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  #16  
Old 11-04-2010, 03:21 PM
JohnnyDes JohnnyDes is offline
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I guess it all depends on what you want to accomplish. If you want to start improvising riffs within your playing, then by all means, I guess you'll need to start with the major scale.

However, there are other things to work on as well. More interesting rhythm patterns, for one. Also, palm muting and other effects. Hammer-ons to add flavor to your chords. Or fingerstyle, as another poster mentioned.

I guess I'm a willing-to-be-convinced skeptic of too much scale work. I see a lot of people and books obsessing with scales, but I wonder how often all that practice actually works its way into the music.

JD
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  #17  
Old 11-04-2010, 07:10 PM
Hack Amatuer Hack Amatuer is offline
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What I think you should start with are your basics "C" is the bare basic because it has no sharps or flats. Sound out from your open "C" chord the scale mentioned before "do re mi etc., etc., then make an "F" barre chord in 1st position and sound THAT one out.
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  #18  
Old 11-05-2010, 06:38 AM
jasperguitar jasperguitar is offline
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Mr Beaumont ... I started looking at your posting... very well put..
But :.. I got a little lost.. always do, I guess.

The major to minor relationship gets me..

Anyway... when you wrote that the C min chord is
C, Eflat, Go ... this is from the harmonic minor scale, right?

Why is there a natural minor scale and the harmonic minor scale?

What is the marking "b3" .. what does the "b" stand for?





Major: 1, 3, 5

Minor: 1, b3, 5

7: 1, 3, 5, b7

Major7: 1, 3, 5, 7

So a C major chord is C, E, G. A C Minor chord is C, Eb, G

A C7 is C, E, G, Bb. and a Cmaj7 is C, E, G, B.
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  #19  
Old 11-05-2010, 07:41 AM
mr. beaumont mr. beaumont is offline
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"b" means flat. In order to "flat" or "lower" a note, move it a half step lower.

since "E" is the third note in the C major scale, a b3 is an Eb.

G# is the third in E major. A "b3" in the key of E is a G.

Does that kind of make sense?

All chord building and spelling should come from the major scale--don't even worry about the multiple minor scales when doing this. All chord formulas are expressed with he major scale in mind--even for minor chords.
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  #20  
Old 11-05-2010, 11:32 AM
Howard Klepper Howard Klepper is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Guitarboy2828 View Post

The one problem I have with the major scale is it's rather impractical to just jam. It is a very "boring" sounding scale and one that is very hard to use in a random improv. It can be used, I know, but it's a lot harder than a basic pentatonic.
Boring is more likely to be someone playing exclusively on a minor pentatonic scale. It's an easy place to start for improvising on rock and blues, but soon becomes limited and repetitive. Major pentatonic is IMO wasting time you could be spending on the whole scale, and you can't get the chord tones you need to play appropriately over the chord changes without all the scale.

Country music is almost all major scale. About 95% of classic jazz (swing, bebop, etc) is played in major keys, with the major scale as the basis for improvisation. Notes may be added, but the major scale is the structure that jazz improvisation hangs on. You can play blues with it, too.

I guess you may find jazz improvisation boring and the Greatful Dead interesting; in that case nevermind.
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Last edited by Howard Klepper; 11-05-2010 at 05:03 PM.
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  #21  
Old 11-05-2010, 12:56 PM
Allman_Fan Allman_Fan is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kmgreensman View Post
I am chord banger but want to start learning more. Where should I start with what Scales ect. Maybe the most popular ones or what you guys think would help me throw a little "Extra" in my playing.

Thanks!!

Curt
Well, back to the original intent . . .

If your focus right now is mainly country music, then you'll be best served by learning the MAJOR scale.
Now, regarding the subjects brought up here, there are two forms of the major scale.
1. The entire Major scale (with seven notes) or
2. The pentatonic Major scale (with five notes).

These two scales are EXACTLY the same, except the first one has two additional notes.

A lot of people learn the major pentatonic first. Then, when they get comfortable, they add the two notes. Also, once you have the major pentatonic scale, it's pretty easy to shift to a MINOR pentatonic for more "rock-ish" songs. (Really, it's a mental/conceptual thing more than a finger/dexterity thing.)

But, for now, the minor pentatonic is not going to work well with many country songs. I think the advice here (MIGHT BE) to start with the major pentatonic but know in the back of your mind that you will ultimately be learning the FULL major scale. (It's only two more notes.)

Then, you will learn the full minor scales. Then all of the notes; the chromatic scale. And, not before or after, but DURING, you will be exposed to harmonies which are the stepping stones to chords.

See, you already thought you knew chords!

Modified to add this:
Ah, the devil is in the details. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the scale represented on the neck of the guitar (posted by Guitarboy2828) on the previous page is NOT the Am pentatonic.

It is, in fact, the A MAJOR pentatonic.

Last edited by Allman_Fan; 11-05-2010 at 01:04 PM.
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