N-lightMike
Forum Replies Created
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Thanks, Mark @the-old-coach 😁
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Hey @Cadgirl ;
The dryness is more dangerous than the wetness. Since you are in a humid area with a dehu, the guitars should do great. The winter will be the problem. Up there in Michigan, if you are far away from the lakes, you could get very dry and that would be the problem you’d need to watch out for.
But as long as it’s always humid, the dehu will keep it around 50% which is ideal. Now, all of this changes when you add heat. That could dry out the air. You will have to find out if you still need the dehu, or if the heater will keep the humidity down some.
Remember, mostly, this is a witch hunt. It is only extreme dry or extreme wet that will cause problems. The extreme wet isn’t the direct problem, it is the drying out that causes problems because it can dry too fast.
That having been said, you maybe fine. But you do need to watch and make sure. Your guitars can withstand a fair amount of dry, and an awful lot of wet, as long as it is slow when it swings back. Most problems with guitars are because of very low humidity during the winter for an extended period. And I’m talking 15% or below for several months.
I hope this helps.
MG 😀
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Hey @Cadgirl ;
So, this is a trick question. The Two-Pad-Stack has an out of key note. Since it has both a B and a Bb. Now, of course, the Bb could be an A#. Yeah, but there is also an A, so no, you can’t make it fit. Forgetting the E drone, the notes are G, A, G, E; D, E, D, B; A, Bb. A, G; E, D, E.
Ok, now let’s look at the scale shapes. If this is the D scale shape, then the B (the open 2nd string) is your out of key note. But that would mean that you were in the key of F and you would be playing E Locrian. I doubt that Tony would be playing Locrian.
I get why you would end up thinking it’s D, because the first few notes seem to fit that pattern However, when you go up the neck to the E scale shape, then you see that the open 2nd string doesn’t fit. Since we have notes that go lower than the D scale shape, we have to look further. We also have to consider that E note drone.
Since we found the open 2 string doesn’t fit, let’s try the A scale shape. Now that open 2 string fits, but it’s the Bb (3rd fret, 3rd string ) that doesn’t fit. As you listen to this lick, it is the Bb that sounds like the “blue” note. But, now you are in the key of C, so the E drone would put you in the mode of Phrygian. Yeah, no. Again, not Tony. He plays major and minor, that’s it. As long as you think the major and minor scales are keys, you can’t play modes because it is too confusing. What I mean is, if major and minor are keys, then why isn’t Locrian and Phrygian keys. And there are still 3 more. So yeah, it’s not Phrygian.
Ok, well, let’s try the E scale shape. Oh, it turns out it fits just like the A scale shape, everything but the Bb (3rd fret, 3rd string) fits. AND NOW YOU ARE IN THE KEY OF G!!! In the key of G, E is the relative minor. Oh, Tony loves the key of G, and he loves using the minor scale. And if you were playing the Em scale, then Bb would be your true “blue” note.
So, the correct answer to the original question is the E scale shape. In that shape, the 3rd fret, 1st string is your major root, and the open 1st string is your minor root. And he loves the G scale shape the best, and that’s the one right below the E scale shape which you have to consider since this lick crosses the boundary between two scale shapes.
P.S. I didn’t bother to read anyone else’s comments. I just started with your original comment.
MG 😀
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Hey @Mark-J ;
Here is Tony’s open tunings course so you can understand the basics. It’s found in the skills courses, but here is direct link.
https://tonypolecastro.com/courses/decoding-alternate-tunings/
MG 😀
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Hello @Mark-J ;
So, the direct answer to your questions:
I’ll answer the second one first as the answer is simple: No. You don’t need to learn all new chord shapes.
Now, the explanation is the answer to the first question: “what is the purpose”. The purpose is to have the strings tuned to a chord. You get a chord when you simply strum or pick without fretting. This opens up a lot of techniques that can’t be done with standard tuning. It also makes “normal” playing easier because you can make such extensive use of open strings.
The power and uniqueness of open tunings will become obvious once you get into them and start learning.
