Oscar South Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 (edited) What scales/chords do you practice and use when playing music? Personally I got most of my current head full of theory from the Levine jazz book so the two 'central' scales I use are Major and Melodic Minor and relevent modes of each, I occasionally use blues or pentatonic scales but only really for runs or fast licks, not regular note choice. I use wh/wh diminished scales and augmented scales occasionally but I prefer to play most dim or #5 chords as voicings of tonal chords rather than symmetrical structures when I can. I usually mainly practice scales rather than arpeggios these days and mentally map the chord tones of the current chord to the current scale, I find this a lot more intuitive than hopping between arpeggio shapes. I do practice arpeggio shapes in Major and Melodic Minor 2-5-1s starting from each position of the 2 chord though. I don't use Harmonic Minor scales too much, I find the effect of them a bit strong and distinctive and its a pet hate of mine in music when someone plays or writes in a cliche way so you can hear dead givaways as to whats going on all over the place. "The whole is greater than the sum of the parts". I find that the Melodic Minor scale is much more subtle and beautiful once you've learned to use it properly. That said I use it occasionally when its called for but I view it as a chromatic alteration to a Major key to establish a tempory Minor tonality on the vii chord rather than a key center in itself. I also have no time for the whole playing the Melodic Minor scale differently up and down school of thought; its pure classical mythology and a relic brought about by the shortcomings of classical analysis techniques. Edited August 22, 2009 by Oscar South Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acidbass Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 I almost exclusively use Major, Minor, Pentatonic and Blues scales. Sometimes the harmonic minor when I'm feeling eastern! I very rarely stick rigidly to the notes in a given scale, however, especially when improvising. There are also a few cases in some songs where a chromatic note actually fits quite well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 Haven't a clue. What does Green Onions use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acidbass Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 Minor Pentatonic I think, although the progression is I-IV-V (blues style) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spike Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 I use Mixolydian and Dorian alot, followed by Major, Major Pentatonic and Minor Pentatonic. I mainly play soul, funk and blues and these scales work well for me. I often think in terms of arpeggios and passing notes rather than scales though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bozzbass Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 I think spike's point is cool because it shows the type of music being played. I have to agree that most of that bluesy minor p-funk stuff is pretty dorian, but then when i'm playing in this cool little country rock thing it's major pentatonics with some passing tones all the way. over the years i've moved away from the chord-scale thing, i tend to think in chord notes and neighbour notes now to make melodic lines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 Mostly roots but I have been known to throw in a fifth if I'm feeling adventurous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrcrow Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 pentatonic minor major natural 7ths/6ths arpeggi occasionaly diminished 7ths Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 tonal repetoire ? that's in your fingers, that is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrcrow Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 [quote name='ahpook' post='577544' date='Aug 22 2009, 01:30 PM']tonal repetoire ? that's in your fingers, that is [/quote] left or right whatever happened to wendy da-witch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 'Tonal repertoire' is an anagram of 'Nil root repeater'. That's about all I know about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrcrow Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 [quote name='wateroftyne' post='577594' date='Aug 22 2009, 02:38 PM']'Tonal repertoire' is an anagram of 'Nil root repeater'. That's about all I know about it.[/quote] and a corruption of anal rectifier Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oscar South Posted August 22, 2009 Author Share Posted August 22, 2009 [quote name='ahpook' post='577544' date='Aug 22 2009, 01:30 PM']tonal repetoire ? that's in your fingers, that is [/quote] Thats your timbral repetoire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrcrow Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 [quote name='Oscar South' post='577770' date='Aug 22 2009, 06:53 PM']Thats your timbral repetoire[/quote] this is getting a bit risque now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 [quote name='Oscar South' post='577770' date='Aug 22 2009, 06:53 PM']Thats your timbral repetoire[/quote] /thinks/ hey - that it is ! top stuff [quote name='mrcrow' post='577591' date='Aug 22 2009, 02:34 PM']left or right whatever happened to wendy da-witch[/quote] i've no idea...i last saw her, um...12 years ago ?? she's not been on the other place for many moons has she ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrcrow Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 [quote name='ahpook' post='577803' date='Aug 22 2009, 07:40 PM']/thinks/ hey - that it is ! top stuff i've no idea...i last saw her, um...12 years ago ?? she's not been on the other place for many moons has she ?