The blog of Demetrio “Dimitry” Scopelliti, guitar player, composer, producer and instructor. Albums: The Silent Watcher, The Art of Complications, Codex Magika, Evolution, The Codex Videos, O Sole Mio Goes Metal, Yoga, News, Bio, Dates, Disco, Videos, Pics, Presskit

251 major improvvisation/composition

by Dimitry, 23/05/2009 15:29:36, Lessons articles, read 2484 times

251 is 1 of the most used and common used cadences in Rock pop and jazz..

For those who don’t know what 251 stands for we are talking about a sequence of chords of this type:

2^nd grade, 5^th grade & 1^st grade.

Example: Dmin7, G7, Cmaj7

We will talk about that from “a not jazzist” point of view.

We are on C major Key.

- Which notes can we play in order to create some nice melodies without playing something “too much standard”?

We can have really different solutions about that and we can divide our improvisation in 2 different parts like this:

1 - We use arpeggios and triads.

2 – We play scales.

About the 1^st that’s a good example that will help you guys a lot to create really cool melodies:

Point 1 - ARPEGGIOS

Dmin

-------------------------------------------------

--------------5---7---5------------------------

----------7--------------7----------------------

---5---8----------------------8----5-----------

-------------------------------------------------

------------5---8---5--------------------------

---------6-------------6------------------------

------7-------------------7---------------------

-------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------

----------------3---5---3------------------------

--------2---5--------------5---2-----------------

-----3----------------------------3---------------

-------------------------------------------------

-----------3---6---3---------------------------

-------4--------------4-------------------------

----5--------------------5----------------------

-------------------------------------------------

C maj 7

-------------------------------------------------

------------4--5--4-----------------------------

-----2---5-----------5---2---------------------

--3-------------------------3-------------------

-------------------------------------------------

-----------3----7----3-------------------------

-------5----------------5-----------------------

----5-----------------------5-------------------

-------------------------------------------------

Point 2: Scales

Here we can really be creative (being carefull not to play wrong notes on the sequence of chords):

D min 7:

- C major scale (considering D min as 2^nd grade on the C major scale)

- D min + min pentatonic scale (considering D minor as 6^th grade on the F major scale)

- F major scale (considering D min as 6^th grade(eolian mode))

- Bb major scale (considering D min as 3^rd grade on that scale)

G7:

- C major scale (G7 is 5^th grade)

C maj 7:

- C major scale

- A min scale

- A min pentatonic scale

- A min blues pentatonic scale

That’s actually what I think sounds best on a 251 major sequence based obviousely on my experience of recording and composing during the years..

Give a chance to that suggestion and have fun ;.-)

Take care..

Dimitry

Dimitry Featured Artist of the month on www.morleypedals.com

by Dimitry, 24/05/2009 12:43:17, MUSIC, read 1946 times

Dimitry Featured artist of the month on www.morleypedals.com

I’m very proud to announce that I am featured Artist of May on the website of my sponsor “Morley Pedals”..

Obviousely it’s a great honour for me and for my bands..

All the Greatest guitar players were there included also some of my Idols when I was a kid..

Here you have a sample of the webpage but I suggest to go on the website and take a look to the featuring page and above all to all the products of Morley pedals..

ANOTHER BRICK IS ON THE WALL!!

Quickpost this image to Myspace, Digg, Facebook, and others!

Click here to download and listen to this interview

INTERVIEW ON MHB RADIO

by Dimitry, 09/06/2009 00:39:36, MUSIC, read 1966 times

Hey welcome back!! On Wednesday 3rd June I had a telephone interview regarding my solo project on MHB RADIO in the USA.

It's really interesting... I spoke about my present and future plans as well as about a lot of different other stuff regarding me and my music..
Enjoy!!!
Dimitry

RELEASE AND DISTRIBUTE YOUR ALBUM WITHOUT A RECORD LABEL

by Dimitry, 15/06/2009 14:07:26, Lessons articles, read 3569 times

RELEASE AND DISTRIBUTE YOUR ALBUM WITHOUT A RECORD LABEL

Nowadays this is 1 of the most actual and used path.

Those artists who decide to be selfproduced are always more and selfreleased and self distributed.

Actually I really raccomend that but just if you are really enough committed in that.

- What do I mean with that?

Well there are really a lot of stuff to do working on a record before to release that, releasing that and above all after that process.

I can say that there are actually 3 main ways of distributing your own record:

1 – Sell at Gigs

2 – Sell on the web

3 – Sell in the stores

1 - Sell at Gigs - This is actually the best way in my opinion and above all if you play a lot of shows or tours..

That is working a lot because of many reasons directly connected to the way that your show impress and involve the fans attending the show

Obviousely you have to remind the crowd that your album and merchandise is on sale at the merch table, 3, 4 and even more times during the show.

To do that for everyshow you must:

- Set up a merchandise corner and a merchandise table.

- Have somebody standing there and selling the stuff during all the show, before and after that.

- Have cds, t-shirts and other little stuff on sale.

2 – Sell on the web –

Well... This is a very interesting point.

There are hundreds of websites on which you can put your record on sale.

I’ll mention some here:

www.reverbnation.com

On these websites you just have to pay a small fee to put your record on sale and those companies keep a small percentage of incomes from the sells.

I DECIDE TO OPEN MY OWN STORE ON MY WEBSITE (www.demetrioscopelliti.it) TO SELL MY MUSIC AND MY BAND’S ALBUMS, SOON THIS DISTRIBUTION WILL BE OPEN TO OTHER ARTISTS.

THAT WILL BE A REALLY BIG STEP FOWARD ; I’LL SPEAK ABOUT THAT DEEPLY IN ANOTHER TIME AND CIRCUMSTANCES ANYWAY.

3 - Sell in the stores –

Even if it sounds a little “Oldfashioned” and in same ways it is; it’s still working.

You can have an agreement with some distribution companies or you can deal directly with the stores owners.

In the 1^st and 2^nd case (sell at gigs and sell in the stores) you need to open your little company to pay taxes and be regular worker according to the law of your country and you need keep track of all the sells.

I THINK THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT SUBJECT, I HAVE A LOT OF MUSICIANS WHO ASK ME SOME TRICKS ABOUT HOW TO SELL AND DISTRIBUTE THEIR OWN MUSIC.

If you think you need some more deep advices about this subject please write me at this address:

gitartimer@hotmail.com

Look foward to hearing from you soon.

Have a nice day.

DIMITRY