Beginning: September 2009 Archives

More Fun With The Minor Pentatonic Scale!

By
Vince Lauria
on September 12, 2009 8:24 AM | | Comments (0)
Now that you know the C Minor Pentatonic scale in all positions of your instrument lets learn some more chord progressions that go with the scale.
Again staying in the Key of C try the following chord progression.

Cm //// ////
Ab //// ////  record this progression to a metronome at 75 BPM for 5 to 10 minutes

Record or have a friend play the chord changes while you play the C Pentatonic Scale forms and the Riff ideas already covered. By the way the word: riff, melody or motif means the same thing. A melodic set of notes.

Next time more chords for C Pentatonic Scale!





Now transpose these to each position (register) of your instrument, then to all 15 keys.

 

All materials copyright 2010. For personal use only.

Vince Lauria Sun and Earth Music





Applying the Minor Pentatonic Scale

By
Vince Lauria
on September 11, 2009 8:02 AM | | Comments (0)
Record or have a friend play the following standard twelve bar blues in C then - play the single note C Minor Pentatonic Scale in all possible positions (registers) and octaves. Remember to first play quarter notes then later eight notes. For understanding notes values follow link then scroll to bottom of page: 2008.08.11: Family Of Chords - Song Writing 101
Remember to refrain from playing at a tempo where each note is not performed clean and consistent. 
Once comfortable gradually increase speed and move to eighth notes. 
 
Standard 12 Bar Blues in C:
C7 //// //// //// //// F7 //// //// C7 //// //// G7 //// F7 //// C7 //// G7 //// :|  

Now the C Minor Pentatonic Scale the number formula is:
R, b3, 4, 5, b7, 8th/R or octave.

The notes are:
C, Eb, F, G, Bb, C

Now we will use a technique called sequencing . That is using a specific number of notes from the scale 2 notes, 3 notes, 4 notes, 5 notes, 6 notes etc.  
Play descending or ascending up the scale (going up or down in tone). 
First doing the scale descending: 

Riff #1 = Eb, C, Bb
Riff #2 = C, Bb, G
Riff #3 = Bb, G, F
Riff #4 = G, F, Eb
Riff #5 = F, Eb, C
Riff #6 = Eb, C, Bb
Riff #7 = C, Bb, G
Riff #8 = Bb, G, F
Riff #9 = G, F, Eb
Riff #10 = F, Bb, C
 
1. Learn as is
2. Play up and back
3. Transpose to all keys.


Now apply this same technique with 2,4,5 and 6 note sequences.
Then later all scales.




Stay tuned,

Vince Lauria




Now transpose these to each position (register) of your instrument, then to all 15 keys.

 

All materials for personal use only.

Vince Lauria Sun and Earth Music

Copyright © 2011

The Minor Pentatonic Scale

By
Vince Lauria
on September 10, 2009 8:08 AM | | Comments (0)

In addition to the Blues Scale the Minor Pentatonic Scale is used frequently!
You can substitute this scale for the Blues Scale or combine it with the blues 
scale to create great melodic soloing and vocal melodies.
 
The number formula is:
R, b3, 4, 5, b7, 8th/R or octave.
This formula is the same for all keys. 

The notes in the key of C would be:
C = R, Eb = b3, F=4, G = 5, Bb =b7, C = octave of root.

C m pent scale.png

Now memorize the number formula and corresponding note names.
Next time I will show you some fun examples with this scale.



Now transpose these to each position (register) of your instrument, then to all 15 keys.

 



All materials for personal use only.

Vince Lauria Sun and Earth Music

Copyright © 2011


Common Blues Riffs!

By
Vince Lauria
on September 6, 2009 10:46 AM | | Comments (0)
Now that we know the Blues Scale and some of the most common Blues Chords lets do   
some common single (one note at a time) note riffs (common melodies).
Again staying in the key of C Blues do the following: 

Record the Standard 12 Bar Blues in C from previous blog. 
(if you do not know how to play these chords go to:
strumming at 60 BPM beats per minute using a metronome. 
(If you don't own a metronome go to: http://www.webmetronome.com/ ).

Record the chord for five to ten minutes then play back the chord while you play the following riffs using quarter notes or one note per click or beat. If you do not know the note names on the piano or the guitar use these links.  


Repeat each riff - five to fifteen times in a row till it starts to sound fluid and smooth.               
Now each riff is an octave above previous bar, same notes higher in tone:

Riff #1 = Eb, C, G 
Riff one.png
Riff #2 = G, Bb, C 
Riff two.png

Riff #3 = G, Bb, Eb, C
Riff three.png
 
Riff #4= Gb, F, Eb, C
Riff four.png


Create at least three variation of each riff. Do this by the following: play backwards, change order of notes, add vibrato, hammer ons and pull offs, also tap notes.

