TWO FINGER EXERCISES FOR THE FRETTING HAND, Part 2 of "THE 1-2-3-4 GUITAR SYSTEM" 4-Part SERIES

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The 1-2-3-4 Guitar System, Part 2
TWO FINGER EXERCISES FOR THE FRETTING HAND

THE 1-2-3-4 GUITAR SYSTEM by - Jim Ross
*Also available* 1 FINGER EXERCISES FOR THE FRETTING HAND 3 FINGER EXERCISES FOR THE FRETTING HAND 4 FINGER EXERCISES FOR THE FRETTING HAND THE 1-2-3-4 GUITAR SYSTEM COMPLETE SERIES J.S.BACHs DOUBLE CONCERTO FOR 4 GUITARS *with many more titles available soon* Part 2 of a 4 part Series:
All four books of this series contain unique material. This system is designed to maximize the potential within each finger grouping. While introducing new material in each book, it builds on information learned in each preceding book. While you can gain a lot from any one of these books on their own, it is recommended that you work through all 4 of them for the best possible results.
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*********************************************** This 1-2-3-4 Series is dedicated to the love of music and guitars! And to the education and advancement of guitar music.
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All transcriptions, exercise material, layout design, formatting, & typesetting by Jim Ross. Original artwork created by Mark Cooper. See more of his work here: www.markcooperart.com Original artwork also by my brother, tattoo artist Barrett Nevins. Original artwork in Interval Analysis section by Gruesome.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT SECURED. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise without written permission of the publisher. For information regarding this Book contact: the1234guitarsystem@yahoo.com
2012 SEOTCI PUBLICATIONS, INC.
TWO FINGER EXERCISES FOR THE FRETTING HAND by -Jim Ross PAGE #
INTRODUCTION ------------------------------------------------------------- 1 THE TWO FINGER APPROACH --------------------------------------------2 The 6 Two Finger Groups ------------------------------------------------ 2 More Thoughts on Picking ---------------------------------------------- 3 Staccato Versus Legato --------------------------------------------------- 3 TWO FINGER EXERCISES -------------------------------------------------- 4 Exercise Format ----------------------------------------------------------- 6 BASIC MOTION -------------------------------------------------------- 8 Expand On The Basic Motions ------------------------------------------ 11 HAMMER PULLS ------------------------------------------------------------12 Economy Of Motion -----------------------------------------------------12 Hammer-Ons ------------------------------------------------------------ 13 Pull-Offs -----------------------------------------------------------------13 Hammer-Pulls ------------------------------------------------------------13 Hammer & Pull Examples ----------------------------------------------- 14 FINGER STRETCHING ----------------------------------------------------- 18 Range Of Motion -------------------------------------------------------- 19 Stretch Forms ------------------------------------------------------------20 Tips on Difficult Stretch Forms ---------------------------------------- 21 Stretch Variations ------------------------------------------------------ 21 FINGER STRETCHING FORMAT ----------------------------------------- 22 12 Stretch Variations ---------------------------------------------------- 22 MORE STRING SKIPPING ------------------------------------------------- 30 8 String Skipping Variations ------------------------------------------- 30 PEDAL POINT & PEDAL TONES --------------------------------------------32 Pedal Point + Stretch Variations ---------------------------------------- 34 INTRODUCTION TO INTERVAL ANALYSIS II --------------------------- 52 Intervals & Dyads ------------------------------------------------------- 54 25 Intervals -------------------------------------------------------------- 55 Music Symbolism -------------------------------------------------------- 56 25 Dyad Fingerings ------------------------------------------------------57 Chromatic Dyad Intervals -----------------------------------------------58 WALKING ARPEGGIOS ------------------------------------------------------ 64 ETUDES -------------------------------------------------------------------------66 Mind Over Matter & Matter Over Mind -------------------------------67 26 Two Finger Etudes ---------------------------------------------------68 BONUS MATERIAL ----------------------------------------------------------98 Pentatonic Modes & Diatonic Sequences ------------------------------99 Real Music ------------------------------------------------------------ 106 J.S. Bach - BWV 996 Bouree Lute Suite -------------------------------108 Fernando Sor - Op 35 No 17 allegro grazioso -----------------------110 Bela Bartok - Two Pictures In Bloom ---------------------------------114 Fracisco Tarrega - Gran Vals ------------------------------------------116 Fredric Chopin - Etudes; Opus 10, #2 -------------------------------- 118
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TWO FINGER EXERCISES FOR THE FRETTING HAND
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elcome to part Two of the 4-part Series! If you havent checked out my 1st Book: One Finger Exercises For The Fretting Hand, I highly recommend that you do so. I know what you are probably thinking: okay the 1st book had a bunch of stu in it to work on, great. But this 2nd, 3rd, & 4th book are just going to be all the same material that was covered in the 1st book, right? I assure you that this is not the case at all. In fact, you should apply all the new things you pick-up in this book to the 1st one. The idea is to build on what youve learned in the 1st book. But each of these books in the series stand very strongly in their own right. There is much to be gained from these individually, so dont worry if you can only check out one of them. RECAPITULATION In the 1 book, I talked a bit about how most musicians neglect their potential to be better players; more times than not this is true (at least from a physical/ mechanical perspective). The main idea was to build each finger as a separate unit by pushing their boundaries. And by systematically pushing them to carry a much heavier load than they are accustomed to handling.
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Introduction
There was a good portion dedicated to using proper form & technique. And those things really are crucial in getting the best quality sounds out of your instrument in regards to pitch, intonation, ease-of-access, etc... I strongly feel that all of the Form & Practice Tips should be regarded with the highest priority, considering the direct impact each minor nuance ultimately has on the outcome of your sound. And in music, its all about the SOUND! The 1st book involved 3 main sections: Parallel, Reverse, & Alternating Motions. Each section was made up of: linear, string-skipping, & arpeggio-style patterns. Each of these sections had exhaustive exercises focusing on each form of motion. The 3 Basic Principles Of Motion was also discussed briefly. Musical Motion in short: you stay put, ascend, or descend the current note you are on. Additionally, there was an Introduction to Interval Analysis, which focused on all of the basic intervals within one full octave. I left off with some classic excerpts from J.S.Bach, Beethoven, & Mozart in a Bonus Material section. And also in that section I hinted at the idea of applying multiple finger groups (like the ones in this & the following books). Thats where we had left off in Book One, and that is where we are going to start up again in this 2nd book of the Series. In this book, we are going to start pairing off our fingers in groups of two. We will explore more string skipping exercises and a wider interval analysis incorporating dyads. Ill introduce some pedal-point & also some stretching exercises. There are some walking arpeggio forms that utilize all the stretch forms as well. And in this book, Ill give you some cool etudes to focus on your intervals & stretches. Plus a bunch of other new material to get your fingers moving like they never have before! So lets get started on these Two Finger Exercises. Good luck & Enjoy yourself!!!
-Jim Ross
1 The 1-2-3-4 Guitar System, Part 2
THE TWO FINGER APPROACH

So now that youve primed your fingers individually in the One Finger study, you should be ready to start reinforcing your phrasing with a 2nd finger. This book basically follows suit with the 1st one. You still want to practice as cleanly & accurately as possible. You want to exhaust as many shapes & patterns as you can with Two Fingers in these 6 Two Finger Groups. Lets take a look:
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A A
THE 6 TWO FINGER GROUPS
1-2 2-3 3-4 1-3 2-4 1-4
form A form A form A
form B form B
form C
B B C
1-2
2-3
3-4
1-3
2-4
1-4
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As you can see, there are 6 basic Two Finger Groups that you will need to get familiar with. You could think of these 6 fingerings as being made up of three separate forms (A, B, C). For example: separated by a 1/2 step, 1 fret, or you could also say a minor 2nd apart from each other.
form A - the 1-2, 2-3, & 3-4 fingerings, all consist of adjacent fingers. These notes are all
apart from each other. form C - the 1-4 fingering is in a group of its own, and the notes are separated by 1 1/2 steps, 3 frets, or a minor 3rd apart.
form B - both finger groups; 1-3 & 2-4 are separated by a whole step, 2 frets, or a Major 2nd
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*You will strengthen all of these Finger Groups as paired units*
find it is keeping you from playing these exercises. But then again, these are GREAT exercises to work on the picking hand as well.
As in the 1 book, you will need to use some sort of picking technique to play through all of this. But since these are mainly fretting hand exercises I will leave it up to you to pick however you want to, or however you are most comfortable picking. You could play finger-style; using any of your picking hand fingers in any combination you choose. You could potentially ghost hammer every single fret. This would eliminate the need to pick entirely, but it is a lot less accurate of an attack. I would suggest however, that you simply play everything with a pick. Do EVERYTHING with strict down-strokes. Do it ALL again with strict up-strokes. And do it ALL AGAIN with alternate picking (strict & also economy picking). Keep a conscious awareness of your picking hand as you move through this study. You may want to work at your picking hand on its own if you
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MORE THOUGHTS ON PICKING
Now that we are utilizing Two Fingers at a time, that creates the option of playing these exercises with hammer-ons & pull-o s. In effect, that will change the sound of your phrasing to either a staccato or a legato type of articulation. Staccato- is more of a stiff , choppy, articulated sound; where the notes are cut short, or separated sounding. This is created by a straight forward picking attack, but more so when coupled with a palm-muting technique, or other muting techniques. Legato- is more of a fluent, liquid sort of sound; where the notes all flow together with a seamless & smooth, continuous & connected feel. This effect is created largely by applying combinations of hammer-ons & pull-o s. Where you would use your pick as little as possible (sometimes not at all) and avoid any muting or abrupt stops in your phrasing. *A good sliding technique can also give the feeling of legato type phrasing.* Try to do both hammer ons, pull offs, & straight alternate picking throughout the course of this & the following books. (see the Hammers & Pulls section) Youll find that the way you articulate your notes & phrases will play a huge role in the personality, and overall feeling that the music you play creates. Aside from being a great phrasing tool to utilize, the use of hammer ons & pull offs will definitely help in the process of strengthening your fingers. So as you play through the rest of this 4-part Series, try to apply them wherever you can!
*************************************************************** STACCATO VERSUS LEGATO
TWO FINGER EXERCISES

The Two Finger Exercises are made up of: Basic motion, Stretches, String-Skipping, & Pedal-Point motions. There is an extended Interval Analysis section, a Walking Arpeggio section, and a unique set of Etudes to work through as well.
Basic Motion- this follows the same basic Parallel Motion flow as was used in the One Finger Exercises book. Hammers & Pulls- will take a look at the various hammer-on & pull-off combinations that you can apply to the rest of this Series. Stretching- you will explore 12 multi-fret stretches among each of the 6 Finger Groups. String Skipping- this expands on the variations from the string skipping exercises in Book One. Pedal Point- here you will start to cycle your fingerings with some new pedal-point & symmetrical types of motions. Interval Analysis- this exploits all of the possible intervals up to 2 full octaves. (within the 12-tone scale*) Walking Arpeggios- similar to the arpeggio-style section of Book One, but with a Two Finger walking approach, while making use of intervals and the 12 multi-fret stretches as well. Etudes- a set of unique e-TWO-des,,,(haha) or sequences designed to work through specific intervals and stretches.
Now lets take a look at these exercises!!!
THE EXERCISE FORMAT

In example (A) you see a simple fretting example that starts on the (E6) string & the 1st fret. You play the 1st fret on each string, moving down from string to string until you reach the (E1) string. Then you simply work your way back to the (E6) string again. And example (B) just goes in the opposite direction of example (A) as shown below:
The forms in example: (A) and (B) are the basis in which all of the exercises from Book One were designed. Its a basic flow of ascending from string to string, then descending in the same way, (Basic Motion). In the Bonus Material section of Book One, I had outlined a means to apply multiple finger groupings to all of the exercises previously presented. Meaning: you can take all 6 of the Two Finger Groups and apply them to all of the Parallel, Reverse, & Alternating Motions, as well as the arpeggio-style & string skipping exercises from Book One. ************************************************************************* That alone is a huge undertaking! But you really should do it! It will give you many, MANY more ways to apply your Two Finger Groupings. *************************************************************************
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Take a look at Exercise (1) from PARAllEl MOTiON in Book One:
You could play this as written with both your 1st & 2nd finger, or you could apply any of the Two Finger Groups to Exercise (1), shown above. For example, the 1st & 2nd finger of each of the 6 Groups would follow the intended motion of the 1st finger in Book One. You would still move your 1st finger, or starting finger from the 1st fret to the 2nd fret. But you would play 2 notes per every one note indicated. See the example below.
(1)
(2)
(1)
(2)
(1)
(2)
(1)
(2)
In the above example, you would shift your 1st finger; as indicated by ( ) in the same way as intended in Book One. But to apply the Two Finger exercises of this Book, you would add the 2nd finger as well. (*with a 2-3 or 2-4 finger grouping, the 2nd finger would act as the 1st or starting finger, etc...*). This concept applies to all of the exercises in Book One!!! ************************************************************************* It sounds more complicated than it really is, but you will get a true feel for how it can work for you once you start applying it all. And the number of possible variations you will gain from doing this is a staggering one! ************************************************************************* So I encourage you to explore as many variations as you can with these Two Finger Groups in conjunction with all of the motions from Book One.
*lets move on to the TWO FiNGER exercises!!!*

