Eddie Van Halen's Symmetrical Scales

Here's the next episode of Scales & Tales with Eddie Van Halen's Symmetrical Scales. I've had a lot of requests to feature Eddie's music, playing habits, secrets, and more - so I felt this would be a great lesson to add to the assortment of EVH-related episodes on the LNL channel.
This lesson takes a look at Eddie's awkward but immensely musical symmetrical scales commonly found in his music. After a brief introduction to what symmetrical scales are and how you can approach using them in music, we're off to the races with countless phrases, licks, and ideas that came directly from Eddies's playing habits and music. Eddie used many of these symmetrical-based ideas and concepts in his playing frequently - from small licks and brief fills to entire guitar solos.
Once you've worked from this lesson you should have a firmer grip on how to use some of these fingering-based ideas, which can also be found in the inspiring playing of guitar legends such as Allan Holdsworth, Shawn Lane, Buckethead, and countless other masters of symmetrical scale usage. As you'll see, there are various approaches you can find based on this material.
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What a bang-up job on EVH. It is so true, Eddie took convention and dumped it in the trash, cause he and his family were flat-broke. Necessity being the mother of invention, he took it all the way...and built a $300 million empire. Such an extraordinary story. I think that patch of sidewalk in Pasadena, CA where Ed and Alex, scratched "Van Halen" into the wet cement as young adolescents, should be designated a historic site. These boys made good.

[@vicesquadpunk]

Man, I am a guitarist of 35 years, a professional music composer and, until recently touring artist. I teach guitar and am still always active in creating and learning. I must say, you are one of THE BEST teachers and proponents of rock, in particular EVH that I have ever seen. I just wanted to give my appreciation, with love from London 🇬🇧 UK ✊️😊

[@elliotjohnson2159]

You need to get out more, buddy!

[@MrArtist1971]

Absolutely!

[@dannymcmince]

@@elliotjohnson2159 Bit harsh!

[@nomandad2000]

@@elliotjohnson2159 gonna follow you, you must be final boss in teaching Van Halen...

[@alexsandoval1139]

@@elliotjohnson2159 No need to be such a cuck

[@patrickkish6662]

Dude, as far as I'm concerned, Christmas comes every time you post a video. You're the gift that keeps on giving. Take it to the heart, my man👍🏼

[@dwainphillips]

Yes sir I've taken so many licks from him just sitting and talking playing explaining how this is done. ✔️ you can't help but learn.

[@JP-dl4ci]

I never knew why Eddie's solos sounded so unique. It's because lots of notes his licks were not part of the proper scale. It's those clashing notes that give it a flair. Very cool. Thanka.

[@bingefeller]

The solo on Push Comes To Shove is a masterpiece. It's when Eddie went Holdsworthian for a few seconds and then back into Eddie land. It really is beautiful.

[@b.scottfarthingsworth]

To me, his most tastiest well written solo ever ever ever

[@Jason-Evans]

Agreed. I always thought I was the only one that felt this way, but reading many comments since his passing about the love for this solo. It's def Eddie's love letter to Holdsworth, has such intense emotion & my all time fav VH solo. Cheers!

[@CaptnShred]

Yess!! Lately I've been listening to that song a lot. The phrasing is just so fluid and impeccable. That song is criminally slept over.

[@b.scottfarthingsworth]

and jason evans - this popped up today in my face and of course I knew you'd dig and instrumental version, enjoy my VH family kzbin.info/www/bejne/gn3WgZigoM1-Y8U

[@atomicpunk520]

His best work & prolly greatest solo all time by any .............. bar none!

[@bogotta]

Thank you. Your star wars poster was my wallpaper as a kid. I cant express what Eddie's music means to me. Respect.

[@hugechimp]

EVH=GOAT

[@uncleremus5046]

I gave ya a like but I love Rhoads first. Close call tho.

[@wulfenii64]

There is not much more that I can say about Eddie's talents. He was the best in my book.

[@supravatdebnath9464]

You are one of THE BEST IF NOT THE BEST guitar/music teachers in youtube right now. Don't know why this channel didn't blow up already. Keep up this great teaching channel, you are a gem. This channel is goona be epic!!!!

[@doncampbell7468]

Well said my brother. I will say this that I have never cried over anyone other than friends or family so far as anyone passing, but after it’s sunk into my head for about 20 minutes and I thought about that smiling face and how many years I have studied and listened and admired his playing it really just broke me down …like I had just lost my best friend… His impact on me and some of my really close friends has been more than words can describe because that’s how he played …thank God for recordings. God bless brother

[@JohnVullo]

I remember when I first started taking guitar lessons and got a bit into VH, I remember that pattern at 8:20 from "Im the One". I asked my teacher if it was deliberate or it was just him being lazy just taking that 1-2-4 shape up the strings. He said it was deliberate but I didn't believe him really. I was so ingrained into thinking of those diatonic scale shapes, and how those licks 'need' to fit the diatonic scale pattern. I thought it was laziness haha. Now I know its a mix of simplicity and harmonic interest, which is really very smart!

