Favorite keys (scales)?

[doc taz]

It can be within the accepted norms of the Western musical system, or anything else (as in "made up"). :0)

 

Classical:

both major and minor keys

 

Jazz:

Mixolydian, pentatonic minor with a flat 7th

 

Rock/Metal:

harmonic minor, chromatic, 12 tone

 

There's some more, but I'll post them later (maybe).

[musicalhair]

I try to write and play tunes in all keys, or as many different ones as possible. With classical guitar it isn't so easy or maybe even desirable, but with jam bands and rock bands and playing standards and stuff it can be done. I always thought that using different keys effected the audience differently and that to give them a full musical experience you'd want to use as many of the 12/24 keys as you can. But Songs in the Key of Life seems to be all in the key of A major, and a lot of jazz albums seem to have tunes in Bb, Eb, and Ab like horn players seem to have a real perference for the flat keys, especially two flats which I guess reads as C major on trumpet.

[Blue Strat]

I only know the major scale, natural scale, and some blues scale from a Jerry Garcia lesson in Guitar for the practicing musician. I like the JG blues scale the best. The first half of the scale is almost the main riff to Into The Void verbatim.

[J J]

whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half

 

You can get anything you wanted by mixin these puppies up

[revolead]

minor - A minor and C# minor

modal scales - E Phrygian.

major - Eb major

[D_dup3]

I take a slightly different approach. It took me years to arrive at but is, I think, in the long run a real time-saver.

 

I gave up entirely on thinking of different scales. Everything is a variation on the straight major scale.

 

Thinking this way allows me to relate to the pitch sounds & their variant implications without the extra step of conceptualizing what scale it is. If I hear the 3rd flatted, I just go that way. If the 7th is straight or flatted, same thing. Flat 5? Guess what?

All this took a lot of the thinking out of the way in my technique (go ahead, I can hear the jokes coming---but I'm serious, the micro-moment delay in thinking about scales as I play is removed & I'm one step closer to just dealing with the sound).

All theory analysis is left 'til later

 

So, anyway, to me all scales are one.

 

Except, of course, for those gamelan & Indonesian musics.

[Blue Strat]

Most everything I play is based on chords or it's just something I've stolen from other players.

[AlChuck]

I don't really understand what you are asking. The question you pose - "favorite keys (scales)" - sounds as if you are equating a key with a scale.

 

They you mention a mixture of keys and scales in your examples of what you mean by genre...

 

... and those "examples" are rather odd as well. "Pentatonic minor with a flat 7th" -- the minor pentatonic does have a flat seventh by default, you wouldn't call it that. And "chromatic, 12 tone..." - a chromatic scale is a twelve-tone scale.

 

So can we step back and maybe you can clarify -- just what is your question?

[Funk Jazz]

most of the music i play has a lot of "key" shifts, so i can't commit. i'm a harmony slut

[doc taz]

Originally posted by AlChuck:

I don't really understand what you are asking. The question you pose - "favorite keys (scales)" - sounds as if you are equating a key with a scale.

 

They you mention a mixture of keys and scales in your examples of what you mean by genre...

 

... and those "examples" are rather odd as well. "Pentatonic minor with a flat 7th" -- the minor pentatonic does have a flat seventh by default, you wouldn't call it that. And "chromatic, 12 tone..." - a chromatic scale is a twelve-tone scale.

 

So can we step back and maybe you can clarify -- just what is your question?

Oops... I forgot my theory.

 

Well, tell me yours, then. Sorry if the thread title confused you.

[Guitarzan]

d minor the saddest of all keys. i like to play in the minors and relative majors. i get exotic occasionally when the mood strikes (intervalic stuff). i like trying to grab a feel or mood. and lots of times it is pure down and dirty pentatonic string stranglin'. depends on the mood of the song and of course the key or riff.