BASIC MOTION
Lets jump right into this! The following are all Basic Motion exercises for each of the 6 Two Finger Groups. The 1st set of exercises use the 1-2 fingering (Group 1), then also the reverse 2-1 fingering motion. The rest of the exercises will follow this same basic flow as you move through the flow remaining 5 Two Finger Groups. Groups.
1-2 / 2-1
Fingering Group 1
2-3 / 3-2
Fingering Group 2
2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3
3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3
3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2
2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2
3-4 / 4-3
Fingering Group 3
3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4
4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4
4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3
3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3
1-3 / 3-1
Fingering Group 4
1 3 1 3 1 1 1 1 3 3 3 3
1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3
3 3 3 3 3 3 1 1 1 1 1
1 3
1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1
2-4 / 4-2
Fingering Group 5
1-4 / 4-1
Fingering Group 6
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Expand on the Basic Motions

The first 12 exercises of the Basic Motion section were all shown in the Parallel Motion format. You should also apply the Reverse & Alternating Motions, and ALL of the string skipping, stretching, & hammer-on/pull-o motions to them. Doing ONLY these exercises as shown will benefit you greatly, but you will broaden your overall sense of melodic movement so much more by applying all of those previous motion applications from Book One to the rest of this 4-part Series. At this point, you should start to analyze the motions of ALL of the musical lines and exercises that you come across. You should be able to determine which of the motions are being used. And then also which of the other motions could be used if you wanted to use them. Then just apply them, depending on what the musical situation youre in actually calls for. That will give you the freedom to explore more musical directions. ************************************************************************* So there are the 6 Finger Groups. Ive mentioned: Finger Groups at least 10 times already, has it stuck yet? So how many finger groupings are there? The answer is: 6 Two Finger Groups! There are only 6 possible Two Finger groups that you have the option of even using. This book will explore many ways to approach these 6 Groups. ************************************************************************* I am willing to bet that the majority of the time you use your 1-2, 1-3, & 1-4 finger groupings, while using the remaining 2-3, 2-4, & 3-4 groupings much less. To me, that is sort of a red flag indicating that your hand strength is not as balanced as it could be. Obviously your 1st few fingers carry the majority of all fretting duties. To be clear, I am not trying to say that this is a bad thing, its just an observation. Its not a critique so much, but merely taking note that there is an opportunity to improve that aspect of the fretting hand. And that IS the goal here in this Series:
*to improve your playing by all means available to you*

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HAMMERS & PULLS

Hammers & Pulls (or hammer-ons & pull-os) are a great way to add a more fluid legato sound to your playing. They are great for building individual finger strength and control. And they have their own distinct sound when used. Having a good hammer/pull technique allows you to play fast fretting hand passages with minimal picking. In other words, you can generally play faster with a good hammer/pull technique than when you are trying to synch both hands and pick every single note. Of course you should work towards having your fretting hand and picking hand being as balanced in all applications as possible. But if you take one hand out of the equation, it means you can focus a little more of your attention on the hand that is playing. And with that extra concentrated attention, maybe that does allow you to play just a little faster. Try it out and youll see what I mean. There are hammer-ons which ascend, pull-offs which descend, and hammer-pulls which do both in various sequences. Although you can do them with any of your fingers, well apply just the 6 Two Finger Groups to these hammer-pull examples. As with the rest of the material in the 1-2-3-4 Finger System, you want to apply these hammers/pulls to any exercises that you can. By working hard at these, you will gain much more finger independence and a balance of strength in your hand.
Hammer-ons are when you actually fret a note without picking it. Just as the name indicates, you literally hammer your finger down onto the fret in a sort-of snapping motion. By striking the fret with enough force, you will make the sound of that fret ring out. *Hammer-ons almost always ascend* You can apply a hammer-on with any of your 4 fretting hand fingers (and even your thumb). You can also hammer with your picking hand, but this is generally referred to as tapping. You can hammer each of your fingers, or all of them at once, in any order; depending on the phrase you are trying to play. In Book One I mentioned the possible use of ghost hammers. This is when you hammer a note without picking it at all. You can do this with just one finger, or a group of fingers. In this Book we are focusing on 2 finger applications, so I will show a few examples of possibilities that involve various Two Finger hammer-ons. Pull-offs are the reverse motion of a hammer-on. There are also literally how they sound. You pull-off from a fretted note to a new note. When you pull-off a note, you do it in a way that is similar to plucking a note with a picking hand finger. *Pull-os always descend to a lower pitched note* So when you do a pull-off, youll notice that you actually pull your finger downwards towards the E1 string as you release the note ( you can pull by plucking the note upwards towards your E6 string, but its much more common to pull down towards the floor). If you do it properly, the pull-off motion will sound the next note (whether fretted or an open string) beneath the note you pulled from. As with the hammer-ons, you can use any of your fingers (and even your thumbs) from both your fretting hand & your picking hand. We will concentrate on Two Finger pull-off variations for this Book. When you combine the motion of hammer-ons & pull-offs, you get Hammer-Pulls. There are many ways you can sequence hammer-pulls within a single passage to create interesting sounds. If you alternate a hammer with a pull continuously its known as a trill. The trill gives a very cool sound with a rapid rolling sort of motion. There are many ways you can combine hammers & pulls, but well focus on how to apply them to Two Finger phrases in the next few pages.
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HAMMER-ONS
PULL-OFFS
HAMMER-PULLS
While doing all of these exercises & examples, you want to pay attention to how much, or how far your fingers are actually moving. Economy of fretting motion is a technique in which you move your fingers as little as possible to achieve the sound of each note. Think of Bruce Lees famous one-inch punch. The highly explosive focus into the smallest possible range of motion can yield powerful results. Some players are great at this, and when you watch them play you can hear a lot of notes but it looks like their hand is hardly moving at all. Its a great technique to learn, and will make you a more efficient player! But explore the opposite of this too. Try to lift your fingers in an exaggerated manner by moving them way farther than necessary. This can give you the feel for how much energy can be applied throughout the full range of motion. Its definitely a good way to test your control & volume dynamics as well. You want to test how loud you can play, and how soft you can play through the full range of motion. Youll find there are sweet spots if you spend some time doing this.
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ECONOMY OF FRETTING MOTION
I have not invented a new style, composite, modified or otherwise that is set within distinct form as apart from this method or that method. On the contrary, I hope to free my followers from clinging to styles, patterns, or molds. Remember that Jeet Kune Do is merely a name used, a mirror in which to see ourselves. . . Jeet Kune Do is not an organized institution that one can be a member of. Either you understand or you dont, and that is that. There is no mystery about my style. My movements are simple, direct and non-classical. The extraordinary part of it lies in its simplicity. Every movement in Jeet Kune-Do is being so of itself. There is nothing artificial about it. I always believe that the easy way is the right way. Jeet Kune-Do is simply the direct expression of ones feelings with the minimum of movements and energy. The closer to the true way of Kung Fu, the less wastage of expression there is. Finally, a Jeet Kune Do man who says Jeet Kune Do is exclusively Jeet Kune Do is simply not with it. He is still hung up on his self-closing resistance, in this case anchored down to reactionary pattern, and naturally is still bound by another modified pattern and can move within its limits. He has not digested the simple fact that truth exists outside all molds; pattern and awareness is never exclusive. Again let me remind you Jeet Kune Do is just a name used, a boat to get one across, and once across it is to be discarded and not to be carried on ones back. -Bruce Lee
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The legendary Master: Bruce Lee *shown below*
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HAMMER & PULL EXAMPLES

Take the 1st two ascending and descending Exercises (1) and (2) from the Basic Motions, Group 1-2/2-1 shown below:
Exercise (1) would be the simplest way to apply a hammer-on. While Exercise (2) would make a great pull-off exercise. Hammers & pulls are indicated with tie symbols or as indicated below:
Both of these examples are 2 note groupings. For both you would pick the 1st note while the 2nd note is sounded by applying the hammer, or the pull respectively. GO BACK to the Basic Motions section & apply these hammer/pull techniques to the rest of the 6 Two Finger Groups. This will give you a good feel for using hammers and pulls with all of your fingers.
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The previous hammer/pull examples as played through the Basic Motions section can be applied to any 2 note sequence that you can reach with any of the finger groups. Be sure to experiment further with that concept! Now take a look at what you can do if you apply both of those techniques in the form of a hammer-pull. The following examples are groups of 3 notes, although you are only using Two Fingers. As a 3 note groupings, you pick only the 1st note, but then you hammer & pull the 2nd & 3rd notes. This is shown in the following examples. See below:
Those should be applied with all the 6 Two Finger Groups as well. Now look at these examples where you alternate the pattern every 3 notes:
Again, these are based off of the 1-2/2-1 group. Apply these to each of the other 5 finger groups.
HAMMER & PULL EXAMPLES

Now take a look at some 4 note hammer-pull combinations. All the same principles apply: pick the 1st note and hammer & pull the rest:
1 2
1 2
1 2
1 2
1 2
1 2
1 2
1 2
1 2
1 2
1 2
1 2
1 2
1 2
1 2
1 2
1 2
1 2
1 2
1 2
1 2
1 2
1 2
1 2
2 1 2
1 2
1 2
1 2
2 1 2
1 2
1 2
1 2
1 2
2 1 2
1 2
1 2
1 2
And the same applies to 5, 6, 7, etc.., note sequences. See Below: (count) 1-2-3-4-5
1 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 2 1
etc...
(count) 1-2-3-4-5-6
2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1
etc...
(count) 1-2-3-4-5-6-7
1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2
etc...
Trills are just a extension of this concept, but played faster. A trill is indicated by the tr. The 1st number is the picked note. The number in ( ) is the fret being hammered , or pulled to. See Below:
2 (1) 1 (2) 1 (2) 1 (2)
2 (1)
2 (1)
2 (1)
1 (2)
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There are a lot of variations of hammer-pulls involving multiple fingers, string skipping, & stretching, etc... You should explore as many variations as you can. Try to make up some of your own, and be creative with it! Here are a few examples of what you could do with combining Two Finger hammer-pull patterns. Try these, and again, make up your own!
5 8 5 8 5 7 5 7 5 7 5 8 5 8 5 7 5 8 5 7 5 7 5 7 5 7 5 7 5 7 5 8
8 5 8 5 7 5 8 5 7 5 7 5 7 5 7 5 7 5 8 5 7 5 7 5 8 5 7 5 7 5 8 5
12
8 12 8 11 9 10 9 10 9 12 8 9 10 9 9 10 9 9 11 9 9 10 9 9 11 9 8 12 8
12
12 14 12
12 8 12 9 11 9 10 9 10 8 12 10 9 10 10 9 10 11 9 11 10 9 10 11 9 11 12 8 12
12
12 14 12 14
Another cool thing to do is combine picking with hammer/pulls. Try these 2 mixed picking/ hammer & pulls based on Exercises (1) and (2):
Of course, those are only a few directions you could go with combining hammers, pulls, and picking. But that should give you a good idea of how many possibilities there are for you to choose from. Re-arranging them all to create your own custom lines & phrases is the fun part. Try it out!
FINGER STRETCHING
Before I get into these stretching exercises, Id like to talk about the importance of literal stretching. Just as all athletes do a stretch routine before doing any physical activity, so should you before playing your guitar. Consider the fact that any physically demanding activities you do requires your blood & oxygen to be flowing properly through the muscles to their fullest range of motion. Without stretching, your blood wont fully extend into the muscles at their farthest range. So as you start to exert energy, your blood & oxygen do their best to push their way into your muscle fibers. Its very similar to how motor oil lubricates the gears in a car to minimize any harsh friction. Without proper lubrication, the parts will not only work improperly, but run a high risk of being badly damaged. So the main idea with stretching is to ensure that your blood is flowing fully into the muscles you are working. By doing this, youre body wont be fighting itself to work through its full range of motion, and you will be operating at your full capacity in a healthy way. Its for your own good!
*This is an important point that you NEED to put to use*

Of course youre just playing guitar, youre not trying to lift weights or run a marathon. But the same principle applies. If you want to be in your best form, and playing to your fullest potential, then stretching WILL make a difference. Think about what happens when your fingers move. Theres actually a chain-reaction of many things going on just to wiggle your finger. Your brain sends a signal to your body telling it to move. This basically triggers the muscles in your shoulders, arms, hands, and finally your fingers to move. So blood & oxygen flow is important not only to your fretting finger, but to your entire body, at least between your brain & all the way through to your finger-tips. Im not saying you have to do a 30 minute stretch routine every time you play, but at the very least, its good to shake loose your arms, hands, and fingers to stimulate healthy blood flow. I am always stretching my hands and fingers with my other hand. This definitely helps to keep me limber and flexible for all the things I am doing on my guitar.
RANGE OF MOTION
While we are thinking in terms of blood flow and stretching, lets think about the actual range of motion we are using in our individual fingers when we are playing our guitars. Like I had mentioned earlier, usually your 1st few fingers do most of the work while your other fingers are on standby. Chances are that those working fingers are much more flexible and strong because you use them more. You demand more from them, so they adapt to what you require them to do; giving you a fuller range of motion. Now suppose you demand more from your weaker fingers, and you make an effort to use them as often as your stronger fingers. What will happen, no doubt, is that you will see them growing stronger & taking on more musical responsibility. If the range of motion in our fingers is stretched to its fullest degree, then well likely be able to play better. So this really should be a goal to strive for, of course!
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Stretch Form
When you look at the way your hand is positioned on the neck, youll see that each adjacent finger falls naturally to the next closest fret when in any given position. So you could say that: your fingers naturally cover the span of four frets without stretching. Lets take a look at how we are about to apply finger stretches to the 6 Two Finger Groupings. I have decided to limit all of the following stretches to 2 frets above the natural position. Take the 1 - 2 grouping for example. If you start on the 1st fret of the guitar, fingers 1 & 2 fall naturally to the 1st & 2nd frets. I would consider that the natural position. See image below:
natural position
Now if you keep your 1st finger planted on the 1st fret while moving your 2nd finger to the 3rd fret, then that would be a 1 fret stretch. If you keep your 1st finger planted on the 1st fret and move your 2nd finger once more to the 4th fret, then that would be a 2 fret stretch. You can stretch as much as you want to, or are able to. Be careful not to strain & hurt yourself though.
1 fret stretch 2 fret stretch
If you can stretch 3-4 or more frets thats great! A better reach will open a lot of doors for your phrasing possibilities.
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Tips on Dicult Stretch Forms

