Intro [00:00:02]:
Welcome to the Steve Stine Guitar podcast, brought to you by guitarzoom.com. If you want to improve your guitar playing, keep listening. If you want to improve even faster, go to guitarzoom.com, where you'll find all of Steve's premium courses, masterclasses, and memberships that'll help you quickly and easily improve your playing. Now, here's your host, Steve Stine.
Steve [00:00:29]:
Alright, in this video, what we're going to be doing is looking at some different ideas of how you can see scales and kind of explore those along with arpeggios. So what I like to do is instead of just always playing scales like this, I'm going to show you this in D major here. Now, there's nothing wrong with that at all. And I use that a lot for all kinds of different things. But what I want to show you today is how I connect different ideas across the fretboard. I'm going to be in D major for this example and how I'm going to utilize sort of a shape idea along with some arpeggios. So let me kind of show you this. I'm going to show you three different kind of positions here in D major.
Steve [00:01:07]:
So I've got my primary position here that I'm using, which is 10, 12, 14, 10, 12, 14, 11, 12, 14, 11, 12, 14, 12, 14, 15, 12. 1415.
Steve [00:01:17]:
Okay.
Steve [00:01:22]:
Now, inside there, of course, I can see my root 3rd, 5th sitting there. Okay. I can see all those sitting right there. And because of its shape, its symmetry of being three notes per string, you know, it lends itself really nice to being able to do a lot of like, speed patterns, things like that, whatever it might be that I'm doing. But I can still see that outline of the triad for whatever it is I want to do. So I could start simply putting together some things like this or moving that direction.
Steve [00:02:11]:
Okay?
Steve [00:02:12]:
So now all of a sudden, I've got this, this arpeggiated idea. Now, for me, what I like to do when I play is I don't tend to just use those triads. You know, I might use that in a, you know, kind of melodic way. But when I'm trying to make stuff that sounds a little more elaborate, what I try and do is build out my arpeggios a little bit bigger. So what I want to show you, the first twist on this. Let me switch over here. The first twist on this is this. If I was playing this d major scale here, the first thing I'm going, gonna do is I'm gonna change up this shape a little bit by playing this.
Steve [00:03:02]:
So up to that point, it's the same. But now what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna play 10, 12, 14.
Steve [00:03:08]:
Okay?
Steve [00:03:09]:
So what I've done is essentially just kind of borrow this shape, this. This part from the position prior to this, right? So as I play this.
Steve [00:03:20]:
What you're.
Steve [00:03:20]:
Gonna notice is I now have this doubling a note. I'm doing it on both strings, and that isn't the point. And it has nothing to do with it. I just want you to know that that's there. And what I like about that.
Steve [00:03:43]:
Is.
Steve [00:03:43]:
It actually can be used very musically, having that doubled a. So I still have the sound of that triad right there. I have root and third, fifth, and then there's my root and third again. And then I'm throwing in this second string, and I get some really fun sounds by being able to do that, you see? So if I visualize that shape right.
Steve [00:04:15]:
There.
Steve [00:04:19]:
Then what I'm going to do is I'm going to move down to this d right here, and I'm going to build that same idea. So now my shape is going to look like this. And now you. And you'll notice what's happening is it's doubling on the e.
Steve [00:04:40]:
See that?
Steve [00:04:48]:
Now, I still want to know where my df sharpen a is, right. I still want to know that that exists right there. So I have to think about where that d is each time.
Steve [00:05:00]:
Okay.
Steve [00:05:00]:
Now I don't have as much to work with in this position.
Steve [00:05:11]:
Okay?
Steve [00:05:11]:
But I can see that shape. And if I could start visualizing those two shapes kind of together.
Steve [00:05:27]:
See that?
Steve [00:05:36]:
I could start kind of moving back and forth between those. Now, they're going to give a completely different kind of sound, though, right? Because here, when I'm playing this.
Steve [00:05:52]:
And.
Steve [00:05:52]:
I start trying to outline this kind of spread shape, I'm not playing the notes that are necessary, necessarily, for the d chord. Okay, so let's start kind of breaking this down a little bit and making this into an arpeggio, because I think you're really going to like this. So those are the two positions right? Now we have this and we have this.
Steve [00:06:16]:
Okay.
Steve [00:06:17]:
And the other thing I'm going to give you is not a full position. We're just going to come up here and play this D major arpeggio here.
Steve [00:06:26]:
Okay.
Steve [00:06:27]:
Which also exists down here.
Steve [00:06:29]:
Okay.
Steve [00:06:30]:
So it connects kind of on the top of this one position and on the bottom of this other position right there. And again, we have the notes that surround it, obviously, that we can see as well. And again, we already talked about that arpeggio sitting right there. Okay, so now let's start kind of thinking about how we could navigate through this. And then I'm going to start showing you these arpeggios. Now, when we get there again, you'll notice that it doesn't sound like d because with my motions, it sounds more like a. Okay, a major. So to make it sound more like d, I'm going to have to try and emphasize some of the d in there as well.
Steve [00:07:31]:
And this is where it gets really interesting. So let me show you this. If I play this d, f, hash a, and then right here, that's c sharp, and that's e. So what I'm playing is root, 3rd, 5th. This is the fifth, this is the major 7th, and this is the 9th. So even though I'm playing this a major chord in the context of the D chord, it's the fifth, the major 7th, and the 9th. How cool is that? And then that right there would just be the major third there.
Steve [00:08:12]:
Okay.
