The notes within this scale are C, D, E, F, G, A, B; all natural notes. When the 4th degree (F) and the 7th degree (B) are used properly, there are many possibilities to explore. Fundamentally, if you use the 7th degree over chords that contain that particular note, you are well on your way (more specifically the IIImi, V, or VIIdim chords). Similarly, if you limit your use of the 4th degree to IImi and IV chords, it has the potential to evoke emotion in your playing.
Some of these ideas are utilized in this particular solo. Another way of limiting your use of the 4th and 7th degrees is to use the A minor pentatonic scale, as this scale contains all the notes in the C Ionian mode except for F and B. In the first 8 bars of the solo you'll notice that I've regulated the use of these notes. In the 2nd bar I use the 4th degree but only over the IV chord and I also use it once in the 7th bar but only as a quick passing tone. The 7th degree does not appear at all in these initial 8 bars.
In the next 8 measures I alternate between the IV and V chord, making ample space for the 4th and 7th degrees to be used. This section of the solo is more suspenseful, and while the last 4 bars may look like a free-for-all (in terms of note selection), I've deliberately used the 7th degree more in order to make this section even more suspenseful (or increase the tension). Hopefully this demonstrates how powerful the 7th degree can be when used in the right context.
The bottom line is that it all depends on how you use the scale, and there are many other possibilities beyond the simple major progression presented here.
Download the Power Tab file.
C IONIAN SOLO
Written by David Andrew Wiebe
Level: Intermediate
Gtr I (E A D G B E)
Gtr II (E A D G B E)
Q=92
4/4
Gtr I
~~~~~~~~~~
H H S S S S S S S H S
|-----------------|----------------------|
|---------8-------|-6-5-6-5-8-5--------5-|
|-5---------------|-------------5-7------|
|-----------------|----------------------|
|-----------------|----------------------|
|-----------------|----------------------|
|
| Gtr II
| E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
|-----------------|----------------------|
|-----------------|----------------------|
|-----------------|----------------------|
|-2-2-2-2-0-0-0-0-|----------------------|
|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-7-7-5-5------|
|-----------------|-1-1-1-1-5-5-3-3------|
H H S S S S Q E E E E
|-----------------|---------8---10-8-10-12---|
|---------3-------|-6p5-8p5------------------|
|-5---------------|--------------------------|
|-----------------|--------------------------|
|-----------------|--------------------------|
|-----------------|--------------------------|
|
| E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
|-----------------|--------------------------|
|-----------------|--------------------------|
|-----------------|--------------------------|
|-2-2-2-2-0-0-0-0-|--------------------------|
|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-7-7--5-5---------|
|-----------------|-1-1-1-1-5-5--3-3---------|
~
H H S S S S S S S S E E Q
|-8---------------|-----5p3-8p5-10p8-10s12-10--|
|---------8-------|-6p5------------------------|
|-----------------|----------------------------|
|-----------------|----------------------------|
|-----------------|----------------------------|
|-----------------|----------------------------|
|
| E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
|-----------------|----------------------------|
|-----------------|----------------------------|
|-----------------|----------------------------|
|-2-2-2-2-0-0-0-0-|----------------------------|
|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-7-7--5-5-----------|
|-----------------|-1-1-1-1-5-5--3-3-----------|
S S S S +Q S S S S Q S S S S S S S +S E E E +E
|-13-12-10--------------------8--|------8-10s12-10-8-(8)-12-12-10-(10)-|
|----------13-(13)-------10-8----|-8s10--------------------------------|
|--------------------7-5---------|-------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|
| E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
|--------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|--2--2--2--2---0--0-0-0---------|-------------------------------------|
|--3--3--3--3---3--3-3-3---------|-3--3-3--3--7--7-5--5----------------|
|--------------------------------|-1--1-1--1--5--5-3--3----------------|
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E Q
|-----8-----8-----|---7-----7---8-7-|-----8-----8-----|-8-7-10-7-10s12-10--|
|-6-5---6-5---5-6-|-8---5-8---5-----|-5-6---5-6---5-8-|--------------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------------|
|
| W W W W
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------------|
|-3---------------|-5---------------|-3---------------|-5------------------|
|-3---------------|-5---------------|-3---------------|-5------------------|
|-1---------------|-3---------------|-1---------------|-3------------------|
S S S S S S S S S S Q.
|-7-5-8-5-8-7-10-7-12-10-15----|
|------------------------------|
|------------------------------|
|------------------------------|
|------------------------------|
|------------------------------|
|
| W
|------------------------------|
|------------------------------|
|------------------------------|
|-3----------------------------|
|-3----------------------------|
|-1----------------------------|
S S S S S S S S H S S S S S S S S S S Q.
|-5-3-7-3-5-3-7-3------|-7-5-8-5-10-5-8-7-12-10-15---|
|-----------------5----|-----------------------------|
|----------------------|-----------------------------|
|----------------------|-----------------------------|
|----------------------|-----------------------------|
|----------------------|-----------------------------|
|
| W W
|----------------------|-----------------------------|
|----------------------|-----------------------------|
|----------------------|-----------------------------|
|-5--------------------|-3---------------------------|
|-5--------------------|-3---------------------------|
|-3--------------------|-1---------------------------|
~~~
E E H.
|-15s17-15------------*|
|---------------------*|
|---------------------*|
|---------------------*|
|---------------------*|
|---------------------*|
|
| PM-------|
| E E E E Q Q
|---------------------*|
|---------------------*|
|-------------5-------*|
|-------------5--5----*|
|--5--5--5--5-3--5----*|
|--3--3--3--3----3----*|
This article was written by David Andrew Wiebe, web designer, graphic designer, guitarist, bassist, keyboardist, songwriter, guitar instructor, and music expert. Interested in winning a free CD? Click here for more info!
Published on December 20, 2007