BobHensley
Verified buyer
06/25/26
The amazing Dweezle
Great lesson from the legend.
Dweezology: Phrase Generators
Creative & Rhythmic Tools for Soloing and Improvisation
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About this course
Improvisation is the most primal manifestation of music and the pinnacle of creative expression for musicians. Across the entire evolution of music, improvisational skills have been requisite for virtually every world-wide genre of music from Classical to Middle Eastern to contemporary Jazz, Blues and Rock.
Learning how to improvise really well is no easy task, and it’s certainly not a skill that you can develop overnight. But there are many tools of the improvisation trade that you can get a grip on very quickly and Dweezil Zappa’s Phrase Generators is one of them, and a very good one at that.
“To make striking and memorable improvisational phrases you need rhythmic and harmonic variation. Using the phrase generators that I’ll share with you in this course, you’ll learn how to create your own unique vocabulary of phrases with lots of rhythmic and harmonic variety.”
In the first section of the course, which Dweezil calls Subdivision Magic, you’ll play your way through a series of lessons to learn how to craft and connect a wide variety of rhythmic sub-divisions: Fundamental Techniques, Making Fives, Making Sevens, Making Nines, Making Elevens, Making Thirteens, Combined Groupings, Polyrhythms: 5 Over 3 and Polyrhythms: 5 Over 4.
“I'll show you my recipes for sub-division variations so that you’ll be able to play different rhythm groups of 5s all the way up to groups of 13s. I'll expand on the usage of my Fretboard Freedom pentatonic strategies and introduce you to the 3-1-3 economy picking technique. 3 notes on 1 string - 1 note on the next - 3 again on the next. I’ll also show you some techniques that will bridge all of these concepts and empower you to create your own mind-blowing new arsenal of rhythmically enhanced musical phrases.”
In the second section, Dweezil demonstrates many of his favorite rhythmic devices and melodic patterns: Rhythmic Contours, Play Your Phone Number, 2-1-2 Patterns, 3-1-3 Patterns, Rhythmic Picking Device, Melodic Patterns, Longer Melodic Sequences, Demented!!!, Demented Blues?! and Ancient Inflections.
“In the second half of Phrase Generators, I’ll introduce you to the concept of Rhythmic Devices. It's a shape-shifting modular approach to keeping a consistent rhythmic contour flowing across the neck while changing the harmonic landscape. You’ll learn to attach notes to numbers, literally... you will write a melody to your phone number as an exercise and example! You will learn how to attach symmetrical patterns and adjacent notes into your rhythmic phrases for harmonically demented sounds and added contrast between dissonance and consonance.”
You will play you way through the entire course — no boring exercises or tedious theory to struggle through. Dweezil demonstrates and explains each Phrase Generator approach, and then breaks them down technique-by-technique.
All of the key examples are tabbed and notated for you and you’ll also get the practice rhythm tracks to work with on your own. Each of the rhythm tracks comes in two versions - one with and one without the bass, enabling you to generate your own original phrases.
Grab your guitar and take Dweezil to the practice room. You’ll emerge with a whole new suite of improvisational tools and skills.
Learning how to improvise really well is no easy task, and it’s certainly not a skill that you can develop overnight. But there are many tools of the improvisation trade that you can get a grip on very quickly and Dweezil Zappa’s Phrase Generators is one of them, and a very good one at that.
“To make striking and memorable improvisational phrases you need rhythmic and harmonic variation. Using the phrase generators that I’ll share with you in this course, you’ll learn how to create your own unique vocabulary of phrases with lots of rhythmic and harmonic variety.”
In the first section of the course, which Dweezil calls Subdivision Magic, you’ll play your way through a series of lessons to learn how to craft and connect a wide variety of rhythmic sub-divisions: Fundamental Techniques, Making Fives, Making Sevens, Making Nines, Making Elevens, Making Thirteens, Combined Groupings, Polyrhythms: 5 Over 3 and Polyrhythms: 5 Over 4.
