Understanding Scales & Modes Made EASY

[@NikNocturnal]

*EDIT* I forgot to add a few notes to the charts segregated positions, here is a FIXED link to the chart: www.patreon.com/posts/scales-modes-27076995 *UPDATE!: PART 2 is now live, click here to check it out: **kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWLYXmOio7F6jrM*

[@steel3454]

Nik Nocturnal part 2!!!! This video was awesome!!!!!

[@asherbraden]

A part 2 would be great for sure!

[@arkavagoswami3068]

thanks nick,loved the lesson.kindly share some soloing lesson by how to use this scales

[@hwLUke]

part 2 or riot

[@Puzzleheaded_]

Yes, continue this, very helpful

[@megaloblabber2948]

Does anyone else run into the problem in music theory that when you learn something it just raises more questions than it answers and you just fall into a deep rabbit hole

[@MartianDust415]

Thats healthy

[@noblentnt4217]

@Cameron probably because he is starting it on the 5th string. Normally it would start on the 10th fret of the 6th string and go from there

[@Thomas-er9uf]

It makes it easier to communicate knowing the lingo. Like building houses. You can understand it, basically, from looking at a house, but if you can't understand the blueprints, you're probably going to have unwanted problems. Or at least less things to fix on the punch-list.

[@zvenarschficker6663]

It's the Dunning-Kruger effect. The more you learn, the more you realize how little you actually know. Learning something new, can make you feel completely lost sometimes because you realize how much more there is to it than you thought.

[@alexbaribeault]

Always

[@riccardoc9552]

Nik: Talking about all this complicated stuff Me: *0-3-5*

[@javierolvera4190]

*Rudy has joined the chat*

[@industrialfansettolow8313]

Who's the guy who wrote that again? Rufus Adobe?

[@testicleetus5298]

@@industrialfansettolow8313 I believe it was Roman AyeLmao

[@lysergicaciddiethylamide6127]

Is this Richard Benson???? Richard Benson, Richard Benson, Richard Benson(boots and pants beat) Richard Benson, Richard Benson.... etc

[@earthpart3]

0-3-5-6-5-3-0

[@rurrug9022]

Nik: "Drop whatever you like." Me: "Drops a guitar."

[@jaychen2000metal]

...except that

[@stackhom656]

Drops the baby

[@snitztheholy5177]

@@stackhom656 Drops the soap...

[@strifelife4003]

drops acid

[@airconditioningunit9777]

*drops the e string to drop D1*

[@johnsmith3085]

Sorry I'm late for class. After 20 years of playing, this is essential information for a guy who finally is in a place to learn theory and wants to advance his playing. Thank you, Nik.

[@Darkmatter321]

Exactly where I am at 60

[@doktormoney]

Same. 😂😂

[@luckyjay778]

Exactly where I am at 40. Tired of being a hack. Wanting to be excellent at guitar without theory is like wanting to be an engineer without math.

[@erikaw7767]

You can tell he has dealt with people who don't understand things lol.

[@shredbacca]

like myself ive watched thus about 5 times now and its still somewhat confusing i think i understand the part how u learn one scale and u can basically play it everywhere but shits still confuses the fuck out of me

[@erikaw7767]

@@shredbacca just learn one scale really well. Then move onto another.. it will all click. And you will realize that each mode has it's own chord shape... and just sing the intervals when playing. Ones you get all the modes of whatever scale you chose (c major I suggest) keep playing then until you see the repeating patterns all over the neck.. and just realized that you're playing the same notes everywhere you're just starting a different scale with each different note you start Dorian that's next .. D Dorian is the second mode of C in the end on the you're just playing C major but emphasizing d if you were to play e phrygian you're still playing the c major scale but you're emphasizing that ye as your main tone it'll all click one day LOL just know when you have the whole scale up and down the neck you've learned a lot and it'll seem getting overtime but you'll always know how to play in those seven different mode and the overall shape repeats and different key good luck

[@erikaw7767]

@@shredbacca inshort just don't overcomplicate it that's modes are pretty much telling you what notes will sound good over the chords in the scale if you play a lot and you use your ear it'll all click

[@daoyang223]

I was teaching my cousin how to play guitar over the internet. He is 5 years younger than me. I was 17 and in high school at the time. I told him "pluck the low E string" and he was like "wait which number string is that?!" and I was like "it's the 6th string, the one closest to you" and he was like "what?!" I never taught music over the internet again.

[@KimKim-001]

i know right....at the first, i don't have any fucking idea how this thing works, thanks to nik, he's really a good teacher

[@alteredendeavor]

Massive help Nik. You broke it down better than anyone.

[@NikNocturnal]

Thanks Will, glad it helped!

