guitar Al Di Meola Solos An Exploration of His Music, Including Transcribed Solos and Lessons By Dan Towey Special thanks to Geoffrey Royall for his assistance with the music transcriptions, Cover Photo by Jan Frank ISBN 0-7935-3671-5 HAL*LEONARD* CORPORATION Cconyrgnt o 1995 8¥ 2187 Unathoios copying, aranging, adaping, ecorcng or pub perornance i an intingamat et epyrigh Inger ar lable unde te In‘guitar Al Di Meola Solos CONTENTS Introduction ..... Sores aati AndONEA, ssenserscs ++ 53 oninniaes © 6 The Embrace .......esseeeeeeeee 26 Global Safari ..........00000 35 Indigo re Fives awrelBS Kiss MANS 1.2 vos scewne sense hontdO, Last Tango For Astor .... oo Mediterranean Sundance .......2....+.72 Morocco ..... — a ‘One Night Last June ........ 50 Parranda.... 0.0664 seer ciee Passion, Grace & Fire : 37 Ritmo De La Noche 60 Scenario nos err6a vs sane 63 Sequencer .......2.4+ 66 Song With A View ........000 12 Traces Of A Tear <1 Vistaero ...... 7INTRODUCTION If you cut your baby teeth in jazz listening to the jazz/rock/fusion guitarists of the ‘mid-seventies then you are certain to know of the intense, blistering, rapid-fire solos of Al Di Meola. Most of the material in this book reveals a distinctly different Al Di Meola from that of the 70s. This new character began to reveal itself with the 1985 release of Cielo e Terra and has continued to evolve ever since. It is a combination of sophistication, refinement, introspection and experimentation (without having lost any of the mind- boggling, rapid-fire, palm-muting, sizzling splendor we have all grown to know and love), In fact, it’s all of these elements combined that makes Al's playing such a joy to hear. ‘The solos in this book are spectacular in and of themselves but they cannot be fully appreciated without considering the compositions from which they emerge. Al’s songwriting demonstrates an amazing imagination and maturity. From the raw electric power and intensity of groups like Return To Forever to the fascinating Latin, Mid-East Tango polyrhythms of World Sinfonia; from the proddings of keyboardist Jan Hammer’s insistent computer rhythms in “Sequencer” to bandoneon player Dino Saluzzi’s surreal approach in songs like “Last Tango For Astor,” Di Meola makes the most of his influences. The song forms range from the very simple (one-chord-per-tonal-center arrangement of “Sequencer”) to the very complex (like “Kiss My Axe,” with its maze of strange and unrelated deviations from its poppish beginning). Complexity isn’t confined strictly to the song form. Abrupt mood and style changes within a song have become a trademark for Al. Some of the internal meter changes are extremely hard to follow without a road map, as in the opening section of “Morocco.” Fitting phrases to meters are a real bear in those unison breaks, something Di Meola is famous for. And then there are the chord changes themselves... ‘The chord progressions over which he solos are often quite unorthodox when ‘compared to standard jazz or rock changes. “The Embrace and Global Safari” from Kiss My Axe, although using traditional jazz harmonies and colors, uses very non-traditional and often very complex progressions (no ii-V-I’s here, folks) combined with multiple key changes. One of Al’s signature techniques is to use modulations of a half-step (say from Cém to Dm) in such a way that you are virtually unaware of the change if you're not listening for it. Sometimes this will happen during the course of the song, as in “Traces Of A Tear,” or even within a solo (“Traces Of A Tear” and “Morocco”). Still, Al manages to tie all these various and complex ideas into cohesive songs by the strength of his excellent melodic sense. This is true in the case of his melodies and solos as well.ANDONEA ESSON “Andonea” is a beautifully constructed song, full of charm, yet haunting and mysterious. I have chosen to include the whole song, rather than the solo alone, because the guitar part is so beautiful. ‘As in many of Al’s songs, the form is both logical and ambiguous: Logical in both the general layout (an ABAB form with an extra A section intro) and in the way in which the melodic content weaves the chord progression into a comfortable and familiar sounding pattern. It is ambiguous in the way that the chord progression, sounding so familiar, is so full of substitute chord changes (the key of this song is B minor, yet we are continually drawn to hear E minor, as in the [Vm, Im, V, Im at bars 9-14 and the Im, V at bars 15-16). There’s also the abruptness of the key change from B minor in the A section to C minor in the B Section. How unrelated can you get? Yet Al manages time and again to somehow connect even the most unrelated of forms. That is the beauty of his compositional technique. ‘The melody of the intro is based on the E melodic minor scale. Section A’s melody (bars 17-31) is derived from both E harmonic minor and E Aeolian scales. Notice the effortless way in which Al solos around the melody line being sung in the A section starting at bar 17. ‘The lines in Section C cover every note of the chromatic scale (bars 45-59 and 46- 61). Here, Al is following the changes much more closely than before, thus requiring the use of much more chromaticism to fit his lines into the harmonically unrelated chords (i.e., Gmaj7 and G7, Bm and B*7). Some special moments in this section are: The whole tone scale lick over the Gmaj7#11 at bars 45-46, the descending Fmaj7 arpeggio resolving to D over a Dm at bars 49-50, the E7(add11) chord arpeggio over a G7#9 at bars 51-52 and the descending arpeggios outlining the Fém7 and B79 at bars 59-60. ‘The chord progression in the B section is in the key of C minor (IIlmaj7-ii75-V+7- i) for the most part, but contains some striking diversions (A7, Fédim? and F#*7). The solo part is mainly concerned with fill lines to support the melody. Pay particular attention to the many different ways Al finds to phrase the numerous diminished arpeggios hereAndonea (Selection from the recording Tira Misu) By Al Di Meola Intro Rubato (ir (eke) Gmaj74lt Bm Bm/A# —Ba/A—Bm/G wislean one Em BoC Em Copyright © 1987 01 MEOLA MUSIC CO. Intomatonal Copyigh Seoured. Al Fighis Reserved Used by Pemstion6 Am$ —, Ew Fem? Bm BBCm CnyB CayB cm Ans Fm? Gimaj7t Bn aEm? Bec Emé Fem? Faster Ebmaj7S 10Dm Dnyct Daye Caim? em, Ans a aA Fri? a ~ SlowlySONG WITH A VIEW |LESSON| In Rayburn Wright’s Inside The Score, a study of big band orchestration, he stresses the importance of a good “dynamic contour” in the writing of a strong score. Mr. Wright points out how many of the best scores follow a formula of well-paced highs and lows with the highest point of intensity often occurring somewhere around 2/3 to 3/4 of the way through the piece. Solos are like mini compositions within a composition and in analyzing Al Di Mcola’s solos, it becomes clear that he has