About this method
Until now two conventional approaches were used by guitarists to find the correct Scales to create melodic lines for a musical piece:
- identifying the Key or Root Scale
- identifying the Modes for each Chord
Both require extensive knowledge of Music Theory.
But the INTRODUCTORY LEVEL COURSE overcomes this by using:
- a new simple Box method (based on Modes)
- starting with an easy Scale Shape of only four Notes
- on the high E and B strings only
- a Note can then be added to each string by trial and error, on a fret inside the Box that will identify more of the complete scale and Mode of the musical piece
- only the first Chord of a piece is needed to locate the Scale Position
The Scale or Mode will usually remain unchanged throughout a piece except for any special Major Chords requiring a slight modification.
Also the Scale Position can usually remain unchanged during a Key Change by moving the added Notes inside the Box to a different fret.
The INTERMEDIATE LEVEL COURSE uses the strings G, B and E to identify the complete Scales for Notes in a musical piece, particularly the full Modes and their slight modification for:
- Secondary Dominant Chords
- Borrowed Chords
- Major V and Major III Chords.
Also revolutionary Scales for Diminished and Augmented Chords are newly identified as having seven Notes based on Stacked Thirds and No Consecutive Semitones.
The ADVANCED LEVEL COURSE extends all Scales and Modes across six strings plus applying several extra Notes for Blues/Jazz music.
Featured also is the Mode for the Dominant 7#9 ‘Hendrix’ Chord.
About your tutor - Peter Koppes
Founding guitarist formerly with the Australian internationally touring and recording band the Church, renowned for their innovative guitar style as well as the alternative hit song ‘Under The Milky Way’.
He has also taught Diploma Of Music at Australian colleges and guest lectured at Queensland University of Technology.
Websites: www.peterkoppes.com thechurchband.com
Photo credit: Malcolm Viles
More about the Modes
Modes are the foundation for the courses and can be explained more simply using these exclusive illustrations.
THE HOUSE OF MODES ILLUSTRATION
This House illustration represents all the seven Chords and their Modes for the Key of C Major and its relative A Minor. Those Chords are the Rooms on the ground floor.
A piece of music can commence in any Chord Room of a House.
Modes are just Scales based on the Major Scale.
A Mode is the easiest way to play single Note parts on guitar rather than first figuring out the Key.
There are three Major Mode Chords and being cheery sounding are on the left sunny side of the House.
The three Minor Mode Chords being somber sounding are on the right cloudy side.
The uncommon seventh Half Diminished Chord is the darker sounding Minor Flat 5th Chord of the Attic.
Two of the Minor Chord Rooms have lights which can sometimes artificially brighten the Room for it to become a special Major Chord called a Major V or Major III represented by light rays outside window (as one Note in the Mode is different and does not belong in the House).
Usually a piece of music commences in any of the Rooms except the Attic.
Diminished Chords are represented by the Storm Cellar alongside the House due to them also having some Notes that do not belong the House.
Augmented Chords are represented by the Fire Ladder on the front of the House for the same reason.
The extra Notes of Blues/Jazz Scales are represented by leaves around the Treehouse alongside the Mixolydian Room (an ambiguous Major Chord) at the third level of the sunny side.
The House exists in a Neighbourhood of twelve Houses illustrated below, representing all the possible Keys in music and with a Spiral Slide to represent Notes moving up or down in pitch.
NEIGHBOURHOOD OF MODES ILLUSTRATION