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HomeBeyondBlues:KeepingitSimplewithBluesScaleTransitions
more...IntermediateHowTosLessonsLessonsSoundSamplesBluesBeyondBluesScalesTab

BeyondBlues:KeepingitSimplewithBluesScale
Transitions
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BeyondBlues:KeepingitSimplewithBluesScaleTransitions

CoreyChristiansen
November27,2012
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OnethingIloveaboutthebluesisthatyoucanmakeitassimpleorcomplicated
asyouwant.Iveheardsomeawesomesolosthatonlyusedtwoorthreenotes
fromthebluesscale,andIveheardsomegreatsolosthatusedallkindsof
complexconceptsandmoreacademicscales.Ivealsowitnessedsomeless
thanstellarsolosthatusebothapproaches.However,whenguitaristsstartto
ventureintotherealmofmodalblues,theygenerallythrowalotofgoodthings
outthewindow.Youknow,essentialelementslikegoodtiming,goodphrasing,
andtheideathatthereshouldstillbeamelodypresent.Thelastthingyouwantis
tosoundlikeyouareplayingsomekindoftude.
Thetransitionfromsoloingentirelywiththebluesscaletomodalplaying
mostlyusingtheMixolydianmode,sinceitfunctionsoverdominant7chords
canattimessoundacademic.Inthislessonwewilllookatamethodformaking
thistransitionnotsoundlikesomelameexercise.
Heresthefirstthing:Neverturnyourbackonthebluesscaleasyoutransition
intomodalmelodies.Ithasbeen,is,andwillforeverbeyourmamma.Thatscale
cangetyououtofajamlikenoother.Andbesides,itjustsoundsgreat.Period.
Plus,itworksoverallthree(I,IV,andV)chordsinatypicalbluesprogression.
http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/Beyond_Blues_Keeping_it_Simple_with_Blues_Scale_Transitions

Chops:Intermediate
Theory:Intermediate
LessonOverview:
Createahybridscale
fromtheMixolydianmode
andbluesscale.
Developsingable
melodiestoplayovera
blues.
Learnhowtoincorporate
nineof12possiblenotes
overanychord.
Clickheretodownloada
printablePDFofthis
lesson'snotation.

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Ontheotherhand,theMixolydianmodeneedstochangetofitovereachchord.Soletskeepitsimpleandjust
workononemodefornowandfuseitwiththebluesscale.
Isuggestyoutryoutthenewsound(themodalsound)onjustonechordatatime.PlaytheGMixolydianmode
(GABCDEF)overtheIchordinaGbluesandtheGbluesscale(GBbCDbDF)overalltheother
chords.Thiskeepsthingsfromgettingcomplicated.
Also,ratherthanapproachingthemodalthingasanewconcept,letsjustbuildonthefoundationwealready
haveinthebluesscale.Simplyaddingafewnoteswillbuildonsomethingwealreadyknow.
Now,ifwecomparethenotesintheGMixolydianmodeandtheGbluesscale,younoticetheonlynoteswe
needtoaddtothebluesscalearethe2/9(A),3(B),and6/13(E).
Starttobuildanumberofmelodieswithgoodphrasing,ofcoursethatfocusonthebluesscalewiththe
occasionalhintofthemodalsoundwereworkingon.CheckoutthesoloinFig.1.Forthisexample,Illonly
addthemajor3(B)and6(E)tomypalette.

Whenyoulearnascale,itsimportanttovisualizeandunderstandhowitliesonthefretboard.Thiswillopenup
yourfingerstonewideasandgiveyouafeelforhowtoconnectdifferentshapesonthefretboard.
Therearealotofpossibilities,whenyoucreateahybridscalebyfusingtheGMixolydianmodeandtheGblues
scale.Whenviewedthisway,theonlynotesthatarentincludedwithintheoneoctaveframeworkareAb,D#,
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andF#.Downtheroad,wellcomeupwithsomeotherrulestoincludethem.InFig.2,youcanseeafew
suggestedfingeringsforthisscaleonebasedoffofa6thstringrootandthenoffa5thstringrootinthekey
ofG.

ThisMixobluesfusionofscalescreatesplentyofpossibilitiesforourIchord.Forthoseofyouplayingalong
(andIhopethatisallofyou),youcannowapplythissameprincipalfortheIVchord(Gblues+CMixolydian)
andtheVchord(Gblues+DMixolydian)tocoverallthreechordsfoundinthebluesprogression.
Goodluckandhaveagoodtimewithallthismaterial.Remember,whenyouarelearningsomethingnew,tryto
seehowitcanrelatetosomethingyoualreadyknow.Thiswayyouwontfeellikeyouarealwayslearning
everythingfromtheverybeginningeachtimeyouembarkonanewmusicaljourney.Practicehard.Practice
smart.
CoreyChristiansen
CoreyChristiansen,aformersenioreditorandguitarclinicianforMelBayPublications,isknownforhisfluid
jazzimprovisationandinstructionalchops.HeteachesfulltimeatUtahStateUniversityandisanArtistin
ResidenceattheJacobsSchoolofMusicinBloomington,Indiana,theAtlantaInstituteofMusic,andthe
BroadwayMusicSchool.TolearnmoreabouthisCDsandDVD,andseehiscurrentworkshopandperformance
schedule,visitcoreychristiansen.com.PhotobyJimmyKatz
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Karl

1308daysago

aretheesechordsforpickingorstrumming
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gibstrat

1369daysago

awesome,thankyoucorey
Reply Share

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