[@tak178]

I've been playing for 25 years, and I never knew where these shapes came from. I was a huge EVH fan when I began to play in my teens, and now I know how and where these "symmetrical scale" ideas popped in my head. I have seen the light! Thank you!

[@futarydary]

Dimebag, big fan of Eddie's also used it in his solos. Cowboys From Hell, Domination for example. Great vid.

[@curiousjorge6426]

You are an awesome teacher! You do such a great job in explaining the “why” behind the music. You do it in such a nice and encouraging way as well.

[@xjbomb4463]

I don't know all the names exp 3rd 9th Dorian. But I do get the shapes .and you have got to be be hands down one of the best at explaining some of this .even if you don't know the technical names your a huge help.because I know many of these scales bit not the names .and you help apply it even if your not a theory guru.

[@scottwaszak698]

That opening salvo of notes in Ice Cream Man is simply breathtaking, and may be the greatest intro into a sole, ever!

[@lightningstrikes7314]

Well Eddie died and everythings going to 5hit but we've got Dave to help keep morale up

[@TheMentalblockrock]

YES, we need some GOOD NEWS, like STOP THE STEAL, please!

[@CShermPlatinumShines]

shush we have mikey alex and sam still

[@stephenpemberton9943]

What?..With Rainbow bar and grill?horrible tribute but Dave was always strange

[@thebeanmachine4369]

Dont forget sammy, michael, His son wolfie

[@hortyist1]

@@thebeanmachine4369 Just watched Wolfie perform 'Distance" on the Today show ..Incredible !!

[@bertgetner9397]

Killer lesson Dave! Please take us on your journey through EVH land. There's so much to learn.

[@steveo865]

I remember the summer of 2002 I first saw friend of a friend playing some basic blues licks possibly wind crys marry. At the time I was very heavy into skateboarding around this time VH1 had a special on grunge and these were the two things that got me to stop ✋️ and say I have to learn how to play the guitar I had never been so determined in my life. My big thing was I want to play solos any guitar any solo sounds like angles speaking to me. Long story short my dad on holidays took me to guitar center and I got a squire strat and crate amp. And not to go to waste he put me in lessons with this 80s long hair rocker. And he could see my passion for licks and shred guitar. Till this time I was 17 never heard van Halen and he put in cd and let me listen to eruption from that day my life changed it was like magic co.ing out of the cd player. I'm now 36 20 years into playing and thank God I found your Chanel you have put the cherry on the top of the Sunday and gave me the light bulb 💡 moment I have been longing for soooo long to have it all make sense. My dad just got me kramer barracuda this Xmas and I striped it in 🎖 of Ed and will be shredding till the day I die. I'm still working on my blues. I taught myself harmonica and. this has helped. But can sure tell the difference in playing one is more mechanical the. blues really does have to come. from the feelings inside. But I still have many years left and hope to one day play with a band. Thank you so much for this and other lessons you are a fantastic teacher.

[@BillLarkinmusic]

You have put so much heart into these Late Night Lessons and uncovered topics of mystery and have made my day many times thank you!!!!

[@theopoiesis]

The thing with Eddie is that he did it first. As some say "there are no wrong notes", and speed helps to sooth our ears

[@richardjewett7702]

LOVE how you used legato on the scale shapes along with economy picking too!

[@2216sammy]

Wow , very well done . I can see your emotion when speaking about him at the end it's hard to not get emotional because Eddie really was that special .

[@stringbender11672]

Excellent breakdown, David!!! I love your point of view on these EVH ideas. Gives me a whole new way of looking at all of them. Thank you for this!!🤘😎👍🎸🎸🎸🔥🔥🔥💣💣💥💥

[@jackdellad4602]

You're lightning quick and always thorough in your videos. A Maestro all yourself, a great teacher for the highly advanced player and an inspiration for those yearning to become better. Great stuff man, thankyou.

[@staceyowens8496]

Great lesson, and it's cool to see Eddie's licks broken down in such a way that they make sense. You do a fantastic job of teaching. I never could play like Eddie but I always loved & appreciated what he did.

[@ThePoesse]

What a fantastic explanation of why those symmetrical scales work! I've been working on them a long time myself and your lesson is incredibly useful. Thanks for catering to us VH fanatics. It's one thing to be able to play like you do but to explain and inspire at the same time is a gift. A sincere thank you.

[@ski5150]

BAM! David does it again! Thank you so much. Not only for your insight, but for your inviting, thorough, and calming teaching method. You da man! Appreciate all you do! Thanks man.

[@brianruyack7632]

I don't care what David plays, I just love the singing tone he has, and so fast and fluid too.

