So, to try and relate this to any key... If you come across a diminished chord that is functioning in the context of the tonic family, you can play the Harmonic Major scale starting from the V of the key.. If the context is a dim chord from b9/b2 family, you can play the Harm Minor scale starting from the IV.. And if the context of the dim chord is from the 2/9 family, you can play the Harm Minor scale starting on the I.. And thank you Tom. You are always such an inspiration!
dude it's not like everyone understands or has even met diminished chords before. if i'd never encountered them before i would greatly appreciate those first 8 minutes, bits of them even solidified my knowledge of them
I followed through with this and it helped me a lot. I learned that each diminished chord takes a different mode. Diminished on the 2 takes Dorian b5, 4 takes lydian minor, 6 takes lydian augmented#2, 7 takes locrian bb7.
This lesson is a great example of a clear and well-made speech. I'm completely astonished.Thanks for sharing, it's an honour to listen to such a great guitarrist.
Great lesson, Tom! Love your playing here! To those curious about the theory at work here, this is basically a way of implying diminished harmony while remaining "mostly" in the home key. The harmonic major scale family is suitable for this because, unlike the melodic minor and major families, it contains a four-note diminished arpeggio. The harmonic minor family can be used in the same way, but is considered less useful in a jazz context.
Hello Tom! From Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Thank you. Very inspirational, got me pulling out my books to work on scales/chords! Really appreciate your videos. They're a BIG help and I enjoy watching you play.
No worries at all, Steve. It is a maj7 I'm playing but because I'm tuned in all 4ths it looks like a min(maj7) as it would appear in standard tuning. If you listen to the chord I'm playing you'll hear it is a major 7. You'll notice that all the other chords I play a different shapes too. Thanks!
It's not only his knowledge and application of scale-chord relationship what makes him sound great; it's the phrasing and pattern he uses what, at the end, does the trick. Breaking away from just playing scales up and down is the difficult part.
very descriptive and well organized, i also really liked the vocabulary you used because i get confused when teachers only have one way of labeling different ideas in music, too many synonyms to terms relating to specific concepts. very well done =)
That was fantastic !!! Thanks Bro. I can sink my teeth into this in my DAW. Also your solo example is extremely helpful. I hope you play more next time. Thanks again.
I ended up working out my own system which is a little different, but it works great for me. However, I could never have gotten there without the help of this video. Huge thanks to you!
A few jazz players use the all fourths tuning (EAGDCF), because it equals out the intervals between the strings and thereby makes the layout of the guitar more "logical", viewed from a melodic perspective.
Thanks Fleg. I think I have to read through that a couple of times before I fully get it. Starting to get pretty advanced as I'm used to play only modes like phrygian, lydian, pentatonic, minor and majors.. I really really want to understand this
I love your tone. I'm having trouble getting something dirty enough for a hornlike sustain, but clean enough to play seventh chords and still sound good.
Ah - I see why you're thinking that. I'm tuned in all 4ths (my top two strings are a C and F) so the shape looks like a Cmin(maj7) in standard tuning. Listen to the sound - it's a major 7 chord.
An example to use diminished chords is by substituting (?sorry for the lame word) dominant chord in cadence by X° Any X7 chord can be substitute by diminished built on his 2m, 3M or it's 5th or 7th because of enharmony going on for example F° and G7 they almost have the same note G7= G B D F and F°= F Ab Cb (enharmony of B) Ebb (D) & as Mr Quayle say in X° chord any note can be the root as it's a perfect circle of m3rd so F°= Ab° (or G#° enharmony) Cb° Ebb° & you can subsitute V7, II7, III7 etc
Cool! So to remember it I can just think of 5-4-1 like harmonic major built from the fifth chord, the fourth chord and the first chord! Easy to remember
In other words, the G harmonic major scale played over the tonic diminished chord functions as C lydian diminished (fourth mode of the harmonic major family). The F harmonic major scale over the b9 diminished chord functions as C mixolydian b9 (fifth mode of the harmonic major family). The C harmonic major scale over the 2/9 diminished chord likewise outlines all the chord tones of the diminished arpeggio while remaining 6/7 key of C.
started learning this scale today pretty cool harmony to it. dig the harmonic minor already so it's useful to me. if you use it in c, have then a harmonic minor, you can link them with b or g# half-whole diminished and use the diminished gateway there
it works really nice if you want to have a diminished chord under major chords for modal progressions and I sounds pretty cool as a scale for runs, it can throw the listener's ear for a good loop
to me a dim chord has always been a dom. chord in disguise (your second progression in this lesson, where the d flat dim functions as a dom. towards the Dmin.7). I think this is also the "traditional" usage of this chord. In this sense I would've either played a straight dim scale or a mel. minor scale over a dim. chord (the scale played over an alt. chord. ) but what you play here sounds freaking awesome! Never heard of a harmonic major scale before....
