A thought about altered notes/scales and the attitude when playing them

[Terje]

All the altered notes sound pretty damn sour. It's the whole point. You can make it sound sweet too but in the end the idea is to add tension that you then can release. Therefore it's usually not a good idea to try to "sneak them in". Do the opposite, make these notes stand out!

 

Think of how you'd play the b5 in a blues. How you can really dig in on that note sometimes and just bang away on it forever until you release it by going up a half-step. The b5 is an altered note and we like the sound because we're used to it. Getting used to the other altered notes is just a matter of time and practice.

[bardsley]

I think you get beyond the point where they sound "sour", but yeah, they do create tension, and so wimping out on them acively works against their purpose. Leaning on them a lot at first really helps you hear them better, because if you sneak them in you tend to just hear them as mistakes.

[Marc G]

I find it's all about attitude, if you play the note like a whimp its not going to come off right or look like a mistake or you not sure what you are playing..... play with some balls make the note the correct one.
However lingering on a sour note can be nasty....... though there is a time and place for everything....

[gennation]

Here's a cool little illusion... http://lessons.mikedodge.com/lessons/MelMinPrim/Intro.htm

 

To the people who don't use the Jazz Minor scale (the ascending Melodic Minor scale) it will always sound odd at first regardless of how you play it over a Dominant chord.

 

Read through the info on that link and the first excerise will sound whacky to some people. But, as you work through the lesson you'll start to understand the harmonic outline of the scale against the Dominant chord.

 

The very last part of the lesson I show what your ears have learned...you can play the first example again BUT you'll HEAR how it fits/works.

 

Give it a try. It's the start of HEARING how to play outside and knowing WHY.

 

Report back and see if your your ear learned to hear something new.