Mother of All Major Scale Exercises - Part I
I made up an exercise that I've been using to warm up for the last few months. I went back to basics because I was still having trouble seamlessly shifting keys on jazz tunes.
I choose to view the fretboard as five connected CAGED positions for any given key. In C, that means I've got scale positions starting at frets 3, 5, 7, 10, and 12 on the 6th string. Some refer to these positions using the shape of the root chord: A, G, E, D, C, respectively. But I don't like to confuse myself with extraneous note names. I dig numbers, so I refer to each position using the strings on which the root note appears: 35, 136, 146, 24, 25, respectively.
Knowing all these positions is useless if I can't connect them, so I need to know the connections between each pair as well as I know each isolated scale shape. This brings me to the initial exercise. Choose one key. I'll stick with C. Start at the lowest position you can. (I start at 35 for C, avoiding positions with open strings. This is why I suck at using open strings in my solos. This will not stand. I'm changing my ways starting now.) Play through the entire scale shape, ascending. When you reach the highest note (A on the 1st string), slide up to the highest note in the next position (C on the 1st string) and descend through that entire scale shape (136). When you reach the lowest note (A on the 6th string), slide up to the lowest note in the next position (B on the 6th string) and ascend again. Repeat and go as high as you like. (Sometimes I go an octave above my lowest position, sometimes to the upper limit of my fretboard.) Descend in the same manner back to your starting point. Use a metronome and don't miss a beat on those slides. I do this in all 12 keys via the cycle of 4ths.
Now for the mother exercise. Follow the same pattern as above, but switch keys with every position shift. A few more restrictions are required for everything to fall into place. Start in Ab, position 146 (start on 3rd fret, 6th string). Ascend the neck, shifting the key up a 4th on each position change. After playing an A scale at the 16th fret, position 146, turn around and descend. This should take you through 11 positions and 11 keys until you reach Eb, position 25, ready to ascend again. Continue, and you'll start your ascent in a different key each time (they'll shift down by 5ths), just turn around on the position 13 frets higher than your starting point. (The first example started on Ab, 3rd fret, and turned around on A, 16th fret.) I chose to start with Ab 146 because this allows 12 cycles up and down the neck, the last one starting with Db 25, the lowest position without using open strings. (Hello again. I promise, I'll start using them.)
I'll introduce a tricksy variation in Part II.
saMacaster (22 Jan 2009 at 6:38am)
Hey Joe,
been reading your blog for some time now. Always finding it a great source for inspiration, I'm glad the posts have become a bit more frequent of late =D
I'm a tad lost with the way you refer to the positions... I am familiar with the CAGED method, but I simply use their modal names. Sorry to sound dumb n all, but what do you mean by 136 etc. ?
Thanks again for the great site, its one of the few blogs I check out everytime firefox opens up.
-Sam
Joe (24 Jan 2009 at 3:45pm)
Hi Sam,
The numbers in my naming are just the strings on which the root note falls. So 136 means the root is on strings 1, 3, and 6, which is the G position.
Here's how my position names match up with the traditional names:
C - 25
A - 35
G - 136
E - 146
D - 24
Nick (26 Jan 2009 at 6:56am)
Don't you mean:
C - 25
A - 24
G - 146
E - 136
D - 35
? Don't want to sound like an a55. I think it's quite useful, just trying to avoid any confusion.
Cheers
Joe (26 Jan 2009 at 11:37pm)
Nope. It seems you and I number our strings differently. My first string is the highest pitched, closest to the floor. 1-6 is E, B, G, D, A, E.
And you can say "ass" and all other words on my blog.
Mark (6 Jul 2010 at 12:52pm)
Joe could you write it out on tab-I got it all until you got to the mother exercise...
thanks-for the inspiration
Mark
Joe (6 Jul 2010 at 1:15pm)
That's a good idea. In the meantime, here's an alternative explanation, assuming you understand my position terminology: 146, 24, 25, 35, 136.
Start with the Ab major scale in position 146, using frets 3-6. Ascend the scale in that position. When you reach the highest note, Bb, played with your pinky, slide up to Db, 9th fret. Descend from there through the Db major scale in position 136. When you reach the lowest note, Bb with your index finger, slide up to Db and ascend through the Gb major scale in position 35. Then slide up and descend through B major in position 25. Slide up and ascend through E major in position 24. Slide up and descend through A major in position 146.
At this point, you're using frets 16-19 for the A major, the same position you started in, but 13 frets higher, so time to turn around. At the bottom of that A major scale, slide down, ascend through D major, position 25. Slide down, descend through G major, position 136. Slide down, ascend through C major, position 24. Slide down, descend through F major, position 35. Slide down, ascend through Bb major, position 146. Slide down, descend through Eb major, position 25.
You should be back to frets 3-6 for that final Eb major scale. You're now one twelfth of the way through the complete exercise. To continue, turn back around by sliding up and ascending through Ab major, position 24. Continue the pattern by shifting the key up a fourth with every position shift, and turning around every time you're 13 frets higher than the most recent low point. Good luck.
Gerry (23 Dec 2011 at 1:52am)
Hi Joe
Compliments of the season. I am having great difficulty understanding & executing your concepts with respect to your numbering system. Your methodology is not sufficiently foolproof or idiotproof for me to grasp the fundamental aspect of the exercises while negotiating the cycle of 4ths.
Now to my understanding your numbering system corresponds to the traditional fingering system taught & stipulated by jazz guitarlore. Thus 146 correlates with fingering 6-2, 136 with 6-4, 35 with 5-2, 25 with 5-4, and 24 with 4-2. Nota bene that 6-2, 6-4, 5-2, 5-4, and 4-2 are all derived from the caged system.
Firstly, applying the foregoing to the cycle of 4ths is a trick proposition indeed and this is where I need you to clarify a few points because I find your description rather vague & imprecise.
When connecting the same key but at different positions-citing your example of the key of 'C' ascending in 35(5-2)-what do you mean by "when you reach the highest position" and descending through 146(6-2) "when you reach the lowest position". Wouldn't it be easier just extending the fingering & playing through 2 octaves to high 'C' on the 1st string(nearest the floor) & descending in 146(6-2) to low 'C' & then ascending through the leading note'B'(Maj7 or min2nd) again in 146(6-2) or is it just a matter of semantics.
Secondly, you use the phrase"slide up" & "slide down" which I find rather confusing. Again maybe its just semantics but sliding onto a note not on the same string seems odd. Citing your example again, how do you slide from G(136) to C(24) or Gb(35) to B(25) or A(146) to D(25)? Wouldn't it make more sense to simply say "play" or "jump" to the note(specify)/a perfect 4th or 5th up or down in 25, 35, 136 etc. That way any ineluctable confusion is minimized or avoided.
I hope I haven't confused you in the process.
Have a wonderful festive season & all the best in the coming year
Kind regards
Gerry
Joe (10 Jan 2012 at 6:46pm)
Hi Gerry,
Thanks so much for the comment and questions. And sorry I've taken so long to respond. I was celebrating the season, then got caught up in catching up. Anyway, I received a nice webcam as a Christmas gift, and my first online video lesson is more or less a response to your very concerns. I divided the whole exercise into four parts now, instead of two, and I just uploaded the first one today. This one probably won't answer your questions yet, as I won't deal with the cycle until part 3, but I thought just demonstrating it in a video would be far more effective than trying to type out what I mean.
Let me know what you think: The Mother of All Major Scale Exercises – Part 1 of 4
Thanks,
Joe