Some weird B scale..

Hey there.. I made up a tapping solo for this month's GT Solo Assignment and I have been running the scale through my mind, and on paper, to try and determine the scale I am playing... I'm only just starting to grasp musicology for the first time in 16 years of playing guitar so some things that may seem fairly obvious to others are extremely confusing to me..

First question is what is this scale:

B C D E F# G A

And the other thing I was just thinking about was that I am actually playing this in reverse.. so rather than the C being a Minor 2nd in the scale, it is actually the Major 7th, as per the following:

B A G F# E D C

It's sort of like an inverted scale in that sense.. or am I over-analysing it? Calling the C the Major 7th and the A the Major 2nd, makes a lot more sense to me than the C being a Minor 2nd.

Ok so that's that little question.. the other quest is to do with chord construction.. I've worked out how to create all the main chords, which I play a lot (eg. A-Maj, A-Min, A-Maj7, A-Min7, and A7), from scale theory.. but after that I start to get confused.. someone deciphered the A-Dim7 for me.. but what about this formula:

1 min3 5 min6 min7

If the root (1) is E, for example, what is the chord that the above formula spells out?

Thanks :)

Originally Posted by: light487First question is what is this scale:

B C D E F# G A[/quote]
One sharp on F, therefore it is the key of G major. Since it "alphabetically" starts on the B, it is the third mode of G major: B phrygian.

Originally Posted by: light487And the other thing I was just thinking about was that I am actually playing this in reverse.. so rather than the C being a Minor 2nd in the scale, it is actually the Major 7th, as per the following:

B A G F# E D C[/quote]
The order in which you play the notes does not affect their fundamental relationship to each other. You can play those notes in any order you want and it is still the key G major, 3rd mode, B Phrygian.

Originally Posted by: light487
It's sort of like an inverted scale in that sense.[/quote]
You can "invert" a scale in order to play a variation on it, but that will not change it's conceptual tag (or identifying factor).
[QUOTE=light487]Calling the C the Major 7th and the A the Major 2nd, makes a lot more sense to me than the C being a Minor 2nd.

From C to B is an interval of a major 7th. Not the other way around. Similarly, from A to B is a major 2nd, not the other way around. From the B to the C is a minor 2nd (or flat 2). It is what it is. :)
[QUOTE=light487]
I've worked out how to create all the main chords, which I play a lot (eg. A-Maj, A-Min, A-Maj7, A-Min7, and A7), from scale theory.. but after that I start to get confused.. someone deciphered the A-Dim7 for me..

There is also A augmented: 1-maj3-sharp5 (A-C#-E#)
A half diminished (or flat 5 min7): 1-min3-flat5-min7 (A-C-Eb-G)
A fully diminished: 1-min3-flat5-double flat7 (or maj6) (A-C-Eb-Gbb)
A minor-major 7: 1-min3-5-maj7 (A-C-E-G#)
[QUOTE=light487] ... but what about this formula:

1 min3 5 min6 min7

If the root (1) is E, for example, what is the chord that the above formula spells out?

E min7 with an added min6.

Good questions. Hope this helps.

I'm gonna pop in to say that CSchlegel is right. Good answers.

Nice post C.

Just wanted to bring a couple typo's to your attention, or am I mistaken??? (if so, my apologies).
References to;
A-augmented = 1st, 3rd, #5th (A-C#-F)

and

A minor-Major 7 = 1st, b3rd, 5th, 7th (A-C-E-G#)

Hope it helps

Originally Posted by: dvenetianJust wanted to bring a couple typo's to your attention ...

Yep, mistakes on my part. :)

Just got in a hurry and copy-pasted w/o double checking everything before submitting the post. Thanks, for your help!

Hey thanks for the replies.. when I first came up with the solo my first thought was B Phrygian or Lydian but I was only really guessing.. I don't understand though how it can be G Major key though. The chord progression of the September Solo Assignment is:
INTRO: Em - C -D
VERSES: Em-Am-D-G-C-F-B7
ENDING: Em-C-D

but I understand the scale bit now..

