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"Quantum Guitar –
Where Time is not sound space"
By Mike Overly
Author of the Guitar and Bass EncycloMedia Books
Star Wars has Hyper Space.
Star
Trek has Warp Drive.
Now you have Quantum Guitar!
Your way of
playing faster – because on your guitar – Time is not sound
space! Let’s explore this.
In music, an
interval is
the difference in pitch between two sounds. And this difference
can be heard and measured as a distance of sound space.
On the fretboard, an interval of
sound space
may be played either horizontal, vertical or diagonal. Let’s begin by showing a two octave E
major scale on the 6th string as the horizontal
letters E F# G# A B C# D#:
Now, let’s give the letters of the E major scale, tone
numbers (scale degrees) and then give them the following names:
E Tone 1 = Tonic
F# Tone 2 = Supertonic
G# Tone 3 = Mediant
A Tone 4 = Subdominant
B Tone 5 =
Dominant
C# Tone 6 = Submediant
D# Tone 7 = Leading
Tone
Remember, although the letters of the second
octave remain the same, the tones are different:
Tone 1 = 8
Tone 2 = 9
Tone 3 = 10
Tone 4 = 11
Tone 5 = 12
Tone 6 = 13
Tone 7 = 14
Tone 8 = 15
The following fretboard illustrates a two octave E
major scale as the horizontal tones 1 thru 15:
The following sound space chart gives each Interval of the E major
scale a name and symbol:
|
Letters |
Name |
Tones |
Symbol |
|
E to E
|
1 to 1 or 8 to 8
|
Unison |
Unison |
|
E to F# |
1 to 2 or 8 to 9
|
Major Second |
M2 |
|
E to G#
|
1 to 3 or 8 to 10 |
Major Third |
M3 |
|
E to A |
1 to 4 or 8 to 11 |
Perfect Fourth |
P4 |
|
E to B |
1 to 5 or 8 to 12 |
Perfect Fifth |
P5 |
|
E to C# |
1 to 6 or 8 to 13 |
Major Sixth |
M6 |
|
E to D# |
1 to 7 or 8 to 14 |
Major Seventh |
M7 |
|
E to E |
1 to 8 or 8 to 15 |
Octave |
Octave |
Did you notice that Unison
is the distance of no distance?
One fret is the sound space
of one half-step, and the following chart illustrates the
Intervals of the major scale as a distance of Half Steps
and Horizontal Frets:
Unison
= 0 Half Steps = 0 Frets
Major Second = 2 Half Steps = 2 Frets
Major Third = 4 Half Steps = 4 Frets
Perfect Fourth = 5 Half Steps = 5 Frets
Perfect Fifth
= 7 Half Steps = 7 Frets
Major Sixth
= 9 Half Steps = 9 Frets
Major
Seventh = 11 Half Steps = 11 Frets
Octave
= 12 Half Steps = 12 Frets
Now here’s where the Quantum
Guitar factor comes in. You can travel the same distance
of sound space faster if you play the major scale intervals
vertical rather than horizontal. For example: when “E
tone 1” and “E tone 8” are both played on the 6th
string, the “physical” distance of 12 frets must be traveled and
that takes a certain period of time. In other words, with
horizontal intervals – time, sound space and physical space
are all the same.
However, when “E tone 1” is
played on the 6th string and “E tone 8” is played
vertically on the 4th string the sound space is
still 12 frets – but because of diagonal light speed –
the physical distance is only 2 frets! The following fretboards
illustrate a two octave E major scale as vertical
letters and vertical tones.
Congratulations!
You’re now playing Quantum
Guitar – where Time is not sound space!
Beam us up Scotty, we’re out of
here…
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