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Pat Metheny -- "What scales do you use ?"

Posted: 4 Nov 2005 7:16 am
by John Lockney
There is a great "Guitar World" interview with Pat Metheny re-printed in a book called <A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/087930 ... s&v=glance" TARGET=_blank>
Secrets from the Masters: Conversations With Forty Great Guitar Players" </A> where he says:

"I feel funny when someone comes up to me and asks 'what modes do you use?' or 'what scales do you use?' To me, that's the equivalent of someone asking, 'what kind of verbs do you use?' The idea is to play music, and assuming you're a good musician, you've spent a lot of time learning the grammar of music which includes the knowledge of all of those things. You can't just know a few modes or a few scales; you have to know all of them, and you have to be able to get from one to the next without even thinking about it."

I don’t know much of Pat Metheny’s stuff but, I thought it was a neat attitude to have about music!

<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by John Lockney on 04 November 2005 at 07:18 AM.]</p></FONT>

Posted: 4 Nov 2005 9:12 am
by Bill Hatcher
Just don't ask him what he thinks about Kenny G!!!!!!

Posted: 4 Nov 2005 9:55 am
by Charlie McDonald
He uses every scale there is.
'Midwestern hip; and all those teeth.'
--Nat Hentoff (or somebody)

Tuned for the group (old and new) a few times. Really nice guy.

Posted: 4 Nov 2005 1:22 pm
by Gary Lee Gimble
I prefer the atonal mode, that way no one can ever accuse me of dropping a clam, half baked I am but no clams.

Posted: 4 Nov 2005 2:09 pm
by Ben Slaughter
That's a good old fellow Missouri native for ya.

My dad and Pat used to play RnR in my grandparents' basement.

Posted: 4 Nov 2005 11:44 pm
by David L. Donald
I played with Pat one time a LOONG time ago.
It was a jam session for a bunch Berklee oriented Boston players.

The guy is totally fluent in styles and theory you don't hear on his records.
In jams the cat can go all over the farm and back.

He played solos copying 3 different sax players at the jam,
then did something none of them was doing.

Sort of a neo post Django meldoic minor meets Arabic thing.
Over bop changes...

And always that friendly smile. Image
I have heard he is a super teacher too.<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 04 November 2005 at 11:45 PM.]</p></FONT>

Posted: 5 Nov 2005 6:50 pm
by Chris Lasher
Pat Metheny's playing and composition are truly inspirational! He's definitely made some "Desert Island" albums!

Posted: 6 Nov 2005 11:14 am
by John Lockney
It reminded me of the scene in the first Terminator movie where he visits the gun store. So, which one will it be ?

"All of them."


Posted: 6 Nov 2005 8:01 pm
by Donny Hinson
<SMALL>What kind of scales do you use?</SMALL>
Oh, Toledo, Ohaus, American, Sterling... Image

I think someone said here awhile back that a musician should first learn scales, and then he should forget (playing) them.