Scales, part 1

 

In my evolution, scale studies is a constantly ongoing thing.  There's not a day that goes by wherein I'm not working on scales as part of my daily practicing.  

My current focus is on the Super locrian scale, and the Phrygian dominant scale.  

My usual approach to learning scales is to write out at least two fingerings of the scale.  One starting on the first fret/sixth string low F, and one starting on the third fret/fifth string C.  The F fingering is a three-octave fingering, culminating at the 13th fret/first string F.  The C fingering covers two octaves.  I'll usually write out other two-octave fingerings, but those first two always happen.

After writing out the fingerings, I'll spend a couple of days shedding the new scale fingerings to determine where the position shifts should occur.  Once I'm happy with what I consider to be the best position shifts, then I'll notate the shifts in the scale fingerings.  At times, I'll need to notate the position shifts for both ascending and descending fingerings, as the ascending position shifts don't always work in the descending fingerings.

After I have the fingerings and position shifts notated, I'll start working with a metronome.  I begin at a
slower tempo; usually around 60 - 70bpm.  If I can't play the scale all the way through without missing a note, then I back off on the tempo a bit.  When I can play the scale ascending and descending through three octaves, I'll slowly increase the metronome tempo.  The same rule applies when increasing the metronome speed: if I miss a note, then I decrease the speed until I can play it correctly through three octaves, then go back to increasing the speed.  Even after I get the speed up to a respectable place, e.g., eighth notes at around 150bpm, I'll drop it back to 60bpm and keep it at a slower tempo for a day or two.  I find this helps in a few ways: it forces me to reconsider the fingerings, as by this point I may have discovered a more elegant fingering, or I may have stumbled onto better position shifts.  Slowing down also makes me focus more on my tone when playing the scale.  

Once I have the scale memorized, I'll try exercises like alternating strings.  In other words, I'll make a pass wherein I'm only using strings 6, 4, 2.  Then go again using only strings 5, 3, 1.   For me, this challenge is more difficult than it may sound, as it reveals any weaknesses in my grasp of the scale and its fingerings.  And it truly forces me to think about what I'm doing, instead of just machine-gunning some memorized patterns.

Then, I'll work on the scale using octave displacements.  There's too many of those types of exercises to list here. 

I'd write more, but I should return to shedding my phrygian dominant scales.

 

-kk