Interesting scales/chords

[James]

I remember we had a thread like this a while ago, and seriously, it was one of the best threads I've remember on this board. It kind of died, so I'm gonna try and resurrect it! Basically I want to know about all the awesome chords and scales you guys know. I'll start the ball rolling.

I recently discovered maj7(add9) chords and fell in love with them. Hmm... the fingering...

-------------0-
-----------4---
---------1-----
-------4-------
-----2---------
---0-----------

It's kind of tricky to finger.

As for scales...

A harmonic major.

Basically take a major scale, and flat the 6th. Try playing around with it. It takes a little bit to find ways to use it in an interesting way, but the results can really shine.

[lalimacefolle]

I love the sound of the 9 (it's the second of the chord, meaning the note next to the root, but one octave higher)
In major chords
Basically, for an A major, you remove the finger on the third string, and for the D, you remove the finger on the high E string...
For other chords, it's trickier (the E involves quite a stretch, but is the best sounding)
------0---
-----0----
----1-----
---4------
--2-------
-0--------
that's the Eadd9, and it's a cool one...
I learned those notes listening to "for the love of god" by steve vai (it opens with a beautiful arpegiated E minor add9 on a guitar/sitar)

[lalimacefolle]

forgot my favorite scale
It's based on the diminished arpeggio
---------------------7-10-
-----------------6-9------
-------------4-7----------
---------3-6--------------
-----2-5------------------
-1-4----------------------

I also play it that way, makes a cool sounding sweeping pattern when you have to had tension to a solo

-------1-4------------4-7-4--------
-----3-----3--------6------6-------
-1-4---------4-1-4-7--------7-4----just keep on going up
-----------------------------------following the same
-----------------------------------pattern...
-----------------------------------
I picked up this one from Ron Thal, one of the coolest guitarist from the decade (that's also what Pettrucci says, he's got more credits than me...)

[Christoph]

James, I remember talking all about add9s and min7thadd9s with you and Joseph in that other thread. So . . . I don't really know what else to say.

[James]

yup. I tried to find that old thread but couldn't find it. Shame because it had so many awesome ideas. As for the maj7(add9) I posted, does anyone know any good ideas of putting it into use?

[Lordathestrings]

Would this be the one you're looking for?
http://www.guitartricks.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=2019

[James]

Yeah that's it, thanks lord

[Lordathestrings]

Even guitar players need some keyboard skills. Its all in how you use the Search function!

[James]

I searched the entire forum for all threads within a year... guess I overlooked it

[Lordathestrings]

I tried searching your posts and keying on the word "Am7add9" but it didn't work. 'turns out you mistyped the chord name so the search engine didn't find it. I tried searching through Christoph's posts, with the keyword "Am7add9", et viola!

[Christoph]

Well, now that we got that out of the way, can someone tell me how the heck I'm supposed to finger that maj7thadd9?

[lalimacefolle]

A, with a major 7th, and with a 9th
------------
-----0------
---1--------
--2---------
-0----------
------------
or
------7---
-----5----
---6------
--6-------
----------
-5--------
there must be nicer fingerings though, those are the one I've found...

[Christoph]

Somebody mentioned "For the Love of God". I think this is how the intro sitar lick goes -


|-----------0---------------0---------------0---------------1-------|
|---------0---0-----------0---0-----------0---0-----------1---1-----|
|-------0-------0-------0-------0-------2-------2-------2-------2---|
|-----4---------------4---------------3---------------3-------------|
|---2---------------2---------------3---------------3---------------|
|-0---------------0---------------1---------------1-----------------|

[Christoph]

BTW, to keep the right add9 flavor, you need to keep the 1,5,9 sequence on top, or else it become a sickly-sounding sus2.

James has the right idea with his Emaj7add9, but to do that in anything other than first position requires six fingers.

[lalimacefolle]

Originally posted by Christoph



BTW, to keep the right add9 flavor, you need to keep the 1,5,9 sequence on top, or else it become a sickly-sounding sus2.

James has the right idea with his Emaj7add9, but to do that in anything other than first position requires six fingers.



any fingering suggestions?

[Vertigo]

0
6
7
7
5
X

[lalimacefolle]

nice one, too bad it has an open sting, it's not moveable!

[James]

Originally posted by Christoph



BTW, to keep the right add9 flavor, you need to keep the 1,5,9 sequence on top, or else it become a sickly-sounding sus2.

James has the right idea with his Emaj7add9, but to do that in anything other than first position requires six fingers.




Well that's not entirely true, you can move it anywhere up the neck and turn it into a second inversion, you just won't have that open string root. As for the fingering, I use my pinky for the D, my third finger for the F#, my second finger for the B down on the fifth string, and my first finger for the G# on the 3rd string.

