There are over 3,500 different types of scales ... the good news
is that most of the best blues guitar players only use a handful of
scales.
Blues players draw their melodies primarily from three scale types:
1. minor pentatonic scale
2. blues scale
3. Mixo-Lydian mode
Well over 95% of the licks and riffs blues players create are developed from these three scales.
Where to start:
The best place to start is with the most universal scale the pentatonic scale. This scale is a five note scale (penta = five), technically speaking any group of five notes would qualify to be a pentatonic scale, however the most common pentatonic scales are the minor pentatonic and major pentatonic scales. As blues guitarists our primary interest is in the minor version, the major version is featured in country, folk and easy listening top 40 radio songs.
Let's begin with the key of E
The scale consists of the following notes:
E - G - A - B - D - (E)
------------0-
-------0-3----
---0-2--------
-2------------
--------------
--------------
As we said the pentatonic scale is a five note scale, so the first thing to keep in mind when you are playing the scale is that although you end up playing six notes the first and last notes have the same letter name.
... I say this scale is universal because without any formal music education people all over the planet are familiar with the sound of the pentatonic scale; here is an example of a famous worldwide teasing chant (derived from the this scale).
------------
------------
-0---2-0----
---2-----2--
------------
------------
People usually say "I know what I like", when really it's a case of "we like what we know".
To illustrate this point I'm going to re-arrange the note sequence of the "teasing chant" and hey presto... we have Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" riff.
------------
------------
---0---0-2--
-2---2------
------------
------------
No wonder it was popular... we all knew and liked the notes... they were familiar, everyone feels comfortable with these notes and the more familiar you are with their sound and location on the guitar fingerboard the easier it will be to play the riffs you are hearing on the radio and in your head.
Next we will learn the scale on the low strings, these are exactly the same notes only one octave lower.
--------------
--------------
--------------
---------0-2--
-----0-2------
-0-3----------
When you are comfortable with the low version of the scale link the two patterns together.
Review: Everywhere throughout the world... the sound of this scale is familiar to everyone and therefore it should come as no surprise to learn that many of our most famous guitar riffs have their origins in the minor pentatonic scale.
If you have ever heard...
Layla - Eric Clapton
I Shot The Sheriff - Eric Clapton
Whole Lotta Love - Led Zeppelin
Paranoid - Black Sabbath
Dark Night - Deep Purple
Purple Haze - Jimi Hendrix
Voodoo Child - Jimi Hendrix
Good Golly Miss Molly - Creedence
You have heard this scale sound...
In fact it would be much easier to name bands that don't use this scale... it shows up everywhere in rock music. Top Classic songs from bands like Pink Floyd,Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Van Halen and guns N' Roses feature this sound again and again.
Blues players draw their melodies primarily from three scale types:
1. minor pentatonic scale
2. blues scale
3. Mixo-Lydian mode
Well over 95% of the licks and riffs blues players create are developed from these three scales.
Where to start:
The best place to start is with the most universal scale the pentatonic scale. This scale is a five note scale (penta = five), technically speaking any group of five notes would qualify to be a pentatonic scale, however the most common pentatonic scales are the minor pentatonic and major pentatonic scales. As blues guitarists our primary interest is in the minor version, the major version is featured in country, folk and easy listening top 40 radio songs.
Let's begin with the key of E
The scale consists of the following notes:
E - G - A - B - D - (E)
------------0-
-------0-3----
---0-2--------
-2------------
--------------
--------------
As we said the pentatonic scale is a five note scale, so the first thing to keep in mind when you are playing the scale is that although you end up playing six notes the first and last notes have the same letter name.
... I say this scale is universal because without any formal music education people all over the planet are familiar with the sound of the pentatonic scale; here is an example of a famous worldwide teasing chant (derived from the this scale).
------------
------------
-0---2-0----
---2-----2--
------------
------------
People usually say "I know what I like", when really it's a case of "we like what we know".
To illustrate this point I'm going to re-arrange the note sequence of the "teasing chant" and hey presto... we have Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" riff.
------------
------------
---0---0-2--
-2---2------
------------
------------
No wonder it was popular... we all knew and liked the notes... they were familiar, everyone feels comfortable with these notes and the more familiar you are with their sound and location on the guitar fingerboard the easier it will be to play the riffs you are hearing on the radio and in your head.
Next we will learn the scale on the low strings, these are exactly the same notes only one octave lower.
--------------
--------------
--------------
---------0-2--
-----0-2------
-0-3----------
When you are comfortable with the low version of the scale link the two patterns together.
Review: Everywhere throughout the world... the sound of this scale is familiar to everyone and therefore it should come as no surprise to learn that many of our most famous guitar riffs have their origins in the minor pentatonic scale.
If you have ever heard...
Layla - Eric Clapton
I Shot The Sheriff - Eric Clapton
Whole Lotta Love - Led Zeppelin
Paranoid - Black Sabbath
Dark Night - Deep Purple
Purple Haze - Jimi Hendrix
Voodoo Child - Jimi Hendrix
Good Golly Miss Molly - Creedence
You have heard this scale sound...
In fact it would be much easier to name bands that don't use this scale... it shows up everywhere in rock music. Top Classic songs from bands like Pink Floyd,Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Van Halen and guns N' Roses feature this sound again and again.
Mike Hayes is a guitar teacher, author, performing musician and
session guitarist with over 30 years of professional experience. Mike's
methods are legendary and have earned the praise of top authorities in
guitar instruction. Find out more about how to learn guitar fast with
his popular free ecourse.
No comments:
Post a Comment