Cracker low impov scale?

[Triocd]

really easy song to play but I can't find a simple scale that fits over it for the solo. Anyone have any recommendations?

Chords are d, c, e, g repeating over and over

 

[JonR]

For the most part, it's really just the bass playing those roots, and the vocal and guitar are implying Em pent (kind of).
The notes D C E and G all belong to Am pent (not Em), but the keynote does seem to be E throughout. I can get Em pent to work on it pretty much all the way.
In the chorus you get full chords, and they all seem to be major (even the E). But E does sound like the key, and D C and G major chords all come from E minor.
If you think Em pent doesn't quite fit here and there, think about the notes in each (potential) chord.
If you want to stick with familiar pent patterns, go from Bm pent on D to Am pent on C, and Em pent on the E and G. Then you'll be basically using the entire E minor/G major scale, but split into pents that fit the chords.

 

[Triocd]

Thanks that helps a lot! For such a simple dong I've found you need to move around a bit for it to work

 

[muzishun]

Thanks that helps a lot! For such a simple dong I've found you need to move around a bit for it to work

Pardon?

 

[amstrtatnut]

I dont have a guitar in hand, but hear it as

bVII- bVI-I the G is sort of a turn around III.

All indicating e minor except the I is major.

I have a friend who would call it E either. Sort of a rock and roll thing.

I agree with Jon but I might play the note G# over the E chord instead of G natural. Ill try it later when I get home.

 

[stevel]

Play notes from the D chord on the D chord, notes from the C chord on the C chord, Notes from the G chord on the G chord and notes from the E chord on the E chord.

Music like this is not really "in a key" in the textbook sense. That means you can't play just one scale over it, unless you intentionally avoid notes that don't go with any one chord - either temporarily, while that chord sounds, or for the entire phrase - and the latter is kind of what Jon is hitting on with certain pentatonics - they're restricting the note set to notes that are more likely to work in more places (though a 4 note or 6 note set might work, pentatonics are a convenience for us).

In a more modern "blues/rock/modal" hybrid, it is "in E", meaning it uses notes from E Major and E Minor, as well as Modes based on E in various combinations.

And in blues-based pop, the use of a minor pentatonic over a primarily minor, but major Tonic type progression lends a "bluesiness" to it that "works" (this is not unlike "Hey Joe" in that respect).

A great alternative would be to learn the original solo and see what that person did with it!

 

[lifeinsong]

Try either an E Minor Pentatonic or an E Blues scale.

 

[Triocd]

Pardon?

Translation: one scale doesn't work that well over all the chords

 

[JonR]

Translation: one scale doesn't work that well over all the chords

I think it was the "simple dong" that prompted the "pardon?"

It's certainly true that - for any kind of dong - "I've found you need to move around a bit for it to work".

Seems a little off topic, however....

 

[RLD]

 

[Triocd]

I think it was the "simple dong" that prompted the "pardon?"

It's certainly true that - for any kind of dong - "I've found you need to move around a bit for it to work".

Seems a little off topic, however....

Lol I get it now. I'm a little slow

 

[Clifford-D]

really easy song to play but I can't find a simple scale that fits over it for the solo. Anyone have any recommendations?

Chords are d, c, e, g repeating over and over

It would be a piece of cake if the chords were reversed, G E C D. But it doesn't.
D C E G is quite weak comparitively. But so is the song Hey Joe and that works fine.

The fact that the I IV V chords are present leads me to think the ending chord is G.

If E minor pent/E blues scale is used for soloing then I suggest the tune ends on the E that could be expanded to an E7 (I7).

Only after G and E are proven to be wrong would I consider D as the ending.

Why the last chord, most songs come to rest at the end on what would be considered the I (one).

Without these guideposts I have requested I'm at a loss to be certain what to do.

What chord does the tune end on?

 

[JonR]

It would be a piece of cake if the chords were reversed.
G E C D.

What difference would that make?

What chord does the tune end on?

E.

- meaning they probably regard the key as E - and guitar does lean on E a lot over all the chords.

 

[Clifford-D]

What difference would that make?
E.

- meaning they probably regard the key as E - and guitar does lean on E a lot over all the chords.

Sorry, as usual I'm using my phone and didn't even see there was a link to the tune.

Let me listen too it.

 

[Clifford-D]

Ok, listened to it, I am convinced it is Em not E. And that makes the whole thing come into focus.

It's in Em, and even though I didn't hear the last chord me hears it be Em, the relative minor of G, simple. E minor blues all the way, no G#.

JonR, I'm surprised you didnt hear Em.

 

[Phletch]

And in blues-based pop, the use of a minor pentatonic over a primarily minor, but major Tonic type progression lends a "bluesiness" to it that "works" (this is not unlike "Hey Joe" in that respect).

Beat me to it. Same chords (without the A, of course) and different order (not cycling 5ths, a la "Hey Joe"), but still the Hey Joe "thing".

Ok, listened to it, I am convinced it is Em not E. And that makes the whole thing come into focus.

It's in Em, and even though I didn't hear the last chord me hears it be Em, the relative minor of G, simple. E minor blues all the way, no G#.

JonR, I'm surprised you didnt hear Em.

Cliff, I'm surprised you didn't hear Emaj; and see it - the singer/rhythm guitarist is hitting the open Emaj cowboy chord throughout. Em pent or E blues works fine because "Hey Joe".

 

[T92780]

Ok, listened to it, I am convinced it is Em not E. And that makes the whole thing come into focus.

It's in Em, and even though I didn't hear the last chord me hears it be Em, the relative minor of G, simple. E minor blues all the way, no G#.

JonR, I'm surprised you didnt hear Em.

Seemed he did when I read his earlier post. Actually, thread was dead after his post.

 

[Clifford-D]

I dont have a guitar in hand, but hear it as

bVII- bVI-I the G is sort of a turn around III.

All indicating e minor except the I is major.

I have a friend who would call it E either. Sort of a rock and roll thing.

I agree with Jon but I might play the note G# over the E chord instead of G natural. Ill try it later when I get home.

The note G# is a sore thumb, it's clunky voice leading, it isn't pleasant.

The chord C has a G in it, and the G chord has a G in it. Why would we put a G# in the E chord? The Em chord has the G notes and that ties C, Em and G together. Heck, it ties the D into the key of G or relative minor Em.

You can hear the G in the Em stay a G in the G chord, just listen to the G's, no clunky G# do my ears hear.

 

[Phletch]

The note G# is a sore thumb, it's clunky voice leading, it isn't pleasant.

Nevertheless, it's there.

The chord C has a G in it, and the G chord has a G in it. Why would we put a G# in the E chord? The Em chord has the G notes and that ties C, Em and G together. Heck, it ties the D into the key of G or relative minor Em.

You're trying to reverse engineer it. They broke your rules.

You can hear the G in the Em stay a G in the G chord, just listen to the G's, no clunky G# do my ears hear.

You can hear the G if you want to, but the G# is there laughing at you.

My crystal balls are telling me this song has the potential to be the next "Sweet Home Alabama."

 

[muzishun]

I hear it in D.