Okay seems I have time to write a small little lesson which the more metal of you would love to consume. These are very common scales so don't get all grumpy if you have heard of them or even know them.

Harmonic Minor(from major): I- II- bIII- IV- V- bVI- VII- I
(from minor): I- II- III- IV- V- VI- #VII- I
A Harmonic Minor: A- B- C- D- E- F- G#- A
C Harmonic Minor: C- D- Eb- F- G- Ab- B- C

The Harmonic minor scale has a nice little classical tone to it. The best thing to do is view it as a Natural Minor scale with an Augmented seventh. If you are using the Natural major position for it you may selectively use it like one just notice the augmented fifth. Major augmented chords I-III-#V sound good with the harmonic minor scale as long as you remember to use the relative major of the minor you are playing in. . . fe: CM= Am, GM=Em, DM=Bm that type thing as always.

Melodic Minor(from major): I- II- bIII- IV- V- VI- VII- I
(from minor): I- II- III- IV- V- #VI- #VII- I
A Melodic Minor: A- B- C- D- E- F#- G#- A
E Melodic Minor: E- F#- G- A- B- C#- D#- E

Yeah, I know I shouldn't even bother posting this one considering it's probably not the most conventional thing to use in metal, I guess that's why they call it the JAZZ melodic minor. Anyways, it makes for more (1 more) dom 7th and (1 more) min 7(b5) chord if you care to try it on its a lot of fun or run through each of its modes and you may eventually find something more suited to your style. Fight a standard find a way to use it. Just don't make me slap you for making it sound like some Trey Anastasio. . . Yeah, I know lame joke.

Pentatonic Minor(from minor): I- III- IV- V- VII
A Pentatonic Minor: A- C- D- E- G
E Pentatonic Minor: E- G- A- B- D

You all know this I'm sure but I try to go over everything regardless of who knows it and who doesn't know it. I guess I'm walking to my own drummer's beat. Anyways pentatonic minor is a major erm. . . . Hick metal thing. . . sorry Pantera. Pantera used the pentatonic minor in many of their riffs but Dime always used it very unconventionally he loved to throw in an augmented step here and play it with an augmented step in it so I guess it wouldn't be pentatonic erm yeah duh. . . sorry.(notice I didn't really feel like going over it, message me if you need me to. I'm lazy at times)

If you combine the natural major and the natural minor scale together you get a nice little ten note scale. This is also a very common thing in classical music. I only hope that most of you are as classically influenced as I try to be. Anyways the formula for this nice little Mozart, Beethoven, Bach thing is.

Classical thing(from major): I- II- bIII- III- IV- V- bVI- VI- bVII- VII- I

This is how they created their complex chords and combined them so easily while staying within a common key. They felt the Seven note diatonic scales were to linear whereas the 12 tone method which Schoenberg(I think) and others pioneered was to random and lacked shape or definition. Of course by combining the parellel(same root note) major and minor you have a much broader choice of sounds in which you can use.

Each of the scales I mentioned have modes as do all scales. Each one gives a slightly different sound and of course each degree is a little different so your scale harmonies may sound awesome to you. I hope anyone who reads this thread finds a very unconventional use for the information. Please don't forget though. Music theory is more or less a basis of ideas which you can use in your playing. Never rely solely on theory, use your ears and test it. Never stop thinking for yourself. Anyways, I think that's all for now. Later.

P.S. there are many more exotic scales and I could go a lot more in depth with the chords to these few exotic scales but that is for a different time. I'm going through the basics. It helps immensely to know a bit of scale theory before stepping into chord theory. I'll even put in a little bit of things to use on the guitar such as quartal harmony. . . it throws people off since you use a P4-A4-P4 to create a seventh chord instead of a M3-m3-M3. Guitars/guitarists generally use tertial harmony and well quartal is just a little bit different. Anyways, sorry. . . if anything in my PS confuses you just don't pay any attention and I'll explain it later. I'm trying to kind of hurry through this but it does take time and make sure to let me know your thoughts.

once again great job man, I didnt know about the pentatonic minor keep em coming bro

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Can you explain.....
"Harmonic Minor(from major): I- II- bIII- IV- V- bVI- VII- I
(from minor): I- II- III- IV- V- VI- #VII- I"

What does the "from major" mean?

The harmonic minor scale is: i-ii-III-iv-v(V)-vi-vii-i....

The harmonic minor scale wasn't always a "classical thing." They were just modes with secondary dominants. It wasn't until maybe the classical or romantic periods that harmonic minor became an official "scale" that was used a lot.

"Classical thing(from major): I- II- bIII- III- IV- V- bVI- VI- bVII- VII- I"
Sorry, but what is this? When a composer plays weird chords in a key that aren't from that key originally, it's called a secondary dominant--rather tonicizing a specific scale degree. For example: A Bb6/5 resolving to an Eb triad in the key of A major, are obviously not from the key of A major. They are actually a V-I chord based on the V scale degree.


