Guitar QuickStart Guide- Eddie Slasher

7/26/2019 Guitar QuickStart Guide- Eddie Slasher

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Guitar:

QuickStart Guide to Master Guitar Scales - Fro

Beginner to Expert


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roduction

apter 1: Beginners FAQ

What the hell is a scale anyway?

Okay, cool. So why would I want to learn scales?

You got me interested! What scale do I learn first?

Understood. What note do I start on?

Can I move the scales around?

How do I do that? And whats a root note?

Where are the common root notes on the neck?

Whats a position?

Whats this CAGED system I keep hearing about?

What about the Harmonic and Melodic Minor Scales?

apter 2: Essential Warm-Up Exercises

Stretching

Massaging

Simple exercises

Trills

3NPS (Notes Per String) Patterns

4 NPS Patterns

apter 3: The Scales & How to Practice Them

Major Scale

Minor Scale

Minor Pentatonic Scale

Major Pentatonic ScaleScale Picking

Five Stage Practice Routine

The Minimum Movement Exercise

Melodic Patterns

apter 4: Transcribing

What is Transcribing?


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Why is transcribing important?

The Process of Transcribing

apter 5: Practicing When You Cant Practice

Finger Exercises

Practice Planning

apter 6: Things to Remember

Keeping Scales Fun

The Golden Rules of Practicing Technique

nclusion


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ntroductionwant to thank you and congratulate you on choosing this book, Guitar: Quick-Start Guide to M

itar Scales - From Beginner to Expert!

ales are great fun when you know how to make music with them!

I decided to put together a book for those who struggle to learn scales. It will help you d

hat scales you should learn, where you should use them, how to make your own music with

d how to make the best of your practice routine.ope this book answers some of the important questions you might have about the very fundam

scales, and helps you become a better and well-rounded player. Scales are useful tools for cre

usic, and any serious musician needs to learn them. I hope this book makes it easier for you.


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hapter 1: Beginners FAQhen I first picked up a guitar and started learning, I had no idea what a scale even was for mon

uld hear people talk about scales sometimes and would draw a complete blank. I only

mple chords and rhythms because my instructor had never bothered to introduce me to scales.

hen I asked my instructor about scales, he taught me one scale, and that too in just a few positi

s pretty happy with myself for knowing the C major scale. But when another guy asked m

uld play the A minor scale, I felt like one of Apollos holy cows slow and red. The A m

ale is in fact the exact same scale as the C major scale, just with a different tonic. More oer.

anyway, I became convinced that scales were some sort of uber complex techniques that I w

ver be able to learn and it would just make me hate music. It was only later when I did my

earch on the Internet that I found out what the purpose of scales was. I actually had a decen

fore learning scales, so I could figure out melodies just by hearing them, but I didnt know s

uld take my skill to a completely new level. I kicked myself for ignoring them until then.

ont want you to go through the ordeal like I did, so in this chapter, I will explain the bas

ales and how they are used. If some of the answers seem too simple for you, feel free to skip a

a succeeding topic.

re are some frequently asked questions answered.


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What the hell is a scale anyway?will keep it super simple a scale is nothing but a group of notes that sound good together.

peating pattern of notes that can be played ascending, descending, or otherwise to create me

ords are built from scales, and harmony is also created from scales. Scales are the building b

pretty much everything in western music. A scale can have any number of notes, and the inte

ween two consecutive notes vary from scale to scale. You could even make up your own scal

ly when youve got your basics down solid. Creating scales is advanced stuff.


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kay, cool. So why would I want to learn scales?h, where do I even start, my friend? Scales are the building blocks ofsomany things in musi

u just cant do without them! If youre serious about being a musician, scales are something yo

ve to learn. They help you get a better sense of melody, improve your ear, help you dev

xterity and strength in your fingers, and help you understand the playing of other players. The

solutely critical if you want to improvise and create your own solos.


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ou got me interested! What scale do I learn first?e easiest and most common scale that people begin with is the Minor Pentatonic scale. Altho

yself started with the Major scale, I would recommend you start with the minor pentatonic. It

ost used scale in rock and blues, and for good reason. Even though it has only 5 notes, it can be

virtually infinite different ways to create catchy riffs and melodies. Once youve learned tha

operly, you should proceed to the Major scale. It wont take you long because your fingers

eady have some level of dexterity by that point. Learn the scales in all different position

derstand how to connect those positions with one another.


