Rock On! Getting Down with the Rock Styles
Chapter 8: Rock On! Getting Down with the Rock Styles
Figure 8-2:
Rock ’n’
roll groove using notes from the chord.
1 2
4
? c œ œ œ# œ œ œ œ œ
6 6 9 9 6 9
7 7
TRACK 43, 0:12
You can alter the examples in this chapter to fit any tonality. Simply lower the regular 3 to a %3 to change the tonality from major to minor, or raise the %3 to a regular 3 to change it from minor to major. This change isn’t a major problem, just a minor adjustment.
The groove in Figure 8-3 is the same as the groove shown in Figure 8-2 with one exception: The groove in Figure 8-3 has a minor 3 (%3) instead of a major 3 (or 3). The lowering of the major 3 to the %3 changes the entire chord into a minor chord. Start this groove with your index finger on the root to avoid any unnecessary shifting of your left hand.
Figure 8-3:
Rock ’n’ roll groove in minor using notes from the chord.
1
3 4
? c œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
9 9 9
7 7 10 10 10
TRACK 43, 0:23
Figure 8-4 shows an example of a more elaborate rock ’n’ roll groove using notes that come not only from the major chord but also from the Mixolydian mode (or scale). (See Chapter 5 for a discussion of modes, including the Mixolydian.) Start this groove with your middle finger on the root.
168 Part IV: Using the Correct Accompaniment for Each Genre
Figure 8-4:
Rock ’n’
roll groove using notes from the chord and mode.
1 1
2 2
4 4
? c œ œ œ# œ œ œ œ# œ
7 7 6 9
6 9
7 7
TRACK 43, 0:35
The groove in Figure 8-4 fits nicely over a dominant chord, which is a common chord in rock ’n’ roll. The dominant chord consists of the root, 3, 5, and %7 of the Mixolydian mode. Figure 8-5 shows you the thought process behind the creation of this groove.
Figure 8-5:
Thought process from mode and chord to groove.
Mode Chord 7th Chord Groove
For a denser rock ’n’ roll groove, check out Figure 8-6, which includes not only notes from the chord and its related mode (Mixolydian in this case) but also chromatic tones, which are notes outside the regular mode that lead to the notes in the chord (see Chapter 5 for more on chromatic tones).
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Chapter 8: Rock On! Getting Down with the Rock Styles
Figure 8-6:
Rock ’n’ roll box groove.
1
2 2 2
3 4 4
? c œ œ œ# œ œ# œ œ œ
9 6 7 8 9 7 9
7
TRACK 43, 0:47
You can play all the notes of this groove in the same position as long as you start it with your middle finger. I call this a box groove because the positioning of the notes forms a box; your left hand is positioned so that your fingers can reach all the notes without shifting.
You can alter the groove from Figure 8-6 to play over a minor tonality by lowering the 3 to %3, which converts the dominant chord tonality into a minor tonality. Check out Figure 8-7 to see what this groove looks like in a minor tonality. To play the groove in Figure 8-7, start with your index finger on the root so you don’t have to shift your left hand.
Figure 8-7:
Rock ’n’ roll groove in a minor tonality.
1 1 1
2 3 3 4
? c œ œ œ œ œ# œ œ œ
9 7 8 9 7 9
7 10
TRACK 43, 0:59
170 Part IV: Using the Correct Accompaniment for Each Genre
You also can convert this groove into a major 7th tonality (see Figure 8-8).
To do so, raise the %7 of the original groove (refer to Figure 8-6) and then play the groove using a major 7th chord (root, 3, 5, and 7). Play this groove with your middle finger on the root. The major 7th tonality isn’t common in rock
’n’ roll, but it’s still useful to know how to play it for those rare cases.
Figure 8-8:
Rock ’n’ roll groove in a major 7th tonality.
1
2 2
3 3 4 4
? c œ œ œ# œ œ# œ œ# œ
9 6 7 8 9 8 9
7
TRACK 43, 1:10
When accompanying a rock tune that has a major 7th tonality, you may want to substitute the 6 of the major mode for the 7 in your groove. The 6 softens the sound and makes it more pleasant to the ear. Take a look at Figure 8-9 for an example of a 6 in a major 7th tonality.
Figure 8-9:
Rock ’n’ roll groove with a 6.
1 1
2 2
3 4 4
? c œ œ œ# œ œ# œ œ# œ
9 6 7 8 9 6 9
7
TRACK 43, 1:22
With the 6 in place, you can use the groove in Figure 8-9 over a major 7th tonality as well as over a dominant tonality. The only difference between these two tonalities is the 7: The major 7th chord has a regular 7, and the dominant chord has a %7. A groove with a regular 7 clashes with a dominant chord; a groove with a %7 clashes with a major chord. In the groove shown in Figure 8-9, however, the 6 doesn’t clash with either chord. (In fact, it sounds pretty good.) You can use this groove to give the other players of your band more leeway in their choice of notes. It doesn’t lock them into having to choose between either a 7 or %7.
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Chapter 8: Rock On! Getting Down with the Rock Styles
When you listen to the CD track corresponding to Figures 8-6 through 8-9 (Track 43), you can hear how one groove can be adapted to fit over different tonalities: the dominant (Figure 8-6), the minor (Figure 8-7), the major 7th (Figure 8-8), and a major tonality with a 6 instead of a 7 (Figure 8-9).
You can change the sound of a groove to a different tonality by changing the 3, the 7, or even the 5. Check out Chapter 5 for more on scale/chord compatibility.
Check out the sounds of Adam Clayton of U2 or of the late John Entwistle of The Who if you want to hear some great rock bassists. And while you’re at it, listen to John Myung of Dream Theatre and Geddy Lee of Rush for some excellent progressive rock bass playing.
Hard Rock: Going at It Fast and Furious
Hard rock, which includes progressive rock along with metal and its numer- ous offspring, is the fastest category of rock. The rhythm is hard and driv- ing, and the tempo can be downright wicked (as in superfast). You may frequently encounter sixteenth notes (see Chapter 3) and odd meters (see Chapter 12) in this style. Hard rock bass lines often are based on minor pen- tatonic sounds (check out Chapter 7 for pentatonic scales).