A Question on Pacman's sure-fire scale practice method

[beaglegod]

I looked through the thread to find an answer to my question but still dont quite understand, heres the part I dont understand:

You can (and should) practice any and all scales and modes in this fashion. My suggestion is that once you’ve gotten this concept down you practice all your “C” scales and modes on one day, the next day all of your “C#” scales. Then your “D” scales, etc, etc.

If your doing this exercise however havent you in essence gone over every mode in the particular key your working on just by doing this exercise once? For instance if you played C major using this exercise, starting on the lowest note all the way to the next octave, youve also played D-Dorian, E-Phrygian etc.?

The closest thing I could find to answer my question in that thread was

Quote:
Originally posted by theJello
"You are really just going through all the modes right? Each "box" relates to a mode. The only difference is that you are just playing every note possible in that position. Is that what you are saying? Sorry, I read through it kind of fast."

Pacman replied:
Well, yes and no. Yes, in that you're starting the scale on each note. But you've got to think of these exercises as still being in the original scale. This way, when you're playing in C major, you're thinking of the function of C major harmony. You should do these exercises with the modes too. The idea is to understand what each scale sounds like, to be able to use it, not just play it 1-8 and 8-1.

:

Sorry to ask this question if the answer is obvious here in what Ive read but I still dont understand how I can do this exercise in every mode of say C Major.

Thanks for any help, Ive started doing this exercise already despite not fully understanding.

[Pacman]

There's two questions here.

First, when I said do all your "C" scales and modes on one day I meant to go through the drill on C major, then C dorian, then C phyrigian, etc, etc. All the way up and down the neck.


Now, to the second part - yes, if you play the method precscribed for C major, yes - you've technically played C major and all of it's associated modes. But if you do that, you're not really getting the point of the exercise, which is to be able to play within any scale, starting on any note, and really *hear* it as that scale.

Remember this method serves mainly to get you to hear each scale as its own entity, not as a subset or derivative of the major scale.

[beaglegod]

Hiya Pacman,
Am I understanding right than that I should play the same exercise over again while mentally focusing on each different mode?
If I start on Low E and play C Ionian, and than start On Low E and play D-Dorian even though Im playing the same notes I should be focusing mentally on each mode seperately, is that the gist of it? Sorry for needing so much clarifiacation its just one of those things.

[Pacman]

Originally Posted by beaglegod

Hiya Pacman,
Am I understanding right than that I should play the same exercise over again while mentally focusing on each different mode?
If I start on Low E and play C Ionian, and than start On Low E and play D-Dorian even though Im playing the same notes I should be focusing mentally on each mode seperately, is that the gist of it? Sorry for needing so much clarifiacation its just one of those things.

That's exactly what I'm saying, yes. Remember, I recommend saying (or singing) the note function (number) as you go through this - this helps you differentiate the sound of an "E" as a tonic or as a 3rd, or 6th, etc....

[Bruce Lindfield]

I think this is why it's invaluable to have some kind of keyboard instrument to really hear how those sound against different chords...?

If you don't have keyboard skills you can always use things like sequencers, microcomposers or programmes like "band in a Box" etc. - where you can programme in chords...?

[Jake of Bass]

Originally Posted by beaglegod

Hiya Pacman,
Am I understanding right than that I should play the same exercise over again while mentally focusing on each different mode?
If I start on Low E and play C Ionian, and than start On Low E and play D-Dorian even though Im playing the same notes I should be focusing mentally on each mode seperately, is that the gist of it? Sorry for needing so much clarifiacation its just one of those things.

I think for this reason it's why recommended you go through the different scales but use the same tonic, ie. C ionian, C dorian, C phrygian etc, like Pacman suggested. Then you won't be thinking "well, I'm playing D dorian but it's exactly the same as C ionian" (which it isn't, but on the fretboard it's quite possible for people to consider it as such), you're thinking more in scalar terms. Bruce's chord suggestion is a great one too.

[Pacman]

FWIW, I use Band in a Box always when I do this.

[Michael Campbel]

Originally Posted by Pacman

FWIW, I use Band in a Box always when I do this.

How do you set it up? Say for example I was doing the scales in A today, how would you setup BIaB for that?

[Pacman]

I have a "song" for each scale.

So I'd use:
A maj - Major
A min7 - Dorian
A min7 - Phrygian
A maj7 - Lydian
A Dom7 - Mixolydian
A min7 - Nat. Minor
A M7b5 - Phrygian

BIAB will play an arrangement using the chords, and I just practice to it.

[Jake of Bass]

Originally Posted by Pacman

I have a "song" for each scale.

So I'd use:
A maj - Major
A min7 - Dorian
A min7 - Phrygian
A maj7 - Lydian
A Dom7 - Mixolydian
A min7 - Nat. Minor
A M7b5 - Locrian

BIAB will play an arrangement using the chords, and I just practice to it.

Fixed