[@OnionMilk420]

@@NikNocturnal same here. I have been playing for 7 years now and I have never seen it broken down in such a simply worded way. Thank you so much man. Also, more videos like this would be super appreciated.

[@bartvanrompaey3631]

Yeah man, explained very well and clear. Thx

[@Stringprodigy]

Are you kidding? This is brutally bad

[@JTisOneCrazyMan20]

@@Stringprodigy for real

[@robbiehope4963]

As someone who has struggled with understanding music theory, I appreciate you explaining it logically, most music teachers jump ahead and start using terms that make things more confusing than it needs to be. I've never understood how to write or perform in key but I had a huge smile on my face even just playing a basic riff in D Minor, could you possibly do a video explaining time signatures too, I feel that topic is very similar to this, easy to understand but explained poorly usually. Thanks Nik, much love.

[@NikNocturnal]

Glad I could help Robbie! Will try to do a vid on that one day :)

[@Stringprodigy]

Robbie Hope almost everything he said was wrong.

[@jakel7213]

@@Stringprodigy nope

[@Stringprodigy]

Jake L yeah it was. I’ve been playing 25 years and he has no idea what he’s talking about here

[@jakel7213]

@@Stringprodigy So you're telling me that you have played for a quarter century, and you think modes and scales are something different?

[@Cosmonaut_Neko]

I learned more from one Nik video than a full year of guitar class in highschool.

[@tsbdgaming69s96]

+HyperMotard Jared you’re so right

[@ravioliknight8941]

For real i took a year of guitar class in high school and the teacher had barely gotten past cords and not actually teaching the theory just how to do them

[@rickt9569]

@Lee McDonald mayne if they taught with passion and properly more people would continue

[@AngelWingrc]

Ha i wish we even had guitar lessons at school

[@robertmartin8986]

HyperMotard Jared that goes for every subject

[@spikethrowaway]

Dude lemme tell you, as a kid who learned to play through metal core. You teaching the Dstring separately was exactly how i learned to write just without any of the note names involved. So you choosing to teach it this way really resonates with me and is much more compatible to my playing style when learning scales. Feel seen af rn thank you.

[@TinyBallOfHate]

This, is absolute gold for a beginner. I’ve been playing for about a month or so, just really learning songs and chords without feeling like I’ve learned much. This has basically condensed so much theory for me into the space of less than half an hour. Thanks so much!

[@jayballz2226]

Same here this is so helpful

[@Kevinschart]

Are you still playing? It's 2 years later

[@westin1]

No Russian accent? Nik is getting serious for us!!

[@hsjdjjcjfdheuxyh5282]

Translating the comment upper Bro. You never heard russian speach, if you think he do our accent))

[@lktamitrader7040]

@@hsjdjjcjfdheuxyh5282 напоминает но надо жить в России что бы определить есть ли у него русский акцент ли нет б ответ = не русский акцент )

[@hsjdjjcjfdheuxyh5282]

@@lktamitrader7040 Мне его акцинт больше напоминает арабский, нежели русский, у русских другой акцент)

[@Al6ert6]

Русское лингво-гитарное комьюнити на месте, я спокоен)

[@hsjdjjcjfdheuxyh5282]

ахаха, давайте кто-нибудь субтитры русские заебоште, скока можно))

[@lemonadestandgaming6725]

Nik: Its blues it's sounds like blues, continues to shred it in a metal tone.

[@cephalicwasteland3504]

I mean, actually he didn't played the blues scale, he played minor with an extra #4, the blues scale is the minor pentatonic with a #4 (so just 6 notes) still good explanation from a practical point of view

[@andyglamrock]

sounds like Dimebag Darrell

[@TheDopery]

Bro I died

[@baglyfe2877]

@@TheDoperyrest in peace

[@TriggerFingerRC]

Bought my first guitar and amp 2 days ago. Definitly will be grinding out for years to come. Always wanted to learn since i was about 7 years old. I'm now 34, better late than never.🤘 thanks Nik!

[@Gtedesco29]

Yeah I didn’t start play my guitar until I was 33 and I’ve been playing nonstop for the past 5 years, it is really exiting to learn to play songs that seem way out of reach, it just takes time and patience.

[@waterproof4403]

Amazing profile pic! As I Lay Dying are the kings 🤘 I bought my first guitar and amp last week. I'm trying to learn

[@deeznuts-dm7qz]

@@waterproof4403 how you doing?

[@waterproof4403]

@@deeznuts-dm7qz hey man. Learning is a lot harder than it seems. But I'm making progress everyday. I can play a few Linkin park songs that's about it. I have an extremely long way to go

[@deeznuts-dm7qz]

@@waterproof4403 me too man it seems like I'm getting no where

[@SureGibson777]

Dude, I’ve seen so many videos on this subject and none of them have ever explained this as well as you have. You’ve made it so simple and easy to grasp. Seriously, thank you.