Record or have a friend play the following standard twelve bar blues in C - then play the single note Blues Scale in all possible positions (registers) and octaves. Remember to first play quarter notes then later eight notes. For understanding notes values follow this link then scroll to bottom of page: 2008.08.11: Family Of Chords - Song Writing 101
Remember to refrain from playing at a tempo where each note is not performed clean and consistent. 
Once comfortable gradually increase speed and later move to eighth notes. 
 
Standard 12 Bar Blues in C:
C7 //// //// //// //// F7 //// //// C7 //// //// G7 //// F7 //// C7 //// G7 //// :|  
                                           
Repeat progression twenty minutes or more.

Now transpose to each position (register) of your instrument, then to all 15 keys.

 

All materials for personal use only.

Vince Lauria Sun and Earth Music

Copyright © 2011




Fun with the Blues Scale!

By
Vince Lauria
on September 5, 2009 11:25 AM | | Comments (0)
Last blog we learned the Blues Scale now lets learn some of the chords that go with the Blues Scale.                     Remember all examples are given in the key of C.
After you become familiar with the key of C you will want to transpose or move these chords and scale to other keys.

The most common chords that go with the C Blues scale are: C dominant seventh,               
F dominant seventh and G dominant seventh. Chords are commonly written in shorthand like this:
C7//// F7//// G7////. The lines after each of the chords are called hash marks each hash mark
represents one quarter note or one strum.

This is often referred to as a: one, four, five - chord progression. 
In our music shorthand = I, IV, V.
The reason we use shorthand is so one system is then used in all keys.
Now lets look at the notes to create each one of these chords.

C7 = R, 3rd, 5th, b7   Now the note names = C - E - G - Bb
F7 = R, 3rd, 5th, b7   Now the note names =  F - A - C - Eb
G7 = R, 3rd, 5th, b7   Now the notes names = G - B - D - F     Chords on musical staff:
               C7        F7        G7
BC 1.png
Now written on the musical staff the same exact three chords but in a different voicing.      
Voicing means how the notes are arranged and spaced. Many times a note is repeated in a chord.

              C7           F7         G7
     BC 2.png

Another commonly used voicing of the same exact three chords:
         
           C7          F7         G7  
 
BC 3.png            
Experiment creating your own voicings using the same notes.


Record or have a friend play the following standard twelve bar blues in C then - play the single note Blues Scale in all possible positions (registers) and octaves. Remember to first play quarter notes then later eight notes. For understanding notes values follow link then scroll to bottom of page: 2008.08.11: Family Of Chords - Song Writing 101
Remember to refrain from playing at a tempo where each note is not performed clean and consistent. 
Once comfortable gradually increase speed and move to eighth notes. 
 
Standard 12 Bar Blues in C:
C7 //// //// //// //// F7 //// //// C7 //// //// G7 //// F7 //// C7 //// G7 //// :|  
                                           
Repeat progression twenty minutes or more.

More fun with the Blues Scale later!



Now transpose these to each position (register) of your instrument, then to all 15 keys.

 

All materials for personal use only.

Vince Lauria Sun and Earth Music

Copyright © 2011


The Blues Scale

By
Vince Lauria
on September 1, 2009 8:32 PM | | Comments (0)
One of the most commonly used scales in music besides the Major Scale is the Blues Scale.
Today lets learn it - then later I will show you ways to apply it.

First most scales are seven notes in a certain interval formula. 
(an interval is the distance between any two notes - more on this later)
What that means is out of the twelve notes in our musical system 
we usually use just seven of the twelve.

First lets review the number formula for a Major Scale:
R/1, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th/R or octave
The notes in the key of C are:
C,D,E,F,G,A,B,C
On musical staff:

C major scale.png

The Blues Scale number formulas is:
R1, b3rd, 4th, b5th, 5th, b7th, 8th/R or octave.
The notes in the key of C would be:
C, Eb, F, Gb, G, Bb, C
Written on musical staff:

Blues scale.png
As you learn any scale remember to play slowly up and down in tone. Make sure you use minimum finger movement and do not play faster then you can clearly. Make sure that your fingers and the pick are moving exactly synchronized. This prevents a flapping or flam sound.



Now transpose these to each position (register) of your instrument, then to all 15 keys.

 

All materials for personal use only.

Vince Lauria Sun and Earth Music

Copyright © 2011

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