Anyone ever had an "AHA!!!" moment?
- Thread starter jcj
- Start date
I had one fairly recently whilst working on picking speed and control and it seems obvious but; Tension is bad mmkay. Tension in both my fretting and pick hand (body even).. I realized that I was tensing up when reaching new benchmarks or trying something I perceived as difficult. Once I noticed this and mindfully relaxed I played much faster and smoother... it makes total sense if you think about it.. you really can't do much quickly with undue tension, try to punch fast while flexing etc. May be kindergarten for some but for me was definitely an AHA!!
Stringplinker
New member
rupe":30hpq2q7 said:
AHA, I second that.
Mailman1971
Moderator
xzyryabx
Well-known member
my one and only half-aha moment was learning how to play all modes of the major scale using three three-note per string patterns....no idea what the method is called but basically there is a cycling sequence of three "patterns" and you can play any mode anywhere on the fretboard depending on where in the cycle you start....now I can play all major modes vertically and horizontally....but still need the aha moment on how to move BOTH vertically AND horizontally at the same time...but in the big picture, it's all still a meaningless jumble and I can't improvise for shit and am doomed to play covers....
bummer
to elaborate since im buzzed and got nothing better to do:
Imagine you are playing a 7 stringer;
(x=fretted fret, _=skipped fret)
Pattern 1: X_X_X on the 7th (lowest, tone wise) string
................X_X_X on the 6th string
................X_X_X on the 5th string
Pattern 2: XX_X on the 4th
................XX_X on the 3rd
Pattern 3: X_XX on the 2nd
................X_XX on the 1st (highest) string
To play G Major (on a 6 string) you start on the 3rd fret of the low E starting on line 2 of pattern 1.
Then you play the last line of pattern 1 starting on the 3rd fret of the A string.
Now your'e done with pattern 1 and you move 2 pattern 2.
A rule here is you always shift one fret in when starting pattern 2....so...
You start the first line of pattern 2 on the 4th fret of the D string
Then you play the second line of pattern 2 on the 4th fret of the G string.
Now you're done with pattern 2 and you start with pattern 3...so...
You start the first line of pattern 3 ....BUT you've now hit the B string so you indent one fret and start on the 5th fret of the B string.
Then you do the final line of pattern 3 starting on the 5th fret of the high E string.
Voila.
Shift your starting point to the 5th fret on the low E and repaeat the above and now you're playing A major!
Want to play G minor you say?
Just start on the 3rd fret of the low E as before, but now start using the first line of pattern 3....once youre done continue by going down to the A string and playing the second line of pattern 3 starting on the 3rd fret.....now the cycle is finished since you reached the second line of pattern 3....so you begin again with the complete pattern 1....then you end on the first line of pattern 2....the you run out of strings and voila....G minor!
Just remember to shift in one fret when moving from pattern 1 to 2.....pattern 3 you don't shift one fret.....and no matter what pattern you're on you always hift one fret once you hit the B string.
Want to play Dorian mode....akh...too drunk, but basically you just start on a different line of the cycle!
My fingers hurt....
bummer
to elaborate since im buzzed and got nothing better to do:
Imagine you are playing a 7 stringer;
(x=fretted fret, _=skipped fret)
Pattern 1: X_X_X on the 7th (lowest, tone wise) string
................X_X_X on the 6th string
................X_X_X on the 5th string
Pattern 2: XX_X on the 4th
................XX_X on the 3rd
Pattern 3: X_XX on the 2nd
................X_XX on the 1st (highest) string
To play G Major (on a 6 string) you start on the 3rd fret of the low E starting on line 2 of pattern 1.
Then you play the last line of pattern 1 starting on the 3rd fret of the A string.
Now your'e done with pattern 1 and you move 2 pattern 2.
A rule here is you always shift one fret in when starting pattern 2....so...
You start the first line of pattern 2 on the 4th fret of the D string
Then you play the second line of pattern 2 on the 4th fret of the G string.
