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  #16  
Old 05-25-2017, 12:01 AM
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rick-slo rick-slo is offline
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Originally Posted by s0cks View Post
Rick, any suggestions for a fingerstyle song that incorporate some quickish scale runs?
Plenty out there but I will just give examples typical of what I compose and play (which mostly exist as part of the melody line or as a scaled use to move from one chord to the next):

Medley of tunes from a CD of mine:
http://dcoombsguitar.com/Guitar%20Mu...tOutMedley.mp3

Single tune from an earlier CD
http://dcoombsguitar.com/Guitar%20Mu...ingShuffle.mp3
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  #17  
Old 05-25-2017, 01:37 AM
s0cks s0cks is offline
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Originally Posted by rick-slo View Post
Plenty out there but I will just give examples typical of what I compose and play (which mostly exist as part of the melody line or as a scaled use to move from one chord to the next):

Medley of tunes from a CD of mine:
http://dcoombsguitar.com/Guitar%20Mu...tOutMedley.mp3

Single tune from an earlier CD
http://dcoombsguitar.com/Guitar%20Mu...ingShuffle.mp3
Beautiful, great example of what I meant!
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  #18  
Old 05-25-2017, 07:46 PM
Earwitness Earwitness is offline
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sOcks
From other posts you've made, I think we may be generally comparable. What scales practice has done for me is break me of falling into predictable ruts. Most of what I play is self-composed, so the tendency is to create from what is already known or easy. Scales--for me, especially, in particular arpeggios of 13571357 and back--starting at different places--made me like and hear different intervals and make new tunes out of it.
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  #19  
Old 05-25-2017, 08:19 PM
s0cks s0cks is offline
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sOcks
From other posts you've made, I think we may be generally comparable. What scales practice has done for me is break me of falling into predictable ruts. Most of what I play is self-composed, so the tendency is to create from what is already known or easy. Scales--for me, especially, in particular arpeggios of 13571357 and back--starting at different places--made me like and hear different intervals and make new tunes out of it.
Thanks. That's kind of what I've started to do. But rather I'm doing it with triads, and then adding the 7th, etc... But, I'm always playing with the chord of the moment. For example, if I was playing the vi chord and you asked me what the b7 of the vi chord was in relation to the original key I would have to stop and think (it's the 5th note of the original key btw - but I had to stop and think about it).

I dunno, maybe with enough time it all glues itself together in the brain. I'm not going to overthink this too much. I don't want to get bogged down.
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  #20  
Old 05-26-2017, 05:16 AM
815C 815C is offline
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I know and practice a lot of scales. Everyday I play thru 12 different fingering patterns for the major scale and all its modes, the melodic minor scale and all its modes, the harmonic minor scale and all its modes, as well as the diatonic 7th & 6th chord arpeggios nested in all those. Then I play thru 12 fingering patterns of the whole step/half step scale, the half step/whole step scale, the whole tone scale, the major pentatonic, and the minor pentatonic. Then I run thru patterns that work on position shifting for the major, melodic minor and harmonic minor in all 15 keys, then 3 octave scales of the major, natural minor, harmonic minor, melodic minor (classical), melodic minor (jazz), half/whole, whole/half, whole tone, and chromatic. Then 3 octave arpeggios of all the major and minor triads.

All the above is a warm up for my day. It takes a couple hours and I usually finish before leaving for work in the morning (I get up early). The rest of my playing time is spent playing and arranging SONGS.

One surprising benefit I've found to playing all those scales (and therefore developing a fairly thorough map of the fret board) is that it really helps me when it comes to arranging a fingerstyle song. Especially when arranging a tune that has somewhat complex chord changes. I've also found that playing all those different scales has really helped to develop my ear - both for transcribing what other musicians have played, and in knowing where to go on the fretboard for a particular sound.

I'll add, strange as it seems, that I almost never think about or use scales when playing a gig. I tend to try to play by feel with whatever comes easy and turn off my brain. But what is easy and second nature for me today would have been difficult for me a few decades ago. The fact that I've spent decades engrafting that map of the fretboard into my hands and ears really helps me to come up with some more interesting things musically that I otherwise don't think I'd be able to play.

Last edited by 815C; 05-26-2017 at 07:33 AM.
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  #21  
Old 05-26-2017, 06:43 AM
Wyllys Wyllys is offline
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Anything you can do to impprove the connection between your ear and your hands is good. I'd say that it's the practice that's beneficial whether or not you'll actually incorporate the practiced material into your playing.

I learned a few scale patterns long ago, but I don't use those patterns in my playing. But I'm sure the ear/hand coordination gained was worth the time. I think this is implicit in 815's post above.
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  #22  
Old 05-26-2017, 07:30 AM
dkstott dkstott is offline
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Same here... I have practiced a lot scales over the years & I know the modes. Doing all of that did help my technical ability.

I quickly moved on from playing scales to using the scales, etc as a tool to improve my ability to create chords or play a melody note.

The actual patterns don't enter my thought process anymore.

While I think knowing scales, etc are valuable. Practicing them only improves your ability to play scales. It's how you apply the scales to songs is where it becomes important.





Quote:
Originally Posted by Wyllys View Post
Anything you can do to impprove the connection between your ear and your hands is good. I'd say that it's the practice that's beneficial whether or not you'll actually incorporate the practiced material into your playing.

I learned a few scale patterns long ago, but I don't use those patterns in my playing. But I'm sure the ear/hand coordination gained was worth the time. I think this is implicit in 815's post above.
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  #23  
Old 05-26-2017, 07:53 AM
SunnyDee SunnyDee is offline
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Default Why different shifts between octaves?

I have a specific question about the scales you practice. In beginner classical guitar, the first scale is almost always the major and the shift from the first octave to the second is horizontal, shifting on the "do" or tonic up the neck moving across 8 frets. In beginner acoustic/electric, I know why they use pentatonic, but why do they tend to shift vertically so that the scale is all practiced in one position, staying within 4 frets?
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