What scales is Sean Costello using here?

Gan_Ainm

I'm trying to work out what Sean Costello is playing during the solo parts in this live video of 'I'm Going Home', and I'm afraid my basic music theory doesn't stretch that far! 

The song is in B minor, and the solo parts are over Bm, F#7 and G7 chords. For the most part Sean uses Bm pentatonic, but he also goes into something else which just sounds glorious. He appears to be also using A# and C# over the F#7 chord, and then G over the G7. So is he just taking those notes from those two chords, or is there more going on than that?

The main solo starts at around 1.25.

Thanks all!

https://youtu.be/QoYQl1Uxigc?si=Dpvnz7rXuIi7BF4b

Brad

Generally speaking, he’s using Bm pentatonic over the Bm then over the G7 and F#7, he’s using a G°7 arpeggio, either over both chords or as a way to move to F#7 where he then occasionally plays F# Phrygian Dominant (mode V of B Harmonic Minor). 

mattacjones

Helped along the way by an unprecedented level of natural talent

relic245

Brad said:

Generally speaking, he’s using Bm pentatonic over the Bm then over the G7 and F#7, he’s using a G°7 arpeggio, either over both chords or as a way to move to F#7 where he then occasionally plays F# Phrygian Dominant (mode V of B Harmonic Minor). 

Did you analyze that or can you hear the different scales and arpeggios and know what they are?

viz

^ he can hear them

Brad

relic245 said:

Brad said:

Generally speaking, he’s using Bm pentatonic over the Bm then over the G7 and F#7, he’s using a G°7 arpeggio, either over both chords or as a way to move to F#7 where he then occasionally plays F# Phrygian Dominant (mode V of B Harmonic Minor). 

Did you analyze that or can you hear the different scales and arpeggios and know what they are?

Well in this instance, I was 99% certain of what was being used from the chords the OP shared. My ear confirming my suspicions when I listened to it

If the OP hadn't have shared the chords, I'd have heard what was going on.

viz

What he’s doing is quite simple but I will attempt to overcomplicate it unnecessarily here, as per normal:

The chords are the i, the V and the bVI. 

Normally in natural minor, the “default” 5 chord is a minor chord, ie a v not a V. 

However you often find people raising the 3rd on the 5 chord, making it a V, so that it gives a proper dominant sound. So in this case, playing F#7 not F#m7. 

This gives rise to the F# phrygian dominant scale. It’s the normal F#m7 scale of a minor v chord (called phrygian) but with the 3rd raised, to majorise it. 

So that’s his go-to scale over the dominant chord. 

(As Brad says, its 4th mode is “Harmonic Minor”, so named as it allows, in a minor context, for a proper V in the harmony.)

Embedded within F# phrygian dominant happen to be the notes of the G dim arpeggio. Which is handy because he can just play those notes over the G, then fill them out a bit more over the F# if he wishes, e.g. adding the F# itself. 

So now I’ve complicated it, the simple version is that he’s playing G dim and F# phrygian dominant over the G and F#. Like Brad said anyway!

sweepy

Don't know if its my ears or the tone but dear god that's awful and out of tune

EricTheWeary

I remember when Sean died that song was considered to have effectively been his suicide note. That’s a cheery thought for you. 

sweepy said:

Don't know if its my ears or the tone but dear god that's awful and out of tune

It sounds out to me, but video part way through a gig,etc.

Studio version:

https://youtu.be/SbTjxk-yWH4?si=17nPwGfbc_UnEH6N

lustycourtier

No Clue, but Sean was an immeasurably missed talent. 

axisus

@Brad @viz as always it blows my mind the way you guys can analyse this stuff. It's like black magic to guys like me. I am fascinated by it.

Gan_Ainm

I’ve not been able to check back until now but wow, thanks @Brad @viz . I think I’ve got it, but I’ll have to sit down with a guitar later to make sure. This is such a great place full of friendly helpful folk. 

I only discovered Sean a year or so ago. As has been said such a sad loss so young. I can’t believe he wasn’t/isn’t more well known. All of his live stuff I’ve seen on YouTube are in small clubs. From what I’ve seen on YouTube he was at his best live (as good as his albums are) and this is no exception. I don’t notice whether he’s a bit out of tune or not, I just hear the soul and sheer musicality in his playing. Unusual for him to not be playing his Gold Top on this too, which was arguably a nicer tone that a Strat on the bridge pickup. 

Thanks again guys!

Brad

@viz as clear an explanation as anyone could give

 @axisus this stuff can certainly feel overwhelming and like only a select few have the keys to the kingdom… it’s just work and dedication (in my case, for others it comes much more naturally). But understanding that there is actually a finite amount of information to learn makes a big difference and then learning how to hear said information is where it’s at. 

@Gan_Ainm you’re very welcome, enjoy exploring those sound!

viz

Also there’s a few things that crop up quite frequently which are really quick to explain / demonstrate if you’re in a room together with a piano, but almost impossible to do concisely online.

I feel I wanna do some short vids, using well known songs as references. 

Things like:

What words like tonic and dominant really mean

Harmonic minor

Melodic minor

The common modes (dorian and mixolydian basically)

Secondary bloody dominants. 

Inversions

And maybe some foundational stuff like harmonising the scale and the circle of fifths

Because once those are known, one has 90% of all the theory one needs, PLUS a baseline of understanding for building other stuff off.