2 4 1 2 4
1 1 2 4 2 1
1 3 4

Pos2

1 2 4
1 3 4 1 2 4
1 1 2 4 1 3 4 1 2 4

Pos 3

1 2 4
4 1 3 4
1 2 4 1 2 4 1 3
1 1 2 4

Pos4

1 3 4
1 2 4
1 2 4
1 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 2 4

Pos 5

1 2 4
1 2 4
3 4 2 4 1 2 4
1 1 3 4 1 1

Pos 6

1 2 4
1 2 4
1 1 2 1 3 4
2 4 4 1 3 4
1

Pos7

For Hanon Exercise 1 stick to these fingerings (almost) religiously. These fingerings will work
Stickdiatonic
perfectly for many to thesepatterns
fingerings religiously
as well. throughout
As with any all of
“rules” there areExercise 1
always exceptions.
Use these fingerings as a starting point when figuring out new patterns. Stick to the locations
religiously.

By breaking all your scales up into 7 positions of 3 notes per string, you will master all keys
in all parts of the neck.
 13

7 Positions of the Harmonic Minor Scale

6th String 5th String 4th String 3rd String 2nd String 1st String

1 23 4
1 4 2 4 1 4 1 3 4
1 3 4 1 3 1 2

Pos 1

2 1 2 4
3 4 3 4 1 4
1 1 2 4 1 1
1 2 4

Pos2

1 3 4
1 2 4 1 2 4 1 3 4
1 2 4 1 3 4
1

Pos 3

1 2 4
1 2 4 1 3 4 1 2 4
1 3 4 1 2 4
1

Pos4

1 3 4
1 2 4
1 2 4
1 1 2 4 1 3 4 1 3 4

Pos 5

1 2 4
1 3 4
1 2 4 2 4 1 3 4
1 1 3 4 1

Pos 6

1 3 4
1 2 4
1 2 4
1 2 4 1 3 4
1 1 2 4

Pos7

Here is the same concept for Harmonic minor.

14

7 Positions of the Melodic Minor Scale

6th String 5th String 4th String 3rd String 2nd String 1st String

1 23 4
1 4 2 4 1 4 1 3 4
1 3 4 1 2 1 2

Pos 1

1 3 4
1 3 4 4 1 2 4
1 2 4 1 2 4 1 2
1

Pos2

1 2 4
1 2 4 1 3 4
1 2 4 1 3 4 1 2 4
1

Pos 3

1 2 4
1 4 1 23 4
1 1 2 4 1 2 4 3
1 2 4

Pos4

1 3 4
1 2 4
23 1 2 4
1 1 2 4 1 3 4 1 4

Pos 5

1 2 4
1 2 4
4
1 3 4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 3
1

Pos 6

1 3 4
1 2 4
2 4
2 4 3 4 1
1 1 2 4 1 1

Pos7

Here is the same concept for Melodic minor.

 Virtuoso Guitar Technique
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