Steve Vai's own scale?

Globbits · #1 06-01-2005, 08:28 AM

I was watching the musician's channel the other day, and Jamie Humphries was talking about scales and theory, and mentioned something about Steve claiming he'd made up his own scale a few years back, called something like the 'Xiaver' scale?

Has anyone else heard anything about this?

**elcid** · #2 06-01-2005, 08:47 AM

He mentioned it in an old Guitar World interview, I think it dealt with 1/4 steps if I remember right.

vy100 · #3 06-01-2005, 10:23 AM

The name of the scale is Xavian. That scale can´t be played in a common guitar because it´s divided in 16 exact parts. Steve asked ibanez for a fretless guitar to play it. I think they made the triple neck jem for him. You can hear that scale at the song down deep into the pain (Sex and Religion album).

The Euphor · #4 06-01-2005, 12:58 PM

Steven Ripley has made a guitar with 16 frets per octave. Should be possible to find the guitar in the gallery at www.vai.com. The Xavian is derived from that 16 notes octave.

The Euphor · #5 06-01-2005, 01:08 PM

http://www.vai.com/Machines/guitars2.html

Line #3, guitar #5.

lyconxero · #6 06-01-2005, 05:54 PM

Maybe you should list that by rows and columns....

The Euphor · #7 06-01-2005, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lyconxero

Maybe you should list that by rows and columns....

Hell no, read my location. You should be satisfied as long as I write in words you understand!

(I take it you know what I meant, as you got a suggestion for better english, suggestion noted - just can't say it out loud.)

lyconxero · #8 06-01-2005, 10:35 PM

I thought I knew what you meant, but I couldn't find the guitar which is why I suggested writing it another way. I meant no disrespect with my comment.

vy100 · #9 06-02-2005, 08:14 PM

I´ve found the guitar. It´s in the page 3, third line, first guitar. Just under green meanie. Anyways it´s a fretless axe. Steve wanted a triple neck to start the shows with "Earthdweller´s return", which needs a fretless guitar and inmediately start "here and now".

MM · #10 06-02-2005, 09:04 PM

Doh! You guys have helped me find a little error on the guitar pages. There is no actual page for the Ripley 16-fret per octave guitar. It incorreclt links to the DeMini guitar. I have a lot of work to do to the guitar pages, and I'll fix this error as soon as possible.

The Euphor was right. It is the guitar on row 3, on the far right.

Mikey
vai.com

learningtolive · #11 06-03-2005, 05:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vy100

I´ve found the guitar. It´s in the page 3, third line, first guitar. Just under green meanie. Anyways it´s a fretless axe. Steve wanted a triple neck to start the shows with "Earthdweller´s return", which needs a fretless guitar.

Does it? I could of sworn I remember Steve playing the main phrase from it at the end of the Attitude Song on the Live in London DVD.

vy100 · #12 06-03-2005, 08:14 AM

You can play that on a common guitar of course (I have done that lots of times on my 555), but with a freetless guitar you can create a continous sound, not thinking in the steps of the scale. I don´t know how to explain that in english, but the only thing you have to do is think that between a natural note, for example a G to a G# there are lots of little degrees that you can´t find in a guitar with frets. Making a slide from a B to a E in a fretless guitar as Steve does in that song, take all that notes out, sounding continious and aetherial.

vy100 · #13 06-03-2005, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MM

Doh! You guys have helped me find a little error on the guitar pages. There is no actual page for the Ripley 16-fret per octave guitar. It incorreclt links to the DeMini guitar. I have a lot of work to do to the guitar pages, and I'll fix this error as soon as possible.

The Euphor was right. It is the guitar on row 3, on the far right.

Mikey
vai.com

Thatk you Mike! It´s the one under the heart tripleneck, doesn´t it? It´s a guitar with frets and I wasn´t wright.

The Euphor · #14 06-03-2005, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MM

The Euphor was right. It is the guitar on row 3, on the far right.

My pleasure!

As vy100 said, you can play it on a fretless, but it would be insanely difficult to adjust your ear to those uncommon notes.

redseven69 · #15 06-03-2005, 05:21 PM

24 frets per octave...I think that one's called a "1/2 stepper".

Ronni LeTekro (of TNT) had a "1/4 stepper" at one time. Also made by Ripley, I believe.

This is all subject to the absolute or partial failure of my memory...