Exotic Scales & Licks for Electric Guitar: Private Lessons Series (Musicians Institute: Private Lessons)

It's a book for advanced guitarists with great improvising skills

The title of this review sums it up. Each scale is played over some harmonic accompaniment, usually as a flurry of notes and then slowed down so that you can appreciate the flavor of each scale against the chords or bass notes. Presentation is uneven, with some scales given thoughtful rhythmic phrasing that brings out their unique flavor (Hebrew, Eight-Tone Spanish, for example), and others merely played like a rote exercise (Persian except for final example, Byzantine). I would like to have seen each scale as a riff or motif, as well as a run of single notes. Indeed, the best examples in the book are presented this way. One final quibble, best illustrated by example: The Double Augmented Scale is never played over its corresponding "modal chord," the major 7 sharp 5. Instead, it is played over other chords of Melodic Minor, like dominant and minor 7's. Also, this "scale" is played in example 5 (track 60) starting and ending on the note "B," yet it is the C Double Augmented Scale! This is like trying to convey the unique character of the E Phrygian mode in C major by playing it "D to D" over a D min 7 chord. In exactly what sense have you conveyed the Phrygian quality? You haven't. You've just played the Dorian mode of a C major scale, containing the same notes as E Phrygian! Order is everything with modes. Nevertheless, I found myself playing this stuff in my car for my own enjoyment. It's a tantalizing taste of exoticism, and leaves you wanting more. I suppose that was the purpose of the book and CD.

The worst i hated I almost thow it to the can it was not what I was looking for . Bu mybe someone finds it interesting in exentric craziness

I got this book looking for some ways to break away from the same old blues scales.It is good for what it is - just a collection of licks in different scales. This is one of the only books I've read that contains licks in these scales. Other books just tell you the scale and that's it. There are only about five licks for each scale. What the book lacks is a complete diagram of the scales on the fretboard, but if you want that, you should get the Guitar Grimoire book. This book just lists the notes of the scale and the harmonization at the beginning of each section. It's a pretty slim book, only 35 pages. It doesn't contain notes on what fingers to use where either. I may be spoiled after reading so many Troy Stetina books, which map out everything exactly for you.Overall, this book met my expectations. Most of the licks are pretty cool and I'll have fun learning all of them and incorporating them into my playing.