Marty Friedman's Exotic Scales

Here's the next episode of Scales & Tales with Marty Friedman's Exotic Scales. As I mention in the video, I had a lesson featured in Guitar Player Magazine a few years ago that was a scale-based tribute to Marty Friedman in the August 2019 issue entitled 'Tornado Of Solos,' and also featured some exotic scale action in a Scales & Tales lesson from last year entitled 'Unlocking Exotic Scales.' This lesson is a continuation/extension of the previous material as we're taking this information and pushing it even further.
For those interested/curious about the exotic scales/modes you hear in a variety of musical styles - from metal, classical, jazz, and beyond - this lesson tackles these scale tonalities hiding in music in three main concepts.
The first concept revisits the previous material to give us a starting point and launching pad for this lesson. The second approach moves what we've explored down an octave to help you see how to create single note riffs and melodies using a lower octave and selection of notes. The final concept in this lesson takes this process even further and hikes what was previously covered to two octaves higher, which will help you see how you can create lead licks, fills, solos, and more using a higher register and selection of notes on the fretboard.
For viewers interested in tackling some of Marty's exotic scale/mode secrets this lesson is totally for you, but even those that are generally curious about these exotic sounds found in music will discover plenty of new things to wrap their ears/fingers around in this lesson. So if you're looking for some ways to REALLY shake things up in your playing - this lesson is definitely for you!
Give this episode a view, leave some comments/feedback, and please subscribe to Late Night Lessons - THANK YOU!
Become a Patreon supporter of Late Night Lessons for only $5 (or more) each month and gain access to PDF notation/tab files of these lessons. Thank you!
www.patreon.com/latenightlessons

[@sotirios6882]

Why Dave doesn't have over 100,000 subs or more by now is beyond me. Every lesson you give is very educational n inspiring. ROCK ON.🎸 Sir Brewski.

[@oskarsalvador7414]

Perhaps he doesn’t respond to anyone when they ask a question like myself.

[@johnnymoraes23]

The algorithm for you tube has became increasingly harder for you tubers for the last 2 or 3 years. Even podcasts that produce some videos which are pretty much made for the great public, are having way less views and the reach of a new video has became increasingly reduced, even if you are a subscriber of the channel. Maybe that happened because the platform now has too much channels. But, from what i heard, less and less people are making money from you tube too.

[@user-Throbzilla]

@@oskarsalvador7414 Have you considered becoming a Patreon supporter of his?

[@uncleremus5046]

Along with his unique scalar playing his bends & vibrato are mind blowing. His leads on Rust in Peace are legendary like Randy’s perfection on the whole Diary of a Madman album. As always 🍺’ski phenomenal!🤟

[@kingbrutusxxvi]

I bought "Dragon's Kiss" on cassette when it came out and became obsessed with his use of exotic scales from Africa, Asia, etc.. Still so useful. It's also a lot of fun to use these scales to make really awesome riffs. Cheers, David.

[@chriscorral6365]

Instant click!!! Marty Friedman is my fav!!! Okokok. Should actually watch now

[@ArtbyPaulPetro]

another master of the exotic scales is Al DiMeola. And let's not forget Dick Dale! great lesson! I love the sound of those scales!

[@akidk1499]

Yes.... Friedman is always evolving He's now doing a lot of Indian Rhythms and Ragas Influences of Keshav Dhar and Shiv Mehra..

[@voronOsphere]

Marty Friedman is one of my absolute favorites! Everyone should check out the awesome instrumental "Rhapsody in Black" by his early 80s band called Hawaii. There is a section in it that Marty and Jason Becker reused on "Concerto" from their "Speed Metal Symphony" album! Thanks, David! Great Lesson!

[@brandonjackson5865]

J. and Marty all in the same week, two of my favorite players from the early to mid 90s . Two very different approaches to the instrument as well . Marty’s , bends especially the little pre bend release into whole step bends. You know it’s him the first note . No one can imitate his vibrato and phrasing . He’s lighting fast but he always sneaks a little stutter/groove in those speed runs dude has got swagger , but them bends man .

