petejt
Active member
If I am bored I try to steer right away from pentatonic scales. But always seem to gravitate to minor scales. I just love that Aeolian sound.
Nitrobattery
Well-known member
I just uploaded a three part series of videos discussing modes, ways to expand your playing to cover the entire neck of the guitar and included some fun licks/phrases to incorporate into your playing.
If you’re wanting to expand your knowledge of the fingerboard, without having to do months of studying to do it, I think you’ll get a kick out of this. I intentionally tried to avoid using technical terms, and instead try show a practical way to open up the neck so that you can immediately start using this stuff in your own playing. The second video may appear to be a little confusing, but if you hang in there until the end, you’ll know how to play any mode, in any key all of the way up and down the neck.
If you’re wanting to expand your knowledge of the fingerboard, without having to do months of studying to do it, I think you’ll get a kick out of this. I intentionally tried to avoid using technical terms, and instead try show a practical way to open up the neck so that you can immediately start using this stuff in your own playing. The second video may appear to be a little confusing, but if you hang in there until the end, you’ll know how to play any mode, in any key all of the way up and down the neck.
Monkey Man
Super Moderator
Awesome Nitro. You came through with the goods, mate, as promised. Thank you so much man! 
It'll have to wait 'til I can find a window to check it all out, but rest assured, I will, and will no doubt come back here gushing about what a great job you did. No pressure.
It'll have to wait 'til I can find a window to check it all out, but rest assured, I will, and will no doubt come back here gushing about what a great job you did. No pressure.
J
jeff5
Active member
Great stuff, subscribed to your channel!
Nitrobattery
Well-known member
Awesome! I hope you guys find it useful! I'll upload a part 4 just for continuity talking about exactly what degrees of the Major scale we screw with to get these different mode sounds, but there are honestly hundreds (if not thousands) of videos talking about that already. The main point of these videos was to get people to look at modes as one giant scale (instead of seven different ones) and learn how to interconnect the patterns as they fall on the neck. Once you have that relationship down, it makes it pretty easy to play in any key, using any mode all over the fingerboard. For sure there's some initial memorization that needs to happen, but once you have that down, you're ready to take over the entire neck.
Inearthed
Well-known member
Thanks for these videos!
Monkey Man
Super Moderator
Lookin' forward to pt 4 Juan; I need to complete the set. 
SpiderWars
Well-known member
Wow, great stuff man! I just finished the second one and after only a few minutes of playing up/sliding up/playing down it is making sense. Just the idea of associating each box that way really helps corral all the notes/scales.
I can see myself doing similar for root notes on the A string; like using that Locrian box for Phrygian. Does that make sense and do you think that is advisable?
I can see myself doing similar for root notes on the A string; like using that Locrian box for Phrygian. Does that make sense and do you think that is advisable?
Kapo_Polenton
Well-known member
I understand the modes and the box as well as a few variations of it but for some reason, the way Michael Schenker flows through his shapes always mesmerizes me. I'd love a series on how he and Marty Friedman approach the use of modes and pentatonics. Those two guys just really feel like they think "outside the box".
Nitrobattery
Well-known member
SpiderWars":1yd3zjl4 said:
Awesome! I'm so glad it's helpful!
As far as using which box for which sound, like I mentioned in the video, any box can sound like any mode depending on where you play it. Ultimately, it's just working out which patterns/positions feel comfortable under your fingers...and learning how to shift them to the appropriate spot to get the sound (mode) that you want. I'm a big dumb rock guitar player, so if I'm playing in say E mixolydian...I know that if I start my regular old minor scale on an F# (or more simply, just two frets higher than whatever my root note is) I can play all of my Slash/Metallica/Zakk Wylde licks that I grew up on and all of a sudden they'll sound like a Major scale with the 7th degree flatted one semitone. So whatever makes sense to you, as long as you're playing the right notes, arrange them in your brain however you want!
Nitrobattery
Well-known member
Kapo_Polenton":1lkydej3 said:
That would be a blast to do. I'm definitely no Marty Friedman, but you know what they say, "Those who can't, teach"
SpiderWars
Well-known member
Can you name a scale/mode for me? I've always called it Phrygian Dominant but it's basically the Phrygian mode of a corresponding Harmonic minor scale if that makes sense (eg - A harm minor and E Phry Dom?). Super cool mode that's not too uncommon. Major 3rd and flatted 7th so that implies dominant (to me) and then the flat 2nd implies Phrygian (to me).Nitrobattery":3jy5elfy said: