Unpacking Josh Homme Guitar Techniques, ep 2: The Lydian b7 Scale

[@scottallen9556]

In the Matt Sweeney video Josh really didn’t seem to explain the theory he just thought of it as leaving a note out of the scale. Your explanation makes more sense and as soon as you play the “strange” note it’s instantly Josh Homme. The Dicky throwback is one of my favorite licks of all time.🔥 “One Way Out” live at S.U.N.Y.

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Yeah! "One Way Out" lives on my list of great solos to always practice!

[@SuperIperMegaTriper]

To me QotSA is the most creative band ever... Josh is a beast at singing and playing.

[@pdub4600]

Dude you are such a great teacher. This was the kick in the ass I needed. I have basically just been throwing my fingers at dots for so much of my guitar playing life and I was actually thinking how I do that and how it’s just such a basic way to approach guitar playing, tonight. You showing how that’s actually a serious problem is in a sense painful but important. I’ve just been doing that for so long and I’ve at times wrote some cool stuff but it’s not the right way to do it. Thank you for articulating this lesson for me and just helping it sink in. Much love brother!

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

It's not your fault! It's how guitar is taught! We are shown that chords are one thing and scales are a completely different thing - but all the coolest players are able to seamlessly move between the two. It all goes back to Hendrix "Little Wing" - that's the riffage that opened my mind back in the day!

[@pdub4600]

@@EricHaugenGuitar 🙏

[@greenfly1264]

I dig how this Soulful mans teachings are totally hypnotic. He gives us moments to absorb,his eyes catch our attention and he'll gently drill information, then he and that vox gives our reward. And I for one are, left amazed.

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Thanks so much man!

[@timearll266]

Your concept of connecting notes and scales to chords has lead me to the biggest breakthrough of my 30+ years of playing. It has completely transformed the way I see the fingerboard! I find myself connecting scales and triad inversions to seamlessly move all over the place. Sometimes it makes me giggle 🤭 Thanks!

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

YAY! That's what I love to hear! To me, everything is the 5 CAGED shapes and the pentatonics that go with them - that's how I come up with all my stuff!

[@timearll266]

@@EricHaugenGuitar yeah man pentatonics and caged shapes just like you said. Add to that a switch to mostly finger picking and there’s been a pretty big transformation in my playing.

[@DoktorKatzeKatzkopf]

Is there a specific video by Eric Haugen in which this is explained?

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Here's a good jumping off point: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d6upZYZ6mcp4jJI For me, it all starts with Hendrix, and then gets weirder from there!

[@timearll266]

@@EricHaugenGuitar now if I could just clean up my Hendrix/Mayfield double stops I’d be golden but at this point I don’t think it’s gonna happen for me.

[@robertbodle2354]

i will not throw my fingers at dots - i will root my notes within the geological strata - so i can remember/recall/track/understand wtf i am doing - thanks Eric!

[@petergoddard1960]

I didn't know that. Hey, wait a minute. It's Friday. The day I find out all about stuff I didn't know from my friend, Eric. Here we have something that often sounds beautifully 'wrong' but I now understand why, and how I might use it. There's gold if you keep digging (in all aspects of the word). I'm not the first to quote it but "You gotta see how stuff looks like other stuff if you wanna use stuff" is stellar. Dude, thanks man.

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Everything is CAGED and Pentatonics at its simplest level!

[@jv2781]

Dean Ween talking about Dickey Betts to Matt Sweaney was funny too in the other Guitar Moves ep

[@mattgilbert7347]

"You gotta see how stuff looks like other stuff if you wanna use stuff" No joke, I think that's Aristotle. Ok Eric went FULL GERMAN at 21:48. Love it

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

That's the NEW JERSEY in me! I don't know if you've ever been, but it's a very crowded, curt, to-the-point kinda place. With very good Italian food.

