approximating an ethnic sound

[pegor]

I tried to make the subject open so the thread might have a life.

But my specific question is - How can I make a mandolin riff or better yet an electric gtr line sound Middle Eastern???? Arab that is .....

Links to example sounds would be cool - but Im more after a analysis sorta thing - so I can write my own piece ( a bridge in an otherwise western song) that sounds middle eastern. Scales, phrasing patterns, trills go here....
that kinda thing.

Tanks

[Mike Lamb]

I tried to make the subject open so the thread might have a life.

But my specific question is - How can I make a mandolin riff or better yet an electric gtr line sound Middle Eastern???? Arab that is .....

Essentially, what you are asking for are modes or scales which sound "foreign" to Western ears. Ritchie Blackmore pioneered this in rock/metal with his "Snake Charmer" scale, which is a variation of a Hungarian Minor mode. Check out this link:

http://jguitar.com/scalelisting?scale=Hungarian+Minor

Adept use of the Hungarian scales should give you the sound you are looking for. That site has a bunch of other very esoteric patterns, but Hungarian is the most .. friendly.. for lack of a better term.

With a simple reggae style strum pattern, you should be able to noodle out something that sounds extremely "eastern."

Hope this helps.

-Mike

[WesDavis]

Yeah, I was going to say that doing the Hungarian Minor would be a great scale for that. I might be using that on this week's entry, actually. I would recommend this site, as well. It's a little easier to read: http://www.all-guitar-chords.com/guitar_scales.php

I've been using that lately, because I'm trying to learn me some lead, as I've always been a strictly rhythm player(that's another way of saying lazy.).

[roymond]

I've always been a strictly rhythm player(that's another way of saying lazy.).

No, that's another way of saying "significant". Blistering leads are fun, as are soaring ones and occassionally heart felt blues episodes. But tasteful rhythm playing is mesmorizing. A true art in any style.

[Sober]

Like everyone has said, a harmonic minor scale does nicely. Depending on how far you want to take it, consider percussion. Hand drums, bells, triangle are important.

Mandolin will work well, banjo also does: http://www.songfight.org/music/across_t ... ng example.