“I'll show you my recipes for sub-division variations so that you’ll be able to play different rhythm groups of 5s all the way up to groups of 13s. I'll expand on the usage of my Fretboard Freedom pentatonic strategies and introduce you to the 3-1-3 economy picking technique. 3 notes on 1 string - 1 note on the next - 3 again on the next. I’ll also show you some techniques that will bridge all of these concepts and empower you to create your own mind-blowing new arsenal of rhythmically enhanced musical phrases.”
In the second section, Dweezil demonstrates many of his favorite rhythmic devices and melodic patterns: Rhythmic Contours, Play Your Phone Number, 2-1-2 Patterns, 3-1-3 Patterns, Rhythmic Picking Device, Melodic Patterns, Longer Melodic Sequences, Demented!!!, Demented Blues?! and Ancient Inflections.
“In the second half of Phrase Generators, I’ll introduce you to the concept of Rhythmic Devices. It's a shape-shifting modular approach to keeping a consistent rhythmic contour flowing across the neck while changing the harmonic landscape. You’ll learn to attach notes to numbers, literally... you will write a melody to your phone number as an exercise and example! You will learn how to attach symmetrical patterns and adjacent notes into your rhythmic phrases for harmonically demented sounds and added contrast between dissonance and consonance.”
You will play you way through the entire course — no boring exercises or tedious theory to struggle through. Dweezil demonstrates and explains each Phrase Generator approach, and then breaks them down technique-by-technique.
All of the key examples are tabbed and notated for you and you’ll also get the practice rhythm tracks to work with on your own. Each of the rhythm tracks comes in two versions - one with and one without the bass, enabling you to generate your own original phrases.
Grab your guitar and take Dweezil to the practice room. You’ll emerge with a whole new suite of improvisational tools and skills.
What you'll learn
- Apply 3-1-3 picking patterns and other rhythmic devices
- Master subdivision groupings from basic (2s, 3s) to complex (5s, 7s, 9s, 11s, 13s)
- Create unique improvisational phrases using rhythmic and harmonic variation
- Connect small phrases into larger improvisational statements
- Develop rhythmic independence between melody and accompaniment
Release date: 05/14/2015 • 1h 29m runtime
Sample lessons
Making Nines
Demo & Playalong
Making Thirteens
Demo & Playalong
Rhythmic Contours
Demonstration
Play Your Phone Number
Demonstration
What's included
24 lessons • 20 charts • 8 Jam Tracks
Dweezology: Phrase Generators
Hello, I’m Dweezil Zappa and welcome to Dweezology: Phrase Generators. I'd like to share a few techniques I've developed to help you create a new vocabulary of exciting rhythmic and harmonic combinations.
In this course, I’ll show you some picking techniques and fingerings I use to permutate complex melodic rhythmic patterns. Together we will discover ways to recognize and decipher odd number note groupings through sub division and explore what their unique rhythmic contouring has to offer our lead playing and composition. In a series of unique play along examples we will work on shifting our musical awareness towards emphasis on rhythm first as I teach you fun ways to attach notes to rhythms. I'll discuss the recipes for sub division variations so that you will be able to play different groups of 5 all the way up to groups of 13. I'll expand on the usage of my "Fretboard Freedom" pentatonic strategies and introduce you to the 3-1-3 economy picking technique. 3 notes on 1 string - 1 note on the next - 3 again on the next. I’ll show you some techniques that will bring these concepts all together allowing you to create your own mind blowing new arsenal of rhythmically enhanced musical phrases.
I will demonstrate and explain each approach and break down every example in detail, with all of the key examples tabbed and notated for you. You’ll also get play along audio tracks with and without bass, allowing you even more flexibility to practice and create your own phrases. Alright, grab your guitars and let’s get started!