[@aylbdrmadison1051]

Good job using drop D to get the sound of these scales in the players ears. This also makes a player have to think about the actual intervals too, as opposed to just running scale shapes alone (witch I strongly advise learning the shapes also in the beginning to get the finger memory working).

[@CMM5300]

A good way to look at it is Hungarian minor is a flavor of harmonic minor and natural minor. You can blend the 3 together. Same thing with phrygian, phry dom and (gypsy) double harmonic major. Some call it double harmonic major because harmonic major is major b6 The dbl harm Maj is Ionian b6 b2

[@allendean9807]

One of my favorite players who use a droning note to solo over is Rabea Massad.

[@ChrisCGuitars]

I watch these videos at work and all I want to do is go home and play now.. thanks for another great lesson. 👍

[@Krullmatic]

Wow! The last couple of weeks I've been playing the gypsy and hungarian minor scales. I don't read music, or know music theory. I just call it snake charmer music. It's nice to know the real names though. These scales are addicting, as well! The other day, I spent about 4 or 5 hours playing them and trying to fashion a song out of them. Metal song that is lol!

[@bingefeller]

I swear, nothing is better than guitar magazines from the 80s and 90s. Wolf Marshall's Guitar One was perhaps the last great guitar mag.

[@supernothing77]

I agree, I loved how in Guitar One the songs had a lesson on how to play and approach the songs.. not just tab with no standard notation like Guitar World

[@bingefeller]

@@supernothing77 yeah, that was a great magazine. Having standard notation was a big plus - meant you could see the notes via tab and then reference it to the standard notation so you could actually learn to read music at the same time.

[@supernothing77]

@@bingefeller I didn't care about notation at the time but I read some now and play keyboards. GFTPM had the vocal lines transcribed and keyboards. I have a couple old ones now but I had some really old ones and some from early 90s. I started buying them off eBay and collecting them - unfortunately I "lost"them when I moved.

[@wreckstate7778]

Sweeet. Marty is a remarkable composer and player. Definitely someone I would emulate.

[@joerobinson2538]

Love this lesson David! These type scales I really haven’t dug into (except Phrygian and Harmonic Minor) and have just recently been messing with the Gypsy and Hungarian Minor. The timing is awesome for this! PS-You charmed many snakes in this video! Ritchie Blackmore would be proud!

[@instrumentalist28]

I absolutely loved the true obsessions album.... bought the CD in '96 and still have it......but I m totally addicted to just improvising on a Hungarian minor. Great vid!!

[@jamesthompson2804]

David, the shirt….do you shop at 13th Floor Music? I worked there for 10 years!

[@TonyFuentesTV]

I see Michael Myers, Jason and little Ace Frehley in the back? 🤣🤣🤣 Great video Brewster!

[@fabrik18]

amazing lesson as always. Thank you. don´t forget the exotic pentatonics like the kumoi, hirajoshi, etc. Marty use them a lot too. keep on rockin Dave!!

[@markroylance1584]

Hey David lots of us love your lessons and you are are a wonderful person!!!!

[@jerkerjansson386]

Great! I've been using those scales for years without really knowing what they're called.

[@aylbdrmadison1051]

Some of them like the Gypsy scale have multiple names too. That one is also called the double harmonic minor, the Byzantine, and the Arabic scale, and also has another name in the Indian ragas (I can't remember all of those scales, there are literally hundreds of them). Recognizing the sound of them is the most important thing though, and it seems you're already familiar, so the rest is all cake for you. Really, to call it anything other than the double harmonic minor, or the name for the Indian raga I forgot (brb.. it's the bhairav raga), is a misnomer because Byzantines, Arabs, etc use multiple different scales.

[@STAMPER-DESIGN]

Making guitar fun while educating us, thanks Mr Brewster!

[@marcjordan29]

Not entirely my bag of wax but a great lesson none the less. Always awesome. There is always something to take from every lesson. Are any of your former students god level players out there we should check out?

[@jfonlinenow1]

This is so cool. I usually play in harmonic minor. I really haven't learned these other exotics. Thanks!

[@whothan2011]

Great, great lesson! Marty is a phenomenal guitarist and you got it! It is inspiring me to play better! I love exotic scales. Congrats!!

[@pickboy7]

Great lesson Dave,definitely some very useful tools to have in the musical tool belt.

