[TheMissing]

I have a question that's been bothering me for some time now, and it just popped in my head and I figured i'd ask...

I wrote this clean riff using some random G chord (I used a chord generator, and put G in, and clicked random options and stuff and I got this sweet melodic chord ) and I was having trouble finding a good scale to go over it. I tried every G scale and couldn't come up with anything that sounded like what I was going for. Then I decided to try random scales over it that were in different keys (Because an E scale works over top of something in A for example, such as when i'm playing 12 bar blues). I can't remember if it was B minor or B melodic minor, but whatever it was, it worked beautifully. I was able to make a super melodic solo to go over the riff I made up.

Does anyone know why this worked? And is there a method to find out which scales work with other keys?

[Desecrated]

the G is the replacement tonic chord in the key of B.

Not the right terminology but my dictionary don't have music terms, But I think you can guess what I'm aiming for.

[MattyCakes]

g B d

yes

[Naren]

Well, technically any scale will work with any key, depending on the sound you're going for. Oftentimes what I do is I'll be playing a rhythm guitar thing in D (or whatever) and a solo in D minor on top of that and then I'll shift the rhythm guitar patterns all up a half-step (or at least some of the notes in the pattern) to D#, but continue to play the same solo in D that I was playing. It gives a kind of disturbing feeling of tension in that case.

Yesterday I recorded a rhythm guitar part and kept trying solos in different keys on top of it for different feels, picking the keys based on their intervals (for example, D is a minor third above B, so I tried playing the D minor scale over a progression in B, and so on with different ideas).

Generally the best sounding solos are in the same key as the rhythm guitar or in its respective minor key -- or harmonic minor key. I'm pretty rusty on this stuff, though, so you might want to wait for someone who's a senior at Berklee or something.

[TheMissing]

Originally Posted by Naren

Well, technically any scale will work with any key, depending on the sound you're going for. Oftentimes what I do is I'll be playing a rhythm guitar thing in D (or whatever) and a solo in D minor on top of that and then I'll shift the rhythm guitar patterns all up a half-step (or at least some of the notes in the pattern) to D#, but continue to play the same solo in D that I was playing. It gives a kind of disturbing feeling of tension in that case.

Yesterday I recorded a rhythm guitar part and kept trying solos in different keys on top of it for different feels, picking the keys based on their intervals (for example, D is a minor third above B, so I tried playing the D minor scale over a progression in B, and so on with different ideas).

Generally the best sounding solos are in the same key as the rhythm guitar or in its respective minor key -- or harmonic minor key. I'm pretty rusty on this stuff, though, so you might want to wait for someone who's a senior at Berklee or something.

I see what you're saying.

It's just odd how the first pattern in B I played over the G chords rang out with such a melodic character.

And actually, now that I think about it, the end of the solo section is in E!
Maybe I'll post up a clip or the riff I made later tonight if I have time.

[bostjan]

B minor in with a G root is G lydian. The Lydian Mode is a favourite of many 80's and 90's happy shredders.

B melodic minor doesn't even have the G in it, though, so I highly doubt that would work at any level, but you should never say never.

[Durero]

Originally Posted by TheMissing

And is there a method to find out which scales work with other keys?

Start with the notes in the chord, then find scales which share all, most, few, or just one of those chord notes. Any scale which has all the chord notes in it is guaranteed to work or make sense with the chord. As you try scales which share fewer notes with that chord then the more opportunities you have to find tense or "outside" notes. Whether these outside notes are useable to you is a matter of musical context as well as taste, and especially rhythm - you can get away with absolutely any note if it's de-emphasized rhythmically by being played on a weak beat, weak subdivision of a beat, or is buried in the midst of a very fast run where each note has little individual impact compared to the starting & ending notes of the run.

So what notes are in your G chord?

[Wolfster]

If its a G major chord (G B D) You could use B minor pentatonic which brings out B D E F sharp A B of the G major scale, this in reference to a G major chord is the 3rd 5th 6th 7th 9th. Sounds pretty nice.
Now if you wanted use the B meldodic minor scale you would using B Csharp D E Fsharp Gsharp A sharp. The Gsharp would be conflict with the G root of the G major chord. Best to use D melodic minor which would be D E F G A B Csharp. This would sound pretty cool, as your implying a G lydian dominant mode ( in the Key of D melodic minor).

You could also play Fsharp minor pentatonic, C melodic minor, E minor pentatonic, and so on. The possibilities are pretty much endless. you just need to know what sound you are going for.

[ArchAngel1024]

B is also the 5th of G

G-G#-A-A#-B
I-II-III-IV-V


So if it was B Major, it would have a very harmonious effect.

This has been reviewed in here already (I think), but I'll state it simply anyway.

You should also try the 3rd, it usually has a nice sound to it too, but may not be what you want.

[Durero]

^ B is not the 5th of G, it's a major 3rd above G which is 4 semitones. A perfect 5th is 7 semitones. But major thirds are certainly harmonious nonetheless.