In this course, I’ll show you some picking techniques and fingerings I use to permutate complex melodic rhythmic patterns. Together we will discover ways to recognize and decipher odd number note groupings through sub division and explore what their unique rhythmic contouring has to offer our lead playing and composition. In a series of unique play along examples we will work on shifting our musical awareness towards emphasis on rhythm first as I teach you fun ways to attach notes to rhythms. I'll discuss the recipes for sub division variations so that you will be able to play different groups of 5 all the way up to groups of 13. I'll expand on the usage of my "Fretboard Freedom" pentatonic strategies and introduce you to the 3-1-3 economy picking technique. 3 notes on 1 string - 1 note on the next - 3 again on the next. I’ll show you some techniques that will bring these concepts all together allowing you to create your own mind blowing new arsenal of rhythmically enhanced musical phrases.
I will demonstrate and explain each approach and break down every example in detail, with all of the key examples tabbed and notated for you. You’ll also get play along audio tracks with and without bass, allowing you even more flexibility to practice and create your own phrases. Alright, grab your guitars and let’s get started!
SECTION 1: Subdivision Magic
In this first section I’ll introduce you to what I call "The Magic Of Sub Divisions." Guitar players aren't typically inclined to think much about subdividing rhythms because they are usually driving songs with an even and steady pulse. I will demystify the rhythmic variations hidden away in common sub divisions for you without a bunch of tech/theory talk. Let's get started.
Rhythmic Subdivisions
In this section I begin to lay out some of the techniques I use as the foundation for the "Phrase Generators" concept. I designed it as I way to take what I already knew about playing 2 notes per string and 3 notes per string and morphed them into a new concept of 5 note groupings. 2 phrases played together but sub divided as 2 + 3 or even 3+2. Because 2 odd numbers equal an even number, playing in time will not be a problem. In this lesson we go on feel and aren't concerned about note values, 8ths 16ths etc. You will soon realize the benefits of rhythmic subdivisions and that playing groupings of odd number allows for sophisticated rhythmic contours and grooves to take shape.
Fundamental Techniques
In this lesson I show you how to lay out rhythmic phrases in groups of 5, the foundation for this whole concept. I walk you through 5 note groupings on the fretboard using 1 string, 2 strings and 3 strings for maximum intervallic impact. I break it down in detail to show you the picking technique as well as the left and right hand muting techniques required to execute the phrases cleanly.The phrases are organized on the fretboard to flow and connect, growing small ideas to even bigger ones in a modular approach. Let’s get started with "Phrase Generators."
Making Fives
Here we are going to continue with the intervallic system of fives. We'll go over the lick, and then use the jam track to play it against a half-time and a double-time feel with some riffing in between.
Making Sevens
In this segment we are going to learn how to play in groups of sevens. You can think of sevens as adding two more to the group of five so we'll have 1-2+1-2+1-2-3. We'll apply this to the same lick we had in the groups of fives and then pull up the jam track for the playalong.
Making Nines
In this lesson we are going to play phrases in groups of nine notes. We're essentially just adding two more notes on to our group of seven from the last segment. Think of it divided as 1-2-3-4+1-2+1-2-3. We'll apply it to the lick and then fire up the jam track to get these nines under your fingers.
+ 17 more lessons
Reviews
14 results
Dablos555
Verified buyer
08/18/25
Eye opening
Fresh approcahes and very eye opening, for me.
Addahia
Verified buyer
12/13/24
Creative and innovative
If you are looking for a new way to see your guitar, both Dweezel courses are for you. Super practuical hands on teaching style, cool concepts that are really aplicable right on and his overwelming enthusiasm for the subject it self. Mind you, he teaches fast, explains fast, moves on fast and delivers information ver fast. You will have to make your own way of digesting everything.
Tatakistsa1@
Verified buyer
10/10/24
great
Ohio5665
Verified buyer
10/29/23
Great course by Dweezil Zappa! His concepts and examples really open up alot of ideas for soloing. This is a good companion to his other course Fretboard Freedom.
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