As you do these stretching exercises, you should try to keep both fingers hovering as close as you can to their designated frets, if not planted directly onto each fret. However, you may find this is very difficult, if not impossible to maintain the span of a full stretch for some of the wider reaching exercises. If this is the case, its okay for you to let up with your anchoring finger in order to reach the fret you are aiming for. You can shift your hand a little towards that note if you need to, just try to hold as big of a stretch as you can. This will help develop strength through the fullest range of stretching motion that your fingers are capable of. ************************************************************************* Take note that some of these stretches are difficult when you are in the 1st fret position. You can slide the pattern of these exercises further up the neck (towards the 12th fret) to ease the strain of difficult stretches. And again, if you do these exercises regularly, youll find that they will become easier for you to do, and your stretch & hands will get stronger as well. *************************************************************************
STRETCH VARIATIONS
If you take the 6 Two Finger Groups and stretch up to 2 frets maximum with them, then there will be a total of 12 stretch variations; there are 24 if you count the descending pattern of each Group (2-1 as opposed to 1-2).
*18 variations for 3 frets, 24 for 4 frets, etc, etc, etc...*

All 12 variations will be exhausted through 6 groups of four exercises in the exercises in the next few pages. But 1st lets take a closer look at how the stretches are formatted per each Two Finger Group.
FINGER STRETCHING FORMAT

The Finger Stretching exercises are based on each of the 6 Two Finger Groups. For each of the 6 Groups, there will be 4 exercises that are applied to it. ************************ See Exercise (13) - (16)*************************** Exercise (13) is a Parallel Motion, an ascending then descending motion as are all the others. The 1st grouping (1-2) ascends. For example: 1 - 2 . This is all applied with a One Fret Stretch. Exercise (14) is the same format as well, but the (1-2) grouping descends now. For example: 2 - 1. Also with a One Fret Stretch. Exercise (15) is the same as the (13), but with a Two Fret Stretch. (13) Exercise (16) descends like (14), but with a Two Fret Stretch. ************************************************************************* Group 1-2 stretches for all 4 exercises would be played with the 1st & 2nd fingers only So in Exercises (13) and (14), you would fret the 1st & 3rd only. frets. While in Exercises (15) and (16) you would fret the 1st & 4th frets.
* *See the grouping + the fingering with stretches applied below: Group
1-2 2-3 3-4 1-3 2-4 1-4 = = = = = =
Grouping #1 Grouping #2 Grouping #3 Grouping #4 Grouping #5 Grouping #6
1 fret stretch
1-3 2-4 3-5 1-4 2-5 1-5 (1 fret) (1 fret) (1 fret) (1 fret) (1 fret) (1 fret)
& & & & & &
2 fret stretch
1-4 2-5 3-6 1-5 2-6 1-6 (2 frets) (2 frets) (2 frets) (2 frets) (2 frets) (2 frets)
*There is a total of 12 stretch variations*

22
1-2 / 2-1
Fingering Group 1
1 3 1 3 1 1 1 1 3 3 3 3
1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3
3 3 3 3 3 3 1 1 1 1 1
1 3
1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1
23
2-3 / 3-2
Fingering Group 2
2 2 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 5
5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5
5 5 5 5 5 5 2 2 2 2 2
2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2
24
3-4 / 4-3
Fingering Group 3
3 5 3 5 3 5 3 3 3 3 5 5 5 5 3 5 3 5 3 5 3 5 3 5
5 3 5 3 5 3 5 5 5 5 3 3 3 3 5 3 5 3 5 3 5 3 5 3
3 3 3 3 3 3 6 6 6 6 6
6 3 6 3 6 3 6 3 6 3 6
6 6 6 6 6 6 3 3 3 3 3
3 6 3 6 3 6 3 6 3 6 3
25
1-3 / 3-1
Fingering Group 4
1 5 1 5 1 1 1 1 5 5 5 5
1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5
5 5 5 5 5 5 1 1 1 1 1
1 5
1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5 1
26
2-4 / 4-2
Fingering Group 5
2 2 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 5
5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5
5 5 5 5 5 5 2 2 2 2 2
2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2
2 2 2 2 2 2 6 6 6 6 6
6 2 6 2 6 2 6 2 6 2 6
6 6 6 6 6 6 2 2 2 2 2
2 6 2 6 2 6 2 6 2 6 2
27
1-4 / 4-1
Fingering Group 6
1 5 1 5 1 1 1 1 5 5 5 5
1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5
5 5 5 5 5 5 1 1 1 1 1
1 5
1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5 1
1 1 1 1 1 1 6 6 6 6 6
6 1 6 1 6 1 6 1 6 1 6
6 6 6 6 6 6 1 1 1 1 1
1 6 1 6 1 6 1 6 1 6 1
28
Every difficulty slurred over will be a ghost to disturb your repose later on. -Frdric Chopin (1810-1849)
29
MORE STRING SKIPPING

To recap briefly, lets look at how we worked on the string skipping exercises from Book One. Take a look at the example below:
E B G D A E
1 1
1 1
1 1
1 1
1 1
1 1
1 1
1 1
And then we progressively added wider string skipping to the routine. See the DOUBLE, TRIPLE, & QUADRUPLE string skip examples below:
E B G D A E
1 1 1
1 1
1 1
1 1
1 1
1 1
1 1
1 1
1 1
1 1 1
Those demonstrate the basic string skipping motion used throughout Book Ones: Parallel, Reverse, & Alternating Motion sections. I would definitely recommend that you apply all 6 of the Two Finger Groups to all of the string skipping motions from above. ************************************************************************* There are 8 variations of string skips introduced into this next section from Exercise (37) through (45x). In (45x) you need to combine: all 8 string skip variations all 5 remaining Finger Groups (I notated the 1st group 1-2) all of the 1 & 2 fret stretching concepts I didnt bother notating ALL of those exercise, but if I had there would be a total 576 of them. That iS a lot, but DO ALL OF THEM!!! 8 string skip variations x 6 Finger Groups = (48) x 12 Stretch variations = 576 total exercises!
30
I think you would agree that it is a waste of space to have notated all of them. So you need to do all of these on your own. Use Exercise (37) - (44) as a model to guide you through the motions. Youll just have to change up the Finger Groups & the Stretch variations as you exhaust each one. Sure, 576 is a lot of exercises. If you played each one in 5 seconds (which is realistic) it would take you 48 minutes to play all of them. If you apply the 2 motions: Reverse & Alternating (they are already in Parallel format) to those 576 youd then have 1,728 exercises to work through. Chances are that you can easily recognize these forms & patterns as they are laid out. But its likely that you never use even a small fraction of them. ************************************************************************* So in the spirit of improving your playing, you should try them ALL! Who knows how many great ideas you may have in the process?! ************************************************************************* In Exercise (37) - you start the 1-2 group on the (E6) string with an ascending 1-2 pattern. Then you skip to higher & higher strings, but cycle back & forth to the (E6) string every other note. You do this until you reach your (E1) string. *This is a form of Pedal Point phrasing which well take a better look at in the next chapter* In Exercise (38) - you do exactly the same thing as (37), except this time you start on the E1 string and work your way towards the E6 string, using the same ascending 1-2 pattern. In Exercise (39) - the same thing happens, only this time you use a 2-1 descending pattern starting on the E6 string. In Exercise (40) - the same thing again, only you descend with the 2-1 pattern starting on the E1 string. - (These permutations continue similarly for 4 more Exercises)-
*Now, lets move on to the new string-skipping exercises*

8 String Skipping Variations
1 1 2
2 1 2
2 1 2
2 1 2
1 1 2
2 1 2
2 1 2
2 1 2
2 1 2
2 1 2
2 1 2
2 1 2
2 1 2
2 2 1
1 2 1
1 2 1
1 2 1
2 2 1
1 2 1
1 2 1
1 2 1
1 2 1
1 2 1
1 2 1
1 2 1
1 2 1
1 1 2
2 1 2
2 1 2
2 1 2
2 1 2
2 1 2
2 1 2
2 1 2
2 1 2
2 1 2
2 1 2
2 1 2
2 1 2
2 2 1
1 2 1
1 2 1
1 2 1
1 2 1
1 2 1
1 2 1
1 2 1
1 2 1
1 2 1
1 2 1
1 2 1
1 2 1
32
8 string skip variations x 6 Finger Groups x 12 Stretch variations = 576 total exercises!
To help you stay focused enough to actually get through all 576 of these, Heres a reference guide to assist you with the changing fret configurations: *The 8 string skip variations are out-lined to the left.* Follow the motion of all 8 of those as you move through each of the Groups & Stretches below, replacing the 1-2 group with the other 5 groups. Follow each Group from left to right starting with the Grouping #1, followed by the 1 fret stretch, and then the 2 fret stretch columns. You would play the 8 exercises for each of these 3 columns. Then move to the next row with Grouping #2 next, play the 8, continue to each column, etc... ************************************************************************* Grouping #1 Grouping #2 Grouping #3 Grouping #4 Grouping #5
Group
1-2 2-3 3-4 1-3 2-4
+
=
1 fret stretch
1-3 (1 fret) 2-4 (1 fret) 3-5 (1 fret) 1-4 (1 fret) 2-5 (1 fret)
& & & & &
2 fret stretch
1-4 (2 frets) 2-5 (2 frets) 3-6 (2 frets) 1-5 (2 frets) 2-6 (2 frets)
= = = =
Grouping #6 1 - 4 = 1-5 (1 fret) & 1-6 (2 frets) ************************************************************************* Of course you can work through these any way you wish. Id encourage you to be creative & come up with your own routines. Just have fun with these, and really, REALLY focus on getting your fingers moving fluently.
Pedal Point & Pedal Tones

This is a motion device in music where one note (or tone) is sustained while a separate melody moves around. This is a really cool phrasing technique that you can use to give your melody lines the feeling of holding a note while running through a scale at the same time. In the previous sections you saw Pedal Point put to use, but there is usually only 1 Pedal Tone, not 2 of them like you see below in Exercise (37): Pedal Tone
1 1 2
2 1 2
2 1 2
2 1 2
1 1 2
2 1 2
2 1 2
What could be considered a Pedal Point in the above example is the reoccurring, somewhat sustained return to the 1st & 2nd frets of the (E6) string. As the 2 note groups move away from the (E6) string, they sort of keep checking back in every couple of notes; its a basic pedal point form. checking in To the RIGHT are examples A-F. Each demonstrate how Pedal Point motion can be used in different ways. You want to pay attention mostly to the note that keeps reoccurring, the Pedal Tone. ************************************************************************* example A & B - are motions similar to what was in the string skipping exercise above. Ascend & descend while pedaling on the fixed 1st fret of the (E6) string. Try to create some fixed exercises with the other 5 Groups. example C & D - (C) pedals on the 12th fret (E1) string, while stretching and descending through a symmetrical run. (D) does something that is very similar, but in reverse form. example E & F - pedals off of the open strings, while moving up & down chromatically until similarly reaching the octave of the pedal tone. ************************************************************************* Of course these are just random examples of what you could do. The main idea is to recognize the pedal tone that is sustained throughout. These are based loosely on a 1-2 grouping, try to use all of the other groupings as well.
34
2 1 1
2 1
2 1
2 1 1
2 1
2 1
1 2
1 2
1 2
1 2
1 2
1 2
1 2
2 1
9
2
12
1 2
12 11
1 2
12 10
1
9
2
12
etc...
12 11 10 12 9 11 10 9 12 12 12 12
11 12 10 12
1 2
2 1
1 2
10
1 2
11 9
2
12
etc...
10 10 11 9 9 12 9 9 9 11 12
10
11
12
1
0 1 0
2
2 0
1
3 0
2
4 0
1
5 0
2
6 0
1
7 0
2
8 0
1
9 0
2
10 0
1
11 0
2
12
1 2
0 11 12 0
1 2
9 10 0
1
7
2
8 0
1 2
5 6 0
1
3
2
4 0
1 2
1 2 0
1 2
13 14 0
11 12
35
Pedal Point + Stretch Variations

To utilize Pedal Point with 2 fingers, I put together a set of exercises that use ascending & descending patterns (1-2 and 2-1, etc.). Here are the 6 Two Finger Groups with 6 ascending & 6 descending variations each that utilize a short range of Pedal Point motion. There are 12 total per group. ************************************************************************* Exercises (46) - (57) are the 12 exercises that exhaust the combinations for the 1-2/ 2-1 Finger Group There are 72 total for all of the 6 Groups. These start after the Pedal Point + Stretching Variations chart shown on the following pages. ************************************************************************* For Exercise (46) I only notated that motion ascending through 6 strings. Then the following exercise (47), is the backwards Motion of (46). This format continues through the rest of the Pedal Point stretch variations. For the rest of these exercises (58) - (117) I decided to notate them mostly because the shapes change a lot and its easy to confuse them. So, I went ahead and set them all to print for your convenience. ************************************************************************* The chart on the following pages puts all of the Pedal Point & Stretch Variations into perspective. There are 12 variations within each Two Finger Group. The chart shows how they are related, & how they can be exhausted. I encourage you to spend some time with this, and to think of your own creative ways to work out all the possibilities contained within it. As far as Pedal Point is concerned, these exercises really arent the best way to show what the motion is capable of. A more thorough explanation would include phrases that revolve around a key center. The Pedal Tone can be used as a means to direct the flow of the melodic structure, or to imply a chord progression. However, this Book of Two Finger exercises is designed to exploit the possible 2 finger functions. For extensive Pedal Point phrase applications, youll find that using it with all four of your fingers & with specific key signatures will take you much further than a somewhat limited Two Finger approach can. Just imagine what an organist, or pianist who use 10 fingers plus their feet can do with the Pedal Point motion.
36
logic will get you from A to B. imagination will take you everywhere. -Albert Einstein
Pedal Point + Stretch Groups 1 - 2 - 3

