Theory Question Options

[SlyRy]

Never been good at theory and trying to grasp the concepts. I understand the major scale and how it has 7 modes.

My questions are:

-Are minor scales derived from the major scale? It looks like most minor scales I see, are just the Aeloian mode of a major scale. The formula is the same right?

-Are pentatonic scales also derived from the major scale in a way? Pentatonic just means 5 notes of any key correct? I notice that the pentatonic scale has 5 patterns (one for each note I assume). Are these "patterns" the same thing as "modes?"

-It seems to me, if you know the major scale and all modes, you automatically know the minors as well. But the pentatonic is a completely separate scale with it's own formula (TS ^ T ^ T ^ TS ^ T)

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[jstcrsn]

Never been good at theory and trying to grasp the concepts. I understand the major scale and how it has 7 modes.

My questions are:

-Are minor scales derived from the major scale? It looks like most minor scales I see, are just the Aeloian mode of a major scale. The formula is the same right?

-Are pentatonic scales also derived from the major scale in a way? Pentatonic just means 5 notes of any key correct? I notice that the pentatonic scale has 5 patterns (one for each note I assume). Are these "patterns" the same thing as "modes?"

-It seems to me, if you know the major scale and all modes, you automatically know the minors as well. But the pentatonic is a completely separate scale with it's own formula (TS ^ T ^ T ^ TS ^ T)

every major scale has it's relative minor , which your are correct and just relegates to the most common note you fall back to
i.e. a,b,c,d,e,f,g, is the c major scale while it's relative minor is A- if you play the A in the background it will usually have a more minor feel
the pentatonic is simaler E ,g a,b,d, is e minor or g major ,i think you are on the right track
when it starts to get tricky is were you play notes out of the scale you then need to change modes to sound in key , and even sometimes you want to play out of the scale
very complicated if you are willing to put in the time

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[Todd Simpson]

The good news is that many of the standard scale shapes link up for the length of the guitar neck and really you are just changing which pattern you start with. So once you memorize the major or minor scale up and down the neck, you really know both of them

The Pentatonic (Penta meaning 5) has fewer basic tones in it that other scales like major / minor (7 tones then resolves on an octave, and of course OCTA is the prefix meaning 8 as in Octopus)

You can add the "Blues Notes" to the pentatonic scale and then have 3 notes per string shapes be a hand possibility when you are building scale runs.

So in short you are on the right track!

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[SlyRy]

Thank you guys. Is the major scale , the only scale with "modes?" For instance, the A minor scale is the same pattern, for the most part, anywhere on the neck right

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[Todd Simpson]

Thank you guys. Is the major scale , the only scale with "modes?" For instance, the A minor scale is the same pattern, for the most part, anywhere on the neck right

MODES is a more generic term than you might be thinking. Here is a link to a lesson by our own DOKUGAN explaining
various "Modes" in various keys. Notice that the tablature/patterns don't chage. They are the exact same in each mode.
The only thing that changes is where your "Root" notes are. I hope this makes more sense than my last reply HOpefully
the visual aid will make it more clear.

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/wiki/inde...Modes_SI_Lesson

Here is a link to our Theory Portal on the Wiki. These types of questions are important and thus addressed on the first page with
some great lessons by our own Andrew Cockburn.

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/wiki/inde...p/Portal:Theory

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[Sinisa Cekic]

Here you got good suggestions on modes, but what I would add and it is very important, is - where to apply?!
In this diagram <a href="https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/wiki/index.php/Quadrium_-_Music_Theory_Series_Part_3_-_Modes_SI_Lesson" target="_blank">https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/wiki/inde...Modes_SI_Lesson</a> you would say that it's all the same,C major scale in 7 position, but if you look these two lessons, you will be more clearly about ! Magic of the modes is in the progression !

Applying modes 1
Applying modes 2

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This post has been edited by Sinisa Cekic: Aug 22 2011, 10:32 AM

[SlyRy]

Thanks for the replies.

I need to clarify something

Say you have a song written in AM. You could obviously play an AM scale over it, but what about the A harmonic minor and/or A Hungarian minor? Could both these be played in a song written in AM or C? I ask because the A harmonic minor and Hungarian minor, have notes in them, which are not in the key of AM (Eb and G#)

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