Rotten Song
- Thread starter MichaelAngelo
- Start date
MichaelAngelo
New member
thanks for the advice bro, whats phrasing btw? 
AEnimic
New member
The Art Of Phrasing With Pentatonic Scales
Phrasing is the way we will think of how we play the guitar or bass. Its almost like english class in school, in that we will think of it like the way we speak. After all, that is what you want to do with your instrument isn't it? We will learn to express ourselves and our playing using phrasing.
Phrasing terms :
phrase : A phrase is a group of scale notes being played together to form a musical "idea"
period phrase : A period phrase is a phrase that ends with the root note. This leaves the listener with a sense that the idea is done or complete. It has a "finished" sound.
comma phrase : A comma phrase is a phrase ending in a note other than the root note. This leaves the listener with the feeling there must be something more to come. The idea does not sound "finished" yet.
phrasing : This would simply be the art of phrasing and using both comma and period phrases together to form whole solos, etc.
Each lick, riff, or melody you play we will call a phrase. Some phrases are comma phrases and some are period phrases. When we link comma and period phrases together we get ideas that are more complete. So a whole entire solo would be just like a paragraph. Lots of smaller ideas linked together, using comma and period phrases that kinda make up sentences, and those all put together will kinda make a paragraph (or for you a solo).
It does not matter what scale note you start a phrase on, only what note the phrase ends with. This all rests on knowing what key you are playing in. To be able to hear this comma/period phrasing at work much better, you need to hear the root note often. Say, if you are playing E pentatonic minor scale notes it would help to hear an E minor chord (your root) fairly often. Also, playing with a CD or some song that you know uses your scale would help tremendously. This allows you to hear the way a phrase ending on a root note sounds finished, and a phrase ending on a note other than the root note leaves it sounding like more must be coming.
Try it out. If done properly you will hear what I am talking about. Also try humming out a lick and try matching it with your guitar.
Well,I hope that made sense *tired fingers*
Phrasing is the way we will think of how we play the guitar or bass. Its almost like english class in school, in that we will think of it like the way we speak. After all, that is what you want to do with your instrument isn't it? We will learn to express ourselves and our playing using phrasing.
Phrasing terms :
phrase : A phrase is a group of scale notes being played together to form a musical "idea"
period phrase : A period phrase is a phrase that ends with the root note. This leaves the listener with a sense that the idea is done or complete. It has a "finished" sound.
comma phrase : A comma phrase is a phrase ending in a note other than the root note. This leaves the listener with the feeling there must be something more to come. The idea does not sound "finished" yet.
phrasing : This would simply be the art of phrasing and using both comma and period phrases together to form whole solos, etc.
Each lick, riff, or melody you play we will call a phrase. Some phrases are comma phrases and some are period phrases. When we link comma and period phrases together we get ideas that are more complete. So a whole entire solo would be just like a paragraph. Lots of smaller ideas linked together, using comma and period phrases that kinda make up sentences, and those all put together will kinda make a paragraph (or for you a solo).
It does not matter what scale note you start a phrase on, only what note the phrase ends with. This all rests on knowing what key you are playing in. To be able to hear this comma/period phrasing at work much better, you need to hear the root note often. Say, if you are playing E pentatonic minor scale notes it would help to hear an E minor chord (your root) fairly often. Also, playing with a CD or some song that you know uses your scale would help tremendously. This allows you to hear the way a phrase ending on a root note sounds finished, and a phrase ending on a note other than the root note leaves it sounding like more must be coming.
Try it out. If done properly you will hear what I am talking about. Also try humming out a lick and try matching it with your guitar.
Well,I hope that made sense *tired fingers*
AEnimic said:
Actually, it does matter what note you start on, even if its a note within the key/scale.
Consider this.
A C bass note.
You play.
C
Well, it sounds... like a plain C note. There's no tonality to it. It could be... a C minor chord there. Or a C major chord.
Try playing.
Eb.
Your tonality changes to a C minor.
Try playing.
E
Its a C major tonality.
Play.. a G.
You get another ambiguous case.
Play... an F#
This note isn't in the Key of C major/C minor, but it gives you a nice...
C Lydian tonality.
So on so forth.
I would like to think of what I just typed as.. utterly confusing. :lol: So, please, if you are interested, time to head over to Theory 101.
AEnimic said:
Or the 3rd. Or the 5th. Or any of the extention of a chord. (e.g. C13, you may play the b7th, 9th, 11th or 13th).
AEnimic said:
A note, humming is "normal".
Would you hum a diminished scale? Or how about harmonic minor. Try doing chromatics.
Its difficult because we are not used to it. There is a need to sometimes, sit down and just doodle, in order to get out of the box.
TequilaSunrise
New member
Speaking of Theory 101, where is it ah?
