Blues Improvisation: Diminishedalecfehl.com/gcownc.com/gcow-diminished.pdf · 2015-11-21 ·...

August 2015

Blues Improvisation: Diminished

Presenter: Alec Fehl

www.gcownc.com

GUITAR COALITION OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

© 2015 Guitar Coalition of Western North Carolina | www.gcownc.com Blues Improvisation: Diminished | presented by Alec Fehl

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Diminished Triad Formula A triad is a chord composed of three notes. A major triad contains the chord tones 1 3 5. A minor triad contains the

chord tones 1 b3 5. A diminished triad contains the chord tones 1 b3 b5.


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Diminished 7th Formula A 7th chord is a chord composed of four notes – a root, some kind of a 3rd, some kind of a 5th, and some kind of a 7th. A

major 7th contains the chord tones 1 3 5 7. A minor 7th contains the chord tones 1 b3 5 b7. A dominant 7th contains the

chord tones 1 3 5 b7. A diminished 7th contains the chord tones 1 b3 b5 bb7. Enharmonically, the bb7 sounds the same

as, and is simply another name for, the 6th.

A diminished arpeggio is simply a stack of minor thirds. The following example shows A diminished.

Diminished Chords There are three basic fingerings for diminished 7th chords. Note that because a diminished 7th chord is a set of

stacked/symmetrical minor thirds, any note in the chord can be the root.

Diminished chords can slide up or down a minor third (three frets) and still be the same chord.


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Diminished Scales There are three popular diminished scales to use when improvising.

1. Diminished arpeggio played like a scale

2. Diminished Whole-half

3. Diminished Half-whole

The chords over which you are playing will determine which scale you should use. You typically use the diminished scale

over three different chord types:

Diminished chords

Minor chords

Dominant 7th chords

Arpeggio A diminished arpeggio can be used over any of the ‘diminished-friendly’ chords: diminished, minor, and dominant 7. Play

the arpeggio from the root of the chord.

Example: Play an A diminished arpeggio over an A diminished, A minor, or A7 chord.


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Whole-Half The diminished whole-half scale is created by starting with the diminished arpeggio and adding a note a whole step

above each arpeggio note. Use the whole-half over either diminished or minor chords.

Note the intervals you get with this scale. They are all either chord tones or common tensions of a minor chord.


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Let’s analyze each note in the whole-half scale:

Root – always safe for any chord

2nd, also called a 9th, as in:

b3rd, a chord tone of both diminished and minor chords

4th, used as a suspension, as in:

b5th, a chord tone of a diminished chord; also a common minor chord tension as in:

#5th, enharmonically the same as a b6 or b13, a common minor chord tension as in:

bb7th, or 6th, enharmonically the same as a 13, a common tension as in:

7th, a common tension as in:

Because of the chord tones and tensions, the diminished whole-half scale works best over diminished and minor chords. This scale does not work well over a dominant 7 chord because the major 7 in the scale clashes with the b7 of the dom7 chord.


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Half-Whole The diminished half-whole scale is created by starting with the diminished arpeggio and adding a note a half step above

each arpeggio note.

Note the intervals you get with this scale. They are all either chord tones or common tensions of a dominant 7 chord.


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Let’s analyze each note in the half-whole scale:

Root – always safe for any chord

b2nd, also called a b9, as in an altered dominant chord:

b3rd, not a chord tone, but a ‘blues note’ straight out of the minor pentatonic scale. Also can be called a #2, or a #9, as in the altered dominant ‘Jimi Hendrix chord’ chord:

3rd, a chord tone

b5th, as in an altered dominant chord:

5th, a chord tone

bb7th, or 6th, also called a 13th, a common tension as in:

b7th, a chord tone

Because of the chord tones and tensions, the diminished half-whole scale works best over dominant 7 chords. This

scale does not work well over minor/diminished chords because the major 3rd of the scale clashes with the minor 3rd in

the minor/diminished chords.


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Whole-Half Fingering This fingering is closely related to the minor pentatonic scale of the same root. In other words, A minor pentatonic and A

diminished whole-half are closely related. In fact, the A diminished whole-half scale is just one fret lower than the A

minor pentatonic scale. Note that in the following diagram, we are calling the bb7 a 6. Note also that your pinky plays

the root (A) on the fourth string.

Remember that just like a diminished chord, this scale fingering can be moved up or down a minor third (three frets) all

over the neck.

Diminished Whole-Half Licks


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Half-Whole Fingering This fingering is closely related to the minor pentatonic scale of the same root. In other words, A minor pentatonic and A

diminished half-whole are closely related. In fact, the A diminished whole-half scale is in the same position as the A

minor pentatonic scale. Note that in the following diagram, we are calling the bb7 a 6. Note also that your ring finger

plays the root (A) on the fourth string.

Remember that just like a diminished chord, this scale fingering can be moved up or down a minor third (three frets) all

over the neck.

Diminished Half-Whole Licks


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Half-Whole and Whole-Half Fingering Similarities Notice the fingering for the whole-half and half-whole are exactly the same! In fact, a single fingering can have two

different names. Be aware of which finger plays the root. In the first pair of figures below, the same exact fingering

produces two different scales, depending on which finger (ring finger or pinky) you call the root.

In the next pair of figures below, the scale shifts one fret to maintain the same root note (A). When your ring finger is

the root, you have half-whole. When your pinky is the root, you have whole-half. In this case, both scales are A

diminished. The first is A diminished half-whole and the second is A diminished whole-half.


