Got this cool book about scales but..

[rchrd_le]

Ok its called the Guitar Grimoire.

First off, yes, I'm a dumbass, just play along here...

The entire book has the asceending and decending of the F major and minor scale. They have different positions throughout the entire neck.

Now if this is F because the scale starts on F does that mean if I moved up one step I would be playing G minor or major? (whichever)

And are modes and other things just some moderation between the notes like said scale has 3 sharps, ect..

 

[AugmentedFourth]

Now if this is F because the scale starts on F does that mean if I moved up one step I would be playing G minor or major? (whichever)

Yes. If you were to move all those notes, i.e. move the positions up the neck by one whole step, it would be in G. (1 whole step = 2 half steps = 2 frets.)

And are modes and other things just some moderation between the notes like said scale has 3 sharps, ect..

Well if you are in the key of 3 sharps, that would contain the notes

A B C# D E F# G#.

And so if we were to talk about modes within this key (these 7 notes,) we would just take that same sequence but start in various positions.
Examples:

A B C# D E F# G#.
We start on 'A' here, and notice that the interval between each note and the first (tonic) note is like this:

PU, M2, M3, P4, P5, M6, M7.
[Where P means perfect, M is major, m is minor, U is unison, 2 is second, 3 is third, etc.]

This is what makes up the Ionian mode (basically the same as a major scale). So in this case the sequence above constitutes A Ionian.

But now if we start on a different note, like say, C#, we end up with this sequence:

C# D E F# G# A B.
You'll notice that I just took that same sequence and shifted it to the left 2 spaces, wrapping the ones that get bumped off of the left around to the right side.

Intervals for this one in relation to the tonic (C#):

PU m2 m3 P4 P5 m6 m7.

This identifies this as Phrygian. More specifically C#. You can look up more of this in your book or the intertubes I'm sure.

 

[MikeyLawless]

Yes. If you were to move all those notes, i.e. move the positions up the neck by one whole step, it would be in G. (1 whole step = 2 half steps = 2 frets.)



Well if you are in the key of 3 sharps, that would contain the notes

A B C# D E F# G#.

And so if we were to talk about modes within this key (these 7 notes,) we would just take that same sequence but start in various positions.
Examples:

A B C# D E F# G#.
We start on 'A' here, and notice that the interval between each note and the first (tonic) note is like this:

PU, M2, M3, P4, P5, M6, M7.
[Where P means perfect, M is major, m is minor, U is unison, 2 is second, 3 is third, etc.]

This is what makes up the Ionian mode (basically the same as a major scale). So in this case the sequence above constitutes A Ionian.

But now if we start on a different note, like say, C#, we end up with this sequence:

C# D E F# G# A B.
You'll notice that I just took that same sequence and shifted it to the left 2 spaces, wrapping the ones that get bumped off of the left around to the right side.

Intervals for this one in relation to the tonic (C#):

PU m2 m3 P4 P5 m6 m7.

This identifies this as Phrygian. More specifically C#. You can look up more of this in your book or the intertubes I'm sure.

Im starting to understand this...is it really this simple, or am i missing something?

 

[AugmentedFourth]

Im starting to understand this...is it really this simple, or am i missing something?

It really is pretty simple once you get the hang of it.

 

[viesczy]

As stated, you only need to "learn" the shape once and then apply that geometry around the neck.

C'mon if Keith Richards can make a living playing guitar, how hard can it really be?

Augmented 4th gave a little insight into modes (Ionian and Phrygian). Modes can tend to be difficult to get your ear around w/o backing tracks as it its the interplay of the notes played along with the progression and the key the piece along with the notes.

A lot of musicians (meaning myself) tend to hear the #s or bs first so that the key of the piece is written in can be found. So to me w/o anything played along with it, the notes of C#, D, E, F#, G#, A, & B only means to me that the key "could" be A natural.

Derek