| "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's. - Chris Hoopes |
Most musicians choose a scale to play a lead/melody based upon the key (or implying key(s) of the underlying chord progression(s). Jazz music is a style in which scales are chosen based upon the immediate underlying chord or progression as opposed to keys. But in most other styles of music, a lead/melody can be chosen based upon the key of the song or progression. Since this is more objective than the former method used in jazz, this will be the method taught in the subsequent text. Using this building block, a musician can then, if desired , learn the more subjective jazz method as well.
See the keys section as an aid to this section.
Using the circle of fifths to construct a diatonic scale one can derive all of the scales needed to play leads/melodies.
To understand scales more in-depth, we need a basic understanding of intervals, located within the chords section.
A major scale consists of the following intervals:
A natural minor scale scale consists of the same interval sequence with a different starting point.
Every major scale has a corresponding relative minor scale. A relative minor is a minor scale consisting of the same notes (key signature) as it's relative major.
For example; A minor is the relative major of C major. Compare:
Another example; D major is the relative major to B minor. Compare:
Notice that in both examples, both scales contain the same notes, and therefore share the same key signatures, but have different starting points. In the last example, both the D major and B minor scales have 2 #'s, C# and F# as their key signatures.
There are 3 types of minor scales. The harmonic minor, melodic minor, and natural minor.
The major and minor scales (natural, harmonic minor & melodic minor) are all considered to be diatonic scales.
The "blues scale", or blues pentatonic is just a minor pentatonic with an additional note (b5) making it a hexatonic (6 note) scale.
A C D E G - A Minor Pentatonic
A C D Eb E G - A Blues pentatonic.
This leads us to learning how to apply scales to musical contexts. The traditional method is to simply find the key signature of the song/progression and play the corresponding scale. If the song/progression is in the key of Bb major, the Bb major scale can be played over top of the corresponding song/progression. Also, the Bb major pentatonic scale can be used, since it is a derivative of Bb. In fact, any scale derived from the Bb diatonic, would work, in the key of Bb.
The following is a list of modes for the C major scale:
You've already learned one mode, the natural minor scale(aeolian). A minor is a mode of C major.
Learning the names of the modes is perhaps, half the battle, but don't get hung up on them. They are only beneficial to the student in so much as they provide a means of communication.
Their are three ways that I suggest to learn modes. One, to become better acquainted with this subject, is simply to play the modes as listed above.
The second way is to compare each of the modes with it's major or minor equivalent.
Take a look at the modes once again, this time I've added the corresponding scale number along with the major or minor scale that most closely resembles each mode.
Notice that the list of resembling scales for these modes, matches the pattern found in the number system.
* The locrian corresponds, in the number system, with the diminished chord, which is equivalent to a minor flat 5.
So the Ionian, Lydian, and Mixolydian scales can be compared to their corresponding major scales with the same root, and the Dorian, Phrygian, Aeolian and Locrian, scales can be compared to their corresponding minor scales with the same root as follows:
| MODE | CORRESPONDING SCALE | MODAL DIFFERENCE |
| A Ionian | A major | Same scale |
| A Dorian | A minor | Dorian=#6 |
| A Phrygian | A minor | Phyrgian=b2 |
| A lydian | A major | Lydian=#4 |
| A Mixolydian | A major | Mixolydian=b5 |
| A Aeolian | A minor | Same scale |
| A Locrian | A minor | Locrian=b2, b5 |
The third way to learn how modes sound is to play them over their corresponding major, minor or diminished chord. If you play just an F lydian mode, it will sound like a C major chord starting on F. But, if you play this same mode over an underlying F major chord, the character of the lydian mode will "jump out".
One way to apply a mode is within a "modal chord progression". A modal chord progression (my contrived term) is a chord progression within a song which deviates from the key of the song and allows for a mode to be applied.
Returning to the "Amazing Grace" example found in the chords section.
G major, G major, C major, G major, G major, A major, D major
This song, in the key of G major has one chord which deviates from the key. A major. The A major (A C# E) chord is functioning as a II chord. II's chords are minors within major keys. The C# is not within the key of G. G has only one sharp, F#. A G major scale would work for this whole song, even over the A major if one does not linger on the the C note of the scale, thus yielding dissonance.
But, another option, is when the A major chord is encountered, the G lydian mode can be used. The G lydian is the D major scale starting on it's 4th scale degree (G). Why call this scale a G lydian instead of just D major? Because the tonal center of the progression is G.
Another way of looking at this progression is to think of the A as temporarily modulating the song to the key of D major. Either way, you get the same results, but it's easier for most people to think modally.
Here are some general ideas to develop your lead playing.
There are 3 basic elements to playing lead.
They are:
Learn to play these in sequences/patterns. Take the notes out of their straight order. I tend to number the notes of scales, numbering the tonic as 1, etc. I then will play scales according to numbered patterns. For instance, if I'm working with the F major scale, F is 1, G is 2, etc.
Here are some examples of numbered patterns
These are just for starters. I'm sure you can come up with more on your own.
And finally, you may want to experiment with scales that contain notes which are "outside" of the key of the underlying song/progression. "Playing outside" can add some color to an otherwise dull melody/lead. The blues scale is a scale which contains one note which is "outside" of a major or minor key.
Arpeggios are simply broken up chords. For instance, by playing the notes of the D major chord, D F# A, one is playing the D major arpeggio.
Arpeggios can be chosen based upon the key of the song/progression or the immediate underlying chord. One exciting way to use arpeggios is to choose one which enlarges a chord. For instance, playing the b diminished arpeggio over a G major chord, produces the sound of the G dominant 7 chord, even though neither the chord or the arpeggio *alone* is playing G 7. Arpeggios do become more like scales if they are derived from chords which are bigger than 4 notes. This is because chords beyond 4 notes tend to transcend octaves. My favorite arpeggio is the Minor 7 arpeggio, because it is so close to the famous pentatonic scale. Compare:
Intervals can be played two ways. They can be played together, like a chord, or separate, like an arpeggio. Intervals can break up the monotony of scales and bring a "freshness" to any, otherwise predictable lead. One easy way to find some appropriate intervals for a song is to derive them from the key of the song/progression. Of course, one can also play intervals which aren't in the key.