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What's New
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SCALE EXERCISESThe scale exercises
presented in this section begin on the root, proceed upward and/or downward
through the notes in the scale, and end on the root note (or octave). I have
avoided starting on other notes in the scale besides the root because when that
is done, it sounds to the ear like one is playing in some mode of a different
key (see the section on Fundamental of Scales for a discussion of Modes).
Open
position This section will be
primarily concerned with open position exercises in which all notes are acquired
within the first 3 or 4 frets. It will describe exercises in the commonly used
keys G, D, C, and A. When beginning to practice scales, it may be more useful to
stay at the open position. All variations of open position exercises will be
discussed for each of the four keys. Open position exercises
consist of 25 notes, which are 3 complete measures, ending on the down beat of
the fourth measure. Thus, the timing feels “resolved”. There will be some
cases where variations to an exercise can be made by changing the span (highest
and lowest notes) within the position, but maintaining the same number of notes. In addition to open position
exercises, one exercise that spans two octaves will be described for each key.
These require using notes at higher frets on the first, second, and third
strings. There are numerous variations for 2 octave exercises that are presented
in later sections.
KEY
OF G Open
IV V
I
2rd 3rd 5th 7th
12th
5---+---6---+---7
6---+---7---1
2---+---3---4 3---4---+---5---+---6 3---4---+---5---+
+---5---+---6
7---1---+---2
+---2---+---3---4---+ 1---+---2---+---3
2---+---3---4
5---+---6---+
6---+---7---1---+---2 5---+---6---+---7
6---+---7---1
2---+---3---4 3---4---+---5---+---6 3---4---+---5---+
+---5---+---6
7---1---+---2
+---2---+---3---4---+ 1---+---2---+---3
2---+---3---4
5---+---6---+
6---+---7---1---+---2 Open
Position (incomplete) G scale: G
A B C D
E G
A B C
D E
D C
B A G
E D
C B A
G 1
2 3 4 5
6 1
2 3 4
5 6
5 4
3 2 1
6 5
4 3 2
1 |
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-------------------------------0--2--0-------------------------------- -------------------------0--1-----------1--0-------------------------- -------------------0--2-----------------------2--0-------------------- -------------0--2-----------------------------------2--0-------------- -------0--1-----------------------------------------------1--0-------- -0--2-----------------------------------------------------------2--0-- T
H I
H T H I
H T
H I H
P T
P I
P T P
I P
T P The above exercise uses a G
scale with the F# excluded. Since this exercise involves all free moves, it can
be used as an exercise to practice hammer-ons and pull-offs.
Open
Position G scale – from the
root on the sixth string:
CM--
CM-- G
A B C D
E F# G
A B
C D E
D C
B A G
F# E D
C B A
G 1
2 3 4 5
6 7
1 2 3
4 5
6 5
4 3 2
1 7
6 5 4
3 2
1 |
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| ----------------------------------0--2--0---------------------------------- ----------------------------0--1-----------1--0---------------------------- ----------------------0--2-----------------------2--0---------------------- -------------0--2--4-----------------------------------4--2--0------------- -------0--1-----------------------------------------------------1--0------- -0--2-----------------------------------------------------------------2--0- T
H I H T
H S
I H T
H I
H P
T P I
P T
S P I
P T
P T
I T I T
I T
I T I
T I
T I
T I T
I T
I T I
T I
T T
I M T I
M T
I M T
I M
T I
M T I
M T
I M T
I M
T This exercise involves a
closed move (CM) 4\2 - 4\4 on the
way up, and the reverse move on the way down. The sequences at which these occur
in the exercise are indicated above. One can make these moves either by sliding
the bar in the needed direction, or by playing discrete notes. If the latter is
chosen, effort should be made to allow each fretted note to ring as long as
possible, to make the scale sound “smooth”. Three right hand methods are
suggested, but there are many possible variations. The same set of notes can be
used in the following two variations of the exercise, in which the exercise
begins on the root of the third string, and starts up or down the scale. 1
2 3 4 5
6 5
4 3 2
1 7
6 5 4
3 2
1 2
3 4 5
6 7
1 -------------0--2--0-------------------------------------------------------- -------0--1-----------1--0-------------------------------------------------- -0--2-----------------------2--0-----------------------------------------0-- ----------------------------------4--2--0-----------------------0--2--4----- -------------------------------------------1--0-----------0--1-------------- -------------------------------------------------2--0--2-------------------- 1
7 6 5 4
3 2
1 2 3
4 5
6 7
1 2 3
4 5
6 5 4
3 2
1 -------------------------------------------------------0--2--0-------------- -------------------------------------------------0--1-----------1--0-------- -0-----------------------------------------0--2-----------------------2--0-- ----4--2--0-----------------------0--2--4----------------------------------- -------------1--0-----------0--1-------------------------------------------- -------------------2--0--2-------------------------------------------------- G
A B C D
E F# G
A B
C D E
F# G F# E
D C B
A G
F# E D C
B A
G 1
2 3 4 5
6 7
1 2 3
4 5
6 7
1 7 6
5 4
3 2 1
7 6
5 4
3 2 1
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| ----------------------------------0-----4--5--4-----0----------------------------------- ----------------------------0--1-----5-----------5-----1--0----------------------------- ----------------------0--2-----------------------------------2--0----------------------- -------------0--2--4-----------------------------------------------4--2--0-------------- -------0--1-----------------------------------------------------------------1--0-------- -0--2-----------------------------------------------------------------------------2--0-- The exercise above features
a free shift (FS) to the IV position from 1\0 to 2\5. This is a relatively easy
move, and is very useful for playing tunes in G. One could play the high 6th
(E) on 1\2, but that would result in 7 consecutive notes on the firstt
string. Such bar movement is very strenuous and tends to be sloppy.
KEY OF D The neck positions for the
key of D are as follows: Open
V
I
IV
2nd
2nd 5th
7th 9th
12th 1---+---2---+---3
2---+---3---4
3---4---+---5---+---6
6---+---7---1 6---+---7---1---+ 7---1---+---2
+---2---+---3---4---+
+---5---+---6 4---+---5---+---6 5---+---6---+
6---+---7---1---+---2
2---+---3---4 1---+---2---+---3
2---+---3---4
3---4---+---5---+---6
6---+---7---1 6---+---7---1---+ 7---1---+---2
+---2---+---3---4---+
+---5---+---6 4---+---5---+---6 5---+---6---+
6---+---7---1---+---2
2---+---3---4 Open
Position D scale – from the
root on the first string, starting upward: 1
2 1 7 6
5 4
3 2 1
7 6
5 4
5 6 7
1 2
3 4 5
6 7
1 D
E D C# B A
G F# E
D C# B
A G A
B C# D
E F# G
A B C# D
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| -0--2--0-----------------------------------------------------------------0-- ----------2--0-----------------------------------------------------0--2----- ----------------2--0-----------------------------------------0--2----------- ----------------------4--2--0-----------------------0--2--4----------------- -------------------------------2--0-----------0--2-------------------------- -------------------------------------2--0--2-------------------------------- A slight variation can be
made by starting downward, which has the effect of visiting the A on the first
string (1\2) at the end instead of at the beginning. Open
Position D scale – from the
root on the third string, starting downward: 1
7 6 5 4
5 6
7 1 2
3 4
5 6
7 1 2
1 7
6 5 4
3 2
1 ----------------------------------------------0--2--0----------------------- ----------------------------------------0--2-----------2--0----------------- ----------------------------------0--2-----------------------2--0----------- -0-----------------------0--2--4-----------------------------------4--2--0-- ----2--0-----------0--2----------------------------------------------------- ----------2--0--2----------------------------------------------------------- Open
Position D scale – from the
root on the third string, starting upward: 1
2 3 4 5
6 7
1 2 1
7 6
5 4
3 2 1
7 6
5 4 5
6 7
1 ----------------------0--2--0----------------------------------------------- ----------------0--2-----------2--0----------------------------------------- ----------0--2-----------------------2--0----------------------------------- -0--2--4-----------------------------------4--2--0-----------------------0-- ----------------------------------------------------2--0-----------0--2----- ----------------------------------------------------------2--0--2----------- 2 Octave D scale (Open, I,
and IV Positions): 1
2 3 4 5
6 7
1 2 3
4 5
6 7
1 7 6
5 4
3 2 1
7 6
5 4
3 2 1
D
E F# G A B
C# D E
F# G A B
C# D C# B
A G F# E
D C# B
A G
F# E D ----------------------0-----------7-----11-12-11----7-----------0----------------------- ----------------0--2--------7--8-----12----------12----8--7--------2--0----------------- ----------0--2-----------9-----------------------------------9-----------2-- |
