Congratulations! You've just figured out the "G demented scale", now what? That old adage "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing" is still with us. How does something theoretical become something practical, and more importantly, musical? The most important solution to this problem come through listening and hearing. How did Miles use scales, where did he get it from, and how do contemporary players use these sounds? Which brings me to the point that music is sound, it must be heard to be comprehended; can you hear the scale? In music, hearing is believing. I'd like to present some basic, tried and true, concepts for ear training. Let's start with intervals, the building blocks of melodies. Create a repertoire for each interval from a minor 2nd to an octave, both ascending and descending. A repertoire would mean a melodic fragment from a familiar tune that starts with the interval. For example, a minor 2nd ascending could be The Song is You, What's New, Stormy Weather; or any nursery rhyme, TV commercial, pop tune or classical piece. It doesn't matter where it came from, only that it is familiar to you and that it starts with that particular interval. Your list could look something like this:
Keep in mind that these examples must be familiar to you, something that you can sing anytime, anywhere. These particular examples are familiar in the jazz repertoire, use your own repertoire to get started. Once you have completed the list, up to an octave ascending and descending, make some flashcards, 2 per interval. As an example the front would read "Minor 2nd Ascending", and the back would read "The Song is You". Eureka, you have a practical and fun way to learn your intervals! Now, let's get a little more focused . . . sing the interval from three random starting pitches. Make sure you're singing in tune and the correct interval. When you get to the third pitch, sing along and play it with each possible fingering on the fretboard (how many ways can you play a Minor 2nd up and down and across the guitar). So now, how does the "G demented scale" start to sound to you? Hopefully through a lot of listening, ear training, and playing it becomes a place from which to create melodies and a place from which to appreciate the masters, even better, a place from which to develop your own artistry. What have you heard lately?
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