In response to the many theory tips, in particular the "Playing
Tips" by Richard Stringer last week, I decided to share some of my tips.

1) Interval s: Most people form chords of thirds, R-3-5-7. Try
instead fifths, 1-5-9(2). A) this concentrates the chord on the root. B)
there is a lot of space for like instruments in register to fill up. C) it
is harder for amps to screw up the tone, and it gives one more effect room.
D) fifths are power chords, so feel the power! E) Hardly anyone plays a power
chord based on a power chord.

Fourths. Fourths 1-4-b7 a) since there is no third,
the chord is simultaneously minor and major, none or both. b) the wide
spaces work in the same way as fifths. c) one can cram a four-note seventh
chord into three notes.


2) Pentatonics. The pentatonic scale is based consecutive notes on the
circle of fifths, BEADGFC then all flat, in C min it is G F C Bb Eb
rearranged to C Eb F G Bb. For reasons of theory, the scale is powerful.
Blues people like to add the tri-tone, the F#(Gb) to make it more scale
worthy. I like to add the (B natural) and sometime the (E natural) to
execute my favorite pentatonic phrase. Right after I learned about the
importance of the tri-tone but before I got into fourths, I found that adding
the natural seventh would suggest a certain pattern. I saw that from IV to V
there was a series of three half-steps. Adding a natural VII between the
bVII and I made another three half-step pattern. I also forgot the rule of
nines which states the distance between notes is also the remainder of the
distance subtracted by 9. Fourths are also fifths in that a (c to g) and (g
to c) is 5 and 4, 9-5=4. Thus I got this pattern of diads of F-Bb, F#-B nat,
G-C. which are all fourths apart. To further this idea, try a C7 #9 chord
spelled C-E-G-Bb-Eb. The difference is that there is now the addition of the
E natural. This is legal as blues people often make the third more
ambiguous. Extending the pattern now try F-Bb-Eb, F#-B nat-E nat, G-C-F,
(the last F could seed this pattern again) This chords are two spacings of
fouths, and really 7 (sus4) chords. Two scalar ideas both involve
triplets. A) the scale in C is C-Eb-E-F-F#-G-Bb-B. Phrasing in triplets,
play (C-Eb-E) (F-F#-G) (Bb-B-C). Triplets highlight the three notes
grouping. Eighth notes lead to C-Eb 2 E-F 3 F#-G 4 Bb B back to 1 C! One
might notice that the C Half-whole scale looks a lot like this scale. The
H-W- scale is c is C C# Eb E nat Gb Gnat A Bb. A two triplet pattern would
be ([denotes grace note]) (C[C#]-Eb-E) (Gb-G-[A]Bb) back to C! I like the
pattern besides the bending goodness, is because it highlight the C-Eb group
and the F-G group, with the Bb suggesting the B-C group and that the only
illegal featured note is the natural third. Don't be hestitant to put the
sixths, in this case the A, and the ninths, the D in. Circle of fitthswise,
that gives you Gb-B-E-A-D-G-F-C-Bb-Eb series which is guite a link and has
every note accounted for. Thus in C, try a super-blues scale of C(R)-D(2 or
9)Eb(b3)-e nat(3)-F(4 or 11)-Gb(Tritone)-G(5)-A(6)-Bb(b7)-Bnat(Major 7) which
is C-D-Eb-Enat-F-Gb-Gnat-A-Bb-B nat. [which shares the C-D-Eb-F-Gb-A and Bnat
of the other C diminished scale, whole-half {C-D-Eb-F-Gb-G#-A-B). Thus one
can make connections with the C minor pentatonics, straight blues, altered
blues, and two sorts of diminished scales, and not to mention quartal harmony
and extensions. Try them all, just not all at once!

Ron Frashure March 27, 2000