FRETBOARD FLUENCY
Martin Goulding picks up the baton from last issue, introducing a legato approach using hammerons and pull-offs to create some silky-smooth licks.
Martin Goulding offers more insight into navigating your guitar’s fretboard.
Following on from our last lesson where we worked through a ‘master exercise’ based around the G Major scale and maj7 arpeggio in positions 1 and 4, with the scale also played in 3rds and 4ths, this month we’ll revisit the idea using 5ths and 6ths. As a further contrast (that lesson used alternate picking), this month we’ll practise using a legato approach with the arpeggios played using sweeping, hammer-ons and pull-offs. All intervallic patterns will be alternate picked, starting on a downstroke.
Playing the scale using 5ths and 6ths may be challenging, so break examples down four notes at a time and work on memorising each ‘fragment’ before moving on. Pay attention to suggested fingerings as well as the direction of the pick strokes, which form the momentum of the technique. As with all exercise routines, shake out the hands and arms as soon as you feel the onset of any tension or fatigue.
In part three we’ll continue developing our recognition of the chord tones (root, 3rd, 5th and 7th). And whereas last month’s lesson used upper and lower neighbour tones to surround or ‘enclose’ the chord tones, this month we’ll use intervals played a semitone either side of the target notes. This will help us develop our recognition of the chord tones, as we’ll need to visualise them before we apply the chromatic enclosures. This will help provide us with a visual map of the key intervals from which we can start and resolve our melodies when improvising, as well as forming a new vocabulary of lines.
To develop a clean technique, especially when barring across two strings to play adjacent notes, you’ll need to adopt a ‘square and dropped’ hand position with the thumb positioned in the middle of the back of the neck, and with plenty of space between the underside of the neck and the ‘cup’ of the hand. This ‘classical’ hand position may feel unusual if you are from a blues-based background, where you may be more accustomed to playing phrases with the fretting hand angled, and the thumb high or over the top of the neck. With the hand position square, you’ll be able to stretch out and position your fingers for greater accuracy, with the first finger set to mute the lower string above with its tip, as well as resting flat over the higher treble strings underneath. Together with the picking hand palm muting any unattended lower bass strings, the notes played should sound clear and even in velocity. So let’s get going!
playing in 5ths can be challenging, so break examples down four notes at a time, memorising them before moving on
NEXT MONTH Martin continues his endeavours to enhance your Fretboard Fluency