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GMC Forum _ Alex Feather _ Scales Over Keys?
Posted by: zzericsc Jan 31 2012, 09:07 PM
Hey there. Noobie here. Love the site but I'm a little lost with all of the content. I've been playing for almost 25 years on and off, mostly self taught and lots of books. Tons of tabs ect... Now I really want to learn the art & express myself with a good understanding of theory and what works ect...
So just a couple basic questions for now. For example if a simple piece is in the key of A with just a few standard or typical chord changes, lets say a I, IV, V, does that mean I can use an Am scale over the whole thing? Through all of the chord changes? I'm assuming that a major minor, pent, blues or whatever variation of scale is basically to preference. I'm just not sure of I need to be thinking of changing the Am scale to Dm scale with each I to IV chord change?
I'm just trying to keep it simple, I'm sure there are a million versions of an answer for that question but with the intent of memorizing fingering for the minor scale (root note A just happens to be the example) and improve memory of the intervals, 1st, second, flat 3rd ect... I'm hoping with some repetitive improvisation over a backing track I can get the scale across and along the fret-board memorized and then eventually just slide it up or down to change the tonic center or flatten/ sharpen notes of the intervals to change the flavor, like changing a flat 3 to just a 3 for a major sound or knowing to eliminate the 4th and 7th for a pent sound ect.
It seems most prefer to start with a memory of the major scale but I think it is more practical to my style to be working on a minor scale, the sound will fit together for me more intuitively. My last question is does anyone know where I can find a few simple backing tracks to loop in the rock/metal genre for practice or can someone make me one?
Great job from all & congratulations on your terrific community! Thank you!
Posted by: Alex Feather Jan 31 2012, 11:17 PM
So just a couple basic questions for now. For example if a simple piece is in the key of A with just a few standard or typical chord changes, lets say a I, IV, V, does that mean I can use an Am scale over the whole thing? Through all of the chord changes? I'm assuming that a major minor, pent, blues or whatever variation of scale is basically to preference. I'm just not sure of I need to be thinking of changing the Am scale to Dm scale with each I to IV chord change?
I'm just trying to keep it simple, I'm sure there are a million versions of an answer for that question but with the intent of memorizing fingering for the minor scale (root note A just happens to be the example) and improve memory of the intervals, 1st, second, flat 3rd ect... I'm hoping with some repetitive improvisation over a backing track I can get the scale across and along the fret-board memorized and then eventually just slide it up or down to change the tonic center or flatten/ sharpen notes of the intervals to change the flavor, like changing a flat 3 to just a 3 for a major sound or knowing to eliminate the 4th and 7th for a pent sound ect.
It seems most prefer to start with a memory of the major scale but I think it is more practical to my style to be working on a minor scale, the sound will fit together for me more intuitively. My last question is does anyone know where I can find a few simple backing tracks to loop in the rock/metal genre for practice or can someone make me one?
Great job from all & congratulations on your terrific community! Thank you!
Hey! Very interesting question!
Let's say we have a I-IV-V chord progression where I is A
We have this chords A-D-E
You can use A minor pentatonic through the whole thing you can also use E minor pentatonic B minor pentatonic and F#minor pentatonic it will give you different sounds and will set different mode for the song
You can't really play D minor pentatonic it's just not gonna sound right but you can use a D melodic minor and get major 3 and flat 6
Your other options would be:
A major scale
A melodic minor
A Harmonic minor
A whole tone scale
You can check out the website and if you can't find any backing tracks I will make one for you!
Thank you for the question!
If you still have any confusion please let me know!
Posted by: casinostrat Feb 1 2012, 12:16 AM
Let's say we have a I-IV-V chord progression where I is A
We have this chords A-E-B
You can use A minor pentatonic through the whole thing you can also use E minor pentatonic B minor pentatonic and F#minor pentatonic it will give you different sounds and will set different mode for the song
You can't really play D minor pentatonic it's just not gonna sound right but you can use a D melodic minor and get major 3 and flat 6
Your other options would be:
A major scale
A melodic minor
A Harmonic minor
A whole tone scale
You can check out the website and if you can't find any backing tracks I will make one for you!
