Mastering The Modes for Jazz Guitar
The modes are a system of seven scales dating back to Pythagoras of Ancient Greece. The scales are named: Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian and Locrian.
Though many music schools teach the modes as versions of the C major scale, it is perhaps the worst possible way to teach them. This explanation is valid historically but is relatively useless for jazz guitar applications.
Chuck records Flight from the "Freefall" CD
Ignore Everybody and 39 Other Keys to Creativity by Hugh MacLeod
Thoughts and Observations
My first observation was more of a feeling than a thought. The words coming from the pages evoked a feeling of familiarity – not the words themselves but the feelings that came out of the words. The visceral sense of loneliness when you’re conceiving of and pursuing a creative idea which is neither understood nor accepted by the outside world. The sense of unfairness that we all feel when our careers don’t go as far as fast as we would like. The inequity that we often feel when we compare where we are to where others are. It’s clear that the feelings, emotions and attitudes surrounding creativity are universal and applicable to many people and situations.
Read MoreProgress
Progress is in direct proportion to the time spent on disciplined practice and creative performance. But a musician’s growth is not determined by practice and playing alone. Life experience is an integral part of a musician’s development. As an individual matures, the learning experience requires increasingly thoughtful decisions. The musician must learn to decide when practice is most important and when the value of other pursuits outweighs the value of specific practice. Many people do not achieve their goals because they use time unwisely. This is a most common source of frustration. But it often takes this frustration to enable the individual to see the necessity of making better decisions on his own priorities of time.
Read MoreUnlocking the Guitar – Notes on the Neck
It’s unbelievable how weak guitar players are on knowing the notes on their own instrument!
No other instrument suffers from this same fate. Imagine a piano player not knowing the note names of the keys…or a trumpet player not knowing what notes come out if they push specific valve combinations. Yet, an amazingly high percentage of guitar players don’t know the notes on the neck.
This problem has certainly been created by the guitar world’s penchant for tablature and chord picture diagrams. Despite this, there is no excuse for the failure on the part of guitar players to learn what is absolutely rudimentary on any other instrument.
Read MoreProgress – Pursuing the Horizon
Progress is never measured from where you are to the horizon but rather from where you were to where you are. Those who focus on what lies ahead to the exclusion of their accomplishments are destined for frustration. To keep balance, use the following affirmation. “I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished and I’m looking forward with great anticipation to what I will accomplish”.
Music Pursuing the Horizon by Chuck Anderson Available at www.ChuckAndersonGuitar.com