Which scales do you use?
 

Im trying to get some ideas and opinions on scales and modes. If you don't mind, list some of your favorite/most used scales along with what kind of style you use it in.

Like most guitarists, I started with the pentatonic and blue scale. I still use the blues scale a lot, I love the blues. I started getting into the Dorian mode, I really it's sound. Natural harmonic minor is another one I became fond of. It has a cool, classicalesque sound that works great with metal. Randy Rhoads used it quite a bit. Lately I've been abandoning scales and doing some improv, which Is fun. But I'm still curious to know what scale I'm using when I do so, because even though Im just making it up, I know it has to fall under a certain scale.

All of them. I don't limit myself. I used to hate modes because i was forced to learn and memorize the patterns on flute (very hard when you can't see what you're doing) but then I realized how beneficial they really are. I also love pentatonic, whole tone, and octatonic scales.

Are there not any that just really stand out to you and make you think "wow, I really like that one"?

Chromatic because I only score horror films and play Smile.

There really is only once scale, the chromatic. :laughing:

Not really, they all start sounding the same after awhile lol. What really stands out for me is certain keys no matter what the scale is... like D minor for example, that key stirs emotions in me. I'm not sure if that's some form of synesthesia or what, but there are keys that do that to me, even if it's just the scale.

If you have the pentatonic scale down and modes down then you could start on your major scales, and different fingering positions of each key. Theres also differnt styles of practicing the minor pentatonic that come in handy as well. Different techniques of picking you can incorporate into your play using any of these scales. For instance knowing when to rake the strings amidst a solo, and things like that. I'm not sure exzactly where your at learning wise or how much you prefer to advance, but the possibilities are endless really. I'm getting to where I almost know what sound a certain string is going to make without always focusing on what key I'm playing in. Venturing unknowingly into the major from the pentotonic while soloing from simply experimenting so many times. Of course their will be plenty of hicups, and it doesn't happen overnight, but I'm getting to where I can fumble along out of just the pentatonic, and make it sound decent. After so much repetition over weeks, months, years I'm finally expanding, and developing my repertoire enough to where I can combine the two along with some of the modes, and it not sound forced or thought out. Meaning I'm not thinking as hard about where I want to go next, and if its the right fret or scale or mode. Still I'm nowhere near where I'd like to be, and don't practice as much as I should anymore. Whenever I do think I've achieved something I youtube something to humble myself cause no matter what the song or style of whatever I've just learned. There is always somebody out there who will blow your mind and make you feel like its your first day on guitar after you've heard them play.

Also, the minor pentatonic for me anyways was what layed the foundation for expanding my fretboard horizons. After a while just residing within the confines of the pentatonic grew boring. Even though its fun learning it and the sounds that come from it are wicked amazing, but I think the thirst for more options of sound, and riffs, licks, etc is what every musician strives for. Although I still learn different ways to make new sounds with the pentatonic too. Alternating your picking can open doors to tasty sounds and licks in a scale you've played a millions times. Then sometimes you just simply stumble onto something, and think, how did I do that? Its easy to get in ruts, and become frustrated, but even playing something the same way for however many times can be beneficial cause on the millionth and 1rst time for no apparent reason something may present itself that was an offshoot, and direct result of all the fundamentals you practiced and played.

I've learned the c major scale. I've got a pretty good grasp on memorizing scales. If I really sat down and put a lot of time into it I'm sure I could learn all the major scales in a relatively small amount of time. Memoizatiom isn't really the problem, it's all the little techniques and nuances that you mentioned that go into getting a good sound that's the difficult part. When I'm jamming I just do a lot of improv, I really don't know which scale or mode im using. But if I have a written song ill actually sit down, learn and experiment with different modes/scales.

That comes with time, and its extremley frustrating I know. I wish I had more of a effortless flowing sound. Also I dont think you necessarily have to know what scale or mode your in. I mean if you know what key your in then you have an idea of where you can venture in and out of. At the end of the day if it sounds good it fits. Without getting into music theory and all of that. The scales, and modes really dont really change just the positioning, and root notes in relation to where you are on the fretboard if that makes sense to you. Once it becomes second nature to you the two may co-exist in perfect harmony without you realising it. Persistant repetition and reapeatedly practicing it once recognized is when you can start to embelish the spicy little extra's. For me anyway, it may come more natural to you I dont know but I have to work at it. What I hope to achieve one day is to make my play look and feel as effortless this guy makes it look in this vid and all the other great guitartists I admire.

Oh ya, that's what all players aim for I think. I saw mark knopfler live and was just blown away by how fluent his playing was.

Yeah its almost discouraging at times watching people play on a whole different level.

Definitely. It just makes you think "what am I doing?" But you gotta remember that it's not a contest. There are plenty of guitar players that I like more than players who are more technical.

