Technique VII - Pentatonic Scales; Descending Key/Ascending Melody
Over the last several months, many of my technical exercises have alternated between two pentatonic scales that have no common tones. While I varied which two scales I was alternating between, I was still always alternating between just two keys. This month’s technical exercise, like the exercise from January, switches directions every three strings. Rather than coordinate this change of direction with a switch between one of two scales, it is coordinated with a ‘modulation’ down a semitone. Instead of switching between two scales, I am constantly cycling through twelve.
The rules for this exercise are:
Using three notes per string, play a G major pentatonic scale starting on the guitar’s third string or the lowest sounding string of any set of three adjacent strings.
When you switch strings, repeat the last note of the previous string (G-A-B, switch strings, B-D-E)
Every three strings change direction and modulate to a pentatonic scale one semitone lower (the first modulation will be from G to F# 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.
This exercise works best when moving up through the fretboard as the fretboard patterns so created are more varied and unpredictable. You can try this exercise with just the rules above or you can play through my transcription of it, available here. You can also watch me play it here.