[@mattgilbert7347]

@@EricHaugenGuitar It was very well-done, be it Berlin or Joysey ;) I just remember you riffing on how your name couldn't be any more German. I've been to Brooklyn for like a day and a half. Very arty part of Brooklyn. Btw does your Patreon allow for one-offs? I'd like to pay you some moneys but can't do the recurring Patreon thing just yet. I had a look but didn't see a button for one-time payments :) Cheers, Maestro

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Aww shucks thanks Matt! There's a little black "donate" button on this page: www.erichaugenguitar.com/patreon I gotta make it bigger :-)

[@mattgilbert7347]

@@EricHaugenGuitar Copy that, 99!

[@greenfly1264]

Absolutely beautiful to witness you reveal the magic.

[@robertbromley7678]

Best guitar teacher on KZbin. Also usable stuff and very clear, please keep it up x

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Thanks so much Robert!

[@chrisg5271]

Yea Eric my goodness still can’t do that but hey my words you really show these things beautifully I love your channel

[@5882300rickroll]

That opening riff kinda reminds me of Return to Forever Meets King Crimson. Love it.

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

ooooh I'll take that complement! Thanks!

[@michaeldematteis9944]

That sounded really cool over the one chord vamp

[@WayneMemphisMojo]

Super lush fuzz man ... thanks for the playing tips and info too!

[@erickiltinen2017]

My man. I ate pizza today, then KZbin told me to watch this video. The universe brings you joy if you let it. The cosmic klezmer-Simpsons-Homme-Haugen protocol.

[@tim.casey.11]

Klezmer! Oh man, what a Zappa-like side trip that would be! 👍🏼

[@YoungMasterpiece]

I learned to play in quite a similar way, grew up with Soundgarden, Mudhoney, Nirvana, FNM, and later Qotsa, Jeff Buckley, and many artists, anyway... I'm a pretty not-known guitarist from a small European country, but I always loved the way these notes sound and love to believe I defined my own style before I heard Homme Genius. Btw I love your delay, man. The closest sound I had is the Analogue Delay Ibanez DE7, I mean man, that is THE delay pedal, it has a lock, only this one reminded me of DE7, this one looks so good, and the sound is similar.

[@DeGroove]

Really Eric, you’re my new guitar hero…you play like all my former guitar hero’s combined!

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Clearly, you are a man of refined tastes!

[@_f_unicorn_7941]

This is solid gold. Thanks your lessons are amazing.

[@GabrielAlves-ty5oc]

i love your approach, so motivating

[@stephens5807]

Another great Friday pairing of your video and Adrian’s from ACPG. Chords-Chord Tones-Scales are the theme as I see it. Also love your tease of a double stop video followed by him diving into Cliff Gallup rockabilly, full of double stops.

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Adrian's such a good dude! Totally my across-the-pond brother :-)

[@rolandevenstill1]

I love me some QOTSA and Josh Homme (homm ay). I like seeing a breakdown of his playing style. I think we'd all be interested in seeing how the disenance of a solo like in Feet Don't Fail Me Now works. Anyways. Love your channel. Keep up the great work. Edit: getting a look at Troy Van Lewen's style would be interesting, too. I think of him as the QOTSA's secret weapon.

[@MrBrawl]

Josh has said his last name is pronounced like "mommy".

[@bwa_8]

Cette chaîne est vraiment géniale. Super boulot mec 👌

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Merci beaucoup!

[@lanceschneider6843]

Eric I have the Maxwatt version of the amp and I absolutely love it. You make that Hiwatt sound great!

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Thanks Lance! I love that T20/10 - it's kinda like a punchier Vox, cleaner Marshall :-)

[@debaser1042]

Sweet stuff! Love hearing the actual theory behind Homme’s playing. I believe it’s pronounced like “Haw” and the word “me” by the way.

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

The internet is so funny! I pronounced it like that in the first video I shot about his chords and the people jumped on me for saying it wrong. So then I literally googled it and was instructed to make the "h" silent. hahahaha

[@debaser1042]

@@EricHaugenGuitar Posted a reply with a soundcloud clip showing that Josh says his name as I described it. Disappeared when I left it though. The point is those people were wrong.

