A diminished scale is an eight-note scale, or octatonic scale, made up of a series of alternating whole steps and half steps from the starting pitch. One way to make sense of these scales is to use a diminished 7th arpeggio as their foundation. The Eo7 arpeggio below has the notes E, G, Bb &… Continue reading Two Diminished Scale Exercises
Tag: music theory
How To Create A Blues Turnaround
A turnaround is a short chord progression that takes you back to the start of a song, a solo section or even takes you to a new key. Sometimes they are used as an introduction or an ending to a song. The chords of a turnaround range from simple to complicated, but all turnarounds are… Continue reading How To Create A Blues Turnaround
Study in Tenths
Tenths-a third plus an octave-can add an extra dimension to a composition by imparting depth and emotion to a melody or bass line. Tenths can even bring life and energy to a simple scale. Try playing this E major scale harmonized with parallel tenths. The upper notes add a bit of color without obscuring the… Continue reading Study in Tenths
Jazz Waltz for Guitar
This jazzy tune in 3/4 features a simple melody supported by some rich extended and altered chords. The pedal E in the lower voice in the beginning provides a measure-level pulse, but also creates some extra dissonance that obscures the harmony. Can you name the chord in the first measure? Maybe it's an Ebmb5#7/E (yikes!)… Continue reading Jazz Waltz for Guitar
Fanfare No. 2
Fanfare No. 2 below is a variation of the piece, Fanfare, introduced in the previous post. The main difference is that this composition uses minor triads instead of major ones. This leads to a subtle change in the melody in certain places, but overall, it sounds very similar to the original. Recomposing this piece was… Continue reading Fanfare No. 2
Ken Pasciak 