Technique Focus

Playing the flat 5

The flattened 5th doesn’t always lie comfortably under the fingers, so you should experiment with fingerings that are less obvious; these can lead to new discoveries and big leaps in playing techniques. For example, when playing Shape 1 of the Blues scale in A, the higher flat five is usually played on the third string, 8th fret. But if you play it instead on the 4th fret of the second string you’ll be shaking up your muscle memory, which is always a good thing! We’ve presented the opening exercises in Shapes 1 (E shape), two (D shape) and four (A shape) of the A Blues scale. Ultimately, you should strive to be fluent in all five shapes and in as many keys as you can.