Scales, Who needs them?

[Algernon]

Scales, who needs them? Why and What For, Anyway? - By Jamie Andreas

[Kap'n]

I need them.

If only to force me to think outside of my boxes.

[moonpie]

Thanks, Nick :yay
It makes my head hurt to think about that stuff.
I started playing (on a serious level) relatively late (25 yrs old) and began playing semi-pro a couple years later and was even lucky enough to make a living playing clubs......not much of a living, but enough that I'd quit any real job to play. Anyway, I spent my practice time learning (half-assed learning at best) the songs I needed for gigs. No time for scales. So I struggled along.
Here I am 25+ years down the road, and I still haven't learned scales.

....but I'm puttin' in more of an effort now. :wail2

[tonemonkey]

Scales, Who needs them?

Fish, mainly, and lizards, oh and snakes, and people who sell things by weight, dieticians.

Some musicians, though I find if I think in scales I get all these pretty little shapes but pretty little music. Scales are a learning tool, but for me, one that should be put aside when performing.

[Algernon]

This says it too, and in a lot fewer words.

[Telebluesfan]

I need scales - I'm a bass player. I use portions of scales all the time to announce to the listening public that a new and exciting change is about to occur in the song we happen to be playing!

[sabby]

I didn't read the link (it's too late for print so small), but I can't play lead, and to a lesser extent rhythm, without scales. Granted, I can see the major-scale derived modes sitting atop each other, along with the major and minor pentatonics and some favorite chromatic series. All the notes in an octave are covered a few times, but its about feel and emphasis.

When I get a better greasp of finger picking I'll probably leap into the whole tone and the whole tone/half tone scales. Still, it's just another guy's way to play the same cliches as teh rest of us -- and those shining moments, too.

[Tele-Bob]

I had a teacher once who gave me portions of scales to play and said, "don't look at this as a scale. Think of it as an idea." As simple and non-conclusive as that may sound, it helped me immensely. I now often look at what I'm playing as major, minor, dom, dim or aug ideas/phrases and not as much as scales anymore. I have found this to be extremely helpful when playing melody over chord changes that require the appropriate "flavor" to make the melody sound cool. I'm not real good at it yet, but it has opened new doors for me that were closed pretty tight because in the past, everything had to be a proper scale.

[ronworld]

Scales dont figure much in melodic runs in my playing, but it is nice to know that if you run out of ideas you can fall back on your scales and not your ass.
Not that after 30 years I don't fall on it now and then! In fact sometimes I bounce....... high!...then fall again.