Scales and Modes in the Beginning

I was looking for a book that covered the modes, and would show me the patterns for each over the neck. At first glance, this book looked like what I was looking for. After getting to book home and actually reading it. I found that it fell short of my expectations. The organization was inconsistent. Scale were worked out over the neck for some scales, but not all of them. I also found the text contradictory or confusing in a couple of places. For example, on page 26 the author writes " The whole tone scale is used with dominant family chords that have either a raised or lowered 5th or both." I don't understand how a chord can have both a raised 5th and a lowered 5th at the same time. The author also states about the whole tone scale that "If an altered 9th is used in the harmoney, example C7#9, the whole tone scale should not be used..." Then in exercise 2 the author give the following progression: Em7 A7+5 Dm7 G7+9... Now wait a minute. Didn't the author just say that the whole tone scale should not be used with 7#9 chords? Isn't G7+9 the same as G7#9?

This book is a must have for all musicians. It will help to make the connection with the fret board, hand and brain. Plus, if your interested in foreign and exotic scales, it has that too. just to name a few, Spanish, Japanese, Double Harmonic, arabian. If you ever had trouble with improvising, this will sort you out.

The scales and modes section is the largest section, containing major scale modes, pentatonic scales, harmonic and melodic minor scales, blues scales, arpeggios, and foreign and exotic scales. The best part of the book is that it supplies a description of when to use each scale and why, rather than just showing what notes it consists of.