Hi everybody. This is Darrin Goodman from guitarcontrol.com
bringing you this video lesson today. Today I want to give
you a little lesson on how to chain scales together,
how to chain the modes together, actually.
What we’re going to be doing today is we’re going to
be working in the key of A major and we’re going to be
I’m going to show you how you can chain together the
first and second position, so Ionian and Dorian together.
A lot of times I have students, when they learns the
scales they’re like how can I go from one pattern to
another pattern and stuff. This is just a really kind
of a simple exercise that you can do to kind of see
how they overlap each other and so you can hook them
together. Be sure to click on the link in the description
for the tabs and let’s get started.
We’re starting on the 5th fret of the 6th string
with our 1st finger and we’re going to play the
first six notes of Ionian, which is 5, 7 and 9 on
the 6th and 5th strings.
The next position starts on there are three
notes per string, so the 2nd position, notes 1
and 2, are notes 2 and 3 of the previous sequence.
When we shift up to play the 2nd position or Dorian,
we’re going to start on the 7th fret and we’ll
play 7 and 9 and then 10. Then we’ll go to the 5th
string and play 7, 9 and 11. So that entire sequence
Now, we’re going to do the same thing but we’re
going to start on the 5th string. So now it will
be based on strings 5 and 4. We’ll go back to the
5th fret of the 5th string and we’ll play 5, 7 and
9 and then we move to the 4th string, we shift up
a half step, and we go 6, 7 and 9. Now we go back
to the 5th string and we start on the 7th fret and
we go 7, 9 and 11 on the 5th and 4th strings.
Now we’re going to do the same idea again, but
we’re going to start on the 4th string. So now
we’re going to start on the 6th fret of the 4th
string and we’re going to go 6, 7, 9 and then
we’re going to do the same thing on the 3rd
string. Now we shift to the next position; we
go back to the 4th string and we go 7, 9, 11 on
the 4th and 3rd strings.
Now we shift back down to the 1st position. We’re
on the 3rd string and we’re going to go 6, 7, 9
and then when we go to the 2nd string we have to
shift up a half of a step and we’re going to go
7, 9, 10. Now we go to the 2nd position and we
start on the 3rd string and we’re going to go 7,
9, 11. Now we’re going to have to shift up an
entire whole step when we go to the next string
and we’re going to go 9, 10, 12.
Now we’re going to shift back down to the 1st
position and now we’re playing in Ionian. So
we’re going to go 7, 9, 10 and do the same thing
on both strings, on the 2nd and 1st string. Now,
when we shift up to the 2nd position, to Dorian,
we’re going to start on the 9th fret of the 2nd
string and go 9, 10, 12 on both strings.
Now for the entire sequence.
All right, a great exercise to see how they chain
together. The same way that we just did Ionian and
Dorian together, you could do the same thing by
going from Dorian to Phrygian and then Phrygian
to Lydian, Lydian to Mixolydian, Mixolydian to
Aeolian, Aeolian to Locrian and then Locrian back
to Ionian again.
I suggest practicing this in different positions on
the neck so you’re in different keys. Practice it
both ascending and descending. It’s a great exercise
for really making sure that you have those scales down
and that you understand how they hook together and
everything so you can use them for your improvising
and stuff.
I hope you enjoyed that. Be sure to click on the link
in the description for the tabs and until next time.