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The Triad Trick Another way to use the scale but sound “less scaley” is to use the major triad based off of the major 6th of the dominant

7th chord. For example, if playing an A7 chord, the 6th of A7 is an F#. Play an F# major triad over the A7 and you will get a

good cross-section of notes from A diminished half-whole.

If you know your triad fingerings, you will recognize the major triad shape (a D-chord shape) embedded in the

diminished scale fingering. In the figure above, one extra note (the major 3rd) has been added on the high E string to

extend the scale. Here’s a simplified way to think of this.

Start with your basic minor pentatonic scale

Go up one fret and play an open D major chord shape, but play one note at a time like an arpeggio


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Blues Application Technically, you can use diminished scales over every chord and every bar in a blues. As every chord is a dominant 7

chord, you can play the appropriate diminished scale for each chord. However, you won’t sound bluesy. It is more

effective to use the diminished scale sparingly to create tension and release in certain bars

There are three bars in a 12-bar blues where the diminished scale is appropriate.

Bar 12 – V-I Resolution Diminished scales sound great over a V-I resolution. For example, at bar 12 where the V chord resolves back to the I

chord at bar 1.

How Do I Find The E Diminished Half-Whole Scale? 1. Half-whole means the 4th string ring finger is the root, so find an E on the 4th string and play it with your ring

finger. Hint: E is at the 2nd and 14th frets. Using the 14th fret will avoid open strings.

2. As the diminished scales/chords can be repeated every three frets (every minor third), slide your finger up or

down three frets at a time until you find a ‘good’ position. Hint: Slide back three frets and then slide back

another three frets so your ring finger is at the 8th fret.

3. Notice this fingering is a half-step up from A minor pentatonic. (And a half-step up from A diminished half-

whole.)


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Bar 4 – Secondary V-I Resolution Bar 4 of a blues, while a I-IV progression, can be thought of as a V-I in a different key. Imagine a blues in A where bar 4

(the I chord, A7) moves to bar 5 (the IV chord, D7). Pretend for a moment you are not in the key of A. Take bars 4 and 5

by themselves. You have an A7 to D7 progression. If you imagine for a moment you were in the key of D, this would be a

V-I progression. A7 to D. Therefore, we can treat these bars as a V-I progression. In terms of music theory, the I chord

(A7) is functioning as a secondary dominant in this case.

How Do I Find The A Diminished Half-Whole Scale? 1. Half-whole means the 4th string ring finger is the root, so find an A on the 4th string and play it with your ring

finger. Hint: A is at the 7th fret.

2. That puts you in a perfect position in relation to A minor pentatonic.


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Bar 6 – Diminished Substitution The last place to use a diminished scale in a blues is at bar 6 by implying ‘diminished substitution’. Rather than playing

two bars of D7 at bars 5 and 6, it is common to alter the chord at bar 6 to create interest. A common alteration to a

dominant 7 chord is to flat the 9. So, bar 5 is D7 and bar 6 is D7b9. As it happens, another name for D7b9 is D#

diminished.

To see this in action, start with a typical D7 chord:

Move the root up one fret, turning the root note into a b2, or a b9. Notice this is one of the diminished chord fingerings

from earlier (with the addition of the repeated note on the high E string).

You can always play a diminished whole-half scale over a diminished chord. So one option is to play D# whole-half over

the D# diminished chord. Another way to think about it is playing a D half-whole over a D7alt chord. As it happens, D#

whole-half and D half-whole are the same! Try it:

Play the 4th string, 13th fret with your pinky. Remember the pinky is the whole-half root.

This gives you D# whole-half.

Notice where your ring finger is. At the 12th fret (D). This gives you D half-whole.

They are the same!


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How Do I Find The D Diminished Half-Whole (or the D# whole-half) Scale? 1. Half-whole means the 4th string ring finger is the root, so find a D on the 4th string and play it with your ring

finger. Hint: D is at the 12th fret.

a. Alternately, think of using a D# diminished whole-half. In that case, the 4th string pinky finger is the root.

So – put your pinky on D# at the 4th string’s 13th fret.

2. As the diminished scales/chords can be repeated every three frets (every minor third), slide your finger up or

down three frets at a time until you find a ‘good’ position. Hint: Slide back three frets and then slide back

another three frets so your ring finger is at the 6th fret.

3. Notice this fingering is a half-step down from A minor pentatonic. (And a half-step down from A diminished half-

whole.)


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Summary Use the following fingering:

For half-whole, your ring finger plays the root on the 4th string.

For whole-half, your pinky plays the root on the 4th string.

In a blues, reference the minor pentatonic played from the I chord:

o the I chord’s diminished scale is in the same position as the minor pentatonic (ring finger root)

o the IV chord’s diminished scale is a half-step down from the minor pentatonic (ring finger root)

o the V chord’s diminished scale is a half-step up from the minor pentatonic (ring finger root)

Lastly – it is unlikely you will ‘sound good’ using the diminished scale unless you listen to other players who incorporate

it. You want to play blues? You need to listen to blues. You want to play metal? You have to listen to metal. You want to

use the diminished scale? You have to listen to others who use it. Mike Stern, Scott Henderson, John Scofield, Larry

Carlton, Tom Quayle – just a few of the fusion giants you can search on YouTube with ‘diminished’ after their names to

hear how they apply it. Search for Matt Schofield, Josh Smith, and Robben Ford for more traditional blues integrating

the diminished scale.

Blues Improvisation: Diminishedalecfehl.com/gcownc.com/gcow-diminished.pdf · 2015-11-21 ·...

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Transcript of Blues Improvisation: Diminishedalecfehl.com/gcownc.com/gcow-diminished.pdf · 2015-11-21 ·...