Herbie Hancock Using 4-Note Patterns

Remember when I said that guys really do play like this, just the good ones don't make it sound like they are playing like this?

Well, here is a transcription done by Ed Saindon and Gustavo Agatiello, two professors at Berklee and they analyze a Herbie Hancock piano solo from 1968. They made some notations on the solo transcription and everywhere they write "4NG" that means "4 Note Groupings".

Like the kind the Transmogrifier makes.

Just saying.

http://allthingsvibraphone.blogspot.com/2011/03/herbie-hancock.html

And here is another article that describes a way to use four note groups consisting of a triad plus one chromatic passing tone. So for C maj something like C,E,G and B, or C,E,G and Eb. Make some of those for different types of triads, you will hear some familiar licks I bet.

http://allthingsvibraphone.blogspot.com/2011/03/hello-guys-heres-link-to-two-articles.html

They run an excellent blog and there are a lot of other really good articles there on improvisation and plenty of things that apply to any instrument, so check it out.