Chris Cooper - Posted - 11/01/2009:  07:09:42

Hi Guys,

In Ron Block's acutab DVD he talks alot about a box concept which he uses whilst improvising which allows him to see the areas on the fretboard where he can do some 'mining'.

I am familiar with a similar principal from my days of rock guitar playing; where I would use both major and minor pentatonic scales, harmonic minor scales etc. I am unsure which scales Ron uses most frequently on which he bases his box concept.

Does anyone have any idea's of which scales I want to be learning? Also where I can learn them?

Thanks in advance,
Chris.

Happy Pickin'

scribefit - Posted - 11/01/2009:  07:55:24

Hi Chris, Check out Pat Clouds, Key To The Five String Banjo http://patcloud.com/PChtml/Key5.html.

Mike

Texasbanjo - Posted - 11/01/2009:  08:19:32

Yes,definitely, get Pat's book, it'll give you that box you're looking for.

Let's Pick!
Texas Banjo

BvilleDon - Posted - 11/02/2009:  21:56:23

Another vote for Pat Cloud's book. I am surprised we don't hear more about it. I have also found that Fred Sokolow's Fretboard Roadmaps for the 5-String Banjo complements it very well. If I had to pick only one, it would be Cloud's book, but the two books together are some powerful stuff!

Don

Edited by - BvilleDon on 11/02/2009 21:57:35

JoeDownes - Posted - 11/03/2009:  07:36:49

I'm a guitar player originally and I think what Ron Block is referring to is similar to what guitarists call the CAGED System. It is explained pretty well on http://www.cagedguitarsystem.net/ .
I pretty much adapted this way of thinking to the banjo tuning, so I can play any kind of chord progressions on any part of the fretboard. When it comes to improvising you can use the chord patterns so you always know where your tonic, third and fifth is and play around with the scale notes in between.
When you internalize the chord arpeggio and scale patterns in a few 'boxes' you can then shift them up and down the fretboard to play any chord progression in any key.
That's the way I learned to understand the guitar fretboard and improvise and the CAGED way of thinking also helps me a to find melody notes up the neck when playing banjo.