Pacman's sure-fire scale practice method

#22
Originally posted by Mike Dimin


A great 2 octave pattern is to play 1 note per finger and use all 4 fingers on a particular string before switching strings. Here is a G major scale on a 4 string. The technique can easily be transferred to a 5 or 6 string

note: G A B C D E F# G A B C D E F# G
str: E E E E A A A A D D D D G G G
fret: 3 5 6 7 5 7 9 10 7 9 10 12 9 11 12

I hope this makes sense

Mike
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That's actually one of the 4 ways to connect the boxes that I was referring to.
 
#26
Originally posted by Johnny Boom Boo



Pacman is this your 'convert 3 TAB users' thread;) :D
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No, but I'm hoping it has some effect on my standing.



Are you listening, CASHFLOW?
 
#28
That's a very excellent piece of info Pacman. I'm definatley going to start adding that to my practice routine, for I need some new ways to learn scales.

I think it's helpful, because I, as I suspect countless others, learn scales and think of them as in terms of "Patterns" that make certain sounds. When we should be thinking of them as individual notes that relate to each other and make certain sounds.
 
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#30
Originally posted by Chris Fitzgerald
Good stuff, Jon. I especially like the part about reciting the scale degrees as you play. I don't know why so many people/schools still use solfege when the numbers make so much more sense in relation to chordal harmony. When's the last time you saw a G7#re (G7ri???) on a chord chart?
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I do, in the subject line, of my email, as in RE:G7#9...

Another solfege-style chord appears when I make a mistake - as in G8DOH!

Any chord with a 3rd is selfish, 'cos it's all about MI.

Power chords (ex. C5): SOH what?

:rolleyes:
 
#32
Nice one pacman. I'll try this one out.

I think getting numerous different ways of practicing the same things helps you learn more thoroughly. If I stick to the same method I'll be playing it parrot-fashion within a few days and it will become useless.

>>>Actually that's total crap isn't it!!
I mean the more varied learning techniques you have the deeper you can root your understanding... if I learn the typical pattern of a major scale I'm not neccessarily learning the sound of the intervals or their relative position on the fretboard, I'm just learning the pattern.
If that doesnt make sense, sorry... Cap'n I'm losing her.. aaah! :eek:


I use root to octave to 2nd octave and back again for Major scale. Then arpeggios (root, 3rd, 5th, 7th) through major/relative minor - first note by note then I play them in 3rds, i.e. maj7 = maj3 + maj3. This really helps me get the sound of the different intervals into my head.
 
#36
Originally posted by SpankBass
SO when are we gonna get to know the ways to connect all this? Right now I just got a hundred "boxes" stuck in my head. :)
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Interestingly enough, there's part of it in Adam Nitti's column in Bass Player this month. Hmmm..... I got this system from my teacher (who was the original bass guy at Atlanta Institute of Music).... how did it make it into Bass Player? I'll leave that alone... What he didn't go into was that when you "run out of strings" as he put it, you can come back down the strings, while still climbing on the fingerboard. You'll still be skipping notes, just going in the opposite direction. This is a really cool way to come up with lines, too.

Another way to "connect the boxes" is to play 4 notes per string, rather than three. To facilitate this, shift up (in pitch) the neck on the 4th finger (1, 2, 4, 4 or 1, 3, 4, 4) and shift down (in pitch) on the 1st finger (4,3,1,1 or 4,2,1,1).

There's more, but they get crazier from here...
 
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#38
Originally posted by Pacman

Another way to "connect the boxes" is to play 4 notes per string, rather than three. To facilitate this, shift up (in pitch) the neck on the 4th finger (1, 2, 4, 4 or 1, 3, 4, 4) and shift down (in pitch) on the 1st finger (4,3,1,1 or 4,2,1,1).

There's more, but they get crazier from here...
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Ok ya lost me, can you explain that in moron?
 
#39
Originally posted by SpankBass


Ok ya lost me, can you explain that in moron?
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Well, I'll try. And while writing an explanation, I realize that I've written it backwards! Shift with the 1st finger going up, and the 4th finger coming down!

Let's start with a G major scale. We'll start on the root for this example. 1st finger G on the E string, (shift) 1st finger A, 3rd finger B, 4th Finger C. 1st Finger D on the A string,(shift) 1st finger E, 3rd finger F#, 4th Finger G. 1st Finger A on the D string, (shift) 1st finger B, 2nd finger C, 4th finger D. 1st finger E on the G string, (shift) 1st finger F#, 2nd finger G and 4th finger A.

To come down, you'd play 4th finger A, (shift) 4th finger G, 3rd finger F#, 1st finger E. D on the D string with 4th finger (shift), 4th finger C, 3rd finger B, 1st finger A. 4th finger G on the A string, (shift) 4th finger F#, 2nd finger E, 1st finger D. 4th finger C on the E string, (shift) 4th finger B, 2nd finger A and finally 1st finger G.

Clear as mud?

Againg, sorry about the confusion in the previous post. That's what I get for writing it without my bass!
 
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#40
Originally posted by Pacman


Well, I'll try. And while writing an explanation, I realize that I've written it backwards! Shift with the 1st finger going up, and the 4th finger coming down!

Let's start with a G major scale. We'll start on the root for this example. 1st finger G on the E string, (shift) 1st finger A, 3rd finger B, 4th Finger C. 1st Finger D on the A string,(shift) 1st finger E, 3rd finger F#, 4th Finger G. 1st Finger A on the D string, (shift) 1st finger B, 2nd finger C, 4th finger D. 1st finger E on the G string, (shift) 1st finger F#, 2nd finger G and 4th finger A.

To come down, you'd play 4th finger A, (shift) 4th finger G, 3rd finger F#, 1st finger E. D on the D string with 4th finger (shift), 4th finger C, 3rd finger B, 1st finger A. 4th finger G on the A string, (shift) 4th finger F#, 2nd finger E, 1st finger D. 4th finger C on the E string, (shift) 4th finger B, 2nd finger A and finally 1st finger G.

Clear as mud?

Againg, sorry about the confusion in the previous post. That's what I get for writing it without my bass!
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Ahh Ok I think I get it, so instead of just playing 3 notes and going across the fretboad, you play 4 notes and work your way up the board. Let me go try this out.
 
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