Hey Folks,
I have a question that came up recently, and I don’t recall seeing a lesson specifically addressing this issue.
While learning a song in a half-step down tuning (which I adjusted my guitar for), I found that the scales I had learned didn’t fit well with the jam track. The challenge was that I had to shift all the scale shapes I memorized up a half-step to match the track. While tuning the guitar back to standard tuning is a straightforward solution, I’m wondering if there’s an easier technique or mindset for adapting scale shapes when playing in different tunings.
Is there a practical method to move scale shapes up and down the neck when your guitar is tuned differently? Or is this why many guitarists, like Slash from Guns N' Roses, switch guitars many times during a concert—to avoid the hassle of adjusting their playing positions for different tunings?
When someone plays half-step down, does the entire band move half-step down, or does one guitarist move his position half-step?
This also raises the question of alternate tunings—do any of the scales, modes, or CAGED system work with those? What mindset does a musician need to approach their playing to use these alternate tuning options and still sound "right"?
I hope this makes sense, and I’d appreciate any insights or tips you might have!
Thanks!
edited
