[marinoFret]

One month ago I discovered something called Pentatonic scales... I spent a week or two studying them and made some pretty good solos...

I like heavy and dark metal so I'm looking for some dark sounding scales.

Do you know any?

[Justapicker]

The harmonic minor and melodic minor scales are probably the most common in metal music.

[scotty_b]

Hi
Common modes that are used in metal playing are the phrygian, the aeolian (which is the natural minor), bith of which are modes derived from the major scale, and then the phrygian dominant (mode 5 of the harmonic minor scale) or the super-locrian (mode 7 of the melodic minor scale). The diminished scale is also used extensively by some players (Yngwie is one example), and then more exotic scales such as the Hindustan, which has been used by Kirk Hammet in the 'olden days' of Metallica.
Do a search on Google for scale construction and you should find the intervals necessary to construct these sounds.
The chromatic scale is also a good choice, and if you are going for that Black Sabbath vibe the blues scale with an emphasis on the b5 note will do the trick!

[marinoFret]

Originally Posted by scotty_b

Hi
The chromatic scale is also a good choice, and if you are going for that Black Sabbath vibe the blues scale with an emphasis on the b5 note will do the trick!

Chromatic scale??? What can I do with it?

[Chaotic Kittie]

Originally Posted by marinoFret

Chromatic scale??? What can I do with it?

Since the chromatic scale is all 12 tones, you can do ANYTHING with it. The chromatic scale is the only scale that does not limit your choices.
Of course, the other scales does not limit your choices either, you can still play non-scale notes... but then you no longer play after the original scale, but after the chromatic scale.

My personal opinion is that really dark stuff wants lots of dissonance, so the chromatic scale is the best choice. You'll still want to land on good notes, scale notes (not always chord tones, too much consonance and the solo will lose much of the "dark" feel, IMHO) though. So make use of the chromatic scale, and use your ear.

[Jamonkey]

Dimebag knew three scales: The Major, The Minor, and The Pentatonic.

But there are some really dark scales out there if you know how to look.

For example:

Go to Google
type in
"audio guitar lessons heavy metal scales"
6th one down should be something like learn at your own pace lessons, theres some good scales in their heavy metal section.

I think that is the exact thing you are looking for...

[Clancy]

Originally Posted by Jamonkey

Dimebag knew three scales: The Major, The Minor, and The Pentatonic.

But there are some really dark scales out there if you know how to look.

For example:

Go to Google
type in
"audio guitar lessons heavy metal scales"
6th one down should be something like learn at your own pace lessons, theres some good scales in their heavy metal section.

I think that is the exact thing you are looking for...

Depending on what country you are searching from and when you're looking, the number 6 result in Google will be different. What website are you referring to Jamonkey?

Clancy

[Jamonkey]

Hey,

Yeah sorry about that, I haven't posted five times and I didn't want to post five stupid meaningless posts to be able to put a website in (less than 10, can't post URL [spam prevention I presume])...anyway, I'll be clever.

audio-guitar-lessons is the actual URL

Now, a friendly reminder is to not for get your on the World Wide Web and that you well also know that if this is a helpful site for metal then .COMunicate that fact with me...



Okay, i think that was just clever enough to work.

[marinoFret]

http://audio-guitar-lessons.com/ ?

[Jamonkey]

Yeah, you got it...now just go into the heavy metal section, and there should be a section called heavy metal scales...it's got a slew of them.

[Fernandes_Sustainer]

Harmonic and the diminished minors are probably the two scales you would want to look at... the penatonic minor can work too depending on how you use it.

[Jamonkey]

Hey,

+1 on the above comment

Yeah get good with you basic minor scales and pentatonic scales...throw in a b5 every once an while, so I guess its called the blues scale if you throw it in the pentatonic, but I've found the the bass note root of your scale with a flat five is like the most evil, and dark interval you could use.

If your not good on finding the b5, just take your basic two note power chord (root and the fifth) and move the fifth (higher note of the power chord) down one fret. IMO, it's a pretty brutal sound...

(alright gotta get away from scale thinking now...planetalkin)

[Fernandes_Sustainer]

Exactly... focus on throwing in flat 5's and minor 3rds in with your minor penatonic scales.... get good at those scales and throw those metal techniques you know in there.... dive bombs, pinched harmonics, various tapping tricks and you should be able to produce something edgy thats for sure.

[RuDiGgAn]

Originally Posted by scotty_b

Hi
Common modes that are used in metal playing are the phrygian, the aeolian (which is the natural minor), bith of which are modes derived from the major scale, and then the phrygian dominant (mode 5 of the harmonic minor scale) or the super-locrian (mode 7 of the melodic minor scale). The diminished scale is also used extensively by some players (Yngwie is one example), and then more exotic scales such as the Hindustan, which has been used by Kirk Hammet in the 'olden days' of Metallica.
Do a search on Google for scale construction and you should find the intervals necessary to construct these sounds.
The chromatic scale is also a good choice, and if you are going for that Black Sabbath vibe the blues scale with an emphasis on the b5 note will do the trick!

could anyone explain the hindustan scale for me, i know everything there is to know about Kirk hes my idol!!. but i've never heard anything about this particular scale, and could I have an example of when/where it's being used in his playing

[zappa]

the hindustan scale has a flattened 6th and 7th in relation to the standard western major scale.
in western music its very limited in its use with our system , due to the fact that you have to transpose your musical knowledge of theory to it , which ultimately changes all the voicings of the chords .

for example , you couldnt play this scale using regular chords .

ie : in C major you have Cmaj Dmin Emin Fmaj Gmaj Amin , Bdim

the C hinustan scale has a b6 and b7 making it C D E F G Ab Bb C

so if you were to play an Fmaj chord , the scales b6 would clash with the Fmajor's mediant note(3rd) which is A- you would have to change Fmaj to Fmin
this applies to all of the chords containing the notes A and B , in the C scale.

however , if you start the scale on the note of F and play F G Ab Bb C D E F which would be the hindustani version of our lydian mode , then the scale begins to make more sense to our western minds - its an F melodic minor scale .

so basically Kirk hammett was playing a melodic minor scale based upon the 'cycle of fourths' theory .