Allan Holdsworth talks about scales

[@Fullprops]

Well, thanks for clearing that up, Allan...

[@badhabitz69]

I feel totally more stupid and inept after watching that video. I`ll just stick to bar chords.

[@wayneiredale845]

IntotheFire I can totally relate and agree!! lol

[@badhabitz69]

Wayne Iredale Allan is from another galaxy far far away......

[@funkyfurballs1078]

IntotheFire...LOL! I just want to learn one little legato lick... it's just not happening :o(

[@badhabitz69]

Funky' Furballs I share your pain man!!!

[@LionelFreemanMusic]

Scales talk about Allan Holdsworth.

[@Claytone-Records]

Those scales are saying: WTF?

[@ollie2244]

Talk Holdsworth scales about Allan.

[@heyimgoingtoplaysomegames]

When scales go to sleep, they check their closets for the ghost of Allan Holdsworth.

[@frank2778]

I think Holdsworth's approach to chords was inspired by The I Ching, Vedic Astrology, and Quantum Mechanics. Computer scientists attempted to program his understanding into Big Blue, but Big Blue blew up.

[@Twominutedevotions]

Modes learn Allan Holdsworth.

[@Rob_KaBob]

I now know less about everything including my own life after watching this

[@TheKiddingStar]

I shit myself halfway through

[@mathieudager4234]

😂

[@danjacksonguitar3701]

Been thinking like him my whole life but literally just found out about it him, ashamed.

[@beoz658]

classic reply very funny

[@andym28]

I feel I have no clue what he is in about but I do know he is significant in musical history.

[@richiea.2137]

To the commenters, thank you for the laughs.

[@detlevtimm3019]

I hope everything is well on his home planet.

[@adamd3226]

🤣

[@jordanezraau-xavier1916]

hahhaahaha!!!!

[@ianleonard3264]

Its only under our sun that he can use his full power

[@WinstonTexas829]

@@ianleonard3264 👏👏

[@robertlawson682]

Yorkshire?

[@vecernicek2]

This is like music theory from an alternate universe.

[@nickburmanmusic]

More like an Altered Universe (U Alt). Or an Augmented Universe ? (U#5)

[@bmaiani]

I'd say it's FRETBOARD theory, applied to music theory

[@schnuffischnuff4837]

Brad Maiani exactly...

[@metalheadblues]

That's Holdsworth in a nutshell , otherworldly playing

[@DanielHoerle-ww9so]

Exactly its like the term think outside the music theory box. Im a classical player and I play metal. I understand Bach , but Allan is really in his own league,both music theory and technique no one literally plays like him. No disrespect to Bach he is an 18th century musical genius but seriously i think if Bach was alive today and saw Allan play I think he would say " I am not worthy "

[@yohohoho7675]

I had the pleasure of having a pint of guiness with him after his last gig of a tour in the jazz cafe in Camden in around 96, 97. He played a chordal instrumental on his own half way through the gig with a loud clean tone with a huge reverb and a volume pedal. What I heard was simply stunningly beautiful and I was almost in tears at how other worldly it was. I have never heard anything like it since. He was a true gentleman and a very keen listener and gave really honest advice. A humbling experience meeting and talking to such a brilliant musical force of nature. Thank you Allan.

[@EASFromTheWest]

What did you guys talk about

[@nospillblood]

@@EASFromTheWest Being gay probably

[@BillyCraigMusicArtist]

That's pretty amazing.

[@hazor777]

@@nospillbloodounds like something you’re well versed in But no: we don t care to hear about it

[@Soldano88]

@@nospillblood Go away troll 🤢

[@Quinkermarine]

Thanks Allan, that's the basics covered. Can we move on to the serious stuff now please?

[@Bridging_the_Political_Divide]

The dude's on another level. RIP to the king.

[@flaccidego4291]

This Holdsworth guy seems pretty good, but can he play 'Smoke on the Water?' I think not!

[@canadianroot]

He neglected to mention the importance of the H#13 minor double-diminished chord, and its pentatonic augmented ultra-dominant equivalent. Not to take away from his obvious talent.

[@raymondmartin2858]

Once you've finished the booklet you can move onto lesson 2.

[@anguitenens]

😆

[@glenngulia5409]

This inspires me... ...to sell my guitars.

[@DanielHoerle-ww9so]

No Shit. I understand Bach but Allan is not from this planet

[@enzosmith5371]

I stopped guitar in 2016. Played since 12 yrs old. Holdsworth may be one of them 🛸 🛸 He's brilliant

[@qwertyzxcv123]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@flaccidego4291]

Yep. I quit

[@jsamc]

Gosh guys just because u can't screw like john holmes don't mean u have to stop screwing LOL !!

[@JSBroadcast]

Legend says that even Allan didn't understand this video after he watched it himself.

[@peterspurrell1574]

LOL

[@Kramtteckebb]

That made me laugh.

[@shawndimery]

Aleksandar Grbic haha

[@badgertw8425]

😂

[@RohannvanRensburg]

I actually think I get what he's saying now, coming back to it. It seems like he doesn't think of scales in the context of a root note but in the context of the intervals available within that scale regardless of the root. I'm not sure what he makes of modes, or if he just uses them accidentally or subconsciously, but it's a confusing and complicated way of explaining scales and modes in different but connected positions on the fretboard. But hey, clearly it worked for him.

