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Posted by: Ignite Aug 8 2009, 01:07 AM

Is there a lesson for soloing over 5th chords (power chords)? I know a few scales to use over em (minor pentatonic, sometimes major, blues scale etc) is there anything else to use? Seems to be getting old, maybe I just need a few new tricks n licks because soloing over the stuff I know now gets old after a few hours!

Posted by: Caelumamittendum Aug 8 2009, 01:40 AM

It depends a lot on the chords involved, really.

Power chords only hold 2 notes within them, and I can suggest that you gather all the notes from the power chord progression, put them together and see what that gives you. As an example:

If a progression includes E5, A5 and B5 that will give you the notes: E, F#, B, A. Those four notes together can be found in numerous of scales, which should sound pretty alright. A lydian diminished, E aeolian, E harmonic minor, E major, etc.

What I'm trying to say is: gather the notes from the chords you are playing on and try and find some scales that include those notes. If you want something a little more spicy try some bebop scales, modes of the harmonic minor etc.

Hope that helps you a little bit

Posted by: Muris Varajic Aug 8 2009, 01:46 AM

You can play MANY things over power chords
since those are actually regular chords with one note missing, 3rd is missing.
In other words, you can simply make power chords from regular chords
and the other way around, power chords are no mystery,
they have date of birth, parents etc.

So in order to get as much as possible from your power chords
you need to find out theirs origin,
origin will lead you to key/scale and you're good to go.

Do you have any examples of
power chords progression that cause you problems?

Posted by: TheKeplerConjecture Aug 8 2009, 05:40 AM

I just read Muris' response to your question, and with a little contemplation, I came to an possible epiphany. Just to reiterate, whether it's to help you or to confirm my take on it:

Analyze the root notes of the power chords used. Seeing them in context should tell you if it's a major, minor scale, etc. Based on that, determine what those chords would be if they were full 7th chords within that scale. Based on that you can determine good goal notes for each chord - enhancing their value while soloing. You can even go deeper and, if the seventh degree isn't used in the backing at all, make your own decision about it's nature, making it either aeolean or harmonic minor, whichever you think suits best. Or another example: If it appears to be major with no 2nd degree used, try phrygian... right?

Am I on to something, or am I just looking too deep into a basic statement?

Thanks for giving me something to explore, one way or another!

Posted by: Muris Varajic Aug 8 2009, 10:26 AM

QUOTE (TheKeplerConjecture @ Aug 8 2009, 06:40 AM)

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Aug 8 2009, 11:35 AM

Powerchords are universal chords, they can be percieved as many different chords, and because of this, key changes are not strictly defined, it's all pretty loose. I believe playing above them can also sound pretty loose, unless you are really familiar with diatonic theory both in theory and practice.
What I suggest is that you try to first learn the basic chord triads. This requires some music theory learning, and one scale table from my side. The main thing to remember is that any scale has several chords that are derived from it. I will explain this on C major scale example:

C - D - E = F - G - A = B - C

This C major scale is a diatonic scale. Diatonic scale is a seven note musical scale comprising five whole steps (-) and two half steps (=), in which the half steps are maximally separated. Thus between each of the two half steps lie either two or three whole steps, with the pattern repeating at the octave.

Let's talk a bit about chords now. A chord is a set of three or more different notes from a specific key that sound simultaneously. Chords constructed of three notes are described as triads and consist of two intervals. Triads are constructed from stacks of thirds relative to some underlying scale. We will stick to triads for now.

Here's the C major scale again:

C - D - E = F - G - A = B - C

Suppose we want to make chords from this scale. We can make chord from every note. Triads are made from root, third and fifth interval. But any of the 7 notes can be the root! This way we can make these chords:

C major triad - C - E - G
D minor triad - D - F - A
E minor triad - E - G - B
F major triad - F - A - C
G major triad - G -B - D
A minor triad - A - C - E
B dim(m7b5) triad - B - D - F

Now lets take away the third and make powerchords (dyads):

C dyad - C - G
D dyad - D - A
E dyad - E - B
F dyad - F - C
G dyad - G - D
A dyad - A - E
B dim dyad - B - F


As you can see, we don't have minor or major defined now. These voicings sound the same, they don't have the character. It's up to the player to create that characted by accenting third notes over certain chords, which will in return say about they key you are in.

Every key has it's own unique set of chords, because every key has different notes, and different spaces between the notes.
If your friends give you any of these chords in a song, then you know the key you should be using is C major key, and you translate that to patterns on the fretboard.

Here's my key table that I made for a member a while ago:
http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showtopic=22937&view=findpost&p=312891
I think you may find it useful. It contains all 12 keys available with all the notes within. You can find instructions for it in that post in the link.

I hope all of this make sense for you. If not, let me know what needs to be clarified or when you can come down to GMC chat so we can discuss about it in real time.

Ivan