In this book our objective will be to follow this process in order to incorporate the modes of the major scale and the melodic minor scale into our playing. What I’ll provide you with is a concise and effective explanation of the theory behind modes (should you need it), then a system to put this knowledge into practice on the fourths fretboard without learning endless scale patterns or drilling rote patterns.
We’ll do this both for parent scales (modes applied to diatonic chord progressions) and modes as scales in their own right (modes for improvising over isolated chords or non-diatonic progressions in fusion styles). What’s more, if you’re making the transition from standard tuning to fourths, this book will help you organize modes on the fourths fretboard and fill in any gray areas you may have had in standard tuning.
We’ll also learn how to instantly find the parent scale of any mode, how to come up with modal chord progressions, how to properly use backing tracks, as well as clearing up all the doubts that arise when learning modes for the first time.
Graham Tippett (1977-) studied literature, music and languages in the UK before making a permanent move to Mexico in 2005. It was there he began to explore and research methods of improvisation on the guitar and published the '2 Position Scale System' series of instruction books in 2014, which are the fruit of that research. He is also well-known for his love of languages and music, drawing parallels between the two art forms as he continues to write and research on the subjects of language learning and improvisation. His relentless research into guitar improvisation has recently lead to the creation of the Hacking the CAGED System series of books, and Soloing Without Scales - an alternative look at how to improvise on guitar. Graham is also a graduate of the ACM (Academy of Contemporary Music) in Guildford, where he was taught by the likes of Guthrie Govan, Dave Kilminster, Eric Roche and many others.