[@ManuelAriasTV]

I found this video around the time it came out and it truly jump started my music theory journey. You explained the fundamentals in a way that feels so deliberately limited, but the subjects and emphasis you leave in are the perfect level technically for mass instruction. You've shaped the foundation of where I'm taking my life. Thank you.

[@coryarmbrecht]

^ Solid compliment. ✌️

[@AlternateNik]

Mate, this is so unbelievably helpful. I've been bullshiting my way through "lead" stuff for years now and just done it by what sounds right, turns out I was playing the minor scale all along. This has opened me up to understanding the entire fretboard and how to access different things in different keys. More of these types of videos would be amazing!

[@NikNocturnal]

Thanks Nik! A lot of musicians are playing these scales without knowing it. Understanding the scales just helps you not play the "guessing game" :)

[@Stringprodigy]

Bullshit

[@Stringprodigy]

Lee McDonald wrong. Tell me how you know the modes of harmonic minor “intuitively”

[@s12music68]

You'll never know how grateful I am for this video. I've been self teaching myself to play since I was 14 (6 years ago) and I've never been able to understand scales until now. I've watched countless tutorials on it and spent hours on KZbin videos that just talk about exact notes and numbers and it was always too complicated for me, not having a single guitar lesson in my life. I got taught tabs by a school friends older brother and that's what allowed me to learn all of the songs I can play to this day. Finally!! This is so easy and simple to understand and I'm finally progressing for the first time in a couple of years. I'll forever be grateful nik! 🤟❤

[@P3wnJ4bb3r69]

In 20 minutes you just summed up something ive been studying and failing to comprehend for 2 months. Greatly appreciate you.

[@prabowonegoro3693]

Been playing from my elementary school days yet still cannot find easiest way to understand scales and pattern easily. Now u just broke it down for us and i couldn't be more grateful. KZbin is awesome place to learn thing, especially when we have a gud trustworthy guy like you teaching 👍

[@khonekt]

this is probably the best intermediate guitar lesson I've ever seen, thank you so much Nik

[@eliasmsv3156]

This is honestly one of the best tutorials on this subject i've seen. You break down the very fundamentals like how a pattern can be moved anywhere and be used in different keys.

[@iron_tyson]

5:25 I know Nik is fast but the Tool album isn't out for a couple of months and he's already dropping riffs from it.

[@christopherevasin4142]

hahaha that was my first thought too!!!

[@matt3477]

@@christopherevasin4142 This comment is so much better since Nik dropped a cover with tabs of BFMV song as it was premiering.

[@narrowaimed]

Been 3 years and this video is still helping people all around. This has helped me a lot more than anything else on the internet. Thank you Nik, you make great content and tutorials such as these should be recommended to everyone’s front page. You’re a king 🤘😎🎸

[@necrojem6355]

Been playing for just over 20yrs, and have known this but theory is one of things you can learn well enough to never think about again, but it's always good to refresh your knowledge! This is one of the clearest explanations I've ever heard for a guitarist!!

[@philmcgovern6518]

out of all the theory vids ive watched, this has to be the best. got a better understanding in the 20 minutes of watching this than listening to any other teachers. please keep these kinds of vids up. its great!

[@JeremyBoxerman]

You have no idea how stoked I am about this video, even before watching it haha thank you so much for making this my dude!

[@NikNocturnal]

Thank YOU for watching!

[@still6511]

Nik thank you so much. We need more educational videos. Not only from you sir but from all of musician youtubers. It helps to understand important theory just within few minutes which people learn for years. And It also encourages people pick up the guitar and play.

[@EpiphoneShredzzzzz]

Music is Win is an excellent channel and Tyler is a great teacher, but even his lesson on Scales & Modes isn't nearly as clear, simple, and easy to understand as Nik's. Probably, because like Nik said, it's taught from a music theory perspective rather than explaining it in a way that anyone can understand. Great lesson Nik, this crap finally makes sense to me after 10+ years lol

[@Stringprodigy]

Justin McShane he has no idea what he’s talking about here.

[@brandonmolina7603]

“You can’t play notes out of key or it’ll sound weird” Jazz: ‘Hold my beer’

[@SirBelmerD]

yeah, that doesn't make much sense considering he's talking about modes, which are meant to facilitate in doing just that hahahahha

[@darthbanana7]

jazz sounds weird

[@dylanschweitzer7268]

Can't say I ever comment on KZbin videos but this is needed. I've been playing guitar for about 6 years now and have taught myself. I have only played through songs or drum tracks and though I'm told I have good technique and can play complicated tunes, I've learned anything about theory until recently because it seemed over my head whenever I tried to learn. You however broke it down so easily for me that I'm playing over JAM tracks with confidence and understanding of WHY the notes work together rather than just hearing it. Honestly man you made a big impact on someones life today and I want you to know that. God bless you.