Thank you very much. Despite the fact I've covered the diatonic, melodic minor, and harmonic minor and the 7 modes of each, all of these don't seem so 'subjective' to the root key you're in, like the harmonic major is. I will start working on these. I guess in order of 'root' dim, b2nd dim, and maj2nd dim, the order to remember where to start the harmonic major is: 5, 4, 1. I will work out the 7 modes so I won't have to move my hand too much. Thank you again.
I ran into you by accident when I saw your duo video. GREAT playing!!! Very smooth and natural, regardless of which technique you are using,---Bravo! Just one comment on the Harmonic Major over the diminished lesson,---it may be easier for some students to use the rule "use the harmonic major scale from the 5th of the diminished". It becomes the same thing. Keep up the journey!
Hi mate. Good lesson. I always thought that the harmonic major was for playing weird Hungarian fiddle tunes! I have to start using the scale on the new Zipper Tongue album. See you soon!
I laugh at closed minded players that believe one musicians approach is better than another's. It shows you don't understand the concepts that are being taught, nor the musicality and colours it opens up. You need to encompass a wide range of knowledge and other players style's in to your own style to become a great musician, not just another guitar player. This was a great lesson on use of the melodic major over diminished harmony. So thank you Tom!
and just another one :P!! since diminished chords are also a X7b9 chord from the b9, 3rd, 5th and b7, i mean... Cdim7 is Ab7b9 so will the G harmonic major works over Ab7b9???
Steve- if you notice Tom's fingering for the dim 7th chord is different also-with the 4th finger over on flat 5 and 3rdfinger on -3rd. due to his b string being tuned up a half step. It's a classic mistake of looking not listening-ears are more important for this than seeing. Play with your eyes closed for a while Steve! ;) cheers.
am I thinking right there? and could i play for instace an A harmonic major over the D diminished? is it important to think about that or can I just go for every fifth above the "family tones"? great playing as always cheers Andy
ha ha... I somehow missed the part where you explained you were in an alternate tuning so I was struggling to understand how you were getting a correct sounding diminished chord with an odd fingering / shape! ah well, only a few minutes to rewind and figure it out!
+LousyPainter Very interesting concept, even if I don't think Tom (beautiful player and seems to be a really cool guy!) shows and explain (but does he knows it?) one of the main "key" to understand how to picture the diminished chord and how to easily play more melodic than just with the symmetric diminished scale that, I agree, can sounds kinda too mathematical sometimes. JUST SEE IT AS AN altered 7 chord, in this case with the 3rd degree of the harmonic major we would have: : 1, b9, #9, 3, no 4, 5, b6, b7 (but you also could use the altered scale or the 5th degree of the harmonic minor). SO, in the 1st example, replace the C° by a B7(b9) that would be resolved by a Emin7, which is luckily a great arpeggio to play on a Cmajor7. In the 2nd example, replace the Db° by a A7(altered), that will resolve beautifully on our Dmin7. I was not totally convinced by the 3rd example, because even if Tom makes it work, in C major, usually the D° would be also a B° which would be the substitution of the G7 dominant which is resolved by the Cmajor. But anyway, you get the point...
hey tom! thanks for this lesson!! one quick question... basically we can play a harmonic major scale down a 5th from any diminish chord?? i mean.. will Ab Harmonic major works for Dbdim ??? and so on?
hey tom! cool lesson. i have a question though...i noticed that you used the harmonic major scale always in relation to a fourth below or a fifth above one diminished chord in that family...so in the first example you took the Cdim and played G harmonic minor...in the second example you took the C#dim and thought of it as an Bbdim inversion in order to play an F harmonic major scale over it and in the last example you thought of the Ddim as an Fdim in order to play C harmonic major over it......
Great videp lesson! Thx. What would your thoughts be to approaching the dim7 with 4 possible harmonic major scales, each a half step higher than each chord tone? More options :) ex= cdim7 (C-Eb-Gb-Bbb) and using G,Db,E,or Bb harmonic major. Your thoughts?
Hey Tom, several times throughout when you are going through the different progressions. For example you say D-7, G7flat5, Cdim, C Major 7. Every time you refer to what should be Cm(maj)7 you say CMaj7. Fingering X3544X lowest note to highest. Like I said before you are awesome. Much respect (I am not a hater).
Great video, I would just like to know why he plays the G harmonic major over the C diminished, the F harmonic major over the D flat dim and C harmonic major over D diminished
because diminished chords are symmetrical by minor third. C diminished has the exact same notes as Eb diminished, and consequently, Gb diminished. So the scales that apply to the diminished chord should work if we also transpose them by minor third.
