The Guitar Player's Resource
Hello guitar pals! I am writing this column to help you sound a little outside using an easy way based on extended patterns.
In the first example, if you have a situation like, let's say,an A minor vamp you can mix (A Minor Blues + A major Blues) pentatonics. That results in a scale like this: A, B, C, C#, D, D#, E, F#, G, A. This is a terrific sounding 9 note scale. Follow me on these next two examples:
1. A minor blues (mp3) 6E--5----8-----10----------------------------------------------- 5A------------------6---7-----10-------------------------------- 4D-----------------------------------7----10----12-------------- 3G-------------------------------------------------------------- 2B-------------------------------------------------------------- 1E-------------------------------------------------------------- 6E-------------------------------------------------------------- 5A-------------------------------------------------------------- 4D-------------------------------------------------------------- 3G-----------------------9---10---12---------------------------- 2B--------------------------------------10--13--15-------------- 1E-----------------------------------------------------11-12-15- 2. A (major/minor) 6/7 or A79#13 (mp3) 6E--5----8---9-------------------------------------------------- 5A--------------------7--9--10---------------------------------- 4D--------------------------------------7--10--11--------------- 3G-------------------------------------------------------------- 2B-------------------------------------------------------------- 1E-------------------------------------------------------------- 6E------------------------------------------------------------- 5A-------------------------------------------------------------- 4D-------------------------------------------------------------- 3G---------------------9---11--12------------------------------- 2B-----------------------------------------10--13-14------------ 1E---------------------------------------------------12--14-15--
Another good way to sound a bit different is to take the blues turnaround approach. Let's say you a have a simple 12 bar blues to fit a nice solo over:
1. A7 2. A7 3. A7 4. C#m75b 5. D7 6. D/C 7. A7 8. A7 9. E7 10. D7 11. A7 12. E7 (mp3)
It is called a turnaround, this harmonic movement starting on bar 9, and you can use the A melodic minor scale over the entire turnaround. A melodic minor scale brings us the next few chords Aminor7+, B minor7(13), Caug5, D7, E7, F#minor75b, G#alt.
If you notice, the fourth and fifth chords of the scale are exactly the same chords of the blues turnaround except in Bar 11, the A7, where A melodic minor will sound Dorian7+ against the 7 chord, sounds weird but it works!
Well, that's all for now. See ya!
Miguel Mega is an Brazilian guitarist who was profiled on the February, 2001 Undiscovered Artists page on the Guitar Nine site.
His new instrumental CD is entitled "Coastline".
