TSJMajesty
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Don't know why I didn't think of that.
Although my ring finger isn't much faster. Maybe because I use my pinky a lot.
Triplet/Sextuplet Technique
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Although my ring finger isn't much faster. Maybe because I use my pinky a lot.
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I have been shocked and amazed to discover how many great players didn't use their
pinky as much as maybe many of us assume.
TSJMajesty
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More DT- On The Backs of Angels, blazing sextuplet run @ to end the solo:
The Sonsterr tab has some mistakes in various places, but I corrected the few wrong notes in this run by watching the lesson JP had on it a while back. The fingering is different than how he plays it, but aside from the 5 notes on the B string in the beginning, if you look at the # of notes on each string, it's always 6 until the very end. An even # of notes on each string means whichever pick slant direction you use, you can keep it the same all the way through. Which in this case, since I start on a downstroke, it's backwards PS.
JP does a shift on beat 3 and plays the D/19 as a G/14 instead, both an "A" note, and when he gets an octave lower, he does the same thing, moving that A from E/17, where I have it, to A/12. Both of which results in an odd # of notes on every string, meaning you have to use 2-way PS. I feel the lick is hard enough without having to do that, so that's why I changed it.
But I still can't play it @ 138!!
www.songsterr.com
The Sonsterr tab has some mistakes in various places, but I corrected the few wrong notes in this run by watching the lesson JP had on it a while back. The fingering is different than how he plays it, but aside from the 5 notes on the B string in the beginning, if you look at the # of notes on each string, it's always 6 until the very end. An even # of notes on each string means whichever pick slant direction you use, you can keep it the same all the way through. Which in this case, since I start on a downstroke, it's backwards PS.
JP does a shift on beat 3 and plays the D/19 as a G/14 instead, both an "A" note, and when he gets an octave lower, he does the same thing, moving that A from E/17, where I have it, to A/12. Both of which results in an odd # of notes on every string, meaning you have to use 2-way PS. I feel the lick is hard enough without having to do that, so that's why I changed it.
But I still can't play it @ 138!!
On The Backs Of Angels Tab by Dream Theater | Songsterr Tabs with Rhythm
On The Backs Of Angels Tab by Dream Theater. Free online tab player. One accurate version. Play along with original audio
TSJMajesty
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So if you have a riff/lick/solo that's counted in groups of 3, either as triplets or sextuplets, I'm finding I tend to accent every 3rd/6th note, as a way to keep the pulse going, and to help keep me in time. But just to make sure every note is when it's supposed to be, I'm also playing certain riffs as 16th notes. I change the tempo so I'm playing the same # of notes per minute, but it actually helps keep the entire riff sync'd to the beat.
Like if you were doing a series of 5-7-8 on 2 adjacent strings, counted as triplets, most likely you'll nail the "5" perfectly each time. But say you're doing them as hammer-ons..., because of the connection between the ring & pinky fingers, the 7 & 8 might not be exactly "on time."
So in addition to changing the timing to 16th notes, because it moves the beat to a different note than just the "5", I'll also change the starting note.
Many of these sextuplet riffs end up being groups of 12 or 24 notes, which work just fine counted as 16th notes also, cuz math.
In that legato solo part of In The Name of God, changing the count to 16th notes really helps show me where my timing is a bit off. And sure, I'm talking about very small timing deviations, but I figure if I'm trying to learn Petrucci solos, I may as well get my timing as good as I can possibly get it.
Because even though I can play some of these much faster than I'm currently practicing them, that's when they start losing accuracy. So my goal in changing the timing like this, is that it will help me remain accurate as I gradually increase the tempo.
I doubt I'll ever get some of these up to tempo; I mean they're insanely fast! But there's a few of them that are within my reach, and I want to get em perfect! Cuz they sound so freaking good when they are!!
Like if you were doing a series of 5-7-8 on 2 adjacent strings, counted as triplets, most likely you'll nail the "5" perfectly each time. But say you're doing them as hammer-ons..., because of the connection between the ring & pinky fingers, the 7 & 8 might not be exactly "on time."