[the.circular.motion.rub.it]

whole tone scales are cool

 

i also like this one, lets just say its in the key of C:

 

C Db E F G Ab B C

 

or variations on this.... you could have a minor seventh or major sixth instead, or you kno, whatever ya want

 

i like to drop this in for flavor over, say, (still in the key of C here), a C major chord

 

im not exactly sure what its called tho

[henryrobinett]

I'm kind of partial to the diminished scale if used sparingly. Whole step, half step ad infinitum.

 

The Coltrane pentatonic is cool. A major pentatonic with the flatted 7th. Taz I think that's what you meant.1,2,3,5,b7.

 

Lydian augment 5 is cool on whacked out major type chords. 1,2,3,#4, #5, 6,7.

 

Mixolydian #4: 1,2,3,#4,5,6,b7

 

Of course the chromatic is the ultimate!

[doc taz]

Originally posted by henryrobinett:

The Coltrane pentatonic is cool. A major pentatonic with the flatted 7th. Taz I think that's what you meant.1,2,3,5,b7.

 

Of course the chromatic is the ultimate!

You got it, Henry.

 

Imagine trying to fit microtones from India into Western music, though. That would make our chromatics look like child's play.

[Jedro]

My favorite is half, whole, half, whole, etc... I don't know what you call that one. I've heard it called the diminished scale, but I thought that was what Henry mentioned above - same sequence except starting with a half-step.

I've used it for years and it works great when you know how to use it. My favorite place to use it when you've got a III chord that is either Major or a Dominant 7th. So in C, for simplicity's sake, you're iii chord would be E minor. Change that to either E major or E7 and play the E half-whole scale. It's a good way to get tastefully outside without "rubbing" too much.

[henryrobinett]

Yeah baby! That's the same one. Whole step, half step -- half step, whole step. It's all the same thing. It's called the diminished scale. Some people have a different name for it depending on whether you start on a whole or half, but that's getting just a little too pendantic, don't 'cha think?

 

I like to use it on dominant chords where I can flat the 9. Or diminished chords. I'm all over it. It doesn't sound as obvious as an out there scale as the whole tone does. You can get away with playing a whole tone run, once, maybe twice in an evening. "Oops Martha, there he goes! He's playing that whole tone scale again!"

[Funk Jazz]

diminished arpeggio's sound great over dominant chords, esp starting from the flat 7. a little out, but not too out.

 

they also sound great over mi6 chords ala Django. then again, Django could put them anywhere and sound good.

 

diminished scales are extremely useful, but like Henry said about whole tone, you have to use them somewhat sparingly.

[Bbach1]

I'm too analytical at this stage of my learning. I like to know or figure out the key and use a scale based on the key. However, that being said, I would prefer to not be so structured and I'm trying to develop more variation. "if it sounds good, used it". Most of us don't have to hit a bad note twice to recognize it. I do like to know the step sequence of various scales though, just to keep my bearings.

[henryrobinett]

can't work for no one - There's nothing wrong with the way you're going about things. That's not being "too analytical". Sounds like some covert remark someone made attacking you from behind. There's nothing wrong with knowing what you're doing. As a matter of fact there's everything right about it. It's great knowing what the notes are and why they sound good. It's much better, I tihnk, than a hit and miss approach. Your ear will always be the main factor anyway. As long as you still play from your heart, use your mind too. They go well together - contrary to popular belief.

[AlChuck]

Very well said, HR, couldn't agree more...

[Nemomarley]

I really like Diminished scales.

 

As for a key I think F# is a fun key.

[D_dup3]

Originally posted by Nemomarley:

I really like Diminished scales.

 

As for a key I think F# is a fun key.

Any key is "funky" if you play with it the right way!

[NMcGuitar]

Originally posted by d:

Originally posted by Nemomarley:

I really like Diminished scales.

 

As for a key I think F# is a fun key.

Any key is "funky" if you play with it the right way!

[Nemomarley]

Originally posted by d:

Originally posted by Nemomarley:

I really like Diminished scales.

 

As for a key I think F# is a fun key.

Any key is "funky" if you play with it the right way!

word

[BlueZet]

scale: chromatic (that way I can't play 'wrong' notes)

key: the one to the safe?please??

[Compact Diss]

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