Improvisation Level 2

Hi Emil, up to now I have counted up these scales that you said you used the most. Is this list correct? 1. Minor pentatonic 2. Major pentatonic 3. Blues scale 4. Ionian 5. Lydian 6. Myxolidian 7. Aeolian 8. Harmonic Minor 9. Melodic Minor 10. Dorian 11. Half step/whole step diminished 12. Altered or Superlocrian 13. Bebop (circus) scale Is there any other scales not listed above which you use in your improvising and which you think would be worth studying? Thank you in advance! Kavi.

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Hi Emil, I watched a couple of interviews with Tommy Emmanuel where he said that he can neither read tabs (let alone notes) nor can he play modes. When asked how to improvise he answered something like this "God gave you ears - use your ears!" So, does Tommy Emmanuel really not know modes and play everything by ear? What is your take on it? Same is true (to some extent I think) about Martin Taylor. He says he never thinks in terms of the modes but only in terms of the root and the third. I am very curious what your answer is gonna be, Thank you again for your great lessons! Warmest regards, Kavi

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Re: How to memorize modes /topic/896/how-to-memorize-modes Hello Emil, thank you for the lessons. I learned the scale with another way. I don’t know if it’s good or not. Can you tell me what do you think about it: For G major scale, I learned the only one position from G to G in all G notes of the neck. It’s always the same position except from the G string because of the changes between G and B string. ( I also learned it by starting the G note with my little finger.) based on the CAGED system For a dorian mode, I know that it’s a 3b, 6, 7 so I only change the finger position of my 3 and 7Maj and it’s always the same at all the G notes on the neck. It’s the same for all the modes. For Lydian I only change my 4th. It also allows me to know all the notes of the whole sleeve Do you think it’s another good way to learn that or not?

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