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nderstood. What note do I start on?e root note denotes the key in which you are playing. You should always start and end wit

west possible root note. Those are found on the thicker strings, the low E and A strings if you

ndard tuning. When you do it often, the harmonic content of the scale youre learning gets into

ad quicker, and you find it easier to hear the right tonality of the scale. When you have mastere

ales, you should learn about the various modes of the scales you like, and learn to play them to


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an I move the scales around?s, as long as a scale doesnt use any open strings, you can move it around anywhere on the

is is to say that if you play a scale on the 5thfret of the low E string, you can just as easily pla

me scale starting on the 8thfret. The relative position of the notes will remain the same, only th

ll change. Chords work on a similar concept. As long as your chords dont have any open st

y can be moved around. Just know your root notes well so you know the key you are playing i


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ow do I do that? And whats a root note?e root note defines the tonality of a scale. Take the Minor Pentatonic scale, for example. W

ure playing the first pattern, your first finger frets the root note on the 6 thstring. So the A M

ntatonic will have its root on the 5thfret of the 6thstring, the lower A note. Similarly, if you w

play the C Minor Pentatonic scale, you will play it starting on the 8thfret of the 6thstring, an

ll be your root note. That is how you move the scales around. Just move the root note aroun

y it with the same finger you always do, and the notes you play relative to it in the same p

ll make up the scale.

e root note doesnt always lie on the 6thstring, but you should try to begin and end your patte

lowest root note possible as often as possible. It helps you know your root notes well even o

string.

you want to learn more about keys and how they work, you should take some music theory le

comes in handy when trying to learn new concepts on the guitar.


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Where are the common root notes on the neck?ats a loaded question, but I wont overwhelm you with too much information. You can easily

retboard diagram on the Internet showing you all the notes on the neck. Ill only tell you the n

tes on the 6thstring, the low E. It will help you memorize your scales faster.

Note Fret1

3

5

7

8

10

12


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Whats a position?ell, I cannot really answer this question for you, because there are two ways in which the

osition is used in the guitarist community. Its very confusing honestly, and it becomes even

nfusing when people use boththe definitions! I have been guilty of doing that at one point.

u see, some people consider position to mean your physical position on the neck. So if y

ying around the 8th fret, it means youre in the 8th position. Other people use the term to

ferent ways of playing the same scale. This obviously means that G Major 1st position an

ajor 1stposition are going to be in very different regions on the neck.

rsonally, Ive started using the term to mean the former. So when I say 7thposition, it means ar

7thfret. And when I say pattern, it means a certain way of playing the scale.


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Whats this CAGED system I keep hearing about?ale patterns, also referred to as shapes and positions, are different ways of playing a scale

eady mentioned. You can almost always play a scale in more than one way, and the same goe

hord or a lick or whatever. This is because of the way a guitars fretboard is structured.

u can find diagrams of all the notes on the neck anywhere on the Internet, and you can also

nk neck diagrams. Now what I want you to do is take any neck diagram and print it. Then

d mark the notes of the A Minor Pentatonic scale A, C, D, E, and G on the neck dia

mply write the notes down if youre using a blank diagram, or encircle them with a red marure using a filled diagram. Once youre done, you will see that the same group of notes

pear on the neck in 5 patterns and will repeat after every 12 frets. So the pattern starting on th

t will be the exact same as the pattern starting on the 17thfret. This will clear up a lot of things

this exercise again in a different key, say D Minor. When you mark down the notes in the D M

ntatonic scale (D, F, G, A, C), you will notice that the patterns formed are exactly the same as

med with the A Minor Pentatonic scale, just on different frets. This will help you get a better

the concept of root notes and how moving around the scale patterns works.

e CAGED system is based on the concept of five basic shapes that show the relationships be

tes on the neck. These five shapes are: C shape, A shape, G shape, E shape, D shape. Every

chord you play fits into one of these shapes, and these shapes can be moved around to fi

ferent keys. If youre an absolute beginner, dont bother learning it just yet. It will only co

u. If you can play the Minor Pentatonic and Major scales in the first pattern, you can start le

member to break out of it once youre an advanced player, however. CAGED is goo

ginners, but its a cage pun intended for skilled guitarists. It will box in your thinkin

ativity if you stick to it for too long. Think of it as a stepping-stone, and jump to something

hen its time.


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What about the Harmonic and Melodic Minor Scales?ese are mostly used in the classical and neoclassical rock scenarios. Theyre also used in ja

nt bother with these just yet. When youre an intermediate player, then you can start learning

member, its best to learn things when you actually need to.


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hapter 2: Essential Warm-Up Exercisesarm is one of the most important, yet one of the most overlooked aspects of guitar playing. It

derrated, and most players dont pay any attention to it, but thats what separates the

pressive players from the lot. All the great players know how important warm up really is, and

ver skip it.

e often talk about the songs we want to learn when we pick up the guitar. We learn new melo

d theory, talk about guitar tone and gear, and even different styles of playing, but nobody disc

rm-up. Most of us think that just picking up the guitar and noodling around for a bit is a rm-up in itself, and while it may be okay to do so sometimes, it certainly isnt the most effici

en an advisable way of warming up.

youre serious about playing guitar, make sure you dedicate some portion of your practice tim

rm-up. It becomes even more important when we have very limited practice time. Warmin

esnt just help you play better in lesser time; it also prevents injuries and disorders like Arthri

this chapter, Im going to tell you about several warm-up techniques and methodologies. Yo

k your favorite ones from each section, and use a combination of them whenever you

acticing. It will help you figure out what works best for you, and will also help you become

mble and dexterous on the guitar.


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tretchingsome simple stretches with your hands and your fingers before you even touch your gui

ouldnt be anything intense, just something that gets your joints and muscles limber up a little.

ch of your hands backwards at the wrists, and keep them stretched back for a few seconds b

axing them. Thread your fingers together and lightly stretch them too by bending them backw

ld it for a few seconds and then relax.