Steve [00:08:12]:
And then we go back on the top. We're back on the chord again. So even though it looks like it's a major, it functions very well as being part of the D major chord in terms of giving it some color. So let me kind of get that d in your, in your brain there kind of sound right now up here. If we think about that right there. If I move up now, I'm on the d, so I'm moving from c sharp to d. That's my major 7th area right there. So I can always slide into that.
Steve [00:08:54]:
And then, you know, maybe I come down the traditional way that I would normally play my d major, right? So, see, I can always kind of weave in and out of playing the scale sound and then moving into playing this more arpeggiated sound. So there's just a million things that you could do with this. I just love this kind of playing because it keeps you from going all the time. And there's nothing wrong with that either. But I'm trying to find this.
Steve [00:09:37]:
And.
Steve [00:09:37]:
See how I can kind of move in between those now at all times. What I want you to remember is that even though I'm playing this kind of shaped idea, there's an underlying scale under there, right? At any time, I can go into that kind of sound, but as soon as I do, it's going to sound like a scale. When I play this, it doesn't sound as much like that traditional scale as when I go, just like when I'm up here. If I go, it's gonna sound like a scale. If I go, it's gonna sound like an arpeggio, right? So it's okay. There's no right or wrong. It just gives me different kinds of sounds. So if I go from.
Steve [00:10:21]:
Notice how that note really stands out from what I was doing, and that could be a super cool thing because I wasn't using it before. So now, all of a sudden, adding that in, it sounds really colorful, really shiny, where if I'd just been playing the scale the entire time, it wouldn't have that kind of sound, you see? So it's really cool that that can happen. So now let me show you the arpeggio idea that's happening here. So if I take this right here, that I was just showing you that arpeggio right there. So I'm playing root, 3rd, 5th, major, 7th, 9th. There's our major third right there, right? And then right here, we've got the note a. That's our fifth, and then there's our major 7th.
Steve [00:11:10]:
Okay?
Steve [00:11:10]:
So if I take those same notes and I apply them right here on the 6th string, that's what it looks like right here. And then I add that on top, and there's that shape I was talking about. So that's something I would totally do over a d sound. And again, then all of a sudden, that really shines. That fourth right there really stands out. So if I take this arpeggio.
Steve [00:12:00]:
Just.
Steve [00:12:01]:
A really pretty sound.
Steve [00:12:05]:
Okay.
Steve [00:12:06]:
And I've got this. See how I can move back and forth between those. Sorry. Now, at any time, I can throw in any of those other notes if I choose to see what I'm doing right there is I was playing five and nine and then ten and 14. Right? And then I could move into the pentatonic right here.
Steve [00:13:00]:
See that?
Steve [00:13:07]:
Pretty cool, huh? Now, if we look at this, the problem I have with that is that I gotta be careful with this note right here.
Steve [00:13:16]:
Okay?
Steve [00:13:17]:
So if we look at that, what I'm playing is g sharp. Well, if we were playing in the key of d, we don't get an.
Steve [00:13:24]:
Okay.
Steve [00:13:28]:
Look at that. So where does that exist? Well, okay, we've got g sharp. So if we come up here.
Steve [00:13:41]:
See.
Steve [00:13:41]:
We'Re not playing a g sharp. We're playing a g in a traditional D major scale.
Steve [00:13:53]:
Okay?
Steve [00:13:53]:
So that means if we were playing this, we'd have to do that, which kind of. Kind of makes a little bit of a change.
Steve [00:14:14]:
See that?
Steve [00:14:31]:
So there's our. If we do it that way, we're skipping that note, you see? So then everything's fine. Everything would fit in the scale. It's when I go to that shape like this that all of a sudden I've got this wrong note here. As opposed to playing that note right there, which would be the g sharp I'm playing, or, excuse me, the g. I'm playing g sharp. So you have to be aware of that because if you're trying to stay true to the scale, you're going to have to readjust that note. There's nothing wrong with that, especially if you're playing outside.
Steve [00:15:22]:
Sounds pretty cool. But a lot of times what I'll do is, depending on the situation that I find myself in, I'll use those shapes for that kind of sound, you know, just for that kind of crazy sound for. And if I have to slow down, then I might go back to that g. It all depends on what it is you're trying to do. So let's continue on here. Okay, so I've got this arpeggio that I've just built, and then I've got my. My triad up here. So at any time I could cut in into that or move into the scale and do something from there.
Steve [00:16:22]:
If I move into that shape, and I was thinking kind of like George lynch in these situations, then I start playing a shape y idea. But again, then I'm dealing with some notes that are standing outside. That typical d major sound right here. Okay, so that might be a problem. So if it is, we gotta switch that to g. And that's entirely up to you. Anyway, the point is, is that as you're playing this, you're just looking for different unique ways of being able to approach your playing. So you're not just going or depending on what it is you're playing.
Steve [00:17:21]:
When you play, you're trying to find something more interesting.
Steve [00:17:34]:
Okay?
Steve [00:17:34]:
To make it sound more interesting. And the more you space things out, you're gonna get some really unique sounds. That's why I love to use those arpeggios. And with that arpeggios, you. What's nice is you're avoiding the g or the g sharp, whatever you're dealing with, and you can pick it up. Oh, sorry. On the back side there. Sometimes I won't even use it.
Steve [00:18:03]:
Sometimes I'll just go and I'll just avoid that kind of thing entirely. As I play, what I like to do is I just connect those together. You get that kind of sound. So it's pretty cool.
Steve [00:18:38]:
Okay.
Steve [00:18:39]:
So it's something for you to explore.
Steve [00:18:41]:
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