Fingering of scales. Variable stroke

Your speed of playing the electric guitar has reached eighty beats per minute. No? Go back to the previous lesson. If so, then go ahead!

What are scales? To simplify very much, a scale can be called a series of sounds located in a strictly defined sequence of semitones, tones, and sometimes large intervals. Scales in the context of fingering thinking are discussed in great detail. In this lesson we will use them as another type of exercise. What are the benefits of scales? Firstly, they contain both external and internal strokes. Secondly, scale boxes cover all six strings. Third, they are usually looped, which makes it possible to play one scale for a long time.

There are a huge number of scales. But we won’t need all of them, since this lesson is aimed at developing speed, not musical thinking. I will give only a few of those that you can use in your songs, leaving behind melodic modes, harmonic minor, major pentatonic scale, blues scale and many others.

But first of all, I would like to talk a little about how to play them and what the fingerings that you see below are. I received a lot of questions on this topic and realized that most beginners have a very poor understanding of what scales are in principle. So, horizontal rulers are strings, as you understand, vertical ones are frets. The circles represent the notes that should be played. Under no circumstances should you mistake the scale for a chord and try to play all the notes at the same time. Start playing from the bottom left corner from left to right (i.e. from the thickest string, from the place where the frets are wider). Then work your way up to the higher strings, ending up playing the scale in the upper right corner. Then you can return to the original note in exactly the opposite sequence. If everything is still not clear, at the end of the lesson you can download Guitar Pro tablature of all scales that you will find here. But remember that these fingerings can be easily moved along the fingerboard and the scale will not change, only its tonality will change. Also, do not forget that all scales must be played with an VARIABLE STROKE. Down-up-down-up! And don’t forget about the other rules discussed in previous lessons!

MINOR PENTATONIC

You are already familiar with the minor pentatonic scale from the previous lesson. Here I will show five boxes of this range in different positions. if you look closely, you will notice that they can be put together like pieces of a mosaic. Ultimately, this is what you should see when looking at the neck of a guitar - the notes included in a specific scale, its tonic on various strings and frets, the versatility of how you can play any passage that can come to your mind. You'll have to work on these boxes... all your life. No more no less. Well, or at least as long as you're going to play guitar.

Never limit yourself to playing in one position. Have you ever seen Zakk Wylde play an entire solo without moving his hand along the fretboard? Me neither:)

DIATONIC MODES

Further more! Below are five boxes of diatonic seven-step scales. First - Mixolydian major, often used by John Petrucci in his progressive themes. Next comes minor scale (Aeolian minor). Among rock and metal solos, she rightfully takes second place. Feel its gloomy, medieval atmosphere.

In the third picture - Locrian mode. If you play it from the second stage, it will turn out Ionian (natural major) major. Do you want to write something uplifting and fun? Perhaps epic or pathetic? Then use it. Try to play according to the rule of one finger - one fret (in the case of natural major boxing this is not difficult). On the fourth box you see Dorian minor- another favorite of old-school rock guitarists. And finally, the fifth box shows Phrygian minor, differing from the usual one by only one step - the second lowered, but what an atmosphere it gives to it! Having played it from this very second stage, we get Lydianmajor. You could hear this scale in the works of Joe Satriani.

Once again I will list the scales and the method of obtaining them based on the natural major scale. So!

1. The Ionian major is built on the first degree of the natural and, accordingly, is identical to it.

2. The Dorian minor is built on the second degree of the natural major.

3. Phrygian minor - at the third degree of natural.

4. Lydian major - on the fourth.

5. Mixolydian major - on the fifth.

6. Aeolian (natural minor) - on the sixth

7. The Locrian mode is built on the seventh degree of natural major.

Here it is, a fingering grid on which you can see all the scales at the same time. The black dot represents the tonic of the Ionian major. Take a closer look and visually find the boxes above.

In the above figure, the four degrees of the Ionian major are labeled - seventh, first, third and fourth. The rest, as you understand, are not at all difficult to find. But this is a topic for a completely different section.

Before this, you played all the exercises in sixteenth notes. Four notes for each metronome beat. But you need to learn to play triplets as well. To do this, we will use scales arranged according to the principle of three notes on a string. The first box is the Phrygian minor box, the next is the Lydian major box, then the Mixolydian box, etc. To calculate speed use the following formula. The speed you were going to play at divide by three and multiply by four. You'll get the speed for eighth note triplets. Let's say you were going to play at a speed of 60 UVM. 60:3*4=80 UVM - the required speed for playing triplets. Play three notes for each metronome beat.