[@jeremygilman2973]

I've played for 16 years and this is by far the best most concise breakdown I have ever heard for comprehensively internalizing scales. This knowledge is gold.

[@zpedraMMO]

OMG it's easily to understanding... thank you so much! I've been playing guitar for 10 years, I was just reading the tabs and trying to figure out those patterns, but I'm starting to studying this kind of stuff now! ty again

[@NikNocturnal]

Glad it helps!

[@mrfq_abg]

Thank you Nik, I'm not even a metalhead, but thankfully this showed up in my feed. This is the first time all of this has actually made any sense to me, you are a great teacher. Please, please, PLEASE do more lessons and THANK YOU!

[@johnsmithinshadowswerise1791]

I have been searching for a teacher that can do what you do......until this, all the people I’ve tried to follow, has made this overwhelming. After your video, I completely understand what needs to be done. Great lesson and I’d pay you to learn.

[@caseyalbiero7004]

The way your explaining it is literally perfect for me to understand. I've been stuck in that rut that most beginners get stuck in where you wanna just be able to play all over the neck and not need to think about what your playing or where your hands are on the fretboard for over a year now and I wanna get over that bump, but the way your teaching it is just so simple and straight forward. Thank you Nick!

[@twisstedriffs]

Anyone else feel like they learning more just cuz nik is awesome

[@NikNocturnal]

Aha thank you!

[@Stringprodigy]

Nope

[@starksbeard9506]

Nick! Dude, after 25 years I finally get it! Hit me like a ton of bricks after this. Bravo on your teaching skills man. Seriously, Wow! Damn glad I clicked, and you should definitely give yourself a pat on the back bro!

[@dulla8469]

i feel like unlike the other youtube videos teaching guitar, you are teaching in an uncut way, the same way a teacher would do to a student in person, definitely gonna check out your channel and watch everything

[@roccokeilen6177]

I love you so much dude I’m about to cry like not even joking. How have I seen every video on KZbin about scales and theory but the one that makes the most sense. You put this in such simple easy to understand terms. You are the best!!!

[@mattmcilwhan]

Nik I've been watching your memey boy videos for close to 2 years, I had no idea you had lessons in your catalogue, this just popped up on my homepage - as a player of 15 or so years, self taught with tabs and noodling, never bothered with theory as it never made sense; this taught me more than any music class or any other online resource I've used before, and I now understand how the riffs I like actually work - I feel like I'm going to have a much better time breaking riffs down by ear now, which is my preferred way of learning songs these days. You are a fantastic teacher.

[@penumbramusicspokane8304]

Dude Nik... I've been following you and your music for sometime. 1. You're incredibly talented 2. I've been playing guitar for about 20 years kinda learning on my own here and there but never really picked up music theory. And thanks to this video a lot of things I've learned over the years have clicked thanks for sharing this

[@ayusharipirala3121]

"Drop whatever you want" Drops my standards

[@adamtopher3633]

I literally keep my main guitar in drop B so I was happy about this. 😂😂

[@enriquemathew3316]

Same Energy

[@EidolonReverie]

Thank you so much! Been waiting for this video

[@NikNocturnal]

Hope it helps!

[@Earth-Worm-Tim]

I'm telling you people if you haven't subscribed I strongly recommend doing so. I spent months putting together what he's describing with respect to the modes in this video. You can find information about the modes ALL OVER the internet. However, if you're a metal guitarist, then what you need to know is what Nik begins explaining @ 12:08 in this video. The modes give you patterns that allow you to play THE EXACT SAME NOTES (this means you stay in key) relative to a scale degree (note 1-7 of a diatonic scale). This 💩took me FOREVER to really figure out, and had I been a subscriber I'd of probably seen this video long ago, and not wasted months of my lilfe watching countless hours of videos trying to figure it out lol. I think it's awesome you do this @Nik for beginning guitarists, and/or self-taught bedrom rockstars (like myself) who lack the musical theory knowledge which you have to have a fundamental understanding of to create music that doesn't sound like cats fighting lol.

[@GeminisArising888]

am 51 years old Nik....i do know scales but just vertical....today u stressed upon the importance of playing the lower string horizontally and it felt a light bulb lighting up...thank you so much....learning the notes been such a drag....am just happy with octaves.....but learning the the string/scale order horiziontally would open a whole lotta options,i would never have dared to venture . thank you so much...just for that one tip.