Yes but what is the relationship between G harmonic major and the C diminished for example. I need to know what the relationship is and why. I understand the 3rd relations ship but not the G and C relationship. thx
LousyPainter I was wondering the exact same thing. Because when I looked at the first example (G HM scale over C dim) I thought Just play the Harmonic Major a 4th below what ever the dim chord root is. Then he played F HM over Db dim., which still worked if I thought of the Db dim as a Bb dim, same family. Then he played C HM over the D dim, which works If I thought of the Ddim as a Fdim. Same family again. But I struggle to see the reason he chose those particular Harmonic major scales. So, if my thought was correct concerning playing the HM scale a 4th below the root, why then could he not play Ab HM over the Db dim and A HM over the Ddim? I don't have an answer other than to think that because he is in the key of C, he chose a harmonic major from the V , IV , and I chords of the key, (G, F, C) that fit the diminished family he was working with. That way the other notes in the scale would relate more closley to the key of the chord progression. When you look at all 7 notes in each of the 3 scales he chose (G, F, & C) harmonic major, and you write out all the notes 1 2 3 4 5 b6 7. The Diminished chord he has in there takes up the 2, 4 b6, and 7th degree in all 3 scales. The notes you are left with are only the triad of the scale 1 3 5 which is the G F and C triads.( V, IV,I chords) If I used the Ab like my thought suggested I ended up with the diminished chord tones still being on the same degrees but the triad that was left is Ab major (Ab C Eb) which would be more outside from the key. You may not even notice much difference if you did play that scale, But that is all I could come up with looking at it. Fairly difficult to execute in context for me but I can see how it works. Caps = Diminished chord inside the scale. 1 2 3 4 5 b6 7 g A b C d Eb F# f G a Bb c Db E c D e F g Ab B
LousyPainter Very interesting concept, even if I don't think Tom (beautiful player and seems to be a really cool guy!) shows and explain (but does he knows it?) one of the main "key" to understand how to picture the diminished chord and how to easily play more melodic than just with the symmetric diminished scale that, I agree, can sounds kinda too mathematical sometimes. JUST SEE IT AS AN altered 7 chord, in this case with the 3rd degree of the harmonic major we would have: : 1, b9, #9, 3, no 4, 5, b6, b7 (but you also could use the altered scale or the 5th degree of the harmonic minor). SO, in the 1st example, replace the C° by a B7(b9) that would be resolved by a Emin7, which is luckily a great arpeggio to play on a Cmajor7. In the 2nd example, replace the Db° by a A7(altered), that will resolve beautifully on our Dmin7. I was not totally convinced by the 3rd example, because even if Tom makes it work, in C major, usually the D° would be also a B° which would be the substitution of the G7 dominant which is resolved by the Cmajor. But anyway, you get the point...
This is a good example of the chord-scale system. Just bear in mind that the purpose of all this is to give you a way to get the sound in your head and conceptualize it, then hopefully learn it so you won't have to think about it anymore. I think Holdsworth's approach to scales (a scale has no beginning or end, just a sound) can be helpful here. Ultimately if you're just playing a scale, your playing will sound uninspired. It's up to you to make it sound musical.
Not to nit pick Tom (you are an awesome player and educator) but what you are calling a C Major 7 chord is actually a C minor(major)7 chord. It has an Eflat instead of an E which makes it a C minor triad with a major 7th added. I just wanted to point it out to help others avoid some confusion. Thanks for the great lesson.
Hi Tom! Do you use this thinking over lets say a static, G7#9 aswell? Cause in my mind that would be the same as playing over a Ab or G# diminished if I choosed to play G half/whole dim.But then with your thinking you would be superimposing the D dim (family since the Ab is in that family) And play C harmonic major? So my question is finally I guess. Would you play C harmonic major over the G7#9 also? Or du you use this only on pure dim chords? Great lesson! Kind Regards.
tuning to all 4ths? I get it, use your ear to hear the chords. Do you find this tuning an advantage when playing jazz/fusion? For teaching it seems like standard tuning would be best for students, but sounds great and really makes you think about what notes your playing with different fingerings due to the tuning.
I see that G harmonic major can be played over Cdiminished, I see that F harmonic major played over D#diminished and I see a C harmonic major scale played over Ddiminished.. I don't get how theese three different diminished familys have total random scales backing them up.. I first assumed that the diminishedhere were altered of some functioning five or something but now I'm pretty confused. You do explain it very well, but I need some explanation to why they are related to those three familys
i don't manage to understand those kind of complicated way to think when you can think about intervalls....of course you have to hear them... so could you explain to me what's the purpose of that way to think? i mean to me it's like playing minor harmonic a half step from the root of a dim chord....i think it's overloading your head....maybe i miss something^^
so nice to explain the context of the harmony with the scale. So, like Tonic = lydian b3, b II family = Dominant b2, and II family is dorian b5? What other harmonic applications or movements can this be applied in? I see stuff like sus 2/4 situations, and augmented, etc but I'd like to explore this a bit more.
