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Jeff's Lesson Notes

"Crowley Train - Website version"

 

Lesson

There are a few basic scales that are in play here.  First off Mr. Crowley is in the key of D minor, our little track here is in the key of A minor.  I left the intro basically the same except I changed the feel of it to a Train Feel taken from Blues actually. 

The scale used is the Dorian mode which is what Randy uses for the intro to Mr. Crowley itself.  The "A" Dorian mode is the "A" minor scale with a major 6th.  So the F or the 6th note in the A minor scale is made an F#.  (Check out the "Soloing 101" CD ROM for more on the modes.)
 

The pitches of our "A" Dorian scale are:  A, B, C, D, E, F#, G. 

Which for those of you who are astute and know the keys that's also a mixed up E minor scale.  So basically if we do a song in "A" Dorian mode we are doing most of our riffing and soloing with an E minor scale. 

Scale:  "A" Dorian mode, Based on our main theme riff, or at least part of it is anyway.
 

E_________________________________3_5______________
B___________________________3_5_7__________________
G_____________________2_4_5________________________
D_______________2_4_5______________________________
A_______0_2_3_5____________________________________
E_0_2_3____________________________________________

Now Dorian mode is not the only mode in play here with this track.  We also see a Phrygian mode fill during the verse section off of a C power chord.   Phrygian is a minor scale with a Flattened 2nd.

C Phrygian mode used for our verse fill.

E___________________________________________
B_1_2_______________________________________
G_____3_1_0_________________________________
D___________3_1_____________________________
A_______________4_3_________________________
E___________________________________________

Another Phrygian mode this time in E higher up.

Note:  This would be an E Phrygian mode if it were being done over either an Em chord pattern as in our solo.  This could also be looked at as an F Lydian mode, which is an F Major scale with a Sharp 4th if we were using this scale over an F chord pattern.  These names are all relative to what you're playing over and are often interpreted 100 different ways from Sunday by 100 different players. 
 

E____________________________________________12_13_15____
B___________________________________12_13_15_____________
G_____________________________12_14______________________
D____________________12_14_15____________________________
A__________12_14_15______________________________________
E_12_13_15_______________________________________________

Another thing with this type of playing is using the Major 7th with the minor.  This is usually referred to as "Harmonic minor".  You hear Randy do this in Mr. Crowley quite a bit. 

Below is a trill pattern in the key of my track that's similar to what Randy does in Mr. Crowley.  He does it over a D minor chord, mine is over an E minor chord.  For Mr. Crowley drop what's tabbed below 1 step, see video. 
 

     Em                                                                                                        Am7

E_11-12-11<trill__________________________________________________12_15-14-12_14^1/2~__
B_____________12-13-12<trill_________________________________12-13___________________
G_________________________11-12-11<trill______________11---12_________________________
D_____________________________________13-14-13<trill_________________________________
A_________________________________________________________________________________
E_________________________________________________________________________________

Now let's get into the track lesson and see what we can make of it.  I kept the track on a skill level that most of my site visitors should be able to handle.  If you don't have any effects and can't do the Octave part or what ever, don't worry, it sounds fine without an octave.  The most important effect for this type of sound will be a chorus and maybe a flanger, those two I highly recommend getting, but I suspect most of you have those anyway.

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