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Nick Ford

Music Theory

How I Became A Music Theory Nerd

Nick Ford, music theory nerd.

There was a time I wouldn’t be caught dead saying something like this at a gig, “That was a Picardy Third, for all you music fans out there!” I wasn’t always this way, but I sure am now. I can’t help it. I am fascinated and love music theory. This is my journey to becoming a full blown music theory nerd.

I started learning guitar when I was 15 and was mostly self taught. I learned a great deal from growing up in a musical household, learning by ear, books, magazines, and OLGA, which stood for Online Guitar Archive. The few lessons I took showed me a little bit of reading in standard notation, but it was a local author’s method that was less than inspiring. Once my first teacher showed me a pentatonic scale and I discovered I could look up and buy Led Zeppelin tablature, I left the standard notation method in the dust.

After I left traditional lessons behind very early on, I discovered that guitar books and magazines were a great source of information. I might have a bit of a obsession though…

I got a little bit of theory in high school, but I still didn’t understand why it was important to me as a musician. When I got to college, this all changed. I decided to enroll in the music theory class, and I got my butt kicked. The first week’s assignment was to learn and memorize every major and minor scale and key signature. For people who’d been playing for a while and who had learned this, it was a breeze, but not for me. I didn’t even know what the notes of an A major chord were when I started. So, my first week of college was spent writing out every key signature and all the major and minor scales over and over.

That first semester was very rough for me. I made it through that class, but I had to work like crazy just to keep up. Because of my struggles, I didn’t take music theory 2 during my second semester. I did continue to play and practice like a fiend though. I soaked up and learned everything I could, jammed when I could find people, and even started a college band.

This harmony book has seen some action!

After that semester, I took an overnight job at a grocery store for the summer. I made a decision that that summer would be devoted to musical study and practice. I still had my music theory textbook, so I poured over it. I doubled down. My coworkers at my summer grocery store job looked at me like I was nuts when I studied my music theory textbook voraciously during my lunch break. I didn’t care. I was on a mission. I was going to learn this or die trying.

The following semester at college was the beginning of my sophomore year, and I couldn’t take music theory 2 yet, so I continued to study and practice. By the time the 2nd semester of Sophomore year arrived, I enrolled in the dreaded Music Theory 2. I was a sophomore in a class with freshman, but I was ok with that. Not only did I keep up with the material, I excelled. My year of intensive music theory study had done me wonders.

I went back for one more semester at St John’s University in Minnesota. It was this last semester there that really honed my music theory skills through a test called the “Fundamental Mastery Quiz.” In Music Theory 3, I continued to study new concepts, but the Fundamental Master Quiz was a lot of basic concepts from the first two classes in one test. The quiz counted towards my final grade, but the interesting thing is that it was taken weekly. The best score that you got in the semester would be the grade for that test for the semester. It was 40 points, and I remember that it was a timed test, so the emphasis was on not only knowing the information, but being able to confidently rattle it off quickly. So, as a result, I became very familiar and confident with fundamental music theory concepts like key signatures, scales, and harmony.

A shorter, handwritten example of the Fundamental Mastery Quiz circa the early 2000s.

I was still a psychology major, which I found fascinating, but had no idea what I wanted to do with it professionally. During the first semester of Junior year, I visited my girlfriend, now wife, Leah in Boston and dropped by Berklee College of Music. I caught a couple of end-of-semester ensemble performances where the students played tunes like the Allman Brothers’ “Jessica” and Jeff Beck’s “Freeway Jam.” I was totally blown away. My college guitar teacher at the time had recently laughed at me when I suggested a Joe Satriani tune for my final performance piece, so I felt that I found a place where I could pursue music that was more all encompassing than that of SJU, which was almost exclusively classical music. After experiencing those ensemble performances, I decided to change my life forever and become a professional musician. I transferred to Berklee College of Music the next semester.

Me, at Berklee, circa 2004. I’ve learned since then if you’re trying to look like a badass, maybe don’t wear a shirt that says “Firecracker Fun Run.”

I got in to Berklee, no problem, but I didn’t place high in music theory classes, simply because of terminology differences between SJU’s classical approach and Berklee’s jazz and pop analysis. Once I learned that a m7b5 was the same as a half diminished chord, it was easy. I even tutored people in the same class and even one person from a class ahead of me! From that point on, my music theory fundamental skills were so strong, that I absolutely devoured every music theory concept that was thrown my way easily. I knew it so well that I began to really enjoy exploring new concepts on guitar and theoretically on paper.

At Berklee, I had to take Traditional Harmony, which was literally the same book I had at St John’s University. I can’t recall why I didn’t just test out of the two classes of this. Maybe I just felt like coasting. I was so confident that I only showed up for the first and last classes of Traditional Harmony 2. I remember the teacher saying, “Oh, you’re Nick Ford. You haven’t been here all year, where were you? You’d better do well on this final test, or I’m failing you.” To which I replied, “I have all of the homework here, and I know this material cold.” I then aced the test and even finished before everyone else in the class. Looking back, I was very cocky, but I did get an A in that class!

