Jazz Guitar Lesson: C Diminished Scale

[rodite]

c# fully diminished scale has a c and c#. it's a nine note scale. it's a lot like a 7th#9.

[maigles]

@mayvin1975 I just started reading music (mainly just notes from the real book ). I feel like being able to read music is the missing link to becoming a better guitarist. It gives you a different perspective on note selection, almost global

[maigles]

Why does he play a C diminished scale over a C#diminished chord? Why doesn't he play a C# diminished scale?

[Cl0udShapedMan]

@maigles

I think that's done to maintain the tension created by the chromatic movement between C7 and C#dim7....

Cdim scale over a C#dim7 chord creates more tension than using the C#dim scale itself....

Not sure about this though....sorry if I'm wrong.....

[MrSuicideMan]

i found out i knew the dimishis scale when i was learning a lick from paul gilbert O.O wooow..

[boatynoh]

voice sounds like tom hanks

[skaterocker666]

@boatynoh that is soooo true!!!

[Olhor10]

"Hi my name is Billy Wilkie" -and I was laughting already xD

[blue4dw]

SILLY BILLY WILKIE

[abolocks]

Thanks you!!!

[digitalph5]

loved the jam :D

[redwashre]

This is a really good video because its something you can put to use.Forget the pedantics,the dim.scale is one using alternating whole and half tones.I beleive the only thing that matters is wether you start out with a whole or half.Thats where theres no substitute for plain old eartraining.I.e. practice some licks within that framework that sound good.Jazz would hardly be worth playing without the dim.scale.Where most of the dissonace and tension lie.I.e. its what makes a solo interesting.

[jazzcolabear]

2:18 awesome.

[polaroidsky]

A mandolin?

[A7X514]

@polaroidsky thats a gibson L5 i think

[GameLevelEditor]

At 5:40 that phrase was done real smooth and quick. Something George Benson like. Great lesson!

[veraseyecandy]

tab? hahahaha



[nikooxmaster]

Guys, can anyones tell me:

There are 2 tipes of dimished scales (Half tone - Whole Tone and Whole Tone - Half Tone), or the unic tipe of dimished scale is the scale that the guy is playing ? :S

[Erotomaniax]

@nikooxmaster

What this dude is playing (half-whole dim scale) is commonly known in jazz as the ("true") Diminished Scale. When you refer to the whole-half counterpart, you specify "Whole-Half Diminished Scale."

They each have their own specific function: the Diminished Scale is used over a diminished chord or derivation while the whole-half plays well over a dominant seventh chord or derivation (typically going back into a minor tonic e.g. E7 b9 resolving into Am)

[nopieonwednesday]

good lesson, his improvs were kinda lame

[kuyakoloth]

cool

[JuGGernaut81295]

thanks a lot, my teacher plays a lot of jazz, and he told me to learn this but i had trouble remembering it but now i got it down. 

[milanw]

dude you should get some tab with it too make it a little bit easier....

[beefcakejcc]

@milanw there is a link to the tab in the info section

[mayvin1975]

@milanw learn to read music and you wont need tab EVER!!! tradition notation gives you more information than tab. and you also learn the notes on your guitar so you understand the context and relationship. also you can read music from other instruments like sax, flute piano. imagine note being able to read or write your native language, how much information you'll miss out on? it is the same with music. music is a language!

[lesgigg1980]

@mayvin1975 yeah.. but sax music is in Bb.. and piano usually needs to be transcribed to make playable on solo guitar. but reading music is still cool. oh yeah and good sheet music is usually not free.

[vikingshred]

So. Should someone tell him that he's actually playing Blues? I hear a lot of Jazz, but he's it all feels like Blues. Especially with the piano in the background.

[cheeseerox]

guys help...i just cant understand how diminished scale fits on the v7? i mean v7 is a pattern of R-2-3-4-5-6-b7-R, so half step up with diminished scale? i mean how? it doesn't fit....need ur ideas..

[lancton]

@cheeseerox The dom7 chord is the chord we can alter the easiest. When playing this chord there are many different scales and approaches to altering it to give a more outside and therefore interesting sound. By playing the whol/half dim scale a half step above the root of your dom 7 chord, it gives you the b9, #9, 3, b5, 5, 13, 7, and root...thus giving you most of the alterations you need to play great lines creating tension. the note not in that scale is the #5...use melodic minor for that

[elkeism]

diminished chords are substitutes for Dom7th flat 9 chords a half-step away: A7b9 = Bb diminshed AND since a diminished chord can move up and down by minor 3rds,so then can the 7th flat 9 : A7b9,C7b9, Eb7b9, Gb7b9 are all what the Bb(Db,E,G)diminished chords are trying to be.therefore the scale for A7b9 begins A to Bb 1/2step wholestep etc...

[noahballs]

diminished chords are so dirty and discordant.. gotta love it

[garciaalvin3]

the scale he brought out may be used as to making a abrupt tone setting for a blues version as well.

[Snake0682]

what exactly is diminished?

