[Khai Pham]

Hi Randy,

>> The reason it doesn’t really help me in the grand scheme of things is because whatever chord you change to it is crucial to know what position that note is in the new chord scale.

No doubt. I guess I’m saying it’s necessary to know the position within the chord degree but also the position within the key. That’s why it seems cheap (to me) to memorize the degrees for each of the scale chords, something I had not bothered to do in the past.

Khai

[Khai Pham]

>> How can we understand chord-scale theory, do the bebop calisthenics, use intervallic script, or work out the rhythm templates from the perspective you propose?

I agree with you that my perspective would not be suitable for the cases you mentioned. But I don’t think these are all the cases that must be considered. My problem is being able to track where I am on the fretboard and being able to navigate to other chords. For example, I mentally tell myself that I’m on the 1,3,5,7, but then I don’t know how to navigate to another chord.

>> If I understand what you are proposing, this would entail that we revise and change every interval to be viewed as if the I chord were always the root for all chords in the progression

I would not change anything from your system (as far as I have gone into module 1). I think the persepctive of chord of the moment works perfectly for viewing the single chord tones in isolation. I don’t quite know how to extend the view to progressions yet; as I wrote, it’s not immediately obvious to me viewing shapes will make me notice that the 3rd of the IV7 is a half step away from the 7th of the I7. It’s easier to rationalize with numbers.

I think part of my deficiency has to do with inexperience in playing as well as just beginning your system.

Here’s another illustration where I think shows this view is helpful.
Let’s take the 6th degree, it’s chord relationsips can be:
– the root of the vi7 chord
– the 3rd of the IV7 chord
– the 5th of the ii7 chord
– the 7th of the m7b5 chord

When I’m on the 6th degree, I can better find my way around because I know the links with several chords, not just chord of the moment.

Khai

[Khai Pham]

Hi Richie,

Just to clarify, the perspective outlined in the book, where the root is taken from the chord of the moment, is the one I have been using for as long as I can remember and it’s the system I used to learn intervals. I am fairly comfortable with seeing 7th chord shapes as root, 3rd, 5th and 7th.

My view is that one perspective does not meet every requirement, and I illustrate how staying within the I chord helps see relations that may be difficult from another perspective…perhaps this is because that perspective is new to me. I find this perspective helpful for finding nearest notes between chords. I am curious why this view would not work in module 3, but if it doesn’t.. I’ll just switch back to viewing the root on the chord of the moment!

Another perspective I hear many people use is seeing the note names, instead of interval degrees. I use this view sometimes to validate where I am on the fretboard, but I don’t use this view often.

I suppose there’s no harm in see the fretboard from multiple angles and moving freely between them.
That said, I would like to say I’ve found your instruction very valuable and I’m continuing the lessons.

Best regards,
Khai

[Khai Pham]

Nevermind – I suppose the exercise was simply not written to play the closest guide tone for each chord change.

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