Choosing what scale to play over any given key....

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Music Junkie
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Mon Aug 31, 2009 10:23 pm

Given my limited knowledge of theory, I am curious about the following (if this is asked somewhere else, I apologize in advance):

How do you go about choosing a scale (major scale, minor pentatonic scale, etc.)?

Does that scale necessarily need to be of the same key? Does that depend on what mood your are trying to convey?

I hope these questions make sense.....

:unsure:


AndyT
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Tue Sep 01, 2009 6:20 am

Neil just covered that in the last TG live. Check it out.
Basicly, you use the scale for the key the song is in.


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Tue Sep 01, 2009 8:56 am

That is what I assumes, just use the scale for the key, I just didn't know how others go about choosing a major scale or a minor pentatonic, or some other sale.....

I'll check out the TG Live vids, and see if there is some more info there.

Thanks Andy!


rcsnydley
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Tue Sep 01, 2009 10:20 am

Music Junkie wrote:
That is what I assumes, just use the scale for the key, I just didn't know how others go about choosing a major scale or a minor pentatonic, or some other sale.....

I'll check out the TG Live vids, and see if there is some more info there.

Thanks Andy!
MJ - you'll find it on part 1 of the videos. This was my question for TG live and Neil answered it perfectly.

Basically, if the song is not blues then you play the scale for the key it is in or it's relative minor key. For example, if the song is in the key of G you can play either the G major scale or the Em scale.

If the song is blues then you play the parallel minor scale of the key of is in. For example, if the song is in G you play the Gm scale and you can also add in the blue notes (b5th).

But, check out the TG live as Andy suggested, Neil gives a nice explanation.

Ric


BigBear
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Tue Sep 01, 2009 12:44 pm

MJ- was your question more about figuring out what key the song is in so you can select the correct scale/pattern to play?


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Tue Sep 01, 2009 1:45 pm

BigBear wrote:
MJ- was your question more about figuring out what key the song is in so you can select the correct scale/pattern to play?
No. I am a little confused about how to ask the question. Right now I am concentrating on ear training in private lessons. I am currently transcribing "Just A Song Before I Go" by CSN. I am pretty sure the song is in the key of F#min with my chords then being F#min / G#dim / A / Bmin / C#min / D / E. The intro is a progression of F#min / C#min / D / Bmin with maybe some alterations to those chords that I have not quite distinguished yet. Over that intro there is a cool little solo. Should I assume that it is played using the F#min pentatonic, the F#min, or something else?

I think it is in F#min pentatonic. If it is, what else could be used according to Neil's explanation? Could I use the relative major scale for F#min? Would that be the A major scale?

I'll see if I can further confuse the situation.......

:huh:


rcsnydley
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Tue Sep 01, 2009 1:50 pm

Music Junkie wrote:
BigBear wrote:
MJ- was your question more about figuring out what key the song is in so you can select the correct scale/pattern to play?
No. I am a little confused about how to ask the question. Right now I am concentrating on ear training in private lessons. I am currently transcribing "Just A Song Before I Go" by CSN. I am pretty sure the song is in the key of F#min with my chords then being F#min / G#dim / A / Bmin / C#min / D / E. The intro is a progression of F#min / C#min / D / Bmin with maybe some alterations to those chords that I have not quite distinguished yet. Over that intro there is a cool little solo. Should I assume that it is played using the F#min pentatonic, the F#min, or something else?

I think it is in F#min pentatonic. If it is, what else could be used according to Neil's explanation? Could I use the relative major scale for F#min? Would that be the A major scale?

I'll see if I can further confuse the situation.......

:huh:
MJ - you could use either the F#m or F#m pentatonic scales as the pentatonic scale is just a subset of the full scale (5 notes instead of 7). You could also use the relative major scale (full or pentatonic) which would indeed be the A major scale.

Ric


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Tue Sep 01, 2009 2:02 pm

rcsnydley wrote:
MJ - you could use either the F#m or F#m pentatonic scales as the pentatonic scale is just a subset of the full scale (5 notes instead of 7). You could also use the relative major scale (full or pentatonic) which would indeed be the A major scale.

Ric
Ric:

That is what I was hoping for. I tried to think that through, so if I was wrong, it would have been back to the drawing board. Thanks so much for the input!

MJ :)


rcsnydley
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Tue Sep 01, 2009 2:11 pm

My pleasure MJ, glad to be of assistance.

Ric


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