Guitar Essentials - Lesson 19: Ask the Teacher 1


Guitar Essentials Part 19 - Ask The Teacher! Lyle: Hope you all had a nice weekend. PaulB: sure, how about you? Lyle: Good weekend, played three gigs Lyle: As part of the Guitar "Essentials series I thought it might be nice to have an open lesson tonight and let you ask me any guitar/music related question. Lyle: I have covered a bunch of different topics for this series in recent lessons. Lyle: Just raise your hand if you have a question and I'll call on you gtrplyr: Can you see my hand from over there? :-) zz: how do you raise you hand in cyber world? Lyle: lol, just kidding zz: LOL Lyle: Let's try one question at a time. Who would like to go first? Lyle: gtrplyr, what is your question? zz: I have one too Lyle: go ahead gtrplyr gtrplyr: lets say you are playing in Em, You can play Em pent or Emaj, or Emaj pent right. well the Emaj pent looks just like the C# min Pent gtrplyr: is that correct? Lyle: Right. The E major pentatonic uses the same notes as the C# minor pentatonic. Lyle: I'll show ya gtrplyr: cool Lyle: Here's an E major scale: Lyle: be sure to view these on the virtual fretboard so you can see the note names/intervals etc. Lyle: The E major pentatonic uses the 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 notes of the E major scale: Lyle: The C# minor uses the 1, b3, 4, 5, and b7 of the C# minor scale: Lyle: The C# minor is the relative minor of the E major key. So the C# minor pentatonic is the relative minor of the E major pentatonic. They use the same 5 notes, just in a different order: Lyle: The relative minor is found three frets lower than the major. gtrplyr: ???? I was getting the 6th Lyle: The 6th degree of any major key can be found three frets lower than the root of that major key. Lyle: The relative minor of any major key is based off the 6th degree of that major key. See "Understanding Modes" or "Fretboard Theory" at the Riff Interactive store. gtrplyr: I get it now Lyle: now I'm confused! gtrplyr: :-) thanks Lyle Lyle: welcome! Lyle: ZZ, still there with a question? zz: when playing what is a good rule of thumb on what scale/mode you should improve in? lets say the key of A. Lyle: improvise? Lyle: Let's say the key of A major. Lyle: I would start with the A major scale. zz: I'm thinking more in terms of modes, when to use and why? Lyle: You could use any mode in the key of A. Lyle: Here's a loopin jam track using the A major chord: Lyle: So I would start with the A major scale: zz: then when you do you use A Phrygian for example? Lyle: the Phrygian mode relates to a different key Lyle: the A Phrygian relates to the key of F major. Lyle: Let's back up a second, what relative minor pentatonic can we use in the key of A major? zz: C gtrplyr: F# PaulB: I say F# zz: B, C, F# Lyle: F# is correct. The F# minor pentatonic is three frets lower than the key of A major. The A major pentatonic and F# minor pentatonic use the same notes: Lyle: Try playing the A major scale then the F# minor pentatonic against the jam track in A and you'll hear how they both work. zz: when can I use the other modes? Lyle: zz, what Phrygian minor scale would you play in the key of A? zz: C Lyle: C# Phrygian is the 3rd mode in the key of A major: zz: sorry forgot the sharp:) Lyle: I would almost never use this mode. Lyle: sounds too much like a monster from Star Trek. PaulB: would you use it if you were playing a certain style of music? Lyle: A Phrygian lap dance perhaps. zz: exactly, thanks Paul! Lyle: I have almost never found a use for this mode. I would use a different mode. zz: which mode? why? Lyle: almost gtrplyr: Like Dorian? gtrplyr: Aeolian Lyle: In the key of A, I would use the A major pentatonic, the F# minor pentatonic, and the A major scale. Lyle: I know how to play the A major scale is so many different shapes and patterns up and down the neck, there is no need for me to think about the other modes. I just think A major scale. PaulB: could you play Phrygian if you were playing some sort of middle-eastern music? zz: good enough...just trying to get your thought process Lyle: Here's an audio example of me playing the key of A major against the jam track: Lyle: In the audio sample I start off by playing the A major scale up and down, then I move into the A major pentatonic/F# minor pentatonic. Then I just go all over the neck while thinking A major. Lyle: ZZ, depending on what kind of chord progression is being used helps me determine what key and what mode I might use. zz: I understand.........there is no real rule. It really depends on what sounds good against the chords. next question gtrplyr: I am starting to grasp something but I am not sure what? Lyle: There are major modes and there and minor modes, and a dominant mode. zz: how about you show us some good Hendrix licks? Lyle: k Lyle: Here's a riff in E Lyle: We might do this again next week and have another "Ask The Teacher" session. Jerry: very cool zz: yes, lets do........I actually learned a lot. Lyle: time flies, sorry I couldn't get to all of your questions. jaxwax: thanks! that was fun! PaulB: I learned a lot Lyle: Have a great week and think of some other questions. Write them down, put them on our forum or email them to me.	<< load notation from left
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