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Overdrive

Some distortion effects provide an “overdrive” effect. Either by using a vacuum tube, or by using simulated tube modeling techniques, the top of the wave… Read More »Overdrive

Which Scale: Improvising With Pentatonics

The stage is set.

The fans have gathered and the band opens up with it’s first song. Quick, it’s time for a solo, but what do you play?

That’s easy. We’ll just improvise!

“To improvise means to make it up on the spot, right?”, you ask.

Yes, we’re going to make the solo up as we go along. All we need to know is what key the song is in and then we can find which scale to use.

It’s easy and I’ll show you…Read More »Which Scale: Improvising With Pentatonics

G Major Scale

The notes from the G major scale are G, A, B, C, D, E, and F#.  There’s one sharp note (F#), but all the rest of the notes are primary notes. That makes it easier to remember what notes make up the scale. Just start on G and go through the musical alphabet. We start on G- then A comes next (unless you’ve found the secret “H chord”), then B, C, and so on. The last note in the scale is the one with the sharp and that’s F# (or G flat if you prefer).

The 7th scale step in the major scale is always  a half step (or one fret) below the tonic.Read More »G Major Scale

The Art Of Memorizing Music

Playing from memory is a skill that I believe is not only possible for every player, but is indeed essential for every player. I never feel that I know a piece, or have “internalized” a piece, until I have been playing it for quite some time from memory.

I always found it quite easy to memorize pieces, and thought everyone could do this, until experience in teaching taught me otherwise. As I began to study the subject, I gradually uncovered the reasons why I found it easy, and others found it difficult. I could summarize those reasons as follows:Read More »The Art Of Memorizing Music