A new relationship between scale patterns

[mhoward]

Please take a look at a website I put up: http://gladfish.com/. It describes a property of scale patterns that I noticed, that made it much easier for me to remember them. Maybe this only appeals to me because I'm an engineer - finding patterns in patterns is something I use daily at work.

 

The relationship between scale patterns, or meta-pattern, consists of a rotation of the scale from string to string, together with a shift of the pattern when it moves from the G to B string. I showed how this works for the major 3-note-per-string scales as well as for the major and minor pentatonic scales.

 

I've never seen the scales presented in this way before. The concept is very simple, and would be very easy to see if I had taken the time to present it with an animation of the fretboard. But I took the easy way out and drew up a series of diagrams. I'm afraid it may be too geeky for many people; but some people may find that it reduces the amount of memorization required, and it is certainly a different way of looking at the fretboard.

 

I'd be grateful for feedback.

[mhoward]

This is like Jon Finn's Fretboard Geometry approach.

 

Wow, you might be right! I was only able to see a few random pages from Amazon, but it sounds like he may talk about this idea, which he's calling "warp refactorization" or something? I guess I was naive to think I'd hit on something nobody else had noticed before. I'll have to get that book and see how he presents it. I'll certainly give him credit for the idea on my website!

[wrathfuldeity]

I am certianly a noob at this stuff...but after a quick look isn't this just the 3nps positional patterns? Or am I missing something?

[Virgman]

[JesperT]

I thought it was very interesting, thanks for doing this.

[syscrusher]

I must be stupid because that seems a bit much for me. All I did was learn the minor and major scales and then move them up or down corresponding to what mode I want. Since their all the same patterns.

 

Guess I'll have to take another look when I got more time.

[FranklinPearl]

Yeah, I had heard of the warp refraction threshold or whatever before, but I was inexperienced then...

 

I am going to take a much longer look at your site...I am kinda at a point where I feel like I am just a short step away from a new level, and maybe this will help me.

[mhoward]

 

All I did was learn the minor and major scales and then move them up or down corresponding to what mode I want. Since their all the same patterns.

 

 

This isn't related to modes or keys in particular... it's just a way to learn scales. If learning the major and minor scales came easy to you, then great, you're past the need for this. The issue is that there are a lot of patterns, and it's hard to keep them straight when you're learning.

[cryptozoon]

i like it. i'll use it. the graphics are great.

[WhiskeyClone]

Wow, you might be right! I was only able to see a few random pages from Amazon, but it sounds like he may talk about this idea, which he's calling "warp refactorization" or something? I guess I was naive to think I'd hit on something nobody else had noticed before. I'll have to get that book and see how he presents it. I'll certainly give him credit for the idea on my website!

 

Yeah that same concept was the basis for a Jon Finn book I have. I found it really helpful. He only applied it to pentatonics though. Good job on the page

[Jed]

 

I am certianly a noob at this stuff...but after a quick look isn't this just the 3nps positional patterns? Or am I missing something?

 

 

There are 3nps patterns and there are Positional patterns . . . but there are no 3nps positional patterns. 3nps means more than one position, Positional means you can't play 3 notes on each string.

 

cheers,

[Jed]

 

Please take a look at a website I put up: http://gladfish.com/ . It describes a property of scale patterns that I noticed, that made it much easier for me to remember them. Maybe this only appeals to me because I'm an engineer - finding patterns in patterns is something I use daily at work.

 

 

Nice work. Just keep in mind that this process worked well for you for two reasons: 1) it matches how you think (finding repeating patterns) and 2) you did it yourself.

 

I never had much difficulty remembering the patterns (as shapes) but I can see how this process would help someone remember the shapes of the scale forms. For me the challenge has been to internalize the intervalic patterns (relative to naote names & scale degree function) of the various keys.

 

I also work in a job where I need to see subtle patterns where no patterns are obvious. Music is all about patterns, the patterns that project themselves onto a fretboard for various scales is just one example of patterns in music. Keep looking for patterns, you'll see them everywhere in music. In a very real sense shifting patterns is the heart of what we call music.

 

cheers,

[jonfinn]

 

Yeah that same concept was the basis for a Jon Finn book I have. I found it really helpful. He only applied it to pentatonics though. Good job on the page

 

 

Ummm, not true! Please read your book again! Chapter 3 (Fretboard geometry) shows the idea discussed here explained as pentatonics.

Chapter 3 was meant as an introduction so that when you get to Chapters 6,7 and 8 (the REAL point of the book), you're already familiar with the terminology given.

 

To the original post:

Great job on your idea! Well thought out!

[blumonk]

Ummm, not true! Please read your book again! Chapter 3 (Fretboard geometry) shows the idea discussed here explained as pentatonics. Chapter 3 was meant as an introduction so that when you get to Chapters 6,7 and 8 (the REAL point of the book), you're already familiar with the terminology given. To the original post: Great job on your idea! Well thought out!

 

pwned!

[Jed]

 

"When the student is ready, the teacher will appear." - Chinese proverb

 

 

Did you have a premonition on this ??

 

cheers,

[GreenAsJade]

I think it's an academically interesting relationship, but I don't see how it helps memorise or (more importantly) quickly find the patterns?

 

Possibly I'm missing that because the web page focusses on the relationship, but not how to use it?

 

If I find a '1' in a song I want to play along with, and I'm using the 2nps box patterns, all I need to do is know which pattern has the '1' on that string: 5 patterns to remember.

 

With this method, tell me again how I'm supposed to quickly figure out from finding the '1' at the 5th fret on the B string to knowing the pattern to move in?

[jonfinn]

 

I think it's an academically interesting relationship, but I don't see how it helps memorise or (more importantly) quickly find the patterns? Possibly I'm missing that because the web page focusses on the relationship, but not how to use it? If I find a '1' in a song I want to play along with, and I'm using the 2nps box patterns, all I need to do is know which pattern has the '1' on that string: 5 patterns to remember. With this method, tell me again how I'm supposed to quickly figure out from finding the '1' at the 5th fret on the B string to knowing the pattern to move in?

 

 

Well, right. His web page shows "what it is" but doesn't really answer "how to use." It's a big question almost like, "how do you build a car?"

 

Guitar is confusing because, unlike other instruments, we can play the same pitch in several places. Therefore, sometimes improvising can feel like "Where's Waldo?" Know what I mean?

 

The short answer is to learn the notes, and learn a little about the theory behind what notes go with what chords. My book "Advanced Modern Rock Guitar Improvisation" (mel bay) goes in to a lot of detail about putting the patterns together with a system to figure out how to use them. but it describes everything in "guitar" terms rather then "music theory" terms.