[@MaxNMyles]

He lost me at “well”

[@claylockhart6193]

hahaha

[@FelipeAndreoliBass]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@blizzbee]

Allan: "wel.. &$@#+_/(&_¥€£×π√π€£€©®%&$@+0¥∆¶∆×€¢£=> ..." Me:

[@trentgrigsby333]

🤣

[@whatifindbeautiful]

"Welcome back Allan. How was Earth?" "I messed with the Earthlings the whole time. It was awesome!"

[@ValirAmaril]

'why do you sound like you're from the north?' 'lots of planets have a north!'

[@anguitenens]

😆

[@andym28]

Yorkshire is known as God's country.

[@GusFogle]

The way he explains his ideas is a bit confusing but everything he's talking about has a firm basis in conventionally known music theory. He's just come up with his own terms for certain things and his own way of approaching them. A lot of the stuff he does like modal borrowing, chromatic enclosure, etc. is rooted in what many other jazz players have done before him. Allan just had an especially unique vocabulary.

[@Allan-et5ig]

That's quite a 'just' as you use it, but I've thought the same thing for a long time. I think his 'vision' of the fretboard and the entirety of every chord within it - is pretty off the charts and probably not normal even for people like say - to pull a random name, Herbie Hancock.

[@drewdelargo4520]

Omg, I enjoyed reading the comments as much as seeing the master explain his technique. RIP Allan

[@jamesshort9217]

He was a straight-up genius. For one to just invent their own entire complex musical language is unheard of

[@christophermitchum6829]

Ditto, absolutely, if u can't get it...go! Hide behind your imaginary world of the web, and know that He did his best, influenced more than a few (me, too) and was humble, genuine, what can I say? Rest in peace, bro😎✔️💯🎶💥

[@kwimms]

Sure, but in the end it just sounds like noodling around... really fancy noodling around.

[@SuperCrazylegs26]

@@kwimmsat the time of this comment this video has 784,000 views. If he was just noodling even in a “fancy” way there wouldn’t be so many people tuning in to a complete guitar players guitarist to see what he has to say.

[@strangeuniverse1199]

Quite a bit different music he plays, very different than the standard heavy metal garbage you hear nowadays.

[@petestanton1945]

​@@strangeuniverse1199Heavy Metal Fatigue

[@TheArtofGuitar]

Watch his eyes when he plays, he's getting datas from beyond.

[@fatmikeSauce]

New video of you translating this to english coming?

[@bryandowlyn5479]

Can you tell me about that song called Metal Fatigue from Allan? It's so difficult to understand the tuning and there is no tabs available.

[@chumleyshaver7942]

LOL 😂

[@torrid94]

Yo...nice seeing you on another video!

[@BungleJoogie68]

@@bryandowlyn5479 that song uses a harmonizer set to different parts. I believe it's set to either fourths or fifths. One or the other. On top of that it's weird chords. But it is still in standard tuning.

[@jammyd33]

I've found what I'm showing my friends the next time we get high

[@brianhyland4140]

😂👍🎸

[@harmonygaleria6311]

Bro that was hilarious 🤣🤣

[@noesgaragejams]

Lol

[@jackstrawfromwichita6168]

Watching this on edibles right now

[@raz0rcarich99]

This is too relatable

[@fabiopnoronha]

Bottom line: there will never be another Holdsworth.

[@tombouwmeister6254]

@@PureHoney_ASMR hell no

[@westong6819]

@@PureHoney_ASMR hell no

[@ReggiePostlethwaite]

@@PureHoney_ASMR no

[@PluckMyStrings]

@@PureHoney_ASMR stop

[@Hosh-id2lr]

Chickenwomp no

[@albertochiesa5815]

".... it is completely meaningless to anyone but me." Sounds encouraging! 🙂

[@bertramlefarge69]

"I am Allan Holdsworth, i come in peace" What a guy. He stands alone in the Pantheon of Electrified Guitar Gods.

[@GoatMee]

"Don't let your hands dictate what you think you can do." "Imagine your eyes like dancing on the notes you wanna play, and then forget about whether your hands can do it or not, just try it."

[@stackedfat]

Scale 10 is the Messiaen mode 3. It's one of the 7 Modes of limited transposition. Oliver Messiaen catalogued these in his book La technique de mon langage musical 1944.

[@patrickjordan8373]

I thought the quotes you cited described autism pretty well.

[@darenwobensmith4868]

U got it. Go for it. Experience the experiment. Lol

[@hachouma23]

That's the difference between Allan Holdsworth and people who aren't aliens

[@sinesteticostrauben8426]

@@patrickjordan8373 it'a a synesthesia

[@flowerpunkchip]

RIP Zappa quite rightly rated you highly dear Allan

[@jeff7775]

Alan's returned to his home planet, and in sure I'm not the only one who misses him here on earth. Thanks for the weird, wonderful and uniquely brilliant music🙌🏼

[@sukotto1001]

I was just looking for "Rock you like a Hurricane."

[@anguitenens]

😆

[@NAETEMUSIC]

Fun Fact, Allan did play as a session musician on Krokus album, and he fits surprisingly well in a heavy metal context lmao

[@Prossdog]

Good lord, it’s like teaching astrophysics to preschoolers

[@31145_]

Not true I got it in year 72', since then I have been playing rythm with my hands when I listen music hiding from the hall of fame

[@6nosis]

@@31145_ OOH SO YOUR FROM THE FUTURE?

[@donmackie6086]

Ha! Great line!

