Originally Posted by: Fret spiderat the moment i think i understand the modal harmony. but i am also aware there are certain scales that dont use just whole and half tone intervalls (i do not mean pentatonics because they simply miss out notes), like the harmonic minor/majour.
my guitar teacher told me thatthe reason the harmonic minor was created was the following. say you have a minor mode eg aolian, normally, modally speaking a 1 5 progression would contain two minor chords eg in A Aolian Aminor to Eminor. but for some reason in clasical musioc they thought it sounded better if the chord progresion was A minor to E majour. this means the third of the E chord was raise a semitone. this meant the 7th of the Aolinan scale had to be raised.
now it seem obvious that if the progression A minor E majour comes up you should use the harmonic minor, but when else can u use it? clearly the alteration in the scale will lead to strange chords like augmented and fully diminished ones, so again if u used these chords you should play in harmonic minor.
so overall what are some of these strange other scales, how can we apply them to music and how can you mesh diatonic and these other scales together?
This is the kind question I like to see. Most gutiarists with any experience that I have played with are complete know it alls. I mean you cant show them a thing, two, or three years of teaching them selves by ear, (and maby some teacher, or book study,) and out of the blue they transform from beginers to masters. I have stuck my neck out and just asked a question I may have, ( knowing that only a few people in the world could give me a correct, helpful answer ), and the rest of my answers on the web. would be from know it alls,( which is ok, but the sarcasm can be a bit too much )!
But, belive me when I say, I dont care which of the 12 diatonic keys your playing in, Knowing that damm diatonic all the way through the neck, top to bottom is the only way a beginer can start sowing on their stripes, and moving up in the ranks, and pay grade. All it is is a pattern that flows through out the neck, and stays the same in all 12 keys, just raised, or lowered, and is hinged by the root note of the key your in.
Now, tell me you do know your diatonic through out the neck ( speed is not as important as staying in key ). Chord progresions fall into the same diatonic scale as the lead player. Next time your able transpose a 7th chord over the diatonic key your playing in, and you will see the importance of knowing your diatonic. Dude, remember chord finger positions change from key, to key, so get out your chord dictionary, and scale dictionary just to be safe. Know what key your in, and which chords are in that key is the mind opener, after that KEEP practicing, and, your shred will be on.
Music Theroy, its not an exact science, or it wouldent have that theroy stigma stuck to it. It would be called music doctrine.
All I can do is let you in on what has helped me, and the diatonic "scale" , or mode, or chromatic 144, what ever you want to call it, is the launching pad for Masters. If your playing along and hit a out of key note in diatonic, and it sounds COOL, write it down as an accidental for future study. When you get your tab book full of those kind of notations, and tweeks to the diatonic scale, then I would say go for it, and learn as many exotic scales as you want, but you will soon see that most,or all of the exotic, wild scales out there are raised, or lowered from old Diatonic.
Then to change keys just move the whole pattern in relation to tonic, or root. Major key, minor key, no matter, same pattern just diffrent scale positions.( easier said that done ). But really man if you no s**t dont have full diatonic capability through out the whole neck your asking for problems when playing along with other instrments in a band setting all trying to stay in key, and possibly critisium from those that now their scales allready, so they say. ( I would draw up a 24 fret, six string diagram and tell them fill in ALL the notes to prove it )! Thats a good way to clear a room.
No s**t spider be truthful, do you know a complete diatonic scale through out the neck, and if not look closely, you will find most of your original songs notes falling into diatonic patterns , because even the untrained ear has a nose. But what do I know, dont take it from me, get a nice fat music theroy book, and see if in all those scientificly designed termonologys, and endless repetition thru keys that are no diffrent other than tonic. Think of all the diffrent keys that have the same fret position, same pattern, diffrent root.
The farther you get into music the more it makes me want go back to the good old days of 3 chord harmonys, and pentatonic scales that blasted thru all keys in one song. But, someone like me, no way Im going to let you all pass me, must try to improve every day, or risk being blown away.
But thats just me, Know it alls must CHILL !