P.S. Eh? You live in Texas, how can you possibly call Pantera hick? They don't wear cowboy hats, or boots, or talk funny like people from Alabama. They definately don't like country music, and I doubt they like wrestling and the Houston Rodeo.....

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By (from major) I meant that I was using the scale degrees of the major scale to define the scale degrees of the harmonic minor scale. However unethical this may be I specify and use both so as to attempt not to confuse anybody. The Augmented step of the minor scale(7th) tends to give off a classical sound and is mostly used for such styles of music. The Haunted tend to use it to give a classical sound and so does Joe Stump of Berklee. Not that classical is the only thing it can be used for but it is the most common. About the classical scale type thing they use it to construct some of the chords not all. But it was a common technique of the time. In theory they just combined the PARELLEL(before I said relative on accident) major and minor so they could have ten notes with shape and definition. By this I am not trying to argue, you made a very valid statement. But thats how Bach wrote Lute Suite No. 1 "Bouree" and how Beethoven wrote "Fur Elize" and stuff like that. They used ten note scales. I wasn't getting much into chords yet.

Hick isn't necessarily an insult. Incestuous, Inbred, Sister-humper things like that are. By that comment, I was under the assumption that this site is more into the darker persuasion, black metal. It was not an insult though. The requirements to be hick aren't very hard to meet. Long hair, Visible tattoo, Hunt(Deer, Hog, Girls), Play a musical instrument, Even the slightest hint of a twang, Drink alcohol, (Don't forget the failure to correctly use punctuation, lame joke) etc. . . Basically by what I said I'm a hick as well, so sue me. . . most musicians fit that profile. Thanks for the constructive criticism(no really, not being sarcastic.) Anyways, Later.

Yeah, it was pretty "unethical" as you call it. I call it just weird. Here at uni, no one thinks like that....well maybe if we're talking about modal mixtures....but I don't see how that could make it less confusing. If anything, you made it more confusing, but I guess that's my opinion. Anyhoo, you wanted to try to be more classical in mind, that's good. I'm a music major so I've very classical.

Hahaha, dude, you have it all wrong. Most of the regular members here are thrashers and deathmetal heads. We like that traditional black metal stuff only in small doses [I think].

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I figured you were another music major. . . same here. You seem decent to me and I'm not trying to be a bitch by this comment, but you should look at the Cowboys From Hell album cover:-D. Personally I approach music at a somewhat Vai/Opeth/Alexi Laiho(Children Of Bodom). . . (sometimes even a Jimmy Page) perspective it's not something I do intentionally. Sometimes I'm either too organized or not organized enough. Anyways, as long as the criticism is constructive I enjoy it, and I give it. Later.

P.S. I'm trying to avoid chord formulae and progressions for a little while because personally I always hated those sections of any class. They bore me and I'm very ADD. That's why I'm not talking very much about chords or anything. I'll get around to it, I'm just reluctant. Scale theory helps with the chord theory a lot anyways. Maybe people will look at these threads and a lot of people who don't know this stuff will learn it if they care enough. Is it just me or do more people play guitar than care to know how to play guitar. . . or even music in general? I'm hoping that these lessons help somebody. Before I started classes I was completly lost for so long. Anyways Bye.

This might sound weird, but, do you go to SFA?

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yes they do or at least dime did, he grew up on that shit and watched all those country guys record in his dads studio, thats where it all started for him

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Oh, haha, I keep forgetting his dad has a country music studio....

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Honestly, I might be going to SFA soon. . . or some junior college. .. or the oil field, but no I am not an SFA student. I will probably lose respect in this little online community for this but I'm a senior in high school, I'm the guy that when I turned 18 I got a tattoo on my left wrist. . . two hours under the needle. I independently study and take as many correspondence courses as possible. Guitar world, Guitar one, Berklees modern method for guitar series, Harpercollins college library Music Theory, Berklee Joe Stump shred DVDs. Anything I can learn from. See why I said I am a geek now, I memorize as much as possible at a time. I take notes on everything I study. As far as I know I have a major headstart on a college career. Plus, not to get too personal but at one time I was a major insomniac then I met this girl. We were together for four years. Best friends all that crap. I've always been extremely bitter towards the world. The insomnia went away. She eventually gained my trust then betrayed it. We were going to do the whole "High school sweetheart" marriage thing after I graduated. She was a year older. The point of the whole background info was just to say that the Insomnia came back(so did the massive amounts of drinking). Yeah, I've had a crazy life. Not that my life is the craziest, just really weird. Now I have more time to study because I sleep a lot less. Occasionally, I get to doze off for a little while(an hour or so). I hang out with some SFA students occasionally not to mention the times I've went up there to talk to Midglee(their music professor). My sister goes to SFA too but yeah, why do you ask? It almost sounds like you are from the area. I live closer to Louisiana, about 45 minutes to an hour away from Nacogdoches(SFA college town) in a little hick town called Joaquin. I don't even live in "Joaquin" per say. I live about 10-15 minutes away from it. So I don't have to see the hicks when I step out my front door at least. The "hicks" around here tend to be unintelligent, obnoxious, and annoying among many other things.