[bubba]

I have just joined and don`t know how long this theard has been going. I wanted to say any time you add a 9th to a maj.7 chord it`s a maj.9 chord. It would be a regular 9th ex.(C9)without the major 7. and a add 9th without any 7

[u10ajf]

The first reply to this forum suggested playing a major scale and flattening the 6th - this is a harmonic Major scale not a harmonic minor (for which you sharpen the 5th and start on the 6th), they're both great scales and well worth playing with.

Here's another really cool scale for very evil music;

BCD#EFG#AB

i.e. a harmonic minor with a sharpened 4th. This outlines the following chords; A minor, C augmented, E major, F major, F minor.
The shapes are really easy to finger too.

The hungarian Major scale is another really nasty one! Try A Harmonic Minor (ABCDEFG#A) and then flatten the E.

YOu can get modes of Melodic minors two ways; sharpen the root note of a major, or flatten the 3rd of a major. This way you can move around the circles of 4 and 5 a new way too

e.g. C major, C melodic minor (CDEbFGABC), Bb Major BbCDEbFGABb
or
C major, DMelodic Minor (DEFGABC#D), D major DEF#GABC#

This is too hard for me to get my head round at the moment but you may want to see what you can do with it.

As for chords I love Sus 4s - all you do is get a major or minor triad, kill the 3rd (i.e, the major/ minor character) and play a 4th instead. The close interval between the 4th and 5th gives a nice jazzy feel to your progressions. They're simple enough to not sound too clangy with overdrive too but they're pretty aggressive.

I have a music theory page at my brother's site at http:\\www.classaxe.com
If you just look under "friends", click on Andrew F. and follow leads to my music theory site.

[mamamalabass]

my new favorite toy is the diminished scale.It's wierd and I have to think of in in intervals to keep it in my aged mind.From wherever you start go whole step then half step and keep going the same way.In a recent jam a guitarist started playing diminished chords but used a basic blues framework for the chord progression.It's the only time I have had a chance to use it other than just sitting sround noodling but it's fun.the japanese 5 tone scale is similar.It is root,flat 2nd,3rd,4th,and fifth.A little easier to work with though

[James]

Originally posted by u10ajf
The first reply to this forum suggested playing a major scale and flattening the 6th - this is a harmonic Major scale not a harmonic minor (for which you sharpen the 5th and start on the 6th

I believe I did call it harmonic major...
Harmonic minor is a natural minor scale with a raised seventh, I'm not sure what you meant by "sharpening the 5th and starting on the 6th"

[u10ajf]

Next time I try at being a smart arse I'll make sure I get it right. Sorry!
As for starting on a 6th and sharpening the 5th I mean start on the 6th note of a major and sharpening the 5th note of the origninal scale - which when I think about it is a silly order to
discuss it - better to start with what notes change and then talk about which note to start on.

[James]

ohh, ok. All straightened out now

[Christoph]

I'll attempt to revive this dying thread with the lydian mode -




|----------------------------|
|----------------------------|
|-------------------8--------|
|-----------4-6-7/9---9-7----|
|-----4-6-7------------------|
|-5-7------------------------|



Now maybe someone can suggest some chords to go along . . .

[OmegaMonster]

this chord is also prominent in "Every Breath you Take" by Andy S...er...I mean....The Police! Sting sucks and Andy rules!

Try moving your chord shapes around by barring. This chord is really pretty but it can be overused...be aware of that!

[OmegaMonster]

0 - - 0 - - 0
0 - - 0 - - 0
2 - - 4 - - 6
3 - - 5 - - 7
3 - - 5 - - 7
1 - - 3 - - 5

Three chords that fit the same vibe!

Using these all of these chords in a song would result in an odd key signature due to three consecutive major triads.

[James]

Originally posted by Christoph

I'll attempt to revive this dying thread with the lydian mode -




|----------------------------|
|----------------------------|
|-------------------8--------|
|-----------4-6-7/9---9-7----|
|-----4-6-7------------------|
|-5-7------------------------|



Now maybe someone can suggest some chords to go along . . .

a "Maj7(#11)" lends itself really well with lydian, because the #11 is the same as the #4th of the lydian mode. Try playing a Cmaj7(#11)-

|-----------2--------------|
|---------0----------------|
|-------0------------------|
|----2---------------------|
|--3-----------------------|
|x-------------------------|

And play C lydian over that. C Lydian is, of course, the same as E minor. Try tossing this chord into your next Eminor vamp and focusing on C as your root tonality in your solo and it might just turn some heads!

[James]

Although I should mention that this is really more of a change in your focal tonality and not a true example of lydian mode, since you're remaining in the key of E the entire time. A truer example of this would be if you're chord progression went like Cmaj7(#11), and then, say, Dmajor. That would be a true lydian progression.