NZGuitars.com

well that Weta thread got me thinking
what are other recent NZ albums that had catchy pop songs on them?
and PLUTO P.L.U.T.O. came to mind

tracks 2 and 5 both got a lot of airplay IIRC so I had a go

Long White Cross

key = Ab major

verse /: Cm / Eb7 / Abmaj / Fm :/
chorus / Abmaj / Eb7 / Bbm / Fm /

between verse 1 and 2 and extra bar of Fm is used
between verse 2 and chorus 1 2 extra bars of F minor are used
another writer who does this is Sting have a listen to his stuff you don't notice, not to you actually listen (well IMO) do you notice hey that's a 9 bar verse WTF

if we apply our diatonic harmony knowledge to this we get;
Ab major (Ionian) I
Bb minor (Dorian) II
C minor (Phrygian) III
Eb 7 (Mixolydian) V
F minor (Aeolian) VI (the natural minor)

try playing these scales over their respective bars. it's like beginners improv, then arpeggios/chord tones.

track #5 Dance Stamina

this song reminds me of 80's music, I like it
not much harmonic movement
I say G major

/:Gmaj / B m / E m / E m :/

bridge is possibly only Bm / Bm / G maj / G maj /
the guitar is a bit like the Edge from Rog's fav band U2

any thoughts/edits/changes/outright dismissals to this?

Long white cross!!! Awesome

the start of this song (long white cross) sounds very very very similar to duran duran's "what happens tomorrow" (from astronaut)...just saying

also please
amplifier.co.nz for downloads
support NZ bands etc

each bit helps

apparently
sales are a bit slow in equusland
thing is I got a haircut

A few things

foal30 wrote: Long White Cross

key = Ab major

verse /: Cm / Eb7 / Abmaj / Fm :/
chorus / Abmaj / Eb7 / Bbm / Fm /

The key definitely sounds Cm to me.
Cant hear any 7 in the Eb
the F is major - hear the guitar part on the 2 and 4, its Bb A (A belonging to F major =F A C )
The Bb is also major

Chorus sounds like this to me:
Ab/ Eb / Bb / Cm /
Ab/ Eb / Bb / F5 /
Ab/ Eb / Bb / F5 /

The F is a bit more ambiguous to me there, nothing swings it either way.

if we apply our diatonic harmony knowledge to this we get;
Ab major (Ionian) I
Bb minor (Dorian) II
C minor (Phrygian) III
Eb 7 (Mixolydian) V
F minor (Aeolian) VI (the natural minor)

try playing these scales over their respective bars. it's like beginners improv, then arpeggios/chord tones.

I think listing 5 modes when they all contain the same notes only confuses matters.

My improv advice: use C minor (Aeolian - C D Eb F G Ab Bb) ( C Eb F G Bb) over all chords except the F - use C dorian (or call it F mixolydian if you wish) for that chord. of course, chord tones are key (pun not intended)
or C minor pentatonic over the whole thing

track #5 Dance Stamina


I say G major

I say E minor
Not definitive, just how I'm hearing them

wouldnt the F be a seven chord, with the Eb

yes I am not quite sure of the difference myself.

I was reading about melodic minor/harmonic minor etc to differentiate
so a minor key is not just a major key from the VI but often I am unconvinced I actually know what chord (type) you just played then. I have also found that maybe you play different chords or triads and I tell you what they are 10 out of 10. but tomorrow I only get 3 out of 10. It's this sort of inconsistency that leads to second guessing and inhibits both improv and experimentation. I certainly wish i was more pro-active in listening properly in my youth.

as for LWC
the F in the chorus maybe it's an E not an Eb, but surely an Ab in the bassline is primo Fm/maj7??
the F in the chorus I finish descending F, Eb, C , Bb sounds smooth to me
nice tune thumb w/ palm mute on the 5, luscious even

all this may change tomorrow however, keep it coming lads , all good.

capt abaham wrote:wouldnt the F be a seven chord, with the Eb

well I don't know because it might be E in the verse
but I reckon Eb in the chorus

as above I'm most likely to accept someone else version before mine.

foal30 wrote: if we apply our diatonic harmony knowledge to this we get;
Ab major (Ionian) I
Bb minor (Dorian) II
C minor (Phrygian) III
Eb 7 (Mixolydian) V
F minor (Aeolian) VI (the natural minor)
try playing these scales over their respective bars. it's like beginners improv, then arpeggios/chord tones.

Fook mi! That's a BEGINNER'S improv??

Mate, I am SO looking forward to meeting you one day. You're an interesting man!

I still think Ascend is a better guitar player than Milan Borich </four year old NZG meme revival>

Daniel Jackson ascended, but he screwed up, too.

capt abaham wrote:wouldnt the F be a seven chord, with the Eb

I didn't hear an Eb over the F, which instruments playing it?

foal30 wrote:
I was reading about melodic minor/harmonic minor etc to differentiate
so a minor key is not just a major key from the VI but often I am unconvinced I actually know what chord (type) you just played then.

I name the key from the tonal centre: the chord that sounds like home, which, to me, is Cm for LWC, and Em for DS.

wiki wrote:Although many musicians confuse key with scale, a scale is an ordered set of notes typically used in a key, while the key is the center of gravity, established by particular chord progressions

as for LWC
the F in the chorus maybe it's an E not an Eb, but surely an Ab in the bassline is primo Fm/maj7??
the F in the chorus I finish descending F, Eb, C , Bb sounds smooth to me
nice tune thumb w/ palm mute on the 5, luscious even

all this may change tomorrow however, keep it coming lads , all good.

Can't relisten to it right now but definitely didn't hear any odd chords like a mMaj7, If the notes of a chord like that were played I suspect to my ears they would sound as passing notes not chord tones.

Off to Napier now, playing with Mountaineater and left or right tonight

borge wrote:Off to Napier now, playing with Mountaineater and left or right tonight

Might see you there, if band practice doesn't drag on...

Gelato wrote:

borge wrote:Off to Napier now, playing with Mountaineater and left or right tonight

Might see you there, if band practice doesn't drag on...

insert marc hunter joke...

good luck for the gig mate.

yeah wiki, no I don't want to know thanks . I can understand the language but I don't actually know or have formed an opinion. For instance, in the good old days the key was invariably the first chord or starting note of the tune

I think the bass descends to Eb from F in the chorus, maybe this is what the Captain A means?

If Sammy D is reading any of this look at how different listeners have a different concept of naming the shit. In particular DS, we have the same three chords, but calling it either G maj or E minor
If you know your diatonic harmony you know either key covers both sets of scales/chords

Rog
yeah it is easy because it is the same notes but from a different starting point
I don't think it's confusing at all and think it is exactly the same as Borge indicating "play C minor pentatonic"
all you do is think of starting points relative to that chord
it's harmonic generalization really
I can't think (or play) fast enough to deal with all these chords but I know they all come from Ab major.
so if I stay within Ab major regardless of what the actual chord being played is, I at least are playing 'in'.
whilst this obviously will not do for a career in being interesting it is IMO a very good way to get basic theory and basic improvisation tied in and under way.