Power Metal Help (Scales/Melodies)

[KevinHalford]

My friends and I are starting a power metal band (for fun, we don't think we're gonna be very good, we just wanna get better with our respective instruments). The problem is, we tried writing some stuff, and we just don't know where to start. Constructing complex melodies like this is somewhat foreign to us. Basically I was wondering if anyone knew scales used in power metal or if they new anywhere on the net I could get some information on songwriting of this nature. Thanks!

Kevin

 

[DemonJay]

Every instructional book is going to show you Major scales first. My guitar teacher did me a HUGE favor and skipped those lessons and moved right into the Minor scales which 99% of all songs are written in (including metal).

I can't go into great detail on music theory, so you'll have to do this homework yourself, but the key to getting a quick start into writing is to memorize the Minor Scale. It's fairly simple so it should be that hard.

Then you'll want to incorporate the Diminished Minor scale which essentially is adding one note to the Minor Scale (sort of). The Diminished Minor Scale will give you that distinct "Classical" sound. Learn this, and you're good to go.

 

[KevinHalford]

Cool man thanks, yeah I know some stuff about diminished scales, I'll have to give that a try.

 

[sonofhendrix13]

The minor scale is just a mode of the major scale. I would recommend learning all the modes of the major scale first. If you do this you can just as easily play the minor scale up and down the neck. There are also plenty of other pretty useful modes in the major scale like the Dorian and Mixolydian modes. I would also recommend learning the Harmonic Minor and diminished scales.

 

[Thidrek]

and that 'half step-whole step'-thingy, don't know it's name...

 

[Trevor Lane]

The minor scale is just a mode of the major scale. I would recommend learning all the modes of the major scale first. If you do this you can just as easily play the minor scale up and down the neck. There are also plenty of other pretty useful modes in the major scale like the Dorian and Mixolydian modes. I would also recommend learning the Harmonic Minor and diminished scales.

Also, another big mode used in power metal is Aeolian, which is the basic minor scale. Another useful trick empoyed by alot of earlier power metal players, Adrian Smith and KK Dowining especially, is leads that combine and interchange between the aeolian (which is diatonic) and the appropriate pentatonic. The 1st solo in the Trooper is a perfect example.

 

[KevinHalford]

Thanks a lot. I've just gotten into modes and I think I'll try some of those things you mentioned.

 

[DemonJay]

The minor scale is just a mode of the major scale. I would recommend learning all the modes of the major scale first. If you do this you can just as easily play the minor scale up and down the neck. There are also plenty of other pretty useful modes in the major scale like the Dorian and Mixolydian modes. I would also recommend learning the Harmonic Minor and diminished scales.

If he learns the Minor scale he can easily learn the Major if he decides to do so. But he wants to get up and running right away, learning the Minor first is the way to go.

 

[sonofhendrix13]

If he learns the Minor scale he can easily learn the Major if he decides to do so. But he wants to get up and running right away, learning the Minor first is the way to go.

What I'm saying is that when you learn the major modes, you can start playing the minor scale up and down the neck just by starting from the sixth degree. The modes will allow you to play up and down the neck not just in one position. Either way you're still playing the major scale, it just starts from a different degree.

and that 'half step-whole step'-thingy, don't know it's name...

That would be the diminished scale.

 

[Bryant]

If he learns the Minor scale he can easily learn the Major if he decides to do so. But he wants to get up and running right away, learning the Minor first is the way to go.

I agree with you. Not sure where he is at on theory, but scales need to come before modes and there are GREAT guitarists out there that have earned a living primarily on harmonic minor.

Bryant

 

[sonofhendrix13]

The modes simply enable you to play the same scale up and down the entire neck of the guitar. If you're so insistant on playing the minor scale then just call them the modes of the minor scale.