*************************************************************************
1-2 / 2-1
Fingering Group 1
Ascending 1-2 1-3 1-4 1-2 1-4 1-3 1-3 1-2 1-4 1-3 1-4 1-2 1-4 1-2 1-3 1-4 1-3 1-2
Descending 4-1 3-1 2-1 3-1 4-1 2-1 4-1 2-1 3-1 2-1 4-1 3-1 3-1 2-1 4-1 2-1 3-1 4-1
*************************************************************************
2-3 / 3-2
Fingering Group 2
Ascending 2-3 2-4 2-5 2-3 2-5 2-4 2-4 2-3 2-5 2-4 2-5 2-3 2-5 2-3 2-4 2-5 2-4 2-3
Descending 5-2 4-2 3-2 4-2 5-2 3-2 5-2 3-2 4-2 3-2 5-2 4-2 4-2 3-2 5-2 3-2 4-2 5-2
*************************************************************************
3-4 / 4-3
Fingering Group 3
Ascending 3-4 3-5 3-6 3-4 3-6 3-5 3-5 3-4 3-6 3-5 3-6 3-4 3-6 3-4 3-5 3-6 3-5 3-4
Descending 6-3 5-3 4-3 5-3 6-3 4-3 6-3 4-3 5-3 4-3 6-3 5-3 5-3 4-3 6-3 4-3 5-3 6-3
38
Pedal Point + Stretch Groups 4 - 5 - 6

*************************************************************************
1-3 / 3-1
Fingering Group 4
Ascending 1-3 1-4 1-5 1-3 1-5 1-4 1-4 1-3 1-5 1-4 1-5 1-3 1-5 1-3 1-4 1-5 1-4 1-3
Descending 5-1 4-1 3-1 4-1 5-1 3-1 5-1 3-1 4-1 3-1 5-1 4-1 4-1 3-1 5-1 3-1 4-1 5-1
*************************************************************************
2-4 / 4-2
Fingering Group 5
Ascending 2-4 2-5 2-6 2-4 2-6 2-5 2-5 2-4 2-6 2-5 2-6 2-4 2-6 2-4 2-5 2-6 2-5 2-4
Descending 6-2 5-2 4-2 5-2 6-2 4-2 6-2 4-2 5-2 4-2 6-2 5-2 5-2 4-2 6-2 4-2 5-2 6-2
*************************************************************************
1-4 / 4-1
Fingering Group 6
Ascending 1-4 1-5 1-6 1-4 1-6 1-5 1-5 1-4 1-6 1-5 1-6 1-4 1-6 1-4 1-5 1-6 1-5 1-4
Descending 6-1 5-1 4-1 5-1 6-1 4-1 6-1 4-1 5-1 4-1 6-1 5-1 5-1 4-1 6-1 4-1 5-1 6-1
39
Pedal Point + Stretch Group #1
1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 3 1 4 1 3 1 4 1 3 1 4 1 3 1 4
1 3
1 4
1 3
1 2
1 4 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 3 1 2 1
1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 4 1 3 1 4 1 3 1 4 1 3 1 4 1 3 1 4 1 3
1 4
1 3
1 3
1 4
1 2 1 3 1 4 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 2 1 3 1 4 1
1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 4
1 2
1 4
1 2
1 3
1 4 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 2 1 3 1
40
1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 4 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 4 1 2
1 4
1 2
1 4
1 3
1 2 1 4 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 3 1
1 4 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 3
1 2
1 3
1 2
1 4
1 3 1 2 1 4 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 3 1 2 1 4 1
1 4 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 3 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 3 1 2
1 3
1 2
1 3
1 4
1 2 1 3 1 4 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 2 1 3 1 4 1
41
2 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 3 2 4 2 5 3 2 4 2 5 3 2 4 2 5 3 2 4 2 5
2 5 2 4 2 3 2 5 2 4 2 3 2 5 2 4 2 3 2 5 2 4 2 3 2 5 2 4 2 3 2
2 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 5 2 4 3 2 5 2 4 3 2 5 2 4 3 2 5 2 4 3 2 5 2 4
2 4 2 5 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 3 2
2 2 2 2 2 2 4 2 3 2 5 4 2 3 2 5 4 2 3 2 5 4 2 3 2 5 4 2 3 2 5
2 5 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 3 2 4 2
42
2 2 2 2 2 2 4 2 5 2 3 4 2 5 2 3 4 2 5 2 3 4 2 5 2 3 4 2 5 2 3
2 3 2 5 2 4 2 3 2 5 2 4 2 3 2 5 2 4 2 3 2 5 2 4 2 3 2 5 2 4 2
2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 3 2 4 2 3 2 4 2 3 2 4 2 3 2 4 2 3 2 4
2 4 2 3 2 5 2 4 2 3 2 5 2 4 2 3 2 5 2 4 2 3 2 5 2 4 2 3 2 5 2
2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 4 2 3 2 4 2 3 2 4 2 3 2 4 2 3 2 4 2 3
2 3 2 4 2 5 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 3 2 4 2 5 2
43
3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 5 3 6 3 5 3 6 3 5 3 6 3 5 3 6 3 5 3 6
6 3
3 6 3 5 3 4 3 6 3 5 3 4 3 6 3 5 3 4 3 6 3 5 3 4 3 6 3 5 3 4 3
3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 6 3 5 3 6 3 5 3 6 3 5 3 6 3 5 3 6 3 5
5 3
3 5 3 6 3 4 3 5 3 6 3 4 3 5 3 6 3 4 3 5 3 6 3 4 3 5 3 6 3 4 3
3 5 3 5 3 5 3 5 3 5 3 5 3 4 3 6 3 4 3 6 3 4 3 6 3 4 3 6 3 4 3 6
6 3
3 6 3 4 3 5 3 6 3 4 3 5 3 6 3 4 3 5 3 6 3 4 3 5 3 6 3 4 3 5 3
44
3 5 3 5 3 5 3 5 3 5 3 5 3 6 3 4 3 6 3 4 3 6 3 4 3 6 3 4 3 6 3 4
3 4 3 6 3 5 3 4 3 6 3 5 3 4 3 6 3 5 3 4 3 6 3 5 3 4 3 6 3 5 3
3 6 3 6 3 6 3 6 3 6 3 6 3 4 3 5 3 4 3 5 3 4 3 5 3 4 3 5 3 4 3 5
5 3
3 5 3 4 3 6 3 5 3 4 3 6 3 5 3 4 3 6 3 5 3 4 3 6 3 5 3 4 3 6 3
3 6 3 6 3 6 3 6 3 6 3 6 3 5 3 4 3 5 3 4 3 5 3 4 3 5 3 4 3 5 3 4
3 4 3 5 3 6 3 4 3 5 3 6 3 4 3 5 3 6 3 4 3 5 3 6 3 4 3 5 3 6 3
45
1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 4 1 5 1 4 1 5 1 4 1 5 1 4 1 5
1 4
1 5
1 4
1 3
1 5 1 4 1 3 1 5 1 4 1 3 1 5 1 4 1 3 1 5 1 4 1 3 1 5 1 4 1 3 1
1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 5 1 4 1 5 1 4 1 5 1 4 1 5 1 4 1 5 1 4
1 5
1 4
4 1 5 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 3 1
1 4 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 3 1 5 1 3 1 5 1 3 1 5 1 3 1 5 1 3 1 5
1 3
1 5
1 3
1 4
1 5 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 3 1 4 1
46
1 4 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 5 1 3 1 5 1 3 1 5 1 3 1 5 1 3 1 5 1 3
1 5
1 3
1 5
1 4
1 3 1 5 1 4 1 3 1 5 1 4 1 3 1 5 1 4 1 3 1 5 1 4 1 3 1 5 1 4 1
1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5 1 3 1 4 1 3 1 4 1 3 1 4 1 3 1 4 1 3 1 4
1 3
1 4
4 1 3 1 5 1 4 1 3 1 5 1 4 1 3 1 5 1 4 1 3 1 5 1 4 1 3 1 5 1 4 1 3 1 5 1
1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5 1 4 1 3 1 4 1 3 1 4 1 3 1 4 1 3 1 4 1 3
1 4
1 3
1 4
1 5
1 3 1 4 1 5 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 3 1 4 1 5 1
47
2 2 2 2 2 2 4 2 5 2 6 4 2 5 2 6 4 2 5 2 6 4 2 5 2 6 4 2 5 2 6
2 6 2 5 2 4 2 6 2 5 2 4 2 6 2 5 2 4 2 6 2 5 2 4 2 6 2 5 2 4 2
2 2 2 2 2 2 4 2 6 2 5 4 2 6 2 5 4 2 6 2 5 4 2 6 2 5 4 2 6 2 5
2 5 2 6 2 4 2 5 2 6 2 4 2 5 2 6 2 4 2 5 2 6 2 4 2 5 2 6 2 4 2
2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 4 1 6 2 4 2 6 2 4 2 6 2 4 2 6 2 4 2 6
2 6 2 4 2 5 2 6 2 4 2 5 2 6 2 4 2 5 2 6 2 4 2 5 2 6 2 4 2 5 2
48
2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 6 2 4 2 6 2 4 2 6 2 4 2 6 2 4 2 6 2 4
2 4 2 6 2 5 2 4 2 6 2 5 2 4 2 6 2 5 2 4 2 6 2 5 2 4 2 6 2 5 2
2 2 2 2 2 2 6 2 4 2 5 6 2 4 2 5 6 2 4 2 5 6 2 4 2 5 6 2 4 2 5
2 5 2 4 2 6 2 5 2 4 2 6 2 5 2 4 2 6 2 5 2 4 2 6 2 5 2 4 2 6 2
2 2 2 2 2 2 6 2 5 2 4 6 2 5 2 4 6 2 5 2 4 6 2 5 2 4 6 2 5 2 4
2 4 2 5 2 6 2 4 2 5 2 6 2 4 2 5 2 6 2 4 2 5 2 6 2 4 2 5 2 6 2
49
1 4 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 5 1 6 1 5 1 6 1 5 1 6 1 5 1 6
1 5
1 6
1 5
1 4
1 6 1 5 1 4 1 6 1 5 1 4 1 6 1 5 1 4 1 6 1 5 1 4 1 6 1 5 1 4 1
1 4 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 6 1 5 1 6 1 5 1 6 1 5 1 6 1 5 1 6 1 5
1 6
1 5
1 6
1 4
1 5 1 6 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 4 1
1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5 1 4 1 6 1 4 1 6 1 4 1 6 1 4 1 6 1 4 1 6
1 4
1 6
1 4
1 5
1 6 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 4 1 5 1
50
1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5 1 6 1 4 1 6 1 4 1 6 1 4 1 6 1 4 1 6 1 4
1 6
1 4
1 4 1 6 1 5 1 4 1 6 1 5 1 4 1 6 1 5 1 4 1 6 1 5 1 4 1 6 1 5 1
1 6 1 6 1 6 1 6 1 6 1 6 1 4 1 5 1 4 1 5 1 4 1 5 1 4 1 5 1 4 1 5
1 4
1 5
1 4
1 6
1 5 1 4 1 6 1 5 1 4 1 6 1 5 1 4 1 6 1 5 1 4 1 6 1 5 1 4 1 6 1
1 6 1 6 1 6 1 6 1 6 1 6 1 5 1 4 1 5 1 4 1 5 1 4 1 5 1 4 1 5 1 4
1 5
1 4
1 4 1 5 1 6 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 4 1 5 1 6 1
51
An Introduction to
INTERVAL ANALYSIS
part II
52
In Book One, we spent some time analyzing intervals within a one Octave range. Here in the 2nd Book, well look at all of the intervals within a two Octave range. There are 25 intervals total if you count the root note & both octaves. The range of 2 octaves exhausts most all possible tensions. This is because after that, all the notes basically repeat themselves at higher (or lower) octaves. So no new notes are really introduced, therefore no new tensions are created. Tension- is when you combine 2 or more notes (pitches) & the effect that they create. Basically, the combination of various pitches creates consonance and/or dissonance, leaving the listener with the expectation of some form of resolution.
*********************TWO OCTAVE INTERVALS*********************** - this is a 0 fret interval/ or unison (#1) Root 1st - this is a 1 fret interval/ or step Minor 2nd - this is a 2 fret interval/ or 1 full step Major 2nd - this is a 3 fret interval/ or 1 steps Minor 3rd - this is a 4 fret interval/ or 2 steps Major 3rd - this is a 5 fret interval/ or 2 steps Perfect 4th - this is a 6 fret interval/ or 3 steps (diminished) Flat 5th - this is a 7 fret interval/ or 3 steps Perfect 5th - this is a 8 fret interval/ or 4 steps (augmented) Minor 6th - this is a 9 fret interval/ or 4 steps Major 6th Dominant 7th - this is a 10 fret interval/ or 5 steps (or flat 7th) - this is a 11 fret interval/ or 5 steps Major 7th - this is a 12 fret interval/ or 6 steps (unison #2) Octave 1 - this is a 13 fret interval/ or 6 step (minor 2nd) b9th - this is a 14 fret interval/ or 7 steps (Major 2nd) Major 9th - this is a 15 fret interval/ or 7 steps (minor 10th) #9th - this is a 16 fret interval/ or 8 steps (Major 3rd) Major 10th - this is a 17 fret interval/ or 8 steps (Perfect 4th) Perfect 11th - this is a 18 fret interval/ or 9 steps (tritone) #11th - this is a 19 fret interval/ or 9 steps (Perfect 5th) Perfect 12th - this is a 20 fret interval/ or 10 steps (minor 6th) b13th - this is a 21 fret interval/ or 10 steps (Major 6th) 13th - this is a 22 fret interval/ or 11 steps (Dominant) #13th - this is a 23 fret interval/ or 11 steps (Major 7th) Major 7th - this is a 24 fret interval/ or 12 steps (unison #3) Octave 2
Intervals & Dyads