So in addition to changing the timing to 16th notes, because it moves the beat to a different note than just the "5", I'll also change the starting note.
Many of these sextuplet riffs end up being groups of 12 or 24 notes, which work just fine counted as 16th notes also, cuz math.
In that legato solo part of In The Name of God, changing the count to 16th notes really helps show me where my timing is a bit off. And sure, I'm talking about very small timing deviations, but I figure if I'm trying to learn Petrucci solos, I may as well get my timing as good as I can possibly get it.
Because even though I can play some of these much faster than I'm currently practicing them, that's when they start losing accuracy. So my goal in changing the timing like this, is that it will help me remain accurate as I gradually increase the tempo.
I doubt I'll ever get some of these up to tempo; I mean they're insanely fast! But there's a few of them that are within my reach, and I want to get em perfect! Cuz they sound so freaking good when they are!!
TSJMajesty
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More sextuplet hell!
This one will get that pinky in shape!
From In The Presence of Enemies, Pt.1. Even though it's tabbed in 5/8 & 7/8, it can be counted as sextuplets @ 123 bpm.
D string and G string riffs played twice...
This one is played 4x's
Actually the downbeats in these final 3 bars make it better counted as 16th notes @ 184!! (6/4.)
Then right back to main intro theme.
The tabs are wrong in the part I posted, but much of the other parts are still useful:
www.songsterr.com
This one will get that pinky in shape!
From In The Presence of Enemies, Pt.1. Even though it's tabbed in 5/8 & 7/8, it can be counted as sextuplets @ 123 bpm.
D string and G string riffs played twice...
This one is played 4x's
Actually the downbeats in these final 3 bars make it better counted as 16th notes @ 184!! (6/4.)
Then right back to main intro theme.
The tabs are wrong in the part I posted, but much of the other parts are still useful:
In The Presence Of Enemies Part 1 Tab by Dream Theater | Songsterr Tabs with Rhythm
In The Presence Of Enemies Part 1 Tab by Dream Theater. Free online tab player. One accurate version. Play along with original audio
Last edited:
TSJMajesty
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Technical Difficulties! A blistering 130 bpm, (of course!)
Paul's pinky is almost as long as his ring finger, so he can play this all as 3 NPS. Mine is much shorter, so that's why I switch to the D/14 near the end.
And the high harmony, in which I do a similar thing on the A/17 in the last bar:
www.songsterr.com
Paul's pinky is almost as long as his ring finger, so he can play this all as 3 NPS. Mine is much shorter, so that's why I switch to the D/14 near the end.
And the high harmony, in which I do a similar thing on the A/17 in the last bar:
Technical Difficulties Tab by Paul Gilbert | Songsterr Tabs with Rhythm
Technical Difficulties Tab by Paul Gilbert. Free online tab player. One accurate version. Play along with original audio
metropolis_4
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I was starting to get into Christmas music yesterday and thought of this thread as I was playing this song. That section right around 2min.
It’s not 3 note per string shred, but keeping that pattern going for that long and keeping it consistent is a fun challenge for me.
It’s not 3 note per string shred, but keeping that pattern going for that long and keeping it consistent is a fun challenge for me.
TSJMajesty
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One of my favorite DT songs, and a really cool harmonic minor lick to end the solo (at a blistering 128 bpm.) Never Enough
By the way, there's a simple chord progression in this part that gives you the harmonic minor.
Fm
G
Bbm
C
If you look closely, when you go from a minor chord up to a major chord 1 step higher, there's a 3 half-step jump between the minor 3rd of the Bbm and the major 3rd of the C. And that wide interval translates to this pattern in the scale. And gives you an F harmonic minor scale. But I don't know what mode you'd call it.
The notes of that wide, minor 3rd interval are C#-E, and you see them in this run:
Btw, this is tabbed for a guitar in D std.
And in typical DT fashion, right after the solo ends, they keep the same exact chord progression, but transpose it down a minor 3rd. Idk why or how it works, but it does. And retains that harmonic minor tonality/flavor!
www.songsterr.com
By the way, there's a simple chord progression in this part that gives you the harmonic minor.
