5 Keys To Better Songwriting: Exotic Scales Part 2 (Patreon)

Imagine Dave Mustaine of Megadeth calls you up to book a studio session. Holy sh!t, what are you gonna do!!? The plan is to cut 5 tracks over the course of one month. You need to show up at the studio with a handful of song ideas. We're talking riffs, licks and chord progressions. Below is my five step process to force inspiration when you're under pressure 👇

Welcome to the release of Exotic Scales Part 2! In this installment, we'll be covering the Byzantine scale. Instead of just learning a lifeless pattern on the fretboard, I'll be sharing 5 key components to cultivate the creative process with this exotic/erotic masterpiece. Download the full tabs below muhahaha!

🔑 1. DRONE ZONE

Contrary to popular belief, the creative process is something you can develop. Stop waiting for lightning to strike and use my PMS method generate ideas. PMS is an acronym standing for: personal experience, movies, music and stories. In this video, I'm using the myth of the ancient pharaoh. Visualizing a wicked mummy rising from the crypt to to spread his curse across the land changes how you play. Now, it's time for key #1. Once you have a concept in mind, turn on a drone like the one below 👇

E DRONE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUjoYO6VX_g

Play the Byzantine scale over this recurring pitch until you forget where you are. Let the world melt away and enter the DRONE ZONE. This is a flow state that unlocks the power of your mind. Gone are the distractions of social media, negative experiences at work, or relationship issues. It's just you handling your hardwood, traveling through the sands of time muhahaha

🔑 2. LICK MY LUV PUMP 

The 2nd key to unlocking your creativity is LICKS. Develop short melodic phrases by messing around with the scale over a drone. Use exotic articulations to catch a vibe....  vibrato, bending and legato. Make Dave Mustaine proud with the artistry of your work. This isn't about playing 666 bpm sweeps. Focus on memorable note choices that target the key tendency tones in the scale. Pitches like the b2nd, major 3rd and raised 7th

🔑 3. CHORD KING

The 3rd key in my creative process is the C WORD....chords. Chords are formed by selecting every other note of a scale. For example, the E Byzantine scale is spelled: E-F-G#-A-B-C-D#. Establish the base triad by playing E-G# and B, or every other note. Try this process with any scale to form chord progressions that reflect your emotional state. Shhhh, here's a secret....It sounds amazing to play the base triad E-G# and B, then adding the b2 "F" for seasoning 

🔑 4. COUNTERPOINT CONUNDRUMS 

My 4th key to get your creative juices flowing is another variety of C the WORD....COUNTERPOINT. Counterpoint is the study of how voices move. It's basically a way to piece together the skeleton of a song. In the video above, I use two voice counterpoint to make modifications to power chords. Be sure to watch my short tutorial on counterpoint in the first installment of this course below. This stage combines everything we've learned so far and prepares us for the final key that unlocks creative power. Get ready to blow Dave Mustaine away in the studio!

🔑 5. RIFF LORD 

The 5th key is GUITAR RIFFS. This is without a doubt the most enjoyable phase of the process. Nothing beats the level 666 pleasure that comes from blasting a massive riff from your amplifier at 420 decibels muhahaha! In the video above, I explain how I took counterpoint phrases and turned them into riffs with a pedal tone. The basic idea is to thump around on your open low E string while adding power chords. This ALWAYS WORKS. I can't think of a better way to end writers block and please Dave Mustaine muhahaha

⭐️ Stay tuned for the final chapter of my exotic scale series coming next week. If you need to catch up, check out the first installment below on phrygian dominant! 

🛑 Top 3 Exotic Scales Part One:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/100014632?pr=true