Intervals are simply the distance from one note to another note. Or thinking in terms of key signatures, chords, & scales: from one starting note to a series of other notes in relation to that same initial note. This creates a sort of family, where all of the members (notes) of the family family family family family are related to each other in some way, and all of them are based on the same root. All of these relationships are unique. Some of them have a lot in common and get along very well, where some totally clash with each get along harsh feelings. other and create harsh feelings. Some of them are more neutral by nature. But they all have distinct personalities that can be called on to create any effect that you wish to use. ************************************************************************* Ive outlined the basic steps & the names of all intervals within 1 octave in Book One. We even applied the use of each interval in a round-a-bout sort of way through the arpeggio exercises. In this Book, Ive outlined the rest of the intervals through 2 full octaves. I want to expand your understanding of intervals by giving you a visual representation of how they apply to your fretboard. On the following page you can see each interval in relation to its root, or starting note. Which in this case is the A note on the 5th fret of the (E6) string. * *All roots are indicated as: (5) on the (E6) string* Additionally, I want to introduce the idea of playing dyads while you are thinking about intervals. A dyad is when you play 2 notes simultaneously (harmonic or a harmony). Up to this point, all of the notes in these exercises have been played one at a time (melodic or a melody). But with dyads you will be playing 2 notes at once. A dyad can be considered a type of chord, but generally chords are comprised of 3 or more notes. On the following page, you will see in every measure: the root note, the interval (+ alternate frets to play the interval), and then a dyad at the end. This will allow you to see how the interval looks separated from the root & also how it looks conjoined with the root. Following that we will see how dyads can be applied chromatically, as well as diatonically.
54
25 INTERVALS/ ROOT+INTERVAL = Dyad
(5)
0 (5)
(5)
1 (5)
(5)
2 (5)
(5)
3 (5)
(5)
4 (5)
(5)
10
5 (5)
1 (5)
6 (5)
2 (5)
7 (5)
3 (5)
8 (5)
4 (5)
9 (5)
5 (5)
1 10 10 (5) (5)
6 (5) (5)
7 (5) (5)
8 (5) (5)
9 (5)
5 (5)
2 10 10 (5) (5)
6 (5) (5)
7 (5) (5)
8 (5) (5)
9 (5)
6 (5)
2 10 10 (5) (5)
7 (5) (5)
8 (5) (5)
9 (5) (5)
10
10 (5)
55
Music Symbolism
Id just like to point out a few ways to identify more clearly what is being implied by how certain intervals are named. This will help you gain a deeper understanding of the what & the why of all of the various interval names. It helps to see that there really is a method to the madness. ************************************************************************* Notice that in most cases, Major is written with an upper-case M (and sometimes just M ) to signify that it is a Major chord or interval. In the case of minor, the m is generally indicated in lower-case lettering (and sometimes just m ) to signify that it is a minor chord or interval. ************************************************************************* When you see Perfect, this usually indicates a perfect 4th or 5th interval. Named because of their strong harmonious consonance in relation to the root note. Its also indicated by (P), and generally its not notated at all. ************************************************************************* When you see Flat (b) or Sharp (#), this indicates that a note has been lowered (flat), or raised (sharp) by one fret or semi-tone. ************************************************************************* When you see Diminished or Augmented, they basically have the same function. For example a diminished 5th would mean that the 5th interval is flat, where if you say augmented 5th that would mean the 5th interval is sharp. Most often, you will see that diminished & augmented refers to the Perfect 5th interval. However it can be applied to all other intervals in the same way. Basically, diminished means flat, and augmented means sharp. Diminished is often referred to as: dim or by the symbol o. For example: A diminished could be read as: A dim, or Ao. Augmented is often referred to as: aug or by the symbol +. For example: A augmented could be read as: A aug, or A+. ************************************************************************* These 2 alterations are also known as the TRi-TONE, or the diabolus in musica, named because of the restless, dissonant quality. These intervals were avoided completely in early music because of their creepy, dissonant, & inharmonious quality. But have been found since to be great for contrast. *************************************************************************
56
As explained previously, the Root note, or root tone is the 1st note of a given key signature. The Octave is just the root note at a higher or lower pitch. The frequency, or speed of the root notes wave is twice as fast at the higher octave, and 1/2 as slow at the lower octave. This is what is meant by being in-tune. The actual waveforms are vibrating in perfect unison. Unison is just how the word sounds....think unity, or the exact same note. ************************************************************************* If you see Dominant (or Dom) then that is referring to the 5th interval of a given key. Sometimes it can denote a 5th interval to a note other than the root note, but usually this indicates a 5th away from the root note. The dominant 5th has the strongest resolution value to the root note of any other interval. This makes the Dom/5th a great way to resolve a melody! ************************************************************************* When you look at intervals they have numbers attached to them. For instance a minor 2nd, Major 3rd, Diminished 5th, or Major 7th, etc... These given numbers refer the notes of the Major scale. For example, a Major 3rd would be the 3rd not of the Major scale in the given key. ************************************************************************* In the next section we will play through some dyad shapes that move chromatically using each interval found within a 2 octave range. Although they dont sound as harmonious as moving through a diatonic, or Major scale chord sequence; they will get you more familiar with the sound and quality of each interval as they sound on their own. Pay attention to the moveable shape of each dyad that you play as you move them up the neck. And as this Book is dealing with Two Finger exercises, these dyads make a great way explore different fingerings for each interval shape. You can (almost) use any Finger Group for any interval shape. Try to find the best possible Finger Group to fret each of the following dyads. And of course, try to experiment with ALL of the Finger Groups, not just the easiest ones to play. And keep all of the stretch fingerings in mind as you go through these, because they will all apply as well. *************************************************************************
25 DYAD FINGERING
CHROMATIC DYAD INTERVALS
0 5
1 6
2 7
3 8
4 9
5 10
6 11
2 7
3 8
4 9
5 10
6 11
7 12
8 13
1 5
2 6
3 7
4 8
5 9
6 10
7 11
3 7
4 8
5 9
6 10
7 11
8 12
9 13
2 5
3 6
4 7
5 8
6 9
7 10
8 11
4 7
5 8
6 9
7 10
8 11
9 12
10 13
3 5
4 6
5 7
6 8
7 9
8 10
9 11
5 7
6 8
7 9
8 10
9 11
10 12
11 13
4 5
5 6
6 7
7 8
8 9
9 10
10 11
6 7
7 8
8 9
9 10
10 11
11 12
12 13
58
5 5
6 6
7 7
8 8
9 9
10 10
11 11
7 7
8 8
9 9
10 10
11 11
12 12
13 13
6 5
7 6
8 7
9 8
10 9
11 10
12 11
8 7
9 8
10 9
11 10
12 11
13 12
14 13
7 5
8 6
9 7
10 8
11 9
12 10
13 11
9 7
10 8
11 9
12 10
13 11
14 12
15 13
8 5
9 6
10 7
11 8
12 9
13 10
14 11
10 7
11 8
12 9
13 10
14 11
15 12
16 13
6 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 7 11
7 8
8 9
9 10
10 11
11 12
12 13
59
7 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 11 7 11
8 8
9 9
10 10
11 11
12 12
13 13
8 6 5 7 6 8 7 9 8 10 9 11 10 12 7 11
9 8
10 9
11 10
12 11
13 12
14 13
9 7 5 8 6 9 7 10 8 11 9 12 10 13 7 11
10 8
11 9
12 10
13 11
14 12
15 13
10 8 5 9 6 10 7 11 8 12 9 13 10 14 7 11
11 8
12 9
13 10
14 11
15 12
16 13
7 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 7 11
8 8
9 9
10 10
11 11
12 12
13 13
60
8 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 11 7 11
9 8
10 9
11 10
12 11
13 12
14 13
9 6 5 7 6 8 7 9 8 10 9 11 10 12 7 11
10 8
11 9
12 10
13 11
14 12
15 13
10 7 5 8 6 9 7 10 8 11 9 12 10 13 7 11
11 8
12 9
13 10
14 11
15 12
16 13
6 8 5 9 6 10 7 11 8 12 9 13 10 14 7 11
7 8
8 9
9 10
10 11
11 12
12 13
7 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 11 7 11
8 8
9 9
10 10
11 11
12 12
13 13
61
8 6 5 7 6 8 7 9 8 10 9 11 10 12 7 11
9 8
10 9
11 10
12 11
13 12
14 13
9 7 5 8 6 9 7 10 8 11 9 12 10 13 7 11
10 8
11 9
12 10
13 11
14 12
15 13
10 8 5 9 6 10 7 11 8 12 9 13 10 14 7 11
11 8
12 9
13 10
14 11
15 12
16 13
11 8 5 9 6 10 7 11 8 12 9 13 10 14 7 11
12 8
13 9
14 10
15 11
16 12
17 13
10
11
12 7
13 8
14 9
15 10
16 11
17 12
18 13
10
11
62
These dyad shapes are great to know. You should memorize each one of them. They are the building blocks of triads (or chords), while also being the fundamental basis of any melodic structure. By understanding these intervals you will know the effect each melodic step creates, and therefore taking a lot of the guess-work out of your phrasing. At that point you can start interchanging & combining them to create more interesting sounds. The possibilities are practically unlimited in this regard. Consider that a tritone (chord) is built by 3 or more notes. So a chord is basically taking 2 dyads and putting one on top of the other. There are 25 intervals if you include the root & both octaves. This would give you 625 possible ways to re-arrange these dyads. And I would encourage you to try and do just that! Ill give you a Major, or Diatonic sequence of dyads that utilize a few of these intervals in more of a melodic & harmonically satisfying way:
4 5
5 7
7 9
9 11 12 14 16 10 12 14 16 17
2 4
4 5
6 7
7 9
9 11 12 14 11 12 14 16
2 2
4 4
6 6
7 7
9 9
11 11
13 12
14 14
In the above Diatonic sequences you should be able to identify the shapes as they change through each passing dyad. For the example in the 1st measure you see 8 dyads as follows: Maj 3rd - min 3rd - min 3rd - Maj 3rd - Maj 3rd - min 3rd - Maj 3rd *This is the basis of the Major scale & diatonic music* Notice that the 1st Inversion starts a Major 3rd below the 5th fret Root, and the 2nd Inversion starts a minor 3rd below that. (which is actually a Perfect 5th from the 5th fret Root).
Try to identify all of the remaining intervals in measures 2 & 3 on your own. You should start to recognize any dyads or 2 note intervals that you come across for what they are. For example, youll need to know the difference between a minor 3rd & a Major 3rd, between a Dominant 7th & Major 7th and so on. This is something that will be very useful for you as you get more into learning chords & scales. But it all starts right here with the intervals of two note sequences.
So commit them ALL to memory!

