I have a confusion about guitar theory?!
Question: I have a confusion about guitar theory!?
songs like Alice In Chains' Dam That River and Sludge Factory use three consecutive notes!. is the riff in dam that river in any scale!? or the chorus in sludge factory!?
here are the tabs:
http://www!.ultimate-guitar!.com/tabs/a/al!.!.!.
http://www!.ultimate-guitar!.com/tabs/a/al!.!.!.Www@Enter-QA@Com
here are the tabs:
http://www!.ultimate-guitar!.com/tabs/a/al!.!.!.
http://www!.ultimate-guitar!.com/tabs/a/al!.!.!.Www@Enter-QA@Com
Answers:
Ignore Mar!. I don't know why he's being so nasty, the question is a valid one, and yes, while metal can be "trivially" simple as far as music theory goes, it quite often is not!.
Although I'm not sure I'd characterize Alice In Chains as metal, but whatever!.
Just looking at the first riff of Dam that River, I see (ignoring the 1/2 step down notation and treating the notes as standard drop d for ease of reading)
F F# G D G G# A G# G F D
If we imagine that this riff is in the key of D, it starts with the minor third, then major third, then fourth!. After that, there's a run from fourth to flatted fifth to fifth then back down to fourth, minor third, root!.
One way to think of this is a straightforward scalar riff with added passing notes to make it flow!. Adding the major third is an example of parallel tonality, where you are in a major scale and add notes or chords from a minor scale, or vice versa, in a minor scale and add notes or chords from a major scale!. This mixing of major/minor tonality obscures the feeling of the piece, giving it more of an edge or more ambiguity, depending on how the composer handles the notes!.
The flatted fifth can be thought of as a blue note from the blues scale, ie, a non-diatonic minor scale note, or an import from major tonality in the form of a sharped fourth (found in the Lydian mode)!.
In general, I suppose you could say that the three note in a row progressions (I'm thinking of an AC/DC song, for instance, or the intro to a Vai song, I think) are going to mix tonalities!. This isn't bad, it mostly just depends on if it "works"!. Passing notes are used all the time to get from one note to another, and the only real consideration as far as an instrumental line is if it adds to the song or not!.
I've noticed that the Jack White of the White Stripes does this parallel tonality thing a fair bit!. Check out "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground"!. The Rolling Stones have done it, too!. Not in this way, necessarily, of course, but in mixing chords rather than notes!.
For instance
C major C D E F G A B C
C minor C D Eb F G Ab Bb C
In the key of C major, G is a major chord!. In C minor, G is a minor chord!. If you were playing a progression in the key of C major, and you used a G minor somewhere in there, you would be utilizing a mixed tonality!. Or if you were playing C minor and also played an A major chord!. Since A major does not exist in C minor, you would be mixing tonalities!. It's important to emphasize which tonality you're in by the end of the progression and your resolution back to your root!. The journey can be interesting, but make sure everyone knows when they've come back home!.
This is one way to break out of the normal 7 chords you might play if you were playing within a key!.
Once you start learning your modes, you'll find even more options, because you can do the same thing with modes!. For instance:
The mixolydian scale has a flatted seventh!. The major scale does not!. Using a flatted seventh in certain situations will imply the feel of the mixolydian scale!. One example of this is dominant 7th chords - major chords with a flatted seventh!.
Take it one step further - to create ambiguity between these two modes, *don't* play the seventh note at all!. By dancing around this note for part or most or even all of a progression you create a certain degree of ambiguity in your listener's ear!.
Anyhoo, probably more than you wanted to know, but there you go!.
SaulWww@Enter-QA@Com
Although I'm not sure I'd characterize Alice In Chains as metal, but whatever!.
Just looking at the first riff of Dam that River, I see (ignoring the 1/2 step down notation and treating the notes as standard drop d for ease of reading)
F F# G D G G# A G# G F D
If we imagine that this riff is in the key of D, it starts with the minor third, then major third, then fourth!. After that, there's a run from fourth to flatted fifth to fifth then back down to fourth, minor third, root!.
One way to think of this is a straightforward scalar riff with added passing notes to make it flow!. Adding the major third is an example of parallel tonality, where you are in a major scale and add notes or chords from a minor scale, or vice versa, in a minor scale and add notes or chords from a major scale!. This mixing of major/minor tonality obscures the feeling of the piece, giving it more of an edge or more ambiguity, depending on how the composer handles the notes!.
The flatted fifth can be thought of as a blue note from the blues scale, ie, a non-diatonic minor scale note, or an import from major tonality in the form of a sharped fourth (found in the Lydian mode)!.