[@b-metalfreak4911]

Love the way you explained that. I know this is a old video but man your channel always comes in clutch when im trying to get my guitar playing to another level. Always love your work bro

[@SkiffyYT]

5:20 that already sounded like a tool song

[@davidneuman1391]

Glad its not just me

[@arthurpires6178]

Intro for Vicarious

[@johnathanmclane1468]

Think he might have not noticed? Lol

[@RC-hv1yx]

@@johnathanmclane1468 Lol it's just that Tool almost exclusively plays in Drop D and in the key of Dm, so he happened to nail their sound while demonstrating.

[@nighthawk9532]

“yOu’lL OpEN YOuR tHIRd eYE SoON eNoUgH”

[@JassyPabst]

Thank. You. So. Much.!!!!

[@primedisappointment9741]

Aren't you already a guitar goddess?

[@VISCAYAOFFICIAL]

🖤🖤🖤

[@JassyPabst]

@@primedisappointment9741 No, I suck at improvising and solos. So this disqualifies me ;)

[@Schuttmeister]

I always beat myself up for not listening in music class years ago when I was in school, cause now that I'm trying to teach myself guitar I really want to understand theory, but I never found someone who could explain things exactly the way my brain or rather my process of understanding things works. All my life I wanted to make music but never had enough confidence to try and learn an instrument, because I always thought I could never be good enough to express myself through it exactly the way I want. Now that I finally do, theory always has been a brick wall for me. Thank you for this video, for real. I really think I finally have something to start with now.

[@oenanohir3302]

Really clear and understandable. This is what i learned with a guitar teacher in 2 months back in time, and forgot pretty quickly. But condensed in 22 minutes and explained way more efficiently. Gold.

[@melodiousapollo7307]

Could you do a video for building various chords in a scale/key? Say adding which notes makes it what kind of chord, and why?

[@thegreengrocer99]

This please Nik

[@taylanokay6250]

This is extremely helpful. Thanks a lot for the video dude. You rock

[@NikNocturnal]

Thanks Taylan!

[@ShemiNoam]

Holy shit Nik, thanks. After years without motivation to go into this, finally you motivated my ass in a helpful, understandable and fun way. You're great, really.

[@MylesMowery]

DUDE. Came by the say THANK YOU. I watched your scale video at the beginning of quarantine in March with no prior experience practicing actually scales (I learned by ear learning to play my fave songs; never dabbled with too much solo stuff.) I've been practicing a bit every day since then & I have come SO FAR since I started. For anybody else checking this video out for the first time & feeling discouraged because you're not used to practicing scales, STICK WITH IT, speed will come in time!

[@MegaStealthKill]

Your a dope teacher dude. You can tell you started at the bottom and understand how confusing it is at the early stages and know how to get the message across to beginners.

[@johnmiller1354]

Literally after 15 year of trying to play and teach myself I finally understand modes and how to build the scales out.. Your an awesome teacher thank you!

[@GeeksGoGaming]

This video has made me understand soooo much more. I played the intro riff to Unholy confessions and was able to see how it was built from the D minor scale

[@Maitland-76]

I've been handed the keys to the Ferrari, now I just have to learn to drive it!! Bros... you have no idea how much this helped me. Thx so much!!!

[@marshalljordan5956]

Coming back years later to say....I'm a drummer. Drums were always a natural feel for me. I took notes from people who did things i wanted to do and was able to become accomplished pretty naturally. Ive always played guitar and bass because i always wanted to just be a rounded musician. As a metalhead...i got stuck at in a guitar rutt and just couldn't getpast that level. Nik and these videos literally catapulted me almost over night past the hump i couldn't get past on my own. Im certainly no master shredder (insert ninja turtle pun here) but I can play. Its all thanks to these vids. Thanks man!

[@gatoenfuego8734]

I know this is an old video, and kind of disconcerting to see Nik so serious with his instructor voice... however it's a huge help when trying to push into that "intermediate" level of metal guitar. The 0-3-5 chugs are fun, but get kind of boring. This has inspired new knowledge and am super grateful. Thanks man.

[@sorrowsfromeden]

Amazing cover man! That was crazy quick

[@VISCAYAOFFICIAL]

Joshua Alexander 😂😂😂

[@shopekuax2067]

lol

[@loganknapp3345]

Me: I need to go to bed for school Me at 3am: watching a Nik video Ps. Love your videos nik

[@perma9993]

Harmonic minor is for me the "Egyptian Scale" because it sounds middle eastern and wel Egyptian and makes for very thematic songs!

