Scales (Page 1 of 2)

Keep at it Zurf you will be a mutant in no time

The course starts with the C major scale (what it calls the "natural" scale) starting from every note of the scale and using all the strings each time.  Then it gets into different practice patterns for that scale.  Then it gets into different scales to which you apply the same exercises.  Gratefully, it seems to ignore modes entirely.  That's down the road for me. 

It's a very slow, methodical approach.  There's minor scales and blues scales, but they are way, way, way back in the book.  I wouldn't recommend this book to jump right into pentatonic scales, whether minor or blues or major.  Slow and methodical works for me.  It's how I approach most new and relatively complicated things.  Well begun is half done is my usual approach to things. 

- Zurf

Slow and steady is the road to follow

Yeah, that's the stuff that took me so long to get through in the introduction of the book.  He said he's starting out with the "natural scale", which is all the natural notes, which is also C major (I understood that much) and A minor (which took me a long time of head scratching, diagram writing, staring at a piano keyboard, and similar stuff).  Finally I had the Eureka! moment "AHA!  That's why the minor sixth is the relative minor to a major key," and I was able to finally pick up my guitar and start plucking strings very, very slowly. 

You did just toss that E phrygian at me, and I don't really appreciate it.  So I am going to do with it what I do with all untimely information, ignore it until the next Eureka! moment. 

- Zurf

Learn and love major, minor, mixolydian and dorian and you'll be good to go. The mode Jerome is talking about is phriggin' ridiculous.

See what I did there?

Got too love that,hey zurf just go too your heartbeat rate.

Jerome you can make locrian work in funk too.

For bass, I memorized the patterns and how one pattern would fit over another (allowing me to move up or down).  You'd think this would translate to guitar success.  In my case, you'd have thought wrong (as I did). 

- Zurf

I'm sure someone can, but it ain't me. 

I find it funny that you would call the pentatonic scale hard. Not to blow my own horn but since I play  only rock and hard rock/metal the most, it is the only scale I use right now. After many months of practice (not a lot of time spent at one time) I am finally getting the pattern down on the fret board. Don't know the exact notes but I know which frets to hit for the key the song is in. This has helped me to modify some of the solos that I come across.

On the other hand I was thinking it was time to learn some of the other scales.

Here's my advice on scales.  Learn them before you start getting arthritis in your hands.  Holy moly!  Ben Gay rub and Pain Free spray have been my buddies this week, that's for sure. 

- Zurf

It's amazing how stressed I get trying to get them right.  As I work on them I realize I'm white knuckling the pick.  Like it's trying to escape or something.  Just one more thing to remember.  Fingertips, bend knuckles, move thumb, the right notes to play, finger right behind the fret, keep time, hold the pick comfortably but firmly and without stress, alternate picking direction.  It's enough to drive a person to drink, which is one of the more pleasant bits about it.   

I've set a timer and work for five minutes playing the scale up and back in a steady loop for five minutes, take a few moments break, then repeat that twice more.  That gives me fifteen minutes of scale practice per session.  As I get better, I'll move that up, but for now fifteen minutes on scales per day will have to do.