[@interstellish]

Allan Holdsworth talking about scales is perhaps the single most intimidating thing any guitarist will ever encounter in their musical lives.

[@Bifrons]

This kinda sums it up. Guthrie Govan once said about Holdsworth: "I think it's potentially dangerous when a rock type player hears a bit of Allan Holdsworth or Frank Gambale and then dives straight into that style of playing; not only is the technical aspect daunting, there's also all that musical knowledge and understanding going on behind the scenes, and it's really hard to absorb both of those aspects at once without your playing just starting to sound worse."

[@WardyP]

Yes 😎

[@aylbdrmadison1051]

I wouldn't call it _intimidating_ per se. Definitely _daunting_ though for most.

[@renatoarauz7784]

Not really. the theory is understandable, but the execution and application is a whole new world

[@hm09235nd]

Aylbdr Madison thanks for the italics there, buddy.

[@legatrix]

I've watched this video about 20 times, and every time I watch it my awe increases.

[@mattf9076]

same with his music for me.

[@jamiepastman5594]

how a true genius functions in the world, his own path and no one else's. And modest about it. Compare this great man to what we have now, celebrity "influencers." sigh

[@nostalgiacreep]

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for the enthusiasm and massive response to this clip :) pretty crazy to think that everyone is flipping out about a guy discussing scales! So glad to know that so many people appreciate Allan

[@silentinaway7407]

For all of you still baffled (including me) it's nice to know that McLaughlin said that he'd steal what Holdsworth does if only he could figure it out!

[@hammerhead2325]

Holdsworth is genius. He was genius when I saw him in 1981 performing in a trio. Everything is about opening up the ear and relating it to music and the fingerboard.

[@Kitsurai]

This man exemplifies the adage: "You must know thew rules before you can break them."

[@theystoleitfromus]

To paraphrase Picasso: "Learn the rules like a professional so you can break them like an artist." Or Charlie Parker: "Learn all the theory you can, and then forget it."

[@andym28]

theystoleitfromus very interesting. The issue is many feel so restricted by the rules I guess playing with total freedom outside playing is a stepping stone to the middle.

[@illuminatibraincontrol]

I believe he taught himself most of the rules using math. Kinda different from traditionally learning them imo

[@DominicAirola]

He kind of just wrote his own rules before learning the normal ones though

[@panama1942]

@@theystoleitfromus The funny thing about Charlie Parker's quote is that I've tried to learn many scales and chords and and end up throwing them in the trash and just do my own thing whenever I want to create my own music

[@AlanIsHarmony]

Don't worry about it and don't feel restricted just because Allan did this. I think the most important thing to take from what's in the video is that Allan did this in the interests of finding his own voice and a system that worked for him. What's more important than anything else is how you find your voice and doing so and I suspect Allan would agree.

[@icecreamforcrowhurst]

Well said. The real lesson here is: find your own way, if you *really* want it you’ll find a way.

[@abirdthatflew]

@@icecreamforcrowhurst It might take 1600 years to work out the tempered scale.

[@ATreeofNight]

this must be what a dog feels when being shown a card-trick. fascination...

[@IBOJOE]

😂

[@samva81]

4:18 : FM7 (4 notes on each string) 4:55 : CM7 (Exercise) 12:12 : Symetrical Cm

[@marylondonszpara1628]

RIP Allan Holdsworth The guitarist that was so brilliant he made other guitarists' jaws drop. I found his discourse on chords so interesting...I wonder if he had synesthesia...he is able to visualize music in a way that is exceptional.

[@prsplayer210]

Mary Szpara likely

[@RaviOmJazz]

I am trying to write a book on teaching this approach of learning the guitar, it’s very similar to how I developed my ear and solo ability

[@genesiskeglar6372]

If you visualize the colors of the frets based on number or notes, it definitely helps. Still have to play a lot, though

[@maxwellbarnhart1375]

He might have. But I think he was more of a "visionary." Visionaries tend to be able to visualize concepts in really interesting ways. They're visual thinkers, and it allows them to master concepts and get really really good at whatever they do.

[@kingminotaur4693]

Eddie Van Halen said "You have to be a guitar player to know how good Holdsworth is. " Also something to the effect of "I can't even steal anything from him because I have no idea what he's doing" There's something about showing those "maps" ( I don't really see them as scales because they duplicate up the neck) that totally discourages me because I know I could never memorize that, and part of that is not just my memory but my ear-- I think he can actually feel those obscure scales and know WHERE HE IS in one, no matter what position. SO you couldn't approximate his playing even if you memorized the patterns and developed the dexterity to play them. The strangeness of the intervals takes an freakishly acute harmonic sense to recognize and know where you are.

[@itj5598]

Here is a list of scales from a formal music theory context put into Holdsworth's format. Each given scale does not label all of the possible modes associated with the formal music theory names. Holdsworth just condenses all their modes into one Scale #. Scale 1 - Major Scale 2 - Jazz melodic minor (ascending melodic minor) Scale 3 - Harmonic minor Scale 4 - Lydian Harmonic minor Scale 5 - Half/Whole or Whole/Half Diminished Scale 6 - Bebop with passing tone between scale degrees 1 and 2 Scale 7 - Bebop with passing tone between scale degrees b7 and 1 Scale 8 - Bebop with passing tone between scale degree 1 and 2 Scale 9 - Jazz melodic minor with added passing tone between scale degree 5 and 6 Scale 10 - Messaien's 3rd Mode Hope this encourages more fellow music theory nerds!

