Example1 A MELODIC MINOR IN FIVE SHAPES

cd track 51

Example 1 demonstrates the A Melodic Minor scale in five shapes, starting with the corresponding minor major 7 chord. Use alternate picking throughout and aim for a clear and even tone. Try accenting the downstrokes on each beat. As you gain fluency and start increasing the speed week by week, try reinterpreting as 16nth-notes, with the downstroke accent occurring every four notes. Each shape contains one string configured with four notes. In most cases, the first finger will execute a shift from the first to the second notes. However, in our position 1 shape, and with the four-note configuration played on the first string, we’ll instead use a fourth finger shift up to the high C, before descending to the G# using the first, and which may be easier to execute at higher tempos when playing certain sequences.