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Advice on exotic scales to learn

#22
I don't think you need to find a bass only type instruction. Sounds like you want to look up Gypsy scales. In addition to the Harmonic minor & Hungarian, they give you a lot of variations. For a more straightforward/mainstream tonality, I like the Neapolitan scales. They seem more romantic European to me, but, it's all in the way you play them. I think that applies to any of the scales...
 
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#24
I know exactly what you're looking for - Steve DiGiorgio is a huge influence on me.

Most death metal/extreme metal bands rely on the Diminished scale. Check youtube - there's plenty of explanations there.
If you're going into the grindcore/powerviolence/noise route, then the Chromatic scale (literally playing one fret at a time, all 12 notes for a complete scale)

There's more exotic sounding scales that are harder to use, such as the double harmonic scale (think Dick Dale and old school surf tunes, Miserlou is the epitome of this scale).

Let me know what other questions you have.
 
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#25
PullThePlug said:
I know exactly what you're looking for - Steve DiGiorgio is a huge influence on me.

Most death metal/extreme metal bands rely on the Diminished scale. Check youtube - there's plenty of explanations there.
If you're going into the grindcore/powerviolence/noise route, then the Chromatic scale (literally playing one fret at a time, all 12 notes for a complete scale)

There's more exotic sounding scales that are harder to use, such as the double harmonic scale (think Dick Dale and old school surf tunes, Miserlou is the epitome of this scale).

Let me know what other questions you have.
Click to expand...

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one! I started listening to him since I heard his fretless playing on Death's 'The Philosopher' a couple months ago. I've noticed his use of particular scales in some of his live playing but most notably in his solo in Dark Hall 'The Pharaoh and the Nomad', do you know this one? It starts at 4 minutes if you want to check it out.

Along with Jaco his playing's enough reason for me to want to save up for a fretless bass, I just find these exotic notes compliment the fretless tone so well.

I'm just about to have a look on youtube for diminished scales I don't think I've heard of them before.
 
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#26
Diminished scales are VERY easy once you understand them - I find it's very easy to find your place on the fret board when in a pinch.

The intro bass lick is about as generic as it gets for a "metal arpeggio" in the diminished scale. You'll recognize the sound IMMEDIATELY:



Applying the scale musically is a bit of a challenge... but practice and covering death metal tunes will get you there.

Once you've got your chops down, try some Atheist or Cynic:

 
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#27
PullThePlug said:
Diminished scales are VERY easy once you understand them - I find it's very easy to find your place on the fret board when in a pinch.

The intro bass lick is about as generic as it gets for a "metal arpeggio" in the diminished scale. You'll recognize the sound IMMEDIATELY:



Applying the scale musically is a bit of a challenge... but practice and covering death metal tunes will get you there.

Once you've got your chops down, try some Atheist or Cynic:

Click to expand...


I've recently started listening to Cynic but never came across Atheist before. Thanks for the links and introducing me to them I like their sound
 
#31
image.jpg
This will take you far. Every scale is also broken down into all the modes that you get from starting on the second, thirs, fourth not, etc.
 

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