Re: For the theory buffs...

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: Have you ever seen the circle of 4ths (circle of 5ths if you go the other way around the circle). : C : F G : Bb/A# D : Eb/D# A : Ab/G# E : Db/C# B : Gb/F# : If you go around clockwise it's 5ths, counterclockwise is 4ths. The relative minor is 3 clockwise steps around the circle. : Furthermore, from a key signature/scale standpoint, as you go clockwise, you're adding a sharp to the scale, as you go counterclockwise, you're adding a flat to the scale...to wit: the key signature for C is blank...no sharps, no flats, G is one sharp, D is two sharps, etc. F is one flat, Bb is two flats etc. The sharps and flats meet at Gb/F# which is six flats or six sharps, either way you want to make your eyes burn (that also means that legally, you could use 7 flats to denote the key of B, but while legal, it's probably immoral). : Now, what you're talking about is another way of speaking of "Modes." I can't tell you one mode from another, but I do know that in essence, a mode is a scale, for example C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C is C Major, also known as C Lydian (? I think that's the right mode). There are other modes such as Mixolydian, Aeolian and a bunch of others. If you play C-D-E-F-G-A-Bb-C it makes it a C Mixolydian (? maybe), in actuality of course it's either an F major that starts and stops on the 5th, or a D minor that starts and stops on the 7th, depending on what you want to call it. : They're all just different ways of describing the scales. The Key signatures tell you what notes of the scale are flatted/sharped. : When I'm soloing I think very little about scales, and modes. I do try to remember what key we're in and the chord that's being played, but I don't really specifically think about it, it's more of a thing to keep in the back of your mind as you're playing. : Theory should free up your playing, not clutter it with cumbersome rules....practice theory at home and play from the ears and the gut when you're on a job. : I hope this gives you something to use. : : : I would like to know if anyone has approached the guitar this way. I am self-taught so I don't know ALL the lingo. Anyway I have a question on improvisational soloing. Say we are playing in A Major, I am playing in an AMaj Scale, then the song goes to a F#m (the vi chord in the key). The minor scale in F#m are the same notes as in AMaj. Now say that the chord changes to a DMaj (the IV chord) I notice that all the notes are the same except there is a flat 7. Also if the chord changed to a ii (Bm) the minor scale would be just the same as the A Major scale except for a flat 7. Then there is the iii and V chords (C#m and EMaj). The only difference in these scales are a sharp 4. (ie. E Major scale, C# Minor scale). Has anyone else noticed this (I'm sure it's in a book somewhere on this planet). I am wondering if an experienced player out there uses this to their advantage (like when the "chord of the moment" changes to a V chord, you would move all of your 4's sharp, then switch back to normal after you get back to the Root chord). I don't know if any of this makes sense to anyone else but myself, but if it does, I would like to hear how others use this to play, or if I'm missing something. Thanks, : : -Ben