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....
