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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Scale patterns
Scale patterns
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Seven.Oh.Three.
148 posts
Aug 15, 2011
8:28 PM
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I've been using Adams paid lessons to learn for the past 9 months. They've been hugely helpfull and couldn't recommend them more to anybody.
However, my computer decided to die. And until I can afford another ive been on my own to continue learning. I ordered a few books of Dave Barrett's Masterclass to hold me over. I'm not finding them as useful as Adams videos but theyre challenging in their own way.
One of the lessions is "scales, patterns & bending exercises #1"
It's been challenging, to say the least. Here's one example:
This is the C major "four pattern"
4+ 4 5+ 4+
4 5+ 5 4
5+ 5 6+ 5+
5 6+ 6 5
6+ 6 7 6+
6 7 7+ 6
7 7+ 8 7
7+ 8 8+ 7+
8 8+ 9 8
8+ 9 9+ 8+
9 9+ 10 9
10+
9 10 9+ 9
8+ 9+ 9 8+
8 9 8+ 8
7+ 8+ 8 7+
7 8 7+ 7
6 7+ 7 6
6+ 7 6 6+
5 6 6+ 5
5+ 6+ 5 5+
4 5 5+ 4
4+
I remember from one of Jason Ricci's videos he talks about the importants of scales and different patterns. This pretty much kept me occupied for a week.
I wonder if this is as complicated as I felt it was or if my newness was showing again. Thoughts?
7.o.3.
Last Edited by on Aug 15, 2011 8:29 PM
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hvyj
1669 posts
Aug 16, 2011
3:33 PM
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What you are calling the C major 4 pattern is just the do-re-mi scale in first position through two registers, repeating certain fragments of the scale out of order as you work your way through the pattern. Not particularly challenging to play from a technical perspective. It does get you concentrating on breath shifts, though, which is good exercise.
Barrett's stuff is very good as far as it goes. It only focuses on blues and only deals with 1st 2nd and 3rd positions. A lot of his books recycle the same info with a few new tidbits added. Nothing wrong with that I suppose since the info is very sound.
Practicing scales is very useful. you learn discipline, it improves your technique and you learn where to find what notes.
Here's useful scale for playing the high end in 2nd position without bends. It is the Mixolydian scale/mode (do-re-mi scale but with a flat seventh): B6 D6 D7 B7 D8 B8 D9 B9. When you bridge up to this scale from the middle register, play B5 instead of D5--it makes for a smoother transition. Do the same transition on the way down. Btw, using D6 (ninth) to bridge up or down from or to B5 (sixth) sounds pretty cool, but you can use B6 instead of D6 if you want to. But stay away from D5 when you bridge the registers . Anyway, this scale works great for blues, so don't obsess over the fact that it includes some non-blues scale tones.
Another useful aspect of practicing scales is learning to hit your draw bends on pitch AND IN THE PROPER ORDER. Like going from D4 to D4* directly out to B4 as you go down the blues scale in 2nd position. Seems very basic, but there's a whole lot of harp players who haven't learned to do it with precision and control.
Here's another trick: Learn the major pentatonic scale (2nd position, lower register): 2D/3B 3D** 3D 4D 5B 6B (upper register): 6B 6D 7D 8D 8B 9B. Why? It has the same notes as the minor pentatonic scale for the relative minor key of the 2nd position key. Since the minor pentatonic scale has all the same notes as the blues scale (less the flat fifth), when you play the major pentatonic scale you are essentially playing blues scale in the relative minor key of the 2nd position key you are in. You can even add 3D* if you want (which is the flat fifth of the relative minor and the flat third of the 2nd position key you are in--if you do this the major pentatonic scale becomes what is sometimes called the "major blues scale" and will be the complete blues scale for the relative minor key BUT to get the complete relative minor blues scale, you start that scale using B2 since the relative minor pentatonic scale starts on a different note even though it otherwise has the same notes as the second position major pentatonic scale). This can sound very cool if you put it in the right spots and and don't over do it--it's something good guitar players will do.
Just be careful about using D3 and D7 on the IV chord if you are playing the Mixolydian scale or the major pentatonic scale because that note is the major 7th of the IV chord.
Then, start to think about the relationship between scale tones and chord tones--including extension tones, and don't let yourself get all bound up in just only playing the blues scale all the time.
FWIW.
[This may be TMI, but since the breath pattern for the major pentatonic scale/major blues scale in 2nd position is the same as the breath pattern for the minor pentatonic scale in 5th position, learning scales also helps open up multiple position playing and makes it easy. But that's a completely different topic.]
Last Edited by on Aug 16, 2011 6:24 PM
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Seven.Oh.Three.
149 posts
Aug 16, 2011
4:30 PM
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Hvyj- thanks for the in depth response. I'm starting to learn about different scale modes, that's what this book covers most. I'll probably have to sit down, read and reread your post. I'm very much a novice in my music knowledge. In addition with the other material I'm working on I'm utilizing Michael Rubins meat and potatoes lessons and book to help.
Perhaps playing the tabs you've referenced will help me understand.
Thanks!!
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hvyj
1670 posts
Aug 16, 2011
4:42 PM
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FWIW, as a purely practical matter, if you learn the blues scale, the minor pentatonic scale and the major pentatonic scale in second position, you can get a whole lot of mileage from just those three scales if you know which one to play over what material. This may not be how they teach theory at Julliard or Berklee, but it's not a bad way to start being able to get around on the instrument well enough to improvise.
By "learn" these scales, i mean being able to play them accurately up and down on demand in your sleep.
in case you don't have it, here's tab for the second position blues scale: 2D/3B 3D* 4B 4D* 4D 5D 6B. For minor pentatonic you play the same scale but leave out the 4D*. Playing blues scale 3D* is played as a blue third and you can put a slight bend on 5D to get a blues seventh/harmonic seventh. Playing minor pentatonic scale you play 3D* as a true minor third and you don't put any bend on 5D.
Now the problem playing 3D* as a "blue third" (quarter tone flat instead of as half step flat minor third) is that note happens to be the seventh of the IV chord and has to be played a half step flat if you play it on the IV chord or it won't sound right. So...despite what Adam preaches, you can always play the third a half step flat when you are starting out and you will always be safe. Then move into the "blue third" tonality after you start to be able to hear your way through the chord changes. Again, this may not be the correct way blue note theory is taught, but it may be a practical way to get started until you learn to get around on the instrument through different chord changes.
Last Edited by on Aug 16, 2011 6:27 PM
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