My student: Ok, I get it. Mode Mixture is really cool. Can I please go home now?

Since graduating, my fondness for pontificating on music theory has been thrust upon band members, students, my wife (who knows what terms like Picardy Third and Andalusian Cadence are), and now to you. I have a passion for music theory that developed from determination and hard work. I have to warn my students all the time that if they get me going on music theory stuff, that they won’t get out of their lesson on time. I’m not sure if it’s when I decided to study music theory in the break room in the grocery store at 2:30am, or if it was the fundamental mastery quizzes, or if it was an arrogant student only showing up for the final exam that I became a music theory nerd. All I know is that I love this subject, and I look forward to diving into the depths of music theory on this blog and hearing from you.

June 19, 2020
Lessons, Music Theory

D Flat Major sucks on guitar. Should you practice it?

Db major is not a friendly key on the guitar. The main reason is that not one of the open strings is diatonic, meaning none of the open string notes belong to the scale Db Major. There are also no diatonic open position chords, so accidentally playing an open string can be an unforgiving mistake. To get an idea of this, try playing the example below.

Ouch. You could hurt people with those open strings!

It is easier to play in the key of D or C and get a sound that is similar and more playable. Notice that playing full chords in Db major involves using more barre chords.

Some of the best solutions to playing in Db Major for Rock, Metal, and even pop players are as follows…

1. Tune Down

Tune down your strings a 1/2 step (Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb), then play in the key of D (a much friendlier guitar key!). It will sound as Db. Some popular examples of this would be the Guns ‘n Roses classic, “Sweet Child ‘O Mine” or the Killers’ “Mr. Brightside.”

 

2. Use a pitch shifting pedal, such as the Digitech Whammy

This is the same concept as tuning down, but you can achieve this sound by simply setting your pedal up to sound as a 1/2 step down. Just be sure to play with an amplifier at a volume louder than the acoustical sound of your electric strings or your ear will hear a m2 harmonic interval with every single note!

3. Use a capo

Instead of going down in pitch, you can go up with a capo. Throw a capo on the 1st fret, then simply play in the key of C. There are other options as well, but for a song that is mostly in Db, this is a great option for making the song easier to play, and typically will sound better too.

All of the above options are simply tools or ideas to help a song sound better. They are sometimes thought of as work-arounds or even cheating, but remember that the goal is to make music, not to follow some unwritten code of ethics about how a song should or shouldn’t be played. Nobody cares if you do any of these if the song sounds good!

So Why Practice Db Major at all?

Ok, so why should we bother practicing Db major in standard tuning at all? The reason is because the key of Db actually pops up in standard tuning from time to time, and will be a problem if you don’t take a look at it. Let’s look at a few instances Db might show up.

1. Modulation

Typically it occurs when a song modulates. You’re cruising along in the key of C, no problem, then towards the end the song modulates up a half step to Db. Try the example below to see what I mean.

Modulating up a half step like this sometimes happens at the end of a song.

2. Piano Music

Db Major is not a terribly difficult key to play on piano, so it does come up when playing with piano players or learning a piano piece on guitar. One cool trick my Dad, a pianist with nearly 80 years experience, taught me was to think of Db not as having 5 flats, but rather that Db major has 2 naturals (F and C) similar to how D major has two sharps (F# and C#).

D Major: D E F# G A B C#

Db Major: Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C

3. Jazz and Blues

A good example of Db major would be in the jazz standard, Blue Bossa. The song is mostly played in Cm, but one section is in Db major. To play fluidly on a song like this, both of these keys need to feel very comfortable to play in and out of. You don’t want to be improvising fluently in C minor but then dread that modulation to Db Major when it comes.

4. Murphy’s Law

The danger of relying on some of the creative solutions such as relying on a pedal or a capo is that sometimes these things can fail. Consider what would happen at a gig if your pitch shifting pedal stopped working or if you simply forgot your capo. One shouldn’t expect the band to change keys simply because of equipment failure, forgetfulness, or lack of preparation.

The reality is that while Db major is an uncommon key on the guitar, it does appear from time to time, so it’s not the worst idea to take a look at this key and be able to play it competently in standard tuning.

WHO THIS IS FOR

Guitarists or any musicians at an intermediate level or higher, especially  blues and jazz players. Anyone who feels comfortable with the most common keys and seeks to improve their musicianship and their playing. Professional and/or gigging musicians.

WHO THIS IS NOT FOR… YET

Beginners. If playing an Em7 is still too hard, then there are a lot of other things to practice first. Start with more common keys like C, G, D, A, and E first. Practicing Db Major is not essential for beginners yet but may become important as the beginner’s skills and guitar goals change.

