Harmonized Scales for Guitar

Harmonizing scales as chords on the guitar by [email protected] There are endless chord voicing possibilities within any given scale -- just stack a chosen structure of diatonic intervals on top of each scale step and voila! Unfortunately, instrument and player capabilities are not limitless, therefore not all voicings are viable in every situation. Harmonizing scales as chords can yield very bizarre and big-sounding voicings, which can be used in modal contexts of the base scale (minding the avoid notes, if any). For example, C melodic minor scale chords could be used for:

õ

add 9

Cm

D

E

5

õ

7 add 11

ø

F

õ

7 5 9

A

B

Here's a set of voicing structures, which can be used to enhance the harmony and visualize scales on the fretboard in non-trivial interval combinations. Occasionally, heavy finger stretching is involved. Make sure to test them in real music situations, find out how each voicing sounds (not all of them are equally interesting) and experiment with your own interval stacks!

C melodic minor harmonized as stacked 5th , 2nd and 5th

K
KKK I

X

II

X

X

X X

X

X

X

v

iv

X X

X X

x

X

X X

X X

I

III

II X

X

X

X

X X

X X

O

X X

X

X X

X X


KKKK I

X X

II X X

vii

IV

III X X

viii

x

X X

xii

1

xii

X X

vii

KKKK

VI

V

X X

VII

X X

xiii

X

v

KKKK

KKKK

KKKK

VII X

x

iv

C major harmonized as stacked 4th , 2nd and 3rd

KKK K

viii

KK KK X

ix

ii

KKK K

X X

VI X

vii

x

viii

X

xii

KK KK

V X

v

iii

X X

X

X

vi

KK KK

IV X

X

x

iv

KK KK

KK KK

VII X

X X

iii

KK KK

X

viii

C melodic minor harmonized as stacked 3rd , 5th and 3rd

X

X

vii

xii

K
KK K

VI

V X

K KK K

K KK K

K KKK

IV

III

X

ii

K KKK

K KKK

K KKK

X X

xv

xvii

C major harmonized as stacked fourths

KK KK

K
KKK I

II

X X

IV

III X X

X X

x

V

X X

II

I

X X

X X

III

vii

O

I

vii

IV

III

II X X

X X

X X

viii

KKK K

KK KK

KK KK

KKK K

VII

VI X X

X X

v

iii

C major harmonized as stacked 2nd , 5th and 2nd

X X

X X

ix

KKK K

KKK K

x

viii


KKKK

vii

V

IV X X

X X

X X

v

KKK K

KKK K

KKK K

KKK K


KKK K

X X

iii

C major harmonized as stacked 3rd , 4th and 2nd

VII

VI

X X

xii

KK KK

KK KK

KK KK

KK KK

KK KK

x

O

V O

X X

KKK K

KKK K

VII

VI X X

X X

iii

Version 1 , January 29, 2010 , [email protected] Engraved with the great LilyPond!

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v