Norm Zocher Guitar Faculty Artist Clinic Spring 2024
Norm Zocher
Image courtesy of the artist
Fast and Out XII—getting that “out” sound on guitar using whole tone, diminished, augmented, and double augmented scales, plus the circle of fifths and fourths, the mother chord, and full chromaticism.
Professor Norm Zocher will demonstrate a uniquely guitaristic approach to tonal, polytonal, and atonal improvising on the fretboard based on the six fundamental symmetrical structures derived from each interval of the chromatic scale. Specific printed examples available to participants will include:
- How to use the “wrong the whole tone scale” over minor chords
- Using the eight blues scales of diminished scale as a gateway to polytonal hearing and improvisation
- Integrating augmented, double augmented, and double pentatonic scales with double harmonic minor scale and its modes
- How to achieve the holy grail of full chromaticism using circle of fifths and fourths, the mother chord, and chromatic triads and fourth structures.
Referred to as "a guitar legend in the making" as well as one of "Boston's best composers," guitarist and composer Zocher is a long-time Berklee College of Music and New England Conservatory faculty member. He has performed and recorded with a broad range of artists including Esperanza Spalding B.M. '05, John Medeski, Maria Schneider, Steve Lacy, Bob Brookmeyer, Oliver Lake, Paul Bley, and more. The recordings of the Abby and Norm Group gained him international recognition as an instrumentalist and composer. Other critically acclaimed albums have featured Zocher with Jerry Bergonzi, George Garzone, John Patitucci and Joey Calderazzo.