twocats Yes, the truly generalized mental trick I use is this.
I learn the major scale like this:
1 2 34 5 6 71
The numbers that are together represent the half steps.
Now I can play and learn new scales like this:
2 34 5 6 71 2
34 5 6 71 2 3
The location of the half step is the same, so now I've left major scale territory behind, and I'm essentially learning new scales just in terms of relation of numbers.
This is the minor scale:
6 71 2 34 5 6
I picked it up from some improvisation course and I've been thinking about scales in relative terms like this ever since. I like to think it frees me from artificial limitations of the notation system.