Fm
G
Bbm
C
If you look closely, when you go from a minor chord up to a major chord 1 step higher, there's a 3 half-step jump between the minor 3rd of the Bbm and the major 3rd of the C. And that wide interval translates to this pattern in the scale. And gives you an F harmonic minor scale. But I don't know what mode you'd call it.
The notes of that wide, minor 3rd interval are C#-E, and you see them in this run:
Btw, this is tabbed for a guitar in D std.
And in typical DT fashion, right after the solo ends, they keep the same exact chord progression, but transpose it down a minor 3rd. Idk why or how it works, but it does. And retains that harmonic minor tonality/flavor!
Never Enough Tab by Dream Theater | Songsterr Tabs with Rhythm
Never Enough Tab by Dream Theater. Free online tab player. One accurate version. Play along with original audio
Warmart
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One of my favorite DT songs, and a really cool harmonic minor lick to end the solo (at a blistering 128 bpm.) Never Enough
By the way, there's a simple chord progression in this part that gives you the harmonic minor.
Fm
G
Bbm
C
If you look closely, when you go from a minor chord up to a major chord 1 step higher, there's a 3 half-step jump between the minor 3rd of the Bbm and the major 3rd of the C. And that wide interval translates to this pattern in the scale. And gives you an F harmonic minor scale. But I don't know what mode you'd call it.
The notes of that wide, minor 3rd interval are C#-E, and you see them in this run:
View attachment 33721
Btw, this is tabbed for a guitar in D std.
And in typical DT fashion, right after the solo ends, they keep the same exact chord progression, but transpose it down a minor 3rd. Idk why or how it works, but it does. And retains that harmonic minor tonality/flavor!
Never Enough Tab by Dream Theater | Songsterr Tabs with Rhythm
Never Enough Tab by Dream Theater. Free online tab player. One accurate version. Play along with original audio
One of these days I'll understand more than 2 words in one of your musical dissection posts.
TSJMajesty
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Lemme see if I can simplify:One of these days I'll understand more than 2 words in one of your musical dissection posts.
Play a major scale. Let's use C, so there's no sharps or flats. So without using any notes, it goes:
A/3-5-7
D/3-5-7
G/4-5-7
B/5-6-8
E/5-7-8
CDEFGABC
So that's the C major scale across 2 octaves.
Now, start it on the D/7 and end it on the E/5, and even though it's the same notes, it's now an A minor scale.
ABCDEFGA
Next, raise the B/8 to B/9, and now it's an A harmonic minor scale.
ABCDEFG#A
That wide interval I mentioned earlier is between the B/6 and B/9 notes, which is F-G#.
Those 2 notes, if they are the 3rds in these 2 chords- Dm and F major, you have a simple chord progression that you could play the A harmonic minor scale over top of.
Maybe that'll help...
TSJMajesty
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BTW, because of that wide interval, that's unique to that scale, it imparts a different tonality to musical lines that use it. Once you hear it a few times, you get to know it. I love the sound of it, and since DT uses it a lot, it's probably one of the reasons I gravitate to their music so much.
metropolis_4
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In minor keys, diatonically the V chord should be minor, but it’s very common to use a major V because it creates a stronger resolution back to the i. The 3rd of that chord is the VII tone of the scale, so it gets raised a half step creating that interval you mentioned.
Fm = F G Ab Bb C Db Eb F
The V is C, so diatonically with the notes in that scale we would have C Eb G, or Cm. Raising the 3rd to create the major third gives us an E natural - CEG.
That gives us F harmonic minor:
F G Ab Bb C Db E F
Fm = F G Ab Bb C Db Eb F
The V is C, so diatonically with the notes in that scale we would have C Eb G, or Cm. Raising the 3rd to create the major third gives us an E natural - CEG.
That gives us F harmonic minor:
F G Ab Bb C Db E F
TSJMajesty
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To hear that, listen to this:
Chords are:
Gm
Cm
F
Bb
Cm
D7
There's that wide interval btw the 3rds of those 2 chords, and the D7 is the major V chord met refers to.
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