Not Sure !

Hi Butch,

Im not sure about a chromatic Riff, but the chromatic scale is all twelve notes of western music running in sequence - a semi-tone apart.

EG - A A# B C C# D D# E F F# G G#

Tends to make for a pretty naff riff really, but the other more interesting scales are derived from it.

I think thats the answer anyway - lets see if any one corrects me :cry:

All the best

Steve Saunders

Hi again,

Thinking about it, given what I said earlier, I would guess that a chromatic riff is a series of notes running one semi-tone apart.

Sounds about right to me :D

Cheers

Steve Saunders

...but a pentatonic riff would be notes from a pentatonic scale without implying that they're in order, so I'd guess that a chromatic riff would be a riff made from any notes at all (and too many that it doesn't fit another scale pattern, else we'd name it after that scale), not necessarily a run of notes in chromatic order. :?:

Chromatic runs are used by lots of Metal players. They give a sensation of speed.


Chromatic run in A

e------------------------------------------1-2-3-4-5-
b----------------------------------2-3-4-5-----------
g--------------------------2-3-4-5-------------------
d------------------3-4-5-6---------------------------
a----------4-5-6-7-----------------------------------
e--5-6-7-8-------------------------------------------


While mostly used by Metal players, anyone playing any style can use chromatic runs. There is a fantastic super fast chromatic run on acoustic guitar at the beginning of the guitar solo in the old Emerson Lake and Palmer song, From the Beginning.