Thanks a lot for purchasing this new release.

Hope it helps in your phrasing quest !

Steph

Often used to solo over dominant chords and bring the 7#11 sound to our lines, the Lydian
Dominant scale is the fourth mode of the melodic minor scale system.
We could use this scale over non resolving 7th chords (V7 > Imaj7 or Im7)

In all examples we gonna use the A lydian dominant scale or E melodic minor scale to solo over a
A7 static vamp.

There's different way to see or visualize the scale : some prefer to see it as a mixolydian scale with a
raised four, some as a lydian scale with a flat seven, some like to see the melodic minor scale up a
5th from the root chord...

A B C# D# E F# G
R 9 3 #11 5 13 7

So to bring out the lydian dominant sound, we gonna try to highlight this characteristic note
(#11=D# in our case) and to do this we could build our lines/melodies with the scale our course but
also with all the diatonic arpeggios and triads containing this #11.
Check out the PDF Arpeggios & Triads for more info about this !
The Scale

The A lydian domimant scale or E melodic minor scale.

The Jam Track

The jam track is simply a funky vamp build around the A7 chord.

Lick#1

Here's a nice and efficient exercise to learn both the arpeggios and scale's shapes.
First we play the arpeggio up and then down with the scale to the root of the next arpeggios.
To practice all over the neck of course !
Lick#2

Always useful, here are some A7#11 chord voicings.

Lick#3

Notice the C#m7b5 arpeggios / 3rd beat / 2d bar and the ending with the B7 arpeggio starting on the
5th/F#.

Lick#4

This one starts and ends with a bluesy feel using the A pentatonic scale in bar 1 & 4.
We've got a typical bebop note choice / articulation here around the GMaj7#5 arpeggio with a
added 9th.
Lick#5

This lick is a good balance of scale based lines and arpeggios.

EmMaj7 arpeggio in bar 2 and again the Gmaj7/9#5 arpeggio bar 3 & 4. Notice the enclosures
around the G before starting the arpeggio note in bar 3 : above / behind and the targeted note
( A/F#/G)

Lick#6

Here we clearly superimpose the EmMaj7 sound over the A7 chord and the whole lick is build
around this arpeggio shape.
Lick#7

Licks 7 & 8 introduce some triads & triad pairs ideas to bring out the lydian dominant sound.
Here you could see the B & A triads and their inversions

Lick#8

In this one we follow the diatonic triads starting with A, B, C#m and so on. To break any systematic
playing and avoid sounding like an exercise we use the following formula to play all these triads :
1 3 5 / 3 5 1 Up with A triad > A/C#/E and down with B triad D#/F#/B and so on.
Fingering wise it's a bit confusing at first but some very nice combinations are waiting for you ...
find your own!
Lick#9

Here's a lick to illustrate the last triads 'exercise'. We start with the pentatonic scale and lot of 5th
intervals. The triad sequence starts in bar 2 with the Gaug triad (starts at the and of beat 1) and
follow the 1 3 5 / 3 5 1 schema.

Lick#10

A nice lick with bluesy/funky flavours starting with the pentatonic scale with a major 3rd added
(C/C#).
Again the GMaj7#5 arpeggio and we end with B7 arpeggio. Because it allows us to play wide
intervals, string skipping is often a great option to break linear scale lines and bring some new
melodic persperctive.
Lick#11

The starting point of these lick is a classic jazz & fusion way to enclose and articulate notes. It's
great to be familiar with it and be able to play/transpose the idea all over the neck in various octave.
In Bar 2 we play B7, Gaug triad, GMaj7#5, F#m7, GMaj7#5 arpeggios ! Then we've got a
chromatic passage where the 4th (D) is like a pivot note played on the second & fourth 16ths.

Lick#12

Here we've got a the same chromatic schema and we repeat it three time down the neck. Notice that
#1 and #3 are the same, # is played one octave lower.
As always with this kind of chromatic stuff it's great to analyze and locate outside notes and how
they are played compared to the beat : 1/3 or 2/4 16ths ?
Lick#13

As you see the melodic minor scale bring us lot of melodic choices with triads & apeggios - here B
triad and D#m7b5 - It's important to focus on the #11 and the articulation with other notes
especially in scale based lines as the #11 could sound pretty 'outside' depending on how it is played.

Lick#14

In the first bar I only play the D#m7b5 arpeggio and place some emphasis on the tritone interval
D#/A to bring tension.
Lick#15

Here's long and tricky chromatic phrase! You could see two augmented triads in the first bar
B/D#/G/B & D#/B/G.
For info B aug = D# aug = G aug, that's the same thing, just stacked 3rd and we've got this
symmetric pattern on the neck.
As previoulys said breakdown the phrase, analyse and vizualise all the outside notes and how
everything is articulate together.

Lick#16

We use wider intervals in this line with Em & B triads in bar 1. In bar 2 when playing this
chromatic passage we are targetting the C# / Maj3rd of A7.
Then we play around the EmMaj7 arpeggio shape.
Lick#17

A long and nice legato line starting with GMaj9#5 then D#m7b5 arpeggios in bar 1.
Then we mix the EmMaj7/9 arpeggio shape with the scale.

Lick#18

More syncopation and lot of string skipping in this one.

We simply start with the A blues scale in the first bar and we go on with the GMaj7#5 arpeggio
before starting the string skipping segment.
Notice the Bb note as passing tone and again the A blues scale to end the lick.
Lick#19

Another way to play the #11 sound is to play the F# added 6th pentatonic scale : take your minor
pentatonic scale and lower down 1/2 step the 7th.
It may sound a bit strange and confusing at first but it's worth spending some time on it and find
some way to phrase with this scale !

Lick#20

Another modern sounding line starting with GMaj7#5 arpeggio and we go on by following the scale
with some string skipping. Notice the EmMaj7 arpeggio played with string skipping, end of bar 2.