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3 Important scales?

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Reinhardt  
22 Mar 2010 12:50 | Quote
Joined: 22 Sep 2009
South Africa
Karma: 8
How important is it to know these scales in all five positions? Melodic Minor Scale, Natural Minor Scale and the Harmonic Minor Scale?

Will it help me alot as a Metal fusion spanish guitarist for improvising? Which ones will benefit me more? Or should i just master them all!?!?!?

Thanks in advance
Reinhardt
JustJeff  
22 Mar 2010 13:52 | Quote
Joined: way back
United States
Lessons: 2
Karma: 21
Couldn't hurt... right? It will only expand your horizons and try to add your own unique flare to the subject. I'd go and learn as much as you can... maybe don't rush it but take your time doing some here and there.

Then of course, that will start creeping into your improv... and before you know it you're using it :)
carlsnow  
23 Mar 2010 14:33 | Quote
Joined: 29 Apr 2009
United States
Lessons: 2
Karma: 23
Reinhardt says:
How important is it to know these scales in all five positions? Melodic Minor Scale, Natural Minor Scale and the Harmonic Minor Scale?


It depends.

To me this knowledge is indispensable, as the doors these scales open lead to a 'deeper well' from which to draw improvisational ideas.
They (the scales mentioned) also allow a far more rounded understanding of the fretboard, in general, by probing the vast number of tonal structures that exist beyond, and of course, within the usual 3-course appetizers we know as Major, Pentatonic and Hexatonic movements.

IE: Lydian :
(More “major” than Ionian-major, to these ears, due to the 7)
Lydian is plumed to new depths as Lydian-Aug, Lydian-Dom, Lydian #2, Lydian b3, and so on, and so giving you a MUCH larger base from which to improvise and compose. Improvisation, or “the art of composing in real-time”, can become far more personal and rewarding by virtue of having more options at (literally) your fingertips.
…This holds true, though not to Lydian’s extent, for all KNOWN (IE: off Ionian) scales/modes, from Dorian to Locrian (SOME favs of mine = ‘Super-Locrian’ and its partner, ‘Locrian-Natural-2’ as well as ‘Doran-b5’, ‘Lydian-b3’ and ‘Locrian-bb7’)
I’d add the Melodic Major Scale as well ;)

After these it becomes far easier to hear what you wish to play before playing it and will lead to further explorations of the “Standard Major” scale, as each of ITS modes, obviously, can be the ROOT of a new mode (IE: you can easily begin a 7-‘mode’ scale using Aeolian as the root… but you will, doubtless, discover this while learning the others, lol.

It is ALWAYS useful to any artist to have as many “outlets” as possible; and that being the case, nothing but good can come from further and ongoing modal experimentation and implementations.

I have a “course” on four of the ‘main’ modes in the Teaching section of my website, (Mp3, PDF, word, etc) that you may find useful: the Teaching section can be found here: http://carlsnow.com/teaching/ below the warm up video (split in two).

I hope this helps…

RAWK!
Cs


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