light bulb moment...!!!

[daveinspain]

I too had a 'lightbulb moment' very similar to what you have described, long ago...I used to practice major scales 6 ways; 2 octave scale with root on E or A string, Ist finger starts, 2nd finger starts, 4th finger. I did this for years without anything but blind faith and wanting to fret the instrument accurately. One day about 5-6 years into this I was doggedly running through all keys, all positions...and the fretboard sort of lit up...I got the lightbulb on FULL...I could almost see it above my head...I had read about the modes and it all suddenly made sense to me...one of the greatest moments of my life.

 

To anyone reading this...just keep practising with your 'alertness on' and a sincere desire to figure it out, and it will come.

 

[1998StandardSG]

Also what you can do to remember the scales is to attach a number to it. If you want to use the major scale in G. Root = G = 1 = (Ionian), D = 5 of G = Mixolydian, B = 3 of G = Phrygian, etc. Make sense??? I guess what I'm trying to say is that using the G as your root and using the major scale (Ionian) the D(5) will follow the mixolydian box and the B(3) will follow the Phrygian box but you will still be in the major scale. If you start to think in that sense then you'll have no problem remembering the whole scale and it's modes because then if you decide that you want to use the G as your root but play in the Dorian mode all you have to remember is that the next note up in the G Dorian scale would be the A and if the Dorian would be considered the 2nd to the Ionian that would make the A follow the Phrygian pattern and then the A# would follow the Lydian pattern and so on.

 

 

Ionian(1) 1---G Dorian(2) 1---G Phrygian(3) 1---G

Dorian(2) 2---A Phrygian(3) 2---A Lydian(4) 2---Ab

Phrygian(3) 3---B Lydian(4) 3---Bb Mixolydian(5) 3---Bb

Lydian(4) 4---C Mixolydian(5) 4---C Aolian(6) 4---C

Mixolydian(5) 5---D Aolian(6) 5---D Locrain(7) 5---D

Aolian(6) 6---E Locrian(7) 6---E Ionian(1) 6---Eb

Locrian(7) 7---F# Ionian(1) 7---F Dorian(2) 7---F

 

If it doesn't make sense it's only because I am terrible at explaining things... I try though... It took a long time before I noticed this in my scale books but, like you said, it's one of those light bulb moments and when you realize it you can't forget it.

[1998StandardSG]

Had to edit my last post because sleep deprivation made me screw everything up... terrible I know. My face for a moment did the melting effect from "Raiders of the Lost Ark"

[badbluesplayer]

:unsure: :blink:

 

My brain hurts.

[Kolera]

Mine too. Damn theory! I have no patience and I just wanna play dammit!