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Massagingnce youre done stretching, lightly massage the joints in your hands and your wrist. Hold

gers and your thumb of one hand between the index finger and the thumb of the other hand

ply pressure to each part in a circular motion. It will really get the blood flowing in your hand

ll make them more flexible, thus preventing any injuries.


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mple exercisesst of all, welcome to the world of warm up exercises. There are really simple as well as

per complicated exercises you can find on the Internet. All of them are meant to make your fi

ore nimble, and some help you develop a certain skill, like sweep picking or legato. They are

eat way to improve the coordination between both your hands, which is one of the most impo

ngs for any player of any level.

ts start with the classic chromatic pattern that every beginner practices at some point of time

lly simple to learn and simultaneously helps improve many skills at once. The pattern is sow.

e a metronome to do this exercise, and gradually increase your speed with each repetition.

--------------------------------------------------1-2-3-4-----------------------

------------------------------------------1-2-3-4-------------------------------

----------------------------------1-2-3-4---------------------------------------

--------------------------1-2-3-4-----------------------------------------------

------------------1-2-3-4-------------------------------------------------------

----------1-2-3-4---------------------------------------------------------------

ternatively, you can start this exercise on the first string too, and then work your way up to the

ing. Either way, once you finish one round, shift one fret forward and then restart the whole pa

ake sure youre using alternate picking throughout the pattern. Repeat this until you reach the e

fretboard and then work your way backwards towards the 1stposition. Repeat the whole cy

oderate speed a few times and you will feel the coordination between both your hands improvi

you want to do something slightly different, try doing the same exercise with legato. Or try do

reverse. Play 4-3-2-1 instead, and see if you can play it with the same level of comfort. Try td match the two. When going up the neck, use 1-2-3-4, and when coming back down, use 4-

do the exact reverse of it. Just try and keep things interesting.

is is such an amazing exercise that even the greatest players do it when warming up. It is

anced and warms up each finger uniformly. The only downside to this exercise is that it is

chanical and unmusical. So unless you like to execute a lot of chromatic licks in your soloing

nt be developing much muscle memory when doing this.


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rillslls are a great way to warm up and build strength in your left hand. If you dont know what

dont worry. Its nothing complicated, just a sequence of hammer-ons and pull-offs executed r

ickly. Think Randy Rhoads solo from Crazy Train. Lets practice some trills.

e your index and middle fingers to execute this one, holding the 1st fret with the index finge

mmering on with the middle finger.

--------1h2p1h2p1h2p1--------

this for about 30 seconds and then hold the 2nd fret with your middle finger. Start hammeri

d pulling off with your ring finger.

--------2h3p2h3p2h3p2-------

this for 30 seconds, and finally, move to the last pattern. Hold the 3rdfret with your ring finge

ll of with your pinky. This is the hardest out of all three because the pinky is the weakest finge

--------3h4p3h4p3h4p3-------

is is a simple warm-up exercise, but it works wonders for your fingers. It wakes them up qud strengthens them. You can change the duration of the exercise if you think 30 seconds is too

too long. Just dont overdo this exercise because you could end up hurting yourself.

u can also do this exercise with a whole tone gap instead of a half tone gap, and use diff

gers.

--------1h3p1h3p1h3p1--------

--------2h4p2h4p2h4p2-------

you want to make this exercise musical, progress down a scale on one string using only trill make you use different finger pairings and help you learn to switch finger pairings quickly.


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NPS (Notes Per String) Patternsyoure a little experienced with scaling patterns and want to try something a bit challenging

ould do these 3 NPS patterns. These will not only help you break out of linear boxed pattern

ll also help you review your scales and connect the dots between how different scale posi

k into each other.

res an example of the E Minor scale.

------------------------------------------------7-8-10----------------------------

-----------------------------------------7-8-10-----------------------------------

-----------------------------------4-5-7------------------------------------------

-----------------------------4-5-7------------------------------------------------

-----------------------2-3-5------------------------------------------------------

-----------------2-3-5------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------8-10-12--------------------------

----------------------------------------8-10-12---------------------------------------------------------------------5-7-9--------------------------------------------

----------------------------5-7-9--------------------------------------------------

----------------------3-5-7--------------------------------------------------------

----------------3-5-7--------------------------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------------10-12-14----------------------

-------------------------------------------10-12-13-------------------------------

-------------------------------------7-9-11----------------------------------------

-----------------------------7-9-10-----------------------------------------------------------------------5-7-9------------------------------------------------------

------------------5-7-8------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------14-15-17--------------

----------------------------------------------------13-15-17-----------------------

-------------------------------------------11-12-14--------------------------------

---------------------------------10-12-14-----------------------------------------

--------------------------9-10-12--------------------------------------------------

-----------------8-10-12----------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------17-19-20------------

-----------------------------------------------------17-19-20---------------------

--------------------------------------------14-16-17------------------------------

-----------------------------------14-16-17---------------------------------------

--------------------------12-14-15------------------------------------------------

-----------------12-14-15---------------------------------------------------------

ep repeating the patterns until you run out of frets.


