Phish Possum Trey Anastasio Guitar Solo

In the song "Possum" by the jam band Phish you can hear lead guitarist Trey Anastasio play over a 12 bar blues type progression using a mixture of scales and keys. Jump to around 3:31 for an idea.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCzS1jCa9uY


I explain the theory behind blues guitar scales and demonstrate how to apply and combine major and minor pentatonic scale patterns, major scale patterns and mixolydian mode in my free guitar theory podcast episode 10.

Blues Guitar Theory
http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/guitar-music-theory-lessons/id258401691

The Phish video is definitely following what I lay out in the blues podcast. Each chord is treated like its own key. Multiple scales an tonalities are combined to create the overall blues, country and jazz sound.

Combining scales and keys like this results in A LOT of note choices. This in turn means that there are A LOT of licks and phrases that can be played. Trey may be too far ahead of most of you. If you want to work toward soloing at this level, then be sure to master simpler styles first. Staying in one key is a good start!

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What is the "Key" of a song?

"Key" can refer to a several things. They include:

1. The key signature or parent major scale
2. The root
3. The first note or chord of a song.
4. The mode

In most cases when a guitar player says "key," he is referring to the chord or note that sounds like the tonal center of the song. This root may not always match the actual key which should be based on the parent major scale. For example, "Gloria" by Van Morrison revolves around, and resolves on E, but the chords are derived from the A major scale's V IV and I (this produces E mixolydian mode).

Sometimes guitar players will name a key simply by whatever note or chord is first. For example, "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd starts on D, but G is the strongest tonal center, and the chords are derived from the G major scale's V IV and I. The majority of the melodies, riffs and solos are based on G major pentatonic and G major scale. It's more correct to say the song is in G, but most players call it D.

As you can see, guitar players have different meanings for the word "key," and musicians can examine a song's structure from different perspectives. A good approach to learning guitar theory is to always start with the parent major scale, then identify which note is functioning as the root.

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Mr. Desi Serna (Google me!)
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Scales, Chords, Progressions, and More

Learn How to Apply Guitar Scales Chords

I've got a question that I'm not sure you've answered. I've been trying different progressions by numbers. Let's say I'm in the key of C and I want to do a vi ii IV I. The chords in the major scale are CDEFGA and I didn't include the major/minor tonalities because I'm using power chords.

You have several guitar theory related questions here. I'll try to break it down for you.

The major and minor chord tonalities still exist, even if you're only play roots and fifths. So, you must take them into consideration when you solo.

Now what I don't understand is if I want to play a C minor pentatonic riff over the progression in power chord forms, would that be wrong? For example, there is an A# in C minor pentatonic. The A#5 chord is not part of the chords in the key of C. If it is allowed to play the pentatonic over the chord progression in C, technically can't you "thicken" up the sound by throwing in a 5th there in each pentatonic note for the chords?

Playing C minor scale tones over a chord progression that stems from C major will definitely sound out of key. Instead, try the C major (a.k.a. A minor) pentatonic scale patterns.

I am also a bit confuse about the whole playing by number theory which would be great if you can clarify. I was playing a progression in E. Im starting out with the 6 chord and the whole progression feels like it's revolving around the 6, which is the C#. What I find very confusing is that in your chapter you mention the chords allowed in each key. But if the song feels like it's in a different key even by using the correct key chords, what does this mean? I know you talked about something similar to this in your video about using only the 5 and 6 chords, so the 1 chord is not there but the song would techically be in a different key.

Please explain this as I am very confused and I hope you understand what I'm refering to. In the key of E, the chords are (E, F#m, G#m, A, B, C#m). My progression revolves around C#m and sounds like its in the key of C#. How can this be true if in the key of C#, the chords are not the same as in E? I tried playing the pentatonic minor over it and it was hard to tell, but it sounded like C# fits in better than E.