[@WorldvsTruth]

Thank you for sharing these very interesting insights in a simple and practical manner. 😊

[@JoelDavidGonzalez]

great Dave, like always

[@davidsummerville351]

Great lesson on my favorite guitar!Thanks

[@frankiedonofrio5438]

More of this!!....Thanks for the Lesson

[@bestboy897]

tthank u so much for making another video on marty i love ihiss playyingg

[@evalex71]

Great lesson man

[@davroshalfbeard8368]

Am so glad this channel found me great stuff🤟

[@urbanmagik]

Great upload, really helps me understand the interval differences. Thanks

[@LowEnd-DropC]

Awesome lesson and insights!!

[@soundsofnature9583]

Thank you Dave. Great tips!! :)

[@komobg6403]

Hey good sir I wanted to know if you give online guitar lessons?? Thanks in advance

[@massttrshrdrharmonicminor2002]

Killer sounding stuff

[@briannorman952]

Great lesson

[@tom12ta]

Another good one...thanks Dave 🍺🍺🍺😉🤘

[@verumterrae3322]

You have really fuckin great Vids!

[@vinfreeman1602]

Great Stuff!! 😎🤟

[@vincevandergraff1508]

new subscriber here. great lesson. ive been revisiting the harmonic minor modes, and practicing usage of them over backing tracks. i must say that they dont always sound good when used loosely. it really does seem like the underlying chords will be the key to using them successfully.

[@CMM5300]

Your gypsy is also known as double harmonic major Byzantine scale And Hungarian minor mode 5

[@AJPMUSIC_OFFICIAL]

I think this is what confuses me sometimes, different people in different times discovered the same thing so you can end up with multiple names for the same thing

[@CMM5300]

@@AJPMUSIC_OFFICIAL yes it is confusing sometimes. Depending on the source of education. It was puzzling so I tried to learn all the names. I try to stick with interval names. Like Lydian #2#6 Double harmonic major would be Ionian b2 b6 or phrygian dom nat7 How ever you want to look at it. Double harmonic major and double harmonic minor (hugarian minor) is ok. Jazz guys call dbl harm Maj the parent scale. Meaning it's the 1 and the rest of the modes follow in order. I learned it as Hungarian minor mode 5 (dbl harm maj) Because next in the book I learned from is Hungarian major 1#23#456b7 I'm not sure what other names that one has but I know people use it. Works great with altered dom or dom7#9

[@AJPMUSIC_OFFICIAL]

@@CMM5300 I see what you are saying. Its like we could say 'here is a universal system' but all we are doing is introducing another competing system. The jazz school have their way, western classics their way etc. I think the interval way is probably the easiest way for me because I'm already familar with vanilla modes.

[@CMM5300]

@@AJPMUSIC_OFFICIAL yes that's why it's important to really have the major modes memorized thoroughly. Everything else is built off of and gauged by the major modes.

[@Chris-w4j]

Gypsy is double harmonic major aka Byzantine. Hungarian minor mode 5. Gypsy minor is aeolian #4 1 2 b3 #4 5 b6 b7

[@bradleystroup1457]

I thought you were going to go over hirajoshi but this was pretty nice. The way I look at Hirajoshi is a natural minor with no 3rd or 7th which is odd because that's the shell voicing. But then I see that as a concept to get these "Japanese" pentatonics. Just remove the 3rd and the 7th. Works for other 7 note scales and of course you have your altered pentatonic scales for those too. Personally I work from a pentatonic frame for licks and just fill in the color tones from there, which I also got from Marty 😂😂

[@CMM5300]

I don't think that's Hirojoshi. Hirojoshi is documented in western music 3 different ways by 3 different sources. Hirojoshi is 1 2 b3 5 b6 That's removing the 4th and b7th not b3rd and b 7th. The "other" ways it's been documented is some of the other modes of Hirojoshi. 1 3 #4 5 7 removing 2 and 6 from Lydian. 1 b2 4 5 b6 which removes b3 and b7 from phrygian. I've seen people call kumoi Hirojoshi and some of its modes. Kumoi is 1 2 b3 5 6 removing 4 and b7 from dorian. There's all kinds of sets of pentatonics for every scale.

