The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    The Mixo-Blues Scale - Guitar Lesson with Diagrams & Theory

    ... Of all the hybrid combinations I've known about over the years (and some I've made up myself!), I'd never come across this one before. Not sure it's as useful as just judiciously adding in chromatics. Anyone actually use this?

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  3. #2

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    If you take the notes of a Lester Young or Charlie Christian line on a major or dominant chord and sort all the notes in ascending order of pitch you may well end up with this, yes.

  4. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by princeplanet
    The Mixo-Blues Scale - Guitar Lesson with Diagrams & Theory

    ... Of all the hybrid combinations I've known about over the years (and some I've made up myself!), I'd never come across this one before. Not sure it's as useful as just judiciously adding in chromatics. Anyone actually use this?
    Yes, I do.

  5. #4

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    If you're thinking "What scale is this" while you think you're playing Blues, you're not playing Blues. IMHO.

  6. #5

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    Shrug. Blues is microtonal. Blues scales are an approximate mapping of that to fixed interval instruments and notation. Add a b3 and b5 to a mixolydian? Sure, why not? Instead, call those non-diatonic ornaments to a mixolydian? Sure, why not? Whatever gets you to the understanding that the blues is found in between flat and M3, between 4 and 5, and between b7 and 8(1) is Ok by me.

    I don't know about you guys, but I use all 12 notes and more anyway.

    John

  7. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by princeplanet
    The Mixo-Blues Scale - Guitar Lesson with Diagrams & Theory

    ... Of all the hybrid combinations I've known about over the years (and some I've made up myself!), I'd never come across this one before. Not sure it's as useful as just judiciously adding in chromatics. Anyone actually use this?

    By name... no.

    But it's what you get when you combine the notes of major pentatonic with minor pentatonic and add in the b5. Players have been doing that over blues chords for the past 100 years, give or take.

    Attaching the Mixolydian name to it is unnecessary, in my opinion. It does provide a clue as to the connections between Mixolydian and Dorian modes, however.

    .

  8. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by citizenk74
    If you're thinking "What scale is this" while you think you're playing Blues, you're not playing Blues. IMHO.
    If you're thinking "What guitar is this" while you're playing the guitar, you're not really playing music. Ha ha

  9. #8

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    I dunno that I would think of it as a scale, but those are the notes of a blues based Dominant Whatever tonality.

  10. #9

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    I had heard the term before. Not sure where. It seemed self-evident (Mixo + blues). I never worked on it as a scale in and of itself. At the same time, I play lines like that.

  11. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by John A.
    Shrug. Blues is microtonal. Blues scales are an approximate mapping of that to fixed interval instruments and notation. Add a b3 and b5 to a mixolydian? Sure, why not? Instead, call those non-diatonic ornaments to a mixolydian? Sure, why not? Whatever gets you to the understanding that the blues is found in between flat and M3, between 4 and 5, and between b7 and 8(1) is Ok by me.

    I don't know about you guys, but I use all 12 notes and more anyway.

    John
    Your analysis triggered my mind to think of it as the minor blues scale ( minor pentatonic with the b5) and the major pentatonic. It is a lot easier to keep track of, at least for me. Great analysis.

  12. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by princeplanet
    The Mixo-Blues Scale - Guitar Lesson with Diagrams & Theory

    ... Of all the hybrid combinations I've known about over the years (and some I've made up myself!), I'd never come across this one before. Not sure it's as useful as just judiciously adding in chromatics. Anyone actually use this?
    This is a fun thread, PP. It can be fun combining scales. Lines can come up that remind you of one from a recording.

  13. #12
    Yes, like when this guy "employs" it, it sounds like he's either just picking the major pent (with passing notes) or the minor pent (with passing notes).

    Learn How to Play Jazz Piano Improv - 3 Exercises - Piano With Jonny

    To combine all the notes and call it a "scale" seems strange to me. It's like combining 2 different scales together that make up the 12 note chromatic scale and saying "just use this scale against every chord!".... or am I being a little unfair?

