Scales, modes, schords and arpeggios: A practice regime, and that damn elusive list

faiz0802 · #1 03-13-2011, 04:26 AM

I'm sorry if this has been posted before, but I did a search and nothing came up. This is a post describing my practice regime and lists of scales, modes, arpggios that I've made over the years using my hand notebook and the trusty notepad. Wanted to share.

I kinda figured after a long time of misconception that shapes are just tools for simplicity and are helpful only after you've perfected a good number of ways of playing a scale. This is how I go about it.

1) I take a scale, and scale, and use the formula. I now play it on groups: 1 string, then wherever I can using 2, then in variations of 3 and then 4. After a few weeks of rigorous practice when I feel that I've gotten the hang of it, the snowball effect kicks in. I reinforce everything by playing in all keys. Another few weeks and I've gotten pretty decent in, say, playing in the major scale in all keys.

Now the tricky part:

2) I take one shape and on a notebook I make a fretboard diagram of that scale. Instead of using notes I use intervals because that way I know how the pattern moves and therefore I can transpose the process into any key. Get the root right and everything falls into place. I find that alternating between saying note names and interval names distributes the work load by half.

3)Now I take any one pattern that I've already jotted down and alter; lets say the 3rd to change it from major to minor. Due to the snowball effect, since I've already mastered the pattern, I only have to move the 3rd by half a step, or one fret lower and I got another pattern nailed. I use 8 patterns for a scale in one octave.

After these steps, if all is right, I've mastered 2 scales with 8 patterns in all 12 keys. This is a great way to learn the fretboard as well.

Now the fun begins:

4) I start mixing patterns up. This is where I turn from a 'one octave man' to a '2 octave stud'. Being mathematically inclined, I have a HUGE fetish for symmetry and permutations/combinations. *cough cough* On with the story... Get the notebook out again, and draw the fretboard diagram for say, P1+P2 (here P stands for pattern)..
Then P1+P3 , P1+P4 and so on. This is completely up to you, it seems like a chore, but as I said, it gives suprisingly easy with time. Keeping a notebook gives the illusion of accomplishing a lot more than just practice, it reinforces confidence and helps in keeping a journal of all your conquests.

5) Next we have modes. Same as scales in my opinion, but I kinda learnt that mode is just a scale turning moody. Just use the same patterns and add the extra notes wherever they pop up.

6)By the time you're done with all this you will have a very strong understanding of how intervals work and where they appear while shifting, fretwise or stringwise. Just pick out the notes from a position and you have arpeggios and chords.

faiz0802 · #2 03-13-2011, 04:29 AM

I tried copy pasting, but they're notepad files and the editing is getting all messed up, and I dont have the patience to change and edit it here. So you guys are free to download and check. Please feel free to PM me or contact me on fb if there are any queries. Cheers.

PS - Hope all this helps, and hope you guys don't make the mistake of avioding theory for years, like I did. If you understand how it works, you always do a better job. I rarely follow the rules, but I always where and how I'm breaking them.

faiz0802 · #3 03-13-2011, 04:33 AM

Damn, the collective list is in Doc format, so I uploaded it on mediafire. Here's the link:

SUPERLIST.doc

Lambic · #4 03-13-2011, 04:45 AM

Phew... cast a diagonal look on the doc. file... too much math-like for me. I prefer just plain notes on staffs. OK, I know that I could transcribe this whole thing, but I'm not sure it's worth it, since I'm already practicing scales from the first volume of the Aebersold books. Practicing those (major7, dom7, minor7, half diminished) in all keys, going up in fourths, and trying all possible positions (not too far beyond the 12th fret though...), is already time consuming enough!

faiz0802 · #5 03-13-2011, 04:49 AM

I like to look at all this as reference. I never mentioned that patterns be relied upon. Instead, rely on a single point and see where you wanna go from there. I was never smart enough to make it through those Aebersold books. Sigh.

mickyjuice · #6 04-01-2011, 05:16 AM

I enjoyed your notes. Very enlightening for a keen practice fanatic. Thanks mate

Russell L · #7 04-01-2011, 06:19 AM

I used to draw stuff like that for students. It helped me, too, while I was doing it. All that does indeed give one a thorough understanding of the fingerboard, but anymore I just play at practice. I studied enough in the past to have a good grasp of it all, and I know theory very well, so now I'm into playing and finding other things. I have been impressed with just how many "intangible" things there are to playing, stuff you can't draw or analyze (and I love to analyze). I'm into taking the knowledge I have and use it as a background for playing with expression, "articulation," if you will. Feels good, too.

