saturn Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 When I was learning to play, back in the 80s , I was mostly trying to learn the scale based lead stuff like Randy Rhoads, Al DiMeola etc. Consequently I played a lot of minor and harmonic minor stuff. Then I got heavily into blues and played mainly minor pentatonic and blues scale. I also learned some time ago how to play the major and major pentatonic scale to get a counrty sound, or even a Jimi Hendrix ala "Wind Cries Mary" style sound. Now with the guys I play with, I play rock, pop, county and blues. I can do almost anything I need in all those styles playing the full major/minor scales or the major/minor pentatonic. It's all pretty much the same patterns, just differs which positions I play them in, and where I resolve the note. I sometimes throw in notes "out of the scale" by ear, but these days I don't think too much about exotic scales or modes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Depends on how I feel that day. My favorite is the Spanish Phrygian (listen to YYZ as an example). Mixolydian is pretty cool too. Lately I've been tooling around with Dorian with a #4th. So for a D Dorian it's D, E, F, G#, A, B, C, D. A lot of Greek music is based on that mode. Neat stuff... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tman Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 much good music isnt always super technical Completely agree. Good on ya. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silenced Fred Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 I try to play diversely, but most of it comes back to folk/power chords, me singing and some leads thrown in to taste Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Versatile Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 One more thing...just while I'm thinking of it. It really threw a wrench in my system when I learned about relative minors, and how they relate to the major scale they're relative to. For example, I've never really gotten a clear answer on a question such as, "This piece is listed as being in Em, so is it inaccurate to say it's in GMaj? If so, why?" Boggles my mind to this day. I was told once that it is accurate, but composers chose to name something in a minor key simply because the song or piece "sounds minor". Which I get, but I don't get.... A very good point.... Generally a tune in Gmajor will harmonise with chords G,C and D7 etc.... A tune in Em will harmonise with chords Em,Am and B7 etc Not a perfect 'rule' but at least a guide into the wonderful world of keys,harmony,reason and mood behind some musical concepts.... V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dub-T-123 Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 I have no idea what I'm playing like 99% of the time. Names of chords and scales were never important to me. I mean I know all the basic chords and what's major and minor and 7ths and stuff but I don't know any of that inverted b sus with the flat 5th stuff or whatever haha I'm sure I play some chords with crazy names like that but I don't care to name them. The sound/ fingering is good enough for me. I think I sound better when I stray from scales that I know Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duende Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 In regards to the above post - cheers to you! In music there are so many ways to approach the various obstacles and challenges it presents.There isn't a definitive uniformed approach that is 'the way' . Or to quote Bruce Lee when asked his approach to martial arts he answered 'no style as style, no way as way' It took me a long time to not just know this, but also teach with this mindset. In the beginning, as a young teacher, I was less sympathetic to the differences each pupil had. I was by no means a tyrant, but I realised over the years, that it was better to really listen to a pupil and hear what they had to say re how they learned, i.e If something was working for them, then why impose 'my way' on them, when their way got them to the same place. I suppose it is about balance ultimately. Bless you all, you all rock Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAS44 Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 I have no idea what I'm playing like 99% of the time. Names of chords and scales were never important to me. I mean I know all the basic chords and what's major and minor and 7ths and stuff but I don't know any of that inverted b sus with the flat 5th stuff or whatever haha I'm sure I play some chords with crazy names like that but I don't care to name them. The sound/ fingering is good enough for me. I think I sound better when I stray from scales that I know I gotcha there, I do that all the time. When improvising, I tend to lay down strange chords whose names would baffle me. It's more about feel than knowledge sometimes! Though when I do find one that sounds really nice, I like to have it written down so I can find alternate fingerings and such. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Namvet Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 I use standard tuning and basic chords with minors & 7ths primarily. I'm into 60s 70s rock and blues. Creatively I seem to lean toward folk rock. Never had lessons and play much by ear. Guess at best I'm a novice. I bet it would be fun to jam with Damian, LOL! Could call it the "Disabled Jam". Of course, anyone getting in on this would have to be "disabled". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FirstMeasure Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Depends on how I feel that day. My favorite is the Spanish (listen to YYZ as an example). Mixolydian is pretty cool too. Lately I've been tooling around with Dorian with a #4th. So for a D Dorian it's D, E, F, G#, A, B, C, D. A lot of Greek music is based on that mode. Neat stuff... You've probably seen Rio Bravo. When they start playing "The Deguello" down in the cantina it's all E Phrygian. Then the "Rifle, Pony, and Me" song is fun to lay along with, but it's just F's and C's, maybe a G I forget right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duende Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 I can't remember which guitarist said it, but a few years ago in an interview, the guy being interviewed said he got to the stage that he was getting so wound up and tense with music, worrying if what he was playing sounded right, if he was in the right key etc, his enjoyment was being ruined. At the end of his teather, one day he gave himself a pep talk and thought, 'you PLAY music' - and playIng is meant to be enjoyable and fun :) Once he'd reminded himself of that, he said he not only began enjoying his music making again, but as a byproduct got his playing back on course too. And jeez what fun it is!!! I so still get butterflies when I am out in the day and think of my guitar. I just can't wait to get home and play it! Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FirstMeasure Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 i agree it seems to be geometric and mathematical in many ways ..very much transcendental a real spiritual experience i often see the music it appears in patterns and colours and also the emotion it evokes it can really affect people ..i think playing sometimes is when you stop thinking and start feeling What I meant by Math was the way Music is written. Quarter Notes, Half Notes, 16th Notes, Dotted Notes where you increase the value of the note by half it's original value. Triplets where a Beat is divided into 3 beats (a transcendental Figure). Then you go Tying Notes together so you're adding note values. Music Theory (explaining Music) is largely based on Math. It doesn't just seem that way, it is. However, Playing Music has little to do with Math. Your Ear doesn't care if you the nailed the values of the notes in a 16th note run. It still sounds cool if you fit 5 notes into the space of one beat, and it's easy to play, but it's hard to write it down on paper or explain to someone without an instrument in hand. It's when people try to play the Math that things get sterile. I have no idea what I'm playing like 99% of the time. Names of chords and scales were never important to me. I mean I know all the basic chords and what's major and minor and 7ths and stuff but I don't know any of that inverted b sus with the flat 5th stuff or whatever haha I'm sure I play some chords with crazy names like that but I don't care to name them. The sound/ fingering is good enough for me. I think I sound better when I stray from scales that I know I hope you don't mind if I use you as an example. You're like a cabinet maker that doesn't know the names of all the different joints. You might be able to make a beautiful dove tailed corner, but you don't know what to call it. Doesn't mean you can't make Cabinets better than the Professional with a shop who know the names of all the joints. It just means you can't really talk about it with other Cabinet Makers. Whether you call it a Screwdriver or a Plus-ended twisty tool, you're still just driving screws with it. I do find it interesting that Music is one of the only trade/pastime where Terminology is ignored as Unimportant. But if you don't know that the Fret-Thinggy that goes in your drill press is a "Caul", or that the part of the fret that goes in the slot is the "Tang," then no Luthier would take you seriously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damian Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 An interesting point here......Many famous and great musicians CAN'T read music, and many famous crappy musicians CAN read music....It's rather subjective.......... IMHO, often the audience does not / will not know...Sometimes they will know if a musician can or can't read music...Often the audience does not care.................. If the music is good, and the playing is good, well then............................................. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FirstMeasure Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 An interesting point here......Many famous and great musicians CAN'T read music, and many famous crappy musicians CAN read music....It's rather subjective.......... IMHO, often the audience does not / will not know...Sometimes they will know if a musician can or can't read music...Often the audience does not care.................. If the music is good, and the playing is good, well then............................................. To further my Cabinet Making Analogy, those who buy and use the cabinets certainly have no clue what goes into making the Cabinet, and whether the maker knows the names of all the Joints is entirely Irrelevant. However, you'd be hard pressed to find that many cabinet makers that don't know the Terminology of their trade. Is there a Mind Set in Cabinet making that says "Dude, if you learn the names of your Joints you'll loose your Heart and Soul as a Cabinet Maker". To me, music Theory is just knowing your Terminology. Nothing Soul Sucking about it. Let's shift the analogy to the Culinary Arts. One simple question separates Cooks from Chefs, "Do you know your Onions?" It doesn't speak to the abilities of the chef, but it does speak to his commitment to his art. And...Let's not forget the other side of your coin, Damian. There's plenty of Unlearned Musicians that suck and Plenty of Well Schooled musicians that Rock Hard (Billy Joe Armstrong vs. Brain May for example). The Good to Bad ratio pretty much holds true for both camps, which tells me talent is talent, Avoiding the Terminology of Music will not help if the artist naturally Sucks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damian Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Anyhow, the thread asks what scales and chords do you use ????? My answer is; Most of them..................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FirstMeasure Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 Anyhow, the thread asks what scales and chords do you use ????? My answer is; Most of them..................... Yes, but how would you Describe those scales and chords? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damian Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 Reserved spot... