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Building Scales Using The Whole Half Step Formula

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guitar laughKnowing how to build a scale is essential for understanding music theory, learning how the guitar works, to able to communicate with other musicians and to grow towards becoming an accomplished guitar player.

Every piece of musical knowledge adds to your musicianship and makes you become a better guitar player. Applied knowledge is power.

The whole-half Step formula is the perfect way to build and recognize the pattern of any scale. The scales you need for soloing, chord construction, chord progressions, arpeggios and a dozen of other things. It gives you insight in the whole matter.

So let’s see how this baby works.

The whole-half step formula is similar to the scale formulas only it uses whole and half steps to explain the construction of a scale.

A half step = one fret. A whole step = two frets. So going one fret up or down the neck is a half step. Going up or down two frets equals a whole step.

Let’s take the major scale as an example:

Major scale = Whole step – Whole step – Half step – Whole step – Whole step – Whole step – Half step
or simplified: W-W-H-W-W-W-H (W = Whole, H = Half)
You can also notate the fret intervals: 2-2-1-2-2-2-1 (W = 2, H = 1)Continue Reading

What is a Scale Formula and How to Use it For Guitar

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guitar and the power of failureEverything evolves around scales. We use scales to create music, study music theory, understand music, build chords, progressions, arpeggios and learn soloing and improvisation.

So how do you build a scale with a formula, how do you figure out the notes for a particular scale, what else can you do with a scale formula and how can you make sense of it all?

Well, let’s find out.

The scale formula gives you insight in the notes you play. It gives you a clear overview of how scales relate to each other and reveals the easiness of building any scale in seconds.

It also a great tool for learning and understanding chord construction and soloing. Once you know the logic behind a scale and how to use the formula, a lot of pieces to the puzzle will fall into place one step at a time.

To construct or build a scale we need a major scale and a scale formula. We use the major scale as groundwork and reference point for building all the other scales and then apply the appropriate scale formula to fill in the notes. Continue Reading

How to Play and Apply The Dorian Scale

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If you know your way around the pentatonic / blues scale, the major scale and minor scale and you feel like you’re up for a new challenge, it’s time to expand your soloing vocabulary.

Let’s take a look at one of the 7 modes of the Major scale. Dorian might be your new endeavor.

The Dorian scale is very common scale in the jazz music, but it can also be applied to pop, rock and metal to give your soloing some fresh and lively colors.

The dorian scale is the second mode of the major scale.

All 7 modes (Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, Locrian) are derived from the major scale. Each mode starts and stops on a different note within the major scale. Dorian starts on the second degree of the major scale all the way up to an octave higher.

Example:
C Major = C D E F G A B C
D Dorian = D E F G A B C D

Formulas:
Major scale = 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Dorian scale = 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7

If you start on a random note to build a Dorian scale the pattern of whole and half steps would be: “whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half, whole”. (a whole step = 2 frets, a half step = 1 fret). So the formula in semitones = 2 1 2 2 2 1 2

DORIAN SOUND
Modes are scales derived from the major scale. There are major modes and minor modes. If we look at the minor modes (they contain a b3) you can see the Aeolian mode (natural minor scale) and Phrygian mode both contain a minor 6 (or b6), whereas the Dorian mode contains a major 6. The 6th sets it apart. It becomes the characteristic note and identifies the Dorian sound.Continue Reading

The Mighty Mixolydian Scale over A Blues

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So why do you want to use the mixolydian scale for blues?

Well, not that there’s anything wrong with the pentatonic scale, on the contrary, the pentatonic / blues scale is the most essential scale for blues music.

But if you want to take it a little further and jazz it up with some nice fresh sounding notes to expand your improvisation possibilities then the mixolydian scale is a great addition.

The mixolydian scale is one of the 7 modes derived from the major scale. It’s the fifth mode and contains a flat seventh compared to the major scale.

If you already know how to play a major scale you only have to lower the 7th degree by a half step and there’s your mixolydian scale.

Major scale = 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Mixolydian scale = 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7

Because the mixolydian scale contains a major 3rd and flat7 (b7) it’s perfectly fit to play over a dom7 chord. And as you might know, the dom7 chord is the main ingredient for blues music.

Now you know how the mixolydian scale is build up, you want to know how to combine mixolydian and pentatonic into your improvisation.Continue Reading