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NPS Patternsyou watch a lot of videos of famous players on YouTube, you must have seen some of them

PS patterns at some point of time, and as a beginner, it mustve blown your mind. I know

ne.

eyre really challenging and can be really good for stretching your fingers and breaking out

x. Theres a repetitive note after every few notes, so it can make you feel a bit dissatisfied, bu

, its really good for warm-up. Try this pattern shown below.

------------------------------------------------------------8-10-12-13-------------

-------------------------------------------------8-10-12-13------------------------

------------------------------------------4-5-7-9-----------------------------------

----------------------------------4-5-7-9-------------------------------------------

--------------------------2-3-5-7---------------------------------------------------

------------------2-3-5-7-----------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------10-12-14-15------

------------------------------------------------------10-12-13-15------------------

---------------------------------------------7-9-11-12------------------------------

----------------------------------7-9-10-12----------------------------------------

--------------------------5-7-9-10--------------------------------------------------

-----------------5-7-8-10-----------------------------------------------------------

ont recommend this for beginners. Only when youre familiar with some basic scales and 3

terns should you try these 4 NPS patterns.

ats it. Those are some of my favorite warm-up exercises on the guitar, and I hope they helpch your full potential. Remember to warm up for at least 10 minutes every time you sit dow

actice.


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hapter 3: The Scales & How to Practice Themthis chapter, we will look at the absolute basics of some scales, and then we will discuss

eat ways to improve your practice routines.


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Major Scalee Major scale is a seven-note scale, and its the most valuable scale in all of western harm

erything comes from the Major scale, and all things in western music are described relative

ajor scale. All harmony and naming conventions also come from the Major scale.

you want to know what it sounds like, find a piano. Then find the white key adjacent to a group

ck keys. Start with that key, and then go forward playing all white keys. What you will h

led the C Major scale, consisting of all the natural notes (white keys) C, D, E, F, G, A, and B

ale Formula

st of all, you should know what a whole step and a half step means. When two notes are a w

p apart, it means that there is another note between them that has been skipped. In the case o

p, the two notes are right next to each other. Whole step and half step are also called tone

mitone respectively. Scale formulas are described with the help of these intervals betwee

tes of the scale.

res the formula for the Major scale, which you need to memorize first.

T 2 T 3 S 4 T 56 T 7

8

e 8th note is nothing but the first note itself, just one octave apart, which means that its

quency double that of the first note. The scale starts repeating at the 8 thnote.


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Minor Scalee Minor scale is another name for the Aeolian mode, one of the modes of the Major scale. W

ng into too much theory, Ill just tell you that modes are different ways of playing the

angement of notes so that they convey a different mood or emotion. The Major scale has 7 m

d the Minor scale is one of them. All the Minor scales have a relative major, a Major scale

hich they originate.

e Minor scale is used a lot in mainstream western music, especially in sad songs. You can

ar fair bits of it in Rock and Metal songs, even though they have a lot of bluesy and Phrygian so. The flat 6this an especially tasty note in this scale. If youve ever heard Carlos Santana play

ow what Im talking about.

ale Formula

T 2 S 3 T 4 T 5

6 T 7

8


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Minor Pentatonic Scaleis is the scale for anyone who wants to go into Blues and Rock music, because its

ensively in both those styles of music. Its also a scale that most beginners learn first, and for

son. Its incredibly easy to learn because of its 2 NPS structure, and very useful in most po

les of music.

nother cool thing about the Minor Pentatonic scale is that it only consists of 5 notes, as the

ggests (Penta = 5).

ale Formula

T S 2 T 3 T 4 TS 5

1


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Major Pentatonic Scales the exact same scale as the Minor Pentatonic, just with a different tonal center. You could say

se two are kind of like the modes of each other. Its similar to the relative major-minor concep

d about in the previous scales. This is also a five-note scale that opens up a lot of possibilitie

u as a blues player. If you want to be a country player, this is one scale you definitely cant mis

ale Formula

T 2 T 3 TS 4 T 5

1


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cale Picking matter whether youre a beginner or an intermediate player, you would like to increase your

scales. The standard way of doing it is to practice them with a metronome and hone your tech

gradually increasing the speed. So in this section, were going to learn to do things the sta

y. If youre a beginner, start super slow and dont aim to build speed at this point. Practice

eed that is comfortable to you, where you can actually hear and sustain each note. Just get us

sound of the scale and playing along with a metronome.

ts pick a scale and get practicing. I recommend starting with the first pattern of the Major sckey of G. Dont be confused. You just have to put your second finger on the 3 rd fret of th

ing, which is your root note, and start picking from there. Heres the whole pattern.

----------------------------------------------2-3-5-------------------------------

------------------------------------------3-5--------------------------------------

------------------------------------2-4-5-----------------------------------------

------------------------------2-4-5-----------------------------------------------

------------------------2-3-5-----------------------------------------------------

--------------------3-5------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------3-2---------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------5-3-----------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------5-4-2-----------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------5-4-2-----------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------5-3-2----------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------5-3-2----------------------------------

is is the basic sequence of notes that you will be playing along with the metronome.

e Lesson

1) Start with 60 bpm (beats per minute) on the metronome first if youre a beginner. D

rush it; you wont be doing yourself any good. Just relax and feel the pulse of the metron

Tap your foot along to it as it helps develop your internal clock.