[@jabari22]

Thanks🙏🏾

[@barryvisoc6851]

I use all these scales.

[@foalar]

Scale 6 and Scale 8 appear the same

[@-solidsnake-]

@@whitelightenergydads no, one is scale degree and one is scale degrees

[@gerrykavanagh]

Nope. Even more intimidated now.

[@raybergstrom]

This is brilliant! The way Allan visualized the fretboard, it was like lights popped up under every available note on the whole neck each time the harmony changed. Rather than playing in patterns or positions, he played whatever interesting combinations of available notes he felt like instead of being constrained by shapes or licks. To have this instant recall of all the possibilities must be amazing. RIP Allan and thank you for sharing your gift with the world.

[@AlanIsHarmony]

Really? Would you care to elaborate?

[@emcg.9655]

simon lloyd no it’s not

[@DanielsFreeStep]

The ideia gives us the concept of the CAGED system right? But it's almost some symmetrical scale from Oliver Messian n some "different" assymetrical scales like harmonic major etc

[@marcocosmic]

This changed my life back in 1996

[@CG-828]

This video was almost as crazy as stumbling across this comment and realizing I never heard of him passing... Grateful I got to see one live performance. Definitely a legend.

[@markandersen793]

The late great Edward Van Halen once said: Alan can do more with one hand, than I can do with two.

[@Rr0gu3_5uture]

Holdsworth always struck me as having the vibe of being the world's most boring geography teacher, who, in his spare time was the world's most epic, noodly guitar player.

[@XwpisONOMA]

No reason rubbing it in, we know we know nothing. RIP, Alan...

[@nickburmanmusic]

Wow, that was golden. 12:43 is great advice - follow the music, not your fingers. I like the idea of NOT shouting out changes to the audience because it's all about the music. I could probably throw away all my other theory books and study this video for the next ten years! I have some practising to do...

[@colinburroughs9871]

RIP..

[@pratibhakote6086]

Fatmagul

[@ichnsnchgo1510]

Colin Burroughs my god I had no idea, damn shame his death wasn't in the news.

[@slimmmshaney5695]

This video is as hard to follow as Finnegans wake, yet I feel like if I decipher it I may ascend to another plane of existence

[@abirdthatflew]

I wish that, too.

[@BenEdwards984]

Allan was a pioneer. The complexity of his system of and the way he created unique and fluid melodies was unlike anything else and utterly staggering. As a listener you know it sounds “right” but can’t fathom why. There’s a reason why many of his peers celebrate him as the best.

[@truthlivingetc88]

Alan . The guitarist who dared to dream the impossible . And turned that impossible musical dream into reality. RIP .

[@kelvinpanesar6511]

Hey!! That was a really cool statement!! Thanks for posting!!!

[@jamiepastman5594]

Musically, yes. But he died broke and unhappy, so the dream had a lot of hard reality for Allan, imposed by an ignorant world who couldn’t understand him. Life was very hard on him, and he was very hard on himself too

[@truthlivingetc88]

@@jamiepastman5594 yes well said

[@truthlivingetc88]

@@kelvinpanesar6511 thanks Kelvin took me a while to reply but thanks again

[@zappancojoey2277]

I have owned this instructional tape since it was released and it still boggles me. I dont even play guitar, but Allan pulls in all willing ears to his genuine out of this world approach to making music. Thank you Allan . You are sitting on the pinnacle structure of all guitarist we know. You are the greatest threat to all of them. Lol. I miss you dearly.

[@thomasdixon1369]

In most jazz improvisation, chords define harmony and one finds the appropriate scale options to superimpose over the chord changes. Interesting in that he views chords (harmony) as always deriving out of scales; but the scale intervals define everything, and he has some very exotic scales. ..no wonder his music sounds so free form...brilliant and wholly unique. Great post!

[@Bassic778]

Allan was a musical genius with unique insights regarding chords, scales, and the fretboard, who is sometimes imitated but never duplicated!!!

[@GordiansKnotHere]

"This next scale is a symmetrical scale, it's just ah what I call a Double Diminished Scale" -Allan Holdsworth

[@sheltma1595]

Had the pleasure of seeing him live once, at a small jazz club in Ropongi, Japan. He was pretty incredible, and very cool to meet. I'm sad that he is gone... I just found out today.

[@AntonioZaccariaGuitar]

"This is my symbol for that... Which of course, again, is completely meaningless to anyone but me"... Ladies and gentleman, this is, was and always will be, Mr. Allan Holdsworth (to me). Thanks for being what You were, Allan. Thank You for what You gave to me as a guitarist, as a musician and as a person. Probably you will be incomprehensible to anyone.... but me.

[@TheBoondoggler]

Agreed. There was never anyone like him before he came on the scene, and will never be another musician like him after... his strange and beautiful genius. Even his approach to playing the notes in a simple C major scale sound so sublime and exotic. An immense loss to the creative arts.

[@estebanb7166]

You're deep

[@StratMatt777]

So, instead of learning scales, he invented them all on his own, plus additional scales. Amazing. This guy is clearly not human, but at a completely different level.

[@danfuerthgillis4483]

He did what Segovia did, throw away all the BS chords and open up the guitar in sets of notes as Segovia did for many of his classical transcriptions.

