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fifasy
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20 Nov 2017, 12:02 pm

Does anyone here understand guitar scales?

I keep browsing websites and stores thinking of buying a book but I don't know where to start. My teacher has me practising the F blues scale but I don't really understand what it is, I am just playing what the picture he gave me shows me to.



elbowgrease
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20 Nov 2017, 3:15 pm

A book called temperament, by Stuart isacoff helped me get an understanding of what scales and keys are.
It was an interesting read.
Scales, or keys, are kind of like a focal point of a specific part of the spectrum of sound. If you are looking at (listening to) the note (or pitch) C, the C major scale is sort of like a description of the order of prominence of the sympathetic vibration of all other possible pitches, as they relate to "C".
You play C, then e,g,b,d,f,a sympathetically hum because of it, answer to it, point at it.
All notes do relate to each other, but some just seem to sound"better" together than others. That's part of the reason why.
So if you know what the notes of your scale are, in alphabetical order, skipping every other note will produce the chords of that key. So it would be C (d) E (f) G...
If you play those notes individually, it's arpeggiation of the chord, if you play them simultaneously, then it's just the chord.
The same pattern of chords will appear in each type of scale. There's a thing called the Berklee method, which uses upper and lower case Romans numerals to describe the type of chords produced in each set of keys types that makes it easier to see and understand.
I've got a specific approach to the physical practice of scales, but it's difficult to explain without being able to show you. I'll try to write it down if you want.
Not my best explanation, but maybe it will help.
Also, the combination version of the guitar grimoire can be pretty useful.



fifasy
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20 Nov 2017, 6:48 pm

Thanks for explaining but no matter how many times I'm reading stuff about it all I can't grasp it. I think I'll have to get an in depth book to really get my head into. I appreciate the recommendations.



elbowgrease
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20 Nov 2017, 6:58 pm

It takes time, but it teaches patience.
Reading about it, I think, can only get you so far. Doing it will eventually give you an understanding.
It seems really intimidating at first, but really there are only twelve notes in Western music. But then, there are an infinite number of possible combinations.
That first book I mentioned was a good one for explaining kind of the what and the why of Western music theory. The grimoire is good at showing where it all goes on the guitar. Developing a good practice routine is what will put it all together.
Check out Arnold Schoenberg, or Bella Bartok. For an example of extreme in music theory.