#1

How to approach Scales on the Fretboard correctly?

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Wed May 17, 2017 11:59 am
by Zvono • 7 Posts

Hello all, thanks again for your advice in my first thread i created!

I got a problem in my practice routine with Major scales.
When i start playing a scale i at first started with the first note, for example G for G-Major and apply the WWhWWWh rule to find the rest of them on the fretboard. But this requires me to start on G. But what if i want to start on E?

Here is my problem, because i can't apply WWhWWWh on the E, it will be the E Major scale then instead of the G Major.

If i want to play G Major starting on E, it would be WhWWhWWWhW.... cont.
But this is really difficult to remember...
So how do i memorize best if i start the G Major on E with WhWW... or if i start G Major with A (WhWWWhWW...)
Do i need to memorize this for every Scale or am i thinking wrong about this and always start at G?
What if a song is in G Major but starts on a B? How do i do this?

I want to practice being able to start any scale with any note in it and continue it but it seems like i really need to memorize these different steps... What now? Should i commit one week for each scale instead of doing multiple each day?

I hope it's not to confusing.

Of course the easiest to do is C Maj. I wish they all would be that easy.


Last edited Wed May 17, 2017 12:00 pm | Scroll up

#2

RE: How to approach Scales on the Fretboard correctly?

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Thu May 18, 2017 8:06 am
by Farelli • 189 Posts

Your question is clear.

But I'll ask you to slow down. Your question requires a very advanced topic. That is the topic of "modes."

Using your E example, your notes are E-F#-G-A-B-C-D-E. As you said, that is WHWWHWW and that is the Aeolian mode, or commonly called the Natural Minor scale. (But it's really just the G major scale beginning on E, which gives it a different feeling.)

But you can see how this topic can get pretty advanced. You have a different spacing of the whole steps and half steps depending on which note you start with.

You can get a G Major sound playing down on that E note by beginning with G, going up from there, going down to the E, and then back up to the G (that's only one way to do it).

A simple answer to your question "Do I need to memorize this for every scale..." is: Not right now. First learn the Major scale in every position and key. That will help you a lot.

You said in your other thread you'll be subscribing to Pebber's lessons. That will help you. You need to firmly understand the Major scale before you begin on a note other than the root note (G).

But based on your questions, I don't think it will be very long before you can do it. :)

If you start like I said above, with a G and go down to E, back up past G, and then back down to G, you'll see what I mean. It will sound like G major to you, and will sound a bit less like a scale as well.

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#3

RE: How to approach Scales on the Fretboard correctly?

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Thu May 18, 2017 8:17 am
by disruptor • 7 Posts

I'm new to Pebber's lessons and haven't seen how he's teaching scales yet but I think when you practice your scales you should start and finish with the tonic, or root note. So if you are practicing the G major scale you should start on G, play the scale and then descend back to the G you started on.
Interesting you mention starting on the note E when playing a G major scale, that happens to be the relative minor of G. So if you start and end on E and play the same notes that are in the G major scale you will actually be playing an E minor scale. This changes the intervallic formula since you are starting on the E, to play the minor scale it would be WHWWHWW. Hope that makes sense.

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#4

RE: How to approach Scales on the Fretboard correctly?

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Thu May 18, 2017 8:17 am
by disruptor • 7 Posts

Oops, looks like someone beat me to it. I would go with whatever he said. :)


Last edited Thu May 18, 2017 8:18 am | Scroll up

#5

RE: How to approach Scales on the Fretboard correctly?

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Thu May 18, 2017 8:22 am
by Farelli • 189 Posts

LOL Disruptor.

I've just recently started to come around to the idea of there being really only one scale in the Major family. All the modes are just variations, and you use the intervals to create a feeling.

If you change to Harmonic, Melodic, Hungarian, or some other minor that's when you're really changing the scale, and that produces a whole other set of modes.

But I digress, and that's exactly what we should probably avoid in this thread.

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#6

RE: How to approach Scales on the Fretboard correctly?

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Thu May 18, 2017 9:27 am
by Adam • 172 Posts

..and it is FARELLI for the win! Excellent response!!!

Yes, you are getting into "modes," and Pebber has a 28-minute video on this topic on his YouTube channel (in addition to countless others on scales).

GREAT question, Zvono!

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#7

RE: How to approach Scales on the Fretboard correctly?

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Thu May 18, 2017 1:48 pm
by Zvono • 7 Posts

Oh wow, thanks all for so many answers!
I knew about mods and tried to learn them in theory but stopped as it was a bit to complicated and i haven't reached that point in my playing yet.
I didn't recognise that my question about the G Major scale would turn out to have to do with mods...
I think i will just do as you all suggested and simply practice all the scales in all the positions. I also can't wait to subscribe to Pebber soon. I will most likely be given less advanced things to practice forst but at least i will have guidance then :).
Until then i will try to watch more of his videos on youtube. I stopped watching them because i didn't want to overload my brain with all kinds of theory so i could concentrate on what i know so far.

Thanks again for all the advice! I really appreciate that!

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