String Theory

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String Theory
Linkin Park's Brad Delson brings you one step closer to being an ace guitar player with the first installment of his new Guitar World column.
by Brad Delson of Linkin Park When Guitar World first approached me about writing a monthly column, I thought they were kidding. I mean, how can a hack like me actually sustain a series on anything?! Seriously, though, as the sole guitar player in Linkin Park, I have the freedom and responsibility to fulfill all sorts of roles. For instance, I might play an orchestral harmonic loop in one part of a song and then a power chord rhythm figure right after that. In other words, I have to have versatilitysomething that comes from listening to and studying many styles of music.
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Figure 1
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Im a huge fan of everything form emo to hip-hop to techno to hardcore. I didnt get into each style at the same time, though. Rather, I went through many different musical phases, as Im sure most of you have. When I started playing in bands, my friends and I
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realized that we could create a unique sound by combining our love for disparate styles into one giant musical melting pot. Starting in 1996, as Xero, we began to experiment by mixing beats with guitars, and combining singing with rapping. Since we didnt have a record deal or any real way to get our music to the masses, we focused on our songwriting and the evolution of our hybrid sound. Now that were acquainted, lets skip the foreplay and cover some basic musical facts that all musicians should know. Everything that we hear reaches our ears via sound waves. Waves that vibrate faster are said to have a higher frequency and consequently a higher pitch. The spectrum of sound waves is divided up into certain arbitrary points or locations. These designated points represent pitches. The distance, or interval, from any pitch to one thats exactly twice its frequency on the spectrum is called an octave. This particular mathematical relationship between to pitches is an important one, because we use it to organize our whole system of harmony. Its also important because we perceive the two pitches as sounding almost the same. The only difference, as far as our ears and brains are concerned, is that the pitch thats twice the frequency of the other sounds higher. For example, the open E note on the first string and the E note at the 12th fret on that same string are said to be an octave apart. Notice how the two E notes sort of sound the same, yet different.
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An octave is divided into 12 half steps, or semitones. On the guitar, a half step is two notes that are right next to each other (one fret apart) on the same string. The complete set of 12 half steps that fall, within an octave comprises whats known as the chromatic scale. If you were to start on the note C, the scale would be spelled as follows: C C# D D# E F F# G G# A A# B C. The last note is an octave higher than the starting C note. Lets check this out on the guitar. Start at the eighth fret on the sixth (low E) string. That note is C. Now move up the string, one fret (half step) at a time, until you get to the 20th fret, which is the C note an octave higher than the C note we started on at the eighth fret. This is illustrated in FIGURE 1. What we are accustomed to hearing in Western music, though, is not the chromatic scale but a specific sequence of half steps and whole steps (a whole step is equal to two frets on the guitar) that form the major scale. We can see an example of this by looking at the Cmajor scale, the only major scale that contains no sharp (#) notes. The C-major scale is spelled D E F G A B C. This scale conforms to the standard major-scale interval pattern, which is: whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step (FIGURE 2).
Figure 3
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Once again, lets check this out on your guitar. Start on the C note at the eighth fret on the sixth string, and then move up this string by the designated interval pattern. Remember, a whole step is a two-fret jump, while a half step is only one fret. If you sound out these intervals correctly, youll hear the C-major scale (FIGURE 3). The cool thing about this interval pattern is that it works at any starting point on any string, something that will enable you to teach yourself how to play a major scale beginning on any note. For example, FIGURE 4 depicts the major scale starting on the note G, at the third fret on the low E string. Youll notice the interval pattern is exactly the same (whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half), but this time we see that one of the notes names contains a sharp (#). We have to play F# as opposed to F because the seventh note of the scale needs to be a whole step higher than the sixth note, which in this case is E. youll also see that F# is the right distance from the next note in the scale, G, whish is a half step above it.
Figure 4
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As a self-teaching exercise, practice using the whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step formula to construct major scales up the neck on every string, starting on the note D. Then do the same thing starting at A and E. Be sure to do this, because youre going to need the practice in order to tackle next months lesson. Hey, Im taking my time out from the debauchery of touring life to work on these columns, so I expect you to make time for this, too. Peace out.
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String Theory
by Brad Delson of Linkin Park
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Major Assignment learning all your major scales.
Last month, I explained how our ears have been conditioned to music and how were used to hearing certain patterns of notes. From the day were born, were exposed to an enormous amount of music. The result: you subconsciously began to digest and understand repeating-interval patterns. When you hear a particular note in a scale, you might anticipate the next note to follow. Certain musical themes might make you feel sad, while others make you feel happy. This is all based on cultural conditioning. If you grew up in India and were never exposed to Western music, you would react entirely differently to tonal relationships.
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So what does this have to do with last months homework?
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Figure 1
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Figure 2
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Good question. As I just explained, we react predictably to certain patterns of pitch, or scales. In Western culture, the most common scale is the major diatonic [seven-note] scale. As I illustrated
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last month, this scale follows a set interval pattern, or formula, no matter what note you start from: 1, 1, 1/2, 1, 1, 1, 1/2 (we say: whole-step, whole-step, half-step, whole-step, whole-step, wholestep, half-step). For example, as we learned last month, if you start on the note C, at the eighth fret on the sixth string in standard tuning, and play each successive note prescribed by the interval pattern (D E F G A B C), you will have played the C major diatonic scale (FIGURE 1). And, if you
completed your homework successfully, you will have sounded out and constructed the D, A, and E major scales, as well. Lets review by constructing the D major scale:
Starting on the keynote (a.k.a., the root note) D, write out the eight note names (not including the sharps) between it and its octave above. These are D, E, F, G, A, B, C and D. Then, beneath these notes, write out the standard major scale interval pattern (1, 1, 1/2, 1, 1, 1, 1/2), as illustrated in FIGURE 2. Next, begin to check each interval to see if its right by referring back to the C major scale (FIGURE 1). The first interval is a whole-step, or two fret, distance. Since D is naturally one wholestep apart from E, the first two notes are correct and no changes are necessary. The next interval is also supposed to be a whole-step. Here we have a problem. If you look at FIGURE 1 youll notice that the distance from E to F is only one half-step, or one fret. So we must raise (sharpen) F by one half-step to F# in order to make it fit into our interval pattern. As you can see by referring to the chromatic scale we also learned last month (FIGURE 3), F# is a whole-step away from the previous note in our D major scale, E, and one half-step from the next note, G. Remarkably, that conforms exactly to the standard interval pattern.
Figure 3
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If you complete this exercise correctly, you will find that the only other note in the D major scale you need to raise is C. Therefore, the correct D major scale notes are: D E F# G A B C# D (FIGURE 4). When you do the same exact thing with the A and E major scales, you should have come up with notes A B C# D E F# G# A for the A major scale and E F# G# A B C# D# E for the E major scale.
So, Brad, Ive done my homework, but how in the world can I use this in my playing?
Thats another good question. In order to demonstrate how all this theory impacts the fretboard, Id like to take this opportunity to present you with some diatonic patterns. These are the actual, physical manifestations of what were discussing, and the best thing is this: since they are only patterns, they can be amoved anywhere on the fretboard to represent the diatonic scale in any key. But for the time being, we will concentrate on learning the diatonic patterns in the key of G major.
Figure 4
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Figure 5
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Pattern 1 (FIGURE 5) begins on the keynote G at the third fret of the sixth string and utilizes three notes on each string. Here, the first three notes are G, A and B. As you follow this pattern across the neck toward the first string, you will sound out the succession of notes in the scale: C D E F# G A B C D, etc. So you play C, D and E on the A string, F#, G and A on the D string, and so on. When youre practicing this pattern ascending and descending, make sure not to cheat on the fingering, either. It should be played with the left-hand fingering shown in FIGURE 6.
Once youve memorized this pattern and are confident that you are fingering it correctly, begin to employ alternate picking. This means you should alternate the direction of your picking with an upstroke following each downstroke (down, up, down, up, down, up, etc.).
Figure 6
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This, my friends, is the first component of this months homework. Your other assignment is to finish constructing the major diatonic scales in each of the following keys: B, F# and C#. To review: write out each of the scales, beginning and ending with the keynote; plug in the interval pattern (1, 1, 1/2 1, 1, 1, 1/2) and then determine whether or not you need to alter any notes to make them conform to the interval formula. Both of these assignments are mandatory. You have all month to complete these tasks. By putting in a little time each week, you should have no problem being fully prepared for next months lesson.
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Hurts So Good Principles, patterns and the perils of performance.

