Thread: Chord Structure
View Single Post
  #16  
Old April 30th, 2007
solidwalnut's Avatar
solidwalnut solidwalnut is offline
Moderator | Lesson Contributor

Playing guitar for what seems like forever.
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Last Online: 1 Day Ago 04:12 PM
Location: Phoenix, AZ USA
Posts: 1,394


Quote:
Originally Posted by hb View Post
I studied that link and I'm not sure if I'm absorbing this right or not. Please advise.....If I play the G major scale, I will start on G and play the whole notes up the scale with the exception of F#.
Nope. You play the major scale intervals. In the key of G major, the F# note is the seventh degree of the scale. You just continue to play the major scale intervals regardless of the note where you begin.

Quote:
Originally Posted by hb View Post
Then if I play the same scale but instead of starting on G, I start on another note of the G scale, what I have done is change "modes" but still playing the same scale including that one F#. Is this correct?
thanks,
hb
If I read you correctly, yes. So if you're in the key of G and you begin on G and play the major scale intervals, this is the G Ionian mode. If you begin on the A note, the second degree note from the root, and continue playing the G major scale intervals and end on the A note an octave later, you're playing the A Dorian mode. Basically think that you're playing the same intervals but you're just sliding the scale up one step. You would never skip the F# note if you're playing in the key of G major. Make sense or more confusing?

Steve


Steve Cass
Solid Walnut Music/ASCAP

Becoming a great guitarist has less to do with fancy moves than it does becoming a master of the basics and learning musicianship.
It's not what you can't do. It's how you play what you already know.

Lessons for the Beginner and Beyond
"Rhythm guitar is a trip that alot of people miss"
-- Tom Petty
Reply With Quote