Lick Alteration

 
 

This basic lick can be used on an F major 7 chord.  Licks can be changed using any combination of the following techniques, giving you a larger library of licks to play.  Alterations to the original lick are shown in red.  

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double time

The rhythmic duration of the whole lick is cut in half.

 
 
 
example

Example: The rhythm of the lick is changed from an eighth note value to a sixteenth note value.

subtraction

Any part of the rhythm can be turned into a rest.

 
 
 
example

Example: Beat two and the and of beat three are turned into eighth rests.

addition

Notes can be added to the rhythm.

 
 
 
example

Example: The first four eighth notes are changed to sixteenth notes, and new notes are added to complete the lick.

value change

Part of the rhythm can change value.

 
 
 
example

Example: The first three eighth notes are changed to a triplet, and the last eighth note is changed to a quarter note.

Displacement

The rhythm can be offset by a note value.

 
 
 
example

Example: The lick is offset by a half note creating an eighth note syncopation.

pitch change

One or more notes can be changed chromatically or diatonically.

 
 
 
example

Example: The fifth of this chord has been raised a half step to give the lick more color.

octave displacement

One or more notes can be moved up or down an octave.

 
 
 
example

Example: The rhythm has been altered, and the major seven has been moved down one octave.

turn

A turn can be added to one or more notes in the lick.

 
 
 
example

Example: An F is used in addition to an E as pickups to create a turn.

chromatic run

Approaching a pitch by adding half step notes going up or down.

 
 
 
example

Example: Three sixteenth notes are added to chromatically approach the starting pitch.

neighbor tone

A note can be added above or below a pitch by a half or whole step.

 
 
 
example

Example: The third and the fifth are approached from a half step above.

enclosure

Any note can be preceded by an enclosure.

 
 
 
example

Example: The C on beat four is enclosed chromatically, and the rhythm has been changed.