What are some common/most used scales

[papathaddy]

I'm slowly progressing learning music and was wondering what are some common awesome sounding scales? Some bands I like are Old Metallica, Alice in Chains, Mastodon, Old Avenged Sevenfold, and Tool. I'm guessing some minor and pentatonic scales. I just have trouble trying to find out the root. Thanks guys!!

 

[iri5h_punk21]

Well, a really popular mode with modern music is Aeolian, not really sure about specific scales..

 

[VinKreepo]

Read the section on scales

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...0rmwzAv8V9qyLamMQ&sig2=-VK9ehGSv3DYY7UJMIER4w

If you are looking for more diverse scales I can point you out some sexy ones lol.

For example, try this one: D Eb Gb G A Bb C D ... it's the gypsy scale in some music software IIRC and it's great for belly dancing music ; ) get them ladies movin'

Also when you click that link, you'll notice a mode named lochrian... very good for creepy music.

 

[JimmyM]

pentatonic and blues scales are about 95% of popular music. locrian is popular with some metalheads. best thing to do when playing, though, is learn scales but forget them when you're playing and use chords to figure out what to play. people who think scales when they play sound like they're thinking scales.

 

[Chris K]

pentatonic and blues scales are about 95% of popular music. .

Maybe 95% is a bit much.

IMHO ordinary major and minor scales provide at least half of what is needed in popular music, including most pop, country and jazz music.

So if the OP would study major, minor, blues & pentatonic scales, he would be fine. Next step: chords built on those same scales.

 

[mambo4]

an unsurprising +1 to Jimmy and Chris.
Cord tones and passing tones > scales for practical bass playing.
If you are having trouble finding the root, look up the chords.
It tends to change for each one

 

[Richard Lindsey]

Cord tones and passing tones > scales for practical bass playing.

Chord tones with passing tones pretty much add up to scales/modes anyway. IMO it's not a matter of either/or, because it's all the same stuff.

 

[mambo4]

Chord tones with passing tones pretty much add up to scales/modes anyway. IMO it's not a matter of either/or, because it's all the same stuff.

While I agree with the idea in a technical sense, I think that there is an important distinction in thinking between the two approaches.

to me, thinking "in scales" tends to be equivalent to searching for shortcuts and simplifications when presented with a set of chord changes in a given key...you know, "what scale can i play over chords X,Y and Z?"

whereas thinking of your playing as "chord tones + passing tones" puts your focus on the the musical flow between individual chords themselves, which as mentioned may not fall into any single scale. It points your musical mind toward supporting the harmony, and drives you towards understanding harmonic progressions and harmonic functionality.

So in that sense, I think it's a better way to approach bass playing. Scales are fun to play with and experiment with, and good for ideas and inspiration, but when the rubber hits the road and you have to support the song, playing the changes is the way to go...

YMMV, IMHO etc...