Shred Scale...

[Gransen]

[Gransen]

Re: Shred Scale...

[Gransen]

Re: Shred Scale...

I'm making a switch from Adobe Illustrator to some open source vector graphics software (Inkscape), and I needed to take it out on a test drive. I decided to do a live test while giving back to the community.

This was more about familiarizing myself with Inkscape than it was making everything look professional. To the point where I sort of gave up on things like making sure that everything was centered to the exact pixel and such...no drop shadows or overlays, no background...whatever.

And hey, if anyone notices that I made a mistake somewhere - TO INCLUDE INCORRECT USE OF JARGON - please feel free to let me know so that I can make the change. Thanks, and enjoy...

*******

EDIT...

I just found my first mistake, it's on the "recycle" image! Not only did I get the pattern wrong, but I failed to explain the recycle process! I'll fix that one and post the corrected image.

Half crossed eyed while doing this trying to figure out some new software that, you know, just isn't Adobe Illustrator. It's free, and I don't like Adobe's new sales platform (you pay a subscription to use cloud software...NOT THIS COWBOY!), but it Inkscape has it's shortcomings that I have to get used to...or find something else.

[dpaterson]

Re: Shred Scale...

Well good morning.

You did ALL THIS??? Nice!!! Hell: I may even try use it for something.

One question:

Should the dots not be in between the lines (frets)??? Or is this a different notation or type of representation??? Sorry to ask i.e. this coming from someone used to working with tabs. is all.

[Gransen]

Re: Shred Scale...

You did ALL THIS??? Nice!!! Hell: I may even try use it for something.

I saw this "shred scale" on a YouTube video at least a decade ago. It was that long haired guy who plays metal and does videos on YouTube. No, not that guy, the other one... So, no, I didn't invent the scale, and he made it sound like it was taught to him, if I remember right. I can't recall ever seeing it elsewhere.

The artwork was hacked out today. It was my first real go at using Inkscape. I used to use Adobe Illustrator professionally ("professionally enough anyhow I guess"), and now I have to replace the software in order to screw around with this kind of junk and stuff. I want to do stuff like animating the scale shapes coming together, but I need to find a replacement for Adobe After Effects in order to do that. Wish me luck, that program ROCKS! (It has taken over everything being produced for movies and TV...easily 90% of all stuff that you watch has some Adobe After Effects work done to it.)

Should the dots not be in between the lines (frets)??? Or is this a different notation or type of representation??? Sorry to ask i.e. this coming from someone used to working with tabs. is all.

I always do the frets as vertical lines and the stings horizontally. When I put the dots between the frets, it confuses me...eventually! This way, I'm telling myself which fret it is.

Seriously, if anyone prefers it with the dots between the frets (or whatever), I'd be happy to make some mods to the layout...it's an excuse to practice stuff on Inkscape. Just let me know!

That "recycle" one gets to me! I never practice it because I just revert back to regular scale shapes at that point. It comes into play when rooted on a string other than low E, and up the fretboard just a bit. Turn the low E string pattern into the G string pattern, and treat it like the "semitone junction" is in the middle. So, that means this string now has 6 notes - two more lower pitched from the root - so you're on the upper "middle semitone junction" pattern and you go down in pitch to the next "middle semitone junction" pattern...and NOW you're recycling! HEADS UP ON LOSING TRACK OF THE ROOT!!!

And yep, that's just to get you started recycling the pattern. There's more than one way to skin THAT cat...!!! Add another interval to make it 7 notes on that string, and now you're on the 'A string pattern.' (Or go up 5 frets and one string lower in pitch...and now you're looking at that mess made by the Aeolian deal that I showed, and you get to start with that "4 notes all separated by a tone" crapola that I dislike.)

I might try to figure out some counting techniques or something. My own techniques are admittedly lazy...

[dpaterson]

Re: Shred Scale...

When I put the dots between the frets, it confuses me...eventually! This way, I'm telling myself which fret it is.

Seriously, if anyone prefers it with the dots between the frets (or whatever), I'd be happy to make some mods to the layout...it's an excuse to practice stuff on Inkscape. Just let me know!

Well having them NOT in between the line (frets) confuses ME...immediately!!! LOL!!!

Only joking (well sort of anyway)!!! LOL!!!

It's just that "traditionally" (with tabs.) the dots are in between the lines (frets) and you "just know" that the line (fret) to the right of the dot is the actual fret concerned (we're not concerned here with fret numbers at all of course).

As for the rest: absolutely no idea what's going on!!! LOL!!!

Still very nice work and thanks, really, for the effort and for sharing.

[Gransen]

Re: Shred Scale...

As for the rest: absolutely no idea what's going on!!! LOL!!!

Same tone/semitone intervals, different scale SHAPE using 4 notes per string on all strings. If you use 4 notes per string and keep the intervals intact, the "Shred Scale" is the shape that you get.

You're a "tab" guy, probably not into scales. This is just another way to look at the road map that those tabs are following...AND AN HONESTLY EASIER WAY TO PLAY THOSE TABS. The tabs are just stops along the way. You're more interested in where you're going then how you got there. Nothing actually wrong with that! Just bear in mind that once you learn scales, then fingering those tabs makes a whole lot more sense!

For people like you who hate scales, they often don't understand the basic concept: C-D-E-F-G-A-B = "Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do." That's the natural scale. Find all of those notes on your fretboard, and the pattern they form will look like the "5 shape mashup" that I posted...



...and now you're playing in C major. Move that pattern two frets closer to the bridge, and you're playing in D major. Two more frets closer to the bridge, and you're in E major.

If you start at the note of A, then it's "La, Ti, Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So;" and now you're playing the Natural Minor...called changing "modes" or "starting points on the natural scale." Changing the root note works the same as with the major...move the starting point two more frets closer to the bridge and play the same pattern, and it's B minor.

Pentatonics...??? Two ways to go about it. Most people say, "Just drop the following intervals from the natural scale, and that's the pentatonic scale." But there's another way to get it. Penta means "five." There are 5 sharps/flats in music. Find all of the sharps and flats that were omitted from "Do, Re, Mi..." and that's the pattern for the Pentatonic scale.

And dude, don't worry if you still don't get it! You're able to play music at a level that's comfortable to you, and you enjoy doing so. THAT'S what's important...!!!

One thing that I hated when I started learning scales is how all of these really good guitar players would say, "And once you know the scales, then you can just pick up a guitar and do this!!!" And then I'd get mad, because NO, FOR SOME REASON I SOUND LIKE A MORON, WHILE YOU SOUND AWESOME!!! AND I'M PLAYING THE SAME SCALE SHAPE THAT YOU JUST SHOWED ME.

There's a trick to soloing...two of them that I know of: (1) hit the same note more than once in a row, and (2) mix it up with half notes, quarter notes, and eighth notes. NOW it starts to sound musical...!!! But I'm here to tell you that it take CONFIDENCE to be able to do that. You have to trust the direction that you prefer to go, and then figure out how to musically get there. It's some "next level" thinking.