2) Once youve internalized the beat, start playing the scale. Play onenote with each cl

the metronome, and aim to get your notes as synchronized to the metronome as possible

the very tips of your fingers to fret the notes, and make sure none of them sound mufflmuted.

3) If you can run through the whole scale 4 times in a row with perfect accuracy, its tim

increase the speed. Increase it by 10 bpm, and keep doing it until you reach about 160 bpm

4) If you cant reach 160 bpm, keep grinding at your max speed for a while. Then take a

rest and start again, increasing the speed with minimal increments (2 bpm) and keep pu

your upper limit.

5) When you can comfortably play at 160 bpm, stop and then start again at 80 bpm, this

playing two notes with every click. This is just like playing one note per click at 160

The only difference is that now youll be doing extra picking between clicks.


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6) When you reach 160 bpm again, its time to switch to the next gear again. Revert ba

80 bpm and start playing 4 notes with every click. It will improve your alternate picking

7) Try to get as fast as you can in this stage. 140 bpm is a good target and you dont r

need to go any faster than that unless you want to play a lot of fast Metal.

8) Take pauses to monitor your technique and hand positions. Its easy to get lost and no

attention to these finer details, but these are what make the player exceptional. Take a co

of private lessons if you have to, so that your tutor can show you the perfect hand positio

whether youre doing okay.

9) Also notice how much your pick moves when you play. You dont want it to move than just a few millimeters from the string. If you observe that the pick is moving too m

slow down and make some changes.

10) Another thing to remember is to keep your pick slanted at an angle of 15-30 de

so it can easily go through the strings without getting caught. Its all part of good techniqu

took me some time to understand.

nal Words

curacy and clarity are the two most important things to remember here. If you dont pay attent

se and just keep running after speed, you will sound crappy. Remember to take it slow and

operly. Playing fast is exciting, I know, but to do exciting things, you have to first do a lot of b

ngs.


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ive Stage Practice Routinehen youre learning scales, the very first thing you need to do is to memorize the scale. And

nt mean just the physical aspect of it either. I mean you have to really memorize every bit o

sound of it, the feel of it, what kind of mood it creates. You have to give your ear the opport

learn and get better. Only when youve learned one scale well should you move on to an

ale.

res a great routine for you to follow. It will help you break out of scalular playing and not s

e youre just playing scales.

age 1: Up and down

this stage, your only goal is to be able to cycle the scale. You should be able to pl

ntinuously up and down the neck with the click of the metronome. Another goal here is to kee

lume or weight of all your notes consistent throughout.

age 2: Random directions

nce youre good at cycling the scale up and down, its time to start switching directions at ra

hile playing the scale. Start at a slower speed this time and make sure you stay with the beat. p any notes and dont pause when changing directions. Just go up and down the neck rand

anging directions in between.

age 3: Random notes

w that you have a fair idea of how a scale is structured and spread over the neck, its time to

plore it. Start playing random notes from the scale but be very careful that you only play notes

scale. This exercise is the real test of your knowledge of the scale. Dont make any mis

cause theres no point to this exercise if you do it wrong.

age 4. Playing in thirds

you didnt already know this, chords are built up in intervals of a third. What this means for

oing is that when you play notes that are a 3rdapart, it will sound more melodic than just ra

alar licks. Melodies often use chord tones so after you practice going in thirds for a bit,

provisation should improve too. Playing in thirds means playing one note and then skipping th

te in the scale to play the third one after it. This exercise will really help improve your sen

lody, so give it good time.

ke any scale and go like this.

3-2-4-3-5-4-6-5-7-6-8-7-9 and so on.

age 5. Four in A Line

e 4 in a line is another really good pattern that helps you be more melodic. In this pattern, you

the first note in a scale and then play the next 3 notes, then go back to the second and play the

notes, and so on. Execute this pattern up and down the neck and see your soloing improve huge

ves you a way out of a scale because you play some notes in a row and then skip some.


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he Minimum Movement Exerciseis is a simple yet not-so-simple exercise that requires a lot of concentration and time.

hnique requires you to perform things with minimum movement. You become more efficien

ter when you do something with minimum movement. And trust me, this exercise will help

ying hugely even if you think otherwise.

1) Start playing any Major scale first pattern, but do so very slowly. And I do mean

slowly. Play only one note every few seconds.

2) Observe your left hand and make sure your fingers dont move more than a few millimaway from the fretboard. Theres no point to this exercise otherwise.

3) In the beginning its going to be really hard, but stick to it and make your movemen

small as possible.

4) Do this for 10 minutes every day and then feel the difference.