So Im sitting in the back of our bus contemplating the injuries Ive sustained over the past two years of touring. Normally, when an
intelligent individual hurts himself, he allows his injury to heal. Unfortunately, our performance schedule ensures that I exacerbate my wounds every night! Im currently suffering from a swollen right foot (due to a previous altercation with a heavy object), mild stomach flu, a pesky pinkie cut and now a sharp pain between my shoulder blades. I cant wait for tomorrows show! What does all of this have to do with music theory? Theory: music can be quite hazardous to your health.
But thats not the kind of theory weve been exploring. Rather, weve spent the past two months discussing the kind of theory that explains the nature of Western music. If youve completed your homework from last months column, then you have (successfully or unsuccessfully) constructed major diatonic scales in the keys of B, F# and C#. If you have no idea what Im talking about here, I
strongly recommend you find the March and April 2002 issues of Guitar World. Looking at the formulas for these three scales (FIGURES 13), youll notice certain similarities: each major scale contains eight notes, including the keynote and its octave, and follows the standard interval pattern:
whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step.
Figure 1
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Figure 2
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Figure 3
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Their differences are determined by which notes must be raised one half-step, or sharped, in order to create the appropriate distance or interval between consecutive notes in the scale being constructed. In the B major scale (FIGURE 1), five notes must be sharpened: C, D, F, G and A. In the F# major scale (FIGURE 2), six notes (including the key note, F#) are raised. Notice also in this scale that E has become E#, even though theres really no such note because the note one half step above E is actually F. So why do we write E# as opposed to F? Because, as ridiculous as it may sound, thats what the laws of music theory dictate!
When the rules of major scale construction were written way back when, it was decreed that every major scale had to contain one of each note name (A, B, C, D, E, F and G), whether it is raised, lowered (flatted) or left natural. In other words, no major scale can contain two versions of the same note. So, F and F# in the same scale is illegal, hence the reason E# is written as the seventh note of the F# major scale as opposed to F natural. Likewise, in the C# major scale (FIGURE 3), which consists entirely of sharped notes, B# is the correct theoretical name for the seventh note, not C. Unnecessarily complex? Maybe. But dont blame me; I didnt create this rule.
Figure 4
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Interestingly enough, each of the scales weve constructed so far has had one more required change than the one before it. For example, the C major scale has no sharped or flatted notesall of its notes are natural. The next scale we looked at, G major, had one note that became a sharpF became F#. Notice that F# is the seventh note in the G major scale, and that in each subsequent scale weve constructed, we raised the seventh note, while the raised note(s) from the previous scale reappeared. For example, the next scale we looked at was D major, which has two sharps: F# and C#. F# was previously raised in G major and C# is the seventh note in the D major scale. And so the pattern continues. This pattern of increasing sharps (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.) occurs as you construct the major scales in a particular order. Well get into that next month.
Guitar World | Lessons | Brad Delson Hopefully youve come prepared with the other half of your homework and memorized the G major
diatonic pattern I showed you. This month you are to memorize the next two diatonic patterns (FIGURES 4 and 5). Each of these patterns has you playing three notes per string. Ive chosen to illustrate each one of them in two complementary ways: the first part of each figure shows you the fingering positions as they appear on the fretboard, while the second part presents the pattern in traditional tablature (TAB) form and shows it ascending and descending.
Figure 5
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As you practice these patterns, be sure to alternate the direction of your picking so that each downstroke is followed by an upstroke. Finally, pay special attention to the left-hand fingering guidelines accompanying each pattern. Its important that you use particular fingers as you navigate the fretboard. Bad habits are hard to break and can limit your speed and dexterity down the road.
Speaking of the road, its time for me to get into my bunk and go to sleep. Tomorrow is another show day, and the last thing I need is to add exhaustion to my list of impairments. Peace out.
String Theory
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Look Sharp Getting to know the cycle of fifths.