I hope this helps.
MG 😀
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Hey @aces1202 ;
Here’s what I would say. It is really good that you can hammer on with your pinky. That will serve you well.
However, not being able to reach 2 frets with you ring is going to be limiting. You’ll find that it’s not what it seems, that your fingers don’t reach that far. Eventually you’ll find it is easy to reach when your arm and wrist and hand are in the proper position. It’s much better to learn the proper positions now.
Go back and watch Tony REALLY, REALLY closely and see where his elbow is, how he’s holding his hand, is the wrist forward or back, is his thumb sticking up above the back of the neck or has he dropped it down to the middle. Relatively minor adjustments will create a huge difference in what your fingers can reach.
I hope this helps. I’m not sure it’s really that important at this time. You will learn as time goes on. You want to play what you can to have fun… at all times. Then you want to try to stretch what you can do… a little… at all times. It’s just that balance between having fun with what you can do and always trying to do a little more.
MG 😀
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Yeah, I got sucked into the same misunderstanding so many do. Once I “saw” how “simple” music theory was, I thought I could “show” other people how simple it is. However, I have read many books and watched many videos by others who tried to show me how simple it was. And I never “got it” from hearing their expressions of understanding. It wasn’t until I had spent enough time trying to wrestle with the concepts that I got my own, personal understanding of music theory.
I have put so much out there. I’ll keep trying, but now I get it. No one is going to “see it” because of what I say. If someone has that ah-ha moment as they are seeing my explanations, then it’s because they have already put in the effort to be ready for that ah-ha moment. I was only one piece of their puzzle.
Take your time. Please ask any questions you have and I will do what I can to help you on your path of music theory discovery.
MG 😀
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So, I had to leave and I finished that last comment quickly.
I reread your comment, and I want to respond more directly than I did in the mini theory dissertation.
Yes, you can solo in G major over Em, because they have the same notes, as you said. However, that’s why they can’t be different keys. The notes are the key. So the 2 “scales”, G major and E minor, are in the same key. One key.
By the way, there are only 12 keys. C, G, D, A, E, B/Cb, F#/Gb, Db/C#, Ab, Eb, Bb, and F. I just went around the circle of 5ths from C back around to F. There are 3 enharmonic keys, meaning there are 15 key “signatures” even though there are 12 keys.
Each of the 12 keys have 7 modes. That’s the basic system. Beyond that, there are variations they use in jazz, variations in blues, and of course the many variations of international music.
Music theory is a puzzle that you have to look closely at for quite a while until you finally “see” it. When you see it, you wonder why it was so hard to see as then it appears quite simple.
MG 😀
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Hey @Cadgirl ;
Let me start by saying, yes, you have the correct understanding.
Now, let me clarify the terms, because it is very common now a days to use the terminology incorrectly, which greatly increases the confusion and makes it harder to understand.
So, a “key” is simply a collection of 7 notes and 7 chords. If you stay “in key”, that means all your notes and all your chords are “diatonic”, that is, they stay within those 7 notes and 7 chords.
Now, a “mode” is when you use those 7 notes and 7 chords, the “key”, and pick one of the notes to be your tonal center. Since you have 7 notes, you will have 7 modes. So, using the key that has 6 natural notes and one sharp, F#, your Ionian mode (major) is G. Your Aeolian mode (relative minor, it’s a relative of G major since it’s in the same “key”, or same set of 7 notes) would be Em. Neither G major nor E minor are keys, rather they are scales within a key, the same key. So it is the “key of G”, not the “key of G major”. Again, the “key of G” determines the 7 notes, not which note you use as your tonal center.
One reason this is confusing is because the G is the first degree and we call it the “one chord”, which sounds like we are talking about the scale of G major. However, and this is exactly why there is so much misuse of terms, the note G is the “root” of G major, but it is the “fundamental” of the key of G, not the “root”.
