Exercise #1
This exercise is one of the fundamental building blocks essential to playing guitar. Aside from helping to develop finger strength and independence, this pattern can provide a basis for improvisation by breaking up scale patterns into more musical ideas. This exercise is an A minor scale broken up into thirds (using pattern #1). The pattern of thirds should be perfected using any scale pattern.
When practicing these patterns, note that the tempo of the .wav examples has nothing in common with the animated example (The .wav is recorded at 100bpm. The animation "bounces" every .5 seconds.) So, don't try to follow the animation while playing along.
How to practice the exercises:
Step #1 - Learn the scale pattern. If you haven't memorized scale patterns #1, #2, and #3, go back and do so now. This will take a few hours but will save a lot of frustration as you work through the exercises.
Step #2 - Listen to the .wav example to get a feel for how the exercise works. Listen to it several times until you recognize the pattern in the note sequence.
Step #3 - Follow the "bouncing ball" along with the animated picture (Don't try to listen to the .wav example as you do this. Sorry, they don't match). In short order, the tempo will seem painfully slow. Don't move on until you reach this point.
Step #4 - Play along with the .wav example. Use your memory only to recall the pattern. (If necessary, cover the animation with a Post-it© or tape.)
Step #5 - Set your metronome to 100bpm and play the exercise on your own. When this becomes second nature, increase the tempo to 110bpm, and so on. Only practice as fast as you can play perfectly. Don't be in a hurry to get to blazing speed, just work through the exercise and focus on relaxing your hands.
| Exercise #1 - Ascending. Practice this then, learn it descending (below). | |
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| (Please note that this exercise example stops at the second octave. Feel free to continue into the last few notes.) | |||||
| Exercise #1 - Descending. Practice this then, put the ascending and descending patterns together. | |
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