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shnate McDuanus Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 It's crass to imply that a musician who knows his theory is more likely to be bad than one who doesn't, and it's pedantic to imply that the best musicians don't know how to describe what they're doing. Also, theory can often be a gateway to more interesting music, if you know what you're doing. Chew on that for a little, guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duende Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 What I meant by Math was the way Music is written. Quarter Notes, Half Notes, 16th Notes, Dotted Notes where you increase the value of the note by half it's original value. Triplets where a Beat is divided into 3 beats (a transcendental Figure). Then you go Tying Notes together so you're adding note values. Music Theory (explaining Music) is largely based on Math. It doesn't just seem that way, it is. However, Playing Music has little to do with Math. Your Ear doesn't care if you the nailed the values of the notes in a 16th note run. It still sounds cool if you fit 5 notes into the space of one beat, and it's easy to play, but it's hard to write it down on paper or explain to someone without an instrument in hand. It's when people try to play the Math that things get sterile. I agree, in a lot of music that is the case, but I think there are some exceptions where the music composed is on a different mental level; like the music of Bach (J.S) for example! Bach himself attested to his use of formulas and a mathematical method of composition. I don't for one minute misinterpret that to mean he didn't use artistry; you only have to listen to a piece like The Goldberg Variations to hear that it is as evocative as it is beautifully logical, but I think without the maths, the music wouldn't have been possible. On the reverse, there is this lovely quote from Einstein who sort sanctuary in music, to enable his mind to find peace and often answers to his latest problem. (When asked about his theory of relativity ): "It occurred to me by intuition, and music was the driving force behind that intuition, My discoveries were the result of musical perception ... If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music". " He often told me that one of the most important things in his life was music. Whenever he felt he had come to the end of the road or into a difficult situation in his work, he would take refuge in music and that would usually resolve all his difficulties" Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FirstMeasure Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 In complete agreement there, Matt. I had no Idea Einstein was a musician. I wonder if he had any Weekend Gigs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duende Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 In complete agreement there, Matt. I had no Idea Einstein was a musician. I wonder if he had any Weekend Gigs. Actually LOL, he kind of did!! He played as an amateur violinist in various orchestras etc. Einstein and also the great Carl Sagan, really showed that science can be poetic and beautiful and not just cold facts. As much as I respect his intelligence, Richard Dawkins I find to leave me cold. :( Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damian Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 Actually LOL, he kind of did!! He played as an amateur violinist in various orchestras etc. Einstein and also the great Carl Sagan, really showed that science can be poetic and beautiful and not just cold facts. As much as I respect his intelligence, Richard Dawkins I find to leave me cold. :( Matt Einstein thought about playing the saxophone, but he was really into string theory.....Besides, he was so bad at the saxophone that his wife told him to put it in a Salk......So, he put the sax out to Pasteur, which made him sad, so he drank Galileo wine, wine so bad he found it a-Pauling...... When he drank, his wife found him a Bohr, and made him walk the Planck....Einstein did do a good cover of R.E.M.'s " Man On the Moon" though....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duende Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 Einstein thought about playing the saxophone, but he was really into string theory..... That was really ropey, for pluck's sake! Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Notes_Norton Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 Scales: About 75% pentatonic and blues scale, because the music that I play for (the general baby-boomer audience) requires that. Of course when playing something other than rock 'n' roll, I play whatever I think is appropriate for the song. The mix of music that I play is probably 75% baby-boomer music with some Musica Latina, Calypso/Soca/Reggae, Light Jazz, C&W, Blues, R&B, and a few other genres thrown in (depending on the audience). Chords: Mostly barre and other moveable chords. Again because of the music my audience. If I were playing country or folk, I'd play more of the 'cowboy chords'. Melody: I try to play melodically, use my technique sparingly, and use my chops to serve the music (not the other way around). What kind of music do I love? Every kind. I tend to listen to 'classical' in the mornings (romantic era to present), and a mix of jazz, rock, blues, Latin American, African, and other forms of music throughout the rest of the day - depending on my mood. You can play for yourself, you can play for other musicians, or you can play for the general public. If you do it well enough, you will get the audience you asked for. Other than a brief period when I decided I wanted to play jazz, I've always played for the general public, and they have never let me down. Right now I'm playing mostly Yacht Clubs, Country Clubs, Private Clubs and the spin-off private parties. The gigs are shorter, the audiences extremely appreciative, and the pay is better than other types of gigs around here. Notes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShredAstaire Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 I'm a riff guy....95% rhythm player...i play mostly heavy, groovy rock with a side dish of metal. (I like chugga chugs)... When I do solo...i have no idea what mode i'm using...i just work hard to come up with something that sounds *right* to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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