Pentatonic Exercise

Like this, only with square brackets instead of curly ones... I can't use the proper brackets in the example or you wouldn't be able to see them :)

{code}
e----------------------------------5--7-8--6------------------
b---------------------------5--7-------------8--6-------------
g---------------------5--7---------------------8--6-----------
d---------------5--7--------------------------------8--6----------
a---------5--7--------------------------------------------8--6----
e---5--7--------------------------------------------------------8--6
{/code}

MattyPretends116

That's a pretty good exercise, the middle and pinky fingers are usually the weakest and slower fingers for most people. But everyone is different.

The best way to write a tab that will come out nice is to go to Notepad or Word on your computer. I like to use Word. Use Courier New for your font, I also find that font size 12 works very nicely. Using Courier New your spacing will come out very well.

Now highlight and copy your tab on Word.

Come here. Click on Code above. Code will appear, but make sure your cursor is AFTER Code (sometimes it jumps in front). I always like to go a line below Code and then paste in your tab.

Now, at this point you can click Preview below. This will automatically place the end Code tag after your tab. Plus, it gives you a chance to review your tab before your Submit it.

If you make a mistake, I have found it easiest just to go back to my tab on Word and correct there. It does not work too good here. So you might have to delete your first tab here altogether and paste in the corrected tab. Just make sure your Code and end Code tags appear before and after your tab.

I have probably made it sound more difficult than it is.

One last thing, be aware of the area that Avatars take up. If you write a long line of tab, it will be all messed up here due to space. So I try not to go over half a page. This will allow for the Avatars here.

Hope this helped.

There's a great book of drills that's probably out of print... "Guitar Technic" by Roger Filiberto. Matty's drill is in there, along with the related variations (1-3 fingering, 3-4, etc.)

There's a great book of drills that's probably out of print... "Guitar Technic" by Roger Filiberto. Matty's drill is in there, along with the related variations (1-3 fingering, 3-4, etc.)

That's that old green Mel Bay book, isn't it? That's funny, as I was just thinking the same thing...I used to use that book years ago.

Yeah, that's the one. I still have one - copyright 1970, cost me $2 :)

Matty's drill is in there, along with the related variations (1-3 fingering, 3-4, etc.)

Dang, just when I was about to use that for my own profit! :wink: I'm going to keep an eye out for that book.

Thanks a lot for the explaination Wes, I'll try that out for my next tab post.

Matt

Just found that book on amazon, reprinted in 1982. Still regularly available!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0871665239/qid=1147318505/sr=1-6/ref=sr_1_6/102-2843918-6938545?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

Just found that book on amazon, reprinted in 1982. Still regularly available!

Yep, that's it. I went and found mine - the price on my old copy was $1.50.

There was another book called something like "Quadraphonic Fingering." Went through all the combinations of fingerings...

1-2-3-4
1-2-4-3
1-3-2-4
1-3-4-2
1-4-2-3
1-4-3-2
2-1-3-4
2-1-4-3
etc....

As I recall, you'd play the patterns starting at a particular fret on one string, the from string to string, then skipping strings, then alternate notes on different strings, etc.

Still, I used that Roger Filiberto book a lot, back in the day :)

I use a similar 4-finger exercise:
12 (from low E to high e)
12 (from high e to low E) *Not 21!
13 (from low E to high e)
13 (from high e to low E) *Not 31!
14 (from low E to high e)
14 (from high e to low E) *Not 41!
23 (from low E to high e)
23 (from high e to low E) *Not 32!
24 (from low E to high e)
24 (from high e to low E) *Not 42!
34 (from low E to high e)
34 (from high e to low E) *Not 43!
Then:
21 (from low E to high e)
21 (from high e to low E) *Not 12!
31 (from low E to high e)
31 (from high e to low E) *Not 13!
41 (from low E to high e)
41 (from high e to low E) *Not 14!
32 (from low E to high e)
32 (from high e to low E) *Not 23!
42 (from low E to high e)
42 (from high e to low E) *Not 24!
43 (from low E to high e)
43 (from high e to low E) *Not 34!