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Melodic Patternsve you heard the proverb You are what you eat? Im sure you must have. It is extremely tr

r context, because if you spend all your time playing scales up and down the neck, guess what

oing is going to sound like on the stage? Yep, like you practicing the scales. This is why you

study some melodic patterns and sequences to break out of the scalular playing. These sequ

p you free up your mind and think in new ways. They also present fingering challenges tha

ve to overcome, which increases your technical skills.

nt be a robot. Practice melodic sequences often.

oups of four

ea 1:1-2-3-4, 2-3-4-5, 3-4-5-6, 4-5-6-7, and so on.

ea 2:4-3-2-1, 5-4-3-2, 6-5-4-3, and so on.

ea 3:1-2-4-3, 2-3-5-4, 3-4-6-5, and so on.

oups of three

ea 1:1-2-3, 2-3-4, 3-4-5, 4-5-6, and so on.ea 2:3-2-1, 4-3-2, 5-4-3, and so on.

ea 3:3-1-2, 4-2-3, 5-3-4, and so on.

tervallic

ea 1:1-4, 2-5, 3-6, 4-7, and so on. Try the reverse, too.

ea 2:1-3-4-2, 3-5-6-4, 5-7-8-6, and so on.

ea 3:1-5, 2-6, 3-7, 4-8, and so on. Try the reverse too.


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hapter 4: Transcribing

What is Transcribing?anscribing refers to working out melodies by your ear. Weve all used TAB at some point of

d thats okay as a complete beginner, but once you start to develop some technique, its impo

t you spend some time training your ear too. Transcribing helps you do that. Music is all

ening really, so it makes sense to use the best means at your disposal to learn it, doesnt it?

anscribing actually means to write things down, but in the context of guitar, it is used to reiting down musical notations or TABs by ear. The main point of transcribing is to help

velop your ear. What you write is helpful for when you might forget it. This is one of the

portant skills for any musician, but most of us often overlook it.

lieve me, learning to transcribe will connect you to the music inside you and help you ex

urself on your guitar much more freely. It will simply transform your playing.


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Why is transcribing important?you look at any great player, say Jimi Hendrix, can you imagine him browsing websites for ta

ngs other guitarists had written? No, right? Ask any great player and they will tell you how

rned to play. They just listened to a lot of music and tried to emulate it. In the process of fig

t and emulating that music, they mastered the most important thing in developing their musica

ir ear.

s, learning scales and chords and theory is important, but theres only so much you can do wit

ure not connected with the music inside you. Transcribing helps you put what youre thinkinper. If youre someone who wants to write their own music, transcribing is something you s

stlearn! Most great players use transcribing a lot and that is what separates them from the rest

e best thing about transcribing is that it helps you understand the little nuances of playing b

u can hear everything about a note, not just what it is. Reading tabs doesnt help with any

cept what note is being played. But when you transcribe, you actually pay attention to how a n

yed, how aggressive or soft it is. Music is a language if you ask me, and listening is the only

u can learn to speak it well. Every players style has a certain accent that you wont get if you

low tabs and never transcribe.

u mustve heard the figure of speech playing from the heart or playing with feel, and m

ve thought its all a load of bull. Its all just a bunch of notes in the end that anyone can play, r

rong. I believe it means being able to express oneself musically, to actually play what we

ide our heads. When I was a beginner, I would construct these amazing melodies in my mind a

me, but I was never able to actually play them until I learned to transcribe. So from the hea

t, what matters is that the music comes from inside you.

course, tabs are great when you want to check how accurate your own transcriptions are a

mes when the music youre hearing is too complex for you to figure out on your own, but you sto write down music by your own ear as much as possible.


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he Process of Transcribing

Listening

anscribing is all about listening and thats what you need to realize first. Just like working out

uscles in the gym, you need to work out your ear by listening to music and try to pick up so

rrectly as much as possible.

whatever you choose to transcribe, listento it over and over first. Dont even try to write it

til youve heard it at least 20 to 30 times. You should get to a point where you can imagine andsong inside your head. This will make it much easier to transcribe the song. You can also try

g the notes as you hear them.

Tune Up

your guitar is out of tune, there is absolutely no point in doing this. So tune your guitar pro

fore you sit down to transcribe something.

One note at a time

hen you have the music in your mind, have at it one note at a time. Start figuring out the notes sd learn to stop the track at the right time.

e last thing you hear stays in your ear.

Write It Down

ce you have figured out a bunch of notes, start writing them down. I recommend writing in

m first because its just easier to read. Once you have written down all the tabs, you can

ythm and time signature and stuff. Even if youre good with staff notations, I dont recom

rting with them.

Rest

metimes you just wont be able to figure out anything because your ears are tired. Thats

eryone needs some time to rest and when you have reached a saturation point, your mind wil

cks on you. So just rest for a while when you feel exhausted and dont overdo it.

Time to Play

hen youre finished writing down the tab, start playing it. You will learn at a much faster sp

so dont try to rush anything and take things slowly. You dont have to start playing along wit

ng at full speed.

Don't be put off by mistakes

hen you first start transcribing, you willmake mistakes, a lot of them probably. When I look

d see my old transcriptions, I see a lot of mistakes. But thats okay, because making mistak

w you learn. Dont be afraid of them. Record yourself, compare yourself to the original, and

rrect your mistakes. You can even look at official tabs if you need to check.

Enjoy It

nt forget to enjoy the process. Music is supposed to be fun, so dont overlook this part. Its


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portant!


