Hey Friend,
You like that? I’m a wordsmith, ha, ha.
On Friday, we talked about using chromatic notes to make musical phrases more interesting. Today, I’ve got an example for you.
The Exercises
What I did was tabbed out the C major scale in the first two bars, but in the second two bars, I simply used the chromatic scale to fill in notes and make a new phrase.
It’s not flashy or complicated, but you can hear that it creates a subtle anticipation for the last note in the phrase - a build up, if you will.
I then tabbed out the B minor scale, since my song example is written in B minor.
Now, the song example I chose is one of my favorites - "Hotel California" by the Eagles.
There is a section during the guitar solo where Joe Walsh uses two separate chromatic runs to spice up his response to Don Felder’s riff.
Don Felder sticks to playing the notes within the B minor scale (actually, it’s the harmonic minor scale), but Joe Walsh goes unconventional (as he often does) with the chromatic runs.
I apologize in advance for the false advertising - "Hotel California" is anything but simple, and calling this passage a “simple riff” is definitely leading you on. However, I did set the tab to half speed, so hopefully you can forgive me.
Here are the exercise files:
In the first bar of the tab (bar 7 on the PDF), you get a short example of a descending chromatic riff. He steps down the B string (second string) from the twelfth fret to the ninth. The notes are B - A# - A - G#.
We then get an ascending chromatic riff in the third bar of the example (bar 9 in the tab).
With the initial bend on the second string , seventeenth fret up to nineteen (E to F#), the chromatic run is F#, G, G#, A and a bend from A to B (17 to 19).
Don’t worry about doing the bend immediately after on the B string - this is another example of Joe Walsh and his skill...
Going from a bend on one string to a bend and release on a adjacent string is an advanced technique!
I cheat by playing the bent note on the nineteenth fret of the first string and bend/release on the second string - but that’s another lesson.
The main point to showing you this is to demonstrate the chromatic runs.
What’s That Sound?
Now that you know exactly what a chromatic riff can sound like, don’t be surprised if you start hearing them more.
It’s kind of like when you get a new car - you start seeing your model all over the place where you never really noticed them before. Just having an awareness should help you recognize when an artist is using the technique to catch your ear.
Just a warning - don’t try sharing your new knowledge with non-musicians. I know it’s stimulating conversation for us, but start explaining chromatic riffs at your next party and watch their eyes glaze over...
Rock on, and have a great Sunday!
Peace~
Dave
P.S. Let me know some other songs where you hear chromatic riffs!
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