A sticky about Modes?

I'd love to participate in writing the sticky!

I disagree that the threads are frustrating. Music theory topics are my favorite discussions on talkbass. I find them fascinating reading, and it really helps me as a teacher to see how different people can approach the same theoretical concepts from different angles.

I'd encourage people who don't enjoy the theory/mode topics to simply not participate in them. It's frustrating for me to sift through all the "here we go again with the modes!" posts to get to the good stuff.

 

Whether they are frustrating or not would depend on why a person is interested in a modes thread in the first place. For someone asking a simple question (like the most recent thread), it can be a bit frustrating when contradictory answers/opinions are given, and the whole thread develops into a point scoring (and sometimes personal insults) exercise between the "experts", with the unfortunate OP, and other less well up, people caught in the middle.

I am not well up enough on modes to participate, but would welcome a "...simple as possible, with no point scoring debates" sticky on the subject, as it does come up often.

Having said the above, I think Bassey Bill's thread on the subject is quite good.

Bassy Bill's Beginners' Basic guide to scales and modes

 

That raises an interesting question: Do TalkBass threads exist only for the benefit of the original poster (OP)? Or, do the discussions take on a life of their own that has value for all participants?

 

IMO it can be beneficial to all, if the discussion takes on a life of it's own. However, sometimes a complete novice to modes, may ask a fundamental question, which in turn may lead to a multi page thread (like most modes threads I have seen). While many people may benefit, I think the OP (and his basic question) should be kept in mind at all times.

 

Sylvain, welcome your efforts, one is needed, however, good luck with the limited space available on a TB post.

What modes are can be answered in a page or two. How to use them, takes many pages... and we end up with what we have now.

As I said earlier; good luck.

 

i agree: and for some: one approach might suit and individual better than a different (but equal) take. a sticky could be helpful to those wanting both 'basic' and 'advanced' information.

 

I understand modes differently from most people... three decades of jazz will do that.

I really dislike the way modes are taught. You need to be able to hear them. It's much more fluid than you read on here.... but hey, you've gotta learn the rules before you can break the rules.

I voted yes, but only if people are OK with moderators editing out errors and silliness. A sticky needs to be informative and concise.

 

I welcom the true informations.

I hope one day that the information will be solid just like the information is the same from any English teachers.

 

It would be a great travesty to this site if the amount of music theory conversations were reduced. I worry a sticky would reduce those threads.

 

what mushroo said ^

 

But what if the sticky is wrong?

 

I have yet to find a situation where understanding of modes was necessary to perform or compose good music.

Modes are useful in analyzing/describing music after the fact, dissecting something that's already composed.

The danger is that people learn about them and then try to use them in constructing basslines, solos, and it comes out very mechanical, cheesy wankery.

IMO, YMMV, and all that...

 

But there seems to be a massive difference between the way people think they should be taught. Frankly, from what I've seen, to just learn a bunch of scales and their names is useless.

I actually know the sounds of the major scale well enough I can find each successive scale up the neck by my ear.

My question is: What good is that?

In other words, how can one understand the modes in a meaningful way to apply it to making themselves better musically and technically on the bass?

There is a difference between knowing and understanding, is what I mean, and it seems like a lot of people want to tell share the knowledge of modes, but are not able to explain how to understand them to enhance one's playing musically.

 

It would make far more sense to do something like that as a wiki article rather than a forum thread.

TB already has a wiki installed. And it's open for members to add articles.

 

The subject of modes is sticky enough.