Riff built completely on diminshed...

[blacksoulpreacher]

It occurred to me "why not write a tune completely in diminshed?" Maybe it's been done before... Anyway here's the results of my experiment...
Built around a G diminshed arpeggio with a few notes from Whole / half G diminshed scale... I think it's pretty dark and sinister sounding...
Appreciate some feedback thanks!

 

[Mincer]

Re: Riff built completely on diminshed...

I like it! But regular power chords have regular 5ths, not diminished ones.

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Riff built completely on diminshed...

regular power chords have regular 5ths, not diminished ones.

Yup. This sounded very diatonic to my ears.

And why keep it tied to a single diminished scale? Any half-step out of the diatonic key can be a diminished chord, so you could do something like this and link them together. The fact that you can play both Gb dim7 and G dim7 is sure to make some very pleasing transitions.

ASSUMING (always a dangerous thing) YOU ARE PLAYING G DIMINISHED AS THE 7TH STEP OF Ab MAJOR, ALL OF THESE CHORDS AND ARPEGGIOS ARE AT YOUR BECK AND CALL...

I Ab Maj7
A dim7
ii Bb min7
B dim7
iii Cmin7
IV DbMaj7
D dim7
V EbMaj7
E dim7
vi Fmin7
Gb dim7
vii G dim7
I Ab

 

[El Dunco]

Re: Riff built completely on diminshed...

I've done something like that at 3:28 of this tune.

 

[blacksoulpreacher]

Re: Riff built completely on diminshed...

Diminished is not diatonic. It may sound that way of course it sounds "outside" it's not conventional major / minor harmony The root / 5ths... it's metal not jazz. It's built on a G diminished arpeggio and it's played as an arpeggio. The root / 5ths augment the riff and are from dimished scale tones. There's also a bunch of tritones intervals. It was an exiperinent. And it turned out cool. I'm going to build a song around it as is. Thanks for the feedback!

 

[El Dunco]

Re: Riff built completely on diminshed...

Sounds good to me whether the theory is correct or not. Has a Megadeth vibe to it.