[@Jimmy-n6j]

I wish you lived around the bend and I could have you around my joint to jam and teach my 12year old girl! Id pay ya and feed ya and i reckon in an ideal world we would be mates! I know im dreamin but I honestly love the way you play and teach and your musical taste is great. Neil and tom and josh and etcyeah! Thankyou for taking the time to share your skills and musical knowledge. Ive got total respect for you.

[@richardlynch5632]

Bobcat bite...Not to be confused with the great restaurant in NM.😎👍 😎👍❤🖖 Love brother

[@Tobiasopdenbrouw]

Sounding good!

[@jrpipik]

If those dissonances really bother you, you can use a A7-B7#5 to get that G (F##?) or A7-G#5 to get that D#. (But to be honest, the friction appeals to me.)

[@madsbrandt598]

Lydian b7 reminds me so much of arabia, though i would not say i have heard arab trad using it. Also the compression that happens in the dist maks the b7 slightly sharper. Some songs in lydian sounds abit better with the d and b string slightly detuned as long as your not playing in g or d 🤯 great tutorial

[@williamtillier4246]

You should hear the double harmonic major scale, that really sounds like arabia

[@derekfulmer]

Skronky as hell licks. Love it.

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

aaaaaaaand we can see how it starts as simple major pentatonic and gets weirder and weirder! That way we can remember it!

[@edricnibbelin6601]

I love your lessons and this one is definitely going to keep me busy! Thank you for what you do! Also with Bill and Ted, The Big Lebowski, and now Jurassic Park, I feel like I need to make a watchlist of the movies you occasionally mention lol

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Also: Royal Tenenbaums The Princess Bride Napoleon Dynamite basically every Coen Brothers and Wes Anderson movie :-)

[@thebarnman]

Soooo good.

[@janders3205]

What dots? Lydian Dominant, good lesson! It sounds very cool in the context of heavier/distorted/fuzz rock riff…I can’t wait to explore that.

[@t3601f]

Loved this and how you go to a place and teach simultaneously! Dude where should I start on your curriculum? It’s all so great!

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Hrmmm maybe just let the algorithm sort it out! If you sort my vids by "most views" that might work!

[@t3601f]

Plan to get your new course

[@guitarbandit94]

Legend!

[@ginoclements4615]

You rock bro good shit

[@johnsowers7349]

You should do one where you talk about it's melodic minor derivations and the mM7 arp a 5th above

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Noted!

[@gcervatti]

Fucking great . Greetings from Brazil. Thank you!

[@gonzogil123]

19:19min I am appreciative of how he does not find himself in the noise.

[@mweb47729]

At 19:33, should it be "A going up to E minor" not "D minor"?

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

OOOOPS YES It's A up to Em - a classic Mixolydian change!

[@tylerl8353]

Hey Eric - great stuff as always. Is there a lesson in your archives that demonstrates how to recognize what scale to use? Is it only an ear thing?, Is there a chord progression recipe that says "use this scale." for example I am jamming on Southern Man Neil young and I can't seem to find the right scale, close , but a few notes just don't seem right...btw -don't let the 100K go to your head, stay real. lol... cheers.

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

On Southern Man Neil uses *mostly* D minor Pentatonic, he might add a few notes from actual D minor from time to time, though. Basically, songs are either Major, Minor, or Bluesy - that's the 3 main tonalities. Major is easy - you can just throw major pentatonic at it. The same with minor - throw minor pentatonic at it. "Bluesy" stuff is tricky, as it is often somewhere between major and minor.

[@tylerl8353]

​@@EricHaugenGuitar Ah ha . K - i am going to keep trying. Cheers.

[@swinehorde9118]

Hey Eric. Would you show us some Glenn Branca/Lee Ranaldo tricks?

[@mattgilbert7347]

Hell yeah!

