Building the Better Guitar Scale - Pt. 2 Building Patterns Backwards

[@sordel5866]

It's so refreshing to hear an articulate Guitar teacher giving concise, well-presented, usable information instead of trying to sell me a six-week course full of unspecified secrets.

[@HeadbangersLocal]

I wish I could go back to 1994 and give this to my teenage self. This literally could have changed everything. I quit guitar back then because I didn’t understand stuff like this I couldn’t grasp it.. Back then, everyone was trying to complicate a ham sandwich. This video is like “ it’s just a ham sandwich , and here’s how to make it.” Brilliant 👍🏻👍🏻

[@samiam3297]

😨😨😨 part 2 & part 3. This is the kindest coolest infinitely priceless gift that keeps on giving and giving from a complete and total stranger. There is still good on this earth. Not enough words to say THANK YOU.

[@BauKim]

For people who might have a hard time keep their X Y and Z's straight, a nomenclature that I've found more memorable for me is to use the spacings for the names: X = Whole step + Whole step = WW = wow Y = Half step + Whole step = HW = how Z = Whole step + Half step = WH = who In context "wow shape", "how shape" and "who shape" can lead to some fun Abbot and Costello bits (nyuck nyuck nyuck, but also really helps in keeping a clear idea of the spacings. Finally, as you continue on your journey from diatonic to chromatic scales you will end up having to deal with the patter of Half step + Half Step z' = Half step + Half step = HH = Hah, as mentioned by Michael these are generally accidentals, either in Harmonic Minor, or in Jazz with b5s, but it's good to keep in mind. Thanks Michael for such a clear explanation of the shapes.

[@brianmincher716]

I’ve been calling them big (as in big stretch) middle and ring in my head till I saw these videos.

[@billfallon2372]

Thank YOU for adding more clarity.

[@billfallon2372]

So...what's the 4 note per string deal?

[@samiam3297]

This is way better than spinning Stairway to Heaven in reverse! As I've always been told you can learn anything forward given time and effort but to master what you just learned you reverse engineer it. From every atom of my being...THANK YOU!

[@stufromoz8164]

This is by far the best way to approach the major scale on the guitar, I wish I had this when i first started playing. Please continue on with this channel and not just with the major scale but with any knowledge either theoretical or practical , thank you again so much this is such a great approach to a very important subject.

[@nelsonsedigo5254]

Amazing theory in music thanks bro your the best teacher ever in youtube

[@shimmyshazmart1130]

This channel is mind blowing

[@HippyDruid77]

A very elegant method, thankyou for sharing!

[@Robert-mr7xr]

this is an incredibly important piece of information. I would like to thank the author for bringing it to awareness. After I watched this I was able to memorize the positions of the major and minor pentatonic scales, as they also have repeating patterns. Great job!

[@0x8080]

These videos are extremely helpful. I've been playing for years and knowingly ignored the enormous benefit of learning scales/modes, really any music theory at all.

[@noimspartacus4357]

Cheers man, I appreciate the effort it must have taken to do the video.

[@karstux]

Nice! I kind of was doing that already, but it's good to see it laid out like this. Once the order of patterns is memorized, and the starting points of the scale in the pattern known, it's easy to extrapolate the pattern vertically. One thing I don't find that easy is shifting horizontally. I mean, it's obvious that the patterns "YY" and "ZZ" overlap at the half-tone steps. But exactly how it all intermeshes is still hard to visualize. I guess this is where the "grand unified pattern" you hint at is coming into the picture. I'm hoping this will come naturally in time.

[@Fireonthemountaintop]

I hope you go into the grand unification pattern soon. How you stacked the patterns were a bit confusing since the shapes you used to construct them were not in order as displayed when they were explained. I may be missing something so I'm anxiously waiting for that video. Thank you for the great lessons!

[@jwm6314]

Same. I am lost for travelling down or up the neck. I see the animation and it looks pretty but I'm not grasping the steps to move in that axis.

