SCALES: You're Doing It Wrong!

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[@treyxaviermusic]

Learn to write songs from me with my new course, Complete Rock and Metal Songwriting: bit.ly/SONGWRITINGCOURSE

[@gintsgrinbergs1298]

Yell yeah! I was waiting for this! :)

[@treyxaviermusic]

@@gintsgrinbergs1298 Thanks dude, hope you dig it!

[@warpig2786]

damn that's whats up

[@verstamp]

You know you’ve listened to too much prog and jazz when the spicy notes start sounding better than the mayo notes.

[@brianbergmusic5288]

You know you've listened to too much thrash when every riff has a tritone.

[@Robster881]

I listen to a lot of both and minor second intervals never sound good. The whole point Trey made about Mayo notes is they're the bad version of safe. So yeah, no one is gonna prefer the mayo notes.

[@verstamp]

@@Robster881 minor seconds sound amazing in the right context, and are still super fun in a 2003 metalcore breakdown sorta way.

[@Robster881]

@@verstamp that's true but those are meant to sound awful, its kinda the point of panic chords to sound gnarly AF.

[@verstamp]

@@Robster881 For sure! I also love the interval to death when it's inside another chord. Good examples: x53560, also the 2nd inversion of a 7th chord, like xx5746. Obviously that's just a chord color tone at that point but the rub sounds so nice to me.

[@karkarey]

The relationshapes course is very underrated and a game changer for sure

[@treyxaviermusic]

That's high praise

[@thecaptn1758]

just got in, love it!

[@GMSlash]

The "wrong" note could just be a passing note, it makes the following note even more satisfying when it arrives!

[@RyanHannaMusic]

this is how ive always thought of harmony within a key, there is a major scale of 7 notes - 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-(8). each of those notes also represents a chord of the same name - so a C major scale = C D E F G A B C... add our chords and we get a scale of chords, if you will - C - Dm - Em - F - G - Am - B7b5 - (C) - both the scale tone and its chord get assigned a number in ascending order - 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-(8) 1, 4 & 5 chords are primary chords because they are all major - these are the chords used in a 12 bar blues (C, F, G) 2, 3 & 6 are secondary chords because they are all minor chords - these are the chords you cant find when learning a song by ear but also - there is another way to group them - by the notes they use. in the context of a C major - (C D E F G A B C / C - Dm - Em - F - G - Am - B7b5 - (C) 1, 3 & 6 are tonic chords and made from only the scale notes C E G 5 & 7 are dominant chords and are made from only the scale notes G B D 2 & 4 are sub dominant chords and are made from only the notes F A C the reason those notes he is exampling dont work with the chord he is playing is because the note is from a subdominant group and the chord is from a tonic group, so they are going to clash harmonically - sing an F over a C major - it doesnt work because there is no F in a C major chord despite it being in the C scale, but it is part of a different group, so the chord we need is an F as it is in the subdominant group (so you could also play a Dm chord as it is the 2 chord and it would sound consonant also) These were things that came naturally to me, i used to call them bully notes because you *had* to change something to accommodate them, its only later in life when you learn more that you can nail down why

[@kutnersuicide]

I think landmines are great in the context of "noise rock" ala sonic youth. They create an unexpected tension that sounds awkward but can make sense in the context of more dissonant music.

[@reverendg5937]

Thank You!!!! Awesome!!!!! Opened my eyes to new possibilities!!!!!

[@treyxaviermusic]

Hell yes

[@aaronanytime8897]

This made me feel very optimistic about the future, thank you.

[@SorooshMhs]

Great video Trey! Pretty sure that’s why old composers came up with the pentatonic scale by removing the two unstable notes of the major scale, so that when you try to shred in the pentatonic scale it sounds good 90% of the time haha

[@craigpaulson3503]

Incredible video. This explains perfectly why when you're writing a song you'll find that the song seems to write itself. I'll start a riff and get to a point where I'm searching for that right note. You just have to listen and it'll tell you what note(s) come next. It's really incredible.

[@woodward_alan]

Have enjoyed this quick lesson and am hungry for more of these in due time. Just found your course and am in for a treat Thanks and happy new year.

[@treyxaviermusic]

I think you’ll enjoy what I got coming from here out then. Thanks for picking up the course, hope you dig it!

[@primroseproductionsmusic]

thank you for a perfect explanation of the problem I've failed to properly convey to many clients and many former bandmates

[@charlesrocks]

This is absolutely fundamental stuff. It’s nice to be reminded of this every once in a while.

[@308media74]

This is great Trey , Thanks

[@dmlueders]

This is going to help me immensely- ive ran major and minor scales inside of a song in a certain key- and there were so many times where certain notes do not work at all.

[@jeremyschiesser3331]

When you hit a "wrong note" that's your question to use a short chromatic run to your desired chord. It's often a transitional approach as well... so like... don't fret. Teehee. Or do like three times until you hit the note you want. It could be two notes off just depends. Just practice improvising and that will up your ability react so quickly that you'll start to get a certain vibe to your sound. You can play around with it. Exploration is more patient and fun approach rather than sticking to straight theory

[@funkencool]

100%! After watching a lot of Victor Wooten stuff over the years who preached the same, this is how I intuitively learned a working "music theory" and I honestly think it's built an extremely nice foundation for me. Hitting lots of notes that sounded "Wrong" and then finding the right note, exactly how you mentioned, in itself usually cause a pleasant resolution. I think all those "resolutions" and the feedback from it also really helped train my ear. Now when I play a "wrong note" my brain can basically figure out the likely "correct" pattern/scale/key on the fly, as well as find some perhaps unique harmonies along the way.

