OK, so I sort of know the major & minor scales now, and know my root / thirds and 5ths.
When I'm playing along to a chord progression or playing a melody line I want to stick to the active chord tones (mostly) because to my ears it sounds loads better than a random application of the scale.
I can currently only do this by cross referencing for several minutes before working out how to get between the correct notes: what's the chord progression / what's the notes of that chord / where are they on the fretboard / what's the next chord / what are the notes / how do I get there from here...
I'm sort of enjoying working these out but is there a shorter / different way, or will this become ingrained if I just stick at it?
Comments
Techniques such as shared chord tones and suspensions will help ease a tune through the various paths of the underlying harmony, but one wouldn't work out which notes are shared before using them - the theory mainly just explains that afterwards.
Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
Try also: Am arp over both the Am and F chords (plus other combinations) you can create a different feel by superimposing one on the other. In this case you move from Am to Fmaj7.
Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
If we take an example of A maj, the chords would be A and D.
Play the along with progression but use variations of each chord that allow you to fret in the same place along the neck - e.g. play the A chord at the 5th fret using the common E shape and the D also at the 5th fret using the A shape. Do this until you're comfortable (which might only take a minute of so).
Next, play around using the A major scale pattern beginning with the A also on the 5th fret. The A maj scale you are playing contains all of the notes of both chords - same frets and all.
When playing over the A, you should try and focus on those notes that fall within the A chord that you played previously. When you move to the D, it's the notes from the D chord you should focus on. Any note from the A maj scale will work but the chord tones will sound the strongest.
To emphasise the change and to give the feel that you're really following the chords, it's the different notes to really focus on i.e. when playing over the A, try and avoid the notes from the D chord. These would be D, F# and A. Obviously, avoiding the A is tricky, but try to stay away from the F# and D. Then when you move to the D, playing that D or F# will sound very strong.
Also, vice-versa. When playing over the D, try and avoid playing the other notes from the A chord - the C# and E.
All notes in the A maj scale are technically correct, but it's those differences that the ear picks up and really makes what you're playing fit.
A really helpful thing to do - draw out 2 copies of the A maj scale right next to each other on the same bit of paper. On one, highlight (or different colour) the notes from the A chord. Then, on the C# and E, put a big fat circle around them as well. On the other, highlight the notes from the D chord and put a big fat circle around the D and F#.
This will really help you visualise the notes you need to be aiming for whilst you build up the memory.
edit - Apologies if that's a bit long winded but it really helped me break away from just bashing the same scale and licks and start to focus on making what I was play really fit.
To expand on the idea - when you're comfy, try it with different scale shapes in different parts of the neck. Add a 3rd chord. Just remember, baby steps is the easiest and best way to go.
Hope this helps!
First one - sort out a chord progression (doesn't matter how long or short it is) - mostly a single chord per bar, but add the odd bar with two chords in it, if you want to. Go through this progression as slow as you need to just playing one note on beat one, or one and three if there are two chords in a bar. Restrict yourself to playing notes from a limited area of the fretboard - for example, from the Nut to the Fifth Fret. First go through just playing the Root Note of each chord, then go through just playing the Third of each Chord, then go through playing the Fifth, and finally after that go through playing the 7th. After that, try playing the full Arpeggio (I'm assuming the chords are 7th's at most) as Eighth Notes - this gives you a 2 beat break to work the next Arpeggio out!!
Here’s more games you can play over @ArchtopDave’s backing track.
Play a melody over each chord, with one note per beat, using only notes from the chord EXCEPT that the fourth note in any bar has to be a note that’s in the next chord, but not the current one.
Next, as before, but the fourth not is a semitone down from a note in the next chord.
In both of these games you’re training yourself to think ahead and anticipate the next chord. You are also training your fingers in finding easy ways to move between chords. After a while, maybe a week, your fingers will start to find positions which work without you having to think about them.
A bit of a diversion sorry, but in fact some people do find different scales have a different feel
seriously, just do random series of notes, and arpeggios of chord notes, and find which ones sound good to you
As a reference, I also mentally track the position of the tonic (root), and dominant (fifth), so I can can go to the "home" or the "destination" notes at any point. If you are always aware of these notes, you can easily find the others too, and all music is a journey based around the 1 and 5 notes.
“Theory is something that is written down after the music has been made so we can explain it to others”– Levi Clay
Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
Thanks for the tips, I'll try out some of those.
Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.