As you can see, the first box hits the open strings. Just slide it to the right. I have already said that the scale does not change, only the tonic changes. These last scales “three notes per string” are not in the tabs, I’m sure you understand the principle. And if not, take another look at the existing scales, compare the tabs and drawing, analyze. Development is impossible without this. Not a single manual and not a single teacher will teach you how to play if you don’t learn yourself.

Here, perhaps, it’s time to stop. Turn on the metronome, learn one of the variations of a scale and start practicing. I'm waiting for you in the next lesson after you can play ALL scales at a speed of 100 UVM. Good luck!

This article is intended for beginning solo guitarists who have just started conquering the first frets of the fretboard and are wondering where to start learning in order to quickly develop finger fluency, learn the placement of notes, achieve the correct sound production and finally play the “solos” of their cool idols shredders and bluesmen.

So where to start? The first step is the C major scale; on a guitar, of course, it can be played throughout the entire fretboard and in any position. But, as they say, everything has its turn. Let's start from the first - that is, from the first position. And it doesn’t matter whether you have an acoustic or electric guitar, no matter what musical direction you prefer, learning scales is a competent, right start for improvising, composing and playing melodies. From simple to complex; from simple four-bar melodies to rock symphonies.

Pick up a guitar, arm yourself with a mediator - let's start practicing!

It is worth noting that playing a scale (any kind, including this one) allows you to get rid of cramming the location of notes on the guitar neck - where is the note Do, where is Mi, where is Fa, etc. Memorization will occur in the process of studying, naturally and not forced. The main thing is that you need to play every note meaningfully.

Meet the C major scale on the guitar in one octave: it starts from C minor octave (fifth string, 3rd fret) and ends with C first octave (second string, 1st fret).

It sounds like this:

Designations

The scale is written in two ways: the top notation (which shows the treble clef and 4/4 time signature) is the notes; the bottom one (numbers on the lines) is tablature (indicates on which string and on which fret the note should be pressed).

Notes

Within the framework of this article, we will not go into the study of reading notes from a sheet, and will concentrate more on a purely practical issue - how to play. But, one way or another, if you are not familiar with this science, it makes sense to have a textbook on musical notation and fill in the gap of missing knowledge (the basics at the first stage will be quite enough - where is which note, the duration of notes, what is size and rhythm).

Next to each note, the number indicates which finger of the left hand to play it with (1 - index; 2 - middle; 3 - ring; 4 - little finger).

Tabs

The six lines are the strings of the guitar: the top is the first string (the thinnest); bottom - sixth. Numbers are frets; zero means an open string, that is, it is not pressed against the fingerboard. For example, the number 2 on the third line means that the third string must be pressed on the second fret. All numbers (frets) written in the tabs correspond to the notes located on the staff (visually they are parallel to them).

How to play?

First, you need to download sheet music/tabs of the C major scale for guitar -< >. The archive contains a recording in the form of an image, as well as a gtp file for the Guitar Pro program; It's up to you to decide which option is better.

Open the scale so that it is visible in front of your eyes as you master it on the guitar.

Sound production

The notes are played with an alternating stroke - that is, one by one: the first note is a downward stroke (the designation is a “bracket” under the note), the second note is an upward stroke (“tick”). Watch your right hand: in this case, stroke repetitions are not allowed (2 times up or 2 times down).

Parsing tablature

The first note of the scale is the C note: as indicated in the tabs, press it with your ring finger on the third fret of the fifth string. The blow of the pick is down.

The second note is D: this is the open fourth string. In the tabs there is a zero on the fourth line. This means there is no need to press the string; Raise the fingers of your left hand only slightly so that they do not interfere with sound production, but do not remove them completely from the fretboard. Make a sound by hitting the pick upward (alternating stroke is required!)

In the same way, analyze/disassemble the location of each note, and, accordingly, then remove it. Having reached the highest note of a given major scale (up to the first octave), move in the opposite, downward direction (as it is written in notes - to the lowest, first note).

Follow the actions of your right hand (stroke!) and left hand (fingering!). It is very important to play notes with the fingers indicated next to each note. Don't try to play fast. Your task now is to remember the location of the sounds on the fretboard, their sequence, and which finger to press which note.

Playing in tempo

After analyzing the notes/tabs, you can begin to rhythmically play the scale - at a given tempo, maintaining the appropriate duration of each sound.

You will need a metronome; Any will do - mechanical, electronic, online (posted on a web page) or in the form of a computer program.

Set the metronome to 30-40 beats per minute (BPM), and then turn it on. Play scale sounds in sync with the beats; Each beat of the metronome is a note (strike on a string). Achieve an even sound - without rushing or delaying.

If you don’t have time, you get confused, the notes don’t sound clearly (muffled or with overtones), reduce the tempo.

