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Ask
Edly:
Music Theory Q+A
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- For more
theory than you can shake a 12-stave manuscript book at,
see Edly's
website, at www.edly.com
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- --Hello
Edly:
I have an enquiry
here: How to mix the blues scale and the natural minor scale
in my solo playing?
Les Paul Cherry
Sunburst
-
 --Edly
answers:
It's quite a
surprise, and quite an honor, to hear from a legend such
as yourself! Before I answer the question, let's fill in
some info for those who may not know what you're talking
about.
The blues scale
is 1 b3 4 #4 5 b7 (8), or in the key of A, A C D D# E G
(A). - The natural
minor scale is 1 2 b3 3 4 5 b6 b7 (8) , or in the key of
A (minor), A B C D E F G (A).
-
- Okay, here goes.
In a blues/rock context, the natural minor scale becomes
useful when chords that use the b6 (flat sixth note) crop
up, such as bVI or ivm, F and Dm respectively, in
A.
-
- It's because of
the notes in the chords. The F chord is F A C, while the
Dm chord is D F A. Both chords contain the F note, which
isn't in the blues scale. By adding the F note to the
scale during your solo, especially during a chord which
contains that note, you're bring the melody and harmony
together in a way that the ear likes, even if the
listener isn't aware of it. It also makes you sound like
you know what you're doing.
-
- This could be
applied more generally. Try this on for size: Whenever
you're soloing using mostly one scale (such as the blues
scale), it'll sound good if you add notes that are in the
current chord but are not in the scale. Reread that a
couple of times if necessary. It's an important
one.
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- For example, try
soloing over the progression Am to E using a blues scale,
but during the E chord, add a G# to your scale. See how
good it sounds? You're picking up a note from the chord
and adding it too the scale. Once you start doing this,
you'll notice (I hope) how relatively consonant the G#
is, and how relatively dissonant the G natural is.
Remember, dissonant does not mean "bad sounding." It
means "tense." The tension of notes that are in the scale
but not in the chords is one of the things that gives the
blues (and styles of music derived from it) its
characteristic sound. By tastefully adding (or not
adding) these missing notes, your controlling how bluesy
(or greensy or redsy) your solo will sound.
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- Getting back to
your examples, there's a song in which the big guitar
solo is over im, bVII, bVI, bVII, or in the key of A
(minor), Am G F G. The guitarist mostly used the minor
pentatonic scale (the blues scale omitting the #4 note)
with the addition of the b6 note. (This yielded a
"natural minor sexatonic scale" hybrid, if you go for
terms like that.) So, the scale was A C D E F G A. The
song is "Stairway to Heaven."
-
- Edly
-
- Author and
publisher of
- "Edly's Music
Theory for Practical People"
- "Edly Paints the
Ivories Blue"
- http://www.edly.com/
- See our tell-all
interview with Edly, from March 2000, at www.guitarsam.com/interviews/edly.htm
-
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- Purchase
"Edly's Music Theory for Practical People".
- In
theory, it'll be the best $25.00 you'll ever
spend.
- Also,
"Edly Paints the Ivories Blue,"
an inspired blues piano tutorial for
$12.00
- Email
us at sam@guitarsam.com
for ordering details.
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- What is music
theory, anyway? You hear so much about it, but does
anybody really know what it is? Edly does!
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- Scales?
Chords? Keys? Ear-training? Modes? Toads?
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- If you need help
connecting the musical dots or playing musical works,
send us your best (or dumbest) questions, and we'll have
Edly, one of Earth's leading music theory experts, field
the responses.
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- To get your head
keyed in the right direction, visit Edly's website
"Musical EdVentures" at www.edly.com
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- Beam your music
theory questions to us at askedly@guitarsam.com
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