Lesson 3: Scale Exercises
Practice Techniques
These exercises will specifically refer to the
major scale forms in the Major Scale Patterns
lesson. However, once you grasp these concepts
they make excellent exercises for all scales
and arpeggios that you ever learn. Have fun...
1. If you have a metronome set it to an
extremely slow tempo and play each form
ascending and descending for at least 5
minutes each. Make sure that you play them
slow enough as to not make any mistakes! If
you find that you are making many mistakes
Slow Down! When you are playing through
these forms, move the forms around. One
easy thing to do is to just move up by
half-steps each time you run a form. When
you get to the top of the fretboard, just
move back down again in the same fashion.
It is extremely important to play these
forms in more than one position. Doing so
will help you memorize the form and not
just how it relates to certain frets or
positions.
2. Once you have a pretty good handle on
each scale fingering on their own, begin to
connect them (form 1 to form 2, form 2 to
form 3, etc...). Just work with a couple forms
at a time. Make sure that you get the
connection solid in your hand and mind
before you add the next form.
3. Eventually, when you have all of the scale
forms connected, run the whole scale from
form 1 up to form 8, and then back down
again. Do this over and over again. It will not
only help you memorize the fingerings, but
this is also great exercise for your fingers!
4. Once you have a solid grasp of this scale
in the key of G, figure out how you would be
able to move this to a different key. Try
doing this in the key of C now. You've already
established where the tonics were in these
fingerings. Now play the fingerings so that the tonic notes fall on C. For example: in form 1 in the key of G the first tonic (G) was the second note of that form. Now find the C on the 6th string and move form 1 up so that the C is the second note (the tonic) in that form. Do this with each of the forms, locating them in C. Once you have accomplished this, connect
the forms together like you did for the key of
G.
5. After you are secure with these major
scale fingerings in the key of C, move on to
the key of F. Then proceed to these other
keys: Bb Eb Ab Db Gb B E A D
6. Now, instead of just playing the scales in
ascending and descending order, set your
metronome once again to an extremely slow
tempo. Start with the key of G and just play
random quarter notes for as long as you can
stand it. Increase the tempo as your skill
permits, but don't try to rush through this
stuff (this is where you get your strong
playing foundation from, not to mention
great finger and hand exercise). When you get
tired of G, move on to C and so on. The main
thing is to make sure you have a solid grasp
of where the notes are in all major scales.
7. Next, instead of just playing random
notes, start making up melodies. At the slow
tempo start playing melodies - musical
ideas that sound good to you, or maybe things
you've heard other players do. Take this
through all the keys.
8. Finally, playing melodic ideas at the
slow tempo, set up a practice format like
this: 4 bars in the key of G, 4 bars in the key
of C, 4 bars in the key of F, 4 bars in the key
of Bb, etc... Once again, increase the tempos
as you feel comfortable with the material.
Final Note: Using these techniques over and
over again will strengthen your musical
abilities in several areas:
increase hand and finger dexterity,
build right and left hand coordination,
record in your mind correct fingerings,
develop ability to hear intervals more easily
and automatically,
and last but not least, make for fantastic
warm up exercises that you can use for the
rest of your life!
Please email me at TVieira@ix.netcom.com if
you have any questions regarding this lesson.
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