[@richardpaulus9823]

You dont invent scales. Like chords, they are either minor, major, or diminished in nature. There are only 12 notes to use. Then it repeats. Each interval in any key will give the same feel. The 5 will always sound like a power chord compared to the root. The flat5 compared to the root will always sound dissonant/evil so on and so forth. A major3rd will make it sound happy. A minor3rd will always sound sad. Etc etc.

[@BradsGonnaPlay]

Richard Paulus “so on and so forth” and then you go from 5ths to 3rds. Intentional or not, that gave me a chuckle.

[@McMinnManiac]

@@richardpaulus9823 It is interesting how he puts a minor 6th in the Melodic minor. that shows me he doesn't think about interchanging keys as much as playing patterns Most players think "I am playing The second mode of melodic minor (dorian b2) and making it function as Dorian or mixolydian by borrowing notes from the relative diminished As it was explained to me by a professor , Allan plays to chords , most players play through changes (although Allan could do that too!) god damn Allan , how did you get so good ?

[@nuberiffic]

Really? Cos I did exactly this a few years ago. A lot of guitarists will do this. It's pretty basic stuff

[@smitlag]

He is playing 3D chess with Spock right now. RIP Maestro

[@nicoladisvevia]

This is one of the most useful lessons I've come across. As a guitar player, you see the patterns on the fretboard. Alan figures out scales (there are also ones stretching over two or even three octaves, he says!), visualises them all over the fretboard and picks out chords from these. These are the building blocks for creating his complex music. Simple and intuitive. Thank you Alan!

[@quailstudios]

Reading these comments is really interesting. I met Allan in 1984 and he was exactly like he is in this video. A brilliant mind and a brilliant player. I didn't always love his music but it was always jaw dropping watching him play because I was lost the whole time wondering what was going on in his head. Now it is all becoming clearer. :) Clearer to me that he knew exactly what he was doing and clear to me that I'm still completely lost. I think I have to do some more study to understand his approach. Guess I'll go practice some more... cheers my friends.

[@sidneyrichard5319]

This is where I first got the first glimmer of an understanding of how chords and scales work. It looks as intimidating as hell, but it boils down to four basic diatonic scales (major, melodic minor, and harmonic minor and major), plus two symmetrical scales (a whole-tone scale with every other tone 'filled in', and a diminished scale) and then bebop scales for major, dorian and mixolydian modes. You treat the four diatonic scales modally, and with hindsight I now see that he misses out a mode of the diminished scale. The half-whole he uses over dominant 7th chords, but the whole-half variant works really nicely in the blues. If you're playing a blues in E, when you're going back to E7 from the IV chord A7, you can make the last part of that A7 a Bbdim and use that scale to get back to the E7 (usually using the Bbdim chord or scale in bar 6 of a 12-bar. In this context, the Bbdim is functioning as an Edim resolving to E7 using the E whole-half dim scale. Exactly the same scale also works as an A7b9 half-whole scale, for example where C#dim is used as a sub for A7 (say Cmaj7 C#dim Dm7 G7), in which context it gives A13b9#11 extensions.

[@noname-ry3ln]

It's the best explanation. If you know 4 tonal scales and their modes and chords (triads, 7ths and tensions, you can improvise in every context.

[@TheBoondoggler]

You have literally summarized an entire college degree worth's of essential music theory in 2 well-written paragraphs.

[@sidneyrichard5319]

Thank you, that's very kind. Credit where it's due, it was this video that made everything click into place, although I'd struggled through some of George Russell's Tonal Gravity, which laid out much of the same territory. Suddenly it just boiled down to working your way through those elements. I can't say I've been exactly thorough. Mind you, I'd have hoped a college degree would give you a bit more than that. I'm slightly cooler with it now, but when I was informed by a friend - who WAS doing a music degree at the time - that "you know if you're in C, you're also in E and Ab as well", I was a bit thrown. Couldn't do even a poorly-written para on that one even now, frankly. If you're into this kind of shit, I'm trying at the moment to figure out negative harmony. MM-HM! It derives from some way of discovering a tonal axis and swapping notes around to their opposite. If that sounds vague, you're quite right. I do NOT yet get this, but there's an awesome guy called Jun Lee that interviews the utter prodigy Jacob Collier. There's a brief explanation, and the upshot is that you wind up with voicings that are actually IVm chords resolving to Imaj. So, instead of G7 - C, you get Fm6 - C. I haven't checked it out yet because I'm so used to going the usual way round the cycle to resolve, it's messing with my mind. It kind of looks like you can just keep back-cycling m6 chords: Ebm6 - Bbm6 - Fm6 - Cmaj7 but I suspect it's not quite as simple as that.

[@theycallmejpj]

I watched that, and I think what makes it tricky is that the actual axis is the halfway point between the root and 5th, which isn't actually a note in the diatonic scale. so Jacob gives the example of C -> G, and the half-way point is 3.5 semitones up from C, which is somewhere in between an E and Eb. but from what i understand of it i think you're right - in his example instead of resolving in fifths, you're resolving downwards in 4ths

[@sidneyrichard5319]

