6-String Guitar Scale Patterns, Part 2
PRACTICE THE PATTERNS- This one is skippable given that the content is explored on pentatonic scales.
Hi. This is Hub Guitar.
We're going to look at a method of playing through your scale patterns by using intervals. This exercise is an excellent way to get your scales under your fingers.
Many learners run into at least one version of this exercise, which is to play through the scale by intervals of a third. That's the first one we'll do. A lot of people have run into that exercise with the thirds but we also going to try with other intervals.
Let's start by playing it in fourths. It's going to be a mixture of a perfect fourth and augmented fourth.
Practicing these patterns will give you a lot of flexibility in your playing. If you practice all of your scales this way, that means you will have consistently practiced making every single leap from every note to every other note in the scale, both up and down and in all positions. That's a big deal. So practice these patterns and use them to get in control of the guitar neck.
In addition to manipulating diatonic sequences rhythmically, they can be manipulated by interval to produce many different 6-string guitar scale patterns.
Explore these pathways using each diatonic interval as the guide. These intervals can be played in a scalar position OR up and down a pair of strings.
Remember: these patterns can be played on any scale, in any position, and any mode. They have almost unlimited combinations and possibilities.
Let’s start by playing the scale as a warm-up.
Intervallic Diatonic Sequence
Movement in thirds.
This is a very common melodic idea, especially in Latin music. It can be heard in almost all genres.
Movement in fourths.
This happens a lot in funk, fusion and jazz, styles which sometimes emphasize the sound of the fourth.
Movement in fifths.
Relatively infrequent in melodies.
Movement in sixths.
A very common melodic idea in all styles, but especially in World music and American Country/Bluegrass music.
Movement in sevenths.
A novel and interesting form of melodic motion.
Key Tasks
- You must use a metronome with this exercise.
- Push your limit with the metronome to build your dexterity.
- Memorize all of the sequences.
- Apply the sequences creatively.
- The sequences can be applied to all major scale patterns.
As the creator of Hub Guitar, Grey has compiled hundreds of guitar lessons, written several books, and filmed hundreds of video lessons. He teaches private lessons in his Boston studio, as well as via video chat through TakeLessons.