A song can revolve around any scale degree. The example you outlined is C# Aeolian mode (a.k.a. natural minor or relative minor). The parent major scale is E, so you can play the E major scale over it. Since the root chord is C# minor, you can also play the C# minor pentatonic scale over it. In fact, you can combine both the E major scale and C# minor pentatonic scale. This follows the music theory rules outlined in Fretboard Theory Chapter 7: Roots, Keys, and Applying Scales.

Also, would the chord progressions in A be the same as in Am, just revolving around the minor chords? I think you've mentioned that but it's still a bit unclear whether or not the chords are the same in a minor key.

No, A major and A minor are two totally different keys. The A major scale does not have an A minor chord in it. A minor is found only in the keys of G, F and C. So a song that revolves around an A minor chord is in one of those keys depending on the other chords involved.

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Mr. Desi Serna (Google me!)
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Pentatonic/CAGED/Progressions/Modes

Blues Guitar Scales, Solos and Theory Lesson

Q:

In the songs Communication Breakdown, Whole Lotta Love and Good Times, Bad times I have found a little anomaly.  (This may happen in many Zeppelin Songs or throughout music I don't know).  All of these songs are in the key of A.  They have 3 #'s in the key signature, use AED chords...  they're in A.  The root in all of these songs is definitely E.  This would make the songs in Mixolydian Mode.  Even the key signature for Good Times Bad Times say Mixolydian mode.  All of the solos however in each of the songs use the  E minor scale (or G major).  Does that mean they change the modal sound to Dorian for the solos because there is no key change?  (G major scale over EAD, key of A)  Now don't get me wrong these songs and solos are awesome, but I am just trying to get some clarity on what is going on in the songs.  I remember you saying that if a song has a set modal feel already and you try to change it or force a differ net modal feel it will sound out of place.  Dorian and Aeolian are both bluesy sounds though and obviously sound good. It seems that they wanted a blues feel to the solo and put in a dorian mode solo over the mixolydian feel of the songs? (pretty sure that Mr. Page knew what he was doing but it has confused me a bit).  So my questions are what is going on here and if you have a different root than the major key can you just play either the major or minor scale of that root?

 

A: These songs follow the blues approach I discuss in Fretboard Theory Chapter 2 and then later again in Chapter 7. I also demonstrate this blues concept at the end of my DVD, Getting Started with the Pentatonic Scale.

Blues songs break away from traditional guitar theory by apply the minor pentatonic scale over a major based chord. Specifically, this occurs over a dominant seven chord (written as simply 7), or at least a chord functioning as a dominant seven. The only chord in a key that produces a dominant seventh is V (5). This is because the fifth scale degree is a major triad, and it has a flat 7th interval. As you stated correctly, Mixolydian Mode stems from this fifth degree.

Playing the minor pentatonic scale over a major based chord produces the follow intervals:

Root, b3, 4, 5, b7 (and possibly the b5 ala the "blues scale.")

So you nearly have all the intervals necessary to build a dominant seven chord, minus the major third. Playing a minor third over a major third produces some dissonance, but in a blues-based context this clash of notes creates an edgy sound that we've grown to like (it's rock 'n' roll, baby). Often times players will also add in the major third to minor pentatonic scale patterns.

So, blues-based rock songs can include Mixolydian Mode (a.k.a. the Dominant scale) and/or minor pentatonic. Oh, and you don't always have to break the rules. Blues-based players also use the major pentatonic scale over major chords as traditional guitar theory would teach.


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Mr. Desi Serna (Google me!)
http://www.Guitar-Music-Theory.com
Pentatonic/CAGED/Progressions/Modes

All Dominant 7th Chord Progressions "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out"

The music for "Nobody Knows You When Your Down and Out" by Eric Clapton is written in the key of C but most of the chords are played as major and/or dominant sevens.

C E A Dm A7 Dm F F#dim7 C/G A7 D7 G7 C

Please help me understand how that fits into the basic harmonized major scale, I ii iii IV V vi vii.

This song is based on an advanced concept that stems from the chord progression number system I teach in my guitar theory method. Just be sure to master the basic concepts before venturing into advanced areas like this. Music theory is a process, you know.