[@bradleystroup1457]

@@CMM5300 the last one you listed is the one I'm talking about

[@CMM5300]

@@bradleystroup1457 oh the aeolian mode of kumoi would be removing the 3rd and 7th from aeolian. Ok yeah... everyone has all these names for alot of scales. It can be very confusing. It depends on what book, school, region of the country and part of the world you learn from. The more ways you know to think about things the more ways you have to think while writing and improvising. It's all art!

[@bradleystroup1457]

@@CMM5300 I don't think of it that way. Like I said, I just use the way I learned it from Marty and translated it to other modes. I just remove the 3rd and 7th. Be they normal or flat. It's just another sound to use with a particular mode. You can start altering the pentatonic scale to fit in with harmonic minor and melodic minor and do the 3rd/7th removal for those as well

[@CMM5300]

@@bradleystroup1457 that's cool... how ever it works for you. Yeah I tried all the modes and removing the 3rds and 7ths since you mentioned it. I know it's weird because the 3's and 7's are guide tone. You let the back round harmony play the root and 5's is normal jazz practice. I studied alot of pents. Started every 7th chord and adding each each extension. 2 4 6. Ect Then shell voicings 137 with 2 extensions for color. I went through all one note alterations of pentatonics. I came up with certain sets I like for all the modes and scales I like to use. Dominant pentatonic is one noone talks about much. 1235b7. Useful modes are Dor pent 1b3456 Lyd pent 123#46 Modal pents I like: Lyd 13#457 Ion 13457 Mix 1345b7 Dor 1b3456 Aeol 1b345b6 Phry 1b245b7 Loc 1b34b5b7 Then b the root... b1 b3 4 5 b7 (i know there's alot of ways to write that and names for that scale but it's and easy way to look at it)

[@AngelMartinez-qs3cf]

Hey great video! What model guitar is that a PRS?

[@newrosesartworx4662]

.\m/ always great stuff

[@marktaylor6246]

Who on earth dislikes this?😠

[@b500l8]

Didn't Marty have an album called Scenes?

[@sabotageret6562]

Yes

[@christian-van-e]

Marty is a genius. A big influence on my playing (Megadeth period). He has worlds best metalsolo ever to his name (Tornado of Souls). And he holds his pick very strange 😂😂😂

[@uncleremus5046]

George Benson like in his picking hand. Benson was fast af in his younger days!

[@aylbdrmadison1051]

It's all just personal opinion. I think ToS is a great solo, but even Marty has done better on his solo albums imo. He's also been a huge influence on my playing since the first Cacophony album came out in the 80's. Here's something I think is funny; the way he and Benson hold their picks seems really awkward to me when I look at them, but then I look at how I hold the pick, and it's not that different. Players like Jason, Steve Vai and others who have longer finger length to palm width ratios than Friedman or Benson tend to keep their fingers extended and more often are used to anchor their picking hand to the guitar body.

[@ArtbyPaulPetro]

youtube guitarist Ben Eller refers to the way Marty holds his pick as a "flipper" lol

[@armada1999]

Yes!!!

[@roadwork.1]

Another scale option is the locrian would have fit as well😀

[@waynegram8907]

Joe Stump uses the Hungarian raised#4 often and the Gypsy Scale. I thought Marty Friedman used the whole tone scale also. I think the whole tone scale can only be used very altered dominant chords and augmented chords. Most Augmented chords aren't used in major keys or minor keys so augmented chords are considered out of key chords non-functional chords in diatonic tonality. you should make a video about the whole tone scale being used in pop rock jazz music to get a background on how to use them correctly.

[@CMM5300]

Hungarian minor is Harmonic minor #4 1 2 b3 #4 5 b6 7 Hungarian gypsy is Neapolitan minor mode 4 (Hung min b7) 1 2 b3 #4 5 b6 b7 Hungarian major (Lyd dom #2) 1 #2 3 #4 5 6 d7 There are augmented chords in minor keys Most people look at the 3 minor chords scales as a whole and use whatever they need when they need it. Natural minor Harmonic minor Melodic minor Look at all 7 chords and put them all together.

