Rockabilly and Swing Players.

[64Firebird]

Does anyone know what scales they're using to play Swing and Rockabilly?

[philboyd studge]

Other than 9 chords I don't see that they have anything in common. Depends on the the type of swing; Western, Jive, Big Band, etc.

[AlChuck]

Lots of Mixolydian mode and blues scale (pentatonic scale with a flat 5 added to it), occasional diminished lines for flavor, lots more use of the sixth in phrases.

[64Firebird]

Originally posted by philboyd studge
Other than 9 chords I don't see that they have anything in common. Depends on the the type of swing; Western, Jive, Big Band, etc.

Funny, I think that they are the same except that one has horns.

[Clive Hugh]

Western swing, great fun music to play, pity it took me over 50 years to discover it.

[philboyd studge]

Originally posted by 64Firebird
Funny, I think that they are the same except that one has horns.

It's all the same.


If you get a chance, listen to some early Western swing, especially Milton Brown and the Brownies. He a steel player (the first) by the name of Bob Dunn who played some unreal stuff. His first electric guitar/steel was a flattop Martin with raised strings and a telephone coil for a pickup in the sound hole. Bob quit around '38 or so and open a music store in Kansas City I think and never played much again. Too bad.

Anyway, rockabilly to me seems to be more boogie based and swing more of a two step or what they called a fox trot.

[64Firebird]

Originally posted by AlChuck
Lots of Mixolydian mode and blues scale (pentatonic scale with a flat 5 added to it), occasional diminished lines for flavor, lots more use of the sixth in phrases.

I don't know why I didn't see this before. Thanks for the info.

Mixolydian, that's the Major, but with a flat 7th. Right? And the Blues scale. I know that one inside and out. Adding the 6th is very cool, I do that a lot already. How about adding the 2nd (9th) as well?

[AlChuck]

Correct on Mixolydian. And yes, the ninth is a sweet note to add too, should have mentioned it...

[Monsterpop]

man,,i wish i understood all this lads.
im a caveman as far as KNOWING what im playin is concerned,and i reckon im stuck like that.
i couldnt tell you a seventh from a ,,er,,well,,,another seventh!i know it doesnt stop me playin stuff,,but it would be nice to be able to know WHAT it is

[64Firebird]

Originally posted by Monsterpop
man,,i wish i understood all this lads.
im a caveman as far as KNOWING what im playin is concerned,and i reckon im stuck like that.
i couldnt tell you a seventh from a ,,er,,well,,,another seventh!i know it doesnt stop me playin stuff,,but it would be nice to be able to know WHAT it is

Okay, let's see if I can help. In the key of A (I'm assuming that you at least know the names on the notes) you have A B C# D E F# and G#. 1=A, 2=B and so forth down the line. If we are in the key of C then we have C D E F G A and B. In this case C=1, D=2 etc. Using the numbers to refer to the notes of the scale works because it's the same for all keys. Sometimes you'll see numbers like 9 or 13. They're just up in the next octave, so the 9th is the same note as the 2nd and the 13th is the same note as the 6th. Now, that's not so tough is it?

[Monsterpop]

Hey man,,
do you know,,as soon as i looked at your reply i just went blank.
Some kind of musical dyslexia sets in when i see that stuff written down. If i REALLY think about it i THINK i know the notes.
Except im never sure wether to call it say,,G sharp,,or A flat for example. whats the correct term?
i will read what you wrote again when i feel less dumb i think
All these years playing and ive always avoided learning any of that stuff. I wish i had though,,,,
Thanks!

[64Firebird]

Whether you call a note sharp of flat really depends on the context (what key you're in) either one could be right or wrong. Sometimes it seems that everything in music has at least 3 different names. I've only learned enough so that I can tell other people what I'm doing. It may seem like I know a lot about it to someone that doesn't know anything, but I really don't know anything either.

[Dom Franco]

I am a hawaiian and western steel player from way back.....

The secret to Western swing is the 6th chord, usually found by combining the six minor chord with the major root chord.

For example:

C major c,e,g plus A minor a,c,e equals a C6th chord A,C,E,G

G maj plus E minor G6th G,B,D,E G6th chord etc....

You add those 6th notes to any chord and it's gonna sound Western (Cowboy, prarie, hawaiian steel stuff) try it you'll like it!

Dom Franco

[Henri Devill]

Sorry off topic..Hey Dom you still using the Fostex DTM8VL's?


Don

[Dom Franco]

I still have the two DMT8VL's linked together for 16 tracks, but I am considering selling them once I transfer all my songs to the new unit.

Dom

[Henri Devill]

Dam I've got one left..LOL..I wanted to see if you were interested in enougher one cheap.It just sits collecting dust ..



Don

[Chrisjob]

Dom-
do you play a pedal steel guitar, or just a basic six string lap steel?

-Chris