[@peterpansie5]

Experimentation is key

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Ooof that's a whole other world! I know open E, A, D, Dm, G, Gm, C, and DADGAD but honestly have no idea what tunings those guys used!

[@ClaudioMartella]

Fantastic lesson. I'd be curious to understand what are the 7 chords that harmonize with this scale. You gave 3 chords (on A) G, Dm (but then you actually play Em?) and B7.

[@michaeldematteis9944]

Lydian Dom is a mode of melodic minor I believe. Min,min,aug,maj,maj,dim,aug.think its the 4th.eric will know for sure.the 4 and 5 are dominant 7s

[@mattgilbert7347]

Yeah I thought I was hearing things but he did say Dm yeah?

[@Terribleguitarist89]

I believe it would be: A7, B7, C#dim, D#dim, Em, F#m, G Aug.

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

@matt gilbert yeah OOOPS I said Dm - It's A /// Em ///

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Watch out, Claudio! Modal progressions are always simple - if we add in too many chords the progressions just ends up sounding like the original key. For whatever reason, I never liked Melodic Minor so I don't use it. Other than "Greensleeves," it doesn't sound very interesting to me. I did misspeak on the progressions OOPS: A /// B7 /// = Lydian A /// G /// = Mixolydian A /// Em /// = Mixolydian Neil Young style

[@halfmettal]

eric I can play alright and know the minor pentatonic but I just don't know how to improv and where to start with theory. i know how to play licks and all but i just cant seem to fit them in backing tracks. do you have any videos on this or info. i know the patterns and all, should i master the minor penta before moving on to the major penta

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Definitely stay with minor pentatonic for now! When playing along with backing tracks start really simple - just play quarter notes that groove with the rhythm of the track - don't try to run before you walk! That's the number one thing - keep the FEEL goin!

[@Ekelemen2]

Excellent stuff, as always. Thanks for doing these. Question: is there a reason to think of it as a sharp-four instead of a flat-five (I'm thinking of minor-seven-flat-five and diminished-7 chords). Is the Lydian b7 playing with that diminished sound? There's that classic trick in rock and blues of going I-II-V (it's in All You Need is Love and Honky Tonk Women -- can you get much different?). How does the Lydian b7 work when you're headed to the V like that? (Yes, I'm asking for a part two video.) Again, great stuff! Your videos really help me think through things.

[@BenMunro]

I reckon the answer to the first question is that it is the 4 is being changed compared to the regular major scale, not the 5. The 5 remains unchanged, and maybe its easier to think of a scale with #4 and 5 than 2 kinds of 5.

[@Ekelemen2]

@@BenMunro Well, duh. That makes perfect sense. Thanks!

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Yeah Bruno got it! You always want the scale to have all the numbers in it :-) Now, that other thing you discuss - I II V - I'm actually preparing a lesson on right now! Secondary Dominants!

[@teachmeguitar4149]

Can you make a video of metronome drills that weave theory into the practice for us please

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Good idea! Until I get around to it, I suggest printing this "Rhythms as Food" chart and practicing scales that way: www.classicfm.com/discover-music/music-theory/food-rhythm-cheat-sheet/

[@terrorbirds9835]

What makes the A to B7 progression a Lydian “give away”/appropriate chord progression? 🤔 And the A to G Mixolydian?

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Good question! If you look closely at the notes in A and B7, you’ll see that B7 is B D# F A. That special D# note in there is the giveaway. Basically, the giveaway progression have a note in the chord that is the special note of the mode.

[@filho4437]

Can you do one of these for Jonny Greenwood?

[@ThruGoesSamilton]

Hello, loving the breakdowns and you really struck a chord with me re the octaves in the scale, penny drop moment for me. Is this tuned in standard EADGBe?

[@ThruGoesSamilton]

Yo I Just worked it out! Turns out I've been playing minor p thinking it was major p! As a chords guy coming into scales your approach is really refreshing, thanks Eric!

