Pitch Block Harmonizer for Avenged Sevenfold

M

MAC1

Member
Hello!

Anyone have any tips for how to set up the pitch block harmonizer to play the harmonies for some Avenged Sevenfold songs? For example, the harmonies in Buried Alive verses and solo, the harmonies in the intro to Set Me Free, and in the Nightmare intro and solo. I heard some of these would require custom scales, but would love to be able to play some of these harmonies by myself. Unfortunately my music theory knowledge is subpar since I am a self taught guitarist that learned off tabs... Appreciate any help!

Thanks!
 
90% of the time just adding the 3rd is close enogh imo. I dont bother with the scale switching back/forth trying to follow perfectly. But Im also not in a tribute band where it would need to be exact.
 
MAC1 said:
Hello!

Anyone have any tips for how to set up the pitch block harmonizer to play the harmonies for some Avenged Sevenfold songs? For example, the harmonies in Buried Alive verses and solo, the harmonies in the intro to Set Me Free, and in the Nightmare intro and solo. I heard some of these would require custom scales, but would love to be able to play some of these harmonies by myself. Unfortunately my music theory knowledge is subpar since I am a self taught guitarist that learned off tabs... Appreciate any help!

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Some of them are definitely custom scales. The one for The Set Me Free intro is just a standard scale that I have iset up on my fractal already by ear (not great with theory either). When I get home today, I’ll send you what I have for it!
 
MAC1 said:
Hello!

Anyone have any tips for how to set up the pitch block harmonizer to play the harmonies for some Avenged Sevenfold songs? For example, the harmonies in Buried Alive verses and solo, the harmonies in the intro to Set Me Free, and in the Nightmare intro and solo. I heard some of these would require custom scales, but would love to be able to play some of these harmonies by myself. Unfortunately my music theory knowledge is subpar since I am a self taught guitarist that learned off tabs... Appreciate any help!

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Also, just an FYI:

I recall watching a video where Syn talked about putting together all the harmonies on the fractal for his songs, and at one point he mentions that he actually uses automation (on a laptop presumably) to switch scales, mid-riff in some cases, in order to hit the right notes.

Also, if you listen to live videos of him now, it sounds like he’s actually had to change just a few of his harmonies to utilize the fractal for them.

A lot of his harmonies are what I would describe as “non-linear” (not sure if that’s the right technical term) aka if he goes up a few notes in a scale, the harmony isn’t necessarily going up as well - it may go down. This makes it harder to program them.

I remember watching an interview with him where he talks about how he purposefully write his harmonies that way, so they aren’t predictable, and to ensure the harmonizing lick never “takes over” the melody of the main lick.
 
MAC1 said:
Hello!

Anyone have any tips for how to set up the pitch block harmonizer to play the harmonies for some Avenged Sevenfold songs? For example, the harmonies in Buried Alive verses and solo, the harmonies in the intro to Set Me Free, and in the Nightmare intro and solo. I heard some of these would require custom scales, but would love to be able to play some of these harmonies by myself. Unfortunately my music theory knowledge is subpar since I am a self taught guitarist that learned off tabs... Appreciate any help!

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Now that I’m home, the settings for Set Me Free are:

-Block: Pitch block (I place it after the cab)
-Type: Dual Diatonic
-Key: E
-Scale: Aeolian Min
-Harmony: 3

Voice level: 100%
Mix: 50% (or to taste)

Note: for This Means War, just change the scale to Harmonic Minor, and key to G.
 
Having bought the excellent Cooper Carter masterclass, he briefly mentions programming the harmonies for Syn and the features he used. It is literally a ten second comment, rather than a detailed walkthrough, but he does indicate how it is done
 
Thanks guys - this is super helpful. Sounds like for some of his songs it is too complicated to do without some scripting or simplifying the harmonies.
 
I play Shephard of Fire with one of my bands. I sat down with the lead and wrote out the harmonies, then programmed in the custom harmonies. I made a couple of compromises because I didn't want to program multiple scales that would only affect a couple of notes that will go by in a few milliseconds. With maybe the exception of another guitar player that is listening to a live performance more closely than they should, no body will ever know the difference.
 
