@123ubuntu666

4 years ago

The hexatonic scale (as shown here) is a very 'neutral' sounding scale, in as much as it can sound quite 'bluesy' or quite 'happy' (think major) or even quite 'sad' (think minor), depending on notes chosen and chords behind it. Of course the blues scale itself with that 'blue' note added is also a 'hexatonic' scale (containing six notes) - that extra note being an augmented fourth/flatted fifth. Another thing the hexatonic scale is good for is playing in 'swing time' - think 6/8 and jigs. So the hexatonic is used quite a bit in Irish and other Folk type music. The fact there are 6 notes in the scale means that you can settle on a very easy rhythmic strucure of playing one note on the fretboard for each division of time (if that makes sense) in the measure - and you can quickly get locked in to a very solid swinging groove. Try it by just going up or down all the notes in the scale with a 6/8 metronome behind you. You soon settle in to a very easy style where you can really lose yourself. The fact that the hexatonic (as described in this lesson) is so 'neutral' sounding as well, is a bonus, as you may end up playing quite fast (as in an Irish Jig) but it's hard to hit any bum notes or 'wrong' notes (as long as you don't misfinger) as all of the notes in the scale work in quite an ambivalent way, giving both a major and minor feel at the same time. Whilst still providing a very rich musical framework that just works across a wide range of backing music as long as it isn't TOO major or TOO minor sounding in itself. Having said that, you can alternate and vary with the odd bit of really major and really minor stuff in the backing track and the hexatonic still works and gives added spice. It's hard to go wrong really once you lock in to a groove. Hence Jigs going on for extended periods where the musicans just get lost in the music and no one wants to stop because the whole thing is just working so well. That's my thoughts on it. I might be wrong. But the hexatonic works just as well for blues or for rock, and even a bit of jazz (as fretjam demonstrated here) - you may not use it for the whole track, but it's a great thing to know to fall in and out of when you just want to 'cheat' a bit and be a bit 'mindless' and just noodle away and find that magical 'centre'. It's a magical scale, being neither minor nor major, whilst being both major and minor, at the same time, if that makes sense. That's how I pick up on it anyway and how it works for me. I could dissect it with finer harmonic theory if I wanted to, but that would just take the fun out of probably the most fun scale on the guitar neck, second probably only to the minor pentatonic, for being the easiest to play, that works across the broadest range of chords, and sounds the best with the least effort. Excellent tutorial fretjam. You really are the best guitar teacher on the whole internet, not just youtube. I'll be chucking you a few quid again when I get my finances sorted (got money, just no bank account at the moment). Thanks for the lesson!

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