Hey there,
I have some questions regarding playing scales. Currently, I am focussing on the chromatic scale up and down the neck - the one where you start on the 6th string and play 5-6-7-8, then 4-5-6-7 on the fifth and so on. I'm trying to develop strength in my finger, improve dexterity and focus on being able to move my hand up and down the neck. Okay, so I have some questions:
(1) If I make a mistake, should I start over, or go back a bit and try that bit again, or just ignore it. Obviously, if i make the same mistake over and over I will focus on that, but generally speaking?
(2) Is it more important to keep time or get the sequence exactly right? I already know to play slow enough, and can play the scale throught with about 80-95% accuracy (at about 55bpm), but if I slow it down any more I hit the strings more cleanly but can't keep the time to save my life.
(3) Similarly, when learning a new scale or even a song, I find that I tend to practice and memorise the chord changes before I try and play it in time. i.e. I'll learn to play without the metrenome first, because otherwise I struggle to concentrate on the timing and chord changes at the same time. Is this okay, or should I struggle with the metronome from the start?
(4) I find that, when playing scales, that the three fingers that are not fretting a note tend to pull back quite a bit (kind of like a British tea drinking pinkie finger, if that makes sense). It seems to me, though, that I should be keeping my fingers as close above the strings as possible to avoid missing the strings on the way down. Is this a good observation for scale playing (obviously other styles might require other finger usage)
(5) Any other tips?
Thanks guys for the tips.
Hiya,
1 - Always mentally note the mistake and continue playing. If you stop when practising scales, you'll stop when you make a mistake on stage and people will throw bottles at you. Practice it again, but slower.
2 - It is seriously important to get the timing and sequence right. If you casually pass it off during a one-octave C major, you're likely to casually pass it off during Sweet Child Of Mine and your bandmates will tell you that you messed up.
3 - Playing something new with a metronome is a recipe for very hard work. Make sure you know the song blindfold before switching on that metronome.
4 - Bet your fingers don't do that when you're playing fast cos they just don't have time. Methinks you're emphsising that movement when you play to make sure you're getting the notes clean. Relax a little and see how it goes.
5 - Enjoy yourself. And, remember the three rules of playing for dancers or the mosh pit - keep the rhythm, keep the rhythm and keep the rhythm.
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
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1) Whenever you make a mistake don't stop. Doesn't matter if it's in a scale or a song. Good musicians can fake their way out of wrong notes (or poor choices :lol: ) by ignoring it, hitting that note again to emphasize it (yeah, I played that note, what you gonna do about it!?).
And a favorite trick of mine is doing a hammer-on or slide to the correct fret when I mess up.
Alan's covered it pretty well... I'll just add a couple things:
(2) Is it more important to keep time or get the sequence exactly right?
In general, both are important. I drill my students to get the sequence right first, then the tempo - but that's because I want their ears to hear and anticipate the note that's coming next. If you can't play the right notes at any speed, tempo is meaningless.
That said, if your rhythm is rock-solid, and you play with conviction (i.e. the confidence to not change your attack or tempo in any way if you do make a mistake), the errors begin to seem intentional. On stage, that's what I try to do - if I blow a note, I blow it in time. If it's not the last note of a phrase, it'll seem like a variation to the crowd, not a mistake.
(3) Similarly, when learning a new scale or even a song, I find that I tend to practice and memorise the chord changes before I try and play it in time. i.e. I'll learn to play without the metrenome first, because otherwise I struggle to concentrate on the timing and chord changes at the same time. Is this okay, or should I struggle with the metronome from the start?
Do both. If the only tunes you can play are the ones you've memorized, your repertoire will be a lot smaller. So memorize and practice the things you really want to work on... and find some practice pieces that you won't do every day to get yourself accustomed to keeping up with the tempo in unfamiliar tunes.
(4) I find that, when playing scales, that the three fingers that are not fretting a note tend to pull back quite a bit (kind of like a British tea drinking pinkie finger, if that makes sense). It seems to me, though, that I should be keeping my fingers as close above the strings as possible to avoid missing the strings on the way down. Is this a good observation for scale playing (obviously other styles might require other finger usage)
I've actually been giving this a lot of thought lately, and experimenting in my own practice. I was taught in the 'keep the finger movement small' school, which makes logical sense. But recently I watched a virtouso violin performance, and I was struck by how high the fingers were - and I heard my piano teacher's voice in my head ("lift your fingers! lift your fingers!"), so I'm beginning to wonder if there is benefit to exaggerated motions. Don't do anything with that thought for several months - I haven't come to any conclusions yet, and I don't want to mess up anyone's technique with my musings.
Anyway, to train yourself to keep your fingers as close as possible, don't lift a finger until the very last minute. Place the fingers 1-2-3-4 (at this point you've got all of them on one string) and try to duplicate the movements in reverse order. You might also try moving your fingers slightly 'sideways' - towards the floor - as you lift them... that'll clear the ringing string and let you focus on staying as close as possible.
Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL
good advice. cant really add much. cept'...my pinky does the tea cup hold on some chords but not all.
it's amazing what the fingers do sometimes...like they have thier own mind.
remember, our hands are not built the same. some idiosycracities are normal.