Revelations

[mihcmac]

9 hours ago, merciful-evans said:

When I figured out how to extract the Mixolydian mode from a regular major scale. I didnt know the name of it back then. It was just 'that scale with the dropped 7th that Garcia uses'. I already knew about relative minors and how that worked but this one opened up the floodgates. Experimentation then led to extracting the Dorian mode and others. 

The significance was being able to use existing muscle memory to play all these other scales. Just transpose in your head.  

A keyboard can help in understanding the modes, as the modes are laid out in sequence using just the white keys. Starting with C Ionian (same as C major).

 

Orchestra instruments have more difficulty changing the key of a song because the pattern they play on their instrument will be completely different, having to insert sharps and flats to put the half steps and whole steps in the right place.

Where a guitar can simply move the same pattern to another position. Like the "pattern" used for A minor (5th fret) would be the same "pattern" used for G minor (3rd fret) just in a different position, or any other key you want play in.

Note that a guitar pattern in itself is not a scale but actually contains a few scales or modes depending on the position of the root note within the pattern.

An Aeolian or A minor scale in a simple pattern, one of a few possible patterns.

Below showing the guitar as related to all of the white keys on a keyboard.  If you started on the low E you could have an E Phrygian scale inside a the pattern. All of the modes are inside the pattern below depending on where the root note starts. You c an break up the whole pattern below into smaller more friendly patterns . There are several overlapping patterns in this diagram.

This is basic music theory and as usual there are many ways the scales can be altered. Most Rock can be played with these Modes, however Blues altered the rules and in some ways simplified it, but in others made it more complex..

Edited October 5, 2020 by mihcmac

[sparquelito]

I learned while playing gigs over the past few years that it's awesome to fall into the right (standard, correct) groove with your regular band-mates, and that practice does make a difference. 
The more jobs you play together, the better and better your chemistry, vocal harmonies, and timing get. 

But it's when you play with guest guitarists and replacement musicians that you really learn a lot, and step up your game. 

It's when you are out of your element that you switch off the auto-pilot, listen to what the new guy is playing, and find the accompaniment that works best with that player. 
It may not be the right groove or riffs for your usual set-up, but you learn to adapt to somebody new, and it makes for better musicianship. 

Can you just chug along with the exact right rhythm, and make it sound like the original LP?
Sure, but if the guest musician is doing exactly that, there's not much point in doubling that thing. 
Time for tasty fills, soft arpeggios, shimmering voicings, and complimentary soundscapes. 
Making it up on the fly can be rewarding, satisfying, and a whole lot of fun. 

And the audience picks up on that, and they really dig it. 

🙂