Country Music scale/sounds

Dallas Marlow

Dallas Marlow

Active member
Hey Guys,

I've asked a lot of people this question, and most of the best country players I know can't tell me what exactly the notes are they are playing that gives them that "country" sound. I think I read some where that a lot of times they use Lydian modes over the progressions they are playing, but theres a lot of passing notes and that kind of stuff that to me really define the "country" sound. For example in blues where you have the b5/#4 (btw what do people actually consider that note anyways, never really thought about it till now, but since it generally leads down I would consider it a flat based upon my classical harmony training usually sharps are LT go up ect,. flats are 7th,9ths kind of stuff go down.

So anyways, what notes do people add to either the major/minor/pentatonic/blues or take out to get that country sound?

Thanks!

Dallas
 
I've been wanting to know the same thing,can't find anything really good that
points me in the right direction.
My uncle has been playing country for over 40 years. He's even played with
some of the greats,Chet,Carl Perkins etc.
I've been meaning to ask him but he's always gone now that he retired.
Running around etc. I'll be sure to ask him now that I'm not the only one
interested.
 
locoed":3i59pcu5 said:
I've been wanting to know the same thing,can't find anything really good that
points me in the right direction.
My uncle has been playing country for over 40 years. He's even played with
some of the greats,Chet,Carl Perkins etc.
I've been meaning to ask him but he's always gone now that he retired.
Running around etc. I'll be sure to ask him now that I'm not the only one
interested.
Click to expand...

Thanks man! Yea I'd really like to know what the hell the magical notes are to get that "country" sound!
 
Hopefully Andy Wood will post up for you, that boy has the country twang runs down cold. From watching him allot of it in in the hybrid picking of his right hand and pedal steel bends.
 
rareguitar":16s1ukmu said:
Hopefully Andy Wood will post up for you, that boy has the country twang runs down cold. From watching him allot of it in in the hybrid picking of his right hand and pedal steel bends.
Click to expand...

He absolutely does! He's got that stuff down cold man!
 
Dallas Marlow":2hth04de said:
rareguitar":2hth04de said:
Hopefully Andy Wood will post up for you, that boy has the country twang runs down cold. From watching him allot of it in in the hybrid picking of his right hand and pedal steel bends.
Click to expand...

He absolutely does! He's got that stuff down cold man!
Click to expand...




I agree with that,he mixes them up to,which is what I want to
try,mixing scales and styles creates an all oringinal sound.
 
The magic notes for me as you call them are the b7 mixing the maj 3rd and minor 3rd together. The bends are major 2nds and the suspended fourths all down over the root or other strong note in the chord. Descending diatonic scales with the notes still ringing on the previous open strings like a piano with the pedal engaged whenever you can get away with it if there is not too many out notes are a main staple also in country. A lot of times chromatic notes are used leading into the chord changes, this is quite common. Chicken pickin', Travis hybrid picking and three finger banjo rolls with open string pull offs are all needed techniques if you want to be authentic. Rip it up major pentatonic style sprinkling the b5 in once in a while and you will sound country!
Start pickin' and grinin'!! :D
 
Like War Admiral said Definitely adding the flat 7 to the major pentatonic is a good way to get country. You have the 2 that you can pedal steel bend up to 3. Also adding a raised third to dorian will sound cool too. Now tell me this. is it Dorian with a raised third added or a mixolydian with a flat 3rd added. I'd say its a mixolydian with a flat third added. Also adding a major third to the minor scale is cool as well, but the first tops it all for me.
 
to add to it...the most milage you get by actually changing for the chords...not thnk of it as making it through a diatonic progression diatonically but rather making the changes. i.e. When you have D-F-G go D major to F major to G major...
 