[@SeeJayPlayGames]

If you think harmonic minor sounds "Egyptian," you should check out Phrygian. Yngwie Malmsteen uses harmonic minor a lot... but I think he uses Phrygian nearly as much... it's the 3rd mode... in the key signature of C Major (no sharps no flats) the scale would be E-F-G-A-B-C-D-E.

[@dylanrush183]

I’ve been playing guitar for 18 years and this is the best explanation of scales and modes I’ve ever heard. I’m 30, and not to sound old but when I was learning to play MXTabs.net was king and KZbin was not a thing. I wish desperately I had this video when I was beginning to learn. You explained this SO elegantly and in such a simplistic way that even someone just picking up a guitar for the first time could understand. You took the intimidation of learning scales and modes completely way. Awesome job dude. Seriously awesome. This should help keep so many kids from getting overwhelmed and frustrated when picking up a guitar and tackling theory and scales. Keep it up dude, you’re killing it.

[@JTisOneCrazyMan20]

I really really hope you realized how wrong his explanation of modes are, and found an actual factual video somewhere else, because this guy has no idea what he's talking about. Check out mode videos by either Steve Stine of Guitarzoom or Jake Lizzio of Signals Music Studio. I can't recommend both of them enough. Been playing 20 years now and I still learn something new all the time

[@zacht2375]

You should like the video before you even start it. It’s clearly gonna be a good one

[@riccardoc9552]

It was

[@MonteTristoGuitarRips]

Thanks for getting me over this 15 year slump of not knowing anything but by ear. Been giving it some practice and can feel it unlocking a part of my brain. I also have a better understanding of whats going on in songs I already know how to play well. Thanks bud.

[@farbodkh4858]

You have no idea how helpful this video is THANKS❤️

[@NikNocturnal]

Thank YOU for watching!

[@thechisensei]

definitely the fastest way to learn modes so far in youtube. this is gold. thanks bro. 👌

[@nuke1upgames]

holy smokes bro this is some of the best videos ive seen in a long time of someone teaching not sure how i found your channel but i'm so happy right now. See my problems is knowing the names and i know lots of chords but im bad with the names of them also.

[@primedisappointment9741]

Finally I can learn this properly now. Thanks Nik

[@DeathDelver]

This is like when you finally figure out how firelink shrine is all connected

[@mihnea358]

Where is the SWEEP PICKING lesson...please do one:)

[@dev4965]

Seep picking is pretty hard. Only guitarist like Lars Ulrich and Dwayne The Rock Johnson can do it

[@2triggered2comment55]

@@dev4965 Lars been shredding for slipknot. He just wears a mask. I have his signature guitar. I have some Lars patches and impulse responses from his last album if you want. Look up Larsslipknot420vapekid on tones .com

[@MiikeyLawless]

How to sweep pick: sweep the notes instead of individually picking them. Theres no big trick, just practice.

[@coldinwisconsin2017]

I have been playing guitar for 23 years and I have NEVER heard an explanation this simple and easy to understand. I NEVER understood scales and modes (and how they're related) before. Never. This has been life changing. I sincerely mean that. Thank you.

[@yand4039]

Thanks Nik, after 13 years of self learning, I finally started to learn scales and you explain very well for me.

[@gregmoreau693]

NN: We've all heard the blues, right? [Riffs Metal "blues"] Blues Player: O , O

[@JoshuaConnorMusic]

I love your content Nik, and if this understanding of theory works for you then that's cool, but if you're gonna start teaching this to people (esp if private students are paying money), and I know I've mentioned this before on your channel, but please correct yourself on a few areas as they can be very misleading. For starters, playing in key and playing in a scale are two different things, just because I play a note outside of the D minor scale doesn't necessarily mean I'm leaving the key of D minor, or even entire chords can exist outside the scale but out of key, be it the V7 or +6 or Neapolitan chord etc. The blues scale is when you add a "blue" note to the minor pentatonic scale, not the minor scale. It has 6 notes, not 8, the blues scale skips the 2nd and 6th. That's not to say you can't play them, of course you can, but it wouldn't be the blues scale, it's something else. And I know you and (I'm assuming) your students mostly play metal, but learning the minor scale before the major scale is like putting your shoes on before your socks. Music academia isn't perfect but it's figured this one out pretty well. Major is the easiest place to start and is what many other concepts relate to, so not teaching it first will just make it harder for beginners. Almost all books I've read, sites I've seen, and uni teachers I've talked to, all teach these concepts in the same order and for good reason; it works. Now for modes, I'm gonna be blunt, almost nothing you said here is accurate. For starters, modes are not shapes on a fretboard, or anything like that, they are when you take a scale and change the tonal center to any of the other degrees, ie making the 2nd degree of the major scale the tonal center gives you Dorian. The whole point is you're changing what "1" is, so when you play a different mode you wouldn't say "we're now starting on 2", because by definition 2 can't be the tonal center, it's 1. What you're demonstrating here is largely just different positions of the minor scale, which is useful to know but is not the same as modes. The best way to teach modes is with parallel modes, eg Phrygian is like the minor scale with a b2, Lydian is like the major scale with a #4 etc. And again, 99% of books, lessons, schools, articles, etc. all use the major scale as the starting point for modes, by arbitrarily going against the grain and using the minor scale and going from there, it'll just be confusing for beginners learning from this video when they go to learn on their own and find that almost nothing you mentioned here is congruent with every other resource. Also what note you start and end on has nothing to do with what mode you're in. It depends on the context of the harmony and what are the most prominent notes in the melody, if I play a Dminor scale starting on Bb but my harmony is just Dm - Am, it's never going to sound like Bb Lydian. Now I know this is how you think in terms of music, and that's fine, but when you have a large platform like this you have potentially thousands of new guitarists who will take you at your word, and you should at least do some research to make sure you're not going to accidentally mislead and frustrate all those people. Because I learnt these concepts in very similar ways when I was learning, and it took years of frustration before I finally started from scratch and re-learnt everything the right way. I don't want people to have to go through that.

[@anthonypavlak3527]

Really enjoyed your respectful response here. Modes just very recently "clicked" for me after listening to Steve Stine explain them essentially the same way you did above. I watched through this video today and started getting confused before I realized we might not be speaking the same musical language. That's the real challenge of a novice trying to learn from KZbin videos. Tons of good material out there, but difficult to prioritize and sanity-check everything when you are just starting out.

[@VicSellsPeace]

Thanks for telling us this. I've been working on theory for a few months, and well, I was confused when I watched this. All sources I saw never use the minor scale as a basis for the blues scale. So I was freaking out thinking I had it all wrong. Nik's videos definitely confused me more than it teached

[@richardcochrun3869]

Glad I saw this comment. I was so confused about what he said about modes because it was counter intuitive to what I already had learned. I thought I was way wrong lol.

[@JTisOneCrazyMan20]

@@anthonypavlak3527 Steve Stine is absolutely excellent. Couldn't recommend his videos enough. Him and ugh I can't think of his name, younger guy, dark hair, eyes pop out his head whenever he emphasises something lmao, I know that doesn't help much but I'll check in a second, he has some excellent videos on modes (and everything else theory related) Edit: Jake Lizzio of Signals Music Studio. I can't recommend him and Stine enough to any guitarist in any stage of their musical journey.

[@johnwardle9667]

I've got to agree with this reply. And I think it's done in a respectful and courteous way. Raises an interesting question.. especially within the culture of KZbin channel music tuition, which is.. where do you draw the line with methods or explanations that are 'shortcuts' or aides to describe music theory to beginners? A method that's simplified to the point where it's just not quite right anymore. I mean, if it helps a student get off the starting blocks, then fine. They can always learn the true meaning in time. This is evident in lots of subjects. Things like physics. The first version of electrical theory you learn isn't the same as the degree level explanation. Either way. Interesting discussion. No offence should be meant or taken. Play more. Learn more. Enjoy. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and ability online.

[@kingsantos142]

" DROP WHEREVER YOU LIKE." me: jump straight to the window.

[@iainooooo]

Thank you!!! i've been playing for around 15years and always was terrified about this stuff and never felt like i was really progressing but watching this has given me confidence that I can get better! thanks!

[@samprowell8946]

not gonna lie ive been playing for 10 years or more and i never understood this shit completelye but i think you just made it all click

[@DylanB89]

Same here. I've been playing for like 15 years and it's been so hard to learn this stuff because I can never find someone who will talk to me like I'm a complete idiot, which is what I need when it comes to anything theory related.

[@Hayden-qj1lo]

Maybe it’s due to my crippling ADHD but imma have to hear ALL that again

[@capibaradeluxe9193]

I feel you

[@bryceolsen3527]

how to recognize a fellow Avenged fan: plays in drop D + "Bases all theory" on d minor scale.

[@Silo1776]

I love this. I’m a novice hobbyist guitar player for about 20 years, and this made so much sense.

[@ashleyseamark2079]

I am in the exact position you described at the end of this video, this really has helped me to understand clearly and it all makes complete sense, thank god you did this video, this is going to help me more than ever before, thankyou

[@sneeringimperialist340]

What is this "Helpful", "Educational", shenanigans? I DEMAND MEMES!

[@kenconify]

Sneering Imperialist look at the American school system it's a meme already.

