Harmonized Scales

Lap steels, resonators, multi-neck consoles and acoustic steel guitars

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Sonny Jenkins
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Harmonized Scales

Post by Sonny Jenkins »

Just got an 8 string lap tuned to C6,,,can someone post some harmonized scales for me,,,preferably without too many bar slants for now. This is quite a jump from pedal steel I'm more used to,,,,
Bill McCloskey
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Post by Bill McCloskey »

Sonny, if I can suggest...

That this is something you should really figure out on your own, in order to begin to understand your neck. I'm making the assumption you know the notes of a harmonized scale. Find those notes on your neck and your done.

I just think it helps you visualize the neck better when you do this kind of work yourself rather than reading some tab.

In other words, if you are harmonizing in 3rds in C with no inversions the notes would be

C E
D F
E G
F A
G B
A C
B D
C E

Finding these notes yourself on your neck will help your study of the neck.

BTW for the above there is only one slant.
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Rick Aiello
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Post by Rick Aiello »

http://www.horseshoemagnets.com/_sgg/m6_1.htm ... scroll all the way down ...

6 string C6/A7 with lots of slants ... but you will get the idea ...

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<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 25 July 2006 at 05:23 PM.]</p></FONT>
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Mark van Allen
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Post by Mark van Allen »

Hi, Sonny- for any tuning, one of the most revealing things you can do is make some blank neck charts, then fill in the note positions for any scale you're interested in. For instance, just write in the notes of a C scale on each string, by starting with the open note for that string and following the whole-whole-half-whole-whole whole-half step pattern of the major scale.

Slants, various scale patterns, and improv pockets will just jump off the page at you!

Repeating the same process for other patterns, like pentatonic scales, arpeggios, minor scales, etc. will teach you far more that any tab will. It's really fun looking!


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Matt Johnson
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Post by Matt Johnson »

Mark's suggestion has helped me A LOT over the years! If you're a visual-type learner, making YOUR OWN charts for scales, chords, slants, etc. works great. As a suggestion, stick with the 12th fret and below. Here's a link to some blank fretboards you can print out:
http://www.thewholeguitarist.com/theory/blankfretboard.htm <font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Matt Johnson on 26 July 2006 at 09:01 AM.]</p></FONT>
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Randy Reeves
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Post by Randy Reeves »

I sure agree on this one. not only did I map out the fret board...and holy cow..it shows so much...I used my ear and found those slants and harmonies.
havent forgotten either.
Ray Minich
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Post by Ray Minich »

<SMALL>blank neck charts</SMALL>
Microsoft Excel is great for this if you're up to it.
Denny Turner
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Post by Denny Turner »


Room Service, Sir. Breakfast is served with the links below and Rick's perspecitve's he provided. Please phone the Consierge for massage and other services.

Harmonies straight bar for each of the 7 common scale qualities.

Index of SGF discussion about the above; Sorts / Categorizes Basic, Intermediate and Advanced postings in the discussion.


Aloha,
DT~
Stephan Miller
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Post by Stephan Miller »

Sonny, if you like the "blank neck chart" idea, go to this Forum thread, read down in the first post to the first link to "8 string"-- then click and copy. White out one of the lines and the numbers on the left, then draw in fret lines (maybe fret markers too) on your master copy and print as many blank charts as you need.
http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum8/HTML/002039.html <font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Stephan Miller on 26 July 2006 at 09:06 PM.]</p></FONT>
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Lynn Oliver
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Post by Lynn Oliver »

I've made up some neck charts in MS Word, setting the tab stops using the same formula used to calculate fret placement. WHen you fill in the notes you end up with a good visual representation of where they are on the neck.

If you want a copy just send me an email and let me know which version of Word you have.

Lynn
Dave Marshall
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Post by Dave Marshall »

Amateur newbie here.

What I do is take a roll of wall-plastering paper tape and cut off a piece to fit the neck. Then I mark where the actual frets are with pencil by placing it on the neck.

Next I mark the frets with black felt pen and a small tee square I made from scrap wood. I use the edge of a rectangular desk to align the paper with the tee-square.

Then I mark in the scales in numeric form. I like to use fret-8 as root most of the time, but you can make a bunch of templates for your favorite keys.

I then tape the desired template right onto the neck. Color coding of thirds, fourths, fifths, sixths, whatever, and root, dominant and subdominant frets is an option.

I get music arranged by others, and convert the diads, triads, etcetera to numerics and mark it on a tab sheet.

Then you can play without too many references to charts since the neck IS the chart. After awhile you remember where notes are without a template.

The thing about numerics is that you can switch keys just by moving the starting fret. Then all the moves are the same numbers, not different letters.

You can try different tunings and know instantly what groups of notes to play. Of course some tunings do not let you get certain triads so you fudge with diads.

I memorize the key of C scale and chord relationships, since they do not involve sharps and flats, then pretend I am playing in C at whatever fret.

Read vertically:
<font face="monospace" size="3"><pre>
C . D . E F . G . A . B C
1 . 2 . 3 4 . 5 . 6 . 7 1

triads:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
5 6 7 1 2 3 4
3 4 5 6 7 1 2
C Dm Em F G Am Bdim

sixths:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
3 4 5 6 7 1 2

fifths:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
4 5 6 7 1 2 3

fourths:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
5 6 7 1 2 3 4

thirds:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
6 7 1 2 3 4 5
</pre></font>

Hope someone can use this info!
<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Dave Marshall on 27 July 2006 at 12:22 PM.]</p></FONT>
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