+theycallmepj Absolutely. I didn't really like that little graphic you're referring to, couldn't figure it out. I can't see how pitch could be represented on more than one axis. Plus other imponderables. However, the topic is trending, evidently, because Adam Neely just did a video touching on negative harmony, and he went into a little more detail. Now I'm more confused than ever. Although Adam rocks when it comes to this sort of thing. It actually goes back to subharmonics, plus Harry Partch used this branch of theory to inform some of his work. So the 3.5 semitone thing you got from the graphic is actually very plausible, because it's all about ratios. I didn't look that closely because I looked at it as an infographic, possibly missing a trick. There's a bunch of Wiki stuff on this I will probably work through slowly, but.... The example I got from the Jun Lee video you could paraphrase as A7 D7 G7 Cmaj = positive harmony Ebm6 Bbm6 Fm6 Cmaj = negative harmony When they run through that second example, the keys voicings really make it sound like some sort of magic trick of modulation, but transferring this on to guitar is something I'm finding a little trickier. All the usual voice leading tricks are gone, but I suspect if I think upside down a little more, it'll improve. However, even if I do crack that problem, I'm stuck, presumably, with the bare bones negative version of the positive example, and in the positive world I understand how playing with tension notes or making one or more chords minor I can get all sorts of flavours: but the negative world is a bit bare-bones. However, I dare say cleverer people than I will start to put some flesh on them and maybe even KZbin the results. To me, this is a fascinating bit of musical history happening right in front of me. And this has languished untouched for a long time because apparently the original author couldn't write at all well. The book got panned when it came out. If you're interested, I do recommend the Adam Neely channel. All the best, pj.

[@philipatoz]

Remarkable that Alan left us quite a while back now, and here we have no musical composition but rather a mere teaching video of his with 650,000-plus views - just shows how massive his influence and respect by other musicians. Strange, but I remember about 7 years before he died, he was interviewed saying it had become increasingly difficult for him to get work and gigs, as he felt what he did wasn't in demand anymore. But the business model of the music industry has nothing to do with genius and influence. If Jimi himself were a young player today, he'd likely be just an enthusiastically followed KZbin player, with mostly musicians appreciating his skills and music!

[@Orangetension]

Maybe, but that would definitely destroy his mystique.

[@stackedfat]

Scale 10 is the Messiaen mode 3. It's one of the 7 Modes of limited transposition. Oliver Messiaen catalogued these in his book La technique de mon langage musical 1944

[@toddwilliamson8557]

He basically charted every possible scale/mode and arpeggio that would fit over certain chords and combined them all into one mind boggling system per chord. Its not that far off of Pat Martino's 'Linear Expressions' where Pat breaks every possible chord into minor triad's and solos over that. (Yes that is an overly simplistic description)

[@raykanoon7705]

Such a humble man with an out of this world ability. Will be missed

[@stettan1]

I think about Josiah Gibbs when I see him. That was the guy who took the concepts of enthalpy and entropy from steam engines and transferred it to physical chemistry, inventing the concept of free energy that explains why reactions proceed in a certain direction. He was a nice old man but the students didn't understand much. Not many did, probably. Had he lived a few years more, the Nobel prize would have been in his pocket.

[@robertterrill525]

I don’t wanna sound super pretentious but he really proves people should experiment more with scales and understanding really truly why we use them and what the point is. You don’t even need a formal education just a piano and a notepad and if you’re really dedicated learn the relationships between the pitches themselves. Everyone knows how 12 tone is based on the harmonic series but nobody takes the time to just write it out and understand the framework for harmony better.

[@canobenitez]

I started playing 2 months ago and I came across this video, I don't understand how can I use a notepad to learn all the relantionship, it sounds useful though, can you elaborate a bit about that?

[@DinosaurSuccess]

where do i start

[@jayall00]

Couldn't agree more. I'm self taught and everyone asks me how I got so good... The answer is simple. Hours and hours of dedication and practice, taking notes, samples, playbacks, playing around with different sounds and figuring out that x y and z sound amazing together, heck, they sound even better over a b and c. It's no mystery, just put the time in and make it your mistress

[@meshzzizk]

Couldn’t agree more. I hope you’re a music teacher, because this is really important advice to any committed musician

[@meshzzizk]

@@jayall00 ha! I hadn’t even seen your comment when I typed mine 😂

[@robwolfe6120]

His chord voicing are otherworldly. Very cool getting to see inside the mind of AH. I'd always wondered what was going on behind the curtains of his mind. It's fascinating that he pared down the "7 mode" concept that most guitar players use, and simply had one name for that series of intervals (no Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian... just the major scale. No Lydian b7, Mixolydian b6, just Melodic Minor... none of the bizarrely-named modes of Harmonic Major, just Melodic Minor #4).

[@marcfavreauguitarist8788]

This is a masterful combination of musical ear, math, creativity, visualisation and memory. After watching this, I'm quite confident that Holdsworth had a gift for mental math and if not photographic, atleast a tremendous memory. What an unbelievable talent.

[@joebloggs1444]

That's fascinating!! He actually reconfigured the entire fretboard depending on what scale he was using in his head!! Amazing!! He also had hands bigger than most folks so could play intervals normal folks can't reach!!!...😱🙄

[@TheBoondoggler]

I loved this man. Met him twice, such a quiet genius. i loved how he was able to take the guitar in standard tuning and facilitate otherworldly music from it. A true master, a true artist.

[@qwertyzxcv123]

Allan Holdsworth is the king of the whole tone scale (he totally passes on semitone notes) and legato. Steve Vai hails him as the GOAT. In a more personal note, I think Allan shares the same visual thought process of Nikola Tesla and Vincent van Gogh. Very advance and out of this world in so many ways. Rest in peace, Mr. Allan Holdsworth. Thank you for passing by here on earth.

[@nevillepearson2670]

My favourite guitarist. I saw him live in the small cellar bar with his trio, 40 people in the audience. Amazing beautiful legato playing.

