I saw a vid with Rick Beato saying a great way to practice scales was play 2 notes per string all over the neck. He used D major and moved pretty fast and not easy to understand could someone break it down?
Scales 2 notes per string
# 1
#1
Originally Posted by:
noahwalford7
I saw a vid with Rick Beato saying a great way to practice scales was play 2 notes per string all over the neck. He used D major and moved pretty fast and not easy to understand could someone break it down?
It's a pretty advanced way of visualizing & playing the scale. I'm not sure it has many practical applications beyond dexterity building. But this is the ascending pattern used.
|-----------------------------
|---------------------------5-7-------------------------------|
|----------------------6-7------------------------------------|
|-----------------7-9-----------------------------------------|
|----------9-11-----------------------------------------------|
|-10-12------------------------------------------------------|
And here is the descending.
|-10-9------------------------
|--------12-10--------------------------------------------------|
|-----------------12-11-----------------------------------------|
|-------------------------14-12---------------------------------|
|----------------------------------16-14------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------17-15-14-12-10----|
As you can see, if you start by using only 2 notes per string that eventually requires cramming in 4 notes on the final string to complete the next octave of the scale. So, it's not a very efficient or effective way of navigating the scale. That's typically why 3 notes per string patterns are usually used to play diatonic scales. But it can certainly be a finger strength & dexterity building exercise. It might be useful in certain musical contexts. It might also help you to better understand the interval formula of the scale by having to stretch it out in an unusual manner.
Stepping back to look at the bigger picture. How you practice scales depends on your skill level & what kind of music you intend to play with them.
If you're a beginner, then you should be practicing scales in basic open positions just to get used to the physical dexterity of fretting & picking single note lines & get your ear & mind acclimated to the sound of the major & minor diatonic scales as the raw materials used in making melodies. For example.
C major scale for beginners
A minor scale for beginners
Practicing scales for beginners
Anders & Lisa also cover scales for beginners in their Fundamentals courses.
If you're beyond beginner, but still in low intermediate levels you should practice diatonic scales in multiple keys & shapes in order to get used to the layout of the fretboard.
Major Scale Patterns 1
Minor Scale Patterns 1
When you're ready you can move to 2 & 3 octave patterns to cover the fretboard.
Eventually you want to use scales in order to make music. These tutorials on using the basic diatonic scales to improvise melodic phrases might also be of great practical use in that regard.
Once you get in solid intermediate & advanced territory then you can use these tutorials on more advanced ways of covering the fretboard with scale patterns. For example.
Visualizing Fretboard Patterns
CAGED Lead Guitar
Pentatonic scales are much more commonly played 2 notes per string because the patterns are more effective for that interval formula. This tutorial covers the basics of the pentatonic scale.
And there are many ways to visualize the pentatonic scale and use it to make music.
Connecting Pentatonic Patterns 1
Connecting Pentatonic Patterns 2
Hope that helps. Please ask more if necessary!
edited
Christopher Schlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Christopher Schlegel Lesson Directory
# 2
#2
Originally Posted by:
ChristopherSchlegel
It's a pretty advanced way of visualizing & playing the scale. I'm not sure it has many practical applications beyond dexterity building. But this is the ascending pattern used.
|-----------------------------
|---------------------------5-7-------------------------------|
|----------------------6-7------------------------------------|
|-----------------7-9-----------------------------------------|
|----------9-11-----------------------------------------------|
|-10-12------------------------------------------------------|
And here is the descending.
|-10-9------------------------
|--------12-10--------------------------------------------------|
|-----------------12-11-----------------------------------------|
|-------------------------14-12---------------------------------|
|----------------------------------16-14------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------17-15-14-12-10----|
As you can see, if you start by using only 2 notes per string that eventually requires cramming in 4 notes on the final string to complete the next octave of the scale. So, it's not a very efficient or effective way of navigating the scale. That's typically why 3 notes per string patterns are usually used to play diatonic scales. But it can certainly be a finger strength & dexterity building exercise. It might be useful in certain musical contexts. It might also help you to better understand the interval formula of the scale by having to stretch it out in an unusual manner.
Stepping back to look at the bigger picture. How you practice scales depends on your skill level & what kind of music you intend to play with them.
If you're a beginner, then you should be practicing scales in basic open positions just to get used to the physical dexterity of fretting & picking single note lines & get your ear & mind acclimated to the sound of the major & minor diatonic scales as the raw materials used in making melodies. For example.
C major scale for beginners
A minor scale for beginners
Practicing scales for beginners
Anders & Lisa also cover scales for beginners in their Fundamentals courses.
If you're beyond beginner, but still in low intermediate levels you should practice diatonic scales in multiple keys & shapes in order to get used to the layout of the fretboard.
Major Scale Patterns 1
Minor Scale Patterns 1
When you're ready you can move to 2 & 3 octave patterns to cover the fretboard.
Eventually you want to use scales in order to make music. These tutorials on using the basic diatonic scales to improvise melodic phrases might also be of great practical use in that regard.
Once you get in solid intermediate & advanced territory then you can use these tutorials on more advanced ways of covering the fretboard with scale patterns. For example.
Visualizing Fretboard Patterns
CAGED Lead Guitar
Pentatonic scales are much more commonly played 2 notes per string because the patterns are more effective for that interval formula. This tutorial covers the basics of the pentatonic scale.
And there are many ways to visualize the pentatonic scale and use it to make music.
Connecting Pentatonic Patterns 1
Connecting Pentatonic Patterns 2
Hope that helps. Please ask more if necessary!
Awesome!!
this is truly amazing
# 3
I'm glad you found it useful.
Christopher Schlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Christopher Schlegel Lesson Directory
# 4
#4
Originally Posted by:
ChristopherSchlegel
I'm glad you found it useful.
i find it easy to get the scales down when i can see them, but they are not seeming to stick, every time i move to the next pattern i forget the last, any tips for internalizing patterns?
# 5
#5
Originally Posted by:
noahwalford7
i find it easy to get the scales down when i can see them, but they are not seeming to stick, every time i move to the next pattern i forget the last, any tips for internalizing patterns?
Focus on one pattern at a time & how it connects to the next pattern. Learn the scale degrees.
This tutorial covers the basics of the pentatonic scale.
In that I demonstrate how to visualize the entire scale as a series of interlocking patterns. Each pentatonic pattern shares a "wall" or "side" with the pattern above & below it. If you look at the last 2 lessons of that tutorial you'll see it all in one comprehensive graphic image with scale degrees labelled.
Major pentatonic patterns across the fretboard
https://www.guitartricks.com/lesson/11475
https://www.guitartricks.com/lesson/11475
Minor pentatonic patterns across the fretboard
That's a lot to take in! So I encourage students to take it one pattern at a time & drill each one until it becomes more second nature. This tutorial is aimed at focusing on each pattern in turn with extensive exercises.
Major Pentatonic Exercises
Minor Pentatonic Exercises
Again, that's a lot! That's why learning the scale degrees is so helpful. Instead of just a random collection of dots on the fretboard that form odd shapes, you start to hear & see the reason for the shapes of the patterns: the scale degrees, the intervals! That helps internalize the scale
And in the end repetition is your friend. The more you play, see, familiarize yourself with one box, the easier it is to see the upper "wall" of that box as the lower "wall" of the next box.
Hope that helps!
Christopher Schlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Christopher Schlegel Lesson Directory
# 6