Learn some arpeggio patterns with this exercise

Describing this exercise is straightforward.  It’s in the key of D-Major and simply starts with a D-Major arpeggios, then works it’s way up the scale:  E-minor arpeggio, F#-minor arpeggio, G-Major arpeggio, and so on.

The rhythm may look weird – 9/8 time.  But, just think of this as a triplet sound in 3/4 time.  Many blues songs are in 12/8, which is basically a 4/4 time with a triplet feel to it.  9/8 is the same thing, but in 3/4 time.  Simple, right?

Each triplet in the arpeggio is one beat.  The same as an eighth note.  So, the rhythm for each arpeggio is:  1-2-3 1-2-3 1 – -, 1-2-3 1-2-3 1 – -, and so on.

You’ll notice the tonal qualities of each arpeggio in the scale.  This is universal for all major scales:  major, minor, minor, major, major, minor, diminished, repeat.

This one sounds great up to speed too!

Try these weird sounding multi-octave licks

Here’s a different kind of exercise that focuses on octaves.  An octave is simply a repeat of the same note higher or lower.  For example, an “A” played at the 14th fret of the G-String is two octaves higher than the A played on the 5th fret of the low E-String.

These exercises below were inspired by the Hungarian Rhapsodies by legendary classical pianist and composer, Franz Liszt.  Liszt employed the same technique in one hand on the piano – why not try the same idea on the guitar?

Liszt’s technique was to play a note followed by a repeat of that note one octave higher.  He then would repeat the same note at the higher octave, but using a different finger to position his hand for another note one octave higher.  The following exercise on the guitar does the same thing:

In this example above, two different fingerings are shown.  The first measure, the preferred, repeats the note on the D-string 5th fret with position and finger switches.  The second measure achieves the same thing with the open string.  The first fingering is preferred because we can move this technique anywhere on the neck!

For example, try this a-minor scale exercise with the same technique:

This is a tough lick to play quickly, but speed is not so important here.  Just strive for playing it smoothly.  Try not to get too mixed up by all the notes all over the neck.  Concentrate on the low note and then the shape of the pattern.  Simply repeat that pattern up the scale.  Try to take the same pattern and apply it to a major scale.

For a really crazy challenge, try getting this G-note four-octave exercise up to a quick speed.  It’s a little tricky, especially when repeating – there are three low G-notes which repeat.  Played fast, it’s a neat-sounding lick:

Become familiar triads in G Major

Here’s an exercise of triad arpeggios built on the scale tones of G-Major.  In other words, for each not in the scale of G-Major (G, A, B, C, D, E, F#), we build a triad arpeggio.  The idea is to help reinforce the ability to visualize the G-Major scale.  You also will learn to recognize which arpeggios are major, minor, and diminished.  Well, I’ll tell you now, but when you play it, you’ll see it for yourself.  The major triads are the 1st, 4th, and 5th degrees (notes).  The minor triads are the 2nd, 3rd, and 6th degrees.  The oddball diminished triad is located at the 7th degree.

G-Major is a good place to familiarize yourself with these triads.  Of course, once you know the pattern, it can be applied anywhere on the neck.

Just for analysis sake, I threw in a second exercise (the second set above) where the F-sharp is made natural.  This is like playing in the key of C-Major.  Notice how the triads change:

• The third triad, a B-minor triad (B-D-F#) now becomes a diminished triad because we drop the F-sharp down to an F-natural.
• The fifth triad, a D-major triad (D-F#-A) now becomes a minor triad because we drop the F-sharp down to an F-natural.
• The seventh triad, a F# diminished triad (F#-A-C), now becomes major because we drop the F-sharp down to an F-natural.

Pretty interesting, huh?

Become familiar with the shape of major scales

Introduction

Here are a collection of G Major exercises that are designed to help you better visualize the major scale.  I chose G Major because G Major/E minor is probably the most common key on the guitar.  Why do I say this?  Well, mainly because the open strings are a mix of G Major and E minor chords (E minor is the relative minor of G Major).  When the root chords of any key are formed in the open strings, that means you can:

1. Take advantage of open strings when playing chords and scales.
2. There are plenty of natural harmonics within the key available.

So, here are several exercises with explanations of each and suggestions at what to pay attention to.

Exercises

The first one is a very simple one octave scale played on the high E-string.  This isn’t the most efficient way to play a scale, but it provides important visual cues:  It clearly lets you see the scale pattern.  In this case you can easily see the whole-step/half-step relationship.  Remember that a major scale consists of the following steps in succession:  whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half.

Playing a scale on one string also helps you become better at smoothly shifting your hands from position to position.  Strive to play the scale as cleanly as possible, so it sounds like you’re playing it on multiple strings in one position.

Get that whole-step/half-step pattern dialed into your head!

Next, here’s a three-octave G-major scale showing one fingering for the ascent and another fingering for the descent.  Also, try playing both fingerings ascending and descending.  Your practice on the exercise above will help make this easier  Also, notice that the rhythm in the three-octave exercise is triplets.  Try accenting the beginning of each triplet to help you with the rhythm.

Next, try the following exercise which features sequenced G major sextuplets.  This particular exercises can be a pain for many guitarists.  Why?  Well, most guitarists are pretty lazy!  Notice the arrows in the exercise below?  This is where guitarists tend to take a shortcut.  Because the C-natural and the F-sharp form the tritone (the Devil’s interval, they say), the fingering becomes a little awkward when playing the three sextuplets that are affected.  Most guitarists will either substitute a C-sharp for the C-natural, which hints at the key of D Major, or an F-natural for the F-sharp, which hints at C Major – but don’t you do it!

The tritone, by the way, is considered to be the most unstable interval in Western music.  Just play them together and you’ll hear.  This interval is what gives diminished triads and arpeggios their quality, which has been exploited endlessly by metal guitarists!  Just play the low E-string, 8th fret (the C-natural) with the A-string, 9th fret (the F-sharp).  That sound is the tritone interval.

The first instance of this interval is shown by the arrows below:

To further help reinforce the shapes, here are two more self-explanatory G-major scale exercises all on the high E-string.  The first one uses the pedal point technique, common in the Baroque era and made popular by Yngwie.  Pay attention to the slight change in the last four sixteenth notes.

This last exercises is very similar to the pedal point exercise.  It includes both ascending and descending versions.  Pay attention to the similarity to the very first E-string only exercise.