Thank you for the question!
If you still have any confusion please let me know!
Interesting stuff, quick question Alex, when you are talking in your example of a I IV V Progression where I is A, basically that means the Key is A Major? I was just curious as I have been experimenting with this kind of stuff lately.
Posted by: Alex Feather Feb 1 2012, 12:34 AM
Yeah it means the it's in a key of A major. I - is the root so if you need to figure out the key just find I
Posted by: zzericsc Feb 1 2012, 01:40 PM
Very helpful! Thanks you for your prompt response. You have also helped me to identify that I have no idea what a I, IV, V progression is. In the key of A, I assumed the IV would be D and the IV would be E based on the fourth and fifth of the scale. I'm going to have to brush up on a lesson there! No wonder I was struggling.
I randomly found a few scales posted on the site showing finger positions with the degrees of the tones of the scale in the middle with the root represented as 1 ect... but I can seem to get the scale generator to do it for me. Do you know of a quick link to a scale diagram like that?
Posted by: Alex Feather Feb 1 2012, 05:36 PM
I randomly found a few scales posted on the site showing finger positions with the degrees of the tones of the scale in the middle with the root represented as 1 ect... but I can seem to get the scale generator to do it for me. Do you know of a quick link to a scale diagram like that?
First of all you are right! I have made a mistake it's gonna be A-D-E which is I-IV-V
I will make a scale diagram for you do you need modes or pentatonics?
Posted by: zzericsc Feb 1 2012, 07:56 PM
I will make a scale diagram for you do you need modes or pentatonics?
I think a diatonic A minor would be awesome to know in and out with the degrees of the scale. My though is to teach my fingers where the degrees are so to raise a 3rd or to flatten a 5th will be a bit more natural and intuitive. As of now I have to stop and think about it and sometimes literally just count the intervals......too slow!
Thank You!
Posted by: zzericsc Feb 1 2012, 07:56 PM
Could you also elaborate on what playing other scales with alternate roots would do and what might work well. Now that you clarified the progression as A-D-E and noted that the A scale would work over all of it, could a D or E scale also be played throughout or am I looking in the wrong direction?
Does a diatonic minor pattern with root note E as a tonal center give it another mode? Would that work and what would it be called?
I am grateful for your patience, if this is already covered in a lesson and you could point me in the right direction to it, I will happily do some homework before taking too much of your time.
Thanks again!
Posted by: JPBluestring Feb 2 2012, 12:29 AM
Hey zzericsc,
For the backing track, you'll be happy to find out that most of the time the instructor publishes the backing track with his video lesson. If you look on the right-end side of the video window, you can open it up using the small arrow button and you should see the accompanying backing tracks for the lesson. You can download these to your computer by right-clicking on the track of your choice. You can then import it back into your DAW if you use this approach and record your take on a separate track.
Simply explore the style of your choice for the lesson and voilà!
Good luck
JPBluestring 
Posted by: zzericsc Feb 2 2012, 01:43 AM
Very helpful! Thanks JB! Sooooo many to choose from, awesome!
Posted by: Alex Feather Feb 2 2012, 05:27 PM
Does a diatonic minor pattern with root note E as a tonal center give it another mode? Would that work and what would it be called?
I am grateful for your patience, if this is already covered in a lesson and you could point me in the right direction to it, I will happily do some homework before taking too much of your time.
Thanks again!
So what is gonna work over this chord progression is:
A major scale
http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/scalegenerator
D Lydian
http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/scalegenerator
E Mixolydian
http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/scalegenerator
Also you can play:
A minor pentatonic, B minor pentatonic, F# minor pentatonic, E major pentatonic
It will give you sound of modes as well!
If you play B minor pentatonic you will get mixolydian sound because you have a natural D
If you play F# minor pentatonic it will give you lydian sound because of C#
And if you will play E major pentatonic (C# minor) you will get A major sound because of C# and G#
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