Developing Melodic Material Based On The Five Positions Of Bb Major
Transposing To Bb Major
This is another one of those exercises in which the “rubber meets the road”, that is to say it’s a glimpse into what developing real world, professional level playing skills. Specifically, taking known , syudied and practiced melodic material from one key and seemlessly and quickly using that melodic material in another key. This is called transposing. By working on transposing, you’ll ultimately learn to transpose on the fly as is often required in a myriad of playing situations. a good way to start is look over the key, getting your head into the game. Take a second to memorize the names of the notes and chords in the key, perhaps pausing to write them down on music paper. Of course, use the little video to the left as way of accilmating your ears to the new key, the key of todays study and practice. Remember each key is a new musical neighborhood for you to explore and learn.
Bb Major C – A – G – E – D
In our system learning to play guitar solos and melodic material in a new key means learning applying the 5 Major Scale fingering positions of the C – A – G – E – D system we’ve been diagramming in this course. In the previous study you learned jhow to decelop melodies and catchy guitar riffs using each of 5 positions normally associated with the universally known guitarists’ C – A – G – E – D system. This courses is not only you teaching scales but also how to use these scales. To that end, want you to think of the things about each scale pattern that are musically meaningful and productive for you. by studying and playing the solos we’ve written for this course you’ll begin to see and hear tuneful riffs, licks, lines and musical ideas in the scale pattern. After we learn each of the 5 shapes of a Bb Major Scale, you’ll be transposing the melodic ideas and solos from the Key Of F study in the “new” key of Bb Major.
Open Position Bb Major
Use the suggested scale passages, fingerngs and rhythms as ear training and picking dexterity exercises. For purposes of training your ear and fingers, practice until you can play in perfect sync with the recording.
Solo Based On Open Position Bb Major Scale.
The melodic studies in this lesson are transpositions of the solos and licks presented in the previous study, Developing Melodic Material Based On The Five Positions Of The F Major Scale. You’ll be using the same licks for each of the individual scale shapes. Here, you’ll be reccalling and using the very specific type of finger motion and hand placement called for by Movement by 3rds. The same melodic ideas originally presented in the Key Of “F” are heard below transposed the Key Of “Bb”. Notice the same tuneful, descending movement and overall musical and melodic effectiveness.
You must of course focus on the fact that this exercise is practice in using and controling a musical device: movement by 3rds. The same idea that works in one key works just as well or better in another key. Learn to improvise and create new pathways with this idea .
Position III: Bb Major
The next excercise first has you systematically study the Key Of Bb by practicing and playing the next logical extention, or the G TYPE fingering pattern. In the case of the Key Of Bb, the G TYPE pattern is found in the third position. The G TYPE pattern requires one out of position stretch to accomplish its goal. As a reminder, the large white numbers enclosed in the black circles indicate which finger, by number, is to be used to play the note. To gain maximum improvement in the areas of ear training and finger movement, practice until you can play in exact unison with the recording.
Solo Based On 3rd Position Bb Major Scale
The same stepwise scale passages and melodic devices originally presented in the Key Of “F” are here in the Key Of “Bb” :
1.) Skipping or Leaping; From Root (“Bb”) to the 6th (“G”) -a sweet note.
2.) Awareness of the sweet notes, the 9th (“C”) and the 6th is also illuminated in this way as it returns our melodic line back to the Root (“F”).
3.) Articulations such as as stacatto notes, legato notes, accented notes and slurs or slides.
Position V: Bb Major
The logical extention to the Key Of Bb Major scale fingering pattern is the E TYPE of Major scale fingring pattern found in the fifth position. In this course, we’ve named this the E TYPE of Major scale shape. The E TYPE of Major scale fingring pattern could be the most widely known, used and played major scale pattern.
Solo Based On 5th Position Bb Major Scale
Here we’re taking a guitarists favorite Major scale pattern, the E TYPE, and creating a melody based on chord tones and extended harmonies (6th, 7th, 9th) normally associated with a Major scale sound. These tensions (6th, 7th, 9th) are extremely rich, consonant, harmonious and generally full of personality. The solo below gives you an opportunity to examine and learn the sound of two of these notes; the sweet sounding 9th (“C” in this key) and the large and lovely Major 7th. In this solo, the Major 7th (“A” in this key) is in itself a resting point, or destination note and note used in uts more common, or Classical function of a leading tone, leading your ears back to the root. The sweet and beautiful major 7th, a treat for the ears.
Some players like to think of standard chord shapes for Major type chords containing a 6th, 7th, 9th as a starting point, or a point of easy access to the rich and wonderful world of sound that is to be created using extended harmonies (tensions) as a basis for melodic and tuneful guitar parts.
Position VI: Bb Major
In the Key Of Bb, the FIVE POSITION CAGED SYSTEM calls for the D TYPE of Major scale fingering pattern to appear in the sixth position. In the example below the scale has been rhythmicized and phrased around the root notes with the intention of revealing common melodic kernals and scale movement possible within the D TYPE shape.
Solo Based On 6th Position Bb Major Scale
As we discovered in our previous study, composing interesting melodic materal based on the D TYPE fingering pattern can be easy, interesting and almost automatic because of the physical shape of the scale. There are virtually endless amounts of great ear catching riffs employing skips and leaps hiding in the D TYPE fingering pattern. Remember, your goal here is to learn fingering patterns and how to use them while creating high quality lead guitar parts as opposed to the dull and lackluster running of scales. A good way to use the D TYPE fingering pattern is to capitalize on the shape of the pattern.
Position X: Bb Major
In the Key of Bb, the key we’re studying, the next (and final) pattern to be studied is the C TYPE. Many palyers find it easy to function and think within scale the C TYPE form because its ‘parent’ scale, the Open Positon C Scale, is the first scale many guitarists learn to play in. Once again, pay attention to the phrasing and rhythm of scale pattern and practice until you can play in unison with the recording.
In this lesson, as in a previous lessons, you’ve been learning to create melodic material based on the C TYPE fingering pattern by inserting chromatic scale passing notes. These chromatic scale passing notes are also called approach notes because they are often used as a musical approach to a favorite scale note or more commonly to a chord tone. Licks containing chromatic scale passing notes can sound very sophisticated and smooth. The C TYPE fingering pattern is a good choice for creating such chromatic licks because the Major chord form derived fom the scale is a comfortable one for single note playing (a good soloing shape) and is an easy target visually (animation at left). Finally, you’re also learning to locate chord tones and accaptable tensions. In this lesson, for purposes of explanation and as a way of describing the musical value inherant in these notes, we’ve named a few of these chord tones and accaptable tensions notes the sweet notes, or scale tones 3,6, & 9.
