With ALTERNATE PICKING Part 4 i am going to try and get you thinking of scales in terms of patterns/sequences and show you just the tip of the iceberg,as to how many ways you can CHOP up scales and how many different patterns/sequences you can make out of a simple scale position.Hopefully after a while when you think of a scale you wont just think of its naked form but moreover you will be thinking of the ENDLESS
possibilities scales hold.Make sure to LISTEN to the effect and tone that each of these patterns/sequences produces in ALTERNATE PICKING Part4.A lot of the following examples will be quite tricky,but im a firm believer in studying and working at things that are harder rather than easier for you.The only way to progress at guitar is to work at things you CANT play and not the things you already can.I see it with my students! When they come across things they find hard to play they simply dont try and for that reason a lot of them dont progress as much as they can.So dont start moaning about the fact that some of these are too tricky.If your not willing to put in the work, guitar is not the instrument for you.Learn the bass!!! ;)
possibilities scales hold.Make sure to LISTEN to the effect and tone that each of these patterns/sequences produces in ALTERNATE PICKING Part4.A lot of the following examples will be quite tricky,but im a firm believer in studying and working at things that are harder rather than easier for you.The only way to progress at guitar is to work at things you CANT play and not the things you already can.I see it with my students! When they come across things they find hard to play they simply dont try and for that reason a lot of them dont progress as much as they can.So dont start moaning about the fact that some of these are too tricky.If your not willing to put in the work, guitar is not the instrument for you.Learn the bass!!! ;)
In EXAMPLE 51 we start with the cooler brother of the pentatonic,the BLUES scale
(1 b3 4 b5 5 b7) Again refer to the scale page to see how you should visualize this scale.
Never visualize scales in terms of fret numbers.Always as shapes!!
Note how its the exact same as the pentatonic but we have just one not added,the flattened 5th.In the key of A that will be an Eb note.And even though this is a blues scale it doesnt always have to sound like a blues scale.Depending on the context of the music you will play this over,the blues scale sounds awesome in Heavy rock/Metal music.
Just listen to the incredible George Lynch who is a big fan of the blues note in both his riffs and solos.
(1 b3 4 b5 5 b7) Again refer to the scale page to see how you should visualize this scale.
Never visualize scales in terms of fret numbers.Always as shapes!!
Note how its the exact same as the pentatonic but we have just one not added,the flattened 5th.In the key of A that will be an Eb note.And even though this is a blues scale it doesnt always have to sound like a blues scale.Depending on the context of the music you will play this over,the blues scale sounds awesome in Heavy rock/Metal music.
Just listen to the incredible George Lynch who is a big fan of the blues note in both his riffs and solos.
EXAMPLE 51
In EXAMPLES 52-57 we have patterns which should be looped over and over continously without stopping and at as fast a speed as you can comfortably play.
Use the finger per fret rule with the 1st finger in the 5th fret and the pinky in the 8th.Some of the examples will be rather tricky to play with a metronome.The ones that you find tricky to play with 6 or 4 NPB,just try them with 3 or 2 NPB
Use the finger per fret rule with the 1st finger in the 5th fret and the pinky in the 8th.Some of the examples will be rather tricky to play with a metronome.The ones that you find tricky to play with 6 or 4 NPB,just try them with 3 or 2 NPB
EXAMPLE 52
EXAMPLE 53
EXAMPLE 54
EXAMPLE 56
EXAMPLE 55
EXAMPLE 57
EXAMPLE 58 is going to be the foundation scale for all the examples which will follow.Its in the Key of Am and you should recognise the C Ionian scale which is what bars 3/4/5 consist of.I have broken it into 7 bars of 6 notes.You might notice that bars 5/6/7 are just the octave of bars 1/2/3 with bar 4 connecting them.The scale starts on an A note and finishes on an A note.Learn this scale thoroughly before moving on to the next examples.
EXAMPLE 58
EXAMPLE 59 is the same as EXAMPLE 58 except i use a favourite pattern of mine where i ascend bar 1/descend bar 2 etc but when we arrive at the C Ionian position we simply go straight down that until we arrive on the high e string were we resume the Down a bar up a bar pattern/sequence.It gives a slightly more unique and interesting sound than simply playing straight through.
EXAMPLE 59
EXAMPLE 60 is the exact same thing with the exception of when we arrive at the C Ionian position we ascend it using STRING SKIPPING.
EXAMPLE 60
For EXAMPLES 61/62 there is nothing to explain just try and visualize pattern wise whats going on here throughout the bars.Its the same sequence for each bar so if you have the whole scale memorized it shouldnt be a problem.You simply keep repeating the pattern/sequence thats hapening in bar 1 through all of the bars.
EXAMPLE 61
EXAMPLE 62
In EXAMPLES 63-69 we put your visualization and memory to the test.Each example is given only for the first bar of EXAMPLE 58.Apply each of the EXAMPLES 63-69 to all the bars of EXAMPLE 58.Also its important that you try and come up with some of your own ideas.So when ever you learn a new scale its important that you CHOP IT UP as we have done with the latter scales.Thats one of the most important things to practise on guitar,CHOPPING EVERYTHING YOU LEARN IN WITH EVERYTHING YOU ALREADY KNOW
EX 63
EX 64
EX 65
EX 66
EX 67
EX 68
EX 69
