A question for the pros

[Julian Barton]

I found this unanswered from Nate on tapping II
“Question when you create tapping licks do you view them as arpeggios or would you view them in a more modal sense? For example in this tapping lick the first three notes make an e minor arpeggio but you could also see it as though your left hand is in an e aeolian position and you right hand is tapping where a Dorian would be. Im curious how you would view it in a more creative sense. I feel like it makes more sense context wise to think of it as an arpeggio but visually it is easier to view it modaly on the fretboard. Thanks!”
I would love to see the answer to this question. Anyone know the answer?

 

[Tobi Schnau]

It’s not important what you see. Ask yourself how you hear the lick.

 

[Christopher Lonski]

I think there is a little confusion on what a “mode” is. scales/arpeggios/chords should all be thought of as the same thing. Modes all contain arpeggios. Also modes arent positions on the neck, they are collections of notes played against a chord/harmony. So if we have an E minor chord being played, you can play an E minor arpeggio which is E G B, an E Aeolian scale which is E F# G A B C D, an E Dorian scale which is
E F# G A B C# D, and many other scales. Notice that the E minor arpeggio is E G B and bot of those scales each contain the same E G B notes.
Your chord tones of the scale are the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and, 7th notes of the scale and define whether the scale is major, minor, or dominant. The, most important notes being the 3rd and 7th. If you have a major 3rd and major 7th, itsd a Major 7th scale/harmony. If you have a minor 3rd and minor 7th, its a minor 7th scale/harmony. If you have a Major 3rd and minor 7th, its a dominant scale/harmony. If you have a minor 3rd and major 7th, its a minor/maj 7th scale/harmony but its usually treated as a dominant harmony. Any time you have a tritone or b5 interval, they get treated like a dominant chord because, again, the 3rd and 7th are the most important notes that define a chord and a tritone is created by the 3rd and 7th of a dominant chord.
So once again, modes all contain arpeggios. Anything that isnt a chord tone is considered a “color” tone and gives the different modes their character. The 5th of a chord can also be considered a color tone because it isnt essential to define the harmony of a chord.
If that was confusing, let me know so I can learn to explain it better!

 

[Julian Barton]

Thanks guys! and it was slightly confusing but I read over it again and seem to understand it a little better lol.

 

[Christopher Lonski]

And Tobi is correct! the important thing is that music is heard and not “seen” as visual patterns on the neck. We often learn, as guitarist, by repeating patterns that we see on the fretboard, but we end up not sounding very musical and its because the sounds arent internalized the way that they should be. A good way to internalize these sounds is to play like an open string like the low E, then play the 1st fret F. Now play the open E and sing the F note you just heard, thats a minor 2nd! if you sing the 2nd fret F#, thats major 2nd. You want to notice how these harmonies sound and feel and notice how some harmonies kind of “vibrate” or “beat” in your head. Each note has a different even feelings or harsh feeling. Some feel tense, some feel at ease or a release from that tension.
Learning you intervals and how they sound/feel might be the most important thing you can learn in music. I suggest that you invest A LOT of time into this.

 

[idssdi]

@christopher Lonski isn’t the F# a minor second because in E minor (aeolian) in contains E F# G A B C D in That order and F# is the second in the scale? And isnt the minor and major seconditie essentially the same note? Or am I Just confused?

 

[Christopher Lonski]

This is the basic logic! But no, all of those terms of major/minor 2nd, 3rd, 6th, and 7th are in reference to the Ionian or major scale. Its like when we write out a scale formula like this 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Thats the formula for the Ionian/major scale. We would write the Aeolian/natural minor scale as 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7. so notice the 2 is the same? we would still call it a major 2nd because its the same note as the major scale. E major is E F# G# A B C# D#, E minor is E F# G A B C D. Notice all those notes from the numbering system that were flatted? They have changed in the note names from # notes to natural notes. The scales themselves get their quality (major/minor) from the 3rds and 7ths. Now the Phrygian mode is another minor scale. We write that as 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7. Notice this DOES have a b2 and is different from that major scale. This is a MINOR 2nd. Make sense?

 

[idssdi]

Aah ok I May need to read up on my theory

 

[Julian Barton]

Christopher are you a music teacher? You are like super knowledgeable about theory.

 

[Gene Sullivan]

It may help (or not) to dissociate the naming of the intervals from the modes and scales a bit, because some of them can be defined independent of their tonal context:
The distance between any two frets on a guitar is a half step, or a semitone. A second is an interval spanning two adjacent staff positions. C-D, or D-E, or E-F. If that interval is two semitones (as with C-D, where you’ve got C# in between them), it’s a major second. If it’s one semitone, as with E-F, then it’s a minor second. 3 semitones is a minor third, 4 semitones is a major third, 5 semitones is a perfect 4th, and on up the scale.
Where it gets a bit odd is when you consider diminished and augmented intervals, where they become essentially equivalent to other things, and the key or mode you’re in will determine whether you would consider it (for instance) an augmented second or a minor third, which are both a distance of 3 semitones.

 

[Christopher Lonski]

Yeah, Ive taught music before, professionally. Im mostly just a knowledgable guy though! I enjoy learning for the sake of learning, and not even just for music. I have a lot of passions like music of course, economics, social dynamics and structure, a little bit of history, science, martial arts, health and nutrition, physical exercise, psychology. I just love life and there are SO many facets to explore. To me, it’s what gives life purpose!