Old Man

E A D G B E · first 12 frets

In scale order from the tonic — press one, or ▶ play the scale

• Dorian colourthe ♮6 (C#) appears — minor, but hopeful
• Phrygian shadethe ♭2 (F) — the dark, Spanish half-step over the tonic

To solo over it: E minor pentatonic fits everywhere. Open in the workbench →

Same seven notes as the key — each mode just treats a different one as home. The mode on a degree is the scale that fits the chord on that degree.

• IGG Ionianplain major — the reference
• iiAmA Dorian♮6minor, but hopeful — the raised 6th
• iiiBmB Phrygian♭2minor with a dark, Spanish ♭2
• IVCC Lydian♯4major, floating — the dreamy ♯4
• VDD Mixolydian♭7major, bluesy — the flat 7th
• viEmE Aeoliannatural minor — the sad onethis song
• vii°F♯°F♯ Locrian♭5unstable — rarely a home

In scale order from the tonic — press one, or ▶ play the run

• F♭2Phrygian ♭2 — the sound of Spanish and Middle-Eastern minor.
• G#♯3Raised 3rd — a Picardy third or a major-key borrowing over the minor.
• C#♯6Dorian 6 — brightens the minor, the difference between Dorian and Aeolian.

Measured against E minor — everything else played fits the scale.

Press a chord to hear it. ▶ play them all

vii + VII–♭II ×2 + VII–♭IImaj7–vii + VII–♭II–VI–III–VII–♭II–VI–♭II ×2 + VII–♭II–VI–III–VII–VI–♭II–III–VII–iv7–i7–III–VII–iv7–i–III–VII–iv7–i7–III–VII–iv–i + III–VII–♭II–VI ×2 + ♭II–VII–♭II–VI–III–VII–♭II–VI–♭II–VII–♭II–VI–III–VII–VI–♭II + III–VII–iv–i ×4 + III–VII–vii + VII–♭II ×3 + VI–III–VII

In E minor: Dm · D · F · D · Fmaj7 · Dm · D · F · C · G · D · F · C · F · D · F · C · G · D · C · F · G · D · Am7 · Em7 · G · D · Am7 · Em · G · D · Am7 · Em7 · G · D · Am · Em · G · D · F · C · F · D · F · C · G · D · F · C · F · D · F · C · G · D · C · F · G · D · Am · Em · G · D · Dm · D · F · C · G · D▶ play in E minor

Performed key

E minor

Concert key

E minor

Version

Studio

Sources

spotify · getsongbpm

Method

Metadata · Transcription

ISRC

USRE12200588

MusicBrainz

39442bc5-989f-4a79-bc68-e3f339f3108d