Ask Fatjack

[GSR]

I wish i knew theory.



Josh are you technically done with learning theory and all that's left is just expanding your own creativity? or is theory a never ending quest of tangible notes/scales/etc.?

[fatjack]

also because of these different scale forms, minor has more notes than major. for instance C major has 7 tones: C D E F G A B, while A minor has 9 tones A B C D E F F# G G#. this is because minor ascends with certain tones and descends with other tones, while major ascends and descends with the same notes

We're talking scales here right, not keys? I was under the impression that they aren't necessarily interchangeable.

So on the way up the minor scale the intervals are WHWWWWH and down is WWHWWHW (what I would have guessed a minor scale's intervals to be both ways). Where does this variation come from? Is there a "mathematical" reason for that structure, for lack of a better word.

That's a minor third between the 6th and the tonic on the way up, but just using the relative majors notes it 'should' be a major 3rd... Crap I'm just spinning my wheels now.

there is a reason, but i wouldn't necessarily call it mathematical

the reason it ascends and descends differently is because the natural minor scale doesn't have a leading tone (major 7th). when a leading tone is introduced, it creates a melodic augmented 2nd between the 6th and 7th, which is what is called the harmonic minor. to compensate for this, the sixth is raised as well in order to maintain the diatonic order (two half steps and five whole steps). this creates the melodic minor.

and yes i was referring to scales, but all three of the forms of the minor scale are used within a song that is in a minor key

[fatjack]

I wish i knew theory.



Josh are you technically done with learning theory and all that's left is just expanding your own creativity? or is theory a never ending quest of tangible notes/scales/etc.?

no, i still have a year and a half left of classical theory classes

[i am sam2]

what key would this riff be in?

Code: Select all

D------------4-5-6
A---------5-----
E---4--6-------

and how would i figure it out? cuz it doesnt pop out as being a certain scale...

[fatjack]

what key would this riff be in?

Code: Select all

D------------4-5-6
A---------5-----
E---4--6-------

and how would i figure it out? cuz it doesnt pop out as being a certain scale...

considering that kind of intervals and chromaticism you have in that line, there really isn't much i tell you with that little bit. i would have to see it in a larger context

[MattJ]

no, i still have a year and a half left of classical theory classes

Thanks for the answers.

Any recommendations on any theory books you've used that would be good to get further into some of this stuff?

[i am sam2]

what key would this riff be in?

Code: Select all

D------------4-5-6
A---------5-----
E---4--6-------

and how would i figure it out? cuz it doesnt pop out as being a certain scale...

considering that kind of intervals and chromaticism you have in that line, there really isn't much i tell you with that little bit. i would have to see it in a larger context

thats the whole song pretty much...its a band ive seen play locally a few times around here its a long jam kind of song and the bassist just messes around with that the whole time...would you have to know the chords to figure it out?

[fatjack]

what key would this riff be in?

Code: Select all

D------------4-5-6
A---------5-----
E---4--6-------

and how would i figure it out? cuz it doesnt pop out as being a certain scale...

considering that kind of intervals and chromaticism you have in that line, there really isn't much i tell you with that little bit. i would have to see it in a larger context

thats the whole song pretty much...its a band ive seen play locally a few times around here its a long jam kind of song and the bassist just messes around with that the whole time...would you have to know the chords to figure it out?

anything would help, but if this is just a repeating bassline, then chances are that its just an Ab blues

[i am sam2]

fatjack another question...the song hey hey what can i do by zeppelin...i can play it on bass and i play G#, D#, F#, C# (so key of C# major basically). but when i play the chords (G D F C shapes capoed on the first fret) it doesnt sound right....am i doing something wrong or should it sound correct if those bass notes are correct?

[fatjack]

fatjack another question...the song hey hey what can i do by zeppelin...i can play it on bass and i play G#, D#, F#, C# (so key of C# major basically). but when i play the chords (G D F C shapes capoed on the first fret) it doesnt sound right....am i doing something wrong or should it sound correct if those bass notes are correct?

you have to make sure you are playing relative to the fret

[i am sam2]

fatjack another question...the song hey hey what can i do by zeppelin...i can play it on bass and i play G#, D#, F#, C# (so key of C# major basically). but when i play the chords (G D F C shapes capoed on the first fret) it doesnt sound right....am i doing something wrong or should it sound correct if those bass notes are correct?

you have to make sure you are playing relative to the fret

yeah i capoed the first fret and thus played everything one fret higher...so it should theoretically sound right...correct?

[Duffman]

playing a c relative to the capo is acutally a c#. so you should still fret the 4th fret, or 3rd relative to the capo

[gumbomadness]

can you critique a rough blues jam?
keyboard guy walks bassline while comping/soloing.
i play guitar.
crappy drums (which maybe ruin it) are looped.

listen to the whole thing, the end gets kinda pretty. (4:50)

we did no layering, or practicing.. heh.

http://www.myspace.com/seepersaud

[mlb1399]

Can you explain the difference between leading and passing tones and when they might be used?

[gumbomadness]

Can you explain the difference between leading and passing tones and when they might be used?

im not fatjack, but passing tones are any notes that are used rather quickly (in passing) between chords or longer notes or phrases..

passing tones can be out of key because they are quick, and they add alot of character to solos.. a leading tone for example could be "E" in the key of C, try bending the d up to the e.. its that classic bend, and i believe its a leading tone.

a passing tone in the same solo could be a Bb.. such as a quick chromatic run from A > Bb > B > C.. lingering on the C.

This is what i always understood, but i could be wrong.