More than one scale

Hi guys,

I forgot to mention another cool thing to practice.

You should really try soloing over 1 chord vamps. (backing tracks which consist only of 1 chord).

When you do this, you will have the opportunity to modulate and have fun.

Here's an example:

Say you find an Am 1 chord vamp, your options for soloing are:

A Dorian, A Phrygian, A Aeolian, A Locrian

Here's another example for an A major 1 chord vamp:

Your options would be: A Ionian, A Lydian, A Mixolydian

It's great to listen to the different colours of the modes and switch between them - lot's of fun :)

/Dave

Im bumping this thread cause I have a question related to it.

I have been playing for a while now and realised that the scale doesent really matter.

As long as I key on the key note, I can play what lick i want realted to any scale.
Is that correct due to theory?

making any sence?

Originally Posted by: Svanholm
I have been playing for a while now and realised that the scale doesent really matter.[/quote]
Any notes you play can be found in or organized into a scale. So, you don't have to be aware of it. But the scales are still there. Being aware of the scales & using them in order to achieve the sound you desire is the end goal.
[QUOTE=Svanholm]
As long as I key on the key note, I can play what lick i want realted to any scale.

I'm not sure what you mean here. Maybe you mean if you land on a note in key or a chord tone at the beginning or end of a lick then any scale sounds good? But, the term key literally means which scale you are referring to. So, you can play in or out of key. You can play in and out of key (some notes in, some notes out on any given lick). There are lots of ways to approach it. :)

What I mean is, if I find a lick that sounds good.
it doesnt matter what kind of scale it is or if its even is a scale.

makes batter sense?

Originally Posted by: SvanholmWhat I mean is, if I find a lick that sounds good.
it doesnt matter what kind of scale it is or if its even is a scale.

That's really entirely up to you. If all you want to do is come up with a catchy riff, and you're happy with it without really understanding the notes or scale you are using, that's fine. There's plenty of guitar players who develop their technique, sound, style and "riff repertoire" without understanding much of the theory behind it. There's nothing wrong with that at all. For myself, I find that the more understanding I have of scales and how they relate to chord progressions etc, the better my playing. But that's me... You have to decide what's best for you.

Certainly don't be afraid to work directly towards what it is you're after... I often will come up with a "catchy riff" first, and then work out what scale I'm using afterwards. You don't even have to go that far... you can just come up with catchy riffs without knowing the scale its in, or even the notes you are playing. But a some point, you may find that in order to play with other musicians, or transpose a riff (play it in a different key), or come up with more ideas that are in the same key, you'll need to get a handle on some basic theory. It also doesn't hurt when you do come up with something you like, to understand the theory behind it so that you can then use that understanding to come up with even more ideas.

Originally Posted by: SvanholmWhat I mean is, if I find a lick that sounds good.
it doesnt matter what kind of scale it is or if its even is a scale.

makes batter sense?

Yes, that makes sense! And this brings up the great point that since we are talking about music, getting the sound you desire is the most important thing, the end goal.

But it is important to remember that any lick or riff can be identified as part of a scale, several scales, chord tones, etc. That is the reason that music theory exists: to help us identify, organize & understand what we like the sound of.

Equally important is to avoid only making music based on your current level of knowledge. At any given point your knowledge of theory is only going to include so much. So, it's a great idea to just experiment with different patterns & licks to discover something new! I've spent hours doing just that. Play every single scale, mode or lick I could think of over a chord just to hear what happens. Sometimes I'd get a surprising, new, unexpected result! And I'd get a new lick to play, to figure out how & why it sounds good to me.

So, when you find something you like the sound of, but don't understand, then you figure out how those notes relate to each other & the music you are playing along with it. :) That's how we increase our knowledge music!

Thanks guys. Both of you gave really good answears. I was thinking the way you were but not sure if it was correct or not. :P

thanks again.