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Lesson 15: More Advanced Scales There are about 470 different types of scales found in music. I strongly believe the best way to learn scales is to derive them yourself. I'll show you exactly how to do it. Most are named after a certain culture but in this lesson we'll be looking at these scales: The Dorian Scale / Mode: The first thing you need to know about the dorian scale is that it is derived from the major scale and referred to throughout music as a "mode." The major scale has seven notes, and each of these notes can produce a mode. The Dorian scale is based on the second note of the major scale. How to Play Dorian Mode: To play a Dorian Scale, simply play the major scale, starting on the second note, and finishing on the note above the last. The pattern of WWHWWWH is almost the same, changing to WHWWWHW. Here is an example of an D# Dorian Mode:
How to Use Dorian Mode Dorian Mode is used to provide guitarists an extra tool for soloing. If your playing over a G chord, you could play a solo off an "A" Dorian mode. Another common use for the dorian mode is over long instances of a minor chord in a song. In many popular songs the guitarist will play an F dorian, over several bars when the band is playing an F Minor chord. The other major use for the dorian mode is to mix it with a major chord. As in a common excersize, you play the major scale up, then go up one note and play the dorian scale back down. The Lydian Augmented Scale A Lydian Augmented scale is another mode. This time it is the third mode of the melodic minor scale. The procedure is the same as for the dorian mode. Starting on the third note of the minor scale your playing too, play up the scale just as you would. For more info on minor scales click here. The Chromatic Scale The chromatic scale simply refers to the notes, including sharps and flats played in order, starting at the root note. For example, C Chromoatic: C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A#, B. These are used commonly to find other scales. If you know the shapes for these it is very easy to skip every third note to make a new scale, or alter it in some other way.
The Diminished Scale The diminished scale is very easy to construct. Pick a root note, say we pick C again. Now we proceed with the following scale formula: WHWHWHWH etc. With our C example we go with the following notes: C, D, D#, F, F#, G#, A, B. One more point, is that the Db, E, G, and Bb us the exact same eight pitches. The same thing goes for the D, F, Ab, and B diminished scales, and the Eb, Gb, A, and C diminished scales. This is the only installment of advanced scales in the first 18 steps. Check back for more sets soon! < Previous | NiceaXe.com | Lesson Sixteen >
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