Notice how all of my posts tend to be long to extremely long? I really have way too much spare time on my hands.

Ha! I'm glad I don't go to that college cause their orchestra isn't that great--I was there about 2-3 weeks ago for their orchestra. Since their orchestra is so fucking small and mainly consists of faculty, they hire musicians from other colleges to play with them for their concerts--which is why I was there. I'm currently getting a BA in music at the University of North Texas cause it's a lot better school. The only thing I'm proud of is making their School of Music the first try....

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Yeah, I don't know about the college thing yet as long as my knowledge keeps growing I dont really care. Good to hear that you take your music career seriously. It's like the only thing I found that interested me and that I cared about. Anyways, I added you to my buddy list, hope that doesn't chafe your ass too much. I need to add guitar_demon but yeah, I gotta go. Later

why? we have a 14 year old from iceland here thats cool as fuck and everyone likes

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Okay now. . . Yeah Woohoo I will have to get to chord formulae and progressions soon because well. .. I focused my thoughts and some stuff I'm going to mention is going to go over a person's head if they don't know chord formulae yet. . . . you will have to back track. Aside from that I'm going to put the scale harmony of quite a few scales I have mentioned earlier. . . Don't pay attention to it unless you know Chord Formulae. . . If you don't I will write a pretty decent lesson on it soon. . . It's mostly memorization though. Anything I say you can get from each scale is not limited to just what I say(of course). Once I do punish myself with chord formulae you should be able to get pretty much whatever you want or can(that is "ethical") or unethical. Anyways I don't mind doing these lessons. I just hope people continue to enjoy them.

Harmonic Minor scale harmony: I minor major 7
II minor 7(b5)
III major 7(#5)
IV minor 7
V 7
VI major 7
VII diminished 7

Melodic Minor scale harmony: I minor major 7
II minor 7
III major7(#5)
IV 7
V 7
VI minor 7(b5)
VII minor 7(b5)

as for some new exotics that are relatively common. . . . one I doubt any reader of this site will use.

Dominant Bebop: I- II- III- IV- V- VI- bVII- (natural) VII- I

This scale is the combination of the Ionian and Mixolydian modes of the major scale so it has the scale harmonies of both. It's a jazzy thing from way back but yeah. Better to know more than less. . . It always helps to know more than anybody around you if you are serious about being a musician.

Diminished(Whole-Half): I- II- bIII- IV- bV- bVI- bbVII- (natural) VII- I

This is a symmetrical scale and it's common to use in metal anyways. It's good if you feel like stacking a bunch of minor 3rds. Yeah, scale harmony you can get mainly two chords from it. It has one other "mode" if you get down to it. The chords you can use for it are diminished 7th chords and minor major 7(b5) chords.

Dominant Diminished(Half-Whole): I-bII-bIII-(natural)III-#IV- V- VI-bVII- I

This is the other mode of the diminished scale. You can get of course a Dominant 7 chord from it or minor 7th chords.

Whole tone: I- II- III- #IV- #V- bVII- I

Yeah, another symmetrical scale that can seem very very boring. . . . Erm, well I still think it is boring but thats a personal opinion and I try to be non-biased. I've gotten a few good sounds from it in my time but they end up becoming very redundant so I usually limit my use on this one to no more than 30 seconds on any track I do. Throw some filler, switch to a different scale. The chords you get from this are Augmented chords well yeah. I'm rusty on the conduction of stuff like this anyways. Very common in french classical music.

Okay erm. . . .well yeah this seems like it should keep people going and I know I'm not putting as many examples in but if someone doesn't understand let me know and I'll do the "fe:" thing all day long. . .. Anyways, about the being a senior in high school. People tend to focus on chronological capabilities when looking for information and I don't feel like having some prick belittle me or my studies because I'm younger. . . I've whacked many over the head with empty Jack Daniel's bottles over the head for similar things. My ability to do that is taken away on the computer so I just figured to not make it the largest topic of discussion. I don't feel like having someone use my age against me. It's happened for a long time. It still happens. I'm not the type to give completly wrong information anyways. I occasionally slip up and give a biased opinion though. Mistakes of being a human. Hitler had the right idea. . . except for limiting the genocide to just Jews. Sorry to anybody that the prior comment offended. I'm very bitter I know I'm not the only one, but humanity sucks if you ask me. I'm not going to slap people with my bible and convert them or try to. I'm not that type. Just angry as always