[@MichaelPillitiere]

@@jwm6314 it’s coming soon. You’ll be pleasantly surprised to see that you cannot get lost on the fretboard again.

[@vanderlarss]

@@MichaelPillitiere thank you Sr

[@Gautam_Sridharan]

Your video helped me a lot..Pls make a video for minor scale..

[@karstux]

For the minor scale, just move the starting note back by two steps in the pattern. For example, the root note of the major scale is on the third note (pinky finger) of the first row of the "ZZ" pattern. Start with the index finger instead, and presto - you're playing the minor scale. It's the same principle for all the other modes - just shift the starting point.

[@lostintheflurry]

as the other comment mentioned you just start with ZZ and you are in minor, all the modes have their 2 start positions fingerings - its really quite incredible how elegant it is!

[@johnmac8084]

Brilliant, thanks 😊

[@johnk5994]

Thank you! Very fine explanations!

[@dustdevilz4771]

Great stuff!

[@ruperterskin2117]

Cool. Thanks for sharing.

[@diogenesthegamer]

Your previous video you had the 1st finger shift rules, and now backwards, you make it 4th finger shift rules for some reason. That mixup was confusing, and like, a mini-test in itself, but more confusing than reinforcing. FYI.

[@MichaelPillitiere]

When going up a scale, the first finger that plays on the next string is the 1st finger. When going down, the first finger that plays the next string is the 4th. It’s much easier to visualize the shapes this way.

[@abraxas511]

I still don't understand what a mode is. If you start with a g, how do you know what pattern to use?

[@masterbuilder3166]

Use the the desired mode starting on the the first note of the major scale

[@portcherishlol]

are you familiar with Julian Lage

[@billfallon2372]

So what is the 4 note per string deal?

[@jasonrice2592]

This is great! I still find myself missing something. What i mean is , i understand the universality of the diagram...but..when i go to play a different root i.e. i change the start of the scale pattern, it just feels ..idk..too similar as in im almost pulled back to the original root...is there something im missing ..or an explanation of this? Anyone else experienced this? I mean this diagram is great, and it gets me to this point...i just need to know whats the next step to evolve past this. Please help. Thanks. 👍

[@MichaelPillitiere]

If you mean this happens when you’re trying to play a different mode, then yes, this is common. Your ear wants to pull you back to the major scale, because that’s what sounds ‘right’. As you spend more time with modes, you’ll begin to experience them as having their own unique flavor, and that tendency to want to shift out of the mode and back into major will fade. The reason for this ‘pull’ is in what are called tendency tones. The 7th of the major scale has a strong pull upward to the 1st, and the 4th has a strong pull downward to the 3rd.

[@jasonrice2592]

@@MichaelPillitiere I can agree with you kinda. I say kinda because it's not the major scale, I'm not a twinkle twinkle little star dude, but it's the natural minor scale that gets me. Every time. That said, what you say is true , but for me it's either natural minor or straight up pentatonic.

[@elscotto9551]

Does this pattern align with the pentatonic scale somehow? I'm finding it difficult to see the pentatonic within this pattern.

[@MichaelPillitiere]

It does, I’ll cover how the pentatonics relate to this system in a subsequent video.

[@mindwizard3632]

@@MichaelPillitiere Hello Sir, did you ever have a chanse to follow up on this?

[@johnbarkwire3550]

Hi Michael, loved the first video, but I don't understand the formulas for going backwards in the second one. I understand the rules, not the formulas. Since Ionian goes xxyyzz, why doesn't it go backwards zzyyxx? Please explain...? Additionally, I struggled to place an order through your "spring" service for your poster, coffee mug and tumbler. It's an extremely glitchy interface and I almost gave up before finally getting my order placed. I believe there is a huge market waiting for your materials and information if you could provide a viable avenue for purchase. Thank you Sir!

