Tritone

[xXMurderSoulXx]

Can someone please explain to me the whole tritone thing, along with an example for a 5 string bass?

Thanks.

[Scot]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tritone

[DocBop]

tritone is just an interval, simple example C to F#. What makes it interesting is it is also the interval between the 3rd and b7th of a dominant chord. So in a C dominant 7 chord ( C, E, G, Bb) the distance between E and Bb is a tritone. A common usage is the Tritone subsitution for dominant chords. Take note a F# 7th chord is spelled F# A# (enharmonic Bb) C# E.

C7 3rd and 7th E and Bb
F#7 7th and 3rd E and A# (enharmonic Bb)

Being the 3rd and 7th are the defining notes of a chord, the F#7 is a subsitute for C7 sinice the two defining notes are the same.

On bass the double-stop of 3rd and b7th is used a lot for dominant chords.

So that's what a Tritone and Tritone subsitution is. There is another use of tritone subsitution, but more advanced and don't want to cloud the common usage.

[xXMurderSoulXx]

So an example of this is (tabs).....

[DocBop]

Originally Posted by xXMurderSoulXx

So an example of this is (tabs).....

No TAB from me. Come on you can't figure out where C and F# or E and Bb are on your basses D and G strings. Can you play a C7 arpeggio, TAB it out and then erase the roots and fifths. See you can answer it yourself.

Also tritone is more about chord subsitutions than playing tritones.

Something about give a man a fish or teaching him to fish.....

[lemur821]

It's just the interval between a fourth and a fifth... if you don't know what either of those are, then you'd better learn that first.

[stedtale]

Oh, goodness, he's just asking for tab...

Yes it's a nice goal for us all to know all the notes on our basses and be able to read all clefs, know all chords structures and theory, be able to play our basses blind-folded, yes, even read tab. At least, that's my goal...

But, here's the tab:

G-------
D-------
A----3--
E--2----


G------13-
D--12-----
A----------
E----------

Fret one string "up" and one fret "up" and you have a tritone, b5, #4, the devil's chord, etc.


EDIT:I did a 4stringer, but the concept is the same (if you are tuned in 4ths). It is a good idea to learn theory and know all the notes on your fretboard/fingerboard.

Why do you want to know a tritone?

[lemur821]

Originally Posted by stedtale

Oh, goodness, he's just asking for tab...

For two notes? It's unreasonable to expect everyone to be a theory master, but if you need tab to find two notes, then maybe a little theory lesson is in order.

[stedtale]

Originally Posted by lemur821

For two notes? It's unreasonable to expect everyone to be a theory master, but if you need tab to find two notes, then maybe a little theory lesson is in order.

Indeed so, not arguing with ya there (sorry if I appeared to be).

But, along with the little theory lesson, include the tabs, if that's what he's asking for. If tabs are what he understands, then start to relate theory to him referencing tab. It's kinda like if I wanna learn french, I hope the guy teaching me knows a little english, ya know.

[Thunder Pulse]

Artist: Black Sabbath
Album: Black Sabbath
Song: Black Sabbath

[ding_man]

Tritone = Metal!

haha...

[DocBop]

Originally Posted by stedtale

Indeed so, not arguing with ya there (sorry if I appeared to be).

But, along with the little theory lesson, include the tabs, if that's what he's asking for. If tabs are what he understands, then start to relate theory to him referencing tab. It's kinda like if I wanna learn french, I hope the guy teaching me knows a little english, ya know.

The problem is show someone the two notes whether its tab or one-on-one, that is all he will know; I put my finger like this and its called tritone. Like if some told you a French word, but not the meaning of the word. You could say it, but what good is it.

I was hoping by talking about the theory and use he would realize there more to it and want to experiment with it. Hopefully get sound in his ear. I was hopinge he would have to figure some stuff out on his own, which would make it stick. Funny how when we have to work a little for an answer it sticks. Like I paid for it so it better stick around.

He's got all basics on tritones now, can on;y hope he puts it to use.

[doctorjazz]

See: The intro to YYZ.

