Guitar chord forum - chordie — Exercises for playing faster?

Re: Exercises for playing faster?

null@example.com (Tim0473) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 14:41:54 +0000

Thanks Jerome that made alot of sense

Re: Exercises for playing faster?

null@example.com (tonydr) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 22:34:57 +0000

jerome.oneil wrote:

I Ionian
II Dorian - This has a nice minor sound to it.
III Phrygian - A sort of eastern sounding "gypsy" scale.
IV Lydian - Major sound. Good for country and pop
V Myxolidan - The perfect scale to play over dominant 7 chords
VI Aolian - The aforementioned natural minor scale
VII Locrian - Only freaked out jazz guys play in this mode.

good concise descriptions.

Re: Exercises for playing faster?

null@example.com (jerome.oneil) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 16:39:03 +0000

Tim0473 wrote:

Jerome
Thanks for that link ... I've been trying to find a good Major scale link to study ... is it my imagination or does the minor scale make up a portion of the major scale?

Nope. It's not your imagination at all. It's a good observation, in fact. If you begin playing any major scale on the 6th note, and just run it all the way through to whatever that octave is, you just played the natural minor scale. That is "Aeolian" mode. All of the "modal scales" are derived that way.

The major scale is also called the "Ionian" mode. It's a good trick to learn if you're asked to solo over a song in a major key, as you can just select the associated minor scale, and play that pentatonic. Example, someone is playing a song in the key of A. If you run the A major scale, that's one thing. The sixth note of the A major scale is F#, so you can play F# minor pentatonic over A all day long. Likewise, if someone is playing a song in C major, you can play that A minor pentatonic over the top of it and you're fine.

The rest of the modes.

I Ionian
II Dorian - This has a nice minor sound to it.
III Phrygian - A sort of eastern sounding "gypsy" scale.
IV Lydian - Major sound. Good for country and pop
V Myxolidan - The perfect scale to play over dominant 7 chords
VI Aolian - The aforementioned natural minor scale
VII Locrian - Only freaked out jazz guys play in this mode.

Every single one of those modes is played using the same Major scale pattern described above. The only difference is where you start the scale.

Re: Exercises for playing faster?

null@example.com (Tim0473) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 15:25:31 +0000

Jerome

Thanks for that link ... I've been trying to find a good Major scale link to study ... is it my imagination or does the minor scale make up a portion of the major scale?

Re: Exercises for playing faster?

null@example.com (jerome.oneil) — Sat, 31 May 2008 19:50:43 +0000

Well, if the goal is speed, then I wouldn't focus on the pentatonic, I'd focus on the full major and minors. Pentatonic will fall out of them, but you'll exercise your hand more if you play the full scales in position.

Major scale patterns.

http://chrisjuergensen.com.hosting.doma … tterns.htm

All seven modes are available there.

Re: Exercises for playing faster?

null@example.com (Tim0473) — Sat, 31 May 2008 16:49:29 +0000

06 ... here's two quick examples of the minor pentatonic scale:

http://www.cyberfret.com/scales/minor-p … /index.php

http://www.theorylessons.com/pentpos.html

These scales helped me out alot ... like Jerome said, learn them over and over ... after about 6 months I know these five inside and out but not the fun part begins in moving it all around the fret board

Re: Exercises for playing faster?

null@example.com (NELA) — Sat, 31 May 2008 14:07:03 +0000

06sc500, when I read your post I can see myself in every word. I started playing 2 1/2 to 3 years ago and spent most of the 1st year trying to learn the open chords, chord progressions, strum patterns, Major scales, minor penatonic scales, notes of the fretboard, etc. I try to play rythem guitar and spend 99% of my time working on learning songs. I am mostly self-taught and am getting along well in transposing new songs into a key my wife can sing. I am getting ( my opinion ) good and picking out the strum patterns and timing of songs as I listen to them. Once I learn that and figure out the chords I can play the song. I get to set into some weekend "jam sessions" with several others 2 to 4 times a month and even get some "mike" time on stage as my wife sings. Open chords, e-shaped barre chords, a-shaped barre chords, 7th chords are all chords I use in playing. I know some sus and dim chords but do not use the. When it comes to scales I am completely lost. I know the finger patterns for the major scale and the minor penatonic and other than the root note of the 6th or 5th strings I can't tell what the note is without doing me a little thinking. At my age (soon to be 58) I don't think i will ever be a guitar master but I do want to learn everything I can and be a goodplayer. I do want to learn the secrets of scales, riffs and licks but I do intend to spend the majority of my time with rythem guitar. To me, rythem is the heart of any song, and everything else is built around that.
This is a post thast holds a lotta interest for me so as the guitar guru's add their expert comments I will pick up valuable info, as well.

Nela

Re: Exercises for playing faster?

null@example.com (06sc500) — Sat, 31 May 2008 13:16:45 +0000

jerome.oneil wrote:

Learn the five major scale patterns, and the five minor scale patterns, and practice them relentlessly. Once your left hand is straightened out, work on your right. Play those scales using all kinds of different picking techniques.

What are the five scale patterns?

Re: Exercises for playing faster?

null@example.com (jerome.oneil) — Sat, 31 May 2008 05:11:21 +0000

Learn the five major scale patterns, and the five minor scale patterns, and practice them relentlessly. Once your left hand is straightened out, work on your right. Play those scales using all kinds of different picking techniques.

Exercises for playing faster?

null@example.com (06sc500) — Sat, 31 May 2008 02:49:52 +0000

Being a self-taught guitarist, I can be quite stubborn when it comes to trying what others say. However, I realize tht my playing is in a bit of a rut, due to some basics I never learned. From the day I learned to read tab all I've done is learn riffs and intros, and parts of solos. I know lots of open and basic bar chords as well. Here are some of the things that are holding me back from improving: 1. I never learned any scales (apart from the basic open major and minor), and though I've searched for the answer, I'm clueless as to how they're obtained. 2. This is really only a problem on really fast stuff on my electric-I only can downpick, alternate picking baffles me. As of right now, if I learned a little more theory, I could be a decent rythym or accompaniment player, but I want to learn some lead stuff. Can anyone help me with my playing?