This section will deal with an alternative way of thinking when it comes to understanding "Music Theory".
Please be advised that you should not go any further unless you are already proficient with your instrument and You can play the major, 3 minor (harmonic, melodic, natural) and blues scales along with arpeggios in all keys. There is no substitute for techincal knowledge. If you take lessons from a qualified instructor for a brief period of time you will learn these scales. In most cases they can be self taught. It is important that you learn the correct fingering.
Now for the first part of Sonic Mechanics. Think of improvisation as a series of well placed intervals of notes that describes how you feel. You deal with only two ideas. These are Consonance and Dissonance. Consonance can best be described as the easy listening part of music in that none of the notes are in discord with everything else that is going on at the time. e.g. 3rds both major and minor and 6ths M and m. Whether it be a chord accompaniment or a single line. Most "New Age" music falls into this category. Dissonance is caused when notes clash together and do not seem to fit with anything else. Play the interval of a Major 3rd and compare it with that of a Minor 2nd and you will easily hear the difference.e.g.( C and E ) or ( C and C# ) . One of the easiest ways to train your ears is to attempt playing along with almost any style of recorded music. You will notice, however, that both Consonance and Dissonance are used in most songs and compositions of all styles. This is not unusual for Dissonance is what can actually propel music forward because of the need for resolution. Think of it as how you feel after the nails have stopped scratching the blackboard.
The scales and patterns played in improvised music are directly related to the Chord Progression and Key you are playing in at the time. Improvisation is not simply a matter of playing a group of notes just for the sake of doing it. Rhythms are a very integral part of the process. The placement of rests and syncopations (Those notes that can occur between the beats) are necessary to the feeling you want to achieve. The next section will delve into how chords work and can be applied to all keys. Bear in mind that what is pleasurable to your ear and the way you feel about what you are playing is of the utmost importance.