G Major Scale
G A B C D E F#

Which are the notes I am playing.. and I am starting from the 3rd, so yes.. that is a B Phrygian. Makes perfect sense now that it's been brought to my attention... haha.. I feel stupid.. But why does the G Major Scale work when the chord progression doesn't have the G Major chord as a dominant chord?


Also..
A minor-Major 7 = 1st, b3rd, 5th, 7th (A-C-E-G#)

Is it more proper to say flat-3rd? or minor-3rd?.. and with the 5th.. is it more proper to say flat-5th? or diminished-5th?

Originally Posted by: CSchlegelYep, mistakes on my part. :)

Just got in a hurry and copy-pasted w/o double checking everything before submitting the post. Thanks, for your help!

With pleasure.....

And I just knew that you were going to use E# in notation.

Yes.. why do people do that? I have seen C-flat used often as well.. is it because you are referring to it as sharp-5th rather than flat-6th.. and therefore makes more sense to say E#, since the sharp-5th of an A Major scale is E# (F) ?

Originally Posted by: light487Hey thanks for the replies.. when I first came up with the solo my first thought was B Phrygian or Lydian but I was only really guessing.. I don't understand though how it can be G Major key though. The chord progression of the September Solo Assignment is:
INTRO: Em - C -D
VERSES: Em-Am-D-G-C-F-B7
ENDING: Em-C-D

but I understand the scale bit now..

G Major Scale
G A B C D E F#

Which are the notes I am playing.. and I am starting from the 3rd, so yes.. that is a B Phrygian. Makes perfect sense now that it's been brought to my attention... haha.. I feel stupid.. But why does the G Major Scale work when the chord progression doesn't have the G Major chord as a dominant chord?

If the G Major chord is the Dominant, you would be working best with the C Major scale because G is the dominant to C Major.
The reason that B Phrygian worked out is because it contains the same notes as all of the chord's root notes, Except One...... The "F" note.
B Phrygian has the F# note. This comparison only relates with the Root notes of the progression. While on that subject, notice that all Root notes are Natural notes (no Sharps or flats). This was exposed by the Verse chords when added in the progression. Only one Major scale can be credited with containing all Natural notes and that's the C Major scale;
C-D-E-F-G-A-B.
These notes together make the Key of C.
In order for each of the notes to form it's own chord, only the notes in C Major may be used for a chord to remain in the Key. Some chords will be Major, some minor and one must diminish.
A Capitol letter (K)= Major, a small letter (k)= minor and last is "dim"
C-d-e-F-G-a-Bdim,,,,,,3 Major chords, 3 minor and 1 diminished.
By the note, all match..... E Phrygian, G Mixolydian, etc............
But not all of the chords of the progression fit in the Key of C.
D Major = D-F#-A
and
B7 = B-D#-F#-A

The D# and F# notes are the crashers.
From here I would look to Am, the relative minor of C Major and work with some of ways that the minor blues scale can handle some tension and release from those trusty "Blue" notes.
Nice how that D# fits in the Am Blues scale..........

Originally Posted by: light487Yes.. why do people do that? I have seen C-flat used often as well.. is it because you are referring to it as sharp-5th rather than flat-6th.. and therefore makes more sense to say E#, since the sharp-5th of an A Major scale is E# (F) ?

It's mainly used to discern that note clearly and in close sequence writing music on stave.
The reason E# was used for the altered 5th note is because even though the "A"Major 5th was augmented, The Scale is still A Major........
and the A Major scale has the F# note in it.

There never should be any two notes carrying the same letter name in the same scale; Example;; A-A#-C-D-E-F-G
Bb describes the note position better and brings the B needed in sequence.

Another tid-bit. Scales with accidentals never mix then in the same scale.
If Sharp----all Sharp...... Flat----Flat.