[thailow117]

@Snake0682 basically a stacking of minor thirds. then there are augmented chords/scales/shapes, and the full note scale and what not. but minor thirds work ok. try and come up with shapes.

[OfAllTheyHad]

is he reading a teleprompter?

[bigscaryboat]

"i use it anywhere...." oh man, high on life!

[alterI4]

Just one question! Isn't this diminished scale just a c octotonic scale? The only kinds of diminished scales I know have minor third intervals between each note in the scale. This scale however follows that whole step/ half step/ whole step/ half step pattern. Is there some sort of secret jazz language I'm not getting here!?

[bootryfly]

diminished scale has 8 notes... follows either whole step/ half step or half step/whole step pattern like you've mentioned. no secret jazz language. Im not sure what scale has minor third intervals between each note but there would only be four notes in that scale. hope that helps

[emixolydian]

@bootryfly stacking m3's wouldn't be a scale, it'd just be a dim7. Dim7's are symmetrical, and once you stack another m3 on top of the 7th of the chord, you just end up back at the root.

[Hydrefyricon]

nice tone man. great feel too...thanks for sharing.

[SIRONEDRAGON]

nice jam

[loverools]

shouldnt that scale be called a half step whole step scale?,,,not a true dimminsihed....

[MrUrech]

as far as i know it's the Diatonic diminished scale, as apposed to the dimininshed Arpeggio

[rafikimetalperu]

@MrUrech there are two dim scales one is half step whole step and the other is whole step half step, the diminished arpegio comes from the harmonic minor scale

[retardedcommandobot]

While going through some scales, I noticed that my ring finger raises 4 whole cm from the neck of the guitar if it is coming after my index, if it's after my middle it's 4.5cm, is this a problem?

[joycemitchell4me1]

Check out drhotlicks finger excersise guaranteed to improve speed & accuracy. IT WORKS if you stick with it.

[Chromatype]

you actually measured it to within 0.5 cm of accuracy? With that kind of attention to detail, you should be able to resolve your technical issues haha.

[12675]

yeah man Scot Henderson plays this with the "steel drum" setting on his synth axe...wow dude, lame to compare and put this guy down, its a lesson not a gig. i know this scale cold for a while now but have had trouble with practical application. his less than super musical but logical approach i found helpful.

[NotToTouchTheEarth]

I understand what he's doing, but I can't help but cringe when he doesn't resolve the scale on beat one of G. He should hit the B right when G starts but several times he doesn't do it. He just goes through the whole scale without thinking of when to end it, making it sound dumb.

[CommBreakDown]

I AGREE he should resolve on B

[Tweekerhead]

Chinese Gibson

[737flyhigh]

Thanks billy,

[ALcongero]

awesome playing dude.

[sorryloginfailed]

The audio quality makes your guitar sound like it has distortion.

[wbges175]

Good lesson for players getting started with diminished.

[myibmaccount]

wonderful lesson!  thx.

[Chromatype]

That is like bottom level application of diminished scales over chords. Nothing creative at all about that! Teaching people people how to run scales ascending is an EXERCISE, not a line! Scott Henderson uses that scale and makes LINES out it..thru this whole example you never changed the note sequence, rhythm or placement!

Teach people how to fish, instead of giving them a cookie. Then they can go feed themselves!

[qrstvids]

Seriously dude, go watch a Scott Henderson video if you hated this so much, and let others get something from it.

[erneb6280]

lmao your useless

[OMERTA011]

what gibson is this?

[StavJazzMan]

@OMERTA011 I believe it's a Super 400

[sidwho123]

at 0:48 for a second i thought he had a really small guitar, lol

[viccelles]

@sidwho123 HAHAHAH great comment:)

[gigijazzygirl]

@sidwho123 lol me too XD

[realityme]

@sidwho123 lol

[stoob1969]

@sidwho123 lol :oD

[nothingislogical]

wow... he's not reading off of cue cards at all!

but seriously, this a helpful video. i've been looking for something to spice up my lead playing and this might be it.

[davidmolina488]

useful!!!

[vFluX]

...he tells it so extremly natural.

[erickarturo2]

sorry I'm new at this, Can you please tell me as to equalize the guitar pedal and use it?. THANKS :-)

[lydian7999]

Yea def. a good and simple video! Great job teaching the basic diminished scale in a blues!

[virtuastudios]

lol he looks and sounds like hes reading off a news scroller

[anthonymarker]

kind of boring but useful non the less

[sryravnsfan]

finally a video with a dude who doesnt overly show off. now i can actually learn something

[en4sm8zn7g8]

I guess you are able to see it in the video but i can tell you aswell. It's your longest finger on the a-string, ringfinger on d-string, pointingfinger on g-sting and babyfinger on h-string.

[ziemass]

why cant I just use C diminished scale to play in C

[Willyboy933]

Diminished scale won't work well over basic major or minor chords - you will need to play it over dominant 7 chords or diminished chords with the same root. Though it can still work ok with short passing minor/major chords in some cases. Its one of those scales you gotta mess around with and get the feel for it.