[@joepipe1010]

Old Dave Yes ! In the last years game over.

[@JimmyKSimmonsOfficial]

This was awesome - I never learned this kind of stuff when I played professionally, just found different shapes that I liked and made them work - its really cool to see I was tapping into something much bigger and didnt even know it! Thanks for explaining it, you did a great job!

[@colourtones]

A very excellent lesson, Dave! Really dig your utilitarian presentation of these stellar EVH facets.

[@h0tsex0r]

Brewster just wanna say THANK YOU for actually having a nice tone in your videos. Some other guys have kemper direct stuff that hurts the old eardrums

[@Hydrophish]

Your lessons are so well done, thanks for another great one!

[@zls9890]

That 11-12-14 pattern is from "I'm The One". Excellent lesson!

[@futarydary]

16 17 19, also

[@atomicpunk520]

That whole song from start to finish is about 130 mph & in our face. Love that song .

[@craziesthorse]

That song is great. I crossed the Rubicon when I learned that song on drums.

[@atomicpunk520]

@Scram Jam " It's leaving here we aggravate you " but it's all good

[@chriscampbell9191]

Fascinating. I've seen hints of this in some vids where guitarists are showing some of Eddie's solos, but you take it apart in a way that makes it a lot easier to understand. Thank you for posting this video. PS love the looks and sound of that sunburst you've got.

[@JustyStoky]

Dave, you and Ben Eller are probably my favorite teachers on KZbin. Love it

[@CaptnShred]

I've been listening to Push Comes To Shove a lot lately, it might have my favorite EVH solo. That song is just one brilliant guitar part after the other.

[@josephstreppone9814]

This video and a video about three pentatonic licks you can shred alternate in my daily warm ups from now on

[@nokomisnichols]

What a fantastic lesson.

[@kiplukewhitehead8522]

Brilliant lesson. Nice articulation on those examples too. Done the great man justice for sure. Thanks man.

[@richardnoonan9867]

Awesome stuff. Your lessons are always so informative. Keep it coming man👍👍👍👍

[@saldifrancesca2500]

Another great lesson and breakdown of Eddie's style and technique.

[@cleaningsuplydepot8595]

Thank you for your humble approach and sharing with us!

[@addictiveoverdrive5091]

Great explanation man, it’s amazing how this guys did things and how hard it looks but once broken down doesn’t seem so intimidating

[@stevetaylor6488]

Thanks very much Dave - superb lesson. When you break it down, the concept so much easier. At the time it sounded like heaven simply because it was Eddie

[@slamham8527]

Outstanding. Thank you!

[@xaudiophile2]

Off to play now, thank you!

[@metalzombie6669]

my favorite video, Thank You for the EVH lesson.

[@gianpaolousai1768]

Best Van Halen tutorial I ever watched! Thank you

[@Paulskirocks]

Cool lesson. Thanks

[@jameslabs1]

Appreciate the clear concise breakdown. Very good thanks

[@danielhahn7329]

Amazing lesson!

[@yes0genesis]

Awesome lesson!

[@StuNankivell]

20:36 Great point! I was about nine when I first saw Eddie on the Les Paul Tribute Show in the late 80s and I was kind of overwhelmed by the really high pinched harmonics and other pyrotechnics - to me it was like a machine out of control hahah!

[@FrankSpeer66]

You know what would be amazing is if you analyze a particular solo of Eddie's where he's not just doing fast runs but being incredibly melodic like, push comes to shove. You can show how his note choices are being used against the bass riffs and chord changes in the background and why it all works so well. That would be an outstanding video!

[@christopherspohn7932]

David Brewster, I think that's your name "thank you" for the video's you do. I personally met Eddie Van Halen while he was alive way back in the 1990's he explained a bunch of his approach and you are very close to what he said to me. He used chromatic with little bit of a focus on specific scales, but it was usually standard fingering pattern. A very simple approach after meeting him and Glen Cambell, which is why Eddie Van Halen met me he wanted me to introduce him to Gen Campbell. Between meeting Eddie and Glen it made me re-asses what my playing focus and practice should be less memorization and more learning to hear what was there, it shortened my practice and opened my view of playing up. Thanks, Mr. Brewster for reminding me of Eddie.

[@notjonpeavey]

Fantastic lesson. I've played guitar for 30 years and have been able to learn stuff from Hendrix, Stevie, Trucks, etc etc. Any time I hear Eddie licks I'm immediately stumped, lol and awash with confusion. Even as a little kid I was Isolde's by these sounds. This lesson helped to decipher decades of question mark above my head. Nice!

[@TheRiverRiseII]

Even though this level of playing is so far beyond my comprehension, it's still fascinating to watch (and 'kinda' learn). Thanks, LNL!!