[@ekirenrut]

"You don't shout the changes to the people. They only hear the music." Well, I believe that's a wrap.

[@SamuraiGuitar]

The pentatonic does not feature among his ten most useful scales hahahahaha

[@maxwellbarnhart1375]

He has transcended such basic scales as that lol

[@WbadasAllDay]

Samurai Guitar you can go further than 2 notes

[@IamAMenaceToS0ciety]

Lmao

[@SamuraiGuitar]

@Electric Jesus I understand what you mean, but that's not really the same thing, otherwise he could have said that there's only one scale, the chromatic.

[@SamuraiGuitar]

@Electric Jesus...says the guy who made his perspective on my comment the main object... I have no idea what you are talking about: I've never claimed there wasn't a pentatonic nested in the listed scales; and if I did rag about anyone, it was about guitar players who still think only or mainly about pentatonic scales.

[@MattSofianosGuitar]

His approach to harmony seems to have been based on a mathematical foundation. Scales to him were endless arrays of intervals, determined by numerical values. If you take that as the basis of his approach, it’s possible to think of his musical cognition as like that of a computer. This at least helps understand how he could hold so many complex figures in his mind (both chordal and melodic) while playing or composing. However, that’s where the computer analogy falls down. There was an unmistakably human voice in his playing. He was clearly swimming in deep emotion when in flight on stage. Somehow, without understanding the musical language he was speaking, we seem to know how to respond to it emotionally. Still, we are mystified by what we’re both hearing and feeling. Allan Holdsworth’s music is like the stuff of an advanced alien civilisation, teaching us new emotions and states of mind. As I write this, I’m not sure if it’s a brilliant insight, or an utter crock.

[@mountainman8775]

Nah it’s a good insight. A lot of people talk about the futuristic feeling of his harmonies, if I were a betting man I would say they will take hold as this century progresses more and more as they are indeed musical ideas of the future. I don’t hear people talking about the spiritual nature of his harmonies much, though they seem to me to be positively angelic. That, some would say I’ve no doubt, is really a crock.

[@MattSofianosGuitar]

@@mountainman8775 more than happy to combine crocks 👍

[@jsamc]

I never knew this page would be so entertaining thx guys i could use a laugh now !!

[@ralphemerson497]

This is savant type knowledge of understanding the instrument and what it is capable of doing. Less than one in a million guitarists understand their craft like this. The Rain-man of musicians.

[@FenceThis]

no it isn’t, it’s just hard work investigating, visualising and repetitively practicing connections from a subjective point of view

[@ralphemerson497]

@@FenceThis can you do it?

[@FenceThis]

@@ralphemerson497 I believe Holdsworth’s point was to not focus too much on other players exact patterns or principles. Apart from his way of thinking he also had quite gifted hands though

[@FenceThis]

As for me, I don’t have that physical reach. I recognise the work methods and f ex the part of visualising the keys all across the fretboard which comes with repetitive and thorough investigation and practising through the years

[@FenceThis]

He was ofcourse uniquely gifted, not a savant though. Clear sightedness can be attained from hard work and dedication

[@lory7211]

What a pleasure to hear him talking of Harmony, what a GENIUS he was, and how polite and nice. Great man, we'll always remember him. Thank you Allan.

[@experimentalelectronica5016]

I love that he created his own system for envisioning and notating scales, rather than slavishly following convention. Pure obsessive genius!

[@lambda494]

"if there is anything in my head". So modest.

[@anguitenens]

❤️

[@PickettMusic]

Clearly, different planets have different approaches to scales...and Allan was in contact with those planets... :) MIss this guy already...

[@MaidanRustle]

A master of harmony for sure It's a shame how few questions were asked of his tone design. It is second to none - te chordal backing tones more so than the lead tones.

[@mindseye4914]

The single biggest mistake you can make as someone starting out guitar playing and exploring guitar instructionals is to pick up this instructional video by Allan Holdsworth. It'll do nothing for you but make you want to give up guitar and question everything in life and give up life in general. There's a reason there's only one guitar player like Allan Holdsworth...nothing he does, say or play is achieveble. You just listen to his music and smile and nod and bask in the glory that your brain became that much smarter by listening to his music

[@williamlowe7718]

I believe Allan has a photographic memory and he has been able to visually remember those notes as he has them marked without ever having to prethink anything. his mapping if the fretboard is all encompassing as opposed to most of us mapping in 5 to 8 note selections. we see the 3 not boxes before we play...he sews the entire fretboard like we see the 3 or 5 note boxes....it's absolutely insane coupled with his humility about it all...

[@evansdm2008]

Yeah I think that’s true. Certainly something like that is going on. It’s so unrewarding to try to systematically embed the patterns in your mind, unless of course you don’t really have to try. Which is what separates a genius from the rest.

[@RobertMJohnson]

was thinking the same thing. how on earth would one memorize all those notes across all those scales. we all know most of us work off the patterns and maps of common scale and chord shapes and positions....

[@92andrelis]

I bet he was an undiagnosed autistic

[@officialdazer]

@@RobertMJohnson Like with all guitar scales the pattern can be replicated anywhere. In a lot of Holdsworth scale patterns he has simply played the same thing up a position relative to interval changes. It's really simple when you play it as the shape is staying the same but the scale sounds different and lots of passive notes can be used because you are going through them interchangeably. The strange sounds Holdsworth comes out with are most from playing 4 notes a string at a time whilst if you play with 2 or 3 notes per string, even one, it's different. The chords are wild though and very awkward to play. It's not too hard to memorize, I just ignore the names for them all and focus on learning the scale at one point of the neck and carrying it upward the frets. It's not difficult if you pay attention of the repeating patterns just as in every mode or scale you learn

[@TruthSurge]

4:27 Sure, when I grow another 2 inches of finger length, I'll start thinking like that!