War Admiral":2o1zgtz4 said:
The magic notes for me as you call them are the b7 mixing the maj 3rd and minor 3rd together. The bends are major 2nds and the suspended fourths all down over the root or other strong note in the chord. Descending diatonic scales with the notes still ringing on the previous open strings like a piano with the pedal engaged whenever you can get away with it if there is not too many out notes are a main staple also in country. A lot of times chromatic notes are used leading into the chord changes, this is quite common. Chicken pickin', Travis hybrid picking and three finger banjo rolls with open string pull offs are all needed techniques if you want to be authentic. Rip it up major pentatonic style sprinkling the b5 in once in a while and you will sound country!
Start pickin' and grinin'!! :D
Click to expand...



thats alot of the theory right there. But when i teach clinics and things on this i always try to emphasize that to play something with conviction takes lots of time. you really have to study the genres nuances, just like anything else. Just because someone tells you the theory behind a van halen solo doesnt mean you sound like EVH, ya know what im trying to say?
The secret (if thats what you want to call it) in country and bluegrass is in the right hand technique. The plucks, and rolls, alternate picking when needed etc. I can play entirely in minor pentatonic and make it sound redneck just because of the phrasing.
when starting out in a new genre i try to not get overwhelmed by the theory, but rather, i take a simple pentatonic shape and practice the phrasing of the genre. and so far in studying different genres of music, theory wise, pentatonic is in all of them. (outside of eastern music of course). Place your practice sessions around phrasing, its infinitely more rewarding at first than trying to chase down a scale or shape.

and by far the most important thing to do is to LISTEN TO THE MUSIC THAT YOU WANT TO LEARN!!!!! you can only play what you hear in your head, and if you havent listened to country you wont be able to think country when it comes time to solo. Im obsessed lately with jazz and i listen to the artists im trying to emulate constantly. All of these thoughts on learning are relevant from one genre to the next ya know?


hope i was at least some help :)

A Wood
 
Great post Andy ....

I also feel about the same when it comes to pentatonic. I see the rest of the notes as just extra's added to the pentatonic myself most of the time.

If you look you well find it is just as important in eastern music as the west. It is the building block of everything pretty much.
 
Mr. Wood has some great advice there ... Also, I would agree with what Ed touched on. Very much like jazz, country players "make the changes". What I mean, is you can hear the chord changes in their solo lines. I think a good way to get started with this is to take a "simple" I-IV-V progression, and practice soloing over it without a rhythm track. To make the changes and outline the chord, you will need to focus in on chord tones. After you have that together somewhat, you can start embellishing using scale tones and chromatic notes.

Also, a great technique is to play major pentatonic over each chord change. And wherever you can play major pentatonic, you can sub the major blues scale ... and try doing in this in a 5 fret radius!
 
carl roa":2i9ek8fw said:
Mr. Wood has some great advice there ... Also, I would agree with what Ed touched on. Very much like jazz, country players "make the changes". What I mean, is you can hear the chord changes in their solo lines. I think a good way to get started with this is to take a "simple" I-IV-V progression, and practice soloing over it without a rhythm track. To make the changes and outline the chord, you will need to focus in on chord tones. After you have that together somewhat, you can start embellishing using scale tones and chromatic notes.

Also, a great technique is to play major pentatonic over each chord change. And wherever you can play major pentatonic, you can sub the major blues scale ... and try doing in this in a 5 fret radius!
Click to expand...

More great advice!
 
There's not much that I can add that hasn't already been said. Transcribe the stuff that interests you. The early Merle Haggard stuff has a lot of great and simple phasing that is a nice foundation for todays stuff. IMO I'd dig into some Jerry Reed. That guy was a guitar maniac.

A lot of people have had good luck with Doug Seven's lessons. You may also want to hook up with a player who know how to play country and pick his brain. It's always easier when you're are face to face than trying to figure it all out all on your own.

Good luck!
 
I would love to start digging in to some country. It's truly dazzling guitar playing.

I asked as guy I know and he said that the first thing I need to focus on, is getting the right hand technique. When you got that down, you can stick to the pentatonic, adding whatever passing notes, hammer ons and pull offs, open strings, double stops etc , and it will sound very convincing.
I know there is more to it than that, but it's a good place to start.
 
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