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the third eye

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  18. basic intervals/scales lesson for beginners

    in Players Corner

    Posted

    PART 1

    i'll be using intervals basically cos i think it's one of the best ways to learn scales,

    for the beginners, the abbreviations i'm using mean:

    min2=minor 2nd, guess what maj2 means? :D (major 2nd)

    perf4=perfect 4th, dim5=diminished 5th, aug4=augmented 4th

    so let's learn some intervals :D

    we start with the root note (this is the key you are playing in)

    so if you're trying to work out the Cmaj scale, first you find a C note and call it the root note, we're aiming to get to the octave(same note 12 frets up) and to work out all the notes we want in between, then we'll have a scale!

    now let's take a look at the following table of intervals

    INTERVALS   AKA

root  	

min2  	

maj2       dim3

min3       aug2

maj3       dim4

perf4      aug3

dim5       aug4

perf5      dim6

min6       aug5

maj6       dim7

min7       aug6

maj7

octave     root
    only worry about the first column for now, once you've found a root note go one fret higher and you have your min2, keep going up a fret at a time and down the tables first column... so say our root is an open string, min2 becomes the 1st fret ,maj2=2nd fret,min3=3rd fret, maj3=4th fret, perf4=5th fret, dim5=6th fret, perf5=7th fret, min6=8th fret, maj6=9th fret, min7=10th fret, maj7=11th fret, and the octave is the 12th fret let's say our root is A(5th fret on the E string), then A# becomes our min2 and B our maj2, next fret is the min3, next fret is maj3 and so on... they are all 1 fret apart basically you can look at scales as being the root/octave and a selection of intervals between them to learn a new scale you will only need to know the intervals it consists of, as long as you know how to work out the intervals distance from the root(where to find say...a min6 or a perf5..etc) say you learn the minor scale and someone says "now play the harmonic minor scale" , you say "what? play it yourself dammit!" so they tell you that to play the harmonic minor scale simply take all the intervals from the minor scale but replace the min7 with a maj7, there, all of a sudden (as long as you know where your 7th intervals are located) you know the harmonic minor scale! :D and can expand it across the fretboard because you know every octave you find is also a root right? so from each root/octave you can go to the next interval, say it's a maj2, to a min3..etc and you'll start to learn scales all over the board! now let's learn a scale!! w00t!! first up, the Aeolian mode ....aka ...the minor scale! here's the intervals: maj2, min3, perf4, perf5, min6, min7 so if we expand this across the strings we get this shape: 
    
e---|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|---

b-T-|----------|----------|---PERF5--|--MIN6----|---...ETC-|---

g---|----------|---MAJ2---|---MIN3---|----------|--PERF4---|---

d-A-|---MIN6---|----maj6--|--MIN7----|---maj7---|--OCTAVE--|---

a---|---MIN3---|--maj3----|---PERF4--|--dim5----|--PERF5---|---

e-B-|----------|----------|---ROOT---|---min2---|---MAJ2---|---

    we are playing the ones in capital letters

    and can expand by following on from the octave!(maj2, min3,perf4, perf5...etc)

    now meet the family:

    MODES

    Aeolian(minor) ------- maj2, min3, perf4, perf5, min6, min7

    Mixolydian(jazz) ------- maj2, maj3, perf4, perf5, maj6, min7

    Lydian(Steve Vai!!) ------- maj2, maj3, aug4, perf5, maj6, maj7

    Phrygian ------- min2, min3, perf4, perf5, min6, min7

    Dorian ------- maj2, min3, perf4, perf5, maj6, min7

    Ionian(major) ------- maj2, maj3, perf4, perf5, maj6, maj7

    Locrian ------- min2, min3, perf4, dim5, min6, min7

    to play say, the lydian mode, you would simply find your root,maj2,maj3,aug4,perf5,maj6,maj7,octave and play with these!

    technical note: the interval actually refers to the space between the root and another note, they don't exist without the root because it is a measurement of distance in sound from the root, a relationship between two notes, there's no need to understand this right now though B)

    let's look at that second column from before, the 'also known as' column

    these are simply what the interval is also known as :D

    if my scale goes root, min2, min3, maj3, perf5, min6, min7 you can see i have two 3rds and no fourth B)

    so let's call the maj3 a dim4 instead, there! we can count to 7 again (yay!)