[en4sm8zn7g8]

The minor seventh from the diminished scale on top of the major seventh from c major scale will for example sound very dissonant

[zythug]

hey billy wilkin...

uh theres a clear buzz on the third fret for g string..

[soccerkarer]

sounds beautiful between the c and g

[unknowrafa]

MASSA DEMAAAAAAAAAAISSS

[tcroyal]

def learned from this....good and tastful

[HendrixcommaMartin]

Reading off a prompter much?

[NaughtyGreg]

haha fuck yeah man

[matthewcross]

thank you, concise and clear. nicely played. great video!

[gamzer]

pretty useful

[loganj1988]

def a gibby ... pay attention to the headstock..

[daystarchurchtv]

Not to be a jerk, but it's the C# diminished scale...

[TimeLordGuitar]

The second note in a C diminished scale is C#. Therefore- you can begin a C diminished scale on C# exactly as he explains in the opening minute or so. So- the notes in a C (half-whole) type diminished scale are the exact same as a C#(whole-half) type diminished scale.

[tserhey]

No scale or chord contains both the first degree and an altered first degree. The second note of a C dom dim is a Db. Sure, enharmonically C# and Db are the same thing, but nitpicking is what music is all about, isn't it!

[GotTimeToooKill]

lol owned,

[imperialfitness]

bravo!

[hnddbbdac]

is it just me or are gretsch's really big?

[JohnnnyJism]

Its a gibson bro!

But gretschs are pretty big too man

[zizouxh]

well made,tx for that

[stopglobalswarming]

gretsch

[stopglobalswarming]

:50 It looks like a mandolin, but they just edited the film into 2 panels. lol.

[pedrostorms]

en que grado se toca esa escala????? si hacemos la progresion clasica II, IV , I

[smithfield06]

like the split screen very clever

[guitarspectre]

here 2 guitar scales to play together; try it everybody

A A# C# D F F#

E F F# A A# C C#

another hot trick: you can create harmony easy, just jumpin back in the scale... for example:

[guitarspectre]

my lead is: A C# G# A#

okay then we gonna find out the correct scale for my riff we gonna pick the second scale i told up there and we gonna jumpin in the chromatic board easy, even if we gonna extend our lead to more complex situations... so the chords results will be like this

my chord result is: A C# G# A# F A# E G# D G# C E

Hint: remember to just jump back 1 note  O - x - O - x - O

k..

[guitarspectre]

my metal scale... : P

well.. use it with major blue modes and the solos will be strong enough; k

[Bawler666]

holy shit i need to learn music theory

[zach7000]

i sort of understand what he says....i just need to learn my notes..............=/

[suratof]

c# dim is c# e g bflat ie c7 9b, a substitution to c7 , you can use f#7 as a triton ,it is also part of the scale and you have a chromatic approach of the g7

[tomxxdee]

lol billie wilkie, that's like a nick name lol.

great lessons!!

[triviummusician]

i didn't know there was a diminished scale, so its basically just half step, whole step, half step whole step etc? interesting

[caparica10]

The diminished scale developed from the creation of as much leading notes possible in the IV-I (C-G) sequence. Compare C#dim with F#7b9 (F# is the diminshed 5th in C) which leads a half step up to the G (or G7) chord. Although it also might lead to F. (but then you play F#7b9 as an alteration of C in the V-I sequence)

[reaperpro]

this is cool harmony.

[dany1337]

0:45 holey shit, a 9 fret guitar.

jk, but it loooks like it at first glance

[merdiqueman]

How can a csharp scale fit over a c or g chord?

[Sokolov16]

tritone substitution. you can replace a G7 with C#dim7.

[brennenreece]

He isn't subbing over the G7, but the C7. The C#dim7 is acting like a C7b9. A C#dim7 is just a C7b9 without a root. The C7b9 creates tension which is resolved when it returns to the tonic.

You can use the following diminished chords for G7: Abdim7 (off b9), Bdim7 (off 3), Ddim7 (off 5), and Fdim7 (off b7). You'll notice that these are all inversions of the same dim chord.

The tritone sub for G7 would be Db7. I like Db9, which gives me a G7#5(#11) sound.

[evhgl87]

i wish i knew as much music theory as you do ;p

[brennenreece]

The important thing isn't knowing the theory, but getting the sounds into your head, and then into your playing. The theory is just a way of communicating ideas.

If you're really interested, send me a a message with your email address and I'll send an invite to my private lesson site (which is free for now) as a beta user.

[DRGasMoney]

i dont

[merdiqueman]

How can a csharp scale fit over a C or a G?

[johnbucio]

this guy is reading from a prompter... lol

[NickPeavey]

yeah great

watch my video and comment them!!!

[emanerf]

so far one of the best lessons i`ve come across!

[resesmilk2]

do you have a dvd i can buy???

[wrocklc]

Good explanation of what to do, gets really good in the last minute. Just wait and listen/see.

[trickmast]

man that guitar is huge..

[jAmguitar84]

the solo in the end it`s very great