Well, if you play C major on the guitar - cleanly, evenly, without errors, you can increase the tempo (but not much!) For example, try playing in sync with the audio example (see above) - 50 BPM. You can download it -< >.

Practice playing scales for 15-30 minutes a day. Give your fingers a rest: avoid pain and fatigue in your hands. Play each sound consciously, that is, analyze what note you are playing (Do, Re, Mi...), memorize it visually on the fingerboard and by ear.

Practice

Achieve confident execution of scales at a tempo of 50 BMP. With this minimum of performing technique, you can move on to the next step - playing simple melodies in C major.

Gamma based La Minor a lot of songs were built. On the one hand, she is the mother of the A minor pentatonic scale, which is very often used, on the other, A minor is a tonality parallel to C major, which is the home of every musician.

Sounds included in the A minor scale

Guitar Neck Diagram

Names of notes included in the A minor scale

The sequence of sounds of the A minor scale is as follows: A (A) – Si (H) – Do (C) – Re (D) – Mi (E) – Fa (F) – Sol (G)

Practical instructions for quickly memorizing and subdividing scales!

The A minor scale, in my opinion, is very good to learn in short pieces, in which there are 3 notes on each string. This is how I learned it and this is how my students learn the scale. You can learn the presented positions one by one, week after week, until you can play the A minor scale all over the fretboard.

A minor scale, divided into positions. In each of these positions three notes are played on each string

Major key parallel to A minor

A minor is a key parallel to C major. This means that you can use sounds from the A minor scale for songs written in the key of C major.

"Tutorial" Guitar lesson No. 19

What are scales for on a guitar?

The C major scale (C major) is the simplest scale on the guitar, but with fingering it will be of particular benefit to beginning guitarists. Unfortunately, many people have little idea of ​​the beneficial effects of such a tedious activity as playing scales on the guitar. A guitarist who does not want to play scales resembles a crawling baby who does not want to walk, believing that moving on all fours is faster and more convenient, but whoever stands on his feet will learn not only to walk, but to run quickly.
1. The C major scale across the entire fretboard will give you a better idea of ​​where the notes are on the fretboard and will help you remember them.
2. When playing scales, you will experience synchronicity in the work of your right and left hands.
3. Gamma will help you catch the feeling of the fretboard and thereby develop accuracy when changing positions of your left hand.
4. Develops independence, strength and dexterity of the fingers of the right and especially the left hand.
5. Makes you think about saving finger movements and correct hand placement to achieve fluency.
6. Helps in developing an ear for music and a sense of rhythm.

How to play scales on the guitar correctly

The first thing you need to do to perform the scale correctly is to remember the transitions from string to string and the exact sequence of the fingers of your left hand. Don't think that scales are just rising and falling sounds and your job is to perform them as quickly as possible in this way, building up your technique. This vision of the problem is doomed to failure from the very beginning. Scales are primarily passages of the musical pieces you play. You already know that music is not a chaotic change of passages and chords - all sounds are united by a tonality and a rhythmic basis that allows us to call it MUSIC. So, a scale in the key of C major must have a certain size when performed. First of all, this is necessary in order to maintain a certain pace when playing without any slowdowns or accelerations. Precise rhythmic execution in a certain size gives the passages beauty and brilliance. This is why scales are played in different sizes (two, three quarters, four quarters). This is what you should do when playing the scale, slightly highlighting each first beat of the first measure of the size you have chosen. For example, when playing in two beats, count one and two and Marking with a light accent each note that falls on “one”, count in three beats one and two and three and also noting the notes that fall on “one”.

How to play the C major scale on guitar

Try to raise (raise) the fingers of your left hand above the strings as little as possible. Movements should be as economical as possible, and this economy will allow you to play more fluently in the future. This is especially true for your little finger. A constantly lifting little finger when playing scales and passages is an excellent “traitor” indicating the incorrect position of the hand and forearm of the left hand in relation to the neck of the guitar. Think about the reason for such movements of the little finger - it is quite possible that changing the angle of the hand and arm relative to the bar (changing the position) will give a positive result.

Playing the C major scale up

Place your second finger on the fifth string and play the first note C, do not lift your second finger from the string, place the fourth and play the note D. You played two notes, but both fingers continue to press the fifth string, while placing your first finger on the second fret of the fourth string and playing the note E. Just after playing E on the fourth string, lift your fingers from the fifth to play F and G while keeping your first finger on the note E. After playing the note G, tear off the first finger from the fourth string and placing it on the second fret of the third string, play the note A and then, tearing off the second and fourth fingers from the fourth string with the third finger, play the note B while continuing to hold the first finger on the note A (II fret). As soon as you play the note B, lift your third finger, while the first finger begins to easily slide along the third string to take its place on the V fret. Pay special attention to this change of position on the third string, making sure that there is no uncontrolled interruption of sound when the first finger moves to the fifth fret. I think that the principle of performing upward scales has already become clear to you and you can move on to the next stage.