[stedtale]

Originally Posted by DocBop

The problem is show someone the two notes whether its tab or one-on-one, that is all he will know; I put my finger like this and its called tritone. Like if some told you a French word, but not the meaning of the word. You could say it, but what good is it.

I was hoping by talking about the theory and use he would realize there more to it and want to experiment with it. Hopefully get sound in his ear. I was hopinge he would have to figure some stuff out on his own, which would make it stick. Funny how when we have to work a little for an answer it sticks. Like I paid for it so it better stick around.

He's got all basics on tritones now, can on;y hope he puts it to use.

Indeed you are right sir.

I just felt people were berating him for wanting the tabs along with the explaination, that's all. I'm sure no one meant it like that. But, yes, working for something makes you remember it much better. And it is very important to know the what's behind the two notes. After all, he was asking for tritones to be explained to him, and you did a perfect job in your post, I couldn't have done it better.

[CrazyArcher]

The opening of YYZ is the best use of tritone I know

[dlloyd]

The word "tritone" means "three tones"

A "tone" is an "interval" of two frets. (An "interval" is the distance between two notes)

For instance, this is an interval of a tone...

||---------------------------------------------------------||
||---------------------------------------------------------||
||---------------------------------------------------------||
||---------------------------------------------------------||
||-----0--2------------------------------------------------||

An interval of one fret is a "semitone" (half a tone)...

||---------------------------------------------------------||
||---------------------------------------------------------||
||---------------------------------------------------------||
||---------------------------------------------------------||
||-----0--1------------------------------------------------||

A tritone is three tones, or six frets...

||---------------------------------------------------------||
||---------------------------------------------------------||
||---------------------------------------------------------||
||---------------------------------------------------------||
||-----0--6------------------------------------------------||

If you were to play the notes on adjacent strings, the tritone is one string up and a fret up...

||---------------------------------------------------------||
||---------------------------------------------------------||
||---------------------------------------------------------||
||--------1------------------------------------------------||
||-----0---------------------------------------------------||

The tritone is a very dissonant, mean sounding interval. Medieval church scholars called it the "Devils Interval". It works well in heavy metal because of its mean sound.

Play around with stuff like this and you'll get a good idea of what a tritone can sound like in that setting...

||---------------------------------------------------------||
||---------------------------------------------------------||
||---------------------------------------------------------||
||---------------------------------------------------------||
||-0-0-0-0-6-0-0-0-6-0-0-0-6-0-6---------------------------||

[xXMurderSoulXx]

The 3rd post made no sense to me, so I wanted tabs to show what he meant. I'm taking theory classes next school year, so I'll figure this stuff out. All someone had to do was tell me that its one string up and one fret up.

Edit: Are there any good sites to learn theory from?

[middy]

Originally Posted by xXMurderSoulXx

Are there any good sites to learn theory from?

There's some good stuff here.

[RollingMonkey]

While I completely agree with learning theory, and I think it's ridiculously important, you can't give someone the incentive to learn it - they have to find that incentive themselves...

Here's an interesting story. Tom Morello (guitarist of Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave, for those who don't know) got a guitar when he was like 14 or 15... Not quite sure about the exact age, but it was early teens. He went to a guitar teacher, and all he wanted from the teacher was to learn how to play Led Zeppelin's "Black Dog". But the guy insisted on NOT teaching him Black Dog just yet, but introducing various chords, theory, etc. And after that, Tom put down the guitar for a number of years.

Very similar thing happened with a friend of mine, when he was about 16. He got a guitar, went to a teacher who started teaching him some theory, got bored very quickly, and like Tom Morello, he left his guitar dormant for a number of years.

Now, I don't know anything about MurderSoul's age, and this isn't necessarily directed at him, but people in their early to mid-teens get bored quickly. Theory seems boring to them; all they want is to play that riff and hear something that resembles what their favourite band is playing. Simple as that. So until people mature, and get a desire to learn the theory behind what they play, there's little anyone else can do to give them that drive. In the meantime, I suppose (and don't quote me on this) the best thing to do is give them what they want for now - that is "put your one finger here and the other one here..."

[Jazzin']

3 tones or 6 semi-tones.