    augmentation is the sharpening of an interval

    diminution is the flattening of one

    an augmented chord is a chord which contains an augmented interval(yes, chords are made with intervals too, cool huh?)

    when i refer to an augmented interval though, imagine the min3/maj3 is the 3rds territory, when it exits it's territory to a higher note it becomes augmented, opposite for diminished, if it is raised a half step from a min3 it's not augmented because it's still in it's territory, it simply changed into a maj3 B)

    PART 2

    relativity between scales:

    let's take your aeolian mode...

    if you play it in A, we get...

    root, maj2, min3, perf4, perf5, min6, min7 or A, B, C, D, E, F, G

    now take the locrian mode in B..................we get B, C, D, E, F, G, A

    now take the ionian mode in C.......................we get C, D, E, F, G, A,

    dorian in D........................................................................D, E, F, G, A, B, C

    i think you get the point.... :D (notice they all have the same notes)

    so they all overlap!

    it's because all 7 modes i stated before relate to eachother

    the relative dorian to A aeolian is....you guessed it...D!

    relative dorian to C Ionian= D!

    relative ionian to A aeolian= C!

    relative locrian to D dorian= B!

    relative minor to Gmajor=.....E!

    relative minor to G#major=...F!

    if we take the minor scale(or aeolian)

    we know starting from the maj2 is the relative locrian

    starting from the min3 is the relative ionian

    starting from perf4=relative dorian

    perf5=relative phrygian

    min6=relative lydian

    min7=relative mixolydian

    so if i'm playing D aeolian but don't know the shapes very well i can switch to E locrian or A# lydian and learn 2 scales at once if i know a few basic shapes or even just the theory of which interval i can hit next..etc

    also if i was playing in D aeolian over a D minor based riff and the riff changed to an A# lydian chord progression or something

    i can keep playing D aeolian cos it's the same notes but it will feel and sound different over the new lydian based riff

    a good technique would also be to accentuate the lydian nature of the scale (the root note which has now changed and the Augmented 4th because it's the only note that seperates lydian from ionian(major) and it's what gives lydian it's flavour..

    PART 3

    more on relativity:

    think of scales as familys

    family no.1 has 7 members(modes):

    ionian,locrian,aeolian,mixolydian,lydian,phrygian and dorian

    one for each note...

    if you were playing from the ionian mode in any key, the maj2 would be where the dorian starts, maj3 is where the phrygian starts and so on...

    if you were playing from the mixolydian mode in any key, the maj2 would be where aeolian starts, maj3 would be where locrian starts and so on....

    so each member in family1 has 7 notes or 'doorways' to get to it's sister modes including itself

    family no.2 has the same principles only it's of a different genetic makup...for example one of it's members is the harmonic minor scale which contains a maj2, min3, perf4, perf5, min6, MAJ7(the major 7th is what seperates it from a normal minor scale)

    nowhere in family no1 can this shape be found. that's why it's in family2

    it's first sister mode is found starting on the maj2, next one on the min3, next one on the perf4...etc

    so this family also contains 7 members

    family no.3 is the pentatonic family of only 5 members

    you can find the members from each note in this pattern: root, min3, perf4, perf5, min7, octave

    this is why scales are not as daunting as they seem, once you know one member of a family, you know every member of the family by starting from the different intervals, you're just yet to be introduced B)

    if you've ever heard the terms major scale's 3rd degree, or lydian's 3rd degree, or anything like that what it refers to is the mode found at the mentioned interval

    eg. ionian's 4th degree=the mode that is found starting from the perf4 in the ionian scale, which happens to be....

    well the maj2 member is dorian, maj3 member is phrygian, perf4 member is LYDIAN!

    so the ionian's 4th degree is lydian!!

    there might be a part 4 one day but for now you can research for yourself B)

    peace B)

    PS: if someone can give me the names of the harmonic minor and pentatonic modes (family2 and 3) i'll edit them in here :D

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