63
WALKING ARPEGGIOS
This section is similar to the arpeggio section from Book One. However this time we have the option of using Two Fingers rather than just one. Again, you can go back to Book Ones arpeggio section and play all of those with Two Fingers in the same walking manner that we are about to walking walking walking explore here. You will see that your fingers literally walk back & forth. These patterns will exhaust each of 6 Two Finger Groups and also the 12 stretching variations that go along with them. See the 6 Groups below below:
3 2 3 2 3 2
3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3
2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2
2 3 2 3 2 3 3 2 3 2 3
3 2 3 2 3 2
4 3 4 3 4 3
4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4
3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3
3 4 3 4 3 4 4 3 4 3 4
4 3 4 3 4 3
3 1 3 1 3 1
3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3
1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1
1 3 1 3 1 3 3 1 3 1 3
3 1 3 1 3 1
64
************************************************************************** Notice that Ive combined all of the Finger Groups & Stretch Variations that have the same exact fret combination, so apply those as indicated. Additionally, you can take these forms and move them chromatically (or any intervallic motion) up the fretboard exhausting every single fret as you go. Try to think of ways of combining these Groups & Variations, and make up your own sequences & practice routines with them. *************************************************************************
5 1 5 1 5 1
5 1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5
1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5 1
1 5 1 5 1 5 5 1 5 1 5
5 1 5 1 5 1
6 1 6 1 6 1
6 1 6 1 6 1 6 1 6 1 6
1 6 1 6 1 6 1 6 1 6 1
1 6 1 6 1 6 6 1 6 1 6
6 1 6 1 6 1
5 2 5 2 5 2
5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5
2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2
2 5 2 5 2 5 5 2 5 2 5
5 2 5 2 5 2
6 2 6 2 6 2
6 2 6 2 6 2 6 2 6 2 6
2 6 2 6 2 6 2 6 2 6 2
2 6 2 6 2 6 6 2 6 2 6
6 2 6 2 6 2
5 3 5 3 5 3
5 3 5 3 5 3 5 3 5 3 5
3 5 3 5 3 5 3 5 3 5 3
3 5 3 5 3 5 5 3 5 3 5
5 3 5 3 5 3
6 3 6 3 6 3
6 3 6 3 6 3 6 3 6 3 6
3 6 3 6 3 6 3 6 3 6 3
3 6 3 6 3 6 6 3 6 3 6
6 3 6 3 6 3
65
Etudes are basically exercises designed to work out specific musical problems such as techniques, or applying certain applications, using specialized forms, etc... So in short, they are just exercises designed to help you overcome any musical stumbling blocks that you may have.
ETUDES
*THE FiRST STEP iS ADMiTTiNG yOu HAVE A PROBlEM*

Hahaha, Im joking, but its true! If you are able to identify flaws in your playing, or areas of theory that you just dont get, then you should create your own Etude to help you work through the problem area. Its a pretty simple concept. You just need to figure out what elements make up the issue that you are trying to improve. Then try to apply those elements in as many ways as possible, from as many angles as possible. This is basically what I am doing with this Four Book Series; designing exercises that will work through most all fretting hand problems that you may encounter. ************************************************************************* Playing exercises is a great way to improve your playing on all levels. A lot of people feel that playing exercises is a boring task, or that its non-musical so therefore a waste of time. i couldnt disagree more. its the combintion of shaping your physical & mental abilities that makes the complete whole, not just one or the other. ************************************************************************* Imagine that you are trying to learn a song that you like, but there is a difficult section that you can never get right. If you play it 100 times, maybe youll start to get it a little better, maybe not. What I would do, is try to find the exact part that is causing the problem, isolate it and dissect it for what it is & how it works. I would want to know WHy it is so hard for me to play it. Maybe the way it shifts position, or maybe its the string skipping motion that messes me up. Once I can Identify WHAT it is that keeps messing me up, I can then devise a plan of attack! And then I would make up some exercises or Etudes that help me work through the mechanics of that specific issue. With time, I may find that what was once a problem, is now one of my greatest strengths! And that is a sure sign of improvement, not to mention the positive reinforcement gained as a result of doing that.
66
MIND OVER MATTER & MATTER OVER MIND

Of course, if you are not physically capable of playing a certain passage on your instrument, it wont matter what your mind thinks about it. And the same is true that if you are physically capable of playing anything at all, but your mind doesnt know what it can play, then it wont matter how physically able you are. Its a marriage of those 2 elements that make you a well-rounded player. Its a codependency, both need one another! If a player practices only exercises all the time, maybe lots of scales in text format, then chances are when they play in a real musical context all they can think of to play is a bunch of exercises & scales. This would likely result in boring music with no imagination or musicality. If a player practices nothing but songs, maybe reading and writing great sounding melodies and chord progressions, but never does any form of exercise, chances are in a real musical context they can think of a lot of things to play, but they would likely hit a lot of sloppy or mis-fretted notes because of their lack of technique. And over-simple may translate as boring. It seems clear to me that the best possible outcome would involve the culmination of hard work, and years of quality time with each of those aspects. You need to learn WHAT to play & HOW to play it! The style & genre that you are striving for will determine the WHAT & the HOW that you need to explore. You need to figure out what makes the music that you like tick, and then formulate ways to learn & be fluent in playing it. Etudes, or exercises can go a very long way in helping you through the entire process. An exercise can be very simple & generic, or it can be very musical & real sounding. It is important to think about what it is that you want to get out of the exercise, otherwise why would you be playing it at all in the 1st place? It would be a waste of your time. But if you KNOW what it is that you are trying to improve, then you will know if the exercise is helpful for that particular element of the playing, or not. I believe you can create an exercise for ANY musical problems that you may encounter. And I think that just playing a difficult passage over & over is a SLOW way to overcome the problem. Of course you have muscle memory- where if you do something enough times it becomes like second nature. But even that can be developed more thoroughly through a regimen of specific exercises designed to maximize any given musical motion!
26 Two Finger Etudes