Lets say you're in A minor..Just raise these notes. To moudlate between the 4 different scales. You'll have fun with it..I do G# = Harmonic minor G#, F#, = Melodic minor G#, F#, D# = Lydian b3 PUSHING UP ( the second half of the natural minor scale is slowly shifting into MAJOR Intervals....The D# is like a maj7 into E.. 7,1...2....3,4...right??? It'll sound like Neo classical or Spanish guitar If you study the Alter scale it's fun too because the III chord is an alter scale/mode/chord.....It's listed as Min7 chord ( Phrygain b4) if you play the b4 ( same pitch as maj3) it's a DOMINANT chord..lol You can play #G7 dominant or minor into A minor....hahahaa Play B7 too Fuck it...brain fart...Aeolian b4..Dorain b4...Phrygian b4...Locrian b4.. Alter and Dominant these too.lmao So if you vamp the E minor into E Maj...you can play E harmonic major or E phrygian dominant....So you can play that V chord using the Phrygian b4 Modulate this way too.... Play Lydian b3 over the F too...F Minor??? That's cool too...Lydian #2 is the VI mode of Harmonic minor..it's close F, G# C....right?? Brain fart.....Ionian #2, Lydian #2, Mix #2....hahahaaa Or you can PUSH DOWN while in the MAJOR count I do this when playing CELTIC or FOLK music... It'll have a dreamy, meloncholy sound I play it in D Maj and just modulate back and forth. I'll just reach over play the b6 or b3 . Sometimes both It'll create CADENCE....The F (b3) or Bb (b6) i play around it all day long in standard tuning or D A D G AD Drone in D and modulate... Because the Open strings are in E Minor pentatonic if you barr across...in D major...It's just be in E dorian position Or like at the 10th while in C major or A minor b3 = melodic minor b6 = harmonic Maj b3, b6 = harmonic minor For the dominant...I just mess around shifting the 2,4 or 6 up or down. It'll simple get a different mode....I know it's going to be a mode from one of these four scales.lmao Mix...Mix b2...Mix b6....Mix #4...ect Then brain fart...do the same for the MAj and Min Then min/Maj7 28 modes total..
Hi tom! great lesson but, isn't it a tricky and complicated way to think? cause basicaly you're playing whole/half or half/whole scales, so isn't it simpliest to think : ok i get a C dim chord and then to think about intervalls??this way you know exactly which interval you're playing, so you can decide how you want to sound and you don't have to think ok the running chord is this one, so i'm gonna play the X scale starting for the X degree...
Hi Tom, is there a technical advantage to change the standard tuning like you do ? I Find it confusing most of the time... I have seen P.gilbert does this to achieve greater speed on some riffs...
I have always thought that tuned in all 4ths would make a world of difference visually and and for patterns. How long have you played like that and was it a difficult transition?
pedromrls6 Wrong. The tuning of guitar is regular a perfect 4th between E and A, a perfect 4th between A and D, a perfect 4th between D and G, a major 3rd between G and B and a perfect 4th again between B and E. You can easily count 5 semitones up to receive the perfect 4th. In his tuning, he "fixes" the major 3rd by a semitone to receive a perfect 4th as well. A tuning by 5th would lead to E-B-F#-C#-G#-D# from low to high ;) Maybe your mistake is in the direction of counting the intervals. If you count a perfect 4th backwards, you receive a perfect 5th (complementary intervals). Ex.: E to B = perfect 5th // B to E = perfect 4th.
Charles Harrison Music Hey Charles, I talked about the comment (pedromrls6 said that this is tuning in 5th) above and STANDARD tuning, not about Toms tuning. Toms tuning is a 4th-tuning, you´re right. Cheers.
So, to try and relate this to any key...
If you come across a diminished chord that is functioning in the context of the tonic family, you can play the Harmonic Major scale starting from the V of the key..
If the context is a dim chord from b9/b2 family, you can play the Harm Minor scale starting from the IV..
And if the context of the dim chord is from the 2/9 family, you can play the Harm Minor scale starting on the I..
And thank you Tom. You are always such an inspiration!
dude it's not like everyone understands or has even met diminished chords before. if i'd never encountered them before i would greatly appreciate those first 8 minutes, bits of them even solidified my knowledge of them
I followed through with this and it helped me a lot. I learned that each diminished chord takes a different mode. Diminished on the 2 takes Dorian b5, 4 takes lydian minor, 6 takes lydian augmented#2, 7 takes locrian bb7.
This lesson is a great example of a clear and well-made speech. I'm completely astonished.Thanks for sharing, it's an honour to listen to such a great guitarrist.
This is how all guitar lessons should be. Bravo.
Thanks tom. Used this scale in a variety of places for a while now but never considered it over a diminished chord, it works great!
Great lesson, Tom! Love your playing here!
To those curious about the theory at work here, this is basically a way of implying diminished harmony while remaining "mostly" in the home key. The harmonic major scale family is suitable for this because, unlike the melodic minor and major families, it contains a four-note diminished arpeggio. The harmonic minor family can be used in the same way, but is considered less useful in a jazz context.
Hello Tom! From Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Thank you. Very inspirational, got me pulling out my books to work on scales/chords! Really appreciate your videos. They're a BIG help and I enjoy watching you play.
No worries at all, Steve. It is a maj7 I'm playing but because I'm tuned in all 4ths it looks like a min(maj7) as it would appear in standard tuning. If you listen to the chord I'm playing you'll hear it is a major 7. You'll notice that all the other chords I play a different shapes too. Thanks!
Thanks for that answer to the shapes. I naturally look at the video, but now can look at a chord chart while you're talking about them.
