Chordplay - The Chords Of Mahavishnu Orchestra

Here's the next episode of Chordplay with The Chords Of Mahavishnu Orchestra. I've had a number of requests to feature some of John McLaughlin's music, so I figured it would be wise to target some of his extensive chord vocabulary first, while also hitting some classic fusion music by Mahavishnu Orchestra at the same time.

This lesson centers around an assortment of classic McLaughlin-isms, including lush and interesting chord-based moments from songs such as Birds Of Fire, Meeting Of The Spirits, Sanctuary, Lila's Dance, You Know You Know, and much more!

There's something artistically free and magical surrounding fusion's early rise in the late 1960s and continued into the 1970s. Along with other early fusion artists/groups such as Return To Forever, King Crimson, Allan Holdsworth, and various others, it was John's distinct style and Mahvishnu's intense musical influence as a band that captured something unique at the time, while also spawning numerous copycats and imitators of John's playing style.

There are some challenging chord-based moments hiding in this lesson, so be sure to take things slowly until you gain a feel for the unusual and interesting chord shapes and advanced tonalities on display in this lesson.

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