Now you're done with pattern 2 and you start with pattern 3...so...
You start the first line of pattern 3 ....BUT you've now hit the B string so you indent one fret and start on the 5th fret of the B string.
Then you do the final line of pattern 3 starting on the 5th fret of the high E string.
Voila.
Shift your starting point to the 5th fret on the low E and repaeat the above and now you're playing A major!
Want to play G minor you say?
Just start on the 3rd fret of the low E as before, but now start using the first line of pattern 3....once youre done continue by going down to the A string and playing the second line of pattern 3 starting on the 3rd fret.....now the cycle is finished since you reached the second line of pattern 3....so you begin again with the complete pattern 1....then you end on the first line of pattern 2....the you run out of strings and voila....G minor!
Just remember to shift in one fret when moving from pattern 1 to 2.....pattern 3 you don't shift one fret.....and no matter what pattern you're on you always hift one fret once you hit the B string.
Want to play Dorian mode....akh...too drunk, but basically you just start on a different line of the cycle!
My fingers hurt....
DSissAussie
New member
To move diagonally (horizontal and vertical) you can cycle through the circle of 5th's with the modes. Try playing the first six notes and start, say at Major. Using the 3 notes per string pattern you described above it's pretty easy. For conversation start at low E string/3rd fret, play first six notes of Major then jump up a Perfect 5th to the A string/5th fret and play the first six notes of Mixolydian (which happens to be the same pattern as Major), then jump up a Perfect 5th to the D string/7th fret, now play the first six notes of Dorian, then jump up a Perfect 5th to the G string/9th fret and play the first six notes of Aeolian...etc, etc.
When overlapping modes by going to the "next" note in the scale the order is: Major/Dorian/Phrygian/Lydian/Mixolydian/Aeolian/Locrian/Major. When overlapping by jumping up to the 5th the order is: Major/Mixolydian/Dorian/Aeolian/Prhygian/Locrian/Lydian/Major. It's easy to remember if you think of it as the order that there is another altered note in the scale.
Like this: (it's easier to start with Lydian for this illustration)
Lydian: #4
Major: None (it's what everything else is compared to)
Mixolydian: b7
Dorian: b7, b3
Aeolian: b7, b3, b6
Prhygian: b7, b3, b6, b2
Locrian: b7, b3, b6, b2, b5
Lydian: #4
and you are back at the beginning of the cycle.
When jumping to Lydian remember you have to jump up to the b5, not the P5, as the 5th is flat in the preceding mode (Locrian). It's the only time you do that, the rest of the modes all have P5 (Perfect 5th's).
Since you're playing 3 notes per string it sounds cool to alternate between picked and slurred (hammered/pulled) notes each time you change strings.
Anyway...
Try taking the same approach you outlined above to the Pentatonic scale. It will also reveal a similar repeating pattern.
Using the tried and true "Minor Pentatonic Box".
X__X
X_X
X_X
X_X
X__X
X__X
If you had more strings the pattern would keep repeating like so:
X__X
X_X
X_X
X_X
X__X
X__X
X_X
X_X
X_X
X__X
X__X
X_X
X_X
X_X
X__X
X__X
X_X
X_X
X_X
X__X
X__X
X_X
X_X
X_X
X__X
X__X
As you can see it's a simple patter of (2x) X__X followed by (3x) X_X, and repeast to infinity...just remember to adjust a half step at that pesky G to B string transition.
Hope you can make sense of all that!
When overlapping modes by going to the "next" note in the scale the order is: Major/Dorian/Phrygian/Lydian/Mixolydian/Aeolian/Locrian/Major. When overlapping by jumping up to the 5th the order is: Major/Mixolydian/Dorian/Aeolian/Prhygian/Locrian/Lydian/Major. It's easy to remember if you think of it as the order that there is another altered note in the scale.
