Scales | Fretterverse.com: Guitar Blog | guitar news & reviews, amps, effects, guitars, music theory, guitar lessons

Fretterverse Releases First eBook in Series

Friday, September 9, 2011

We hinted about it here — and was a bit more blatant about it here — so it’s not really a surprise announcement by conventional standards. But, we (Fretterverse) are quite pleased to announce the release of its first eBook — Scale Mastery. Over a year in the making, Scale Mastery takes you way beyond [...]

The eBook is Coming! The eBook is Coming!

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

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It’s taken me a year to finally be able to make this great announcement. I’m happy to tell you all that I am now putting the finishing touches on the first volume in the Fretterverse Guitar Concepts eBook series, which will be available for sale very soon! Volume 1 is called “Scale Mastery” and, obviously, [...]

Guitar Concepts DVD by Joe Dochtermann

Monday, August 30, 2010

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Joe Dochtermann, author of one of my new favorite books on audio recording and production, was kind enough to send me his new DVD – Guitar Concepts – which is available for purchase on his website. It’s always interesting to look at a person’s sophomore effort after hitting such a huge home run. Kind of [...]

The Weekend Challenge

Friday, August 6, 2010

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I’ve been trying to come up with a simple yet hard exercise to challenge myself. I didn’t want some overly-complex arpeggio or crazy gymnastic lick, but rather something that would normally seem so archaically easy that I could just pick up the guitar for a few minutes and work on it. The idea was to [...]

Only 10 Minutes to Practice? No Problem!

Thursday, July 1, 2010

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So there you are, all decked out in your Sunday finest, ready to take your main squeeze for a night out on the town. You sit patiently (for a minute) as you wait for your significant other to finally make it down the stairs and out the front door. The problem is, you and I [...]

Learn the Modes, or One Big Scale?

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

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There are two primary schools of thought when it comes to scales and improvisation. The first is to treat each chord as a separate entity and improvise using certain scales/modes over each one individually. I like to think of this as “vertical improvisation” as the player deals with each chord individually. The second is to [...]

Daily Exercises in the Melodic Minor and Harmonic Minor Modes by Barry Galbraith

Thursday, May 13, 2010

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Barry Galbraith was a well-respected jazz guitarist who played with everyone from Miles Davis to Sarah Vaughan. Though he was generally not known outside of the jazz guitar community such as the likes of Wes or Metheny, he made an indelible mark on the instrument and has appreciated a wide range of great players who [...]

My New Practice Routine (2/2010)

Monday, February 15, 2010

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For the three of you that might care, I have finalized my practice routine for the foreseeable future. There is enough material to last for a long time, so we’ll see how effectively I progress. Seems like a lot to juggle, but I’m up to the challenge.

That Other Minor Scale: Melodic Minor Scale Fingerings for Guitar

Monday, February 1, 2010

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That Other Minor Scale: Melodic Minor Scale Fingerings for Guitar

The melodic minor scale is commonly used in jazz and classical music and to a lesser extent by shred and metal guitarists. While most people are familiar with the Aeolian, natural, minor scale, the melodic minor scale remains a bit of a mystery for many players. In the following four examples we will take a look at some of the common, and not so common, ways to finger the melodic minor scale.

Help Me Name My eBook, You Could Win a $25 Gift Card

Friday, January 22, 2010

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Help Me Name My eBook, You Could Win a $25 Gift Card

I figure the time is right to tell you that I’m almost finished my first eBook on learning scales. I have all of the content, but what I don’t have is a good title, and I could use your help.