More symetrical scale concepts

[Brooks]

Hi guys, 8-2-09

It's a lazy sunday afternoon & I don't feel like mowing the lawn, so we'll

continue on w/ the daddy of all symmetrical fingerings, diminished.

As promised, lets check out whole/half & half/whole diminished scale fingerings.

-------------------------------10-11-13-14

-----------------------9-10-12-13-------

-----------------7-8-10-11---------------

----------6-7-9-10---------------------

-----5-6-8-9---------------------------

4-5-7-8--------------------------------

Again, notice this is symmetrical (the same pattern shifted across the neck).

Here's the cool part; depending on what chord you play this over,

it fits dominant or minor chords. What the fook does that mean?

If you treat the 1st note as a "pickup note" that leads into the "A" root note (5th fret low E string),

this pattern works w/ an Amin chord ( A C E ), because this scale contains the root ( A ),

& minor 3rd ( C, which is a color tone, making this minor).

It's called a whole/half diminished scale because it alternates whole & half steps

(if you treat the 1st note as a "pickup").

This scale also contains non chord tones and non diatonic tones

(which means tones not in the A minor or A dorian scales).

These oddball notes makes it sound dangerous and exotic (like an asian hooker).

Now, play the same pattern, but instead of playing it over an Amin7 chord,

play it over an Ab7 ( Ab C Eb Gb ). This fits even better over this chord,

as you have all 4 chord tones; the root ( Ab ),

maj 3rd ( C, which is a color tone, making this a major triad),

the 5th ( Eb ), and the minor 7th ( Gb, which is also a color tone, making this a dominant 7th chord).

It's called a half/whole diminished scale because it alternates half & whole steps.

Again, this scale contains interesting and exotic non chord tones and non diatonic tones

(which means tones not in the Ab mixolydian scale).

How do I use these? Record yourself or get a buddy to play an Amin blues.

Play your regular blues scale licks, then try this scale;

hear how it fits. Or, hear how it DOESN'T fit; you gotta experiment &

use your ear to guide you where to throw it in (example, it sounds cool over the Dmin chord).

Now, repeat the process w/ an Ab7 blues.

Personally, I'm not a blues guy, I use these as "ramps"

(this is not a real musical term, just something I made up).

What do I mean by "ramp"?

Say you're playing a static jam in Amin

(static meaning no chord changes); say your solo is 16 bars;

somewhere around the 7th bar, start a run up this scale &

try to land on a sustained bent "A" note on bar 8,

then contine the rest of the solo w/ your regular scales

(you "take this ramp" up to the 2nd half of the solo; it breaks up the regular tonality);

like this-

-----------------------------------------

------------------------------8 (bend up to "10", or A )

-----------------7-8-10-11-------------

----------6-7-9-10---------------------

-----5-6-8-9---------------------------

4-5-7-8--------------------------------

That should sound a little familiar to fans of Al DiMeola/Randy Rhoads/Yngwie/etc...

Now, get off the internet and go practice!

-Brooks

PS- hope I didn't offend any asians or prostitutes; it's all in fun.

[specialk]

Cool, Brooks! Thanks man, I can put this to use right away. Great job, and it's gotta beat mowing...

[harry65]

absolutely, love this, use as often as i can(love over blues stuff) here's a fingering for this that i find quite useful for one position say over an A7 chord........................

..................8-6-5....................

..................8-7-5.....................

..................8-6-5......................

..................8-7-5........................

here's something very similar i use nightly in the country band that i love....................

....5-8-5...............8-11-8..................11-14-11......................14-17-14.....................17............

.............7.....7................10.....10...................13........13.....................16........16...................

................8........................11.............................14................................17.........................

yeah i know it sounds yngwie but now try it over the D7 chord in a simple key of A blues progression.......

experiment and enjoy , great job brooksy...........................

p.s , i love asian hookers , now go mow your lawn slacker..................................