Jul 08
Ask Bobby Molton
in Guitar Instruction
3 Comments »

Hello Fellow Guiarists,

I’m answering your questions in the order they come in.
Please ask your question in the comments section, or email me at bob@bobmolton.com

I’ll be sure to answer back ASAP!!
Thanks alot :)

Here’s a question from Mike in Barrie, Ontario:

Hello Robert, my name is Mike, Ive been playing guitar for about 4 years now and i am looking for some advice to spice up my guitar playing. I feel i have used the pentatonic scale far too many times and that is why i am going to learn the scale modes you have put on You Tube.

QUESTION:

  1. I would like to know when you would use these different modes and some of the patterns i can incorporate into them.

ANSWER: You would use these mode patterns to play more melodic, and with much more feel. You see each mode has it’s own unique tonality to it, and the key to using the modes, is to bring out the unique tonality each mode has to offer. Keep in mind that modes are just ONE SCALE’S worth of notes played in seven different orders. They are always the same notes, otherwise it would become another Scale instead of another mode. Each scale has it’s own modes that follow, including the pentatonic scale. The pentatonic scale has five modes instead of seven because there are only five notes in the PENTATONIC SCALE. It can get overwhelming if you try to learn to many scales and their modes all at once. The most important mode system to learn is the MAJOR SCALE MODES. This is what i teach in the guitar mode videos. It’s the guidlines for everything. In my opinion the second most important modes are the Pentatonic Modes. I’ll be releasing a whole series on the Pentatonic Modes in the near future.

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Another question i have is about amps. Right now i am using an LTD EC-1000 LP with a Boss Ds1 and a chorus pedal through and old Yorkvile Sound Bass amp from 1972 called a Sonax 550B (solidstate). 
 

QUESTION: 

  1. I would like to know if there is an amp out there around $1,300 that provides a nice beefy but still “rectifireish” tone.
    ANSWER: Well, since you mentioned you wanted something “rectifireish” I would keep a close eye on eBay and find a killer Boogie Dual Rectifier for under $1300.00. I know you can find them because i’ve watched them from time to time and you can actually get deals lower than that. The key is to keep your eye on the auctions and watch them for a week or two before you actually get one. This allow you to know what your up against by the time several auctions have ran their course. Also, wait till the last few minutes to bid because you don’t want to drive the price up too early. You may have to bid a couple times but know your limits and stop if if it’s beyond your budget.Me personally, I would buy a used Marshall JCM 800, Mid 1980’s, master volume, vertical input, and drive the front with and old Boss Overdrive (OD-1). That Set-up will always deliver the goods!!

     

Hope that sheds new light…Please leave me a comment to let me know how this helps you. Others will learn from your questions and comments as well.

More soon…

Bob














Jul 08
Ask Bob Molton
in Guitar Instruction
1 Comment »

Bobby Molton

Hello Guitar Players,
I wanted to share the answer to the question that many people seem to be asking.
Guitar modes can be intimidating, and more confusing than they need to be. Here’s a brief example of how to view them more clearly. 

Here’s a Question from Jordan Mackie: Well, I am confused by this whole mode business. I have previously learned 5 caged shapes for the major scale.

Are modes basically just giving names to all those shapes?

Say I wanted to write a solo in ”A Lydian” am I limited to that one shape on the neck that you did in your video, Or does the Lydian scale have other shapes all around the neck?

Good Question, first off, I think it’s very important to understand the difference between modes and scales.

  • Scales: Scales are a series of notes that create a particular sound. Typically, there are seven notes within a scale and the eight note is the octave.  Whatever the notes are within that scale, are what gives it it’s tonal identity. To identify the scale by name you would use a name such as “Harmonic Minor” or “Melodic Minor” etc… The important thing to remember is that anytime you change a note within that scale it’s becomes a different scale entirely, with a different name, and a different sound, and different feel.
  • Modes: Modes are the particular set of notes (that make up a scale) played with different orders, but always the same exact notes. For example, if you had the scale - (ABCDEFGA)  the next mode would be (BCDEFGAB) and the next mode would be (CDEFGABC) and so on… 

You’ll notice that the notes never changed, only the order in which they were played. The way you bring the tonality of the mode out is by leaning on the beginning note of each mode. It takes practice and ear training to get a good grip on the tonality differences, but rest assured your ear will begin to pickup on the sound very quickly.  This should make things much easier to view in your minds eye.

As far as the different positions you’ve learned, it really doesn’t matter as long as you are playing the same notes, such as if I would play a G major scale in 3 or 4 different positions, it’s still the G major scale, it’s just played in a different position. A mode only changes when you change the order of the notes used in a particular scale.

Hope this sheds more light on the subject.
Please comment on how this has helped you.

More Later…

Bobby Molton