C# Major

It should be noted that C# Major is enharmonically the same as Db major, but is even less common.

Db Major: Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C

C# Major: C# D# E# F# G# A# B#

The notes and chords sound the same as Db major, but have chord names that most musicians don’t want to see, such as E#m or B#m7b5. C# Major is typically only seen in classical music. Practicing C# Major is really only for professional musicians and those who already have a command of basic keys and seek to be thoroughly prepared for literally any key.

Where do you stand? Do you practice in every key, even uncommon keys such as Db? Let me know in the comments below or by getting in touch with me on social media. Keep shredding and woodshedding!

 

June 12, 2020
Lessons

Kirk’s Live Cadenza in “Fade to Black” Lesson

For the longest time, I’ve wanted to sit down and learn Kirk’s cadenza at the end of Metallica’s live performances of “Fade to Black.” I didn’t see any lessons on this anywhere else, so I thought I’d offer a lick by lick breakdown.

His performances do vary a little bit from show to show and over the years, but for the most part, Kirk plays the same thing consistently. His cadenza isn’t necessarily the craziest or hardest thing to play, but it is it’s own composition within the composition, which is something that Kirk Hammett excels achieving with his solos. A song can be a living, evolving thing, and when Metallica plays “Fade to Black,” they always include this cadenza.

I’ve broken down Kirk’s cadenza into six licks and provided a breakdown of each. You can also skip to the bottom to see a full transcription. You can see a full speed playthrough as well as lick by lick breakdown here…

Lick 1 starts off with a high bend from the D to an E repeated followed by a B Phrygian sequence and B Minor Pentatonic lick.

Lick 2 has Hammett playing in a B minor pentatonic add9 pattern over the G, but he bends from the root note B to a C#, which is a dramatic #11 over the G5. He may also be thinking of F# Minor Pentatonic in the 2nd measure here.

Lick 3 starts with a Bm sweep arpeggio followed by using notes from the A Major scale (notice the G# in beat 3) descending then finishing with an ascending A Major Pentatonic lick.

Lick 4 is simply the backing solo riff played with the band. They slow down and hit each of those accents (>) together. Notice the fermata on the last note, too. Listen to this section of live recording of “Fade to Black,” and you’ll get the idea.

Lick 5 is considerably slower as the band is holding out the B5 chord. Hammett ascends a B Major arpeggio played in two 8ves before sliding with 4ths back down to a B5 sound on the top two strings.

Lick 6 finishes the cadenza by tremolo picking while playing a slow glissando (a continuous slide upwards) to the same notes an 8ve higher before doing a slide down to the final power chord.

Here is a full transcription of Kirk’s Live Cadenza from “Fade to Black.”

Thanks for checking out this lesson! Have fun learning it, and if you post a cover, let me know. Keep shredding and woodshedding!

October 31, 2019
Lessons, Music Theory

Lydian Dominant in Metal

This is an excerpt from an original song called “Black Hole” that features the sound of LYDIAN DOMINANT naturally in it’s progression.

Lydian Dominant is a mode of jazz melodic minor, which is usually an unwieldy sound at first for most rock and metal players (myself included!). It took me quite a few years of focused listening and practice to really figure out how to apply sounds from the melodic minor modes naturally. Here is one context where this scale fits perfectly, and it’s relatively simple to employ.

Harmony-wise, the G#m is the i chord. The E7 is a bVI dominant 7th chord, and this is where E Lydian Dominant works. There’s also a D# or D#7 (V or V7 chord) which D# Phrygian Dominant works great over.

The key to using E Lydian Dominant over E7 here is TARGET NOTES. The two notes that sound the most like the scale are the b7 (D) and #11 (A#). I’ve identified these key notes as well as the roots (R) for each scale.

The A# is already in a G# natural minor scale, so it’s pretty simple to employ. To get the right sound over the E7 chord, play a G# blues scale, but get rid of the natural 5th (D#) and instead emphasize the b5 (D) and VOILA! You’re now utilizing the “Simpsons” Scale aka Lydian Dominant.

Here are the notes of both scales, notice that only one note needs to be changed.

G Natural Minor: G# A# B C# D# E F#

E Lydian Dominant: E F# G# A# B C# D

The E Lydian Dominant sound is only used over the E7 chord, but there’s enough time to get that flavor in before going back to tried and true blues and metal licks.

If G#m is too difficult of a key, try this in A minor. That progression would be Am to F7, so use F Lydian Dominant over the F7 (emphasizing the notes Eb and B). Here are the notes broken down so you can see that simple change. Simply change E to an Eb.

A Natural Minor: A B C D E F G

F Lydian Dominant: F G A B C D Eb

To find these scales, simply move the previously listed scales up a half step like so. Here is a progression to play it over and the scales that work well.

As always, let me know if you give it a try and what you come up with. Happy shredding and woodshedding!

\m/ \m/

October 24, 2019