learned this invaluable rule quite well. Both solos (Synclavier pan pipes and distorted guitar) are based on the A Aeolian scale. ‘The harmonic background consists of a simple two-chord vamp between Am9 to G13 and Am11 to G11 respectively. The effect of the two chords is enhanced by the use of upper extensions (9, 11, and 13), creating a feeling of openness and color. The pan pipes solo is sweet and soft and serves as a good intro for the guitar solo that follows. The use of triplets against the eighth notes of the piano is a nice opening touch. The focus is again on the upper chord extensions which give a mysterious effect to the lines. The solo closes with a restatement of the triplet idea with which it opened; a good way to bring closure. ‘The distortion and layered sound of the guitar is a good contrast to the pan pipes and helps convey a sense of intensity, an aspect for which Al has long been associated. At bar 18, he begins on the same note (E) that the pan pipes end on and slowly propels the song forward, increasing intensity as he gocs. Each idea is presented and then expanded through subtle changes which bring about the impetus for new direction, Notice how the simple scale run in the 25th measure (A-B-C-C) is first expanded, then reshaped and crafted through the next five measures. Here, Al introduces the only chromatic alteration in his solo, adding a twist of unpredictability. Next, note the classic Al Di Meola burner lick, followed by the wail of those beautiful soaring high B notes. These are the elements which bring, about that wonderful sense of passion one comes away with after listening to Al’s solos. After easing the tension a bit, there's a tasty Fmaj9 dominant chord at measure 40. At bar 43, Al begins a series of syncopated rhythmic punches with the 11th of Am11 to create more tension, finally resolving on the 9th of the G dominant chord. A new rhythmic idea is introduced at measure 47, based on the 7th, then the 11th of the rpeggio played against the G chord and played through a series of ascending notes up one and two octaves. ‘The solo has been building, pitch-wise and now culminates at the highest note, C, three octaves above middle C. Al then restates the thr Je idea first presented in measure 25, this time expanded and combined with new phrases. Finally, the solo winds down and ends the same E note with which it began, bringing about a sense of completion. This time, it is the 13th of the G dominant chord instead of the 5th of A minor. All in all, this short solo shows how well Al manages the tools of solo building. Every note sounds as though it was meant to be and every phrase connects perfectly with one another. ‘Al combines rhythmic variety with his frequent use of upper chord extensions to create beautiful, well-crafted solos. note se: 2Song With A View By Al Di Meola J = 106 (1 Sevier Pua Pes) Gi ‘Am? ce a. GB oa Amt Ge yo ® 61.2642) whi ‘Copyigtt © 1987 1 MEOLA MUSIC CO. Interatonal Copyigh Seeued All Righs Raserved Used by Perision 13Amt! 1415fst JA ones (B) (A) Am? 16TRACES OF A TEAR ESSON 1985 marked the beginning of a new sound for Al and “Traces Of A Tear” from Cielo ¢ Terra (the first of two studio versions) is a good example. Featuring lush, reverb-drenched, acoustic guitars and the Brazilian percussions by Airto Moreira, this new sound has a warm, soothing effect upon the listener. It’s also enhanced by the great variety of textures Al produces with his Roland GR-300 guitar synth. and Synclavier Digital Music System. The other studio version of “Traces Of A Tear” from his next LP, Soaring Through A Dream, featured the Al Di Meola Project. It has an interesting contrast in texture which I would highly recommend listening to for comparison. ‘The first solo section is really an embellished melody but I have included it here because of the many interesting solo fills (this is a piano solo in the other version). ‘The 11-bar form of this section is unusual, but works because of the rubato feel and the sustained repetition of the E7'9 chord over the last three measures. Likewise, the chord progression is on the unusual side. It starts out with a series of descending 3rds (i, VImaj7, iv11, ii7) before doubling back on itself and creating what feels like a new tonal center of Fem. In other words, the Cfm7-E9-Fém7 is like a v7-+VII9-i7. This chord progression is then repeated twice. Bars 1-8 and bars 12-19 are basically alike except that the second time they start an octave lower and somewhat embellished. The melodic line is based on a B Dorian mode. In both solos Al demonstrates his affinity for exotic scales. Check out how he accomplishes this over the E79 chords, using the E Spanish Phrygian (E-F-G-G#-A-B-C-D) in bars 20-21, and a phrase based on E Phrygian at bars 34-35. ‘One other interesting sound you will hear Al frequently use is the superimpo-sition of ‘one chord sound in arpeggiated form over another played or implied in the chord progression. You can hear a good example of this technique at bars 22 and 32 where he plays a Fmaj9 arpeggio over an E79, ‘The second solo consists of six touching choruses. Al knows how to bring out the emotion in a song whether he’s wailing away at 20 on his trusty Les Paul, or sensitively caressing the soft nylon strings of a classical. Take special note of how he achieves this kind of emotional feeling. Each chorus of this solo can be divided into two 8-bar phrases which modulate between the keys of B* minor and B minor. The chord progression bears a resemblance to that of the first solo, as do some of the melodic lines helping to tie these two parts of the song together. The use of many altered chord sounds allows Al to interpret them freely and gives him the freedom to use exotic scales to enhance the flavor of the tune. Rhythmic variation and space between phrases give the solo an extremely vocal quality as do the use of ornamental devices such as sliding grace notes and 16th note triplet hammer-ons and pull-offs. Di Meola also makes use of many altered scales in this solo: Sth mode harmonic minor, bars 5-8 (D+); bars 14-16 (B harmonic minor); At double harmonic minor (1, #2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7), bar 24-85; C Lydian +7, bar 76; and one of Al’s favorites, A minor pentatonic add2, bar 75. 