[@MichaelPillitiere]

Because if you did that you’d be starting on the fourth scale degree rather than the first. In order for it to work backwards like you’re suggesting, the first and last notes of the pattern would have to be the same, but they aren’t. Thanks for ordering some stuff on Spring, I appreciate your support! I’d prefer to use “Buymeacoffee”… actually now that I think about it, I suppose I could put a downloadable PDF of the poster on there, couldn’t I? Just curious, given that you’d have to print it in color yourself, what do you think a good price would be for that if you don’t mind me asking?

[@johnbarkwire3550]

Thank you for that explanation! I understand what you are saying about scale degrees as it applies to travelling backwards through the formula. That makes perfect sense. Price for the downloadable color PDF? Perhaps $10.00? Personally though, I would not order it in that format, regardless of price, and realize I love the item! A prepared poster with easily referenced that I can simply put on the wall in my practice area is excellent. I would have paid more for a larger version. Michael,,, I must tell you something. I, like many others, have fumbled unsuccessfully with guitar, all my life. I am now 67 and retired. In the last 3 years, I have made an effort to finally understand music theory. I have to rotate through multiple instructors to find explanations that I can understand. Many of these are paid services. I am able to learn a topic from one source, but then the next topic makes no sense to me and I have to find an explanation elsewhere that I can understand. Michael!!! You don't seem to understand,,, just how CLEAR your explanations really are!!! What you are producing is valuable! I found your KZbin videos shortly after you posted them a year ago. I understood most of it, thought it was great, but then moved on to the next rabbit hole I found myself in. I Keep Circling Back To Your Material! There are many extremely intelligent people in the world that can give concise, complicated explanations of a topic. Conversely,,, it is very rare to find someone who can take a complicated topic, refine it down to it's core principles and make it clearly understandable for general consumption. This person is you! Thank you. After all this I want to communicate this: 1. Your KZbin grand unification theory lessons are great. Thank you! 2. If you're trying to make money from these efforts by selling materials that assist the student with visual aids, find a better way! I was computer support for a government agency for 20 years. I know how to use a computer, even when it looks like a phone... I had a great deal of trouble with the whole "buy me a coffee" thing and the "spring" platform previously mentioned. They are junk. Please consider going mainstream. PayPal for payments if you don't want to process credit cards. I hate to say the word,,, "Amazon" storefront for all your materials. BTW,,, please add more of everything. I've heard you say that many other concepts can be found elsewhere on KZbin and the Internet in general. While that is true, most of it is only clear after you already understand more than they are telling you. I believe you would do a better job. If you made it to the end of an old man's ramblings,,, Thank you Sir.

[@MichaelPillitiere]

@@johnbarkwire3550 Thanks, I appreciate your kind comments. I’m not really interested in trying to turn this into a money making venture. Every time I turn a subject of interest that I enjoy into a business, it stops being enjoyable. If I recoup the cost of my time in making the vids, I’m content with that.

[@MichaelPillitiere]

Also, if you really want a rock solid understanding of music theory, this is the book I learned from. Get the workbook too and do the exercises. Any edition should be fine. Tonal Harmony a.co/d/6qALaIJ

[@johnbarkwire3550]

@@MichaelPillitiere I fully appreciate your position. I have been a surfer all my life. For 3 years in the 90's I created a surf related business that required my involvement 365 days a year. Took all the fun out of it... 🏄😎👍

[@rccarsandmusic2641]

As a left handed player I tend to play my lines and scales backwards.

[@horustwohawks]

Thank you (again ;^)

[@csu111]

When going backwards why wouldn’t you just reverse rule 1 (Y to X)?

[@MichaelPillitiere]

Because the pinky is the first finger that plays in each shape when going backwards, it’s easier to use that as your reference. We’re shifting the entire shape up or down, not just a single finger, so we essentially ‘push’ it up from the bottom and ‘push’ it down from the top.

[@mikereynolds3294]

Man i wish i understood this. I been searching for years for a “light bulb” moment. I guess it doesn’t exist for my dumbass. Been floundering for years in at same beginner level and will never play leads, just campfire chords 😩