In the following pages I will give you some Etudes designed to work on the specific Two Finger motions that weve been exploring in this Book. There are 8 for each of the 3 Two Finger Sub-Groups A, B, & C, plus 2 more stretch shape etudes. So there are 26 total 4 bar Etudes. Ive randomly applied the various string skipping, chromatic, and other elements to the Etude set. ************************************************************************* Of the 8 per Finger Group: 4 are played one note at a time, and the other 4 apply dyads, or a two notes at a time. Ive indicated the basic Finger Group that would fit each Etude, but experiment as much as you can with alternate fingerings as well as your own variations of all of these. For example, try to work-in all 25 of the dyads/intervals in similar ways as shown in these dyad Etudes. Your imagination is your best friend in regards to being creative & making your own patterns & routines. These exercises/ etudes are merely tools to help you create your own music. It is completely up to you to give all of these notes that needed breath of life. Without that, all you are doing is playing a bunch of patterns. Of course, these are not the most musical passages to play, but like I said, they are merely tools. Its up to you to make the most of them, and to bring them all to life! ************************************************************************* These are all separated by similar group shapes. For example: Etudes (1)-(8) could be played with the 1-2, 2-3, & 3-4 finger groups. Etudes (9)-(16) could use either the 1-3 or 2-4 finger groups, as well as the 1-2, 2-3, & 3-4 stretch patterns. Etudes (17)-(24) could use the 1-4 finger group, or the 1-3, 2-3, 2-4, or 3-4 stretch patterns. Etudes (25)-(26) could make use of the 1-3 & 1-4 stretches, etc...
68
These Etudes are designed to help you use each of the motions that we have been exploring. They are all mostly symmetrical in form, and are at least interesting despite the lack of any diatonic application present. You should be able to see the Finger Groups & Variations that we have been working on within these following pages. And I am willing to bet that yOu Will see some drastic improvements in your use of each of the Groups after spending some time with these Etudes. These following Etudes are admittedly ridiculous to play through; some more so than others. But keep in mind that you need to retain the spirit of improving your playing. Sometimes drastic measures, or pushing ideas to extremes can yield great results. You want to look at the big picture, to see as much of the whole as possible. If you never venture outside of your comfort zone, then you likely wont be pushing your boundaries either. The best way to get yourself out of that box is to jump out with both feet (or hands in this case) as far as you can. You can always jump back in to that comfort zone when things get too far out. Just try to push the envelope as much as you can! You might be surprised at the results you get from it. *************************************************************************
Excellence can be attained if you: Care more than others think is wise, Risk more than others think is safe, Dream more than others think is practical, and Expect more than others think is possible. - Cadet Maxim
69
1-2, 2-3, & 3-4 Groups
2 3 1 2 1 2 2 3 1 2 3 4
3 4 1 2 1 2 4 5
4 5 1 2
5 1 2 5 6
1 2 1 2 6 7
1 2 1 2 7 8
1 2
3 2 2 2 1 3 2
1 2 1 4 3
4 3
1 2 1 5 4
4 2
6 5 2 2 1 6 5
1 2 1 7 6
70
7 6 2
1 2 1 8 7
8 7 2
6 5 6 4 3 4 2 3 2 1 2 1 3 5 4 5
7 6 7 8 7 8 9 8
11 12 11 9 10 9 10 11 10 11 12 11 11 12 11 11 12 11 11 12 11 11 12 11
11 12 11 11 12 11 11 12 11 11 12 11 11 12 11 11 12 11 10 11 10 9 10 9
1 2 2 3 8 9 8 7 8 7 6 7 6
71
4 5 6 5
1-2, 2-3, & 3-4 Groups
1 2
2 3 3 4 4 5 4 5 5 5 4 6 6 7 6 7 6
1 2
11 12 13 12 9 10 11 10 7 7 8 8 9 8 9 8 9 10 11 10 11 12 13 12
12 13 12 11 10 11 10 9 8 8 10 11 12 13 12 11 10 9 9 9 8 7 8 7
2 4 7 6 7 6 6 5 6 5 4 5
72
3 4 3 2 3 2 1
7 5 5 3 3 1 2 2 4 4 6
2 3 2 3 4 5 4 5 6 7 6
9 7 7 5 5 3 4 4 6 6 8
4 5 4 5 6 7 6 7 8 9 8
12 11 6 10 11 10 9 8 8 6 7 7 9
7 8 7 8 9 10 9 10 11 12 11
15 14 9 10 13 14 13 12 11 12 11 10 9 10
73
11 10 11 12 13 12 13 14 15 14
1-2, 2-3, & 3-4 Groups
1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2
2 2
5 5
6 6 5 5 6 6 5 5 6 6 2 2 3 3 2 2 3 3
2 2
3 3
6 6
7 7 6 6 7 7 6 6 7 7
3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4
4 4
7 7
8 8 7 7 8 8 7 7 8 8 4 4 5 5 4 4 5 5
4 4
5 5
8 8
9 9 8 8 9 9 8 8 9 9
12 11 8 12 11 8 12 11 12 11 12 11 12 11
7 7 8 8 7 7 8 8 7 7 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10
11 10 7 11 10 7
6 6 7 7 6 6 7 7 6 6
10 9 10 9 10 9 10 9 10 9 10 9
6 6
5 5 6 6 5 5 6 6 5 5
74
9 9 9 9 9 9 8 8 8 8
8 8
5 5
4 4 5 5 4 4 5 5 4 4
1 3 3 5 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 2 2 4 4 6
5 6
7 6
7 6
7 6
7 6
7 6
7 8
7 8
7 8
7 8
7 8
9 8
9 8
9 8
9 8
9 11 12 11 9 10 10 11 10 9 10 9 10 9 9 10 8 10
11 12 11 10 11 10 10 11 10 11 12 11 10 11 10 11 12 11 10 11 10 11 12 11 10 11 10 11 12 11 10 11 10 11 12 11 10 11 10 11 12 11 10 11 10 11 12 11
10 11 10 9 8 11 12 11 10 9
7 10 11 10 9 8 9 10 9 8
8 7
7 9 10 9 8 6 10 11 10 9
7 8
6 7
9 10 9 8 9 8
8 7
7 6
6 5
75
1-2, 2-3, & 3-4 Groups
7 5 3 1 3 1 5 7
5 5
3 7 3 3 5 3 5 7
9 9
7 7
5 9 5 5 7 5 7 9
11 9 11 9
7 11 7 7 9 7 9 11
13 11 9 13 11 9
7 7
9 9
11 7 11 7 9 11 7 9 11 7 9 11 13 11 9 9 11 7 9 11 7 9 11 13 11 9 13 11 9 13 11 9 13 11 9 13 11 9
13 11 9 13 11 9
7 5 7 5 3 1 3 5 3 1 3 5
9 7 9 7 5 3 5 7 5 3 5 7
11 9 11 9 7 5 7 9 7 5 7 9
13 11 13 11 9 7 9 11 9 7 9 11
13 11 9 13 11 9 13 11 9 13 11 9 13 11 9 13 11 9 13 11 9 13 11 9
7 7
9 9
11 5 11 5 7 9 3 5 7 1 3 5 7 9 3 5 7 1 3 5
76
2 2 2 1 1 1 1 2 2 1
2 6 6 1 5 5 5 5 6 6
6 5
6 2 2 5 1 1 1 1 2 2
2 1
2 8 8 1 7 7 7 7 8 8
8 7
8 7
1 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 1 2
1 5 5 2 6 6 6 6 5 5
5 6
5 1 1 6 2 2 2 2 1 1
1 2
1 7 7 2 8 8 8 8 7 7
7 8
7 8
12 12 12 11 11 11
12 12 12 11 11 11
8 8 7 7 7 8
8 8 7 7 7 8
12 12 12 11 11 11
12 12 12 11 11 11
6 6 5 5 5 6
6 6 5 5 5 6
11 11 11 12 12 12
11 11 11 12 12 12
7 7 8 8 8 7
7 7 8 8
77
11 11 11 7 12 12 12 8
11 11 11 12 12 12
5 5 6 6 6 5
5 5 6 6 6 5
1-3 & 2-4 Groups
1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3
5 5 5 5 5 3 3 5 3 3 5 3 3
3 5 5 3 5 3 5 3 3 5 3
5 5 5 5 5 7 7 5 7 7 5 7 7
7 5 5 7 5 7 5 7 7 5 7
9 9 9 9 9 7
78
7 9 9 7 9 7 9 7 7 9 7
7 9 7
7 9 7
6 5 4 3 2 1 3 4 5 6 7
3 2 4 3 5 4 6 5 7 6 8
8 10 3 7 6 5 4 3 5 6 7 8 9
5 4 6 5 7 6 8 7 9 8 10
10 12 5 9 8 10 7 6 5 7 8 9 11
7 6 8 7 9 8 10 9 11 10 12
12 14 7 11 13 10 12 9 8 10 7 9 11
9 8 10 9 11 10 12 11 13 12 14
79
1-3 & 2-4 Groups
0 2 4 0 0 0 2 4 0 4 6 0 6 8 2 4 0 4 6 0 6 8
4 6
0 8 6 0 6 4 0 4 2 0 8 6 0 6 4 0
0 0 0 4 6 0 6 8 0 8 10 4 6 0 6 8 0 8 10
10 8
0 10 8 0 8 6 0 6 4 0 10 8
80
3 3 3 1 0 1 0
0 3 1 0 4 4 2 0 2 0
0 4 2 0
5 5 5 3 0 3 0
0 5 3 0 6 6 4 0 4 0
0 6 4 0
7 7 7 5 0 5 0
0 7 5 0 8 8 6 0 6 0
0 8 6 0
9 9 9 7 0 7 0
0 9 7 0 10 8 10 8 0 0
10 8
0 10 8 0
81
1-3 & 2-4 Groups
7 5 3 1 4 2 5 3 6 4
8 6
11 12 13 14 9 10 11 12 11 12 13 14 9 10 9 10 11 12 11 12 13 14 7 8 9 10 11 12 11 12 13 14 9 10 11 12
6 4 10 9 8 7 14 13 12 11 12 11 10 9 8 6 7 5
5 3
4 2
3 1
6 4
5 3
4 2
3 1
6 4
5 3
4 2
3 1
6 4
5 3
4 2
3 1
5 7 1 3 2 4 3 5 4 6
6 8
9 10 11 12 11 12 13 14 9 10 11 12 7 8 11 12 13 14 9 10 11 12 9 10 11 12 13 14 9 10 11 12 11 12 13 14
4 6 8 7 10 9 12 11 10 9 14 13 12 11 6 8 5 7
3 5
2 4
1 3
4 6
3 5
2 4
1 3
4 6
3 5
2 4
1 3
4 6
3 5
2 4
1 3
82
3 1
1 3
3 1
1 3
3 1
1 3
3 1
1 3
3 1
1 3
3 1
1 3
4 2
2 4
4 2
2 4
4 2
2 4
4 2
2 4
4 2
2 4
4 2
2 4
5 3
3 5
5 3
3 5
5 3
3 5
5 3
3 5
5 3
3 5
5 3
3 5
6 4
4 6
6 4
4 6
6 4
4 6
6 4
4 6
6 4
4 6
6 4
4 6
7 5
5 7
7 5
5 7
7 5
5 7
7 5
5 7
7 5
5 7
5 7
5 7
8 6
6 8
8 6
6 8
8 6
6 8
8 6
6 8
8 6
6 8
6 8
6 8
9 7
7 9
9 7
7 9
9 7
7 9
9 7
7 9
9 7
7 9
9 7
83
10 8 8 8 10 10 10 10 8 8 8 8 10 10 7 10 10 8 8 10 8 9 8 10 8 10
1-3 & 2-4 Groups
6 10 9 5 4 3 7 2 1 5 6 8 3 7 9 4 8 7
8 6
7 5
6 4
5 3
4 2
3 5 1 3 2 1 3 2 1 3 2 1 4 3 5 4 3 5 4 3
3 1
7 4 5 2 6 3 7 4 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 8 5 9 6 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 3 2 1 5 4 3 3 2 1 5 4 3
5 3
4 2
3 1
4 3 2 1 3 5 4 7 8 6 5 9 7
6 8
5 7
4 6
3 5
2 4
1 3 2 4 1 3 5 3 5 4 3 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 3
6 10 9
1 3
5 2 7 4 8 5 9 6 10 9 8 7 6
84
3 6 3 7 4 8 7 6 5 4 3 5 2 4 1 5 3 4 3 3 2 1 5 4 3 3 2 1 5
2 4
1 3
3 3 1 1
5 5
7 7
9 9
11 11
11 13 13
13 15 15
15 14 13 12
9 11 11 11 13 13 13 12 11 10
14 13 12 11 13 12 11 10 12 11 10 9
11 10 9
8 10 9
12 11 10 9
11 10 9
8 10 9
1 3
3 5
5 7
7 9
9 11
11 11 11 13 13 13 12 11 10 13 15 13 15 15 14 13 12
11
11 13
12 11 10 9
11 10 9
8 10 9
14 13 12 11 13 12 11 10 12 11 10 9
11 10 9
8 10 9
85
1-4 Group
1 1 1 1 4 1 4 1 4 4 1 4 4 1 4 4 1 4
1 4 1 4 1 4
7 7 7 7 10 7 10 7 10 10 7 10 10 7 10 10 7 10
7 10 7 10 7 10
4 4 4 4 7 4 7 4 7 7 4 7 7 4 7 7 4 7
4 7 4 7 4 7
10 10 10 10 13 10 13 10 13
86
10 13 10 13 13 10 13 10 13
13 10 13 13 10 13
4 3 2 1 4 5 6
7 6 5 4 7 8 9
7 10 9 12 8 11 7 10
10 13
1 7 10 4 7 1 4 10 13 7 10 4 7 1 4
7 4 7 7 10
7 10
10 13 10 13 7 10 4 7 1 4
7 10 7 10 4 7 1 4 3 6 1 4
1 1 4 1 4 1 4
7 4 7 4
87
4 4 7 7
7 10 7 10 7 10
1-4 Group
1 4 1
4 7 4
10 7 10 7 10 7
10 7
10 13 10 9 12 9 7 10 7 6 9 6 5 8 5 4 7 4 1 4 1 4 1 4
3 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5
6 4 7 4 7 4 7 4 7 4 7 4 7
88
12 15 12 11 14 11 10 13 10 9 12 9 0 12 15 0 9 12 0 6 9 0 3 6
12 15 12 11 14 11 10 13 10 9 12 9
0 12 15 0
9 12 0
0 0 3 6
6 0 5 8 0 2 5 0 6 9
9 0 8 11 0 5 8
0 0 9 12
9 12 0 11 14 0 8 11 0 12 15
0 12 15 0 14 17 0 11 14
89
1-4 Group
4 4 5 10 11 1 4 5 10 11 1 2 7 8 1 2 7 8
4 5 10 11 1 2 7 8
4 5 10 11 12 13 14 15 5 10 11 1 2 7 8 9 10 11 12 2 7 8
14 9 15 14 11 6 12 15 14 11 12 15 14 11 12 15 14 11 12 11
9 6
9 6
9 6
9 6
8 5
8 5
8 5
8 5
8 5
7 4
6 3
5 2
4 1
5 2
4 1
4 1
4 1
4 1
4 1
4 1
4 1
4 1
4 1
4 1
4 1
4 1
4 1
4 1
4 1
4 1
4 1
4 1
4 1
4 1
4 4 4 1 4 4 4 1 4 4 4 1 4 1
90
4 4 4 4 4 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 1 1 4 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 4 4 1 1 4
4 1
4 1
4 1
1 4 4 1
1 4 1
1 4
1 4
1 4
1 4
1 4
4 1
1 4
4 1
4 1
1 4
4 1
1 4 1 1 4 4 1 4 1 1 4 4 1 4
1 4
4 1
1 4
1 4
4 1
1 4
1 4
4 1
1 4
1 4
4 1
1 4
1 4
4 1
1 4
1 4
4 1
1 4
4 1 4 4 1 1 4 1 4 4 1
91
1 4 1 1 1 4 4 4 1 1 1 4 4 4
1-4 Group
12 9 9 6 10 7 12 9 7 4 9 6 9 6 7 4
9 6
6 3 4 1 6 3 3 6 1 4
3 6
6 9 4 7 6 9 6 9 4 7
6 9 9 12 7 10 9 12
9 12 6 8 7 10 7 10 8 9 12 11 11
9 5 8 4 7 4 7 5 8 6 9
12 9 9 6 10 7 12 9 7 4 9 6 9 6 7 4
9 6
6 3 4 1 6 3 3 6 1 4
3 6
6 9 4 7 6 9 6 9 4 7
6 9 9 12 7 10 9 12
12 9 11 8 10 7 10 7 11 8 12 9
6 8 5 7 4 7 4 8 5 9 6
92
15 12 0 3 6 0 6 9 0 9 12 0 12 15 11
14 10
13 9
12 8
11 7
10
15 0 3 6 0 6 9 0 9 12 0 12 15 12 11
14 10
13 9
12 8
11 7
10
9 12 9
11 8
10 7
9 6
8 5
7 4
6 3
5 2
4 1
5 2
6 3
7 4
8 5
9 10 6 7
11 8
12 10 7 10 10 9 7 7
11 9 8 6
9 6
10 8 7 5
8 5
9 6
7 4
93
1-3, & 1-4 Stretch Groups
1 5 1 1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5 5 1 5 5 1 1 5 5 1 1 5 1 5
9 5 5 9 5 9 5 9 5 9 4 8 3 7 2 6 1 5 9 5 9 5 9
5 9 5 5 9 5 9 5 9 5 9 9 5 9 9 5 5 9 9 5 5 9 5 9
9 13 9 13 9 13 9 13 9 13 9 13 8 12 7 11 6 10 5
94
9 13 9 13 9
6 6 6 6 6 1 1 1 1 1 1 6 11 6 10 5 9 4 8 3 7 2
6 1
6 1
6 1
6 1
11 5 10 4 9 3 8 2 7 1 6
11 11 11 11 11 6 6 6 6 6 6 11 16 11 15 10 14 9 13 8 12 7
11 6
11 6
11 6
11 6
11 6
11
11 6
11 16 10 15 9 14 8 13 7 12
6
95
11
96
97
BONUS MATERIAL
I cant really stress enough that you should apply ALL of the Parallel, Reverse, Alternating Motions, string skipping, hammers/pulls, pedal points, intervals, etc... etc... etc... to as many possible musical contexts as you can! These motions, techniques, fingerings, and ideas are all interchangeable on so many levels. By experimenting and trying to exhaust all the possible ways you can use these devices, you are just opening your mind to further devices devices devices musical ideas. One idea feeds another idea, 100 ideas feed 100s more, and so on. In the realm of art & music, the more ideas and perspectives you have, the more you will ultimately be capable of achieving. At this point you should be able to shift your focus towards all of the above applications and see them when they occur along your musical travels. And you should know where you can apply them in the real world. Then its just a matter of taste & possibly restraint; knowing the best way to compliment the musical situations you find yourself involved in. Keep your mind open to all of these options that are readily available to you at your beck and call! If you have explored all of these roads a few times, you will find that you get lost much less in your musical travels. You will start to realize that no matter where you travel to, you are still in familiar territory. And as a musician who wishes to improve, you should always be trying to find new unexplored roads; looking under every rock, and scouring every nook & cranny in search of the prospect of learning something new. While exploring the outer range of your ability, you should also continue to refine what is comfortable and familiar to you. Its the process of claiming new territory along your quest to achieve goals & fulfill your dreams that enables you to keep moving forward. If you never start the journey, youll never get there, of course! But if you take the initiative and give an honest effort, youll find that there isnt much that you cant achieve. Again, to reiterate- APPly All OF THE MOTiONS, TECHNiQuES, & FiNGERiNGS in as many ways as possible. That alone will give you enough Bonus Material to last you the rest of your life! It is one of those things where you get out of it as much (maybe more) than you put in to it.
98