7‘There are many noteworthy arpeggios, such as the diminished 7 arpeggios at bar 8, bars 15-16, bar 64 and bar 79, There are two spots of particular appeal at bar 24 and bars 85-86. In the first, Al focuses on the half step intervals of an Ab double harmonic scale (playing 1+2, 7-8, 5-46) in successive, descending pairs over an A79. In the second, he plays ascending pairs (6,551, 7; +4, 3) over a Cim/G leading to the A¥7*9 (very outside but very appealing). ‘The key to understanding this kind of solo is melody. Learning to hear what you want to play as though you were singing the words to a song is what makes this kind of soloing work. For practice, try singing what you play. It will make you more conscious of the direction of your solo lines and help you to create masterpieces of melody. Traces Of A Tear By Al Di Meola Freely J = 94 or.t(cmemlonst) BP Busy Gmai? nf le 2(0cus nylons.) let ring iroughout Copyright © 190501 MEOLA MUSIC Co. Imernaonal Copyright Sacred Rights Reserved. Used by Permission 18Fin? Ew Gir 20 sine Bm? Bm/A. gl £ Emil s chm B/D Fin? Em 19Bae Baia. Gm? Emil Chm? a EY. Fen? EM 3 20Solo Il With Expression J = 118-120 (eusyon sr) Bbn(maj?) im? een mje) Bia?) Bat nf ctwc ave sad bby FAN Brm(maj?) aAyn Em? Am? cy Gmaj? Fens + (maj mIJAP Brn(mnaj?) baa Em? Ani? cup 22Gmaj? FHT Bim(maj?) oi Brni7/At ctv Ait Em? Fins Brm(maj?) a 23Am? cB 24Amt cus Gai? ee iTHE EMBRACE “The Embrace,” from the 1991 release Kiss My Axe, is full of compositional twists and turns, After the first main section, the song weaves in and out of four or five different thematic statements, each with its own particular flavor. It finally ends up at the guitar solo which uses the same chord progression as the first section, effectively sandwiching all the middle material together. This style of writing is reminiscent of the group Return To Forever in its complex arrangements and multiple meters. However this is as far as the similarity goes. “The Embrace” couples a contemporary jazz sound with a strong salsa influence to create a totally different rhythmic feel ‘The guitar solo is the very last part of this tune. It is tied to the beginning via the chord progression. At first glance, the solo appears normal —starting with iv7sus4 to a i7 in 6/4 time ‘ut don’t be deceived! It’ format (that’s Al for ya!). Although most of the chords in the first nine measures fit neatly into a G? Phrygian mode, the Dmaj7 is a borrowed chord from the G Locrian mode. The transition from G* minor to A minor (this should be a familiar modulation by now) just seems to work. ‘The last half of the original chord progression is then repeated, this time in the new key of A minor, followed by a nine-measure tag and ending with yet another modulation to Br minor. Everything shifts in this progression. The meter shifts from 6/4 to 7/4 to 5/4 to 6/4 two 9-measure phrases, with a 4-measure tag. Then, at the modulation, it repeats the 9- measure phrase but, this time, with an 11-measure tag to the end. Try improvising a solo over this! It'll definitely give you a run for your money Let's get down to the solo itself. As usual, Al’s sense of structure and melody is readily apparent upon a first listening. He is always aware of the key pitches that are important over any one chord or sct of changes. For example, notice the key notes he uses in the first nine measures: Cém7sus4; C# and F*(sus4), G?m7; B, F* and D#, Dmaj7; D, F4, A Cf, Emaj9; B, (A), Gt, F# and D#(7th), G#m7; G# minor pentatonic (add 2). The remainder of the solo is no less thoughtful and, after inspecting it carefully, you can see how completely Al knows these changes. At nearly every measure, this solo follo minus the 7th over Gém7; bar 14; Dmaj9 arpeggio over Dmaj7, bar 19, Cmaj9 arpeggio C6/9, bars 28-29, Fmaj9 arpeggio over Fmaj9; bar 34, Dimaj9 arpeggio over D'6/9; bar 35, Em7 arpeggio over Bm/E. Other spots that I should point out are: the tasty lick at bar 18 where Al plays a run based on a D major pentatonic/add7 over a Bm7 (D being the relative major of B minor), and the nearly identical run in D> at bar 32, this time over a D6/9 chord. Again, rhythr shythm figure with flashes of new rhythms. yy enough to get used to, but it doesn’t follow any standard the chords exactly: bar 12, Gém9 arpeggio variety is always important, especially where he breaks up steady strums of the same 26The Embrace By Al Di Meola With Feeling J = 160 oem a Fetch Hits 3 tt CCopyrght © 1001 DI MEQLA MUSIC CO. International Copyright Secured. Al Rigs RosorvedUsod by Permission 27Gim? Bm? copy. Bam/Er b Am? lecring Am? Esmaj?peg = au oe i == — a = = 8 a 8 8 ‘ = é 2 ¢ — 5KISS MY AXE ESSON Di Meola is shining on this one! “Kiss My Axe” is one of the most powerful solos of the bunch. This one has everything Al has become famous for in the fusion realm: Even though “Kiss My Axe” is relatively short, it packs quite a punch. The song, itself is reminiscent of the early Di Meola solo projects with comrades, Barry Miles and Anthony Jackson. In fact they are all present here, driven by one of the hottest drummers, Omar Hakim. ‘The solo sneaks up on you, though you can feel the tension brewing just before Al takes off. The guitar is drenched in distortion and filled with “that edgy abandon,” as Bill Milkowski puts it in the LP liner notes. But even while playing with abandon, Di Meola never loses control The chord progression is fairly straight forward. It's in the key of A minor and aside from a few colorful chord changes, stays there nearly the whole form. There is a 4- measure series of chords about three-fourths of the way through (A*9#11, G/A and Cmaj7#11) which functions as a sustained altered V chord substitute. The form is an 19 measures long with one repeat and an 8-measure tag which modulates from A7 though BT through ES. This kind of static chord progression allows Al to really cut loose and he does so with style ‘The first 10 measures arc based on A Acolian and are marked by 16th note triplets. Bars 6 and 26 contain an E> blue note adding just a bit of flair. Bars 15-16 introduce an At whole tone scale over an A¥7 altered chord (we see it again at bars 34- 35). Al emphasizes the sound of the Cmaj#11 chord at bars 18-19 and again at bars 37-38 by playing a run based on the C Lydian scale. There are also some good instances of chromaticism combined with rhythmic variety at bars 31-32. Bar 43 to the end of the solo reminds me of the kind of fire John McLaughlin used to play with when he played with the Mahavishnu Orchestra. In fact, you may recognize hearing the beginning of this lick in John’s solo in “Meeting Of The Spirits” from the Inner Mounting Flame LP. The solo ends with a unison melody lick that's really slick. It puts the icing on the cake.Kiss My Axe By Al Di Meola Fusion, with energy J = 120 ee) aa Dsust maj? Am? a wight is. Copyright® 1991 DI MEOLA WUSIC CO Internal Copight Secures Al ight Reserved Usedby Permission 31Am? *Stiply ahead ofthe beat c Efte cy er 15) 1 = e 1643 = = 2 : Sj = = Tate - = maj : i ai == ree es E 0 - a+ a ssi Oe Amt OE om a * ee ee eee eee : eSpace —— E SSS J — =F 7 = : — — sens dit = — 7 ae is ‘ a a = eeereet 7 15.19 2434 1519 42159349 1518-4 -Am Nc. (Am) Am Dm c G Am? NC.