I'm actually glad you made this thread cause it inspired me to go back and refresh my memory a little on some things. I havent been playing all that much lately and I've gotten stale in a few areas. Plus I get bored just playing by myself with nobody to pick rythym whenver I discover something new or just want to jam.

I stumbled across this just now, and thought you might like this. These are the kind of people that just make me sick, and want to quit playing altogether. This dude is just shredding this acoustic on his solo's. The two guys singing suck ass, and should persue another line of work if this is what they do for a living. Ignore them butchering the song with their vocals, and try an focus on just the dude farthest to the right sitting down playing. Its like he's not even trying.

You can't go wrong the pentatonics but getting into the jazz funk stuff , mixolydian , lydian and harmonic minor

Lately I've been working on internalizing and really being able to apply the modes of the harmonic minor. I can use in harmonic minor itself pretty well when called for, but hearing and effortlessly being able to apply, say the Locrian #6 isn't quite as natural and doesn't come up as much, but it's an interesting sound. The trick is hearing when to use that sound and then be able to apply it when needed without thought. That's the goal for any scale. To be able to have that sound at your disposal.

I use the major scale and it's modes pretty regularly, chromatic runs, major/minor pentatonic, blues scale, etc. It really depends on the song and the genre.

In terms of thought process, I really refer everything back to the major scale. What's #'d or flatted relative to the major scale? Dorian is b3, b7. Lydian is #4. Harmonic Minor is b3, b6. For me it's easier to remember, and utlimately it gets closer to hearing each note relative to what it's played over. What does a b3 sound like, for instance? In the end it's about playing melodies and phrases, not scales. Scales are the frame of reference to build off of, imho.

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n...ps97f5bac3.jpg

stay classy.

Definitely a lot of major7s, in the II IV I progression

Today the http://www.musicbanter.com/games-lis...litz-game.html brings us back to the time of Bloozcrooz and Blastingas - both guitar-music connoisseurs and great posters in their day.

As for me, all I know about scales is that I have a set in the bathroom. (By PM, negotiations are currently underway to sell this joke to Trollheart.)

These
https://5.imimg.com/data5/WU/RL/MY-8...es-500x500.jpg

All of the scales. All at once. On every instrument.

.

I don't know, but I use these a lot: C, D, D#, F, F#, G, G# ,A, A#.

Not so much these: E, B.

I honestly don't know why, but then, I don't really know how to write music. I'm just faking it.

HaHa ! If I were a musician, I'd use the Richter Scale - it's exponential!!

D minor usually is my favorite scale. Specifically the chords produced from it. I love to play the blue/pentatonic scale especially. I love bluesy music and I feel like I play it pretty well.

Ohaus. :cool:

Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Si, Do

Key of C. :shycouch:

I use blue dragonscales. They give me +15 frost resistance which is helpful against the abominable snowman and yettis.

And the frozen food section of the grocery store

Pentatonic all the way for me.

C# Minor, B Blues Minor, Pentatonic, Phrygian dominant, C Major/A Minor, and the Chromatic scale. it really kind of depends on which tuning I'm in and which way I'm approaching sound. I favor minor over major because the progression just sounds more rounded to me rather than sharply pronounced. But I'll do weird things, like crescendos through minor scales, and decrescendos through major scales, because I like that mellow roundness for progression. I can write in major progressions and scales just as well, but I optionally prefer not to because they feel much more defined and what I try to express musically and creatively is my fascination with the idea of fear of the unknown, or unknown horrors.

I'm also a big H.P. Lovecraft fan, and when I was in my college years I used to do a lot of LSD and smoke a lot of marijuana, so I try to find the in between for sound between psychedelic trippy stuff, drone, and black metal. I know I hit the nail on the head when the sound that comes out, raises a reaction out of me.

Technically speaking it's probably "Musical Wrongness" but, that's also kind of what I want it to sound like: The Thing That Should Not Be. Basically, if I come up with something that creeps even me out, I run with it. Theory helps, but it also imposes a challenge. Not a challenge of learning, but instead the challenge of dissonance and abstract thinking for something along the lines of what I'm trying to musically portray, so I try to keep a balance between using it as a utility, and also thinking outside the box of it at the same time.

Okay, dude, you've been here long enough.
How about you post some of your stuff? Would be very curious to here it.

I, too, currently use only one scale.

http://tinyimg.io/i/HoYMeWs.jpg

Is that your shredding BPM?

That was my weight back in the days when I was occasionally mistaken for Al Jourgensen.

Was he so fat his name could only be written in bold?

Well, at 137.6 lbs, you'd have to be 5 feet tall or less to be considered "fat" which neither of us is (or was then).

I was thinking in kilos, I guess (damn Europeans!).

Which would mean 304 pounds according to a quick Google.