In my first column, I began to illustrate the importance of understanding music theory to becoming a great guitarist. Some
people might disagree. In fact, many guitar players can shred on their instruments without knowing why certain notes sound good together and why others dont. But to me, this is like playing blindly. By achieving even a basic understanding of what different musical elements are called, what relationships exist among them and why they evoke the emotional reaction they do, ones eyes can become as open as ones ears. The goal is to achieve awarenessnot only as guitar players but as musicians.
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All right, enough already. Stop preaching and start teaching!
Okay, Im sorry. I have a tendency to get a little didactic! Last month we finished constructing major scales in eight different keys: C, G, D, A, E, B, F# and C#. Interestingly, I pointed out that each one of these scales had one more modified (sharped) note than the one before it. For example, the C major scale has no sharpsall of its notes are natural. The G major scale has one sharp, F#. The D major scale has two sharps (F# and C#), A major has three sharps (F#, C# and G#), E major has four sharps (F#, C#, G# and D#) and so on
Figure 3
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This phenomenon of increasing sharps occurs as you construct the major scales in a particular order. You start with C major and proceed to construct the next major scale beginning on the fifth degree of each respective scale you finish. FIGURE 1 illustrates this with the notes of the C major scale. If you count forward from the first note, C, youll notice that G is the fifth degree (note) in this scale. So the next scale you construct is G major and, lo and behold, it has one modified note: F#. We then see that D is the fifth of G major, so D major is the next scale we construct, and it has two modified notes: C# and F#. Next, we construct the major scale beginning on A, which is the fifth of D major; then E (the fifth of A major), then B (the fifth of E major), then F# (the fifth of B major) and, last, C# (the fifth of F# major). By the time you reach the C# major scale, youll notice that all the notes in the scale have been sharped! In music theory books this sequence of keys is often referred to as the cycle of fifths for fairly obvious reasons.
Figure 4
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Fortunately, all this theory does have a real-world application: each of these scales can be played on
the guitar, and their physical manifestation comes in the form of diatonic fretboard patterns. For our purposes, weve been learning these patterns in the key of G major. Last month, I illustrated diatonic patterns 2 and 3. Ill give you the benefit of the doubt that you memorized both of these and can move up and down them fluidly. This month you are to memorize the remaining four diatonic patterns shown in FIGURES 25. Again, make sure to learn them ascending and descending, employing alternate picking, and using the appropriate left-hand fingers. These are the only four diatonic major patterns left, so I want you to have mastered them by next month.
Figure 5
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In the next column, well begin to move back and forth between these patterns, and youll see that they are not isolated but are interrelated with one another up and down the entire fretboard. Ill also demonstrate how to move these patterns so you can play them in any major key. In essence, by mastering these seven diatonic major patterns, youll be on your way to becoming a versatile guitar player and an accomplished musician.
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Stitchcraft How to join fretboard patterns.