(Am) Dmé 33Cmaj7#t! Toco a, $e et tes xt == AmB ortho to tote tot etetote Fete 3 @ 7 7 £ : ae 7 7 ati 6 4GLOBAL SAFARI ES Omar Hakim plays drums on this tune as well as on “Kiss My Axe.” He has such command over a trap set — it really makes this song sizzle. The whole group burns and this creates a great backdrop for Al to fire it up. He doesn’t just burn from the start though. He takes his time, feeling his way through the complex maze of changes and doesn’t begin to take off until the two-chord vamp in C minor at bars 41-56. Did you catch that? This form is 56 measures long! (28 if you have the value of the measures, which some people may feel more comfortable with) It’s a through-composed form that you can sub-divide into two segments, separated according to the feel produced by the rhythm section. The first section (40 measures long) is a kind of jazz/fusion feel. It’s like the feel Jack DeJohnette and Jon Christensen used to go for on the 70s ECM releases. The second section makes a shift to a fast salsa feel which is carried by Jackson’s bass line. The second chorus is stretched and altered to make a 54 measure first section and second section that’s only 16 measures long. The chord progression to this solo makes so many shifts in tonality that it’s hard to say exactly what's happening harmonically. Suffice it to say that there are a number of two chord vamps (in the form of i7-v7, i7-iii7 and i7—iv7 respectively) throughout this form which serve to anchor the tonal center for a few measures. There are also connecting passages of harmonized scale tones every so often (bars 11-12, bars 37-40 for example) to tie the various tonal centers together. [’ve changed keys to indicate where a new tonal center is and to reduce the need for accidentals. As I mentioned earlier, Al starts this solo off in a very relaxed, almost cautious manner, as though he were methodically feeling out the sound of each chord change. He uses the power of his Les Paul to get plenty of sustain for the long notes and the extended sliding slurs. Heavy finger vibrato and end note slides also give the lines a speaking or breathing quality. With the exception of two times, he plays single notes per change over the busier harmonic rhythms. The first time (bars 11-12) he plays the 7th of each chord. Two other times (bars 37-40 and bars 103-106) he plays the 3rd of each chord and one time (107-111) he plays scale tones of the C minor pentatonic/add2 scale, starting on C and ending on C up an octave. The final time is really a great moment. He starts with one note per chord and changes to two per chord to increase the intensity as he launches into the famous Al Di Meola screaming high C. At bars 77-78 he executes a series of precision, palm-muted, triad arpeggios outlining the four chords: Cm, Dm, Em and Fm. Al begins on Cm by playing the root and ascending to the fifth. He then descends from the fifth of Dm down to its root (Over Em and F, Al repeats this arpeggio in the same manner. I think it’s the palm-muting that makes this lick stand out so much since it’s the only place he uses this effect throughout the whole solo. Al's phrasing is also noteworthy. Notice how he periodically breaks up the steady singing-like phrasing with extended lines that often go on longer than you expect. Look at bars 43-48, 50-56 and 115-121 (not to mention the burning lick at the end of the solo that’s connected non-stop to the preceeding six measure phrase) to see what I mean. Sometimesit’s like someone who's hyped up and can’t stop talking "cause he’s afraid he might forget something important and if he hesitates for a second somebody will cut him off before he’s finished talking. ‘All in all, this is a great song and a fantastic solo. Keep your ears open for classic Al Di ‘Meola licks. There are a few of them in here besides the most obvious burner licks. Global Safari By Al Di Meola Jazz Fusion J = 280 gece) An? Amit wight it. Abn] Em? Abn, Copyright © 1991 DL MEOLA MUSIC CO. International Copyegn Secred A Rights Reserved Used by Permission 36Ama? ree Cm AKA aS Salsa AbmajT Cm ra Ips 37Fm? Cm? Jazz Fusion Fim? Ami! oe 3839164BT Fmi/Ab Gmi7/B Abmaj7/C ByyD Em? cmt Fm? cm? aMOROCCO =e “Morocco” is probably the most difficult song of the bunch when it comes to understanding the phrasing in relation to the meter. Therefore, before going into the harmonic content of the solos, it would be beneficial to point out some of what’s happening in the song structure itself. Solos 1 and 2 are based on the introductory segment which is extremely hard to count. I have devised a counting scheme that will help you follow this section. The tempo is quite fast (J. = 92) so watch out! There is an intro to this section which is 9 measures Jong. In § time count: 16|6|6/9|6|6|6|9/91. This will get you to the beginning of the first section which is counted: 81-3 18]-2- 181-1 181-6-181-5-181-2- 181-1 181-2 ‘This counting scheme uses each chord change as a down beat and ignores the rhythm of the percussion instruments. As I said before, this is also the counting scheme I've used to count the first two solos. Solos 1 and 2 share the same chord progression and are very similar in other ways. The chord progression modulates frequently so I’ve included key changes to help identify tonal centers as well as to reduce the need for writing in accidentals. The solos have a rubato feel to them, as though Al was thinking of this as metrical free space. This rubato feel is enhanced by the sparseness of movement in the rhythm section. The phrases typically get longer as the solos progress, creating a tension that builds and builds until the next section seems to burst out of the solos themselves. ‘The first 8 measures are based on a C* minor pentatonic/add2. The first phrase in solo #1 is long and free flowing, similar to the way a concert violinist might approach it. Bars 9-14 feel as though there is continuous modulation but Al manages very nicely playing in C minor. Bars 19-20 contain two licks I hear Di Meola play often. The first starts on C in the middle of Bar 19, down a minor 6th, up a minor 3rd, down a 4th, down a whole step, up a minor 3rd, down a Sth, down a whole, down 2 minor 3rd, down a whole, down a whole to C, two octaves below. The second is connected directly to the final C of the preceding lick and basically, consists of a two octave, Cmaj9 arpeggio, with a twist back to the first octave c 1Bl-4 Al follows the changes very closely in these two solos. Runs in the first solo often start and end on chord roots, while runs in the second solo often start on 3rds and end on Tths or 9ths. This helps to anchor the solo to the chords and, in the second solo, helps to add interesting variation. ‘A very interesting effect is produced at the end of the first solo, bars 23-26, by the F¥ Phrygian scale, followed by an F¥ minor pentatonic, starting on FF (F#, A, B, Cé, E, F#) minus the E, all played over a Bm chord. The second solo ends with a blistering flurry of notes based on the same F# Phrygian scale over a Bm chord as well ‘The third solo in “Morocco” is the only one that is in the time signature of §, which is the meter for the bulk of this song. It is laid out in two parts separated by a modulation. ‘The first part is a two chord vamp (Im, [Vm), 25 measures long in the key of Gt minor. The second part is also a two chord vamp, but is only 12 measures long in the key of A minor (Al sure does like those 1/2 step modulations), Di Meola achieves a distinctly oriental flavor at the beginning of this solo with short, percussive phrases and heavy finger vibrato which sound a bit like traditional Asian string instruments. He solos around an ever-present melody played by Barry Miles on synth, This melody is based on one of Al's favorite scales, a G# minor pentatonic/add2. 