[@AP-iu2ty]

Is the riff he plays in the intro a QOTSA song or is he justing messing around? It fucking rocks

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Thanks man! I'm just messin' around there with that funky scale :-)

[@lordstgermain]

Hey Eric (magnificent name btw), are the licks and chords you start playing around min 7:07 a QOTSA song or something you made up on the go? Tasty as hell and can’t get it out of my head! Thanks for all the lessons!

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Thanks Erich! 7:07 is jus' riffin' around - a big part of my lessons is the stream-of-consciousness feel :-)

[@lordstgermain]

@@EricHaugenGuitar Thanks amigo!

[@ericruddphotography]

Eric, I’ve not yet grasped this concept you refer to as “giveaway changes.” I know enough theory to know that certain chord pairings harken certain mode uses. I’ve just not learned these pairings. Do you have a lesson that goes into this in greater detail?

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Any of my mode videos from the "where to get started with music theory" series deal with that topic! kzbin.info/www/bejne/maq7iYSwrrV7mrM

[@ericruddphotography]

@@EricHaugenGuitar thank you sir. Your work here on KZbin is invaluable. Thank you for all you teach.

[@jacksonvega7751]

Weirdo version is always best

[@boynamedlen]

Closer to home: pretty sure The Simpson's intro jingle is in Lydian dominant.

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Aha yes! But isn't that just a nomenclature difference?

[@boynamedlen]

@@EricHaugenGuitar Oh yeah, I didn't mean to sound like Lydian b7 is wrong. I was just taught to call it dominant. Very cool guitar btw!

[@DeGroove]

Jippie!!

[@DeGroove]

But I always thought Josh rather uses the flat 3th instead of the major 2…oh well…sounds great anyway. Thank you Eric!

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Yeah, Josh calls it a "blues" scale. It's not exactly that, so I'm adjusting what he did to fit inside a regular theory box because, welp, music school :-)

[@hottamanful]

@@EricHaugenGuitar hmmmm .. mixing flat 7 with flat 3 and flat 5 ..? I guess in the simplest picture he is blending major with minor blues .. to get a giant blusy tonality..?? Love all what you do bro..

[@gonzogil123]

Could have been reduced to 10min of treb, countour, bass texture and time signature changes. But he is not afraid.

[@denomdemon]

Who else hits like before the first note?

[@abeltrindade1367]

What happened to the Deco? Did I miss something?

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

I'll never sell it! But lately I've been enjoying using the weber mini mass attenuator to drive my tube amps to that edge-of-breakup spot :-)

[@abeltrindade1367]

Thanks for the reply. I got one after watching your videos and really enjoy both sides. I'm still finding new sounds with the right side.

[@BCEpedals]

Oh wait did you mean A going up to Em?? 19:30

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Yeah OOOPS! A/// Em///

[@gonzogil123]

15:59min Yeah, that sounded distant and untranmissible.

[@dougfa3515]

Lots of dots!!! 😂

[@stephenhensley5631]

I dig your channel and I'm learning but that octo. pedal sounds kinda muddy.

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

hahahaha agree to disagree! I LOVE that sound!

[@gonzogil123]

5:20min When you hear the notes you dont know they mean (italicized) "A,B,C,D,E,F, G?"

[@bassert1966]

That’s the little sister / paper machete solo.

[@chaos4316]

I found teaching theory to students was a complete bloody waste of time. “How do I sound like Josh Homme?” Answer: “name your favourite 3 QOTSA songs” Cool, now let’s learn the beginner, intermediate, and accurate ways to play those songs. Now go listen to QOTSA again. Get it? “Yep”.

[@jacksonvega7751]

The simple weirdo players are best Homme, Santiago, RIBOT, fuckin Jacky White, Ronson, etc Rock n Squal

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

I 1000% percent agree!

[@wgb01001]

Your pronunciation of “loathe” is just insanely weird. 5:03

[@chrisg5271]

Eat pizza

[@musicplaylists59]

lol wierdo notes 😂 outcasts from society, not appreciated by the average person