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Diminished Scale Tips & Tricks
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juspasinby2003
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Joined: 18 Dec 2003
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PostPosted: Wed May 12, 2004 3:31 am    Post subject: Diminished Scale Tips & Tricks Reply with quote

Tell me you didn't see this one coming?

Same deal as with the melodic minor scale thread. I'm interested in rules of thumb for using the diminished scale in the blues (you know, like somebody famous we know who uses the scale to maximum advantage in his work).

I'll seed it with an easy one: Use the whole/half diminished scale (same root as the I chord) in transition from the IV to the I chord (i.e., 6th bar of 12 bar progression). For example, at bar 5 of a 12 bar blues progression in the key of A, play the IV (D7) for one bar, then the Adim7 for the next bar using the A, whole/half diminished scale for this bar, then back to the I (A7) for bar 8.

Your turn. Please give me your best stuff. I'm serious here. A lot of this stuff can be reduced to bite-sized tips and tricks that you can apply immediately without needing a comprehensive knowledge of the theory behind it. You can always study the theory later to see the big picture if you like, or you can just count your blessings for the new tricks. For you music educators out there, this is the way to inspire your students to want to dig in deeper.
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Bluelobster
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PostPosted: Wed May 12, 2004 9:48 am    Post subject: uhh Reply with quote

oh man you are tough , i am going to mistake a lot more.

So we said that we can play a B-7b5 over a G9 and relating to Minor melodic.

Then if you play a B diminished over a G Dominant it would be a flat nine, therefore you have to relate to Harmonic minor.(G7b9) an other world...

and i am sure you know you can jump the arpeggio by third.

Try to switch between B-7b5 and BDim over the changes .

But blending the 3 worlds is the top : like the graal scale 1/3 Minor Mel, 1/3 Harm Minor 1/3 Major , you shake it strongly (like an abroad prisonner),
you try to think actually you don't think, get a smart attitude , eventually endorse a great brand of clothes like Scofield (comme des garcons) or Robben (Short Denim jacket) (( just kiddin')). Wait wait wait a minut

What i am talking about ? I apologize, it's the diminished scale, She runs me out of my mind.
And remember there is only 2 fingerings for the Dim scale.
Therefore you can figure the H/W or the W/H
The whole /half is tricky.
You guys force me to go back to work. Evil or Very Mad
Thanks Twisted Evil
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Bill Morgan
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PostPosted: Wed May 12, 2004 9:55 pm    Post subject: Re: Diminished Scale Tips & Tricks Reply with quote

juspasinby2003 wrote:

I'll seed it with an easy one: Use the whole/half diminished scale (same root as the I chord) in transition from the IV to the I chord


Wait a minute, didn't you steal that from me? Wink

Bill
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juspasinby2003
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Joined: 18 Dec 2003
Posts: 255

PostPosted: Sat May 15, 2004 3:16 am    Post subject: Re: uhh Reply with quote

Bluelobster wrote:
oh man you are tough , i am going to mistake a lot more.

So we said that we can play a B-7b5 over a G9 and relating to Minor melodic.

Then if you play a B diminished over a G Dominant it would be a flat nine, therefore you have to relate to Harmonic minor.(G7b9) an other world...

and i am sure you know you can jump the arpeggio by third.

Try to switch between B-7b5 and BDim over the changes .

But blending the 3 worlds is the top : like the graal scale 1/3 Minor Mel, 1/3 Harm Minor 1/3 Major , you shake it strongly (like an abroad prisonner),
you try to think actually you don't think, get a smart attitude , eventually endorse a great brand of clothes like Scofield (comme des garcons) or Robben (Short Denim jacket) (( just kiddin')). Wait wait wait a minut

What i am talking about ? I apologize, it's the diminished scale, She runs me out of my mind.
And remember there is only 2 fingerings for the Dim scale.
Therefore you can figure the H/W or the W/H
The whole /half is tricky.
You guys force me to go back to work. Evil or Very Mad
Thanks Twisted Evil

Someday soon, I hope, I will understand your point here. For now, I have enough trouble following the music. While poetry is an advanced communication form, rich in meaning beyond the sum of its words, it often can fly over the heads of those still learning to spell. In other words, "duh, what'd you say?"
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Bluelobster
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 3:13 pm    Post subject: spamming Reply with quote

wrong corner

Last edited by Bluelobster on Mon Jun 07, 2004 4:56 am; edited 1 time in total
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kirk95
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 3:42 pm    Post subject: Re: spamming Reply with quote

Bluelobster wrote:
Sorry all i want is recognitioon, but anyway , there is a diminished spot in this déja blues, so try to listen DEJA BLUES FROM BAD JUJU



http://www.soundclick.com/genres/ChartsNew.cfm?Genre=Blues

please feel free to critç_ize


Hey Blue, the correct place to post clips is in the Open Discussion forum. And please only post one time.

