Originally Posted by: shred3... I just had a giant "click"!! I was going over some of Chris Schlegel's lessons ...[/quote]
Good for you! :) Glad you are getting value from the site and my lessons.

Originally Posted by: shred3Before, I spent so much time practicing the modes all over the neck, that now I "see" all the modes and can bounce around them at will, and into the pentatonic.

Exactly. All these things are part of the same system. They are integrated; they do not work against each another, or somehow contradict each other.

And another thing, kudos to you for woodshedding the modes all over, so that when you reached the necessary conceptual understanding (the 'click' moment) your hands were already physically prepared to make use of it!

I cannot stress this enough: this is where and how theory meets practice. Thanks for posting about your 'click' moment.
[QUOTE=shred3]
Just wanted to say thanks again, and a big thanks to Mr. Schlegel for showing me the way. /salute