Scales

[EricV]

Bongo definitely has a point there. You should decide what you WANT first, then look at how to get there, what it takes to get there.
I assume that AxeDemon´s goal is to work on improvisation and soloing. And for that, the pentatonic scale is a good point to start, before getting into modes etc.

When I teach or conduct workshops, I hear a bunch of questions about all kinda weird scales. It´s just one of those myths that you need to know all kinds of exotic scales to play better etc., or that there are some scales that might make you sound better.
Well, there aren´t, and I´d recommend to pick a goal ( i.e. improvise melodies or solos over a given chord-progression ), and pick one scale ( i.e. the pentatonic... IMO, a good starting-point ), then work on that... use it, explore the scale.
I used to make a common mistake... I learned a scale, used it for like one say, then went on to the next. I never explored the scale, never really focussed on it.
In the end, I knew all those weird scales ( we´re talking about playing Hirajoshi all over the fretboard ), but I wasn´t really able to come up with good melodies or play with conviction, cause I was just confused, overloaded with exotic scales...
Blah Blah
Eric

[Chim_Chim]

Yeah...if I spent as much time getting to know each scale as I did when I first started playing and the only scale I knew for years was the pentatonic scale then I'd probably be halfway decent by now !



Sequences might have also helped...
and maybe some basic rhythmic concepts,lol

1/4 notes,8th notes...triplets,quadruplets,hemiola etc.

then getting down and "transcribing" and learning from the greats instead of doing a "bad Elvis impersonation" of them.

...'sigh'

[Oceano]

I don't worry too much with scales, scale patterns, etc. I di in the past, now I just let my fingers go and find whatever I am hearing in my head.

[hawk]

Originally posted by szulc
Then practice making up little math games on each of these positions. For example: number the notes from 1 to 5 then make up little games like 21,32,43,54 etc .... and 123,234,345 etc...
then 321,432,543 etc....

Can you explain what this means? I understand naming the notes 1-5 but what do you do with these number patterns you make up?

thanks

[mjo]

Hi hawk,
I believe szulc was talking about sequencing. Each digit he's written, represents a degree of the scale - (1 thru 5). So 123 means play the 1st, 2nd, 3rd degrees of the scale, then start on the 2nd degree and play 234, and so on.

Hopefully, that's helpfull.,?
:Mike

[hawk]

Ah, I see. Thanks