11:17, 14:02, 16:37
Daang .. too good! Thanks for the excellent tutorial Tom
It's not only his knowledge and application of scale-chord relationship what makes him sound great; it's the phrasing and pattern he uses what, at the end, does the trick. Breaking away from just playing scales up and down is the difficult part.
very descriptive and well organized, i also really liked the vocabulary you used because i get confused when teachers only have one way of labeling different ideas in music, too many synonyms to terms relating to specific concepts. very well done =)
That was fantastic !!! Thanks Bro. I can sink my teeth into this in my DAW. Also your solo example is extremely helpful. I hope you play more next time. Thanks again.
Great video lesson, never knew to use a harmonic major scale for diminished but it seems to work very well. Thank you
I ended up working out my own system which is a little different, but it works great for me. However, I could never have gotten there without the help of this video. Huge thanks to you!
Excellent idea! Thanks Tom. I will be making use of that. I, too, have found the dim and symmetrical dim a little awkward from time to time.
A few jazz players use the all fourths tuning (EAGDCF), because it equals out the intervals between the strings and thereby makes the layout of the guitar more "logical", viewed from a melodic perspective.
Thanks for sharing
Thanks Fleg. I think I have to read through that a couple of times before I fully get it. Starting to get pretty advanced as I'm used to play only modes like phrygian, lydian, pentatonic, minor and majors.. I really really want to understand this
Your playing is incredible man! Just brilliant guitar lines and great lesson!
I love your tone. I'm having trouble getting something dirty enough for a hornlike sustain, but clean enough to play seventh chords and still sound good.
Ah - I see why you're thinking that. I'm tuned in all 4ths (my top two strings are a C and F) so the shape looks like a Cmin(maj7) in standard tuning. Listen to the sound - it's a major 7 chord.
The shirt makes the lesson easier to understand!
very interesting lesson, thanks Tom
Thanks so much for the lesson, you're seriously a musical genius!
1-Cdim7, Ebdim7, Gbdim7, Adim7: G harmonic major.
2-C#dim7, Edim7, Gdim7, Bbdim7: F harmonic major.
3-Ddim7, Fdim7, Abdim7, Bdim7: C harmonic major.
Dim7 chords:
1 b3 b5 bb7.
Hamonic major scale:
1 2 3 4 5 b6 7 8.
Great lesson Mr. Quayle!
this is the most useful video on youtube... cheers Tom, and thanks :*
An example to use diminished chords is by substituting (?sorry for the lame word) dominant chord in cadence by X° Any X7 chord can be substitute by diminished built on his 2m, 3M or it's 5th or 7th because of enharmony going on for example F° and G7 they almost have the same note G7= G B D F and F°= F Ab Cb (enharmony of B) Ebb (D) & as Mr Quayle say in X° chord any note can be the root as it's a perfect circle of m3rd so F°= Ab° (or G#° enharmony) Cb° Ebb° & you can subsitute V7, II7, III7 etc
Yeah Tom! what a great lesson! thanks for posting!
Cool! So to remember it I can just think of 5-4-1 like harmonic major built from the fifth chord, the fourth chord and the first chord! Easy to remember
Dude...Thank you so much for this..Very Useful.. You're awesome man.
Amazing as usual. Thanks Tom.
In other words, the G harmonic major scale played over the tonic diminished chord functions as C lydian diminished (fourth mode of the harmonic major family). The F harmonic major scale over the b9 diminished chord functions as C mixolydian b9 (fifth mode of the harmonic major family). The C harmonic major scale over the 2/9 diminished chord likewise outlines all the chord tones of the diminished arpeggio while remaining 6/7 key of C.
Brilliant lesson, thanks!
started learning this scale today pretty cool harmony to it. dig the harmonic minor already so it's useful to me. if you use it in c, have then a harmonic minor, you can link them with b or g# half-whole diminished and use the diminished gateway there
how does it work bro?
it works really nice if you want to have a diminished chord under major chords for modal progressions and I sounds pretty cool as a scale for runs, it can throw the listener's ear for a good loop
Thank u so much
Great Lesson Tom!!
nice phrasing thanks for that!
That is an amazing looking strat. Wow.
Crazy awesome
Great lesson, subscribed. Thanks !
to me a dim chord has always been a dom. chord in disguise (your second progression in this lesson, where the d flat dim functions as a dom. towards the Dmin.7). I think this is also the "traditional" usage of this chord. In this sense I would've either played a straight dim scale or a mel. minor scale over a dim. chord (the scale played over an alt. chord. ) but what you play here sounds freaking awesome! Never heard of a harmonic major scale before....
Thanks for the lesson bro awesome as always
Thank you very much. Despite the fact I've covered the diatonic, melodic minor, and harmonic minor and the 7 modes of each, all of these don't seem so 'subjective' to the root key you're in, like the harmonic major is. I will start working on these. I guess in order of 'root' dim, b2nd dim, and maj2nd dim, the order to remember where to start the harmonic major is: 5, 4, 1. I will work out the 7 modes so I won't have to move my hand too much. Thank you again.