Ill leave you with a few more ways to apply Two Finger Groups. Check out this set of scales. Its the C Major (and also an A minor) Pentatonic scale through each of the modes. Whenever you see Pentatonic, it means that there are 5 notes that make up the scale; hence the prefix Pent. In short, modes are a set of scales that are all made up of the same exact notes, only they start at different points within the scale. For example, the pentatonic scale has 5 notes in it, therefore there are 5 modes to that scale. Each mode starts on a different note of the scale. Take the C Major Pentatonic scale we are about to look at; the actually notes that make up this scale are: C-D-E-G-A. The 1st mode would start in C, the 2nd mode in D, the 3rd in E, the 4th in G, and the 5th in A. A good thing to know is that this scale is the same as a C Major scale, only you omit the 4th note (F) & the 7th note (B) of the Major scale. As far as the Two Finger application, the pentatonic scale is great for that, because it has a simple 2 note per string pattern throughout all of the modes. So its a perfect way to try out some of your Two Finger Groups with a scale that is more musical, and not so chromatic & pattern-based like the majority of these exercises have been. This form of the pentatonic scale is the most widely used in modern music. It will be easy to recognize the bluesy feel of these scales. It is often referred to as the blues scale actually. Here is the Major mode & the minor mode of this scale, see below:
8 10 8 10 7 9 7 10 7 10 8 10
10 8 10 8 9 7 10 7 10 7 10 8
5 8 5 8 5 7 5 7 5 7 5 8
8 5 8 5 7 5 7 5 7 5 8 5
99
Now try to run through all of these modes of the Pentatonic Scale. Notice that Mode #1 is the Major Pentatonic, and Mode #5 is the minor Pentatonic Scale. Although these are all made up of the same 5 notes through the different modes, they all have different feels when you start on each new note of the scale. Try to find the best Two Finger Group to play these:
0 1 0 0 0 0 3 3 2 2 3
0 3 1 2 0 2 0 3 0 3 0
3 3 2 2 3 3 5 5 5 5 5
3 5 3 5 2 5 2 5 3 5 3
5 5 5 5 5 5 8 7 7 7 8
5 8 5 7 5 7 5 7 5 8 5
8 10 8 10 7 9 7 10 7 10 8 10
10 8 10 8 9 7 10 7 10 7 10 8
100
10 12 10 13 9 10 12 10 12 10 12 12
12 10 13 10 12 9 12 10 12 10 12 10
12 15 13 15 12 14 12 14 12 15 12 15
15 12 15 13 14 12 14 12 15 12 15 12
15 17 15 17 14 17 14 17 15 17 15 17
17 15 17 15 17 14 17 14 17 15 17 15
17 20 17 20 17 19 17 19 17 19 17 20
20 17 20 17 19 17 19 17 19 17 20 17
20 22 20 22 19 21 19 22 19 22 20 22
22 20 22 20 21 19 22 19 22 19 22 20
101
Heres some really cool Tertian Progressions. Tertian means that you move in intervals of 3rds. Try to identify each interval. As you go through these, you will find that they are either a Major 3rd, or minor 3rd interval. Both examples are made from the same exact notes, however the fingerings are different. Apply your Major & minor 3rd Dyad shapes to the 1st example. And you will also apply either your 1-4 Finger Group or its 1-5 Stretch Variation for the 2nd example. Consider that the 1-4 Finger Group is the same interval as the minor 3rd Dyad, and that the 1-5 Stretch Variation is the same interval as a Major 3rd Dyad. Its important to be able to identify these interval steps, so do your best to remember them! *Remember use 2 fingers only for both examples* These 2 examples are a C Major, Diatonic Sequence. It will serve you well to remember these. As you get further into studying chord & scale theory, you will find that Add-Chords & Extended Chords can be found in these examples. Take note that the 1-3-5-7-9-11-13- intervals are all present through one full octave. And they appear in proper Tertian form.
8 6 10 4 2 3 5 5 7 3 7 5 9 8 12
10 10 13 7 10 5 7 9
12
13 12 15 9 7 8 10 10 12 9 12 10 14 13 17
15 15 18 12 16 10 14 12
17
TERTIAN EXAMPLE #1
19 17 20 14 17 12 15 14 15 14 17 16 19 18 22 20
102
DYAD SHAPES = FINGER GROUP SHAPES *the same interval*
(2 - 1) (1 - 4)
2 3 3 7
(3 - 1) (1 - 4)
3 5 5 8
(3 - 1) (1 - 4)
5 7 7 10
(2 - 1) (1 - 4)
7 8 8 12
(2 - 1) (1 - 4)
9 10 10 14
(3 - 1) (1 - 4)
10 12 12 15
(3 - 1) (1 - 4)
12 14 14 17
(2 - 1) (1 - 4)
14 15 15 19
*************************************************************************
7 10
10 13 5 8 7 10
9 12
12 15 7 10 9 12
10 14
13 17
12
10 14
12 16
15 18 10 14 12 15
14 17
17 20 12 15 14 17
16 19
18 22
TERTIAN EXAMPLE #2
14 17 15 19 17 21 20 24 15 19 17 21 19 22 20 22 (24)
103
Check out these next 3 Pedal Licks. All 3 are in A minor and they use a pedal point & a stretch type motion. Try to decide the best Two Finger Group to play each of these following Licks.
17 12 13 12
15 12 13 12
13 12 13 12
15 10 12 10
13 10 12 10
12 10 12 10
13 8 10 8
12 8 10 8
10 8 10 8
12 7 8 6
10 7 8 6
7 8 6
10 5 6 5
5 6 5
5 6 5
3 5 3
3 5 3
3 5 3
1 3 1
1 3 1
1 3 1
104
17 12 15 12 13 12 13 12
15 10 13 10 12 10 12 10
13 8 12 8 10 8 10 8
12 7 10 7 8 7 8 6
10 5 8 5 7 5 6 5
8 3 7 3 5 3 5 3
1 5
1 3
1 3 1
5 0 3 0
1 0 1 0
12 13 12 15 12 17 12 13 12 15 12 17 12 13 13 12 10 12
10 12 10 13 10 15 10 12 10 13 10 15 12 10
8 10 8 12 8 13 8 10 8 12 8 13 8 10 10 8 6 8
7 8 7 10 7 12 7 8 7 10 7 12 8 6
5 7 5 8 5 10 5 7 5 8 5 10 5 6 6 5 3 5
3 5 3 7 3 8 3 5 3 7 3 8 5 3
1 3 1 3
1 5
1 7
1 3
1 5
1 7 3 1
105
These next ones use string skipping and various strteches. They are all triads, Major/minor, Augmented, Diminished, Sus2, Sus4 with the octave. They are to be played with the Two Finger stretch groups as they apply. ****************************************************************************** Take note that the Sus2 & Sus4 Triads interchange as they move through their inversions. ******************************************************************************
12 17 12 14 17 17 14 9 14
12
8 14 9 5 9
5 5 9 5 2 5
5 5 5 2
13 17 13 14 18 18 14 10 14
13
9 14 10 6 10
5 10 6 2 6
1 6 2
11 14 11 14 17 17 14 11 14
11
8 14 11 8 11
5 11 8 5 8
2 8 5
12 17 12 14 16 16 14 9 14
12
7 14 9 4 9
5 5 9 4 2 4
5 5 4 2
12 17 12 14 19 17 14 9 14
10 12 10 14 9 7 9
10
5 5 9 7 2 7
5 5 7 2
106
Here is one of my favorite E Dimished Runs. It can also be considered to be a G, A#, or C# Diminished Lick because of its symmetrical pattern. It moves very easily with a minor 3rd shape/ 1-4 Finger Grouping. Try playing this one at a fast tempo if you can do it cleanly.
0 0 0 3 3
0 3 0 3 0 3 6 3 6
3 6 3 6 3
6 6 6 9 9
6 9 6 9 6 9 12 9 12
9 12 12 9 12 9 12 9
12 15 15 12 12 15 12 15 15 12 15 12 15 18 15 18
15 18 18 15 18 15 18 15
18 21 21 18 18 21 18 21 21 18 21 18 21 14 21 14
21 24 24 21 24 21 24 21
107
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.
-Plato
108
109
REAL MUSIC
In Book One, I had given a few examples of actual music taken from J.S.Bach, Beethoven, & Mozart. In this book I want to give you a few excerpts that you can apply the Two Finger approach in the same way. These J.S. BACH, Fernando Sor, Bela Bartok Francisco Tarrega, & Fredric Chopin examples all use 2 note, or 2 note groupings for the majority of the excerpt. Do your best to follow along with the most appropriate Two Finger Groupings. And make sure you look these pieces up and listen to them. Its infinitely important to develop your hearing skills!
Johann Sebastian Bach- Bouree Lute Suite BWV 996, the 5th Bach movement from Suite in E minor for Lute. Aufs Lautenwerk (written around the year 1707-1717 and possibly earlier.) This is possibly one of the most popular classical pieces played on the guitar today. The intstrument that it was actually intended to be played on is unknown. But it is thought that Lautenwerk, (a kind of harpsichord type of device that was designed to sound similar to the lute) was what it was initially written for. But great music translates very well to many various instruments. The notes & melodies are all the same regardless, but the timbre of the instrument used will give a different overall feel to the music. This piece is a great example of using dyads. Except for a few passing notes this entire example is made up of dyads. Try and decide the best Two Finger Group to use. And try to decipher which intervals are being used as you play through this classic piece of music dated at about 300 years old!
Fernando Sor- Op. 35, No. 17 allegro grazioso, from Sor 24 exercises. ( (written in the year 1828.) Fernando Sor was responsible for bringing advanced guitar music into the world from the late 18th through the 19th century. At that time guitar music was mostly known in common folk or tavern music. Sor had arranged music from greats like Mozart for the guitar, as well as writing a wealth of material for the studying, advancing guitarist. This piece is a great example of moving a melody in 2 note groupings. There is a total of 31 Two Note Groupings (62 single notes) in this excerpt that come together to form a very nice sounding melody line. And although this makes use of a lot of open strings, the intervals, and Two note passages give you the feel of Two Finger Groupings. 110
Bela Bartok- Two Portraits Op. 10, No. 1, In Bloom For Orchestra and violin (written during the years 1907-1911.) This amazing Hungarian composer of the 20th century is one of my favorite composers. His Music for Strings, Percussion, & Celesta & Bluebeards Castle were what introduced me to his music, and had definitely gained my interest immediately. His music has a lot of eerie & dissonant characteristics, the use of Hungarian folk music, and a blend of the classic diatonic writing mixed with the 20th centurys 12-tone writing styles. This piece is inspired by his introduction to the music of the French composer Claude Debussy. In this excerpt of In Bloom you will see 2 parts, both the rhythm & the melody. The lower staff moves through changing time signatures using mostly octave dyads. And the upper staff shows the melody, which you should be able to see this can also be followed in 2 note groupings as well. Try to play both parts separately, and if you can, try to record each part so you can hear it all together. Francisco Tarrega- Gran Vals. (written around the year 1902.) Tarrega was a composer during the Romantic Period. He had transcribed the piano works of Beethoven, Chopin, and more. Tarrega was to the 19th century what Andres Segovia was to the 20th century. Although Segovia had some harsh words towards Tarregas use of flesh rather than nails for his right hand picking technique. The use of nails is thought to add to the color, timbre, & volume of the guitar. But in modern music with the use of electronic devices and as most players today prefer to use a plectrum or guitar pick to compensate, it would seem that the flesh picking works just fine. This one is in 3/4 time and has a sort of waltz-feel to it. It moves along with dyads for the most part. You can see a few notes Ive placed in ( ) that are triads. And you will notice a few 2 note melody groupings. And also a few grace notes as indicated by the slur symbols that give that Spanish flavor to this piece.
Fredric Chopin- Etude Opus 10, #2. (written around the year 1831.) Chopin was a Polish composer, a child prodigy, and one of the greatest pianist of the Romantic Period; and of all time no doubt. His music is elegeant, passionate, and has an amazing balance of technique and emotion within it. Chopin has many Etudes & studies, designed to work through specific piano fingerings. This particular one was to strengthen the 3rd & 4th fingers of the right hand as he indicated in his notations. So i saw it fitting to apply them in the same manner, but for the guitarists fretting hand. You could work on this by playing the main chromatic melody line with any of the Two Finger Groups. And you could also follow the dyads that are shown in ( ) that occur on the downbeats as a Two Finger study. 111 The 1-2-3-4 Guitar System, Part 2
Music is an agreeable harmony for the honor of God and the permissible delights of the soul i was obliges to be industrious. Whoever is equally industrious will succeedequally well.
H C A .B .S
112
-J.S.Bach
2 0
4 2
0 0
0 3
2 2
3 2
0 3
2 0
4 2
0 0
0 3
0 2 0 2 4 2 0 2 3
2 0
4 2
0 0
0 3
2 2
3 2
0 3
0 2 3 0 0 5 4 0 4 (4) 0 0 0 2 3
0 0 2 3
113
One must make of ones fingers well drilled soldiers -Fernando Sor
R O .S F
114
2 2 0 2
5 0
3 5 4
2 2 5 4 2
0 3
0 2 4
3 0 2
5 0 2
2 2 5 2
5 0
3 2 4
4 0 4
0 0 3
2 0
0 0
3 5
5
115
Our peasant music, naturally, is invariably tonal, if not always in the sense that the inflexible major and minor system is tonal. -Bela Bartok
K O T R A
116
(7)
7 5
9 7
7 5
9 7
7 5
9 7
7 5
9 7
7 5
9 7
7 5
9 7
7 5
9 7
7 5
9 7
7 5
9 7
10 8
11 9
10 8
7 5
9 7
10 8
11 9
10 8
7 5
6 4
9 7
6 4
(6) 10 9 (4) 8 7
6 4
9 7 5
(9)
5 3
7 5
5 3
7 5
5 3
7 5
5 3
7 5
5 3
7 5
5 3
4 2
5 3
6 4
5 3
4 2
5 3
6 4
5 3
4 2
5 3
6 4
5 3
4 2
6 4
7 5
6 4
4 2
4 2
3 1
5 3
3 1
4 2
3 1
5 3
6 4
5 3
3 1
(9)
8 5
(8) (5)
10 8
12 10
10
10 8
12 10
3 1
3 1
5 3
3 1
3 1
3 1
5 3
6 4
5 3
3 1
5 3
2 0
7 5
6 4
5 3
3 1
5 3
2 0
7 5
6 4
5 3
3 1
5 3
2 0
7 5
5 3
3 1
2 0
2 0
5 3
10 7
10 8
12 10
10 7
10 8
12 10
8 10 12
12
10 12
12
12 10 12
10 7
8 5
7 5
5 3
3 1
2 0
8 6
6 4
4 2
2 0
5 3
117
Study... -Francisco Tarrega (Quiquet)
A T
A G E R R
118
5 0
6 7
6 7
7 0
2 6 7 6 7 0
2 2
2 2
4 0
2 2
2 2
4 0
2 2
(5) 2 2
5 0
2 2
(4) 2 2
2 2
3 4
3 4
2 2 4 5 0
3 4
3 4
4 2
3 4
(5) 3 4
(9)
9 0
9 7
9 7
7 7
9 7
9 7
12 10 11 0
9 7 7 0 9
7 5 6 0
5 <7>
119
After playing Chopin, i feel as if i had been weeping over sins that i had never committed, and mourning over tragedies that were not my own. -Oscar Wilde, 1891
N I P O H
120
5 6 7 8 6 7 8 7 (6) 6 7 8 9 (7) (7) 7 8 9 10 (7) (7) (7) (7) (8)
9 10 11 12 13 12 11 10 9 8 (10) (13) (10) (9) (14) (9)
5 4 (5) (5)
9 8 (9) (9)
9 8 (9) (11)
8 7 (10) (12)
4 5 (7) (7)
4 5 (6) (7)
4 2 (7) (6)
0 5 (5) (7)
6 5 (5) (5)
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*Also available* 1 FINGER EXERCISES FOR THE FRETTING HAND 3 FINGER EXERCISES FOR THE FRETTING HAND 4 FINGER EXERCISES FOR THE FRETTING HAND THE 1-2-3-4 GUITAR SYSTEM COMPLETE SERIES J.S.BACHs DOUBLE CONCERTO FOR 4 GUITARS *with many more titles available soon*
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TWO FINGER EXERCISES FOR THE FRETTING HAND, Part 2 of "THE 1-2-3-4 GUITAR SYSTEM" 4-Part SERIES

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TWO FINGER EXERCISES FOR THE FRETTING HAND, Part 2 of "THE 1-2-3-4 GUITAR SYSTEM" 4-Part SERIES

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The 1-2-3-4 Guitar System, Part 2