Can you post it over there and I will delete all these other posts?

Thanks!

I wanna listen, but I can't get it to stream on my mac...have to switch over to PC mode...I will shortly!

Thanks for posting it! Feel free to post more clips, but just in the Open Discussion Forum please.

See ya.

This message will self destruct shortly.......
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Bluelobster
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 3:57 pm    Post subject: cool Reply with quote

wrong corner
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Larry Wayne
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 08, 2004 9:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rythum changes in B flat
The 1 6 2 5 gets replaced by B flat- B Dim- C Min- C# Dim

How can the B Dim replace the G Dom?

How about the C# Dim replacing the F Dom?

Which Harmonic minor scale works over them?? Shocked

I Love you people!!!
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I play a 335 Gibson, through a fender Hotrod ( 40 watts ). I am currently in a band called Wicked Grin, blues with bite. I live in Ottawa On Canada. I live for cool diminished runs within the blues format.
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jazzyblues
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 12, 2004 8:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

"Use the whole/half diminished scale (same root as the I chord) in transition from the IV to the I chord"

I'm a little confused then. I was watching one of Robben Ford's early videos, and he said use the H/W diminished scale to go from the I chord to the IV chord. And he spelled it out, starting from the root.

I'm just trying to find out what to do in this case. Which scale is it? The W/H or the H/W? Question
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kirk95
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 12, 2004 9:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

jazzyblues wrote:
"Use the whole/half diminished scale (same root as the I chord) in transition from the IV to the I chord"

I'm a little confused then. I was watching one of Robben Ford's early videos, and he said use the H/W diminished scale to go from the I chord to the IV chord. And he spelled it out, starting from the root.

I'm just trying to find out what to do in this case. Which scale is it? The W/H or the H/W? Question


I use the diminshed scale from the I to the IV just like Robben does. Let's take the key of G - so G7 going to C7. You would play G H/W dimished resolving to the C7 chord. What you are thinking harmonically is the altered V of IV - G7alt to C7. You get very nice altered tensions on that G7 (b9,#9,b5,#5) which will sound like you are playing "outside." The key is resolving it to the C7. You want to end on a chord tone like 1,3,5, b7 of the that C7. That way you get tension and release.
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jazzyblues
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 12, 2004 10:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks. I appreciate the clarification. I'm really trying to learn and apply the diminished scale. I avoided it forever, but now I see how it really sounds nice when used correctly.
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juspasinby2003
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 14, 2004 10:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It helps to think "G7(#5)/F" for the last two beats of bar 4, just before going to the IV. Play G13 to G7(#5)/F (upper 4 strings only) to C9. It's over that G7(#5)/F that you play your G half/whole diminished scale (or Ab melodic minor). When you can hear the chord, you can hear how the scale fits over it very nicely. Once you can hear the substitute chords, the chord scales almost play themselves and make much more sense.

Last edited by juspasinby2003 on Thu Jul 15, 2004 7:55 am; edited 2 times in total
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juspasinby2003
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 14, 2004 11:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just to be clear, here's G13:



And here's the G7(#5)/F over which you would play the G h/w diminished scale (or Ab melodic minor if you choose):



Last edited by juspasinby2003 on Thu Jul 15, 2004 7:56 am; edited 3 times in total
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juspasinby2003
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 14, 2004 12:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Larry Wayne wrote:
Rythum changes in B flat
The 1 6 2 5 gets replaced by B flat- B Dim- C Min- C# Dim

How can the B Dim replace the G Dom?

The B dim is a scale-wise substitute for the G dom having 3 of 4 notes in common (B, F, D).

Quote:
How about the C# Dim replacing the F Dom?

I forget - it's a substitute for the V, but I forgot the reason. Our host, David, would know the theory of it.

Quote:
Which Harmonic minor scale works over them?? Shocked

Several melodic minor scales (probably 4 or more) will work, but F melodic minor ("up a 5th" from Bb) and F Altered (over the V7 and its substitutes) are probably more commonly used.
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russ
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 14, 2004 6:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

kirk95 wrote:

Quote:
use the diminshed scale from the I to the IV just like Robben does. Let's take the key of G - so G7 going to C7. You would play G H/W dimished resolving to the C7 chord. What you are thinking harmonically is the altered V of IV - G7alt to C7. You get very nice altered tensions on that G7 (b9,#9,b5,#5) which will sound like you are playing "outside." The key is resolving it to the C7. You want to end on a chord tone like 1,3,5, b7 of the that C7. That way you get tension and release.


That's correct, except the G H/W doesn't contain the D# (#5) of the I chord.
Playing G altered (Ab melodic minor) will nail all the altered tones you mentioned. I too use G H/W over the I going to the IV all the time...
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