Jim Campbell · #8 04-01-2011, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by faiz0802

I'm sorry if this has been posted before, but I did a search and nothing came up. This is a post describing my practice regime and lists of scales, modes, arpggios that I've made over the years using my hand notebook and the trusty notepad. Wanted to share.

I kinda figured after a long time of misconception that shapes are just tools for simplicity and are helpful only after you've perfected a good number of ways of playing a scale. This is how I go about it.

1) I take a scale, and scale, and use the formula. I now play it on groups: 1 string, then wherever I can using 2, then in variations of 3 and then 4. After a few weeks of rigorous practice when I feel that I've gotten the hang of it, the snowball effect kicks in. I reinforce everything by playing in all keys. Another few weeks and I've gotten pretty decent in, say, playing in the major scale in all keys.

Now the tricky part:

2) I take one shape and on a notebook I make a fretboard diagram of that scale. Instead of using notes I use intervals because that way I know how the pattern moves and therefore I can transpose the process into any key. Get the root right and everything falls into place. I find that alternating between saying note names and interval names distributes the work load by half.

3)Now I take any one pattern that I've already jotted down and alter; lets say the 3rd to change it from major to minor. Due to the snowball effect, since I've already mastered the pattern, I only have to move the 3rd by half a step, or one fret lower and I got another pattern nailed. I use 8 patterns for a scale in one octave.

After these steps, if all is right, I've mastered 2 scales with 8 patterns in all 12 keys. This is a great way to learn the fretboard as well.

Now the fun begins:

4) I start mixing patterns up. This is where I turn from a 'one octave man' to a '2 octave stud'. Being mathematically inclined, I have a HUGE fetish for symmetry and permutations/combinations. *cough cough* On with the story... Get the notebook out again, and draw the fretboard diagram for say, P1+P2 (here P stands for pattern)..
Then P1+P3 , P1+P4 and so on. This is completely up to you, it seems like a chore, but as I said, it gives suprisingly easy with time. Keeping a notebook gives the illusion of accomplishing a lot more than just practice, it reinforces confidence and helps in keeping a journal of all your conquests.

5) Next we have modes. Same as scales in my opinion, but I kinda learnt that mode is just a scale turning moody. Just use the same patterns and add the extra notes wherever they pop up.

6)By the time you're done with all this you will have a very strong understanding of how intervals work and where they appear while shifting, fretwise or stringwise. Just pick out the notes from a position and you have arpeggios and chords.

as a tool to get going patterns are ok.....but i think it's important to know what note you want.....instead of running scales i run arpeggios while saying each note out loud,and if you do all the chords in a key the notes of the scale are repeated often enough that they stick in the memory.....and you can find them from any place....same with modes

Russell L · #9 04-01-2011, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Campbell

as a tool to get going patterns are ok.....but i think it's important to know what note you want.....instead of running scales i run arpeggios while saying each note out loud,and if you do all the chords in a key the notes of the scale are repeated often enough that they stick in the memory.....and you can find them from any place....same with modes

What you're doing is a great exercize, absolutely. In a similar way, I know what the function is of every note in a pattern (1,3,5,etc.), and I know what note it is at the same time, but when I'm playing, the only actual note name I think of is the root, for the most part, to make the changes. If I need to make it minor, lower the 5th, play an arpeggio of a m7b5, or whatever, I don't actually think too much about what each and every note is. I do know what they are, though. And if I had to write it out on the staff, no problem.