In this lesson we are going to look at interpreting scale/arpeggio shapes and discuss the best way to practice them.
Here is a typical looking shape. It is actually the shape of a major scale. It is essentially a diagram of frets and strings, with fingers being represented by circles containing numbers.
The strings are set out vertically, with the 1st string to the far right and the 6th string to the far left.
I’ve already written extensively about the importance of major scales. There are already posts on understanding major scales and links to playing the shapes up and down the fretboard in every key.
This lesson is really a summary. It is designed to be a practical guide to learning major scales thoroughly.
It is important to have a general idea of what major scales are, how they are used and why they are important. We are not going to get into the theory in this lesson, but if you need to brush up, read the following post:
A Complete Guide To Major Scales On The Guitar
In this lesson we’re going to make soup. Musical soup of course. A delicious soup of the dorian mode variety. But first, let’s talk a little bit about scales and modes in general.
The problem with scales and modes is that they can be hard to use musically without a clear sense of direction. It’s quite easy to learn to play the mode (shape, notes, theory etc.) but how do you make it sound cool? Playing the mode from one octave to the next sounds ok, but a little boring and predictable. So what can you do? Play as many notes in random order as long as the fit with the scale/mode? While this is a common approach, it usually sounds very unmusical.
Enter the soup analogy. Think of the notes in a scale or mode as having a certain flavor. Not every note is equal but each has its own unique flavor. There are the main ingredients (the chicken, corn, water, etc.) and there are also the ingredients that are used to add interest, or spice, or a bit of a ‘kick’.
In this lesson we are going explore the dorian mode using the chicken and corn soup approach. Of course, we could apply this to any scale or mode, each with its unique flavors. But in this lesson, we will look at the dorian mode.
I’ve written about the importance of knowing Major scales. So much of theory (chords, scales, etc. etc.) relies on a sound knowledge of major scales. While a lot has been written on being able to play major scales up and down the neck in different positions and keys, a very effect way of learning major scales from a knowledge point of view is to learn all 12 major scales in the open position.
Playing scales in the open position is often seen as a beginner’s approach to scales. While this is somewhat true, it’s important to realize that playing scales in the open position can be sometimes technically more difficult than across the fretboard and usually requires a greater knowledge of the scale itself. When you learn a movable scale shape, it becomes very easy to change keys by simply moving the shape around the fretboard. This is not the case with open position scales. For example, to be able to play all 12 major scales in the open position, you need to learn each scale individually.
The Minor 7 b5 arpeggio contains the following:
1 – b3 – b5 – b7
The minor 7 b5 arpeggio and chord can also be referred to as the half diminished arpeggio or chord. It has a dissonant, dark sound and can be used effectively with certain minor scales, such as the phrygian mode and locrian mode.
As with all scales and arpeggios, we want to learn 5 movable shapes up and down the fretboard for the minor 7b5 arpeggio. Let’s look at the 5 CAGED shapes, using Cm7b5 as the example arpeggio:
The dominant 7 arpeggio contains the following:
1 – 3 – 5 – b7
It is the ‘flat 7th’ that gives the dominant 7 arpeggio its distinctive sound. It is a great tool when used over dominant 7 chords and when used with scales such as the mixolydian mode.
Just like any arpeggio or scale that we learn, we want to be able to play the dominant 7 arpeggio in 5 movable positions up and down the guitar fretboard. Let’s look at the 5 dominant 7 shapes using C dominant 7 as the example key: