Most important scales to learn, learning tricks

[Huw Phillips]

I have the following question, I have problems committing things to memory due to cognitive Problems from Lyme disease, so it’s really hard for me to memorize things, my fingers are fine if I can read something it is easy to play it, my question is which scale are the most important to commit to memory major, pentatonic both major and minor and the blues scale ?
I would also be very interested to hear from anyone with similar issues and how they overcome them.
Many thanks in advance h

 

[CatOnTheBass]

First question: Which scales (if any) do you already know? And when you say "know a scale" what does that mean to you? Can you play that scale? Sing that scale? Read that scale? Write that scale? Know that scale is being used when you hear it in a song on the radio?

I recommend every student should learn 15 major scales and 15 minor scales, for a total of 30. If you learn 1 scale a day (just 7 notes), you can learn them all in a month.

For your cognitive style, how do you learn best? Is it easiest for your brain to remember shapes, numbers, letters, sounds, images, patterns, etc.?

I have a pretty good amount of experience teaching the scales using different methods. Let's find a learning method that fits your skill set.

For example if you are a "numerical" thinker then I would start off by explaining that every major scale follows the same numerical pattern 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8. If you are playing C Major scale then the note C gets the number 1. Or if you are playing Eb Major scale then the note Eb gets the number 1. Does that make any sense to you, or do you personally prefer a non-numerical learning style?

Another example is the song "Do Re Mi" from the musical The Sound of Music. This song is a great way to learn the major scale, if you are an "auditory" type of learner, who learns best through sound. Do you know this musical and have you ever sung this song, "Do Re Mi"? Or do you personally prefer a non-song-based learning style?

So you can see, there are many ways to learn the scales. Let's figure out a way that works best for you.

 

[Malcolm35]

I have the following question, I have problems committing things to memory due to cognitive Problems from Lyme disease, so it’s really hard for me to memorize things...…

I had something they wanted to call Lyme disease, however could never get everyone to agree this is what I had. Finally decided it was Bacterial Meningitis.

My lasting affects deal with hearing, not memory. Play by ear is suspect in my case. I've listed a simple pattern that can be used, with adjustments, for any Chord, Scale or Mode. Hope this may help.

Major scale first, then the Natural minor scale. After that change one note and the other scales or modes await you.

Major Scale Box.
……....Index..Middle...Ring....Little
G~~|---2---|-------|---3---|---4---| 1st string
D~~|---6---|-------|---7---|---8---|
A~~|---3---|---4---|-------|---5---|
E~~|--------|-R-or T-|---------2---|4th string
You may recognize this pattern with dots.
Adding the numbers lets the pattern come alive.​

Cmaj7 chord coming up in the song. Find a C note on the 3rd or 4th string and put this box's R over that C note. Then play the "spelling" for the Cmaj7 chord. That spelling is R-3-5-7. If you wanted to play the C major scale, that spelling is T-2-3-4-5-6-7.

• Major Scale = T-2-3-4-5-6-7 Home base
• Major Pentatonic = T-2-3-5-6 Leave out the 4 & 7
• Natural Minor Scale = T-2-b3-4-5-b6-b7 Major scale with the 3, 6 & 7 flatted.
• Minor Pentatonic = T-b3-4-5-b7 Leave out the 2 & 6.
• Blues = T-b3-4-b5-5-b7 Minor pentatonic with the blue note b5 added.
• Harmonic Minor Scale = R-2-b3-4-5-b6-7 Natural minor with a natural 7.
• Melodic Minor Scale = T-2-b3-4-5-6-7 Major scale with a b3.

Learn the box pattern and the spelling for what you want.

Good Luck

 

[Huw Phillips]

Gentlemen many thanks for your reply’s, I will explain my situation further, I played clarinet as a young man and able to read and write music, when the Lyme started I lost my ability to read and write notation and have relied on tab, I keep pushing to relearn notation but have very little luck.
As far as scales go I know the C scale to play without tab and know it by ear and can move it all over the neck, however if I have the tab in front of me I can pretty much play the major scale, the pentatonic major and minor and the blues, and move them around the neck.
I have been studying intervals of late 3rds and 5ths and can play them again from tab.
My point is no matter how hard I study about 1-2 hrs a day I am unable to recall things from memory, my fingers work fine and seem to have a better memory than my head.
I take lessons every other week with a guitar teacher who studied at Berklee, I have progressed a lot but I am v frustrated as I seem to be stuck in a pattern, where I don’t feel I am progressing much, I have cognitive therapy 3 times a week and the progress there is v slow, my Lyme Dr thinks music is better as it uses more of our body functions

many thanks for your reply’s

 

[Huw Phillips]

@Malcolm35 sorry to hear about your meningitis diagnosis, I hope that your not having a bad time of it h

 

[Malcolm35]

Happened in the 80's I'm good to go now. Can not distinguish words in my left ear, but I get by -- most of the time with a smile or a shrug.

You mentioned what you can do. That got me by in the good ole boy bands I played for.


Thanks for asking, and keep on keeping on.

 

[mambo4]

my question is which scale are the most important to commit to memory

major scale, in all possible keys, along the whole neck.
I can't speak to memory dysfunction.
Pac-Man's sure- fire scale practice method is the best approach i have seen. Maybe it will help.

every other scale is to be understood as a variant or subset of the major scale pattern.

 

[kevindahl]

Major scale
Minor scale
Pentatonic scale

Learn these 3 shapes to start. If you can learn the scale shapes across all of the strings that would be great. You can practice without your bass in your hands as well.

I am sorry about your condition. I work as a Music Therapist and I have no experience with memory loss due to lyme's disease. The brain is remarkable and can rewire itself to accommodate deficits (ie)neural plasticity. This is especially true when it comes to music. I think Catonthebass is correct. You must find what works best for you in regards to learning.

Are you able to play along to a song you have learned by memory?

 

[Bob_Ross]

I recommend every student should learn 15 major scales and 15 minor scales, for a total of 30.

I recommend every student should learn one major scale...and then learn how every other major scale, as well as every other minor scale, as well as every other mode, relates to and/or is derived from that one.

iow, it's not especially important to know that, for example, an Eb major scale consists of Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C, D ...what is critical to understand is that that particular sequence of intervals can be both transposed and rotated to yield other important scales.

 

[Huw Phillips]

Thank you to everyone who has commented above, I think by having written the problems I have down on paper so to speak,I have come to a conclusion, I believe that I must learn by ear as I have no memory of things I did moments ago, I had a long discussion with my lyme Dr today and we can see lots of improvement it can just be very frustrating in the moment, thank you one and all I very much appreciate your input h

 

[CatOnTheBass]

By ear is a great way to learn! Maybe you can learn scales by linking them to favorite songs? For example such-and-such song for the Major scale, and so-and-so song for the Minor scale?

 

[MrLenny1]

Major scale all keys, cycle of 4th's. 30 minutes a day.
Minor scale same as above.
Dominant 7th all keys cycle of 4th's. 30 minutes a day.
Call out the root as you start the different keys.
Repeat repeat repeat.