Jazz players like to play over dominant seven chords. Now, there's only one seventh chord in a key (see Fretboard Theory chapter 10). But, who says you can't change keys and play over the V7 chord each time? Well, which keys go good together? What if you take the intervals from the major scale and play each of them as a dominant seven chord? The key of C would become:

C7 D7 E7 F7 G7 A7 B7
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

So this chord sequence is actually a series of key changes. Each seventh chord is a V chord from a different key. But we used the C major scale structure as a guide to determine which keys to combine. If you want to solo over these chords, you'll have to switch the parent major scale for every chord. Yikes, that's a lot to keep track of! But jazz players love it.

Progressions in this new sequence are the same as the diatonic scale but now everything is a 7th chord. For example:

I IV V
I7 IV7 V7 (Most blues songs are based on this.)

I vi ii V
I7 VI7 II7 V7 (A foundational jazz progression.)

You can hop around however you want. You can even switch back and forth between 7th chords and the diatonic chords (I ii ii, etc.).

The F#diminished chord is basically an F7 chord with the root raised. This chromatic passing tone bridges the gap between the F7's root and the C7's fifth (hence the C7/G).

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Desi Serna (Google me!)
http://www.Guitar-Music-Theory.com
Scales, Chords, Progressions, and More

Pentatonic Scale Patterns With Blues Notes

You've done a great book, but when I was working through the blues section I noticed something which might be improved upon. You show the blues notes in the first pentatonic shape in the Em, Fm, Gm and Am positions (on page 16). I thought that in future editions you might be willing to show the blues notes in all of the pentatonic shapes, i.e. the diagrams on page 9 but with the blues notes added to them.

This brings up a good point. In Fretboard Theory I purposely didn't illustrate all of the possible blues scale pentatonic patterns for a reason. It's possible to focus too much on technical things and miss the practical applications.

As stated in the book, the blues scale is really just a musical idea that stems from adding chromatic passing tones to bridge the gaps between the scale intervals. So if you really want to cover all your bases, I guess you should memorize the pentatonic patterns with every possible gap filled. In case you haven't already drawn this conclusion, that would be every note on the whole fretboard! This is not going to help you.

Instead, focus on memorizing the core five pentatonic scale patterns. Then learn how to play melodies, riffs, lead solos and bass lines that are based in the scale. Finally, consider the addition of extra notes and study songs that incorporate the technique. You'll learn how the patterns change as you go. And most importantly, you'll understand the practical application of the blues scale which is worth far more than more patterns!

Play Until Yer Fingers Bleed!
Mr. Desi Serna (Google me!)
http://www.Guitar-Music-Theory.com
Pentatonic/CAGED/Progressions/Modes

Tri Tone Substituting Guitar Theory

I have been studying Music seriously for about 3 1/2 years and the study of modes really escaped me! Your approach of tying the theory and chord progression aspects together made perfect sense to me, and the added blues section really clarified the the blues changes. The concept of each chord being a different key center was a epiphany.

I have a request. A concept that I have had trouble with (and others guitar players)I'm sure, is Tri-Tone Subs,. If you have any advice I would appreciate it.

I appreciate your comments about my DVD, Guitar Modes - The Modal Scales of Popular Music. I'm glad that the information is working well for you. It's amazing how the right guitar theory instruction can make such a big difference in how players view and understand music.

Tri Tone Substitutions
This topic is beyond the scope of my guitar theory materials, and ventures into a pretty heavy jazz concept. But, I'll try to give you one example anyway.

Play a 1 6 2 5 chord progression in the key of G (any key will work) using all dominant seven chords. Play two beats of each chord, or strum each chord twice. For chords 6 2 and 5, substitute a tri-tone dominant seventh chord on beat two, or the second strum. So the progression will look like this:

G7 G7, E7 Bb7, A7 Eb7, D7 Ab7

Reduce this to the chord roots only and you'll have a typical jazz bass line. Many times just the bass player does the flat fifth substituting.