42The solo quickly becomes jazzed up with the use of chromatics, giving it a kind of be-bopish sound (check out bars 14-15 and 17). One of the most interesting moments of the solo is in bars 20-24. Here is a Di Meola lick out of the past —one that is a challenge to play clean the way Al does. The amazing thing about this lick isn’t the tremendous rush of speed it has, but the open B note at the beginning of each phrase. Then, check out the way he gets from that into the modulation at bar 26. He starts with a descending scale series: D#, C4, B, At, then C4, B, A# and finishes with a G? minor triad (Gt, B, Dé). He immediately modulates the very same lick down by a half-step to meet the key change up a half- step (what a contrast). The contrasting rhythm of 4 against 3 at bars 30-31 is really nice. Morocco By Al Di Meola Solo! ciege Rabo Fel d= .92 i “a chm Ctmimaj?) pests B6 Fim FAmaj?) PLO : w ee Copyigtt © 1991 1 MEOLA MUSIC Co. Intomatonal Copyright Secured A Rights Reserved Used by PermissionSolo Il Rubato Feel 4. = ea. 92 Gm yet) Ch? ‘Cém(maj®) piss Be Fim Fé (maj?) Bm(maj?) cm? Em Arm? Atm(maj?)Rubato Feel 4. paris Sin Ont a ewan q ae & ASS ng Gtm cémyGt ci, 47Gtm ctnyat Gt ciavct > > > > > 7 epete fe pets pette perte - . 78 7 eer ceoee or eeraas arenas : E ieee fee foe oe ee]Dmt/A Nc. 10 12 10-9 49ONE NIGHT LAST JUNE an ‘The 16th note rhythm of the hi-hat gives this song a feeling of urgency, pulsating beneath the serene calm of the melody and the slow harmonic rhythm; like hearing the sound of a steam engine chugging along toward its destination while you sit in the train, peacefully watching a beautiful mountain scenery out your window. The solo starts by repeating the melody and embellishing it. This makes for good unifying material which helps to tie the improvisation to the melody. The choice of notes is always well inside the chords. This is often accomplished with descending arpeggios, but more often, by simply playing appropriate scales. Knowing your four-string chord shapes will come in handy when you want to improvise arpeggios like this. ‘There’s a jarring moment at bar 31 when Al makes the shift from B'm7 to Dm7 a full measure early. However, he makes up for it with the next sequence of modulations (vars 33-39) when he pegs every change perfectly, even while mixing up rhythms between 8th- and 16th-note triplets. And he does it again from bars 40-49; this time with 16th- and 8th-note triplets! ‘After weaving through a maze of new motives, the second solo section starts with the piano playing the first 8 measures. This solo has a more relaxed feeling due to a slower tempo and a less agitated rhythm in the drums. The guitar solo picks up the form at measure 9 with a singing-like approach. Triplets play an important role as they did in the first solo, but 16th notes are a bit more prevalent and the phrasing continuous. The phrases frequently run across the bar lines but never lose you. Simple things like descending scales are enhanced with triplets (bars 10-11, 20-21, and 29). ‘There's a nice pseudo-sequence at bars 23-24; C-D*-E*-B*-At to D-E-F-A-G. The sequence of ascending 4ths and descending 7ths is a powerful moment at bar 28, especially after the scale run just before it, These two solos are tame compared to the solos in “Kiss My Axc” or “Ritmo De La Noche.” But they are powerful solos, not because of great speed or volume, but because they are so intelligently constructed. Learning to play solos in this style will give you a command of your instrument that will leave people in awe of your sensitivity. is moreOne Night Last June By Al Di Meola Solo! Relaxed Feel J = 158 Gm? cmt one) eee . 2 Te Lee mf wiseantone > Gm? Braj? Dnt 2 Ebmaj? ‘Copyright© 1991 DI MECLA MUSIC CO. lnvematoral Copy Secured Al Fights Reterved Used by Permsson BtCm? Fm? Aim?Abn?Solo Il Bossa Nova, relaxed feel J Gm? Cm? (tee) Cm? Fm?Dimaj?/Ab b be: 55Dimaj7/At b Dima) T/APASSION, GRACE AND FIRE Ean Certain modern styles of music are derived from Spanish and South American tradition. One of them is the Flamenco dance with its characteristic § meter and descending chord pattern. The Flamenco dance style is said to have come from the Andalusian Gypsies, hence the name Andalusian cadence that describes this descending chord pattern in the solo. Paco’s rhythm style is often so syncopated that it’s hard to tell what beat of the measure you're on. So don’t get hung up if you have trouble feeling the beginning of this, solo. It begins with a mixture of F# Aeolian and harmonic minor scale runs. At bar 13 and 14, Al plays B and E Mixolydian over the B7 and E chords, respectively ‘The beginning of his second solo chorus (bar 19) is very melodic and has a singing quality to it. It has an A major sound because of his phrasing. Bars 22-24 feature a C# double harmonic scale pattern against an Fém harmony with an F diminished triad thrown in at bar 23 for good measure. Great stuf! 87Passion, Grace and Fire (From Electric Rendezvous, 1981, duet with Paco de Lucia) By Al Di Meola Flamenco J-=ea.74 F¥m (tr (eos tee) > Mike Copyigt © 198201 MECLA MUSIC CO. Intenatonal Copyright Secwed Al Rights Retervd Used by PermissionPim Di ch Ar 59RITMO DE LA NOCHE LESSON] fous marked Al Di Meola’s return to high volume eleciric guitar. ‘That, coupled with a heavy salsa beat makes this solo kick hard. The chord progress reminds me of a Santana groove. In fact, in bars 13-18 you'll swear you're listening to Carlos. At bar 17, the sliding blue notes (15, F to 4, E) come from the minor blues scale (1, #3, 4,45, 5, 67) adding spice to this phrase. It's simply amazing what Al can do with the palm-mute technique. It dominates the first half of this solo. Bars 1-4 are based on the B minor pentatonic/add2. An interesting point here is how well the F* in bar 2 falls nicely into place over the A chord. ‘The 16th-note triplet sequence at bars 10-12 is simply great! Also, palm-muting gives such a percussive effect. And the speed! —what more can you say? There are two more great sequences in this solo. At bar 20 a sequence starts on the last two notes of the third beat, with