What's the proper way to play a scale? Should you always have only one finger on a string at a time, or do you leave your fingers on the lower frets as you move up the string?
For example, when playing up the chromatic scale, you fret the first fret with your index finger and pick, then when you fret the second fret with your middle finger, do you take your index finger off or leave it on?
I leave my fingers on the strings until they need to be moved. No reason to have them flop around until they are needed. So, in your example, I would move my index finger to play the 1st fret 5th string right after playing the 4th fret, 6th string with my pinky.
I may grow old, but I'll never grow up.
I leave my fingers on the strings until they need to be moved. No reason to have them flop around until they are needed. So, in your example, I would move my index finger to play the 1st fret 5th string right after playing the 4th fret, 6th string with my pinky.
Ah ok, thanks. That does seem like the most "efficient" way to play it. The only thing is it tends to make playing with the pinky a bit more of a stretch, since you have to keep the index finger planted. But I guess it's good to stretch your fingers too.
I raise my fingers slightly si I am still muting the strings behind the fret I'm playing next, but I also anticipate the next string I'm going to. It's unconsious, but for example, if I'm playing a scale box pattern on the sixth string and I am about to change to the fifth string, as my ring finger or pinky is playing the last note on the sixth string, my pointer finger is moving toward the next string. But I always try to keep my fingers close to the strings. I don't know if this is proper, but it's how I do it. Hope it helps.
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I raise my fingers slightly si I am still muting the strings behind the fret I'm playing next, but I also anticipate the next string I'm going to.
I second this one - At Grade 5 you're tested playing scales at 232 notes per minute so you have to get your fingers ready for the next bit asap.
Best,
A :-)
"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
Wedding music and guitar lessons in Essex. Listen at: http://www.rollmopmusic.co.uk
At Grade 5 you're tested playing scales at 232 notes per minute
Eek!
:shock:
That's nearly 4 notes per second!!
I sometimes struggle with 1 :(
Rumour has it that if you play Microsoft CDs backwards you will hear Satanic messages.
Worse still, is that if you play them forwards they will install Windows.
Alan: Maybe I'm confused but wouldn't that be quarter notes at 60BPM? I can see that becoming somewhat straining after a while but the speed can't be the hard part, or am I missing something? Or are we talking classical?
this is interesting.
Ive been reteaching myself to read notation (sheet music). Ive found that leaving the fingers on the chord shape, for the most part, aids in playing the scales within the chord.
keeping the fingers on chord shape you can then take the scale notes and pick out a melody.
it all makes sense then...why does one play scales. :)
the next step then is bending a note up to it's scale note. awesome.
Alan: Maybe I'm confused but wouldn't that be quarter notes at 60BPM? I can see that becoming somewhat straining after a while but the speed can't be the hard part, or am I missing something? Or are we talking classical?
I am talking classical. The metronome timings are 116 half-notes per minute and the scales are printed in quarter notes so you have double up - 232 notes per minute.
Looking at the Grade 3 Electric Guitar spec, scales there are tested at metronome timings of 138 to 168 notes per minute, that's still more than 2 per second.
And, for those of you who think 232 notes perminute is insane, the Grade 8 classical guitar requirement for playing scales is a metronome count of 160 half notes per minute, which means playing 320 notes per minute. Slightly more than 5 per second. My brain hurts.
Best,
A :-)
"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
Wedding music and guitar lessons in Essex. Listen at: http://www.rollmopmusic.co.uk
Dogbite: a scale can be anything, doesn't have to be chord-notes. If you're talking appergios, chord shapes will have you play a fixed order whereas with a scale you can play the notes with much more freedom.
Alan: That's... bizar. The electric one seems quite easy but I have no clue at aqll how to get that speed without pick. :) Which grade are you in now, if I might ask?
you just alternate pick with your fingers. i had a classical teacher in college who was doing scales at around 120bpm. that's quarter notes, so that's 480 notes per minutes. i get up around 108 before everything starts to unravel. i've been playing for 12 years, though, and i'm sure he was playing 8 hours a day, so...
Spot on - alternate rest strokes with the index and middle fingers.
I'm studying for my Grade 6 now, playing quarter note scales at 132 half-notes per minute - 264 played notes per minute.
Best,
A :-)
"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
Wedding music and guitar lessons in Essex. Listen at: http://www.rollmopmusic.co.uk
