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Scales Buckethead uses?


Incubus

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What kinds of scales does buckethead use in his improvisations? I love the melodic feeling some of his solos have and want to implement this into my playing. Also is there a site that I can see the scale tabbed out on? Thnnxxxx

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99.999% of the time when he's playing a diatonic solo (i.e. not atonal), it's Aeolian (natural minor). He {censored}ing loves that tonality.

 

If you want to hear him solo in Dorian, check out "There was a time" by GNR.

 

Buckethead actually inspired me to write this:

http://www.jsguitarforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=56336

 

Aeolian is: la, ti, do, re, mi, fa, so, la

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99.999% of the time when he's playing a diatonic solo (i.e. not atonal), it's Aeolian (natural minor). He {censored}ing loves that tonality.


If you want to hear him solo in Dorian, check out "There was a time" by GNR.


Buckethead actually inspired me to write this:



Aeolian is: la, ti, do, re, mi, fa, so, la

 

 

the only youtube I found of there was a time was audio from a conert in 06. Buckethead wouldn't have been playing at this time correct?

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Yep that was Bumblefoot playing in '06. I'll see if I can dig up a studio version somewhere.

 

edit: here you go, http://vimeo.com/5128721

 

The extended final solo is Buckethead (4:30 until the end). This is one of those examples where Bucket has outslashed Slash imho.

 

Think of Dorian as natural minor with a raised 6th, or la, ti, do, re, mi, fi, so, la

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The extended final solo is Buckethead (4:30 until the end). This is one of those examples where Bucket has outslashed Slash imho.

 

 

That's an understatement... I've never listened to Chinese Democracy because the sound of Axl Roses's voice is like nails on a blackboard for me

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What kinds of scales does buckethead use in his improvisations? I love the melodic feeling some of his solos have and want to implement this into my playing. Also is there a site that I can see the scale tabbed out on? Thnnxxxx

 

 

Note that for natural minor, you don't need it tabbed out: if you can play a major scale, them move it down three frets and there you are, playing natural minor... the same with any other diatonic scale ... if you know the major scale, just move it the right amount and you are playing the scale of your choice.

 

(That was a frickin awesome recording, for sure)

 

GaJ

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Note that for natural minor, you don't need it tabbed out: if you can play a major scale, them move it down three frets and there you are, playing natural minor... the same with any other diatonic scale ... if you know the major scale, just move it the right amount and you are playing the scale of your choice.

 

 

Just to clarify, to derive aeolian from the major scale, play the same pattern starting and ending on the 6th note. While it is true to say the minor tonic is three frets down from the major tonic, one can't simply move the major pattern 3 frets down and call it minor.

 

Glad you guys liked that solo.

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Note that for natural minor, you don't need it tabbed out: if you can play a major scale, them move it
down
three frets and there you are, playing natural minor...


 

 

Try moving it up three frets, not down.

 

 

If I'm playing in C major, and move that pattern down three frets, I'll get A major or F# minor.

 

If I'm playing a C major pattern and then move it up three frets, I'll get Eb major or C minor.

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Yep that was Bumblefoot playing in '06. I'll see if I can dig up a studio version somewhere.


edit: here you go,


The extended final solo is Buckethead (4:30 until the end). This is one of those examples where Bucket has outslashed Slash imho.


Think of Dorian as natural minor with a raised 6th, or la, ti, do, re, mi,
fi
, so, la

 

 

Solfege is dead, long live the Nashville numbers system.

 

Dorian = 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7

 

Much better, isn't it?

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Nope. Solfege is less ambiguous. With the numbering, 1 could be the tonic of the key or it could be the root of any chord - its' meaning keeps changing.

 

Once the tones are in your head though, you think in terms of sounds instead of syllables/numbers.

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Nope. Solfege is less ambiguous.


Once the tones are in your head though, you think in terms of sounds instead of syllables/numbers.

 

 

In what respect is solfege less ambiguous? Applying a number modified from Ionian tonality is absolute and unequivocal in it's description of the interval. When you talk about chords, you don't say minor flat la, you apply numbers. It's more universal and and more ubiquitous. It is the new standard in everything but the classical world and for good reason.

 

Once the tones are in your head, you don't think about it at all.

 

"Learn the changes, then forget about them." -Coltrane

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Nope. Solfege is less ambiguous. With the numbering, 1 could be the tonic of the key or it could be the root of any chord - its' meaning keeps changing.


Once the tones are in your head though, you think in terms of sounds instead of syllables/numbers.

 

 

Sorry, no deal.

 

You'd have to be a novice to make a mistake like that. I see what you're trying to get at, but to imply that solfege is going to make it any more clear is ridiculous, especially if you play a lot of music that moves between different tonal centres/keys. Describe giant steps in solfege, does that make sense? Is that clear?

 

I don't think so.

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Solfege is less ambiguous because (for minor) la is always the tonic. You can then describe the chords as la do mi, ti re fa, do mi so etc.

 

With numbering the chords become 1 b3 5, 1 b3 b5, 1 3 5 i.e. the '1' represents a different note in every case.

 

Once the tones are in your head, you don't think about it at all.


"Learn the changes, then forget about them." -Coltrane

 

See the last line in my post :cop:

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Solfege is less ambiguous because (for minor) la is always the tonic. You can then describe the chords as la do mi, ti re fa, do mi so etc.


With numbering the chords become 1 b3 5, 1 b3 b5, 1 3 5 i.e. the '1' represents a different note in every case.




See the last line in my post
:cop:

 

You're not using the system properly though, roman numerals help with disambiguation.

 

There is a reason solfege as largely been abandoned, I know what you're trying to get at, but I think understanding of relative harmony is more important than absolute function, if you follow.

 

I don't mean to be confrontational, sorry if I seem ornery about this!

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No worries. It's just the way I was taught to play piano by ear when I was 4, and it worked. Btw I'm talking about movable do solfege which is relative, not absolute.

 

Nashville numbering would have the exact same benefits.

 

Like anything with guitar there's no one right way to do something.

 

Anything that gets the kids away from tabs and encourages the use of their ear is a good thing right?

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No worries. It's just the way I was taught to play by ear when I was 4, and it worked.


Nashville numbering would have the exact same benefits.


Like anything with guitar there's no one right way to do something.


Anything that gets the kids away from tabs and encourages the use of their ear is a good thing right?

That and reading, traditional notation is something all guitarists should be encouraged to learn properly. Guitar players, by virtue of ignorance of theory and musical illiteracy tend to have good ears, but no vocabulary to describe what they're hearing. As long as what they learn is coherent and allows them to communicate accurately and efficiently with other musicians, it's good!

 

Don't get me wrong, I realize solfege has benefits, I just think that if you look at a chart and see *M13#11, thinking directly about the harmonic implications of that has a payoff. Then again, I went to school for jazz, not classical, so that's going to have an impact on what I learned and what I find to be useful.

 

But it's nice to butt heads every once in while too. ;)

 

:thu:

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