a three note phrase (E, G, F¥ or 4, '6, 5 of B harmonic minor). It is sequenced up in thirds from the last note of each preceding phrase until it’s covered every half step in the harmonic minor scale. This sequence ends on bar 22 with a phrase from the B minor tonality (unless we say the F natural belongs to the B diminished scale). The final sequence at bar 24 is a killer. It’s played in paired, 8th-note triplets. In other words, the pattern created in the first pair of triplets is then sequenced downward, by scale step, to E while staying within the diatonic scale. It’s not an authentic sequence. The last lick only follows the shape, but it sure isn This one is raw energy at its best! Electric Rend at 60Ritmo De La Noche By Al Di Meola Salsa J =a, 125 ‘one Bm ; A whesvy di PM 4 ee 45 5 Sopyrgtt © 1982 01 MECLA MUSIC CO. Inematoral Copy Secured All Rghts Resared Used by Permission 61Fine Bm Fane BmSCENARIO ESSON “Scenario” is one of many acoustic duos Di Meola has written over the years for piano and guitar. The majestic bravado of songs like “Short Tales Of The Black Forest from Al’s debut LP, Land Of The Midnight Sun, is as thrilling to hear today as it was when it was first issued. ‘This song is no exception, though there isn’t much guitar soloing. I thought Jan Hammer must have written this because his stylistic signature is all over it. So I was surprised when I saw that it was a Di Meola tune. T’ve included the two 4-measure solo spots that Al takes. Both of them consist of 4 measures of an arpeggiated Dédim7 chord in two inversions (D# and F# are the same diminished chords) and resolving to E7+9 (essentially an Fdim7 chord with an E bass). Although the guitar is playing along with the piano, the piano dominates the background arpeggios. Therefore, I wrote out a guitar fingering which will approximate the kind of sustain quality of the piano. For the solos, notice that Al covers over three octaves on the first section and one half step shy of four octaves in the second solo. This is really getting the most out of your instrument! You can break down the phrase in the first 2 measures into three distinct licks. It starts with an ascending F* diminished scale run, blends into a Dém'S arpeggio, then descends with a Ct Phrygian pattern. Finally, in the last two measures, he plays an ascending C diminished arpeggio, zigzags up to an A note via a C 1/2-whole scale and ends with an Adim7 arpeggio, twisting back at the F# (7) to end on the E root of the E19 chord. The second solo begins with a syncopated Dé and A of Dédim triad, and descends through an F# diminished scale, The continual descending movement adds weight to the force of the next sweeping phrase, an ascending, two octave series of diminished arpeggios. Starting at A below middle C, he plays an A minor arpeggio and shifts down a half step to play a D# minor arpeggio. He then repeats this pattern up an octave, but changes the A minor arpeggio to an A major arpeggio. The final A note becomes the beginning of the last, sweeping, descending arpeggio of two octaves (with a couple of scale steps thrown in), These solos are dramatic and free flowing. Al plays the lines effortlessly, as though he were sliding a finger up and down the fretboard and catching the right notes. with each pick stroke along the way. The key here is how Al can create maximum interest with a limited amount of material. 63Scenario (Title track from Scenario, 1982) Solo! By Al Di Meola d=s6 1 mnt) 1 Didim? te 2 (scone mete) let ring throughout Copyright © 1089 01 MEOLA MUSIC CO. Intron Copyight Secued Al Ags Reserved Use by PermissionSolo Il ow DAdim?SEQUENCER ESSO Di Meola meets Miami Vice! This is a Jan Hammer composition, which should bbe obvious to anyone who remembers the things he did for the Miami Vice soundtracks at about the same time this LP was released. Jan was really into this kind of computer sequencing groove when he and Al teamed up and Al’s soloing techniques (especially palm-muting) work really well in this environment. Listen to some of Jeff Beck’s work with Hammer in the late ’70s and note the interesting differences (and similarities) between Beck and Di Meola when they solo over a Jan Hammer jam. Even though this song has a moderate tempo (only 4 = 112), it has a sustained agitation because of the sequenced bass synth lines. Al contributes his own machine-like lines as well. Listen to the way he spits out the syncopated line at the beginning of his solo. Such precision never ceases to amaze me. The chord progression in this solo is simply a series of three static-chord modulations (A7, G7, D7). I used the key signature of a A major simply for convenience. Most of the interest in this solo is created by the rapid execution of notes while palm-muting. But there are many interesting sounds happening as Al takes advantage of the ambiguous nature of the chord progression to play some mixing and matching games. At the beginning of the solo he plays what appears to be part of an Em7 harmony against the AT tonal center. Another way of looking at this would be to connect the three repeating melody notes and the chord root in a stacked Sths relationship (D-A-E-B) which creates a non-committal, modal sound. Also very clever is the 1-3-5-6-(8)47 pattern he plays a 4th away from the root of the chord in bars 2 and 3. In bar 5 there’s a wild Amaj13 arpeggio, also set against the A7 tonal center. It resolves to B, the 3rd of the G7 modulation coming directly after it which causes the ear to accept it without too much of an argument. He connects the idea, reinforcing its validity, by restating the 9, 11, 13, and root of the chord A over G7 in bar 9. This time it is well within bounds since it is also the 3, 5, +7, 9 if a #7 chord, In bars 10 and 11, Di Meola chooses the sound of a G Lydian mode to play against the G7 harmony. At bar 13 he plays a descending D major scale against the D7 chord. Bar 14 —there’s that darned 1, 3, 5, 6, 8 pattern again, still in the key of A and still against the D7 tonality. After all that, Al ends the solo solidly on the chord root with an obligatory vibrato and slide at the end.Sequencer By Al Di Meola Fusion J = 112 Once) WBS Fig-t NG?) ee RAN Bass Fig 1 ‘Taken fom synth bass line Copyigt © 1983 01 MEQLA MUSIC CO. Intrnatonal Cpyngn Secured Al ighs Resowed Used by Prmision 6768.LAST TANGO FOR ASTOR |LESSON| This song, written for the Argentine composer/bandoneon master, Astor Piazzolla, has an eerie and dreamy feeling. When considering the title, you might say it has a feeling of nostaligia for a lost and important friendship. Its lush sounds swirl around in your head; the effect of the reverb-drenched instruments luring you into a dreamland. ‘The lack of a steady drum beat and the off-beat rhythm feel with which Dino Saluzzi plays his bandoneoun make it very difficult to hear where