[@Arden7one]

"safe, mayonnaise, spicy, landmine - this is how you should think about it" whatta chef 👌🤩😍

[@theguitarbarber1116]

The section of the course on writer's block was worth the purchase price. I am loving it so far.

[@SingleMaltIdiot]

Been running into a habit of keeping my melodies and the like very much within the chords of the moment, and been trying to break out of that. This is definitely some fantastic advice, and I’ll be keeping it in mind going forward for sure!

[@majesticpbjcat7707]

Why do I have a hankering for sushi right now? 🤔

[@raymondmagdallon9033]

"The note that I hated. . . .Now it works."

[@warpig2786]

so chord notes are the notes that you will have to go back to, and the notes within a scale are the accolates, but prioritizing over those chord notes is, as you have said, what is going to give meaning and will eventually lead you to use scales as a means to an end. so next time im looking for backing tracks to play over, i will look at the chords given on the video, identify those chord notes and combine them with the suggested scale, and while im going over the scale i'll try to consider/prioritize the chord notes given on the video. would that be a pleasant experience

[@bropetersbropeters193]

This is way better for beginners! Some of these guys just want to fire off a metric ton of stuff newbies can't wrap their heads around. This is usable for the creative soul.

[@lovescarguitar]

At 6:09, that C note still sounds good over the G chord. Just because you specifically hate it doesn't mean it's the absolute wrong note, just the wrong note for you 😉

[@lovescarguitar]

That "now I'm home" sound just changed. The C note changed from a resolving note to a transitioning note.

[@treyxaviermusic]

Yeah no matter what it's subjective, the main thing is just being aware of the vertical relationships as well as the horizontal

[@lovescarguitar]

@@treyxaviermusic I can definitely agree with that!

[@elliottpetrella155]

A cheat I like using from uncle Ben is breaking down the chords individually and picking scales for each chord

[@michaelcraig9449]

Then what notes to use? Anyone can tell someone what is wrong. Say what to do instead. That is what we need to know, exactly which ones to play, not just which ones to not play. If you know which ones can you tell us?

[@insertanynameyouwant5311]

good info, and I definitely recommend his course of scales to all noobs like me!

[@YuriLifeLove]

4:12 When you played it on the guitar, it sounded fine to me... 5:45 But when you sing it, yeah it doesn't work...

[@Burnt_Gerbil]

Ok wait. Theory nerd in training here. The chords are Cmaj and Gmaj. The “problem note” is the perfect fourth, as you mention. Solution: play the relative minor pentatonic scale. That clashing note is not there. I think I’m on to something. Interesting. 🤔

[@treyxaviermusic]

You’ve figured out why guitarists use it so often. Y’know, because we’re lazy

[@Burnt_Gerbil]

@@treyxaviermusic - What. I’m not lazy. YOU are. 😆

[@funkencool]

You know I used to think I was being lazy when using power chords and pentatonic, but I'm also starting to realize the harmonic "room" left keeps things feeling open and gives those flavorful notes more weight. That in itself is often pleasant but also leaves a lot more room for other instruments, lead or vocals to essentially pick the mood by filling in those harmonic pockets as well. For instance if the foundation has no third, then it's crazy easy to modulate between major and minor on lead or change-ups to create a mood on the fly. As a drummer I feel the same way, it's very easy to get "too busy" with drums when a confident and well placed groove can do the song much more justice. Depending on the style obviously

[@CreativeMindsAudio]

I stopped giving a shit about scales/keys and started focusing on the relationship with the chords. Music became much easier for me.

[@kwichmann2777]

Where does chili mayo fit into this?

[@treyxaviermusic]

that's the Goldilocks zone

[@Starsmuse]

What if you like spicy mayo?

[@neroldeer]

Nice explanation...Scales are a God there are no thanks, if you climb the tower of Babel with a 7th, 9th, 13th that's not a step on the stairs (chord) game over.... (accompaniment can help, but yeah). I've made this mistake in melodies way too many times - cringeworthy to say the least.

[@putontheseglasses8809]

Scales are what fish crave

[@Vortexafternoon]

It's so funny. Donner is actually a bit of a swear word in Afrikaans (yes, we who according to you, Trey, speak like New Zealanders that have been hit with a brick...). It means "Thunder", and unlikely as it seems, "Thunder" and "Lighting" have a crass edge in Afrikaans.

[@hannibalbarkas1350]

It literally means Thunder in German. Thor used to be called Donar over here.

[@xxCorvetteKidxx]

Funny thing is I like F over Cmaj. Add9 chords are sick.

[@treyxaviermusic]

That would be an Add11

[@xxCorvetteKidxx]

@@treyxaviermusic I may have been a little tired when thinking that out lol

[@madocama]

Scales are gonna beTREY you.

[@Mudamaza]

Not sure if I understand it, but essentially scales are a sandwich, and you want it with a bit of spice, but less mayonnaise?

[@3603mailmaster]

Scales? Never heard of him.

[@sinistermephisto65]

Dem courses are Pricey AF