Playing the C major scale down

You have completed the scale on the first string to the note C, while the fingers of your left hand continue to remain in their places (1st on V, 3rd on VII, 4th on VIII frets). The principle of playing the scale in the opposite direction remains the same - as little unnecessary movements as possible with the fingers, but now we tear off the fingers in order from the string and after playing the note A on the V fret, we tear off the finger holding it only after we play the G note with the fourth finger on the VIII fret of the second string .

Right hand when playing scales

Play scales with different fingers of your right hand, first (i m) then (m a) and even (i a). Remember to add slight accents when hitting the downbeats of the bar. Play with a dense, loud sound using the “apoyando” technique (with support). Perform the scale in crescendo and diminuendo (increasing and weakening sonority), practicing the shades of the sound palette.


You can learn the C major scale from the tablature written below, but the main thing is to follow the fingering fingerings written in the notes.

Having learned to play the C major scale, play C sharp, D and D sharp major. That is, if the C major scale began from the third fret, then C sharp from the fourth, D from the fifth, D sharp from the sixth fret of the fifth string. The structure and fingering of these scales are the same, but when played from a different fret, the feeling on the fretboard changes, giving the fingers of the left hand the opportunity to get used to these changes and feel the neck of the guitar.

In this article we will continue to look at the most popular scales, this time it will be natural and harmonic minor.

Natural minor

Natural minor, one of the most common melodic modes. But, despite its prevalence and popularity, it is not as simple as pentatonic or chromatic, which we discussed in detail in the article: learning it will require time and sufficient perseverance.

In the diagram below we show the fingering of the first position of the minor scale in the key of A:

The tonic of this scale is marked in black, Arabic numerals, as usual, mark the finger numbers of the left hand, and Roman numerals at the bottom of the diagram indicate the fret numbers.

As you can see, this scale is quite difficult to master. To begin with, try playing simple ascending and descending passages to get your bearings in the scale and feel it tactilely. Only after learning this position well can you move on to the next one.

As you can see, the diagram above shows the second position of the A minor scale; it is also quite complex and takes time to master.

In the third position you will need a good stretch at the fingers, use this as well as an opportunity to develop your left hand.

The fourth position is quite simple, but you should not rush, give it enough time.

If you have already learned the first four positions, then you should not have any problems with the fifth, however, note that it is located around the 12th fret and will require sufficient accuracy for a clean performance.

Notice that the sixth position is at the beginning of the fretboard.

Harmonic minor

Having become familiar with the natural minor, you can move on to another variation of it - the harmonic minor.

The positions of the harmonic minor are similar to the positions of the natural. Therefore, there should be no problems with their development. Below we present their fingerings in the key of A.

First position

Second position

Third position

Fourth position

Fifth position

The black circles in this diagram indicate the main notes of the scale, and the circles with an asterisk indicate the tonic notes.

As we can see, the main difference between the harmonic minor is the raised seventh step, this was done so that the resolution of the imbalance into the abutment would be as unnoticeable as possible. But you can read about additional steps in other scales in the article:

This scale is one of the most common in modern music, and it is imperative to learn it. However, so as not to be boring, let's complicate the ascending and descending passages a little.

Learning the harmonic minor scale

Example 1

This example is based on a descending and ascending movement in the scale, but what distinguishes it from ordinary passages is its jazz sound, in this manner you can play in any position of the scale.

Example 2

This example is also based on descending and ascending movements, however, it is more complex than the first and has a pronounced jazz flavor; it can also be played in all positions.

Faces of harmonic minor

However, having understood the exercises and become well accustomed to the positions, I would like to take away something useful for improvisation from the scale. It is more than possible to do this. Below we will give several examples in jazz style, with the indicated chord progressions. You can learn more about what guitar licks are from the article:

Example 1

This melodic line, due to the Am7 chord, sounds quite tense at the beginning, but when moving to G major it is resolved.
Play this example first with a metronome at a slow rhythm, after which you can add accompaniment and increase the speed.

Example 2

This lick is primarily distinguished by rather complex chords for beginners and the not very popular use of the harmonic minor. However, with a little understanding of the accompaniment, a rather interesting phrase may appear in your arsenal, which can be used to decorate not only jazz improvisation.

Example 3

A simple face, both in terms of the melodic line and accompaniment, but at the same time it sounds quite interesting, which once again suggests that everything ingenious is simple.

Conclusion

The harmonic minor is a truly magnificent scale; with its help you can not only play jazz, but also popular music, as you can see for yourself by watching this video.