the down-beat is for the first 6 measures of the solo. Di Meola’s peculiar phrasing makes it even more confusing, but by the 7th measure you can finally get a grasp on the beat. Al slips and slides through the four-chord progression as though he is unaware that anyone is playing with him. Yet upon close inspection it is evident that these musicians listen very closely and are always interacting with one another. ‘There is a marked feeling of 12/8 in Di Meola’s solo lines. He rarely plays anything but triplets, though there are two exceptions (bars 3-6 and 10). There are many instances where notes are held over at odd places in the beat (the first four measures are a good example), obscuring any sense of a pulse. Large intervalic leaps are abundant: the 4th beats of bars 1 and 2, beats 1 and 2 of bar 12, beats 2 and 3 of bar 17. Bars 23-25 are of particular interest in this respect. Notice how a sequence is developed from the pattern starting at bar 23 by making the last note of one phrase into the first note of the next. Phrases like these are effective when you want to add mystery or obscurity to your solo. ‘Some othere lines I should point out are: the be-bop style lick at bar 20 (2, 7, 1, 2, : 4, 5, #7 in E over a Gmaj chord) and a common Di Meola lick at bar 14 (8, 7, 5, 2, 1, 3, 6, 4, 2 in BF major over a Bemaj7 chord) which is repeated again at bar 30, but this time is thrown off by starting on the second note of an 8th note triplet on beat 2. Notice how Al manages to finish it at the end of the measure by changing the rhythm slightly on beat 4. That was either very clever or very lucky. Al has obviously been very inspired by Astor Piazzolla in the writing of this moving tribute. He has also recorded some of Piazzolla’s music on the first World Sinfonia LP, where this song is found, as well as on World Sinfonia’s second release, Heart Of The Immigrants, 69Last Tango For Astor By Al Di Meola With Expression J = 100 mF i ened fem cence N.c.(619) Am® Gmaj/E Copyright © 1991 OI MECLA MUSIC CO. Intematoral Copyright Secured A Rights Recorvod Used by Parmsion 70Gmaj/E. eat ” and “Pick these notes clove wo brlge N.C.(B79) “Pick these notes else 1 the ridgeMEDITERRANEAN SUNDANCE FS AI Di Meola has always been admired for his technical prowess, especially when people realized that those skills weren’t just a result of his preference for playing a “fast” guitar at high volumes. Of course it didn’t take long for people to find this out. Even from the beginning, Al had the opportunity to demonstrate his skill on acoustic stecl- string guitar on “No Mystery,” the title cut to Return To Forever's fourth LP. Di Meola continued to feature the acoustic on at least one cut on every new LP, including Elegant Gypsy, on which “Mediterranean Sundance” was first recorded. This song features the bravado guitar playing of master Flamenco guitarist, Paco De Lucia “Mediterranean Sundance” is a guitarist’s delight. Using traditional Flamenco- style chord progressions as a backdrop, Paco and Al joyfully soar through their solos with all the fury and majesty of the best Flamenco improvisers. It’s interesting to note that, even at this early stage in his development, Di Meola had developed a keen sense of awareness for dynamics and pacing, two of the most important techniques of a superior soloist ‘The chord progression starts out ai three chord vamp on the iv, v and V7 chords of E melodic and natural minor (in 8 measure phrases) for 32 measures. From bar 32 to the end of the solo, an Andulusian Cadence is used (Im, #VII7, FVI7, V7), again in groups of 8 measures. The solo here is pretty straight forward. It’s full of fast and furious licks which most guitarists, including myself, drool over. Notice, however, that Al doesn’t just turn on the speed drill and let it rip. Every blast of speed is balanced by an equal response of thoughtful sensitivity. ‘The tremolo at the beginning is really beautiful. The choice of notes (starting on the 6th of Am) is perfect. And the way the B notes roll to a stop just before the B7 chord at bar 7 is beautiful. It’s like watching a wave on a calm lake gently roll along the surface of the water until, its energy exhausted, it merges into itself and disappears. The next & measures are no less a joy as Di Meola’ Bar 16 is the first place in the solo where Al really takes off. He uses the A Dorian mode here, coupled with 8th-note triplets and two common scale exercise patterns. In fact, he uses the A Dorian (or E Acolian depending on your point of view) all through this solo.Practice playing scale exercises from violin or clarinet books if you want to become proficient at running scales like this. It’s a great exercise to build endurance, too. One other thing I should point out is this: notice that whenever Al plays one of these runs he nearly always avoids starting or ending on the chord root, usually choosing, 3rd, Sth, 7th, or 9th instead. This produces a rich and colorful sound, strings sing of sorrow or wistful yearning, 2Mediterranean Sundance By Al Di Meola Flamenco J = 182 (cou npn) Em Amé Bm Am Bisust = hb 2 >. ‘Copyright © 1977 01 MEOLA MUSIC Co. Intematonal Copyigt Secured AX Rights Reserved Used by Permission 7374Ec or 40-12-40-8 Bi Em 75BuVISTAERO Ee) Heart Of The Immigrants is a milestone for Al Di Meola. It marks the end of the second 10-year phase of his recording career. Hopefully, it also marks the beginning of the next 10-year phase of his future recording ventures. “Vistaero” is a jazz-style waltz. It’s in a fast 3/4 and the solo moves right along, so don’t be napping when you listen to this. Some of the solo lines are stretched out over 4 measures or more and sometimes they're a little out of sync with the pulse of the thythm section (take bars 12-16 for example). The tonal center shifts about every 4 measures (C# minor to E> major to D major to C# major), but C#m seems to be central and its key signature covers most of the accidentals. The first chorus solo is 32 measures Jong with logical breaks in the progression at 8 measure intervals. But each succeeding chorus has extra 4 measure vamps from C# major to C# minor, one extra in the 2nd chorus and two extra in the 3rd. The solo starts out very singable (through bar 16), but from the first diminished chord on Al gets caught up in the challenge of this demanding progression. In bar 3 he plays a descending Bdim7, and then cleverly alters it in the ascending direction to conform to the B minor chord in bar 4. There’s a familiar Di Meola lick in bars 6-7. It’s obvious how well Al knows these chord progressions when you hear him maneuver through bars 9-16 (also bars 41-48 and 77-85 are the same) with such ease and control. Check out this chord progression: iii7, IVmaj7, V7, ii7, Imaj7, vi7. Granted, these chords are all diatonic in the key of D major, but he doesn’t just play the D