I ran into you by accident when I saw your duo video. GREAT playing!!! Very smooth and natural, regardless of which technique you are using,---Bravo! Just one comment on the Harmonic Major over the diminished lesson,---it may be easier for some students to use the rule "use the harmonic major scale from the 5th of the diminished". It becomes the same thing. Keep up the journey!
I think it's not the same thing ..
The notes are different depending on the family from which they belong.
Hi mate. Good lesson. I always thought that the harmonic major was for playing weird Hungarian fiddle tunes! I have to start using the scale on the new Zipper Tongue album. See you soon!
great lesson, thanks!
Wow.. Stunning lesson mate, gonna give this a shot and attempt to hop on the fusion ladder 😬
I laugh at closed minded players that believe one musicians approach is better than another's. It shows you don't understand the concepts that are being taught, nor the musicality and colours it opens up. You need to encompass a wide range of knowledge and other players style's in to your own style to become a great musician, not just another guitar player. This was a great lesson on use of the melodic major over diminished harmony. So thank you Tom!
Yeah, melodic major. Look it up.
Sorry, what was your point??
Oh sorry, I see your point. I wrote melodic as opposed harmonic. My bad haha
still cant get over over good that strat looks
Thank you!
Hello Tom, the PDF from your website about this lesson is missing, can you re-upload it please? Thanks!
Yes Tom, please re upload please !
Hi Steve - where are you referring to in the video? Thanks.
That's really nice
this didnt sink in till my 2nd view, but its a top lesson many thanks tom ;)
and just another one :P!! since diminished chords are also a X7b9 chord from the b9, 3rd, 5th and b7, i mean... Cdim7 is Ab7b9 so will the G harmonic major works over Ab7b9???
thank u mr.quyale ❤️
Steve- if you notice Tom's fingering for the dim 7th chord is different also-with the 4th finger over on flat 5 and 3rdfinger on -3rd. due to his b string being tuned up a half step. It's a classic mistake of looking not listening-ears are more important for this than seeing. Play with your eyes closed for a while Steve! ;) cheers.
you tha man tom
Just get his lessons theyre excellent
AWESOME.
That is a pretty fretboard
am I thinking right there? and could i play for instace an A harmonic major over the D diminished? is it important to think about that or can I just go for every fifth above the "family tones"?
great playing as always
cheers
Andy
Great ... awesome !
ha ha... I somehow missed the part where you explained you were in an alternate tuning so I was struggling to understand how you were getting a correct sounding diminished chord with an odd fingering / shape! ah well, only a few minutes to rewind and figure it out!
a good lesson.
+LousyPainter Very interesting concept, even if I don't think Tom (beautiful player and seems to be a really cool guy!) shows and explain (but does he knows it?) one of the main "key" to understand how to picture the diminished chord and how to easily play more melodic than just with the symmetric diminished scale that, I agree, can sounds kinda too mathematical sometimes.
JUST SEE IT AS AN altered 7 chord, in this case with the 3rd degree of the harmonic major we would have: : 1, b9, #9, 3, no 4, 5, b6, b7 (but you also could use the altered scale or the 5th degree of the harmonic minor).
SO, in the 1st example, replace the C° by a B7(b9) that would be resolved by a Emin7, which is luckily a great arpeggio to play on a Cmajor7.
In the 2nd example, replace the Db° by a A7(altered), that will resolve beautifully on our Dmin7.
I was not totally convinced by the 3rd example, because even if Tom makes it work, in C major, usually the D° would be also a B° which would be the substitution of the G7 dominant which is resolved by the Cmajor. But anyway, you get the point...
Amazing lesson Tom!!! Thanks to Doctor Jake Willson for sharing this with me :-)
I love this😁😁😁
hey tom! thanks for this lesson!! one quick question... basically we can play a harmonic major scale down a 5th from any diminish chord?? i mean.. will Ab Harmonic major works for Dbdim ??? and so on?
hey tom! cool lesson. i have a question though...i noticed that you used the harmonic major scale always in relation to a fourth below or a fifth above one diminished chord in that family...so in the first example you took the Cdim and played G harmonic minor...in the second example you took the C#dim and thought of it as an Bbdim inversion in order to play an F harmonic major scale over it and in the last example you thought of the Ddim as an Fdim in order to play C harmonic major over it......
DUDE YOU ARE AMAZING IF I COULD KNOW WHAT YOU KNOW
Great videp lesson! Thx. What would your thoughts be to approaching the dim7 with 4 possible harmonic major scales, each a half step higher than each chord tone? More options :) ex= cdim7 (C-Eb-Gb-Bbb) and using G,Db,E,or Bb harmonic major. Your thoughts?
This is great.
Hey Tom, several times throughout when you are going through the different progressions. For example you say D-7, G7flat5, Cdim, C Major 7. Every time you refer to what should be Cm(maj)7 you say CMaj7. Fingering X3544X lowest note to highest. Like I said before you are awesome. Much respect (I am not a hater).
Great video, I would just like to know why he plays the G harmonic major over the C diminished, the F harmonic major over the D flat dim and C harmonic major over D diminished
because diminished chords are symmetrical by minor third. C diminished has the exact same notes as Eb diminished, and consequently, Gb diminished. So the scales that apply to the diminished chord should work if we also transpose them by minor third.
