Breaking out of the box

[Jeff]

For a while now, it seems like the only stuff I play is in E major. I just cannot "think" in any other key; my ears and fingers just can't break out of the E major stuff. For example, when I play/hear a B and a C#, I will hear them as the 5th and 6th of E major instead of the root and 2nd of B major. Is there any exercises or techniques that can get me thinking and playing in different scales?

I am trying to break out of these patterns mainly for songwriting purposes, because anything I try to write anymore all sounds the same.

[crevis]

I love playing in scales i dont usually play in because it doesnt sound or feel as predictable as when im playing in the more common ones like E maj/min, A min, D dor, C maj or G maj etc. Id just learn songs in different keys and especially very distinctive riffs that you know very well from hearing them so much, that way it cant sound wrong to you.

[Tubarão Guitars]

Hey Jeff, just change the MODE.
You're playing the E major.
Change it to E mixolydian.
This is what i do:
Just play the B major scale but let the (low) E string sounding.
Now you're playing E tonallity but doing the B major scale.
So, it's E mixolydian, not plain major scale thing...
Try doing this palying along with RESCUE ME OR BURRY ME, from de disc Sex and Religion of Steve Vai.
You'll gonna know what to do...

Sorry my poor english, this isn't THAT good about explanations.
Good luck,

[john1880]

modes modes modes...and throw out some of the rules. play major over minor, minor over major, etc...experiment and don't be afraid of playing "wrong" notes. think less and play more. trial and error goes a long way too. remember, if you're playing E major, you're also playing in C# minor. same exact scale, different mode for each key. so record a C#minor to A to B progression and play your E major scale and you'll be playing in C# minor.
record a few progressions in minor, and various modes, play over them, see what works and eventually it'll all click.
that's my 2 cents...

[vette6600]

memorize the guitar grimoire book on scales. copy each page by hand also so you can really 'feel' the modes.

just kidding, i recommend taking some things you like to play in E and transpose them to other keys. this way, you'll still have your familiar ideas, but you'll be forced to look at the fretboard a little differently

[DaniJem]

Originally Posted by Tubarão Guitars

Hey Jeff, just change the MODE.
You're playing the E major.
Change it to E mixolydian.
This is what i do:
Just play the B major scale but let the (low) E string sounding.
Now you're playing E tonallity but doing the B major scale.
So, it's E mixolydian, not plain major scale thing...
Try doing this palying along with RESCUE ME OR BURRY ME, from de disc Sex and Religion of Steve Vai.
You'll gonna know what to do...

Sorry my poor english, this isn't THAT good about explanations.
Good luck,

i think that you mistake...

if you play the B major scale but with emphasis in E note, you are playing in E Lidyan and no Mixolidyan!
for a mixolidyan sound, you play A major scale with E note bass sound.

also, sorry for my english

regards.