Technique IV - Pentatonic Scales; Alternate F/E Major Every 2 Strings
In previous technical exercises I alternated between pentatonic scales a tritone apart. My stated reason was that such scales held no common tones. Acknowledging that pentatonic scales separated by a semitone also have no common tones, I stated that my reason for avoiding scales related this way was because the fretboard patterns created by their alternation were too similar. Well, this month’s exercise does alternate between pentatonic scales separated by a semitone but in such a way that the fretboard patterns which result are more interesting, varied, and—most importantly—difficult to predict.
Rather than switch scales every three strings, this exercise switches between scales every two strings. Since the guitar’s strings produce three pairs of adjacent strings and I am alternating between two scales, the sequence of scales is different on the ascent than on the descent. For example, this particular exercise ascends F-E-F pentatonic and descends E-F-E
The rules, as usual, are:
Using three notes per string, play an F major pentatonic scale starting on the lowest available note in the scale found on the guitar.
When you switch strings, repeat the last note of the previous string (F-G-A, switch strings, A-C-D).
Every two strings switch to the pentatonic scale a semitone away. The first switch will be from F to E pentatonic.
When you exhaust the strings of the guitar in one direction, add one more note on that string in the direction you want to travel along the fretboard.
A transcription of this exercise is available here and you can watch my performance of it here.