Members gennation Posted June 13, 2008 Members Posted June 13, 2008 This is Part 2 in the lesson on taking note from a progression using power chords and deriving a spot on scale to use for it... Here's Part 1: http://acapella.harmony-central.com/showthread.php?t=2009989 --------------------------------------------- 1 Let's look at the song That Smell by Lynyrd Skynyrd... ||: F | Am | F | Am :|| Let's look at the Roots and 5th's first: F = F and CAm = A and E Combined we have: F C A E There are no duplicates so let's move on and arrange them linearly: F A C E These are the notes that are the "glue" to each of these chords. Here's a couple of ways to sort them out on the fretboard: E------------------------0-B---------------------1----G------------------2-------D-----------2--3-----------A-----0--3-----------------E--1----------------------- E-----------------5-B-------------5-----G---------5---------D------7------------A---8---------------E------------------- Now, these look more like arpeggio's than scales persay, but let's forget about "common scales" and let's focus on these notes in these patterns. Use ONLY them to solo for a while; one, it will sound great, and two it will take you out of the norm and get you playing something different that's not a familiar "pattern" to you. And because of all this hopefully it will be awkward and inspiring at the same time. Now let's move onto the chords triads: F = F A CAm = A C E Together we get: F A C A C E Let's weed out the duplicate A and C: F A C E Check it out...we get the EXACT same break out using triads that we did using only the Root and 5th's. Wow! These four notes are for sure the glue that fits these two chords tightly together. Through more experimentation, and how the song resolves, you'll find this song is in the Key of A Minor. When "solo'ing", you can use a full A Minor scale, but make sure you keep F A C E as launching and landing notes. When "listening" hopefully you'll be aware that the F note really fits best over the F chord. So, "save it". Save that F note for certain times over the F chord. It will make it MEAN MORE. -------------------------------------------------- 2 Let's look at Smells Like Team Spirit by Nirvana... ||: F | Bb | Ab | Db :|| Finding the Roots and 5th's we get: F = F and CBb = Bb and FAb = Ab and EbDb = Db and Ab Stringing all the notes out we get: F C Bb F Ab Eb Db Ab Weeding out the duplicate F and Ab we get: F C Bb Ab Eb Db Now let's arrange them linearly: F Ab Bb C Db Eb Here's some areas tabbed out: E-------------------------------------------B----------------------------------1--2--4-G---------------------------1--3-----------D--------------------1--3------------------A----------1--3--4--------------------------E---1--4------------------------------------ E----------------------------------------8--9--11-B--------------------------------9--11------------G------------------------8--10--------------------D-----------8--10--11-----------------------------A---8--11------------------------------------------E--------------------------------------------------- Now try using ONLY those notes when solo'ing over the progression. You'll will hear these notes as being VERY important to melody over them. It's amazing how LESS IS MORE. Go ahead a pick the notes out of the triads now... F = F A CAb = Ab C EbBb = Bb D FDb = Db F Ab --------------------------------------------------- 3 In a lesson one time when I was teaching this concept, for an example I came up with a super heavy/dark metal tune using these Power chords... E F G# A I just took the Root and 5th of each power chord and and pulled up a great sounding scale. E = E BF = F CG# = G# D#A = A E Aligned out I got, E F G# A B C D#. Of course it fit like a glove for the progression the chords came from. (For the record, the scale above is called the: Rag Padi scale. Rag Padi has "two major seventh chords a half-step apart") -------------------------------------------- n Closing This idea will not ALWAYS work for EVERYTHING. But, for rock music using power chords you'll find it's a really nice why to break out of static/cliche type playing as it usually give you a wider Interval or two within a scale. And that missing Interval(s) is due to the basis of what's going on with the chords directly, as a whole. You end up with a new look at the same old scales and some fingerings that will change your habitual fingerings that you might be stuck in. It's great way to get directly at the music.
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