I've been playing for around 9 months, and before I had started lessons, was working with the movable major scale. I started by learning the step pattern, then moved on to working out the moveable major scale myself, and finally playing it up and down the neck, try to memorize both the notes of the scale and the relative position on the fretboard. I focus on one or two scales at a time, so I play Cmajor until I have it down solid. Occasionally I'll amuse myself by working on little melodies within the scale.
Having started lessons, my teacher has put me to learning the finger patterns of the various modes, but after reading an oldish post in the music theory forum, I've become convinced that there's no real need for me to go memorizing modes. Yet, anyway :) So I'll resist him and go back to playing the major scale up and down the neck, to where I can play every single major scale forwards and backwards on the fretboard (and maybe even side to side), naming the notes as I go.
Good idea?
I really struggle to learn the fretboard, though. I tend to remember the notes relative to it's position in the scale, rather than it's absolute position on the fretboard. Point to a fret/string, and chances are I'll think for a few seconds, mentally play the scale in my head, and tell you the note. There are a few exceptions. So I AM learning the absolute positions...it's just slow. It may come more easily when I find more applications for the scales (beyond melody-on-the-fly)
I've tried other "fretboard memory" exercises, to no avail.
Okay, so all I really want to know is if I'm on the right track. Maybe all these web ads, "Learn you fretboard like a pro in 60 minutes" is just misleading me, and it takes years to be able to pick out all the F# notes on the neck in under 5 seconds. If so...fine. 15 minutes plugging through scales every day I can handle, if I know it'll pay off.
My goal: To turn my guitar into an extension of myself. To play my mood. To express myself. To reproduce the sounds in my head (the voices know! :D ). For that, I need to know my guitar well.
I'd say you're on the right track. And learning the scale up and down the fretboard is learning the modes, by the way. As you move up and down the fretboard in a scale you're using different modes. At least that's how I think of it and it takes some of the mystery out of the whole mode thing.
Well we all shine on--like the moon and the stars and the sun.
-- John Lennon
Id say you are on the right track too.
I dont want to memeorize all the modes. but it is helpful to memorize the intervals in each of their scales.
standard scale is 1222122 EFGABCDE
each mode has different intervals.
I think I have this right.
I don't have any advice but rather a question for you Grimm.
Can I ask what source/s you have used to learn your scales and such? I've been meaning to get around to learning this but keep putting it off.
Many thanks. :)
From little things big things grow - Paul Kelly
I don't have any advice but rather a question for you Grimm.
Can I ask what source/s you have used to learn your scales and such? I've been meaning to get around to learning this but keep putting it off.
Many thanks. :)
Many sources. There are a few good articles on this site. Lessons | Scales and Modes...
I also have the book Guitar Handbook by Ralph Denyer.
But the net should provide all you need and more, has always provided clarity when I've been confused.
What I do is look up the scale pattern (WWHWWWH, or whatever), then try and work it out myself on the fretboard as a moveable pattern in as few frets as possible. It takes a while sometimes, but it's a good exercise. Then I look up the pattern to double check what the "norm" is, and then learn it from there.
Since I'm focussing on the major and three minor scales, you can probably look them up anywhere.
Click on the link, in my sig, to get some info on both chords and scales.
You can get help to learn the notes on the fretboard - there's a game called fretboard warrior ( http://www.francoisbrisson.com/fretboardwarrior/ ).
I started with nothing - and I've still got most of it left.
Did you know that the word "gullible" is not in any dictionary?
Greybeard's Pages
My Articles & Reviews on GN
Thanks for the tips guys (and sorry for hijacking your thread Grimm :P).
I'd downloaded Fretboard Warrior a little while ago but I found I would determine the notes by working out what string and how many frets up the neck.
Scales have always confused me a bit (weird I know) but what Grimm says about working it out himself based on the WWHWWWH pattern makes a lot of sense.
Well, I'm off to check out Greybeard's Pages.
Thanks again guys. 8)
From little things big things grow - Paul Kelly
There's nothing at all wrong with working out the notes that way. In fact, it makes sense to do so. Eventually, though, it will all stick and become more a matter of pure memory.
Well we all shine on--like the moon and the stars and the sun.
-- John Lennon
There's nothing at all wrong with working out the notes that way. In fact, it makes sense to do so. Eventually, though, it will all stick and become more a matter of pure memory.
Ah, see...that's exactly what I was looking for! I don't mind doing it that way, so long as I know it's going to fall into place over time :)
I'll save learning buckets of scales until I have a use for them. I can't remember something except in the context of it's application, anyway.
Maybe I should try fretoboard warrior, too!
Here's a trick that will make learning the individual notes on the neck easier. First, the obvious: The high and low "E" string will always be the same anywhere on the fretboard. Next, the "D" string 2 frets up from the "E" will always be the same as the "E" and the same relationship exists with the "A" and "G" strings. I learned the "B" string like the alphabet and it came easy after some practice. Here's an important thing to know: When starting with any open string there are full and half step relationships (half step is adjacant fret and a full step skips a fret). Learn this: A, full step B, half step C, full step D, full step E. half step F, full step G, full step back to A (next octave up). Notice the B,C and E,F are half step apart while everything else is a full step. Now you can quickly glance up from the open string to know which fret is what note anywhere on the neck (including sharps and flats). I hope this helps!
PK
