Foundations for Improvisation: A Guitarist's Guide to Improvisation: Major Scale Modes with Improv Exercises: Melodic Interval Studies

This book is written for the guitarist who is looking for an organized guide to the study of the materials and tools needed for the art of improvisation. The materials are the scales, intervals, chords, and arpeggios used in composition and improvisation.

This is book I--and with its help, you can explore improvising--starting with major scales and the major scale modes. This is supported by a section on major scale theory (chapters 1 through 4 ) in case there is a need to brush up on that.

Chapter 5: is about melodic interval studies to introduce some serious ways to look at melodically breaking up the scales.

Chapter 6: The major scale fingerings in 5 positions on the guitar.

Chapter 7: A thorough workout to learn the major scales in all keys in one position on the guitar. (This section is gone over in every position on the guitar in the appendices.)

Next is chapter 8: the major scale modes explained from multiple perspectives, including modal formulas with an improviser's/composer's viewpoint in mind.

This leads to chapter 9: the modal improvising section with examples of chords that coexist with each mode for you to hear and improvise with, exploring the relationship between them.

Finally, there is a section with examples of some common modulations with related modes for practicing your new skills . . .

Appendix 1 through 4 are the 12 major scales in 1 position exercise in positions 2 through 5.

“Neal Harris’s book Foundations for Improvisation is a solid presentation of all the information a beginning guitarist would need to start playing improvised music.” —Chuck Sher, publisher of The New Real Book