Yes but what is the relationship between G harmonic major and the C diminished for example. I need to know what the relationship is and why. I understand the 3rd relations ship but not the G and C relationship.
thx
LousyPainter
I was wondering the exact same thing. Because when I looked at the first example (G HM scale over C dim) I thought Just play the Harmonic Major a 4th below what ever the dim chord root is.
Then he played F HM over Db dim., which still worked if I thought of the Db dim as a Bb dim, same family.
Then he played C HM over the D dim, which works If I thought of the Ddim as a Fdim. Same family again. But I struggle to see the reason he chose those particular Harmonic major scales.
So, if my thought was correct concerning playing the HM scale a 4th below the root, why then could he not play Ab HM over the Db dim and
A HM over the Ddim?
I don't have an answer other than to think that because he is in the key of C, he chose a harmonic major from the V , IV , and I chords of the key,
(G, F, C) that fit the diminished family he was working with. That way the other notes in the scale would relate more closley to the key of the chord progression.
When you look at all 7 notes in each of the 3 scales he chose (G, F, & C) harmonic major, and you write out all the notes 1 2 3 4 5 b6 7.
The Diminished chord he has in there takes up the 2, 4 b6, and 7th degree in all 3 scales.
The notes you are left with are only the triad of the scale 1 3 5 which is the G F and C triads.( V, IV,I chords)
If I used the Ab like my thought suggested I ended up with the diminished chord tones still being on the same degrees but the triad that was left is Ab major (Ab C Eb) which would be more outside from the key. You may not even notice much difference if you did play that scale, But that is all I could come up with looking at it. Fairly difficult to execute in context for me but I can see how it works.
Caps = Diminished chord inside the scale.
1 2 3 4 5 b6 7
g A b C d Eb F#
f G a Bb c Db E
c D e F g Ab B
LousyPainter Very interesting concept, even if I don't think Tom (beautiful player and seems to be a really cool guy!) shows and explain (but does he knows it?) one of the main "key" to understand how to picture the diminished chord and how to easily play more melodic than just with the symmetric diminished scale that, I agree, can sounds kinda too mathematical sometimes.
JUST SEE IT AS AN altered 7 chord, in this case with the 3rd degree of the harmonic major we would have: : 1, b9, #9, 3, no 4, 5, b6, b7 (but you also could use the altered scale or the 5th degree of the harmonic minor).
SO, in the 1st example, replace the C° by a B7(b9) that would be resolved by a Emin7, which is luckily a great arpeggio to play on a Cmajor7.
In the 2nd example, replace the Db° by a A7(altered), that will resolve beautifully on our Dmin7.
I was not totally convinced by the 3rd example, because even if Tom makes it work, in C major, usually the D° would be also a B° which would be the substitution of the G7 dominant which is resolved by the Cmajor. But anyway, you get the point...
I'll give it a try thanks.
This is a good example of the chord-scale system. Just bear in mind that the purpose of all this is to give you a way to get the sound in your head and conceptualize it, then hopefully learn it so you won't have to think about it anymore. I think Holdsworth's approach to scales (a scale has no beginning or end, just a sound) can be helpful here. Ultimately if you're just playing a scale, your playing will sound uninspired. It's up to you to make it sound musical.
Not to nit pick Tom (you are an awesome player and educator) but what you are calling a C Major 7 chord is actually a C minor(major)7 chord. It has an Eflat instead of an E which makes it a C minor triad with a major 7th added. I just wanted to point it out to help others avoid some confusion. Thanks for the great lesson.
Hi Tom!
Do you use this thinking over lets say a static, G7#9 aswell? Cause in my mind that would be the same as playing over a Ab or G# diminished if I choosed to play G half/whole dim.But then with your thinking you would be superimposing the D dim (family since the Ab is in that family) And play C harmonic major? So my question is finally I guess. Would you play C harmonic major over the G7#9 also? Or du you use this only on pure dim chords?
Great lesson!
Kind Regards.
Thank you..
Your Strat is gorgeous! What model is it?
yep, gorgeous. I like primaries usually like black, white, or pale red. This is nice.
tuning to all 4ths? I get it, use your ear to hear the chords. Do you find this tuning an advantage when playing jazz/fusion? For teaching it seems like standard tuning would be best for students, but sounds great and really makes you think about what notes your playing with different fingerings due to the tuning.
Hey Tom, great lesson, what guitar is that, never got a look at the headstock. Thanks
Hi, thanks for the lesson.very informative...
Just a side note if you are not aware...your video volume is quite soft compares to other people video.
yes!
Thank you Tom, very inspiring lesson! Wonder how to use the same harmonic major scale methodology in minor ii V i context?
I see that G harmonic major can be played over Cdiminished, I see that F harmonic major played over D#diminished and I see a C harmonic major scale played over Ddiminished..
