I was wondering if anyone knows what scale is used on lots of Allman Brothers songs such as Blue Sky and Jessica. This same type of soloing is found on Los Lonely Boys "Heaven". It has a dreamy pentatonic feel that is very melodic.
I would like to use this kind of stuff to make more pentatonics less "bluesy" and more melody oriented.
Thanks,
-Dustin
I've been imitated so well I've heard people copy my mistakes.
- Jimi Hendrix
Good question. I can't anwer it but I think I know what you're getting at.
I like that sound too. A little less bluesy, more sort of "timeless". (Well words are failing me so I better shut up and let someone that knows something answer.)
Yeah, a very "open" sound. Something you can definately hum or whistle to.
-Dustin
I've been imitated so well I've heard people copy my mistakes.
- Jimi Hendrix
I don't know the songs well enough to tell for sure, but it sounds like the Lydian mode from the way you describe it. It has that dreamy sound, that is major but not happy like Ionian. When a character in a movie is either dreaming or flying, the background music is usually Lydian.
Third Take a blog about home recording
Whole-tone is floaty too.
I don't think its as spacy / dreamy as lydian,
Perhaps a major pent with some added notes?
-Dustin
I've been imitated so well I've heard people copy my mistakes.
- Jimi Hendrix
Every note played in the soloing of Blue Sky is from the E major scale, even when they bend strings(the bend starts and ends on a note from the E major scale). The chords are mostly E,A,&B with an occassional D, B7sus4,G#m7,&C#m which all are built off of E major tones except for the D note in the Dmajor chord.
It's just great phrasing under the chords and when the two are harmonizing they are playing similar but unique solo's together (unlike traditional harmonizing were one guitarist is playing the same thing but it is in a specific type of interval above the other guitarist). Bottom line musical genius.
If you check the notes on both of those tunes youll find they generally follow the major pentatonic scheme. The bluesy sound your avoiding is usually a contrast between dominant chords and the minor pentatonic. My advice is grab the real notation for an Allman brothers tune, or LLB's and check out what melody they are harmonizing against. Its more then likely the major pentatonic or mixolydian mode against a major set of chords. Theres definately a minor tonality at some points but I think its dictated more by the melody.
Kido
Not specific to the Allmans or LLB, but stacked fifth intervals sound dreamy. Appegiate a stacked fifth acoustically or with clean electric to try this. Stacked fifth example: 1 5 9, in C = C1, G1, D2 (D is in the next octave).
Another somewhat happy/dreamy arp is 1 4 8 or 1 4 6 8. Eric Johnson uses variations (with flatted 7th) of this in the main riff for Cliff of Dover.
-Greg
-=tension & release=-
:wink: Funny over the weekend I working on the Los Lonely Boys song Heaven, I'm still working on it but it does seem to use the E major scale
using E, A, B and C#m B being dominate and C#m is the relative minor, still working on it but this seems to fit. Great song and excellent group, good mixture of music in their songs, Stevi ray vaughn, Santana, even some old 60's stuff in their style. Buy the DVD Live in Austin Texas, was just released on Sept 14th alot of good guitar playing and good music.
