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While I don't doubt the sincerity of those who point to resources for "every scale" and "every chord" (and why no interest in "every rhythm?"), I believe that there are several aspects to music and learning that should be addressed before claims of "every" whatever are made.
First, we should consider the texts that address these issues that have already been published. In my experience, the best books are the "Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns" by Nicholas Slonimsky and "The Scale-Chord Synopticon" by Kathleen Powell and John Fowler. I suspect that Joseph Schillinger's "Schillinger System of Composition" covers the same ground, but I don't own a copy - I've only seen it a few times in my life, and it's really expensive to buy. So before I get all excited about anyone's book of "every" chord or scale, I'd like to know how they might differ from these texts.
Second, as we delve into these explorations of "every" this and "every" that, we might wish to define just what a "chord" or "scale" is. (The Scale-Chord Synopticon does this extremely well, by the way.) Is a group of any five notes played simultaneously a chord? If those same five notes are played in a logical ascending or descending order, are they now a scale? Or an arpeggio? Comments?
Third, we might ask ourselves, once we have amassed this valuable pile of information, what are we going to do with it? It's very much like holding up a telephone book and announcing, "this book has all of my friends in it!" Sure it does, and it also has a lot of people you'll never meet at all. To me, scales and chords are like friends. I have a few that I wish to know very well, a few that are acquaintances, and many that are not relevant to my life.
Fourth, it can be quite a project to apply just a few scales (and their modes), or just a few chords (and their different inversions and voicings), or just a few rhythms to the guitar.
I'd like to hear from someone who has found a book or approach to scales, chords, rhythms and/or musical patterns (in general or on the guitar) that sheds light on the organization and use of musical information, not just the collection of same.
One more thought: a few years back, I decided to figure out all the possible fingerings of all voicings and inversions of a single major triad on the guitar (excluding open strings, and allowing for a seven-fret limit playable with four fingers and the thumb around the neck). I put it aside after I'd written down about 300 different block diagrams. Anybody know how many major triad fingerings are in Muriel Anderson's book or the "everychordandscale" files?
"Life! Life!
Clouds and clowns!
You don't have to come down!"
- Sly and the Family Stone
Clouds and clowns!
You don't have to come down!"
- Sly and the Family Stone
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