I don't get how theese three different diminished familys have total random scales backing them up.. I first assumed that the diminishedhere were altered of some functioning five or something but now I'm pretty confused. You do explain it very well, but I need some explanation to why they are related to those three familys
Love your playing! What is your guitar's neck made of??
Flawless
are there any pentatonics you can play to imply harmonic major? to help phrasing.
Nice T Shirt Tom - where from?
tom, of your theory lessons, which would you recommend as most logically next in sequence after your soloing over jazz chords lesson?
i don't manage to understand those kind of complicated way to think when you can think about intervalls....of course you have to hear them... so could you explain to me what's the purpose of that way to think? i mean to me it's like playing minor harmonic a half step from the root of a dim chord....i think it's overloading your head....maybe i miss something^^
so nice to explain the context of the harmony with the scale. So, like Tonic = lydian b3, b II family = Dominant b2, and II family is dorian b5? What other harmonic applications or movements can this be applied in? I see stuff like sus 2/4 situations, and augmented, etc but I'd like to explore this a bit more.
Lets say you're in A minor..Just raise these notes.
To moudlate between the 4 different scales. You'll have fun with it..I do
G# = Harmonic minor
G#, F#, = Melodic minor
G#, F#, D# = Lydian b3
PUSHING UP ( the second half of the natural minor scale is slowly shifting
into MAJOR Intervals....The D# is like a maj7 into E..
7,1...2....3,4...right???
It'll sound like Neo classical or Spanish guitar
If you study the Alter scale it's fun too because the III chord is an alter scale/mode/chord.....It's listed as Min7 chord ( Phrygain b4)
if you play the b4 ( same pitch as maj3) it's a DOMINANT chord..lol
You can play #G7 dominant or minor into A minor....hahahaa
Play B7 too
Fuck it...brain fart...Aeolian b4..Dorain b4...Phrygian b4...Locrian b4..
Alter and Dominant these too.lmao
So if you vamp the E minor into E Maj...you can play E harmonic major or E phrygian dominant....So you can play that V chord using the Phrygian b4
Modulate this way too....
Play Lydian b3 over the F too...F Minor???
That's cool too...Lydian #2 is the VI mode of Harmonic minor..it's close
F, G# C....right??
Brain fart.....Ionian #2, Lydian #2, Mix #2....hahahaaa
Or you can PUSH DOWN while in the MAJOR count
I do this when playing CELTIC or FOLK music...
It'll have a dreamy, meloncholy sound
I play it in D Maj and just modulate back and forth.
I'll just reach over play the b6 or b3 . Sometimes both
It'll create CADENCE....The F (b3) or Bb (b6)
i play around it all day long in standard tuning or D A D G AD
Drone in D and modulate...
Because the Open strings are in E Minor pentatonic
if you barr across...in D major...It's just be in E dorian position
Or like at the 10th while in C major or A minor
b3 = melodic minor
b6 = harmonic Maj
b3, b6 = harmonic minor
For the dominant...I just mess around shifting the 2,4 or 6 up or down.
It'll simple get a different mode....I know it's going to be a mode
from one of these four scales.lmao
Mix...Mix b2...Mix b6....Mix #4...ect
Then brain fart...do the same for the MAj and Min
Then min/Maj7
28 modes total..
Hi tom! great lesson but, isn't it a tricky and complicated way to think? cause basicaly you're playing whole/half or half/whole scales, so isn't it simpliest to think : ok i get a C dim chord and then to think about intervalls??this way you know exactly which interval you're playing, so you can decide how you want to sound and you don't have to think ok the running chord is this one, so i'm gonna play the X scale starting for the X degree...
Hi Tom, is there a technical advantage to change the standard tuning like you do ? I Find it confusing most of the time... I have seen P.gilbert does this to achieve greater speed on some riffs...
I have always thought that tuned in all 4ths would make a world of difference visually and and for patterns. How long have you played like that and was it a difficult transition?
oh my god, he tunes the guitar not standard...
now I get it... how G7 form could sound G7b5... not standard tuning!
He might have the first and second strings one step up, having the guitar tuned by fifths
pedromrls6 Wrong. The tuning of guitar is regular a perfect 4th between E and A, a perfect 4th between A and D, a perfect 4th between D and G, a major 3rd between G and B and a perfect 4th again between B and E. You can easily count 5 semitones up to receive the perfect 4th. In his tuning, he "fixes" the major 3rd by a semitone to receive a perfect 4th as well. A tuning by 5th would lead to E-B-F#-C#-G#-D# from low to high ;) Maybe your mistake is in the direction of counting the intervals. If you count a perfect 4th backwards, you receive a perfect 5th (complementary intervals). Ex.: E to B = perfect 5th // B to E = perfect 4th.
Nico Pitzer If I'm not mistaken, Tom plays E A D G C F tuning in 4ths. Cheers.
Charles Harrison Music Hey Charles, I talked about the comment (pedromrls6 said that this is tuning in 5th) above and STANDARD tuning, not about Toms tuning. Toms tuning is a 4th-tuning, you´re right. Cheers.
That G harmonic major would be something like C lydian minor?
listen to the chord instead of looking at the shape; Its major Tom is correct