Henderson uses triplets, syncopation, and unexpected rests to make his lines breathe.
With the guide as his roadmap, Alex spent hours practicing and experimenting with new ideas. He began to incorporate Henderson's techniques into his own playing, and soon, his music started to take on a new level of sophistication and complexity.
The defining characteristic of Scott Henderson’s style is his ability to make complex jazz harmonies sound gritty and expressive. He famously advises players not to lose their "blues dirt" when learning jazz.
Check your local library’s digital archive or visit the Hal Leonard website today. The matrix of fourths, blues bends, and chromatic side-slipping is waiting for you.
: Henderson rarely starts his phrases exactly on beat one. He prefers to start on off-beats, creating rhythmic tension that makes his solos feel urgent and unpredictable. 4. Structuring a Fusion Solo Scott Henderson Jazz Fusion Improvisation Pdf
: Henderson also offers digital breakdown packages on his official site, such as the Outside the Blues series , which covers many of the same concepts in a modern format. Scott Henderson | PDF - Scribd
Utilizing wide intervals, such as fifths and fourths (quartal harmony), to break away from stepwise, scalar lines. Wide intervals sound inherently more modern and less predictable. 5. How to Structure Your Practice Routine
The is arguably the most dog-eared, coffee-stained book in the fusion guitarist's library. It is not a magic bullet. There is no "page 42" that suddenly makes you sound like a virtuoso.
Fusion melodies often skip 6ths, 7ths, and 9ths. Use pick + middle/ring fingers for string skips. Exercise: E–G–B–D (E minor 7th) in 6ths. The defining characteristic of Scott Henderson’s style is
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: Using specific arpeggios and triads to "color" chords, such as playing a major 7th arpeggio up a 5th from the root to achieve a Lydian sound.
: Using the bridge pickup for sharp articulation.
Perhaps Henderson's most recognizable trait is his use of the vintage-style tremolo arm. He does not use it for heavy metal dive-bombs; instead, he uses it to scoop into notes, mimic the slide of a pedal steel, or create a smooth, horn-like legato. To practice this: Pick a note a half-step below your target note. Depress the whammy bar before striking the string. Release the bar smoothly to "scoop" up to the target pitch. Wide Intervallic Leaps The matrix of fourths, blues bends, and chromatic
The PDF, mirroring the video, covers a vast and systematic curriculum designed to unlock the secrets of professional fusion improvisation.
The primary source for this material is the book Jazz Fusion Improvisation (REH Publications, 1988), which accompanied his famous instructional VHS tape. While the physical book is out of print, it has been largely absorbed into his more comprehensive modern release: "Scott Henderson's Improvisation" (Hal Leonard).
Practice the Super Locrian (Altered Scale) over a dominant 7th chord.