Ok so what’s the difference between a “root” and a “fundamental”? The “root note” is the tonal center, so it’s G in G major, it’s E in E minor, (it’s A in A Dorian, it’s B in B Phrygian, it’s C in C Lydian, it’s D in D Mixolydian, and it’s F# in F# Locrian, all of which are relatives as they are all in the “key of G” with one sharp, F#.)
The “fundamental” is the low note that is used to build the key. So all the notes are related to the fundamental by simple mathematical ratios. That’s why they all sound good together and why the major scale sounds the most resolved.
I hope this mini lesson in theory helps.
MG 😀
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Yes, @Cadgirl ; 30% is that middle ground that “probably” won’t hurt. But no one wants to hear “probably” when it comes to their guitar. And it definitely depends on how long. 30% for a couple weeks? No worries. 30% for several months. No, that’s gonna be bad. So yeah, you want to bring that up to at least 40%.
Humidifiers just crank out steam, but dehus actually measure the humidity and try to keep it at a certain point. So maybe run the humidifier and the dehu at the same time? Maybe that would keep the room at 50%? I don’t know. Or maybe just use the dehu to measure and you turn the humidifier on and off as needed? Or did you say you have something that measures the humidity?
I would think, though I don’t know for sure, that a basement would be easier to regulate and wouldn’t get as dry. But I guess you’re gonna be the expert by the end of the winter. I don’t have to worry about things where I live. Low humidity here is 40%. And though it gets up to 95% occasionally, it’s never for long.
MG 😀
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You are welcome, @Kitman .
I’m starting to finally get it that no one can make it easy for someone else to understand music theory. Each person has to put in the effort it takes to understand. Both the amount of effort and the understanding are going to be different for different people. But it’s music so it always works out.
MG 😀
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Here is Tony’s description of Puckstopper:
“Puckstopper
Two single string scales paired with a steady bass pulse will open up a world of bluesy opportunity for you today. The scale is a basic pentatonic scale in the key of E. With only five notes, this scale will provide wonderfully fertile creative ground for you whether this is your first crack at improvising or your millionth. This E minor pentatonic scale is one that will serve as one of the most useful tools in your blues toolbox. Enjoy and create are the two names of the game today.”
First, he says it’s the “pentatonic scale in the key of E”, which is incorrect. The key of E has 4 sharps and leaves out the A and the D#. Later he says “This E minor pentatonic scale”, and that is exactly correct.
All week, he is working with the low E drone. He adds the A string on Thursday for the A7 chord. But notice that E7, A7 and B7 are never in the same key. But this is what both Blues and Jazz do, is use flat 7 major chords, pretty much always referred to as dominant 7 chords.
I don’t know if I’m helping or not. If not, then just ignore me.
MG 😀
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The notes could be either C or G (key of) because there are 2 notes left out, the F (or the F#), and the C. Now, in the key of C, you are leaving out the 1 and the 4, which is an interesting choice, but possible. However, again, let’s remember Tony does major and minor, never other modes. So, if you think of the key of G, you are leaving out the 4 and the 7, which is exactly what you leave out of pentatonic scales. Or, from the point of view of the minor root, E, you are leaving out the 2 and 6. Again, exactly what is left out in pentatonic scales.
So, part of the difficulty of analyzing songs is that there are different ways to label and understand the same music. Let’s remember the music is always the same, it’s the words that are different. So who really cares?
You want to see this as the D shape, using the key of F, having the 7th degree note the tonal center, and leaving out the C and the F, or the 5th and the 1st? That’s fine. Is it typical? No, but that makes no difference in music. Of course, it won’t “sound” very Locrian by leaving out those 2 notes, but it doesn’t matter.
Or, you could use the A shape and see it as the key of C, leaving out the 1st and the 4th and using the Phrygian root as your tonal center. Again, you’ll have trouble hearing Phrygian without the 4th.
So, here’s a suggestion. Play the full scale and the pentatonic scale of all three possible keys, and see which sounds like the Tuesday lick. Play G/Em pentatonic. Play F/Dm pentatonic. Play C/Am pentatonic. Then play the same keys with the full, diatonic scale. Then play all three with just the C and F/F# left out. See what has the same sound as the lick with the low E drone.
