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Topic: Harmonized Scale Question ( Intervals) |
Doug Taylor
From:
Shelbyville, Kentucky, USA
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Posted 14 May 2022 10:00 am |
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I would appreciate it if someone would tell me if I am thinking correctly on the string 3-5 scale harmonized scale When I do the C scale starting at fret 3 AB down, that is the 1 up 3 is interval 2 up 2 is interval 3 and so on. That would make fret 8 no pedals interval 3( which I have always thought was 1)
So I went to the F scale fret 1 no pedals, does that mean the F scale there starts on interval 3? I think this is what has thrown me off from understanding these scale patterns because in the past i would have considered fret 1 no pedals as the 1 of F
Am I understanding this correctly? |
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Sonny Jenkins
From:
Texas Masonic Retirement Center,,,Arlington Tx
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Posted 14 May 2022 10:18 am
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I would say that string 3 is the "tone",,,string 5 is the "harmony". Therefore fret 3 pedals down, 3rd string is a "C" tone,,,making it the root note of the C scale,,,or the 5th of the F scale,,,or the 4th of the G scale,,,,. Remember,,you're doing a "harmonized" scale,,,there has to be a note,,,and a harmony,,,,,the harmony note determines whether that scale degree is major or minor.
That's the way I see it,,,,someone who is smarter than me may correct me if that is wrong. |
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Doug Taylor
From:
Shelbyville, Kentucky, USA
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Posted 14 May 2022 10:52 am
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Thanks Sonny, if I am picking melody to Amazing Grace it is 5-1-3-1 I think( not at guitar) so if I was trying to play that in F I have always thought of fret 1 open as interval 1 and after my exploring this morning I don’t think that would be correct. I realize that is F chord and could work but I am just trying to figure out the intervals. I am limiting to the one scale for now.
I can take a 6 string guitar and pick most simple melodies out in a few minutes, have a much harder time with pedals!
Very confused as I am most of the time! |
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Colin Swinney
From:
Wisconsin, USA
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Tucker Jackson
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 14 May 2022 12:34 pm Re: Harmonized Scale Question ( Intervals)
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| Doug Taylor wrote: |
| That would make fret 8 no pedals interval 3( which I have always thought was 1) |
The confusion is related to which particular strings you are using. When you are playing a harmonized scale in the key of C using strings 3 and 5, yes the 8th fret with no pedals is the 3rd degree of the scale.
And then when you keep going up, stepping on the AB pedals to move to the 4th degree, that feels right, no? Pedals-down at the 8th fret = F (the 4th degree of C scale).
| Quote: |
| So I went to the F scale fret 1 no pedals, does that mean the F scale there starts on interval 3? |
You got it... assuming you are working that version of a scale that uses strings 3 and 5, at Fret 1 you are playing the 3rd degree of the scale along with a harmony note. But in order to play the F scale from the beginning, if you are using strings 3 and 5, that requires you to start from the pedals-down fret, which is fret 8 and work up from there.
So that's the version of the scale that uses strings 3 and 5 and begins from the pedals-down fret.
But there are several other versions of harmonized scales that are based off of different strings, so start in different frets:
Back in the key of C, in order for the 8th fret to be considered a 1st degree position, you would need to be using string 4 or 8 (the E strings), Those are the ones that would be the "C" note at that fret.
FYI, there is a harmonized scale form that is based off of the open 4th string position (rather than the 3rd string, pedal-down version you are discussing here). To play that form of a harmonized scale, in the key of C, you would begin at the 8th fret, but you might use, say strings 4 and 6 (not strings 3 and 5). Using those strings in that fret, you would kicking off the scale from the 1st degree.
Start no pedals, step on BC for the 2nd degree, slide up 2 frets for the 3rd degree... then release pedals and slide on up to 13th fret for the 4th degree, up to 15th fret, then 15BC, 17BC, then fret 20.
There is another variation of the above that uses the F lever (instead of BC), but that's for another day.
Some more background: the scale form you're asking about, the one that uses strings 3 and 5 along with the AB pedals, is based off of the 3rd string. So for the key of C, that's 3rd frets pedals down. The "C" note is that 3rd string, and the 5th string is just providing the harmony tone.
As you work up that scale, the 3rd string is the one defining which particular scale degree you are sitting on.
Last edited by Tucker Jackson on 14 May 2022 1:19 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Doug Taylor
From:
Shelbyville, Kentucky, USA
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Posted 14 May 2022 1:18 pm
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| Thanks Tucker that is a great explanation! Thanks for the link to the charts Colin. |
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