.customer sign in.
G9 Line
g9 Logo
g9 Nav
The Original Cannon Guitar Kid
    Watch and be amazed at the metal version of Canon In D
offer  offer
G9 Nav
g9 Nav
g9 Nav
g9 Nav
G9 Nav
g9 Nav
g9 Nav
g9 Nav
Guest Column: A New Direction: Four to Six Note Per String Scales & Ideas g9 Line
g9 pix
g9 Line
 
pix A New Direction: Four to Six Note Per String Scales & Ideas pix
pix
pix pix by Rusty Cooley  

Page added in December, 1997

 
pix About the Author    
pix

Rusty Cooley has been playing guitar for the past fourteen years and has been teaching guitar for the last ten years. He is also a teacher for the National Guitar Summer Workshop. He has gigged with the Houston, Texas bands Revolution, Dominion and most recently, OutWorld.

Cooley has also produced "World Class Guitar Techniques", a half-hour guitar program for KTLJ (Channel 22) in Houston. His web site is at: http://www.creativeguitar.com/rusty/

Send comments or questions to Rusty Cooley.



© Rusty Cooley
Hi and welcome. This column is hopefully going to give you some new ideas and insight to how you approach your scales and licks.

This time our topic is 4 to 6 note per string scales. That means using all four fingers on your left hand and your middle and ring finger of your right hand. This technique will definitely take some getting use to and can be painful at first, so take it slow.

Example 1:

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ---------------------------------------------------8--10--12--13--12----
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ----------------5--7--9--10--9--7--5/7--9--10--12-----------------------
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ---5--7--8--10----------------------------------------------------------
 
 
 
 ----------------------12--13--15--17--15--13--12------------------------
 10--8/10--12--13--15------------------------------15--13--12--10\8------
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                         
 
                                                                         
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 10--12--13--12--10--8---------------------------------------------------
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 -----------------------12--10--9--7\5--7--9--10--9--7--5----------------
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ----------------------------------------------------------10--8--7--5---
 


Example 1 - Slow - MP3
Example 1 - Fast - MP3

Example 1 is an A natural minor sequence; be sure you use all four fingers of your left hand. The only sliding you do is when you change positions. This sequence can be applied to any major or minor scale.

Example 2:

 --------------------------------------------------------------------
 --------------------------------------------------------------------
 --------------------------------------------------------------------
 ---------------5--7--9--10--9--7--5/7--9--10--12--10--9--7----------
 --------------------------------------------------------------------
 --5--7--8--10-----------------------------------------------12------
                                                                         
 
                                                                         
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 -----------------------------------8--10--12--13--12--10--8/10--12------
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ---------------------7--9--10--12---------------------------------------
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 10--8--7--8--10--12-----------------------------------------------------
                                                                         
 
                                                                         
 ---------------------------------------------------------------12-------
 13--15--13--12--10-----------------------------10--12--13--15-----------
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 --------------------14--12--10--9--10--12--14---------------------------
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                         
 
                                                                         
 13--15--17--15--13--12/13--15--17--19--17--15--13-----------------------
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ---------------------------------------------------17--16--14--12/14----
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                         
 
                                                                         
 -------------------------------------------| 
 -------------------------------------------| 
 16--17--19--17--16--14---------------------| 
 -------------------------------------------|
 ------------------------19--17--15--14/12--|
 -------------------------------------------|
                                                                         
 


Example 2 - Slow - MP3
Example 2 - Fast - MP3

Examples 2 and 3 are just other ways to expand on the ideas. I am also playing all the examples legato, but you can pick them if you like.

Example 3:

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 -------------------12--14--16--17/14--16--17--19------------------14----
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ---12--14--15--17---------------------------------14--15--17--19--------
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                         
 
                                                                         
 ------------15--17--19--20/17--19--20--22-------------------------------
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 16--17--19---------------------------------16--17--19--21--17--19-------
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                         
 
                                                                       
 -----------------------------------------------| 
 -----------------------------------------------| 
 21--22-----------------------------------------| 
 -------------------------------------------19--|
 --------17--19--20--22/19--20--22--24----------|
 ---------------------------------------17------|
 
                                                                         
 


Example 3 - Slow - MP3
Example 3 - Fast - MP3

Example 4:

                                                                       
 |------------------------
 |------------------------
 |------------------------
 |----------------t-------
 |--7--9--10--12--14------
 |------------------------
                                                                         
 
                                                                         
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 --------------------------------------------------------t---t---t-------
 t---t----------------------------t---t---9--10--12--14--16--17--16------
 15--14--12--10--9--7--9--10--12--14--15---------------------------------
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                         
 
                                                                         
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ---------------------------------------------------t---t----------------
 ---------------------------t---t---11--12--14--16--17--19--16--14-------
 14--12--10--9--10--12--14--16--17---------------------------------------
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                         
 
                                                                         
 --------------------------------------------t---t---t-------------------
 --------------------t---t---13--15--17--19--20--22--20--19--17--15------
 12--11--12--14--16--17--19----------------------------------------------
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                         
 
                                         t   t   t                       
 ----------------t---t---15--17--19--20--22--24--22--20--19--17--15------
 13--15--17--19--20--22--------------------------------------------------
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                         
 
             t   t                                                     
 17--19--20--22--24--|
 --------------------|
 --------------------|
 --------------------|
 --------------------|
 --------------------|
 
 


Example 4 - Slow - MP3
Example 4 - Fast - MP3

Example 4 is a 6 note per sting E natural minor run. Four notes with the left hand and 2 notes with your right hand using your middle and ring fingers.

Example 5:

 
                                             
 |---------------------------------------7--10-------
 |-------------------------------t---t---------------
 |---------------------7--9--12--14--15--------------
 |-------------t---t---------------------------------
 |--7--10--12--13--14--------------------------------
 |---------------------------------------------------
                                                                         
 
     t   t   t                                                           
 12--15--17--15---------------------------------------|
 ----------------t---t--------------------------------|
 ----------------15--14--12--9--7---------------------| 
 ----------------------------------t---t--------------|
 ----------------------------------14--13--12--10--7--|
 -----------------------------------------------------|
                                                                         
 


Example 5 - Slow - MP3
Example 5 - Fast - MP3

Example 5 is a cool way to approach your blues scales. This example is an E blues scale, 3 notes with the left hand and 2 notes with the right. This can also be applied to all the other blues positions.

Well, that's it for now. Hope you enjoyed it! I would love to hear any comments you have about the lesson.

pix Additional Guitar Technique Columns pix
line
  • And 285 more in the Guest Columnists category, view the index
line



Home | RSS | Guitar Instruction | New CDs | Bargains | Ordering Info | G9 BackStage! | Word of Mouth | Vote | Guitar Heroes
CD Info: Charts | Listening Room MP3s | Track-By-Track | Recommendations | Sites | Reviews | Cover Art | Price List
Blog | DVD | iTunes | Gift Certificates | T-shirts | Guitar/Vocals | Who's Who | Search | BCCM | HCCM | Contact Us | Content Index
Copyright © 1996-2008 Guitar Nine Records All Rights Reserved
Any redistribution of information found at this site is prohibited
Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the Guitar Nine Records Terms of Use. To read our Privacy Policy, click here.