[@johndejulia7022]

Lolo amen to that brother

[@jamescumbie2187]

The added finger length then Rain Man-like savant mental powers and I'm there too!

[@JM-zq9em]

My wife says I'd be way better if I gain 2 more inches as well😅😅😅😅😅

[@Mick-Dempsey]

Love your stuff brother.

[@anguitenens]

@@JM-zq9em 😆

[@genesiskeglar6372]

I can visualize modal shapes. I like how he emphasized visualizing the whole fretboard.

[@ronaldbacha7818]

Pictures of the guitar fret board,,, that explains it all. Simplicity at its best,, I love it. -RJ.

[@charleslee1879]

Allan was absolutely amazing... God rest his soul...

[@blueeyedsoulman]

Doesn't mention visualizing this requires a photographic memory. Good luck. Love Allan Holdsworth: International man of musical mystery.

[@icecreamforcrowhurst]

Yes I was thinking that, the way he describes it suggests he really has a photographic memory. I’m not even sure what that is but he seems to have it lol

[@tobongkim9687]

Glad to know that I wasnt the only one who felt that way. The way he just points at the lowest and the highest note on the instrument and goes "yeah you just gotta memorize all the notes"...

[@christopherecatalano]

Loved that bit about travelling all the way up the neck and exploring outside of that 4 finger box fixation...I have😂

[@greglesondak]

A Cmin/maj7 + 9= those symbols on the predators self detonating wrist device thingy

[@evetsnitram8866]

Try this site out. The scales have more familiar names and they're printed up nicely. fretboardknowledge.com/guitar/kb/allan-holdsworths-10-most-usable-scales/

[@krisjarvis6217]

LMAO...Yep, and then your guitar explodes in your face!

[@gobuns2]

I watched this video 1,5-2 years ago. hearing him permutate and categorize and find the scales that way was mind blowing. now I understand it better. probably a video that I'll be coming back in the following years too. may he rest in peace.

[@Consural]

I knew a little bit about guitar scales. After watching this, I completely forgot what little I knew. Thanks Allan.

[@renhoek3851]

What I love about the guitar is you can do anything on it. People like Keith Richards, Johnny Marr, Allan Holdsworth and Mark Knopfler do completely different things on it, yet it's the same instrument.

[@reffo]

He was a guitar engineer

[@napomania]

maybe a tone engineer

[@adriangroeneveld9341]

He was a genius for sure but some of his scales and compositions are hard to digest sonically, at least for me.

[@mattf9076]

@@adriangroeneveld9341 They take time. My instructor forced Holdsworth on me. He said give 16 Men of Tain a listen 1-2 times per week for a couple of months. When it hit me it hit me. There is so much emotion in his playing. His music does not make me bob my head, move, but instead just listen in pure joy and awe.

[@pleximanic]

Greatest understatement i have ever read!

[@chriscoxofficial]

Lol when he said “and the next 3 scales are my jazz scales.” Wait.... the first 4 were your pop scales??? This is an amazing and eye opening clip. His scale charts look like computer punch cards. He was such a genius player. Thanks for posting this!

[@nostalgiacreep]

Yeah man i thought it was pretty awesome too, never thought itd have this kind of response tho!

[@timaddison707]

I don't think I've watched an instructional video quite like this one before. Definitely unique in his approach and thinking.

[@cmath8577]

I really miss Alan and catching him play at places around southern California. Thanks for uploading this

[@P00TANARA]

I learned one thing...that I did not understand shit!!

[@fitnessguru8012]

hahaha!

[@stephenbowyer7269]

don't worry about it, you have lots of company.

[@spwr1931]

P00TANARA Don't worry, Frank Gambale and John McLaughlin didn't either.

[@ericknarvaez5752]

write down what u did not understand replay de video as many times as u need and google everything and study what u found. its impossible to learn all that in 13 minutes. at least his is what i do information is out there just gotta know how to use it.

[@ericknarvaez5752]

write down what u did not understand replay de video as many times as u need and google everything and study what u find. its impossible to learn all that in 13 minutes. at least his is what i do information is out there just gotta know how to use it.

[@TheMusicfan189]

This is just insane. The guy is doing more work inside his head than a high end piece of technology. This is some robot level shit, honestly.

[@philipatoz]

I think Alan was the ultimate "by ear" player - as he simply found useful structures that he found pleasing to his ears.

[@fl1ppe958]

and to my ears too

[@westrig180]

I have heard in rehearsals with Allan he'd give 'charts' to new band members which were just basic outlines as Allan would play the songs to give the others the gist of it then go thru all its nuances with them

[@rubenvela23]

Learning scales is not for the ear musicians like me

[@metaphoria3]

Isn’t that not what a great musician does?

[@polbecca]

He was also probably the only example of a musician never playing something the same way even once, let alone twice. 🙂

[@josemolina959]

First time ever that I ever heard him talk, what a gentle man, and he loved the art of music. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@dudeeronomy3805]

I purchased a VHS copy of this from my local music store in Auckland, NZ back in the 90's. Fantastic.