major scale—he shapes it and tailors it perfectly to match the sound of each individual chord. He handles the C# major/C* minor vamp with equal dexterity, using the major pentatonic/add7 and the minor pentatonic/add2 respectively, as well as alluding to the relative minor and major keys of these two chords. For the last 12 measures I changed the time signature from 3/4 to 2/4 because Al had shifted to a quarter note pulse over the dotted quarter feel of the rhythm, or two against three. One other point look at how he nails those shifts from major to minor by using the appropriate arpeggios and by using the 3rds as a focal point for scale runs. 7Vistaero By Al Di Meola Jazz Waltz 4 = 205 iors) Chm Gt a Bm “Played behind the bea Git Déaim? FédimT Agim? Ebmaj? Edim? copyright© 1899 01 MEOLA MUSIC 00. International Copyright Secured AFAghs Reserved Used by Persson 2ctmaj? Cai? chm? im? Ctmaj? cma? Chan? Nc. 79chm? cin? Cha? cm NC.">t enn in 8 : ni Chena? Chm Ctmajt cim/B chntyet BtPARRANDA “Wild Party” is what Al says Parranda means in Latin. According to the liner notes of Heart Of The Immigrants, this piece is supposed to be less serious than the rest. —but let me tell you, this is serious stuff! I guess when you compare “Parranda” to everything else on the LP it seems pretty tame. After all, the chord progression is more or less the same throughout the whole song. It consists of an A section that’s 8 measures long, played twice, and a B section that is 19 measures long. It’s not too hard to understand the progression; the At7 is the only chord that’s not diatonic and it simply functions as a dominant chord to the Dém7, temporarily tonicizing it. The C479 is the V7 chord in the F# harmonic minor, or the ascending melodic minor scale. It’s not too difficult to master the odd number of measures in the B section either, once you’ve played through it a few times. Even though the harmonic movement is slow, everything else about this solo is fast, fast, fast! Al shoots out of the starting gate in bars 1 and 2 with a wicked F¥ melodic minor scale run (this includes both the E natural and the E4) in thirds, followed closely by a combination of a B minor pentatonic and Bm9 arpeggio. He plays Amaj9 arpeggios in bars 5 and 6 in anticipation of the Fem7, virtually ignoring the E chord. The run in bars 15-18 comes from the Fé diminished scale, played over an F¥m7. In bar 25, over the A#T chord, Al plays a run based on the fifth mode of a D¥ harmonic minor scale and in bars 26-28 he plays a D# minor pentatonic/add2, two of his favorite scale forms. One of my favorite runs is at bars 30-33 over the Gém7 and C#m79 chords. It starts with a descending G# minor pentatonic/add 2, and moves directly to a descending B augmented arpeggio. Al follows that up with a fifth mode of F# harmonic minor run starting on the +7 of C#7H9 and ends with a descending G4dim7 arpeggio in bars 34-35. One final point to consider in trying to get the feel for a solo like this is to pay particular attention to the way phrases are accented and where those accents tend to fall within the measure. 82Parranda By Al Di Meola Presto J =212 1. (cous yn a? 1 Copyright ©1993 01 MELA MUSIC Co. Irtrnatona Copyght Secured Al ights Reser Usodby Permicson 83aH Dim? rad. eres.INDIGO “Indigo” is a very pretty song. The drums, played with brushes, give it a fast jazz waltz feel, but the melody is sweet and flows easily over the fast tempo. T’ve included the melody section with this solo because of the great fills Al plays over the extended Cém vamp at the end of each chorus. The first vamp is 27 measure long and consists of a static C#m harmony. This section in the second chorus is only 16 measures. In the first melody section (A), I want to mention bars 25 through 51, the first C#m vamp. From bars 25-31, Al plays very smoothly over a C# Aeolian mode with combinations of descending arpeggios at the end. At bar 31 he begins a series of phrases that come from a C# Hungarian minor scale. This scale contains three half-step pairs of notes (#2-3, #4-5 and 7-1) and two minor third intervals (63-4 and 6-7). Al makes the most of this exotic sounds produced by these intervals, primarily focusing on scale passages. He plays with a free-flowing rhythmic feel which adds to this exotic feeling. ‘We find the same kind of sound in the first 8 measures of the second chorus (bars 76-83). This time part of it is picked very close to the bridge which adds a sharp percussive sound, bringing out more of that exotic sound. This phrase is balanced in reverse with thirds and fourths from the C# Aeolian mode. ‘There's @ key change to D minor before the actual solo begins. The harmonic rhythm has been increased to nearly one chord per measure and the chord progression is quite different. Each of the four solo choruses is 37 measures long. The solo begins by echoing the sound of the previous melody in the first 6 measures, thus tying it to the preceding choruses. The melodic line weaves effortlessly through this maze of a chord progression as does the rest of the solo. Di Meola achieves this by remaining close to the tonal center of each chord, chord group, or its relative key. For example, at bar 41, Al plays C minor runs over the E'maj7 chord (C minor being the relative minor of E> major). Over the Dm, Am, C of the next 3 measures, he plays a phrase based on A minor pentatonic. At bars 52-54 he plays an F# major pentatonic/add7 over an Fémaj9. Many of the lines may seem unrelated because he will often shift the starting point of a line to the third of the scale. Check out bars 85-88 where the focus seems to be on C minor rather than the E> major the chord dictates. Also notice how the focus in bars 115-117 seems to be on G minor instead of E major. This works because G minor is the third chord in the key of E Focusing on key notes from a particular chord sound is another way Al holds this solo together. Look at the way he brings a series of arpeggios together by focusing in on the 4th of the A7sus4 in bars 63-66. There are so many good things about this solo that it’s difficult for me to point them all out. But, dig into this one in-depth and you'll find a wealth of information that will certainly help you improve your own solo technique.Indigo (From World Sintonia’s Heart Of The Immigrants, 1993) By Al Di Meola Solo! First Section: Melody with Improv. Segments (2) Presto J. = a, 120 (co aon str) chm Gin ye. oe mp Eee He Fem Emaj? Copyrght © 1999 DI MEOLA MUSIC CO. Invernatiora Copying Securall Ags Reserved Usodby PermissionPick hese noes cone tobridge a : : _——~212“Pick these noes clos obs.Solo Il Second Section: Solo Presto J.= ca. 120 pte me am o od Bb maj? Fémaj?"Pick these notes close tobricee Dm Am o Bbmaj? ‘ : 2 a Ebmaj? 1Bm Dhmaj? Alsust Pick thet nies close 0 brdge Dm Am cr anctmns Dimaj?chins = Dimal? 94Sa Gm Bm Dimaj? ATsust