hey I need some tips.

hi, so I've been playing for a couple of years now, and I love my guitar and i really wanna be a GREAT musician but i need some help understanding scales and modes and music theory in general. what are some tips you would suggest for learning such things??? any kinda memory tips to remembering scales would be great. i know like, C major and D major and G major already, but i wanna know them all. please help????

I learn each scale from 1st to 12th position on the fret board. that way if I move the same basic shapes up or down the neck I know that I am playing the same scale in a different key. the best way to do that is to just practice the crap out of them. right now I only know the pentatonic minor scale and the major scale but I know them in all 12 keys because of my method. I also know all of the modes in both scales. I think it is the best way to approach learning scales.

Also another thing that helps with memorizing scales is playing them in a certain grouping. I first play all the way through scales like so...

-------------------------------0-2-3--|

-------------------------0-2-3--------|

-------------------0-2-4--------------|

-------------0-2-4--------------------|

-------0-2-4--------------------------|

-0-2-3--------------------------------|

then I will play each group of 3 notes. like so...

---------------------------------------------------|

---------------------------------------------------|

-------------------------------------------etc-etc-|

-----------------------------0---0-2-0-2-4---------|

-----------0---0-2-0-2-4-2-4---4-------------------|

-0-2-3-2-3---3-------------------------------------|

it really helps build not just a good memory for the shape but also the sound of the intervals of the scale you are learning.

I hope this helps.

1. Something I do quite often is using "applied theory". I've mentioned this in a post before. Whatever song you are learning currently, break down each part of the song and ask yourself - What are the chords being used? What key is the song in? What scale degree is each of the chords? If someone were to ask you to solo on the spot, what scales can be used? - It takes a bit to recognize everything at first but it's okay! After awhile it really helps you understand theory and can just be 5 minutes a day taking a moment to break down a song.

2. Jam with a backing track every day. I usually pick a random key each day and bring up a blues backing track on youtube. Research a scale in the key, (pentatonic, major, minor, etc.) learn the scale, and just freestyle solo with the jam track. Before you begin though, go through the scale and make note where all the 1s (tonic), 3s, and 5s, are and while you are jamming use those as target notes to land on. Like thatguitarguy said, definitely learn all the different forms of the scales down the neck. Now this can be really fun of course cause you get to jam out and solo as much as you like, as well as familiarize yourself with the scales.

Hope this helps! It's a little difficult at first learning all this theory stuff but it gets easier each day I promise! Stay rockin'
-Syd

Hey I need help..I'm a musician. As is my ex husband. We have a 7 yr old daughter and are introducing her to music-playing, theory, tech, translation, everything... normally this would be great,, only he plays A B C D E F G, I learned solfege, Considering I am the pianist vocalist and harmony bass, I feel I should teach her solfege, and introduce american letters later in better understandig, same way you do math. He thinks she should be taught what shes taught in school, being in America. Any Ideas? Opinions or similiar situations? Mind you. My daughter has an amazing voice

all of my experience with music has been A B C D E F G for musical instruments that are not come from your inside your body and solfege for singing. Im not sure if there is an educational edge in this but that is how I (and most of the people I know) have learned music. I think it is a good idea to teach what you are comfortable with since it will be easier for you to teach due to your greater understanding of that style. the worst that could happen is that she gets them mixed up at some point, which shouldnt be a problem because you would be able to help her with that. The best outcome is that she knows both ways.