More M3 Guitar

By Tony Corman
 Copyright © 2022 Anthony J. Corman

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the author, except
as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permissions, contact anthonyjaycorman@[Link]
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................................4
Rich Chords................................................................................................................................................5
Exercises...................................................................................................................................................11
Minor Double-Lead Line Cliche.........................................................................................................11
1-2-3-5 In Position...............................................................................................................................12
Diminished 7th Arpeggios in Position..................................................................................................13
Diminished Arpeggio with Approach Notes.......................................................................................14
Oliver Nelson Augmented Scale Cliche..............................................................................................14
Arrangements...........................................................................................................................................15
500 Miles High....................................................................................................................................15
Indian Summer....................................................................................................................................16
Georgia On My Mind..........................................................................................................................18
Introduction
This supplement adds to the basics I wrote about in the 2015 M3 Jazz Guitar book, with voicings and
exercises and approaches I’ve discovered and found useful since then, plus a few new, simple
arrangements that I wrote for Rajiv Subrahmanyam, a devoted M3 student. For all my M3 offerings,
start at [Link] Feedback and errata always appreciated!
Rich Chords
The following table shows a bunch of rich voicing for M3 tuning that I’ve come across in my
explorations. Part of the pleasure of exploring this tuning is seeking chords that cannot be played in
standard tuning. One productive approach is to play a closed triad or voicing in fourths against one or
two open strings. The idea of scratching for ideas, as best described in Twyla Tharp’s essential book
“The Creative Habit,” is, I think, essential in the endeavor to flesh out the possibilities of M3 tuning.
Be willing to spend some time simply seeking new sonorities, rather than plowing through technical
exercises – this is where the good stuff lies, and how to make it your own. There is great pleasure in
this process of discovery.
In the following table of voicings, I’ve done my best with chord spelling but it’s not perfect. I’ve opted
for readability over theoretical correctness where there was a choice to be made. The chords are not
categorized. As I’m sure you know, chord reuse is essential for any guitarist. A chord I have labelled as
minor 6 can be pressed into service as a half-diminished or dominant chord too, for example.
Voicings that exploit open strings can be moved in parallel up or down to adjacent string sets. Note,
too, that a lot of the voicings place a lead note on a lower string, an effect known as campanella in
classical guitar, which can require some finesse to bring out, and is a lovely, subtle effect.
Exercises
Following are some exercises that help you exploit the aspects of M3 tuning that are unlike standard
tuning. There are some moves, like finger rolls, that seem more endemic to this tuning than to standard
tuning, and some shapes that are simply unknown to standard tuning but simple and common in M3.

Minor Double-Lead Line Cliche

Here’s a nice effect that’s easily done on M3: moving a line in octaves in double lead a la George
Shearing:
1-2-3-5 In Position
When you find a phrase or line you like, practice it in one position, starting on each finger, across all
string sets. For example, try the Coltrane 1-2-3-5 pattern, transposing it through the symmetric
divisions of the octave in position (half-steps, whole step, minor third, major third, and tritone). It is, of
course, useful to practice through the cycle of fifths, too.
Diminished 7th Arpeggios in Position
Diminished 7th arpeggios have multiple uses, for example as a color substitution for a tonic chord and
in cycles of dominant chords (like the bridge in rhythm changes). In cycle 5 dominant progressions, we
often use diminished 7th arpeggios descending by half step, but you can also outline the progression
using diminished 7th arpeggios ascending in whole steps – same notes, difference contour. Arpeggiating
diminished 7ths in position is a great exercise. Practice combinations of contours: all ascending,
alternate ascending and descending and vice versa, and all descending
Diminished Arpeggio with Approach Notes
This line could also be described as a diminished (octatonic) scale line. Practice it in position (without
shifting).

Oliver Nelson Augmented Scale Cliche

The augmented scale is a symmetrical scale constructed of intervals of a minor third followed by a
major third; for example:

This scale was much exploited by Oliver Nelson and Sonny Rollins, and falls right under the fingers on
M3 guitar. Here’s an augmented scale line that Oliver Nelson used, which could articulate a nice thorny
dominant chord or a minor major seventh, slightly “outside.”
Arrangements
Following are very stripped down arrangements for M3. Fill them out as your ear dictates!

500 Miles High

500 Miles High

Chick Corea; arr Corman
B7(#9) E‹9 G‹%
nœ œ œ œ
° # 4 #œœ ™nwww œ œ œ w œ œ
& 4 ™ w Œ œ œ bww Œ
3 3
E 10 7 5 2 10 8 5
C
G#
9
7
™ 7
10 3
2 2 4 6
6
E 10 6
™
¢⁄
C 9
G#
E

B¨Œ„Š7 B‹7(b5) E7(#9)

° # w
w Ó Œ ‰ nœj nœ Œ nœ œ
& w œœ œ nœœ ˙˙ ˙˙
bw #œ ˙ ˙ 3

7 5 5 4 7 5 4
6 6 6
5 5 4

¢⁄ 6

A‹7(„ˆˆ11)
w œ œ œF©‹7(b5)
° # n ww œ œœ ˙˙ 3
œ œ
w Ó Œ œ ˙ Ó Œ
&
10 8 7 8 7 10 8 7
12
11 4
12 14

¢⁄
F‹7 œ bœ bœ œ
° #bœ bœ œœ ˙˙ (Break)
œ
œ ˙ Œ ‰ J
&
6 4 8
8
8

¢⁄
C‹7 B7½
w w nw
° # bbw
w w
w #ww w ™™
& w w nn w
w ∑
w
8 7
7
7
7
7
™
6 8
™
¢⁄
9
9
7
Indian Summer
Georgia On My Mind