Fun with scales 101

[Prog_Freak]

I found a way to make practicing modes/scales not so monotonous.
For a 7 string, Play the low octave E pattern on B and then A on the E string...... etc. After you get to the higher octave E (A string pattern) shift to the regular way of playing (ie E notes on the E string) and just keep repeating the process for all the modes/scales.
It's a different way to approach practicing and opens up new possibilities .

 

[tuneinrecords]

When I first got a 7 string, it helped me understand scale patterns better in how they stretch out across the fretboard. For example, I noticed that all pentatonic scales are made up of the same five patterns of 2 string segments or cells. With a 7 string guitar, each of the standard 6 string pentatonic boxes or patterns sprouted a new 2 string segment because of the additional low B string. With the new sections they then resembled how other pentatonic patterns started on the 6th string. I then noticed that on all of the strings. If you had enough strings you could fit all 5 pentatonic boxes in one box. Haha! Kind of confusing to talk about it with out a fretboard diagram, but that would be one monster shape. The fact that the G and B strings are only a major 3rd apart, the shapes can get disguised a bit when they cross from the D to the B or G to B and so on, but they're still the same old shapes, just "diagonalized" as I like to think. Another useful hack for learning the 7 string shapes (pentatonic, diatonic, etc) was in noticing how the patterns that I already knew on the high B and E strings would then be the same on the Low B and E strings. This made turning my 6 string patterns into 7 string patterns almost effortless.

For about 6 years I tuned my 7 strings from low to high Ab Db Ab Db Gb Bb Eb. This made for repeatable octaves with the bottom to sets of strings. It opened up a whole to world of riffs and chords for me. I've since gone back to more of a standard tuning setup, but it's still fun to do tune out of your comfort zone. I have a 5 string baritone tuned in 5ths that's good for getting out of the habits and patterns.