In general, I suppose you could say that the three note in a row progressions (I'm thinking of an AC/DC song, for instance, or the intro to a Vai song, I think) are going to mix tonalities!. This isn't bad, it mostly just depends on if it "works"!. Passing notes are used all the time to get from one note to another, and the only real consideration as far as an instrumental line is if it adds to the song or not!.
I've noticed that the Jack White of the White Stripes does this parallel tonality thing a fair bit!. Check out "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground"!. The Rolling Stones have done it, too!. Not in this way, necessarily, of course, but in mixing chords rather than notes!.
For instance
C major C D E F G A B C
C minor C D Eb F G Ab Bb C
In the key of C major, G is a major chord!. In C minor, G is a minor chord!. If you were playing a progression in the key of C major, and you used a G minor somewhere in there, you would be utilizing a mixed tonality!. Or if you were playing C minor and also played an A major chord!. Since A major does not exist in C minor, you would be mixing tonalities!. It's important to emphasize which tonality you're in by the end of the progression and your resolution back to your root!. The journey can be interesting, but make sure everyone knows when they've come back home!.
This is one way to break out of the normal 7 chords you might play if you were playing within a key!.
Once you start learning your modes, you'll find even more options, because you can do the same thing with modes!. For instance:
The mixolydian scale has a flatted seventh!. The major scale does not!. Using a flatted seventh in certain situations will imply the feel of the mixolydian scale!. One example of this is dominant 7th chords - major chords with a flatted seventh!.
Take it one step further - to create ambiguity between these two modes, *don't* play the seventh note at all!. By dancing around this note for part or most or even all of a progression you create a certain degree of ambiguity in your listener's ear!.
Anyhoo, probably more than you wanted to know, but there you go!.
SaulWww@Enter-QA@Com
Hey dude,
You'll see the 3 consecutive notes in a lot of songs!. It's not that uncommon!. But it is a little different!.
I know what you are asking though!. Music Theory and Scales don't have 3 notes in a row!. So is this really a scale or Key!? The answer is Yes!.
One big thing you need to understand with Music Theory, is well it's a Theory!. They are guidelines for music!. They are not concrete rules!. You can bend the guidelines in music Theory!. It's the same concept as jumping Keys!. You can make a song that has 2 different Keys!. Technically Music Theory says, stay in the same Key, but there are gateways to get to other Keys!.
The other thing you should notice on this song, is he does a vibrato on the 3rd consecutive note, this will wobble the actual pitch, so the note oustide of the Key isn't steady and not as easy to tell that it's a little different!.
Learn Music Theory to help guide you with music, but don't let it restrict your imagination and creativity!. A lot of things are possible in Music!.Www@Enter-QA@Com
You'll see the 3 consecutive notes in a lot of songs!. It's not that uncommon!. But it is a little different!.
I know what you are asking though!. Music Theory and Scales don't have 3 notes in a row!. So is this really a scale or Key!? The answer is Yes!.
One big thing you need to understand with Music Theory, is well it's a Theory!. They are guidelines for music!. They are not concrete rules!. You can bend the guidelines in music Theory!. It's the same concept as jumping Keys!. You can make a song that has 2 different Keys!. Technically Music Theory says, stay in the same Key, but there are gateways to get to other Keys!.
The other thing you should notice on this song, is he does a vibrato on the 3rd consecutive note, this will wobble the actual pitch, so the note oustide of the Key isn't steady and not as easy to tell that it's a little different!.
Learn Music Theory to help guide you with music, but don't let it restrict your imagination and creativity!. A lot of things are possible in Music!.Www@Enter-QA@Com
Of course they're "in a scale," all metal is in "scales" because it's far too simple and simplistic to be outside of any ordinary pop music boundaries!. I just glanced at the tabs so I can't guarantee, but I believe both are in Db, probably minor!.
You really need to study music theory, it's not very hard and you'd spare yourself from embarrassing questions like this one in the future - plus you'll also see why I said that metal is trivially simple music for the most part!.Www@Enter-QA@Com
You really need to study music theory, it's not very hard and you'd spare yourself from embarrassing questions like this one in the future - plus you'll also see why I said that metal is trivially simple music for the most part!.Www@Enter-QA@Com
Alice In Chains' Dam That River, The main intro riff!?
I am about 95% sure its ether Minor pentatonic or pentatonic scale but its been a while so not 100% sure!.
not even sure about the other song cuz never heard itWww@Enter-QA@Com
I am about 95% sure its ether Minor pentatonic or pentatonic scale but its been a while so not 100% sure!.
not even sure about the other song cuz never heard itWww@Enter-QA@Com