Dan Phelps: Stepping out with the Half Whole Diminished scale

[@IsothermeMusic]

This is a cool approach! Thank you. David Torn introduced me to this idea during a lesson I had with him last year and it made complete sense. I like the way you incorporated both scales into your improv.

[@abutomatto]

love your approach to melody and tone and literally everything, watched all your videos and omg you are deadly overlooked.

[@oceanographic]

Thanks! I appreciate that so much!

[@pedromoreiradosantos]

Thank you for sharing this idea, loved it.

[@gurrgurr1023]

Very cool.

[@sevenwheels3617]

Thank you. Thanks a lot!

[@abutomatto]

you are absolutely awesome. I'm so glad that I could find you

[@bartwillems5]

What gear are you using on the laptop? Ableton? And what kind of keyboard?

[@HTEK207]

Interesting stuff. I've been playing for nearly forty years but have only a very rudimentary knowledge of theory. I've done stuff like this before without understanding what it is but it gets that middle eastern thing going like you say. I used to do this song which was just me improving over a Reason Dr. Rex Bass Loop I like. It worked primarily around an E major scale but it started with A# to B trill. I would throw in the A sharp where I could and it just made the whole thing really come to life Really have to play with it now that I have a better explanation. Love your amp too. I just got a Monarch reverb which I need to pry myself away from before my wife divorces me!!!!

[@oceanographic]

Thanks for watching! I'm glad you got some use out of it the video. I'm continually finding things I like the sound of and then back tracking to understand what they mean in terms of theory. And...that's a fine choice of amp!

[@HTEK207]

Yeah I finally broke down and took some piano lessons a year or so back just to start to get a handle on theory. It always makes more sense to me on a keyboard. I've still got a ton to learn though. Between KZbin and the net and the occasional library book I'm getting there. I still have this practical approach that says if it sounds good play it... Those times where I can't figure out where do I go now that's when the theory jumps in. Robben Ford has a couple good videos on half diminished scales. I'm working on them but I still have to think a lot to make it work. It isn't second nature yet but I'm getting there.

[@HTEK207]

Ok sorry to bother you again. I've got a question Music theory related which... and the reason I keep my hair so short is because music theory makes me want to pull it out... Around 3;52 in the video you speak skipping up to the minor 3rd... Are talking minor third in reference to a major scale say your in A progress to C? Or are you sticking with the third note in the whole half scale which would be... B flat if your if your shooting for a minor third flatting the third note as if it were a minor??... At which point and I think I've followed this correctly you establish the same pattern moving from the minor third... Sorry I think moving to the C is correct it sounds more correct this way... Or am I totally off base ????