Outside the BOx
HARMOCTAVES
Robin Henderson shows how to spice up your playing with this tasty recipe based on a combination of harmony and octaves...
I was thinking of three of my favourite killer songs which all share a refreshing guitar sound. Sync up your mp3 player to ‘Holiday’ by Green Day, ‘Scar Tissue’ by the Chilli Peppers and ‘Kiss and Tell’ by You Me At Six and your ears will be delighted to discover a unique sound achieved by using a combo of harmony and Octave shapes. Sounds Exciting? Great! But let’s go back to basics just for a minute so that you understand how the Major and minor chords which feature in these songs are created. Firstly, it’s really important to brush up on our knowledge of the Major scale. This essential scale comprises seven different notes and the Octave (8ve). In the key of C Major these notes are as follows: C D E F G A B. The distance between each note is usually referred to as an ‘interval’ and you might have heard other musicians mention things called ‘thirds’, ‘fifths’ or ‘sevenths’. This simply refers to the distance between the root ‘C’ and each individual interval. For example, in the C Major scale the note E is called a 3rd because if you count through the scale from C to E you’ll notice that E is the 3rd note in the sequence. Likewise G is the 5th and B is the 7th etc. The 8ve (octave) is the 8th note (the same as the root C) and is the point where the scale can be repeated at a higher pitch. To create a Major chord you would use root, 3rd and 5th or C E G. A minor chord is where you flatten the 3rd by a semitone (1 fret lower) and so the notes are C Eb (the flat third) and G.
So why all the music theory? If you understand which notes make up a chord you can play any one of them over a rhythm guitar as a lead or within a single guitar piece. This will give you the character and hooks which have contributed to the above mentioned songs becoming smash hit records! This month’s exercises focus on a combination of harmonies in 3rds played over Major and minor chords and octaves where you play the same note at different pitches – Harmoctaves.
Robin Henderson has over ten years experience in teaching guitar and band coaching. His students have gone on to win national awards: XFM Rockschool 2005 and 2007, Vodafone Live Music Awards Best Live Unsigned Act 2007, Kerrademy Award Best Unsigned Band 2008. Realistic Rock Academy is based in
Epsom, Surrey and can be contacted on - 01372 740300,
www.realisticrock.com.
l 54 3pickup
Ex1 & 2: Get to grips with a C Major and natural minor scale. Count through the intervals and notice the when you hit the octave. The arpeggios give you the 3 notes of the chord and the octave. Try to hear the difference in tone to the Major and minor shapes.
Moderate
EX1: C Major Scale and Arpeggio 1
C Major Scale : 4 4 c $ & ( B B C minor scale B $ B & B ' B B $ B &
EX2: C minor Scale and Arpeggio 5
EEE B $ B & B ' B ( B % B & B % B ( B & B $ B ( B & B $ C Major Arpeggio B $ B ( B & C minor Arpeggio B $ B & B $ B ' B & B $ B ' B & B $ B $ B ' B & B & B & B ' A $
Ex3: A simple power chord sequence. The lead guitar completes each Major or minor chord by playing the 3rd in octaves. Listen how the harmony brings out the character in the chord!
Moderate
EX3: Play a power chord sequence with a third harmony C
Dm k
l k
l 1 : 4 4 c BBB
& & $
1 : 4 4 c BCB
* + (
BBB
& & $
3rd = Major BCB
* + (
BCB
* + (
BCB
* + (
BCB
* + (
BCB
* + (
BBB
& & $
BBB
& & $
BBB
& & $
BBB
& & $
BBB
( ( &
BBC
"! + )
BBB
( ( &
b3rd = minor BBC
"! + )
BBC
"! + )
BBC
"! + )
BBC
"! + )
BBC
"! + )
BBB
( ( &
BBB
( ( &
BBB
( ( &
BBB
( ( &
Em BBB
* * (
BBC
"# +
"! BBB
* * (
b3rd = minor BBC
"# +
"! BBC
"# +
"! BBC
"# +
"! BBC
"# +
"! BBC
"# +
"! BBB
* * (
BBB
* * (
BBB
* * (
BBB
* * (
F BBB
"! "! )
BBC
"% +
"# BBB
"! "! )
3rd = Major BBC
"% +
"# BBC
"% +
"# BBC
"% +
"# BBC
"% +
"# BBC
"% +
"#
Ex4: Combining the root with the 3rd lets off a thinner sound to a full chord and gives a cool tone. Use you first finger on the A sting and you 4th finger on the B string. Block off the middle strings by arching your first finger down across the D string and play your 4th finger slightly high so it touches and blocks the G string. I’ve added a 16th note rhythm and a short lick to create a tasty vamp. Have a go and see if you can be inspired to write your own version.
Moderate
EX4: Combining the root and 3rd to create a Vamp C
Em k 1 : 4 4 c
BCC B
& + + $
BCC B
& + + $
CCC
+ + + +
CCC
+ + + +
BCC B
& + + $
CCC
+ + + +
CCC
+ + + +
BCCB
) + + (
BCCB CCC
) + + (
+ + + +
CCC
+ + + +
BCCB
) + + (
CCC
+ + + +
CCC
+ + + +
Am
CCB B
"$ + +
"#
CCB B
"$ + +
"# CCC CCC
+ + + +
+ + + +
CCB B
"$ + +
"# CCC
+ + + +
CCC
+ + + +
F
BCC B
"! + + )
BCC B
"! + + )
CCC
+ + + +
CCC B B B
+ + + +
( ) ( Page 1/1 BBB
"! "! )
BBB
"! "! )
BBB
"! "! )
BBB
"! "! )
B & B & B ( A $
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Track 1
8ve Harmony in 3rds
Rhythm
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