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How do you learn a new scale ?


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Do you learn the intervals ? Do you start the patterns on the root note ? ...

What's your technique ?
:snax:



Pretty much what you said. My first guitar teacher would give me the scales and have me alternate pick through them up and down, making sure I picked twice on the root notes so I learned where they were.

I'm sure learning the intervals is a good idea too. Someone will probably chime in with better info.

I just drill it into my head spelling test style through repetition.

I learn them as a set though.

With the scale patterns that I learned, there was always a whole set of different variations of the same scale. 5 patterns in the CAGED system, and 7 using the, 3 notes per string, long scales.

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I've never learnt a scale
:confused:



I'm gonna have to to say I haven't technically learned a scale, either.

Big reason: Neil Young is my "guitar hero."

My lead approach has evolved from his style of emotionally driven, best for the song, seat of the pants, oddly melodic, chasing the note whilst sometimes crapping the bed blissfully kind of style.

In doing this I know my way around the major and minor scales fairly well, and although I can't tell you what scale I'm playing in I know some variable notes I can go to that "sound good to me." :facepalm:

If I find a pattern I like, I usually do the old traditional finger exercise with it or with subtle variations of it up and down the neck until it feels comfy.

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I haven't sat down to learn a scale in almost 10 years, but here's what I used to do:

1. Learn the intervals by playing the scale up each string, one string at a time.
2. Learn it across the neck in as many positions possible.
3. Practice the scale with intervallic leaps (i.e. thirds, fourths, etc.)
4. Learn the chord scales.

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I haven't sat down to learn a scale in almost 10 years, but here's what I used to do:


1. Learn the intervals by playing the scale up each string, one string at a time.

2. Learn it across the neck in as many positions possible.

3. Practice the scale with intervallic leaps (i.e. thirds, fourths, etc.)

4. Learn the chord scales.

 

 

Nice, I'm gonna go back and apply this to what I've learned so far. When you say chord scales, do you mean the chord arpeggios patterns?

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Nice, I'm gonna go back and apply this to what I've learned so far. When you say chord scales, do you mean the chord arpeggios patterns?

 

 

I forgot about arpeggios. Yeah, throw that in there too.

 

I meant harmonized scales.

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I forgot about arpeggios. Yeah, throw that in there too.


I meant harmonized scales.

 

 

Oh OK, gotch ya. Would you suggest harmonizing the scales off the scale, running linear on the high E (using strings 1234), then moving it to the rest of the string sets?

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Oh OK, gotch ya. Would you suggest harmonizing the scales off the scale, running linear on the high E (using strings 1234), then moving it to the rest of the string sets?

 

 

Yeah, harmonizing off the scale so you can see/hear the modes. A lot of people forget that chords and their functions are derived from scales.

 

I did the reverse, starting with the scale note, chord root on the low e and harmonizing above. A great way to learn different voicings. Easy to get lost though.

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Easy to get lost though.

 

 

Yea, LOTS of voicings hah.

 

Before I learned about harmonizing scales and the voicings up the strings, I stumbled across this Satriani video about modes. It was my first introduction to modes (applied) outside of my guitar teacher teaching me about them back around when I started. I would drone the E for a tonal center and practice the modes by finding where there E was the 1'st note in the major scale (ionian), 2nd note (dorian), 3rd note (phrygian) etc. Then I would play from E to E in those scales. That might be helpful for some people here that want to introduce their ear to the "sounds" of the modes of the major scale.

 

[YOUTUBE]5SckVz3XpLs[/YOUTUBE]

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I pay the most attention to the Major Scale and to intervals. I do things like sequencing which is what Tronus described earlier. I also practice etudes which are long and implore different technique so it builds discipline and stamina. I have other exercises but I don't have any kind of routine I just mess with what I feel like and everything just naturally falls into place. Like I didn't consciously learn the fret board it just happened

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