[@CMM5300]

The whole tone scale can be used with aug7 chords. 1 3 #5 b7 That's at the core. Think outside the box and super impose scales where they don't belong or use it to play outside. Rules are made to be bent and broken. Character in music is how you use the notes your not supposed to play.

[@waynegram8907]

@@CMM5300 The III+ augmented chord in minor keys wasn't used because the classical composers would use III not III+ in minor keys because the III+ augmented chord was considered Non-functional & non traditional which I think was due to voice leading issues. Not many classical composers used augmented chords and if they did it wasn't the III+ function in minor keys. Harmonic minor was not to be used in the melody because of the augmented 2nd between the 6b and the raised 7th which is why they used melodic minor to fix that problem.

[@waynegram8907]

@@CMM5300 yes the beatles would use Augmented chords but the augmented chords weren't in the same key of the song. If the chord was A major they would be A augmented just raising the 5th of A major but A augmented wasn't in the key of the song.

[@CMM5300]

@@waynegram8907 yes sounds like you know the basics. The bIII+ of harm min and Mel min. (Augmaj7) Doesn't really get used but it's there and accsessable. Also that means there are 2 more hidden aug7 V7+ And aug6 VII+6 Those 2 can be used to resolve to tonic. I don't use aug/maj7 really but I've found aug7 to be very useful. With scales, pents and licks. Your right alot of people use aug as the tonic to spice up the I chord. It can also be used as a gateway to modulate to other keys or for tension between chords just like diminished. Scales that can be used with aug /Maj7: Lyd aug Ionian #5 Harmonic major Lydian aug #2 Ionian aug #2 Double harmonic major Lyd aug #6 Enigmatic minor mode V Enigmatic minor mode VII Enigmatic Persian (1b234b5b67) Augmented (1#235b67) Bebop major Those have all the chord tones of 13#57 sometimes the #5 is used as a b6. Scales that can be used over Dominant aug (7+) Mix b6 (Mel min mode 5) Altered (mel min mode 7) Phrygian dom Phry b4 Dom aug Loc nat 3 Lyd aug #6 Lyd dom aug Lyd min (Neapolitan major mode 4) Major locrian (Neap Maj 5) Alt nat 2 Alt bb3 Enigmatic Whole tone 8 tone Spanish (locrian add nat 3) 1b2b334b5b6b7 I know which ones I like try them and see which ones you like and when. Another aug people don't talk about much is min/maj7 aug 1b3#57 Scales that can be used. Harm min Lydian aug #2 Hungarian min Ion aug #2 Loc nat 2 nat 7 Melodic Aug (Hung Maj mode v) Neapolitan min Super Lydian augmented Locrian nat 7 Augmented W/h diminished Bebop locrian nat 2 There's even more possible modes and scales that will work over all 3 chords but that's most of them. I like finding alot of the hidden chords in scales and modes. They are hard to see and it helps to work through them all on paper. I hope this helps. I personally know and can use some of that in improvisation. I went through them all and figured out what I like. A personal favorite is aug/maj7#11 (1 3 #4 #5 7) Can be used as min pentatonic b1 and the modes of it fit with alot of scale modes. Its normally just used a little here and there as spice and tension to release and resolve.

[@stringbender11672]

🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁

[@AngelMartinez-qs3cf]

PRS Mira?

[@youtoo2233]

Great player but Marty's right hand looks funny the way he plays

[@spleantrampoline]

Zack wyldes right hand is odd as well. I wonder if there’s a secret in that right hand positioning cuz they both twist their wrist in what looks like an unnatural and almost impossible way 🤔

[@voronOsphere]

@@spleantrampoline Marty said he positions his hand that way to avoid muting the strings at all during soloing. He said he never palm mutes during solos, because he doesn't like it for his style and that his body doesn't want to do it. From an interview many years ago in Guitar Player Magazine.

[@pistoFF]

nice one, yet.. zero Friedman lick :(

[@djohan5088]

came here after marty coment

[@diegolando1]

Metal clone X

[@phpfunkdotcom]

"gypsy" scale (I never heard of it before this video) is two major triads 1/2 step apart, in this case D and Eb. plus the addition of the leading tone to D (C#). To me that's the easiest way for me to understand it and hear it.