I'm told this wont work...

[krth1985]

Putting a bass line to one of our original songs:

Verse:
Em D Cmaj7

Now the way I wanted to play it was like this:

On the Cmaj7, I would play Root, 3,4,5 of the maj scale - which then enables me so slide nicely up to the A and on 'D' string for the breakdown. But the guitarist says that wont work, because the song is in Em. I am not really big on theory, I know the major, minor, and pent scales but just kind of work by ear to see which one I can apply to said song. So i'm just wondering, does that not work? and why?

Edited July 6, 2010 by krth1985

[velvetkevorkian]

I guess he's thinking because the 4th of C major is an F natural, which could clash with the F# of the key signature. If he's playing a Cmaj7 chord that's not the case though. I can't see it making a big difference to the tonality just tell him its a passing note if he tries to argue.

Remember, theory is descriptive, not prescriptive. Its a way of describing what you're doing, not restricting what you can do. Ultimately, if it sounds good, it is good!

[jj1234]

[quote name='velvetkevorkian' post='887410' date='Jul 6 2010, 03:30 PM']I guess he's thinking because the 4th of C major is an F natural, which could clash with the F# of the key signature. If he's playing a Cmaj7 chord that's not the case though. I can't see it making a big difference to the tonality just tell him its a passing note if he tries to argue.

Remember, theory is descriptive, not prescriptive. Its a way of describing what you're doing, not restricting what you can do. Ultimately, if it sounds good, it is good![/quote]



it won't sound very normal, and your friend is right. if you're in e minor (of which the relative major is g) then they key signature has an F sharp as opposed to an F in it. Therefore the the Cmaj7 implies the C lydian mode: C D E Fsharp G A B C.

obviously it's not necessary to always stick to signatures, but it will definitely sound distinctive if you put an f natural in.

EDIT: so you can go 3 4 5, but as you're in the lydian mode, the 4th is sharp as I described above.

Edited July 6, 2010 by jj1234

[sprocketflup]

Dischords can sound good tho ( I hope anyway, Im ever so good at them lol)

Easist thing to do is try it next time you two are in the same room with your instruments I would have thought?

[endorka]

Although I'd have to hear the tune to be sure, I'd be inclined to go with the F# rather than F natural. Not only because F# is in the key of the tune, as others have suggested, but playing the fourth in a major chord tends to clash with the third - in this case you would have F against an E, a very dissonant sound unless separated by a substantial number of octaves.

F natural could work as a passing note in this context, but will generally only function correctly in this case as part of a descending figure, i.e. F going to E works because you are moving chromatically from dissonance to consonance, but going from F to G is not chromatic and therefore the change does not have the same "gravity" and obvious resolution, as it were.

A couple of other possibilties: C, E, G, G# (then to A) - G# is the passing note.

Or if you could add an extra note: C, E, F, F#, G

Jennifer

[krth1985]

Sorry, I have edited the post to say "On the Cmaj7, I would play Root, 3,4,5 of the maj scale" - I dont know if thats what you understood me to mean anyway...

Thanks for your advice guys, I didnt want to just say "ok" and not know why!!