LESSON - more symetrical fingerings

[Brooks]

It's a rainy sunday here in NC, so I thought we'd look at some more symetrical fingerings.

here's a run that works for a few different tonalities,

today lets do it in Am ( but it can be used for G(maj), even F# locrian ).

starting on F# (2nd fret, low E string);

-----------------------------

-----------------------------

----------------------2-4-5

---------------2-4-5-------

--------2-3-5--------------

2-3-5----------------------

now, take this same run and start it over on the 4th string (adjusting the fingering for the top 2 strings);

----------------------5-7-8

---------------5-7-8-------

-------4-5-7---------------

4-5-7----------------------

-----------------------------

-----------------------------

now put 'em together (try using hammer ons for speed; pick the 1st note per string, hammer the others);

-----------------------------------------------------5-7-8

----------------------------------------------5-7-8-------

----------------------2-4-5---------4-5-7---------------

---------------2-4-5--------4-5-7-----------------------

--------2-3-5---------------------------------------------

2-3-5-----------------------------------------------------

after you get the hang of it, you can add a 2nd half,

which is an identical fingering (except for a final bend up to the high A)

-----------------------------------------------------5-7-8----------------------------------------------------------------10-12-13-15(~17)

----------------------------------------------5-7-8-------------------------------------------------------------10-12-13---------------------

----------------------2-4-5---------4-5-7-----------------------------------------7-9-10----------9-10-12--------------------------------

---------------2-4-5--------4-5-7----------------------------------------7-9-10----------9-10-12-----------------------------------------

--------2-3-5------------------------------------------------------7-8-10---------------------------------------------------------------------

2-3-5------------------------------------------------------7-8-10-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

practice this and you'll see how easy it is to play blazing fast

(due to, you guessed it, symetrical fingerings; the "69" position of lead guitar, ha).

it works great as a fretboard spanning finale to a solo,

it sounds cool, and it looks harder than it really is.

c-ya

[Jorge]

Cool!

[specialk]

Thanks for taking the time to do these lessons, Brooks! They sure give me something to work on.

[zorrow]

Great exercise! Just played it over and over for more than half an hour and had a lot of fun with it, creating variations and such. Thanks! :cool:

[zorrow]

Played it even more. I realized it starts in E Aeolian, which is also A Dorian; then it goes A Aeolian --which is also D Dorian. That's why it sounds so great over an Am vamp, as two of its minor modes are mixed: Aeolian and Dorian.

[Brooks]

thanx guys.

here's another symetrical lick i made up.

not much use trying to analyize it

(unless you enjoy that kinda thing),

its got lots of outside notes.

just playing it now i realize that it ends on the min 7th, so that works...

in the neighborhood of A minor, w/ a triplet feel;

-7------------------------------------

---8-------7--------7----------------

-----10------8--------8------7------

----------------10-------10-----8---

------------------------------------10

---------------------------------------

try it w/ straight eight notes ("da-da-da, da-da-da") picked heavy w/ distortion,

then try it clean on the neck pup w/ a jazzy swing rhythm ("TA-da-da, TA-da-da").

this isn't as easy to play fast right away as the 1st example in this thread.

but, i analyzied my picking, i'm playing the 1st of the 3 notes as an upstroke

and the following 2 notes are a sweeped downstroke

(which helps to make the 1st note "pop", like "TA-da-da, TA-da-da").

EDIT; anyone drink this miller 65 beer? it was on sale, and i'm trying to lose a few pounds before cancun next month.

i've had six or seven of 'em, but i'm barely buzzed.

another thing i noticed;

friday nights we have a house gig downtown,

and besides paying us they give us free drinks (a fookin' sweet deal).

i've cut my fat intake waaaay back all month,

and last night i got pretty sloppy drinking the same amount that i usually can maintain;

less fat to absorb the alcohol = cheap date.