The Secret Life Of Pentatonics

[psw]

D'oh...double post!!!!

[Paul Marossy]

This is some good reading. How about something like this on the whole tone scale? I like to use the whole tone scale, but I don't know where it can be used in "conventional" music. I can sure jam to the drum machine with it though!

[psw]

Well Paul...it's a huge area of further knowledge.

Whole tone scales, like the diminished scale, are Symetrical Scales.

The whole tone scale being every second note of the chromatic scale:

So:

C...D...E...F#..G#..A#..C

C...D...E...Gb..Ab..Bb..C

and

C#..D#..F...G...A...B...C#

Db...Eb...F...G...A...B...Db

There are only two.

In a Jazz style scale per chord the associatted chord with this sound is the Augmented triad...C E G#...not a chord most people would probably use very often and certainly not for an extended period of time. It's most often used over a dominant V chord but strongly accentuates the b5 and#5.

What it does have is a kind of ambiguous non-resolving "floaty" kind of feel to it.

It does have uses in improvisation to aid in getting "outside" into more chromatic territory. More commonly the diminished scale...but also the whole tone scale...can be used to break down a sense of tonality...this prepares the listener for some unusual chromatic material by disolving the key centre melodically (even though the key may be quite clear in the material you're soloing over).

Similarly, this and the diminished scale can be used as a pivit back to a key centre. The whole tone scale rarely used because....as it lacks innate direction through it's symetery...melodies will often appear to go nowhere.

Perhaps the more common use is to effect a surprising key change. The wole tone scale implies a dominant augmented chord so, using the first example:

C...D...E...F#..G#..A#..C

...you get a Aug chord based on any of these notes which can be used as a V(7) chord to another key. So in the key of C you could modulate to the key's of G, A, B, C#, D# (or their equivilent flats). So if the whole song, or perhaps just the solo section, modulates...say up a half step to C#...this would be a good chord to effect this transition.

That said...Compositionally, I believe Allan Hodsworths track "Three Sheets to the Wind" from Metal Fatigue (if I recall correctly) begins with a whole series of Augmented chords, so it's not impossible to use to create tunes and melodies if you're writing material to suit.

You wont get quite the sound of the whole tone scale from my pentatonic/qartal harmony theory...but you could freely use it to get "outside" or while outside, as it does relate to the chromatic scale (although only half of it). As such, it does relate to the pentatonic theory by their joint relationship to the chromatic scale, but you wont find those augmented triads with all those major thirds in sequence. Their is a similar disorientation with some of the more extended versions of the chromatic scale to give the essence of it.

Anyway....that's your whole tone scale for you....hope I haven't confused anyone with it

Pete

[Paul Marossy]

I have one whole tone line that I like to use to go outside on a pentatonic based thing that I play. It sounds cool. I should try playing that over a chord progression and see how that sounds, I guess. There are some cool sounding lines that you can do with the whole tone scale.

Say, didn't John McLaughlin use the whole tone scale a lot in the Mahuvishnu Orchestra stuff? I thought I read that somewhere - I never really figured out what he's playing...

[psw]

Say, didn't John McLaughlin use the whole tone scale a lot in the Mahuvishnu Orchestra stuff? I thought I read that somewhere - I never really figured out what he's playing...

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I dare say if you're as knowledgable as he is about this kind of stuff..and you can play at his speed...you can play whatever you like!!! Seriously, you can do a lot more with this type of material over an ambiguous drone type of context that he would sometimes get into with the indian influence and all. That's probably why, with a drum machine it works but put it on an actual tune or try and write a song with it and you might have more trouble!

I should say...even though I've mentioned a few Jazz musicians...this is not a "Jazz" thing. The Pentatonic approach works well over Rock and Blues. What the ability to move out of the "box" by using other boxes gives the ability to create tensions and releases with the music...not just to go into some out of key world of your own. You can use it to create harmonic and melodic movement that may not be there in what you're playing over.

The idea is to create an effect. That effect may be...I don't quite understand why I've been led here but it sure feels good now that we've returned to the key...or...Hey, what's going on, oh I see now the harmonies changed...that sort of thing.

Take for example Eddie Van Halen. He often sited Holdsworth as an influence and there's quite a bit of outside playing in his style. Often he'd use symetrical fretboard patterns with little regard to the key. He called the effect the "falling down stairs and landing on your feet" approach. He also did some nifty key changes.

"Jump", for instance riffs away in C then suddenly drops down to Bb for the solo...has some out stuff in the tapping section...then has a big finish building up to the key change back to C. It's more effective than the old modulate up a half step...the solo tells it's own story, rising out of it's lower key like a victory fanfare (accentuated by the following keyboard solo section).

Even Hendrix would stick in out of key notes. The intro to "...Watchtower" contains a natural 6th even though the VI chord in the progression is bVI. While it might have been an unschooled "mistake", correct it and it doesn't have the same effect. "Wind Cry's Mary"'s solo section also has chords outside the songs main progression. While not stricty out...as the chords follow him into these different key centres...he does use multiple pentatonics to get there...one of my favorite solo's of all time, yet such a simple approach.

Blues player's too will be found to be playing out when they anticipate or hold back the pentatonic of the IV or V chord. I've even heard BB King play major or slightly sharpened 3rd's in a minor blues such as in some versions of "The Thrill is Gone".

It's all about tension and release. This is what gives a solo or melody momentum. You can do the same with rhythm playing agaist the beat, etc. This is more a melodic/harmonic approach to a similar thing. Another way would be to put a great big pick slide and a harmonic divebomb in there...similar out effect! My favorite like that is Jimmy Page on "In the Evening" where the solo section enters he has lowed his trem down as far as it will go till the strings are sticking to the pickup poles...the effect is like he's just kicked in a door to the upcoming solo...fantastic stuff!!!

Anyway...it's not all Jazz is what I'm saying!

pete