Keys to learning scales
Hi David
Still working on scales and have a question. Is this an issue for the ear or the mind. Im learning the pentatonic scales and find Im feeling it in both ear and mustle memory. But if I were to think about it as working up the G scale for example and omitting the 4th and the 7th Id have problems.
Same with the Blues scale. I can play it by ear somewhat but could not recite the notes to anyone.
Im bettiing that I had better have both skills.
gary
Thanks David as always.
I really want to make sure I internalize what the focus should be. There are many things to learn I have to be crystal clear.
Chords on Scale: So I am now able to play a (for example) a C Pentatonic scale by heart up and down. I know the C is a IV chord D is I chord, E is iv chord, g is IV chord and A is not in the standard blues chords and we are back to C.
Holes to chord: I am working (with my engineering mentality which seems not to be a boon to this task) with great effort to memorize all the holes/chords etc. So my mission is to be able to know that I chord/GBD is played on 2d,3b,4d,5d, 8d etc.
Hello Gary. You're on the right track...
Yes, for "Chords on Scale" you have it. D is also the root of the V chord (D F# A). G is the IV (5th) and I (root).
Yes, for "Holes to chord" you want to know the chord (G B D) and which holes those notes are found on the harmonica (D and G in this case... 1, 2/3+, 4, 6+, 8, 9+).
I recommend when working on this, to restrict yourself to a hole range when improvising, so you don't have too much to remember all at once.
Also, be thankful you don't play another instrument, where they have to do this for 12 keys! All we have to do it for is one key, and then switch harps when other keys are needed.
Hello Gary. Being able to play it intuitively is a good first step. The next step is to know which chord you're playing, their notes, and the notes you're playing of the scale. This one is simple... you want to emphasize the notes of the scale that match the notes of the chord. This leads to much more musical usage of a scale.