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One of my students asked me if I had any exercises the focus on positions shifts and improving speed going up and down the neck laterally rather than keeping in position and going accross strings, which was something I must admit that I had never looked at in isolation it just always happened naturally for me. So I told him I would have a think about it and see if I could come up with a few exercises. I also looked on here to see if I could find a lesson of a similar ilk, but alas no. So I actually did some work and came up with 2 exercises and a variation on each one and thought I would post them here incase anyone else was looking for the same thing as my student. Please send questions and comments on a postcard!
Exercise 1.
This example is clearly based on the scale of A major but obviously can be moved to different keys to suit your mood. Also, if you want more of a challenge move it closer to the nut for larger stretches. With both this exercise and the variation use the same fingering pattern (1st, 2nd & 4th) troughout Start off at 60bpm playing 8th note/quaver triplets and build it up to a decent pass and just try and increase your speed every day. Picking patterns are indicated in the usual manner.
n v n n v n sim. |------------------------------------14-12-10-| |---------------------------14-12-10----------| |--------------------11-9-7-------------------| |-------------11-9-7--------------------------| |-------9-7-5---------------------------------| |-9-7-5---------------------------------------| v n v v n v sim. |-10-12-14-------------------------------------|| |----------10-12-14----------------------------|| |-------------------7-9-11---------------------|| |--------------------------7-9-11--------------|| |---------------------------------5-7-9--------|| |---------------------------------------5-7-9--||
Now the variation of the exercise to make it slightly more of a challenge. Again start at 60bpm playing 8th/quaver triplets and the picking patterns are shown in the usual manner.
n v n n v n n v n v n v v n v v n v |-----------------------10-12-14---------------|| |--------------14-12-10------------------------|| |--------------------------------7-9-11--------|| |-------11-9-7---------------------------------|| |---------------------------------------5-7-9--|| |-9-7-5----------------------------------------||
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Exercise 2.
This excerise is a-tonal and spans the whole neck, so there’s no easy get out if you want to move it to a different postion for smaller stretches! It’s a bit longer and more involved than the first exercise too. Start at around 50bpm playing 16th notes/semi-quavers, work it up till you ‘feel the burn’, use the indicated picking patterns and make sure you stick with the same finger for each fret in each position.
n-------v-------n-------v-------sim. |-------------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------------| |-------4-1-------------8-5---------------12-9----------| |-----3-----2---------7-----6----------11------10-------| |---2---------3-----6---------7-----10------------11----| |-1-------------4-5-------------8-9------------------12-| |-------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------| |----------16-13-------------------20-17----------| |-------15-------14-------------19-------18-------| |----14-------------15-------18-------------19----| |-13-------------------16-17-------------------20-| |-------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------| |----------18-21-------------------14-17----------| |-------19-------20-------------15-------16-------| |----20-------------19-------16-------------15----| |-21-------------------18-17-------------------14-| |------------------------------------------------------------|| |------------------------------------------------------------|| |----------10-13----------------6-9-------------2-5----------|| |-------11-------12-----------7-----8---------3-----4--------|| |----12-------------11------8---------7-----4---------3------|| |-13-------------------10-9-------------6-5-------------2-1--||
And now the variation for a bit more of a challenge. Again start at around 50pm playing semi-quavers, build up the speed, use the same finger for each fret in each position and use picking patterns as indicated.
|-----------------------------------------12-9----------| |-----------------------8-5------------11------10-------| |-------4-1-----------7-----6-------10------------11----| |-----3-----2-------6---------7---9------------------12-| |---2---------3---5-------------8-----------------------| |-1-------------4---------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------| |----------16-13----------------------------------| |-------15-------14----------------20-17----------| |----14-------------15----------19-------18-------| |-13-------------------16----18-------------19----| |-------------------------17-------------------20-| |--------------------------------------------------| |-----------------------------------14-17----------| |----------18-21-----------------15-------16-------| |-------19--------20----------16-------------15----| |----20--------------19----17-------------------14-| |-21--------------------18-------------------------| |----------10-13---------------------------------------------|| |-------11-------12-------------6-9--------------------------|| |----12-------------11--------7-----8-----------2-5----------|| |-13-------------------10---8---------7-------3-----4--------|| |-------------------------9-------------6---4---------3------|| |-----------------------------------------5-------------2-1--||
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