Vai Steve - Vaideology

Print ISBN: 978-1-5400-3099-3

ePub ISBN: 978-1-5400-4777-9

Kindle ISBN: 978-1-5400-4778-6

All illustrations by Steve Vai

Copyright 2019 SyVy Music (ASCAP)

International Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the Publisher.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

INTRODUCTION

Intellectual Understanding vs. Experiential Knowing

NOTES ON THE NECK (ACADEMIC STUDY)

Accidentals

Enharmonic Tones

Guitar Fretboard Notes

NOTES ON THE NECK (EXPERIENTIAL STUDY)

Listen Intensely

Note Recognition Exercise

NOTES (ADVANCED)

Microtones

Comprehensive Accidentals List

Advanced Note Recognition

SCALES (ACADEMIC STUDY)

G Major Scale

Intervals

Compound Intervals

Interval Table

SCALES (EXPERIENTIAL STUDY)

Listening

G Major Chord Progressions

ADVANCED INTERVALS (EXPERIENTIAL STUDY)

SCALES CONTINUED (ACADEMIC STUDY)

The Minor Scale

G Minor Scale

G Minor Chord Progressions

Pentatonic Scale

G Major Pentatonic Scale

Blues Scale

G Blues Scale

Practicing Scales

Exploring the Neck

G Blues Scale + B b Major Pentatonic Scale

Whole-Neck Awareness in G Blues

G Blues Scale + B b Major Pentatonic Scale Expanded

Make Every Note Work, Somehow

KEY SIGNATURES AND THE CIRCLE OF 5THS

Sharp Keys

Flat Keys

Relative Major and Minor Keys

Circle of 5ths

NOTES ON MANUSCRIPT (ACADEMIC STUDY)

Staff

Grand Staff

CLEFS (ADVANCED)

Percussion Clef

Various Percussion Staves

TRANSPOSING INSTRUMENTS

Guitar Transposition

Non-Transposing Instruments

Transposing Instruments

MUSICAL NOTES

CHORDS (ACADEMIC STUDY)

CHORDS (EXPERIENTIAL STUDY)

CHORD SPELLING (ACADEMIC STUDY)

Chord Spelling Library

Chord Symbol Dictionary

CHORD SPELLING (ADVANCED STUDY)

Close Voicing

Open Voicing

Chord Inversions

CHORDS (EXPERIENTIAL STUDY CONTINUED)

WRITING MUSIC (ACADEMIC STUDY)

Note Values

POLYRHYTHMS

CONTENTS

POLYRHYTHMS (ADVANCED)

Tuplet Terminology

POLYRHYTHMS (EXPERIENTIAL STUDY)

TIME SIGNATURES (ACADEMIC)

Common Time: 4/4 Meter

Waltz Time: 3/4 Meter

March Time: 2/4 Meter

Duple, Triple, Quadruple, Simple, and Compound Meter

Meter Chart

Complex (Odd) Time Signatures

TIME SIGNATURES (ADVANCED)

Composite Meter

Poly-Meter (or Poly-Metric)

GUITAR TABLATURE

Guitar Tab

GUITAR TAB ARTICULATION AND ORNAMENTATION

COMPOSING MUSIC

Tempo

Tempo Alterations

Tempo and Metric Modulations

Repetition Signs

Articulations

Note Articulations

Dynamics

Dynamics Chart

Dynamic Accents

COMPOSING MUSIC CONTINUED

Crescendo

Decrescendo

Octave Sign

GUITAR HARMONICS

Natural Harmonics

Artificial Harmonics

READING GUITAR RHYTHM

RHYTHM (EXPERIENTIAL STUDY)

THE GROOVE

CHORD SCALES (ACADEMIC STUDY)

CHORD SUBSTITUTIONS

MODES (ACADEMIC STUDY)

Modes Table with Chord Scales

MODAL PROGRESSIONS

Ionian Mode (Major Scale): First Mode of the Major Scale

Dorian Mode: Second Mode of the Major Scale

D Dorian Mode (Eighth Position)

Phrygian Mode: Third Mode of the Major Scale

E Phrygian Mode (10th Position)

Lydian Mode: Fourth Mode of the Major Scale

F Lydian Mode (Open Position)

Mixolydian Mode: Fifth Mode of the Major Scale

G Mixolydian Mode (First Position)

Aeolian Mode: Sixth Mode of the Major Scale

A Aeolian Mode (Third Position)

Locrian Mode: Seventh Mode of the Major Scale

B Locrian Mode (Fifth Position)

Additional Chord Tensions

OTHER SCALES

Harmonic Minor Scale

Harmonic Minor Modes

Melodic Minor Scale

Melodic Minor Modes

Diminished Scale

Altered Scale

Even More Scales

Hexatonic Scales

Pentatonic Scales

IN CLOSING

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Big thanks go to all the phenomenal music and life mentors Ive had throughout my career: Bill Westcott, Joe Satriani, Wes Hensel, Joe Bell, Mike Metheny, Frank Zappa, and David Lee Roth.

And sincere thanks to all the campers that have joined the Vai Academy retreats. I learn so much from all of you, and this document was originally written for you.

Thanks also to Jason Henke for his editing, Jay Graydon for his insight, and special thanks to Cory McCormick for finding all my errors.

INTRODUCTION

In short This document is a guide to the fundamentals of music theory for the aspiring guitar player.

In long Do you need to know music theory to be a good musician? Thats one of the commonly asked questions I hear when speaking to aspiring guitarists. It seems to be a source of confusion and concern for many. Heres something to ponder: whatever you are interested in, you will naturally seek out to understand because you are interested in it. If you find yourself fascinated with understanding the language of music, nothing will stop you from seeking it out and making it part of your musical vocabulary.