[@tonynewell3801]

Great lesson. Invaluable insight into Eddie's genius. Even though I've heard them hundreds of times. I so enjoy you breaking down unmistakable VH licks. This would be a chapter in the Rock Guitar Gospel. Well done!

[@sierramodre1]

GREAT take on EVH; will hope to apply some of these lessons... thanks so much for posting Late Night 👏🏻🎯⚡️

[@Blue_3rd]

Brilliant! Thank you, David. This was a real eye (and ear and finger) opener 😃👏👏

[@Katalysaattori]

This was super! Thanks a lot! My mind opened up and now I have work to do forever.👍

[@mos6507]

Really informative. Deceptively simple technique with a musically complex result.

[@kamoverturf6192]

Something that i noticed about Ed’s playing during the mid 80s-90s (Hagar era) is that he’d mix multiple symmetrical scales during one phrase. Which is interesting because the mixture of patterns kinda imply actual scales as opposed the symmetrical patterns, which isn’t something evh is known for typically. Anyhow great lesson! I love your content, it’s like visit from Santa when your vids pop up in my notifications!

[@johnegan4762]

Wow, nice lesson and show of love for Eddie.

[@edwardglyons]

Fantastic lesson. Thank you!

[@mathieumalaprade608]

Great great course... You definitely understand the guy... Best way to understand his art and teach it.... Merci

[@dcstar7994]

Awesome job!!

[@MDMOTP]

Incredible. You are hands down the Best Teacher I have ever come across. Thank you... :)

[@robertsmith-ux8ls]

Nice lesson . Thanks.

[@marcostabile848]

Thanks for decrypting the Master! really interesting and well explained. I was looking for this video for a long time :) ! so cool

[@gregceltorius4962]

Your channel has excellent content. We appreciate your clarity in your lessons David. Thank you from Montreal, Canada!

[@janiterinadrum1627]

I've been playing guitar since the late 70s.. had lots and lots of teachers lived in different states.. but you're a good one Dave,,you come across well, and easy going and easy to understand. Not to mention a deep deep catalog of guitar players famous and obscure which makes it a very interesting channel so thanks

[@stephenlandry9343]

Fascinating! What great dexterity exercises!

[@Joel-nd5tk]

Great instructional lesson. Well done.

[@brianschraeder2832]

Great video. Please continue this video with even more in depth videos about EVH.

[@robm3569]

There's no end to learning the fretboard of the guitar and the beauty hidden therein and I really appreciate the passion and joy you bring to exploring this wonderful instrument. I'm glad I stumbled upon and subscribed to your channel. All the best.

[@Dougs-Ear-Hole-Entertainment]

Thanks for taking the time to reveal some of his tricks.

[@jimbenny3331]

You’re awesome ! Thank you for honoring Eddie the way that you do.

[@fasteddierocs]

Thanks for all these awesome lessons Brother🤘

[@J24777]

Sweet!! Thanks for sharing this with us! Always enjoy watching you show us...

[@BangBangBeefyMacNCheesy]

The one trick or or lick I knew EVH made heavy use of was the 12-15-17 or similar variations... you did a great job of unlocking most of his technique here pretty much as well as anyone I’ve seen. Nicely done sir 👍🏻👍🏻

[@nicoladisvevia]

A wonderful lesson and very engaging. I shall try out more symmetrical patterns!

[@kgeorge1967]

Thanks for posting.

[@krayjay7146]

David your lessons are an amazing treasure trove of information,thank you so much!

[@larryk1978]

awesome video my friend!! Thanks for the great info!!

[@georgeherrera5809]

Great lesson as always.

[@dakotasaunders6566]

One of the best teachers and players for sure.

[@louisdeath8965]

Great lesson! You always have a killer tone! I also love the 14/17/20 from bottom’s up.

[@PhilFeedback]

Great lesson video, thanks for posting this video! Rest In Peace Eddie Van Halen

[@paulyg1742]

Thank you for your lessons. You are a fantastic teacher. Got bless Eddie Van Halen

[@neverquit9414]

That was a great lesson....Thank you!!!

[@jimsmirh2406]

Good info. That’ll be a great lesson.

[@johnfritzenjr.1240]

Great lesson sir

[@greg.2071]

Love your lessons! Thank you!

[@skinner5334]

Fantastic stuff- thx!

[@anthonyjames9711]

This is so challenging. I never really looked at the holdsworth side of Ed's playing. I will be trying it now, thanks Dave you did it again.

[@eraser64]

Thanks! That was great!

[@robbowen1242]

Really enjoying your lessons Dave ! I also enjoyed your personal appreciation for our beloved magician !!!

[@mattmarcz7574]

Awesome playing as usual. Love the Rutles sign!

[@stefguitar2349]

This is so well explained, one of the best lessons I have seen in terms of applying technique, theory in an engaging way, I took a lot from this lesson, thank you 👍👍