This week we’re putting our technique under the musical microscope and breaking down a scale into fragments that we can work on in isolation. As we play through the scale we’re going to analyse our technique and pay very close attention to every movement of both hands.
This method is also great for ironing out technical problems in tough lines and for troubleshooting mistakes.
Picking Scales Apart
When people practice scales, they tend to just play them up and down without stopping to think of all the techniques they could be improving at the same time. There are loads of ways to practice scales and you shouldn’t settle with the first way you come across as there could be loads you are missing out on.
Today, we are going to work through the C major scale one note at a time and really pick our playing apart. Concentrate on one technique at a time – alternate picking for example, and take the scale as slow as you need to make that process flawless. Once it sounds good at a slow speed then take the tempo up slowly and try again. Keep doing this until you are confident that your technique is the same when playing fast as is it when playing slow.
Here are some other things to work on:
Technique Tips
1. Work through the scale one note at a time in fragments
2. Use alternating picking throughout
3. Curl the fingers
4. Pivot the hand round to line the pinky up to the index finger
5. Relax both hands
6. Move the picking hand thumb from string to string as you move across the neck
7. Start with the first finger of the picking hand
8. Once mastered, start with the second finger of the picking hand
I joined a while ago but never downloaded the scale guide. When I try to now, it tells me I already joined. Is there a way to download the guide if you joined previously?
Send me an email and I’ll sort a new download for you.
Hi Mark ,
I keep my thumb on the pickup all the time. Sort of my anchor. Is this a bad habit to get into. What are the benifits of moving your thumb down or up as you play?
There are two main benefits. One is that you can mute the lower strings as you move. If you keep your thumb on the pickup and play the G or D strings you are likely to have sympathetic string vibrations on the E and A strings that muddy your sound and make for a terrible mess when you play through loud amps in bigger venues. Moving the thumb onto the E string automatically mutes the E string and allows you to play up to the D string because your fingers will then stop on the A string, muting it. Moving the thumb onto the A string mutes the E and A string if you hold the thumb back a little and allows you to play the G string while all the other strings are muted.
The other upside to moving is it helps with building speed. Having an open hand like you get when the thumb is on the pickup can be less comfortable when building speed on the D and G strings. This is obviously subject to taste and less important than the muting.
Mark,
Thank you for getting back to me. Everything you said makes sense. I’m so acustom to playing that way, that it will take a bit of practice to change.
but the results sound worth it.
Thanks again, and I love the site and the lessons.
Comment…pls mark I do not know how use the lesson progression signs what do I do?
nice
Hi!
I always put my thumb on the pick when I play E string, but I put it on the E string when I play A, D and G, as i learnt from classical guitar… Is there a problem with that??
Hi Mark
Thank you this is helpful. I’m still struggling to keep my fingers close to the fretboard.
Do i have to position my thumb up and down the string/pickup if I am playing continuous alternating root-octave or root-fifth ?
I need to break my bad habit of anchoring my plucking hand thumb on the top of a pick up (when playing the E string) or on the E string (when playing A, D, G string(S) rather than moving my anchor appropriately. Other than focusing, do you have any suggested exercises to aid me? Thanks.