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hapter 5: Practicing When You Cant Practiceme of us really want to practice all the time but cant because as frustrating as that is, we

ways have our instrument around us. Work and school tends to consume most of our time and

me of us get to be full time musicians, so practice time is important. So whats the best way to

proving and making musical progress even when you dont have your instrument around?

re are some ways you can invest your time in practicing even when youre not actually practic


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inger ExercisesI mentioned earlier, warming up is one of the most important things you should do b

acticing. So why not get yourself warmed up before you get home and start playing? You c

se finger exercises before you leave work or when youre in the subway or anywhere really.

art by placing your left hand on a table or on your leg, and bend your fingers 90 degrees with

gertips touching the surface. Then start lifting and dropping each of your fingers one by one

y touch the surface. Start slow and slowly build up speed.

u can do this exercise anywhere you want and nobody will know. Its like a chromatic exercis

ur fretting hand, and others may think youre just ticking nervously because youve had too

ffee.

y this for 20 minutes before practice and you will really feel like ripping it up on your guitar

u get home. If you really want to take this to the next level, visualize some scales and start pl

imaginary air guitar. Im not kidding, if you really focus on it and visualize the scale patter

u go from low to high, it will really help improve your playing!


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ractice Planningve you ever planned for practice? Im guessing most of you havent, and thats because begi

nt think much of it. They think any practice is good practice. But if you take the time to plan

d practice different things instead of the same old licks and runs, you will greatly improv

ality of your practice time and the level of your playing.

eryone has a note-taking app on their smartphones these days, and we use it to write anythin

erything. Ive written tabs on it in the past, short stories, grocery lists, and heck, even sappy po

u should start using one such app too. Whenever you have some free time, start planning and tyt a new practice routine. You only have limited time to practice and play once you get home, s

ght as well use all of it in actual practice and not on planning. Dont waste all your time noo

ound and messing with half-learned songs. Plan what youre going to practice when you get

d then do it.

ere are so many things you can list down in your routine, and so many ways in which you can

u can start with simple songs if you want, or advanced techniques if thats what youre looki

prove. Heres a list of things I wrote down a while back to help me practice in a more discip

nner.

1) Alternate picking

2) Finger picking

3) Legato

4) Strict legato

5) Tapping

6) Odd time signature metal rhythms

7) Song solos

8) Scale sequences9) Sweep picking

10) Improvisation

ats a long list, because I do get more time to practice now. If you dont get as much time,

rry. Just make multiple lists that with fewer items. Then go through each one every time y

wn to practice. It will make your playing well rounded and melodic.

nother thing you should do is scour the Internet for new ideas and things to practice. When y

ing in the cafeteria during lunchtime, dont waste your time looking up sports scores you don

out or making small talk with people on Facebook. Invest that time in looking for new thinactice.

ere are a ton of lessons you can find on the Internet, which you can start practicing once yo

me. Check out GuitarWorld, it has so many resources for players of all level.
http://www.guitarworld.com/


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hapter 6: Things to Rememberyouve ever felt like learning a new scale to play just after you learned one a few days back, y

t alone. Most of us get bored of the scales we learn real quick because our approach to learn

ry limited and uncreative. We learn the notes in the scale, learn the various positions to play

d then get fed up of repeating the same things over and over because we dont know what el

actice. Its a very restrictive way of learning and puts severe obstructions in your path of lea

you continue to learn in this manner, it will harm your productivity and creativity on guitar.

ere are a million different ways to use any scale on the guitar, and only when you break out obitual things will you be able to master the scale and do whatever you want with it. Fortunately

ly thing you need in order to really learn and internalize any scale is the need to explore. If y

venturous, you will try to find new ways through the scale and create new sounds out of the va

oups of notes in the scale. As long as you dont abandon a scale quickly without trying to ex

the possibilities, you will keep making progress and adding to your musicality.

this section, I will tell you some important things you need to remember in order to keep your

d technique practice interesting. You will amaze yourself with the things you can do if you fo

se rules of practicing. They will help you have fun on the guitar without getting frustrated or th a scale.


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eeping Scales Fun

n't learn scales randomly

e first and most important thing you need to remember is to keep yourself disciplined

ganized. You dont want your brain to be cluttered with a lot of unnecessary information, so

rn new scales at random. Ive stressed it before and I will stress it again only learn things

u need to. There are so many different scales in the whole wide world of music that if you set o

rn them all, you will never be able to do so, no matter how hard you try. Instead, what you sh

is master onescale at a time and practice the hell out of it before moving on to a new one.

arn the very basic scales first so you have a solid grasp of the fundamentals. Theres no ne

rn obscure scales until youre very good at the basic stuff. If you pursue a particular type of m

rt by making a list of all popular scales used in that style of music.

out and learn these scales one by one, understanding how to use each of these scales in any co

ely. You should be able to discern the various notes being played and express yourself thr

ur musicality. Once you have a solid grasp of the fundamentals, start learning more exotic sca

d flavor to your playing. It can be very beneficial as long as you dont rush through the scalern them in a thorough and effective manner.

k your guitar teacher and other more experienced members of the community what scale

ould be learning first, and work on them first. Develop your knowledge and your ear by thoro

acticing the fundamentals first.