[/quote] some time yes...guess she has met her myung of her dreams not on bloody both i am sure...she did use another name...dave i think.. maybe she's on the other bus now i miss a punch in the face... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lee4 Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 R,3,5 of any chord,always using the others as passing notes.Not adverse to a bit of inversion no and then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 I think the stuff I write uses the ionian, aeolian, dorian, phygian, locrian or mixolydian as a starting point but then there's usually a load of dissonance as well, so pretty much any note or note combination is fair game. I used to actively think about this a long time ago but nowadays I just pick up the bass and start messing around. I'm quite prone to chromaticism and tritones. I'm not a soloist or jazz player, I just write songs. Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 I don't think I've every played or practised a scale in my life. If I'm doing covers. I'll play what's on the original recording. if I'm working on original material I'll play what sounds right. After a couple of run throughs of the song I can normally hear 95% of what the bass line should be doing in my head and then it just a question making my fingers do the right thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPS Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 The usual suspects: major scale, minor scale, minor pentatonic, blues scale, major pentatonic, mixolydian, chord tones, 1-3-5 + plus lots of chromatic passing notes. Oh and completely the wrong scale, chord, note about 10% of the time unfortunately! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 I'm usually just paying attention to what chords are going by and not really paying attention to scales too much. I'd played for a long time before I learnt much about music so I mostly rely on knowing what the intervals sound like. Way too often I don't even know what note I'm playing, only how it relates to the chord or the next chord. I'm not proud of it though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrcrow Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 [quote name='thisnameistaken' post='578290' date='Aug 23 2009, 04:05 PM']I'm usually just paying attention to what chords are going by and not really paying attention to scales too much. I'd played for a long time before I learnt much about music so I mostly rely on knowing what the intervals sound like. Way too often I don't even know what note I'm playing, only how it relates to the chord or the next chord. I'm not proud of it though.[/quote] that sounds like good solid grounding get to know chord progressions and shapes...then songs seem to fall into certain types you already know the chords for i think we all start like that and then become wannabee's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 [quote name='mrcrow' post='578296' date='Aug 23 2009, 04:13 PM']that sounds like good solid grounding get to know chord progressions and shapes...then songs seem to fall into certain types you already know the chords for i think we all start like that and then become wannabee's[/quote] Yeah but I've been playing for 20 years... Bit embarrassing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oscar South Posted August 23, 2009 Author Share Posted August 23, 2009 (edited) I'm really the opposite of that which has its pros and cons as well, when I play I'm constantly listening to the effect of my notes and computing the theory in my head, mapping out the scales I could use at any time, figuring out what chord tones are passing when and how I can approach them etc. etc. I spent a lot of time in jam bands concentrating on being able to compute it all and still listen and react to the music and on a piano learning theory from an unbiased perspective but I'm glad I did because I love playing with this approach, it keeps me very mentally occupied and also feeds me ideas for potential note choices and reharmonisations on the fly that would have never occured if I just played by ear. On the down side because I play in such a 'theory in--->theory out' way, sometimes when I'm jamming with people on the 'feel/by ear' side of the spectrum who play more on a basic groove with reletively static harmony and I'm not getting fed nonstop aural cues I feel I stagnate a bit, my playing is more reactive that proactive and when nothing much is happening theres nothing much to react to. Edited August 23, 2009 by Oscar South Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 [quote name='Oscar South' post='578309' date='Aug 23 2009, 04:38 PM']... reharmonisations on the fly ...[/quote] That's definitely the sort of situation where I'd take a deep breath, shut my eyes and hope to miraculously avoid the bum notes. Funnily enough I can do it when singing - I have to do it sometimes because our drummer will forget his part and start singing my harmony so I have to quickly move to another one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.