Like this: (it's easier to start with Lydian for this illustration)
Lydian: #4
Major: None (it's what everything else is compared to)
Mixolydian: b7
Dorian: b7, b3
Aeolian: b7, b3, b6
Prhygian: b7, b3, b6, b2
Locrian: b7, b3, b6, b2, b5
Lydian: #4
and you are back at the beginning of the cycle.
When jumping to Lydian remember you have to jump up to the b5, not the P5, as the 5th is flat in the preceding mode (Locrian). It's the only time you do that, the rest of the modes all have P5 (Perfect 5th's).
Since you're playing 3 notes per string it sounds cool to alternate between picked and slurred (hammered/pulled) notes each time you change strings.
Anyway...
Try taking the same approach you outlined above to the Pentatonic scale. It will also reveal a similar repeating pattern.
Using the tried and true "Minor Pentatonic Box".
X__X
X_X
X_X
X_X
X__X
X__X
If you had more strings the pattern would keep repeating like so:
X__X
X_X
X_X
X_X
X__X
X__X
X_X
X_X
X_X
X__X
X__X
X_X
X_X
X_X
X__X
X__X
X_X
X_X
X_X
X__X
X__X
X_X
X_X
X_X
X__X
X__X
As you can see it's a simple patter of (2x) X__X followed by (3x) X_X, and repeast to infinity...just remember to adjust a half step at that pesky G to B string transition.
Hope you can make sense of all that!
DSissAussie
New member
Cool, have fun! After you are comfortable with navigating that way you can try 4 notes per string. When you switch strings you are jumping to...wait for it...the 5th! So you're already used to it. 4 note per string patterns also have a "Big Picture" repeating pattern....I'll let you figure it out, since it's better to learn by doing, than being shown. And...you've already demonstrated that you have the understanding to successfully do it. I slide to get to the notes (on the same string - 4 notes can be a big stretch), either between the first two (Index), or the last two (Pinky). There is one pattern that works out nicely that you don't have to slide...X_XX_X, but that's pretty much it until you're pretty high up the neck where the frets are closer together. Hey by the way since you're in the Boston area are you familiar with Nick at the Axe Palace? I just bought two new Caparison's from him. Top notch guy.
MountAnDewMe
New member
One of the biggest AHA moments I can remember came when I first started watch heros like Yngwie, Marty, or Paul play on close up You Tube videos. I mentally used to believe playing in extremes took monumental athletic output. When I watched how calm and relaxed they were it dawned on me I was trying way to hard and shortly after that, along with Andy Martin's appregio book (Mel Bay), my playing became much more fluid and not forced sounding.
Learn to hold the Pick... Seriously hold it close, at an angle and should feel natural.
I was stuck using V-picks hoping practicing hours at an end thinking *I have the best pick and now all i have to do is practice*
In short. Switched back to Jazz III, Picked a very natural picking hand position to play, you will not believe the stuff i am playing now >_<"...
2. When playing over chord changes, You don't have to treat every chord like a deserted island. Find a pattern that connects them and YOU CAN PLAY ANYTHING as long as you land on a strong note on the downbeat.
I was stuck using V-picks hoping practicing hours at an end thinking *I have the best pick and now all i have to do is practice*
In short. Switched back to Jazz III, Picked a very natural picking hand position to play, you will not believe the stuff i am playing now >_<"...
2. When playing over chord changes, You don't have to treat every chord like a deserted island. Find a pattern that connects them and YOU CAN PLAY ANYTHING as long as you land on a strong note on the downbeat.
TelosHedge
New member
i'll flipped the notion on you...
ever have an AHA! moment, goto sleep, wake up the next day, and realize your epiphany opened up a whole new door to things you never knew you didn't know?
the joys of being a guitar player. my biggest aha! moment was really understanding that the education never ever ends.
ever have an AHA! moment, goto sleep, wake up the next day, and realize your epiphany opened up a whole new door to things you never knew you didn't know?
the joys of being a guitar player. my biggest aha! moment was really understanding that the education never ever ends.