Major/Minor in E

BoogieMan

BoogieMan

Blues Junior
The other day I was noodling around in Box 1 in the low E position (open 6th string) and decided to try switching to major by playing box 2 in that position but realized that you can't play box 2 using the open 6th string root.  I guess the only way to do this would be to use box 3 instead beginning on the 2nd fret 6th string.  Any other ideas?
 
W

wgabree

Blues Newbie
The 1st and 2nd string notes are available (B, C#, E & F#) and are used in some classic major blues licks - like Freddie King's "Hide Away."

:cool:
 
B

Blues_Man

Blues Newbie
yes your on point box 3 maj definitely works in it's entirely and your correct about box 2 may not working entirely

so to answer only some of box 2 is available not the entire pattern

you'll have to blend the notes you want, some of which wayne suggested
 
Marv

Marv

I play 'err' guitar.
I would think tuning down a half-step would also open up all of box 2 in E down by the nut, allowing you to do the major/minor mix you sought in the first place.

Since E is such a popular key for blues, it might be one reason a lot of people tune down?
 
W

wgabree

Blues Newbie
Marv - I like standard tuning for E blues;  tuning down would get ride of all the available open string notes for MINOR blues.

That's my favorite part of blues in E on the guitar!

:cool:
 
Chuck

Chuck

Moderator (One of the Men in Black!)
Staff member
I have to admit that Blues in E hasn't been one of my favorites. It's always scared me off because I'm not comfortable in Box 1 and the open strings. I'm also not very comfortable up at the 12 fret and beyond.

I am getting better and more comfortable as I progress. I wouldn't want to tune my guitar around my weakness, it wouldn't help me with my problem.

I'm with Wayne on this, I just need to keep working at it.
 
W

wgabree

Blues Newbie
I have to admit that Blues in E hasn't been one of my favorites. It's always scared me off because I'm not comfortable in Box 1 and the open strings. I'm also not very comfortable up at the 12 fret and beyond.

I am getting better and more comfortable as I progress. I wouldn't want to tune my guitar around my weakness, it wouldn't help me with my problem.

I'm with Wayne on this, I just need to keep working at it.
Click to expand...

Chuck - it takes some time to get used to it.  It's a much different feel playing off the open strings.  But once you get it, you'll love it!  Freddie King's "Hide Away" is a good intro to some cool Maj & Min riffs using open strings in E.

:cool:
 
B

Blues_Man

Blues Newbie
i felt the same way about open box strings in E as chuck,

recently i did some study on SRV songs in open and wow it just all clicked for me,

he just mainly uses the same intervals over and over with rapid hammers/pulls,

once i recognized the intervals, open box in E was demystified for me ;)

yes i know he was tuned down 1/2 but that doesn't affect the fingerings so you can duplicate in standard,

cheers



and ditto's on waynes suggestion, hideaway is a great song that we should all learn at some point, i did and play it a lot, although hideaway didn't help me with open E like SRV did !
 
W

wgabree

Blues Newbie
i felt the same way about open box strings in E as chuck,

recently i did some study on SRV songs in open and wow it just all clicked for me,

he just mainly uses the same intervals over and over with rapid hammers/pulls,

once i recognized the intervals, open box in E was demystified for me ;)

yes i know he was tuned down 1/2 but that doesn't affect the fingerings so you can duplicate in standard,

cheers



and ditto's on waynes suggestion, hideaway is a great song that we should all learn at some point, i did and play it a lot, although hideaway didn't help me with open E like SRV did !
Click to expand...

funny - I almost mentioned SRV as a source for learning open E ;-)

also, there is a riff I learned from guitar world that opened that position up;  I'll see if I can find it and post it

:cool:
 
Chuck

Chuck

Moderator (One of the Men in Black!)
Staff member
Wayne, Do you have the GP Tab for Hideaway from Albert King by Chance?
 
Marv

Marv

I play 'err' guitar.
I have to admit that Blues in E hasn't been one of my favorites. It's always scared me off because I'm not comfortable in Box 1 and the open strings. I'm also not very comfortable up at the 12 fret and beyond.

I am getting better and more comfortable as I progress. I wouldn't want to tune my guitar around my weakness, it wouldn't help me with my problem.

I'm with Wayne on this, I just need to keep working at it.
Click to expand...

Chuck - it takes some time to get used to it.  It's a much different feel playing off the open strings.  But once you get it, you'll love it!  Freddie King's "Hide Away" is a good intro to some cool Maj & Min riffs using open strings in E.

:cool:
Click to expand...

I'm kind of where Chuck is on open-E box 1 comfort level, Wayne. 

Your reasons for loving open-string E are my reasons for hating it. Minimalist that I am, I hate these pattern exceptions.  ;)  I don't want a different feel. I want a consistent feel! Why learn this great way to play blues in E only to find I can't use it in any other key (without a capo)? I even tried playing box 1 in E by "fretting the nut".  ::)

I would just tune down, but the location of the fret markers and the notes on the e-strings are so ingrained in my head, I always end up playing everything else in the wrong key.  :mad: Don't really want to redot ALL of my guitars.

So gradually I'm coming around. Improvising, I still find it easier to start in minor box 2 on the third fret, then work my way down into open-string box 1. 

Though it's coming along, playing in E will usually find me in boxes 1 and 2 up on the 12th and 15th frets.
 
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wgabree

Blues Newbie
Here's the guitar world super riff - Andy Aledort:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6YV1luoBTQ

quality isn't very good, but when it get's to the slow demo of open E riff, I think you'll get it.

Don't worry about playing it fast - each phrase within it is a cool riff by itself played at the demo speed.

I've got the tab and I'll post it tomorrow.

:cool:
 
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wgabree

Blues Newbie
Here the tab to the Andy Aledort riff:

e-blues-lick.JPG


I've been practicing using these licks for a few years - it's really improved my open position E pentatonic riffing - along with Hide Away.

:cool:
 
B

Blues_Man

Blues Newbie
i had a look at video (always like aledort)
this riff looks like a good one to study,
thanks for the tab,

i mean the speed is insanity that he plays this open E at,
but that is not the point,

what's to be garnered here is the progression and combinations of intervals that he uses,
so you can take bits and pieces of this monster lick and add to what you already have in your fingers,
 
W

wgabree

Blues Newbie
i had a look at video (always like aledort)
this riff looks like a good one to study,
thanks for the tab,

i mean the speed is insanity that he plays this open E at,
but that is not the point,

what's to be garnered here is the progression and combinations of intervals that he uses,
so you can take bits and pieces of this monster lick and add to what you already have in your fingers,
Click to expand...

Exactly!

:cool:
 
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