Mutha Goose said:
I play Shephard of Fire with one of my bands. I sat down with the lead and wrote out the harmonies, then programmed in the custom harmonies. I made a couple of compromises because I didn't want to program multiple scales that would only affect a couple of notes that will go by in a few milliseconds. With maybe the exception of another guitar player that is listening to a live performance more closely than they should, no body will ever know the difference.
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That's awesome. I wish I had the music theory background to do that. I can play some of that stuff decently well, but have been self-taught and never picked up much music theory, so I don't even know how to tell what key and scale his leads are in to even begin. Would love to learn that but don't know where to start honestly.
 
MAC1 said:
That's awesome. I wish I had the music theory background to do that. I can play some of that stuff decently well, but have been self-taught and never picked up much music theory, so I don't even know how to tell what key and scale his leads are in to even begin. Would love to learn that but don't know where to start honestly.
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I’m a theory idiot as well, but a good way to get into this stuff is to learn a couple modes in a specific key, record yourself going up the scale and then open another track (you can do it with your looper if you don’t have a DAW) and then move your starting position down 3 frets and try playing the same shape, there’s a good chance you’ll run into some notes that don’t jive together, especially around the B and E strings, but you’re only a half-step away from the right note (unless you’re playing a harmonic minor scale).

If you play around with that long enough, you’ll get a fairly quick understanding of how harmonies work out. Back in the day I read an interview with Dimebag and they were asking him how he figured out his harmonies, “Ain’t nothin’, brother! Just play the same thing 3 frets lower!” It’s a really generalized instruction, but for the most part, it’ll work out how your want.

Or you can stick to 4ths/5ths REALLY easily, if you already know how to play a barre chord, you already know how to do it! Take the 5th fret of the low E string, if you play the 5th fret of the A string, you’re playing a 4th to that A note on the E string, if you play the 7th fret of the A string, you’re playing the 5th. Again, a generalized example, but a good starting base to figuring out harmonies.

And pick up a copy of The Guitar Grimoire, it’s got all the modes in each position/key on the neck, it’s an outstanding resource!
 
Basic theory is really invaluable. It’ll expand your possibilities in writing as well as your ability to communicate with other players. If you at all have the time, I’d go for all the free resources out there. I haven’t looked into it, but I’d imagine there are many good YouTube videos to get one started.

It’s not absolutely necessary to know theory, but at least for me, I think it’sa great help. And when you understand it, you can still ignore it in your writing; I look at theory as a great way to analyze music, but writing still should just come from the heart.

Best of luck however you decide to go.
 
This could work for Buried Alive.

Everything up to 4:13: A minor (Aeolian) 3rds, momentary switch to a 4th (1st note at meas. 2 of each chord cycle; and a few extra 4ths later in song), channel switch to A harmonic minor 3rds every fourth measure. (The measure before verse 1 would be Aeolian until the last note if you want the G natural in one part like on the album.) There's one 6th in the prechorus; use a second harmony modifier source or toggle voice levels there.

Arpeggios at 4:13: Dual harmony mode, custom scale A-B-C-D-E-G, one voice at harmony of 3 (really a mix of 3rds & 4ths with that scale). Use this (key = A) for the first and fourth arps (Am, G), switch key to D for the second and third arps (C, Dm). Am, C, Dm repeats then at the eighth measure use custom scale E-F-G#-A-B-C, 3rds. The last beat won't be exactly like the album but that's probably not too important.

Harmony at 6:00: Custom scale E-F-G-A-B-D, 3rds. (The D could actually be any note from C to Eb, just needs to have the first 5 plus something between B & E.)
 
DXMG503 said:
Now that I’m home, the settings for Set Me Free are:

-Block: Pitch block (I place it after the cab)
-Type: Dual Diatonic
-Key: E
-Scale: Aeolian Min
-Harmony: 3

Voice level: 100%
Mix: 50% (or to taste)

Note: for This Means War, just change the scale to Harmonic Minor, and key to G.
Click to expand...
Any idea on key/scale of Bat Country?
 
Definitely anxious for some kind of “This is how I’ve been using the AxeFX” from Syn.

They have this podcast where they’ll do a 90-120 minute episode on just one song, going into an insane amount of detail about how the songs came to be and the recording process. With the new album songs Syn’s been talking up Fractal non-stop, at one point even said it’s became his main tool for writing and being creative, completely changing his approach and ultimately leading him to never want to write riff-oriented music anymore.

All the band members have brought it up at this point, you’ll even heard the drummer saying “something Syn came up with on the Fractal, he’s always pulling something crazy out of there”

While they’re open about using everything and anything for inspiration, it very much seems that the current core inspiration for A7X songs is starting/based around a Fractal unit these days. Pretty damn cool.
 
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