INTERVALS (5THS)
This month Shaun Baxter delves into quintal harmony by exploring ‘scale 5ths’ in the context of a blues-rock solo using Mixolydian mode.
In this current series, we’ve been looking at ways of exploring specific intervals within Mixolydian. So far, we’ve studied 2nds, 3rds and 4ths, and in this lesson it’s the turn of 5ths. Intervals are a great way of developing approaches that have distinct flavours. Each interval-type has its own innate character, and this is something that we can use to our advantage in order to control the musical complexion of what we do when improvising.
Within the modes of the Major scale, each 5th interval will be one of two types: 1) Diminished fifth = six semitones
2) Perfect fifth = seven semitones
To illustrate this, have a look at Diagram 1, which represents the notes of C Major (and any of its modes). If you start from any note, and then move in any direction, clockwise or anti-clockwise, to another note that is four notes away (in other words, with another three scale notes in between), the distance is either (usually) a perfect 5th or a Diminished one (in this case, only between B and F).
The perfect 5ths sound open and contemporary, similar to 4ths. In fact, a perfect 5th is an inversion of a perfect 4th: for example, C up to G is a perfect 5th (seven semitones), whereas C down to G is a perfect 4th (five semitones).
As we saw last month, the waveforms created by 4ths and 5ths are more stable and less dissonant than other intervals, apart from octaves, when used with distortion; consequently, they work well when played as double-stops, and form the basis of many classic rock riffs.
During this series, our aim will be to build up a variety of interval-based approaches over the same backing track (see Diagram 2).
Once you have absorbed the various concepts featured within this lesson, you should aim to apply the same principles to the other scales that you know - shifting ideas up and down the length of the neck (lateral motion), as well as staying within the same neck area (vertical motion) - in order to develop useful repertoire that you can instantly draw upon when improvising.
Within the transcription, you will notice quite a lot of fretting-hand tapping. This approach takes the pressure off your picking hand but also, tonally, the results sound ‘plummier’ and more three-dimensional than using a pick for every note (which tends to make everything sound uniform and, generally, flatter).
Also within the transcription, you’ll see that there are passages that involve more than one finger of the picking hand being used to tap. The question here is: do you keep hold of the pick and use two of your remaining fingers (say, second and third) or do you dispense with the pick and use your first and third?
Although I sometimes tap using the second and third fingers (while still holding the pick), the movement will be stronger if you dispense with the pick (perhaps holding it in your mouth or concealing it in your palm) allowing you to use your first finger.
To find out why, you just need to try drumming your first finger of your picking hand on a table top with any other finger from that hand as fast as you can (alternating between the first finger and, say, the third finger), now try the same thing between the second and third fingers (as you would have to do if holding the pick with your thumb and first finger), you should see the speed and coordination drop dramatically.
Finally, regarding the backing track, most drummers would write out the drum part in 6/8 time signature; however, for ease of reading on guitar, I have stuck to 4/4, viewing the bass drum pattern as a quarter-note triplet rhythm. If your rhythm reading isn’t great; don’t worry about it: just read the tab and use your ears.
NEXT MONTH Shaun brings us another great Mixolydian solo, this time using 6th intervals
“The waveforms created by 4ths and 5ths are more stable than other intervals, apart from octaves, when using distortion”