Thanks J-Mo.

[frankus]

Many moons ago I was waffling about the cycle of 4ths as I was want to do and J-Mo mentioned he preferred the cycle of alternating minor and major thirds.

Needless to say it drew a blank with me at the time and I dismissed it as the ramblings of a deranged person who liked the Harmonic Minor more than the Melodic Minor.

How wrong I was.

It hit me today what he meant. I've been looking for a way to learn stuff in all keys without getting sucked into systemizing it.

I've gone to great lengths with this, firstly learning patterns starting from the high E so I go through all the distortions of a pattern (around the B string) before getting into the smooth waters of patterns starting on E or A.

But when I stop learning the same key all over the place what's the next key I should check out? Cycle of 5th or Cycle of 4ths simply sees me mentally transposing across strings and I'm back learning a pattern again... which I'm keen to avoid.

Since a minor third + major third is a perfect 5th the transposition is disrupted (for now) as I can learn the keys for the current exercise thusly:

C Eb G Bb D F A C E G B D F# A C# E G# B D#

which has some dupes in it, well anyway it helps me for now and I was startled how a chance comment several years ago came back

[RocknRollDave]

I have no idea what any of that post means.

This might explain why I am trapped in pentatonic pergatory.

[bertie]

Im sure he's looking down and responding in his own inimitable way..............with both fingers

[frankus]

Im sure he's looking down and responding in his own inimitable way..............with both fingers

yup, tongue in the middle too and saying 'arrrlalalalalalala'

Dave, the results are probably a lot less melodic

I'm learning diatonic triads on three strings atm ( so CEG, DFA, EGB, FAC, GBD, ACE, BDF) also inversions so (root inversion CEG, 1st inversion EGC, 2nd inversion GCE) and I'm really wary (given my past tendencies) to simplify stuff to patterns, not necessarily equations but just mental notes like that's the same thing 4 frets up. The shifting pattern challenges that and the pattern completes a circle of all the notes so I get all keys

[ballandbiscuit]

Any chord sequence that is not the cycle of 4ths can hold that as an advantage. Hate the cycle of 4ths, I really do.

I like going up a major third in major keys (both major chords), but the great cycle to play with is in minors, where you go down a minor third but keep playing minor chords all the time, that can sound very unnerving, if a little "Alton Towers" music-ey. Eg Am, Fm, Dm.

[MALAM]

I miss J-Mo