The Gibson SG — Tony Iommi invented heavy metal on one. Angus Young built AC/DC on one. Jack White plays the blues on one. The SG's sharp, aggressive tone has a natural affinity for the darker modes.
Angus Young's entire vocabulary on an SG is minor pentatonic — but played with an aggression that turns five notes into a career. The SG's sharp attack gives pentatonic bends a cutting authority.
Tony Iommi's SG through heavy distortion + Phrygian = the birth of heavy metal. The ♭2 interval creates crushing tension over palm-muted low-E riffs. Sabbath's "Iron Man" and "War Pigs" live here.
The SG's natural resonance in the mid-upper register makes Aeolian melodies soar. Jack White mixes Aeolian with blues scale constantly — the SG's nasal bite makes every note count.
The SG's sustain and upper-register access make it ideal for neo-classical harmonic minor runs. The narrow body allows thumb-over chording into the 24th fret range that wider guitars can't reach.
All 42 modes · Every key · Audio playback · Free PDF posters · No login ever
Open Dead Sea Scales™ — Free →