Members black cobra Posted December 11, 2002 Members Share Posted December 11, 2002 Most improvising methods suggest scale sequencing. The trouble is, it takes a very long time to get the sequences right. I feel that I could better use this time to simply play some chords and hit chord tones and melody notes of the scale around the chords. At least I'll be playing music, instead of concentrating on an excercise. The only value I think in sequencing is that you can come up with melodic motifs you may not have had before. How about you? Do you think sequencing is worth it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mike_E_McGee Posted December 11, 2002 Members Share Posted December 11, 2002 I think scale sequencing is great. It is a great finger excercise, it is a great mental excercise, (can really open up the fret board, especially when the same exercises are done using different fingerings) and when the sequences are so ingrained in you that fingerings, and voicings are just an afterthought, some crazy (good) things start to happen to your playing. I think being really good at sequencing, and at altering your sequences, is the best way to learn to play in any key from any position. I always love it when someone is playing in Eb or D from the open position, and not detuning to pull it off. That to me is a major breakthrough that I have not yet had, but am striving for. Sure, I could think about it, and pull it off, but to effortlessly, and fluidly jump into different keys without needing to change position is a really cool trick. Peace, McGee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jimmy James Posted December 11, 2002 Members Share Posted December 11, 2002 I have a few books that get into that. In fact most of the Jazz/Blues books I have always have a section on that. I think it's good to know a few just to have as a part of your vocabulary. There's tons. Horn players use them all the time. If anything it's a good picking exercise and makes you think about scales from a mathmatical perspective. You don't have to use it top to bottom but a short sequence within your solos is nice. Then again when you're not feeling particularly creative during a solo it's nice to have a few of those under your belt to fall back on. Like I said, good for picking technique too. I should learn some more but it's very tedious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GTM Posted December 11, 2002 Members Share Posted December 11, 2002 Originally posted by black cobra Most improvising methods suggest scale sequencing. The trouble is, it takes a very long time to get the sequences right. I feel that I could better use this time to simply play some chords and hit chord tones and melody notes of the scale around the chords. At least I'll be playing music, instead of concentrating on an excercise.The only value I think in sequencing is that you can come up with melodic motifs you may not have had before.How about you? Do you think sequencing is worth it? As you can see, not a lot of responces. Probably because a lot of people either agree with you or are lazy. If by scale sequencing you mean learning to connect scales, it is time consuming but the bennifits are rewarding IMHO. To improvise over scales melodicly you must really know the scales inside and out. As goes with sequencing or connectiong them. The only way to achieve this is to put in the time and practice. I have logged long hours practicing scale up and down the neck, concentrating on the notes and the technique required to play cleanly. A couple of times a week I record (loop) some chord sequences and work out playing melodic lines using scale sequences. I would not be able to do it if I hadn't first logged long hours practining those scales and scale sequencing. I had a jam just last night with a bass player who was very heavily into funk. I never play that stuff. Fortunately I had the resources to execute melodic lines from scales and I was able to pull it off. In other words I don't know of any other way to be able to improvise solo's based on chord tones in scales without first learning the hell out of the scales and aquiring the technique to execute them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members black cobra Posted December 11, 2002 Author Members Share Posted December 11, 2002 Thanks everyone for the responses. I find a lot of the scalar excercises very boring. It's easier for me to make up a chord progression first, then target the chord tones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jimmy James Posted December 11, 2002 Members Share Posted December 11, 2002 I wonder if we're all talking about the same thing. When I think of sequencing scales I assumed you were talking about sequencing licks ala... -------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------- ---------5------5-7----5-7-8-------------- -5-7-8----7-8-------8--------------------- etc. There's tons of sequences like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members black cobra Posted December 11, 2002 Author Members Share Posted December 11, 2002 Yea, that's the kind of sequencing I'm talking about: 1234, 2345, 3456, etc. It's really tiresome to endlessly move a sequence up or down a scale. I can understand using a fragment for a motif that is sequenced over a chord progression, however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members johnnysixguns Posted December 18, 2002 Members Share Posted December 18, 2002 are there any websites that go into detail on scale sequencing or anything like that? i'd like to read up on it, since i've never heard of it before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members billiam Posted December 19, 2002 Members Share Posted December 19, 2002 I play bass and I'm learning that stuff now. I'll take a two octave scale and run up it in different sequences. This is hard and slow, but I've done this before, so now it is easier. Not only are the actual notes important, but also the feel or timing that you use. Jerry Garcia made great use of this, I don't always care for it but that's not my goal. I mainly do this to free up my sense of playing prethought patterns. I play the sequences in as many ways as I can, I still get lost at times, but I see the fretboard a little more broad now. I got stuck playing in one position and didn't know the length of the board at all. Very limiting. This opens it up for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members johnnysixguns Posted December 19, 2002 Members Share Posted December 19, 2002 *cough* links? lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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