I already know what you’ll hear. That’s why I have chosen the labels I have. But ultimately, you can call it whatever you want.
MG 😀
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Hey @Kitman ;
The direct answer to your question is: yes and no. If you are talking about the minor pentatonic, yes. If you are talking the major pentatonic, no. If you are talking about the full, diatonic scale shapes, then yes, absolutely.
But the circle of 5ths and the scale shapes are only aids to playing the fretboard until you actually “get it”. But they will never give it to you as they are “crutches” which only enable you to never learn it.
Learn the scale pattern, theory, then apply that to the fretboard, reality. Then you will see the whole thing, and it is surprisingly easy if you start looking at it the right way.
So, the real answer is to use the scale shapes to understand how a “key” fits onto the fretboard. Of course, that is impossible if you don’t know what a key is. If you think G major and Em are keys, you will never get it.
This leads you back to the circle of 5ths. Understand the keys. There are only 12 and they all have the same pattern. And each one has the same 7 variations called modes. Now, go back to the scale shapes and learn how to “see” the keys in the scales shapes you are playing.
It turns out, the secret is seeing intervals. First, see the intervals of the major scale. Now, realize, all the other modes (yes, the major scale is a mode, not a key) are the exact same pattern, they are simply shifted. Once you see that, now you can put those interval patterns onto the fretboard. But, you have to know how to go across the strings. And that’s simple. Starting from the lowest string 6, it is 5 half steps, or 5 frets, up in pitch to go to the 5th string. So, again, starting from the 6th, it is: 5, 5, 5, 4, 5.
So here’s all you ever need to “memorize”. 2, 2, 1, 2, 2, 2, 1; and 5, 5, 5, 4, 5. Well, there are a few minor details, and no, I’m not kidding. Like the “blue” note. And the minor scale variations, there are 2 of them. But aside from those additions, those 2 strings of numbers allows you to play up and down and across the fretboard in any key. And you can understand and even derive standard chords, jazz chords, finger picking chords.
Once you “see” the scale patterns fitting onto the fretboard, everything makes sense and fits together. Otherwise, there are a blue million things that don’t fit together and have to be “memorized”.
MG 😀
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Hey @Cadgirl ;
So, by the time you got to the Puckstopper, you should have realized that the D scale shape couldn’t be correct because it gave you the key of F, and Tony tells us the Puckstopper is in the “key of Em”. There is no such thing, so the “correct” way to say it is the “scale of Em”. Remember, the scale of G major is not a key either. Both of these are modes, which means that a certain note is designated as your tonal center. A key is simply the 7 notes you are using and it does not tell you which note to use as a tonal center. You can use any one of the 7 notes which is why you have 7 modes. Major and minor are 2 of those modes.
Now, I’m unclear on the assignment you are talking about. The notes of the Puckstopper are the 5 notes of the G major pentatonic or the Em pentatonic, which are the same notes. You leave out the 4th and 7th notes counting from the major root, G. So you leave out the C and the F#. (Counting from the minor root, you leave out the 2nd and the 6th. This is an example of why I always think in terms of the major scale, because everything can be derived from that and I only have to remember one formula. If I think in terms of the “key of G major” and the “key of Em”, now I have to remember 2 formulas. And if I want to do the rest of the modes, I have a new formula for each one. That’s means I need 7 different formulas to work with the modes. But I can derive everything quite quickly from just the major scale formula.)
Now, analyzing the notes on the 1st and 2nd strings, the open and 3rd fret is in the G shape scale; the 3rd and 5th frets are in the E shape scale; the 5th and 7th/8th are in the D shape scale; the 7th/8th and 10th are in the C shape scale; and finally, the 10th and 12th are in the A scale shape. And again, you are only playing the pentatonic scales, but you can easily add the 2 extra notes for the diatonic as soon as you correctly label the scale shapes you are playing.
MG 😀