FENDER PLAYERS CLUB SCALE COMBINING

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Reginald Doyle
6 years ago
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1 Scale combining is found in the playing of the world s greatest guitarists. From the mixed mode rock n roll riffs of bands like Aerosmith, ZZ Top, and AC/DC; to the permutated blues vocabulary of Beck, Page, and Blackmore; to the sophisticated hard rock lines of Van Halen, Paul Gilbert, and Eric Johnson; to the fusion outings of Larry Carlton and Robben Ford, it is a mainstay of modern music and creative improvisation. As an introduction to the art of scale combining, consider the A minor and A major pentatonic scales. You can expand the musical possibilities of these scales by combining the five basic fingering forms of both in an additive sense. This is far simpler than it sounds. For example, let s combine the A minor and A major pentatonic shapes at the second position to demonstrate. Remember you are thinking of these two shapes as a pair the minor/major faces of the same coin. Begin by playing these two forms separately but back-to-back with the A5 chord holding the scales together. FIG. 1A A minor pentatonic A major pentatonic FIG. 1B Sample phrase 1

2 Now try this riff, which illustrates basic scale combining of A minor and A major pentatonics. The melody uses notes selectively from the two scales in the same position. FIG. 2 The combining in this case creates the classic rock and blues hybrid scales that contain both minor (C) and major (C#) third intervals as well as the major sixth (F#) and minor seventh (G) in the melody line of a riff. Remember: C and G are derived from the A minor pentatonic, C# and F# are part of the A major pentatonic, and A and E are common to both. FIG

3 To solidify and further exploit this scale combining idea, let s take the riff through a twelve-bar blues progression in A. This will involve playing on the chord changes of A, D, and E and moving the riff accordingly. The changes are arranged in this pattern a la the Johnny B. Goode twelve-bar of Chuck Berry. A D A E A I IV I V I measure: 1 through 4 5 and 6 7 and 8 9 and and 12 FIG

4 Here s another example. This one is a characteristic A minor/major pentatonic line similar to the scale combining licks of Van Halen, George Lynch, Paul Gilbert, and countless other modern guitarists. Again it s played in the second/third position and selectively uses notes from both scales. Notice also the sequencing pattern heard in the second measure. It really emphasizes the half-step intervals between C and C#, and F# and G. FIG. 5 Study the scale breakdown (in dotted brackets) see the various references to both A minor and A major pentatonic. Now try the same phrase an octave higher at the fourteenth/fifteenth position. FIG

5 String bending can add an interesting inflection to the scale combining technique, as this lick demonstrates. The C is bent to C# and the F# bent to G, phrasing the 1/2 step intervals in a far different way than normal fretting. FIG. 7 The addition of the major 2nd (M2) from the major pentatonic scale to the minor pentatonic scale is such a recurrent sound in modern music that it has warranted a name of its own: hexatonic scale (six-note scale). By harnessing your newly acquired knowledge of scale combining, you can create a hexatonic scale by selecting the M2 (B) from the A major pentatonic and adding it to the A minor pentatonic. You will generate this interval layout: A B C D E G A root M2 m3 P4 P5 m7 root These sounds are frequently found in the lines of Jimi Hendrix ( Foxy Lady solo) as well as in the playing of Ritchie Blackmore, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Johnson, and many others. Here s an example of A minor pentatonic with the added M2 (B) in the 5th position blues box shape. It adds a touch of color to the otherwise traditional pentatonic lick. FIG

6 Here s another. This one mixes a familiar blues cliché with a rolling ostinato (a repeating motif) pattern exploiting the added M2 (B). The hexatonic scale is clearly at work in this phrase. Listen for B (M2) as the operative note in the ostinato section. FIG. 9 Any notes exclusive to A minor pentatonic may be successfully combined with notes from the A major pentatonic only your taste and imagination can determine the limits. The ear, as always, is the final judge of what works and what doesn t. For background, and to help the ear along in its development, look for scale combining in the repertoires of the great players. Start with basic blues - you have the necessary tools already at your disposal. You now have knowledge of both pentatonics from Basics 3 - minor and major, you know the twelve-bar form from Basics 1 and its harmonic rhythm, and you understand the preliminaries of scale combining. Now direct your power and reinforce the learning experience with some real recorded music. For instance, you could analyze Clapton s solo in his immortal rendition of Hideaway [Freddie King] on Blues Breakers* (see Power Studies 3) [Blue Breakers, John Mayall with Eric Clapton, Uni/Mercury (1966)]. You would find a wealth of ideas in his second solo chorus, containing varied mixtures of E minor and E major pentatonic. Chart out the twelve-bar progression in measures. (This would work for any song.) A simple form chart would look like this: E A E B A E B I IV I V IV I V measure: 1 through 4 5 and 6 7 and Now simply fill in the general points and whatever details seem relevant. Here s a sample: You can supercharge your conclusions by committing the scale positions to MTG (MUSIC/TAB/GRID) thinking and visualizing, making pictorial diagrams of the physical shapes and their changing faces during the scale combining process. 6

This lesson is from the book: Advanced Concepts and Techniques: A Complete Guide to Mastering the Guitar by Wolf Marshall. The perfect follow-up book for graduates of the Wolf Marshall Guitar Method.

Chapters include: triads, scale combining, modes, arpeggios, pentatonics, wide intervals, tap-on technique, and more. Inventory # HL 697253. Book $9.95 (US).

7 This lesson is from the book: Advanced Concepts and Techniques: A Complete Guide to Mastering the Guitar by Wolf Marshall. The perfect follow-up book for graduates of the Wolf Marshall Guitar Method. With this book, you'll explore the advanced styles of today's greatest players from jazz to monster rock dudes and learn how to combine all you know to make music - your music. Chapters include: triads, scale combining, modes, arpeggios, pentatonics, wide intervals, tap-on technique, and more. Inventory # HL Book $9.95 (US). Other books referred to in this lesson are also from the Wolf Marshall Guitar Method series. * Tablature for Hideaway can be found in: Blues Breakers John Mayall with Eric Clapton Guitar Recorded Versions Inventory # HL Book $19.95 (US). 7

Blues Guitar 101 Classic Licks

Blues Guitar 101 Classic Licks Essential Blues Guitar Licks and Phrases Written By: Matthew Warnock Audio By: Jack Taylor Published By: Guitar for Life LLC Copyright 2018 Guitar for Life LLC mattwarnockguitar.com