Play Until Yer Fingers Bleed!
Mr. Desi Serna (Google me!)
http://www.Guitar-Music-Theory.com
Pentatonic/CAGED/Progressions/Modes

Connecting Pentatonic Scale Patterns For Guitar

I want to move through all the notes in succession all the way through the neck for a particular key. When you move from pattern 1 all the way through to pattern 5 using the major or minor pentatonic scales, how do I ensure I move to the next note for the next pattern?

This is a common music theory question about learning pentatonic scales for guitar that basically asks whether or not there is a "correct" way to finish one pattern and then start the next. In addition, some guitarists wonder if they should connect the patterns in a continuous manner so that they don't skip or repeat any notes.

The answer to both questions is no. Players should just play up and down a pattern in one position and then move up the guitar neck to the next, restart, and play up and down the new pattern in the new position. At this stage you're just trying to train yourself to access the scale notes in any position, or "map out" the guitar fretboard.

After you have memorized and can play all five pentatonic scale patterns ascending and descending you need to transpose to new keys and practice connecting the patterns again.

The final step is to put the patterns to use by learning lots of pentatonic scale songs. Pentatonic melodies, riffs, lead guitar solos, and bass lines will be in various keys and move through the patterns in various ways including starting and stopping, reversing direction, skipping and repeating notes, and shifting positions. Through this song learning process you'll develop a practical understanding of the guitar theory behind applying the pentatonic scale, both major and minor, to different music styles.

Play Until Yer Fingers Bleed!
Mr. Desi Serna (Google me!)
http://www.Guitar-Music-Theory.com
Pentatonic/CAGED/Progressions/Modes

Playing Minor Pentatonic Scales Over Seventh Chords and Blues Progressions

On page 115 you allude to a concept that I hadn't considered before which is that in a major blues when the I-IV-V are all Dom7s, that we are really using three different keys.

In the case of a blues in C, C7 would be the V of G, F7 is the V of Bb, and G7 is the V of C.

You use this to allude to the fact that a blues solo can be complex by changing major scales to match the chord changes.

My question is why will a single Pentatonic scale in one key work. I have played it that way for years, but now that you have opened my eyes to the fact that the key is actually changing I am questioning what I know. I understand why it works over all of the chords in a single key, but why does it still work when the keys are changing?

This is a great question about applying guitar pentatonic and major scale patterns to songs in a blues music style. Playing the minor pentatonic scale over a chord with a major third interval in it, is actually breaking the rules. As a result, some of the scale and chord tones clash. This dissonance gives blues and blues-based rock music an edgy sound that most guitar players find pleasing to the ear (your grandparents, not so much).

Although this is more music theory information than most guitarists want or need to know, here's how the scale works over what appears to be a typical I IV V (1 4 5) blues chord progression in the key of G. Remember, as I explain in my book Fretboard Theory, each dominant seven chord is actually the V chord of another key.

G7 (V chord C) with G minor pentatonic scale
You get a root, flat third, fourth, fifth, and flat seventh. All the notes relate perfectly to the chord, and the parent C major scale, except for the Bb which is a minor third. This interval contributes to the sour but cool "blues" sound.

C7 (V chord F) with G minor pentatonic scale
You get a root, second, fourth, fifth and flat seventh. All the notes relate perfectly to the chord, and the parent F major scale.

D7 (V chord G) with G minor pentatonic scale
You get a root, flat third, fourth, augmented (or sharp) fifth and flat seventh. You already know that a flat third, or minor third, interval contributes to the bluesy sound. The sharp fifth interval creates an augmented chord which increases the tension and leads to and resolves back to the tonic, G7. D7 augmented, which can be heard at the beginning of "Stormy Monday" by The Allman Brothers Band, can be played like this:

Root D - string 5, fret 5, ring finger
Major 3rd - string 4, fret 4, middle finger
Sharp 5th - string 3, fret 3, index finger
Root D - string 2, fret 3, barre with index finger

Isn't it amazing that a concept that is so easy to play on the guitar fretboard ends up being based on rather complicated guitar theory? I guess some things are easier done than said. This certainly applies to using minor pentatonic scale patterns in blues guitar music.