  14. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by princeplanet
    Yes, like when this guy "employs" it, it sounds like he's either just picking the major pent (with passing notes) or the minor pent (with passing notes).

    Learn How to Play Jazz Piano Improv - 3 Exercises - Piano With Jonny

    To combine all the notes and call it a "scale" seems strange to me. It's like combining 2 different scales together that make up the 12 note chromatic scale and saying "just use this scale against every chord!".... or am I being a little unfair?
    "You say, "Po - TAY- toe," he says ,"Po - TAH -toe." For what it is worth from me, I like that term, "Hybrid Scale." It helps me remember the notes.

  15. #14

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    If all 12 notes are considered a scale then certainly any 9 are as well.
    How a scale is named can be up for debate.
    The person referenced in the OP arrived at this content by combining the notes of mixolydian with a blues scale which explains their name.
    I have heard many people over the years who didn't bother with naming
    what they were discussing, describe a hybrid note collection of major and minor blues scales.

    1 2 b3 3 5 6 + 1 b3 4 b5 5 b7 = 1 2 b3 3 4 b5 5 6 b7

    Same result.

    Where to draw lines on scale definition?

    Wiki: In music theory, a scale is any set of musical notes ordered by fundamental frequency or pitch.

    If so, then what is the difference between a scale and an arpeggio?

    Take a pentatonic, an accepted scale:

    C D E G A = Cma6/9 or Am7/11

    Perhaps the only difference is in the users mindset.

    How about 5 chromatic notes?

    C Db D Eb E

    Is it a scale or merely a chromatic scale subset?

    I have leaned in recent years more towards the idea of note collections.
    It is a club that doesn't require justification as an entry card.
    Every note collection yields melodic and harmonic content based on
    the intervals available. Useful or useless accordingly.......

    No right or wrong answers here in my opinion, it's an individual thing.
    Organize notes in whatever fashion best serves the music you seek to
    make manifest.

  16. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by bako

    No right or wrong answers here in my opinion, it's an individual thing.
    Organize notes in whatever fashion best serves the music you seek to
    make manifest.
    This is the key to all music, IMO.

  17. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by bako
    ...describe a hybrid note collection of major and minor blues scales.

    1 2 b3 3 5 6 + 1 b3 4 b5 5 b7 = 1 2 b3 3 4 b5 5 6 b7

    ...
    Yup, but let's consider the 3 missing notes, the b2, the #5 and the nat 7. I use these all the time, for either maj or dom chord!

    This is why I never understood the CST thing, because the truth is that all 12 notes can be played against any chord at any time (if handled well). Sure people say that the point of CST is to offer a reference pool of notes for a specific purpose, but how is that better than referencing to the chord (or key) of the moment? Just think, there are millions of people across the world right now practicing all sorts of scales in the vain hope it will help with their Jazz improvisation. As I've said here many times, that's as stupid as practicing the alphabet (in various orders and iterations) in the hope it will make them a better poet...

  18. #17

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    The obvious... Blue Notes At least the straight vanilla ones. Generally not played as in straight scale style

    b3 or #9 ...spelling generally depends on where your calling the source or where your pulling the BN's from. If it's just an embellishment... don't worry about it.

    #11 or b5 ,,,,same

    b7.... same and in this case, already in the note collection.

    Some players.... think of melodic lines as also having harmonic references, Basically all notes have a chord or Harmonic note collection that each note implies. So just as most solo or play melodic lines with guidelines and movement control devices etc... even embellishment. Like I was saying some also do the same things.... just with bigger picture guidelines etc...

    Blue notes can be developed from this approach. But yea who cares. At least try and have organization with the harmonic rhythm when using blue notes. By that I'm talking about rhythmic targets of Harmonic rhythm.

    The 12 note thing and CST are different types of organization... yes any notes can go anywhere, with embellishment approach etc... But CST is based on common practices of adding notes... the added notes are from Harmonic organization. It's just a way to help organize how one might use all the added notes with musical organization from jazz common practice. You de need to get past the basic 1st few levels of labels etc... Same thing as.... OK I know arpeggios, chord tones, extension, scales etc.... now how do I use them?