Over the last few months weve been discussing the diatonic scale, an ordering of seven musical notes. Moreover, weve been learning
how to play the diatonic scale in the key of G major (G A B C D E F#). In the last three columns, Ive illustrated seven different fretboard patterns, all of which represent the G major scale in various positions up and down the neck. You can think of these seven patterns as overlapping snapshots of a very wide mural. In order to grasp the entire picture, though, one must first understand each of its component parts. So, in the preceding few columns Ive asked you to memorize all seven of these diatonic patterns.
Figure 1
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What Id like to do this month is show you the entire image of the wide fretboard mural Ive just described. While every one of the seven patterns youve recently learned is an individual entity, each one is really part of a wider musical fabric that spans the entire fretboard. Let me give you an
example that will illustrate exactly what Im talking about here. If you take a close look at Pattern 1 (FIGURE 1) and Pattern 2 (FIGURE 2), youll notice that the second and third notes of Pattern 1 are the first and second notes of Pattern 2. Likewise, the second and third notes on any string in Pattern 1 are the first and second notes on the same string in Pattern 2. I could point out the exact same phenomenon with any two consecutive patterns in the seven weve learned. What this establishes is
that each pattern overlaps the two below and above it and contains several of the same notes on the same strings. If some of this seems obvious, it proves an essential point.
Figure 2
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Figure 3
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Now that you have memorized each of the seven patterns individually, your next task is to practice moving laterally from one pattern to another. Once you can do this, youll have the mobility necessary to be able to solo fluidly in a particular key up and down the entire fretboard without having to stop and jump from one stationary position to another. FIGURE 3 is an exercise to get you started. As you can see, by using finger slides, you can seamlessly shift from one pattern to the next without pausing.
Figure 4
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Keep in mind that you can play each diatonic pattern 12 frets, or one octave, higher or lower than its
given position and remain in the same key. For example: since Pattern 1 begins at the third fret, you can also play it an octave higher beginning at the 15th fret and still remain in the key of G major, as illustrated in FIGURE 4. Consequently, dont think you have to stop once you get up to Pattern 7. Instead, play Pattern 1 an octave higher (Pattern 8), Pattern 2 an octave higher (Pattern 9), and so on, and continue soloing all the way up the neck until you run out of fretboard, as in FIGURE 5.
Figure 5
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Hopefully, this months column has helped you make some meaningful connections between the diatonic patterns weve been exploring. Next month, Ill show you how to use these patterns to play in any major key.

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Guitar World | Lessons | Brad Delson

Get by: over 30 hours of FREE guitar lessons!

Guitar World | Lessons | Brad Delson

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Guitar World | Lessons | Brad Delson

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Guitar World | Lessons | Brad Delson

Major Assignment learning all your major scales.

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So what does this have to do with last months homework?

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Guitar World | Lessons | Brad Delson

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Guitar World | Lessons | Brad Delson

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Guitar World | Lessons | Brad Delson

Hurts So Good Principles, patterns and the perils of performance.

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Guitar World | Lessons | Brad Delson

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Guitar World | Lessons | Brad Delson

Look Sharp Getting to know the cycle of fifths.

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All right, enough already. Stop preaching and start teaching!

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Guitar World | Lessons | Brad Delson

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Guitar World | Lessons | Brad Delson

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Guitar World | Lessons | Brad Delson

Stitchcraft How to join fretboard patterns.

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Guitar World | Lessons | Brad Delson

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