[@unstabilizer]

Hey Nik, appreciate the effort however, the blues scale can be major as well as minor and they're six note scales. Pentatonic Major with a minor 3rd and Pentatonic minor with a flat 5. About modes - they need to be explained as different scales to understand and feel the difference. With the explanation you gave they all sound too similar because you were in the same key. Modes need to be learnt in parallel. For example - C Ionian, C Dorian, C Phrygian etc. Satriani,Rick Beato, Creativeguitar studio, Signals Music Studio all have videos on modes which are the best explained because they all sound and feel different. No disrespect, I can understand how much effort you put it into this; but I'm just explaining as a fellow musician who was very confused about this stuff earlier.

[@HalimMcRoberts]

You know you're metal when you refer to the Aeolian mode as the first mode.

[@obiwanjustpeekinginonya]

And with this, Nik has officially become my favorite metal youtuber, and favorite youtuber in general tbh.

[@palebizkit1267]

Props to a clear and cochise methodology. When I started playing guitar, I realized the same thing after learning scales. Hours of playing along to songs helped me put these scales into context and learning the various techniques from bending strings/notes, hammer-ons, pull-offs, tapping, picking, rhythm etc helped shape my style of playing guitar. Listening to and learning blues helped refine much of these techniques and more importantly, phrasing. I started to listen to other genres to learn what was unique or different about each and learnt that playing in the idiom of that style of music is what made it and in doing so, I got a deeper appreciation for music as a whole and specifically from a guitar standpoint. It enabled me to refine my playing over the years even if it was just for a pass-time activity, it sure did the trick and brought me hours of peace and joy.

[@SRankerDMC]

I started guitar like a year ago and was always afraid to learn theory but now i realize my mistake.

[@DbeatPR24187]

Haha

[@K0NExdd]

It's never too late

[@Squidmustard]

So... a Djent boi teatching music theory...

[@SteveBrule982]

senpai pls impart more knowledge i shall sacrifice some goats tonight in your honour

[@fateslegion8061]

@NicNocturnal thank you! This was the first video I could find to help me understand how to learn to play a scale without just reading tab. I hope there is more to this series!

[@jordanmas1299]

This is absolutly , FOR SURE the best explanation of the modes on the internet . this is the 5th video I've watched and so much has clicked . I've been playing for 10 years but never UNDERSTOOD scales and modes, as I learned by ear and self taught. but this cleared everything up . I've had it , I just haven't understood what I'm playing if that makes sense . thank you

[@thenathanimal2909]

I learned that I need to take guitar lessons in person lol. This shit is so confusing.

[@SirBelmerD]

it's not that confusing, just some getting used to, and see it more physically. if you need help, let me know, happy to clarify

[@OmnipotentSag]

Ladies & Djentlemen! I give you the Melodic Blues Minor Scale: WHWHHHW(WH). ;-) :-D Ya know...for that darker southern vibe. In E, that would be E, F#, G, A, Bb, B, C, Eb. Ha

[@dekana176]

What is the meaning of Bb and Eb?

[@louiperz3714]

@@dekana176 lower case b means "flat", which in turn means a fret lower, or the same as half step down. Bb=A# i believe

[@miketransporter5638]

🤔

[@miketransporter5638]

WHWHHWWH looks more correct which gives E,F#,G,A,Bb,B,C#,D#,E for melodic blues minor scale in E.

[@ahuman9113]

You're speaking in a very strange accent..

[@orbit6663]

n0 russia f0r seri0us vd0

[@stevecipparulo3384]

Dude I have been "playing" guitar on and off for over ten years, this video finally made me understand what I'm playing, and why. THANK YOU!

[@girugaymesh]

I'm gonna switch off my adblock and leave this playing multiple times in a bunch of background tabs as I work through this. Thank you, Nick! This is gold

[@TheMusicfan189]

I’m no music theory/scale/moral expert but starting in E standard surely would’ve been an easier viewpoint for the viewers?

[@josevonbuergenwader2]

My guess is that Nik and most of his fans are metalheads and *most* metal these days use drop tunings.

[@hsjdjjcjfdheuxyh5282]

Dude plz FIND SOMEONE WHO CAN TRANSLATE THIS and make subtitles. I'm from russia and my ENG skill enough only for memes) Thank a lot for your videos!))

[@BigBadGenja]

Братан, просто ставь англ сабы, и ставь их перевод в плеере, да получается криво, но вполне понятно. сам так смотрю англ видосы, из-за ретардского знания англицкого. да и на самом деле перевод здесь не очень нужен всё наглядно элементарно понятно.

[@hsjdjjcjfdheuxyh5282]

@@BigBadGenja спасибо братан, попробую) На самом деле я уже смотрел так пару видосов, перевод реально настолько кривой получается, что в голове каша большая, чем если смотреть в оригинале на английском) Буду просто инглиш учить))