oid boxed patterns and master the whole fretboard

u mustve heard someone talk about boxed patterns sometime or the other. All the greats k

w dangerous boxed patterns can be, and they constantly warn against getting stuck in boxed sh

t so many of us are guilty of doing it. I think this is by far the most popular mistake inmmunity. If the 5thposition is the only A Minor Pentatonic position you know, then youre gui

ing it too.

nderstand, its easy to fall in the trap of boxed positions. They give you an easy way into lea

ur scales and you also have the satisfaction of sounding more or less musical, so its very tem

learn boxed shapes and never try to break out of them. But it hurts your soloing more that yo

agine. You never truly learn the scales and their full potential, and you waste your time run

ough those same old boring licks.

you just learn to practice soloing over the whole fretboard instead of isolated positions, you w

e to express yourself much more articulately in any musical context.

alyze solos that inspire you

hen youre learning new scales and techniques, it is important to take out some time and an

usic from the artists that inspire you. Observe your favorite guitar players and discover new on

u can listen to good music. Try to discern their solos with your ear and tab them out ju

ening to them. If your ear is not very good, start doing some transcribing and until youre go

t, use tabs you find on the Internet on in guitar magazines.


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is will help you hear the various nuances in a scale youre practicing, and learn new ways to c

lodies. You will be surprised by how many new doors open once you start listening and recre

ks of some great guitar players.

actice playing on a single string

addition to learning the scales vertically and pattern-wise, it is also important that you learn h

ale is laid out linearly or on a single string. The former is the foundation of playing scales,

t good enough to stop there. You should be diligent and learn how to play scales on single st

well. This will give you a better feel for the intervals between the notes of a scale, and wilvelop your ear. Another great thing that comes out of practicing on a single string is that y

ore creative when trying to execute licks not starting on the root note.

ove beyond the CAGED system

e CAGED system is quite popular among guitarists because it provides an easy way of le

usical shapes and patterns without doing much theory, but you shouldnt think of it as the end

ther, consider the CAGED system as a stepping-stone. Its a very limited system that give

omplete knowledge of how scales work. It was made for guitars, and it only works in the sta

ing, so you shouldnt rely on it forever.

you really want to take your playing to the next level, move beyond the CAGED system wh

me, otherwise it will cripple your playing and you wont be able to break out of your repe

ks and shapes. You should aspire to be a good musician, not just a good guitarist, and to be a

usician; you have to have a good grasp of how scales work and what is musically possible

m. The CAGED system is flawed and will only limit you, so go beyond it once youve master


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he Golden Rules of Practicing Techniqueyouve started to develop your chops, eh? Good, then its time you learned the Golden Ru

acticing technique. Following these will help you develop your technique in the best possible w

l practice is good practice NOT!

nlike the old adage would have you believe, practice doesnt make perfect, just permanent. So

ure working on your techniques, dont make mistakes. Work on them very carefully and de

ur techniques slowly, because once you develop bad habits, they become permanent and are

rd to undo. Trust me, I know because Ive made mistakes while practicing.

not expect to play something perfectly just because you practiced it sloppily a hundred tim

ll be sloppy until you learn to practice it perfectly. So practice right.

art new things slowly

ver rush into things. I see so many players, who chase speed, who think that shredding u

wn the neck is all that matters. If you run after speed and sacrifice accuracy, you will always s

bbish. So whenever you start something new, focus on making it sound as accurate and cle

ssible. Do not pay any attention to speed. Only when youre comfortable with it should youilding up speed, and that too gradually.

arting to learn something is like writing the code for it in your brain. If you make mistakes

ogramming the code into your brain, it will never function properly. There will be glitche

stakes. So always write the code very slowly and carefully. Once youve done that, you can

eed up by telling your brain youve already practiced it so many times perfectly. Your brain

e a break eventually and it will all be a game of muscle memory and dexterity then.

ways use minimum movements

weve already discussed, minimum movement is the key to efficiency. Never let your fingers

o much. Keep them tight and close to the fretboard so you can hit the notes and release them d

e same goes for the picking hand. Use the tip of the pick when playing lead, and dont let th

ve too much.

nderstand the point of the exercise

henever you start working on a technical exercise, make sure you understand the point of it fi

u dont know why youre doing it and how it will benefit you, go back and learn it. Make sur

lly need to be doing it, because nobody works well with half-assed motivation. You witracted and will easily lose interest. Know the essence of what youre doing, and then do it

your heart.


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onclusionis brings us to the end of this book. A lot of different topics have been covered and I hope th

p you in some way or the other in developing your technique. Weve learned about some

ales, studied some great ways of practicing and playing them, learned the importance of ear tra

d how transcribing can help you improve your ear, learned about some rules you need to follo

ke the best of your practice routines, and even learned how to practice when we dont hav

itars with us.

l of this is a lot to take in, so dont rush through any of it, as Ive said before. Take your timderstanding and practicing everything, and master everything slowly. You will be an impre

yer soon! Just hustle and practice right.

ank you so much for taking the time to read this book.

od luck!

Documents

Guitar QuickStart Guide- Eddie Slasher