playing all the modes in C in one position). The Classic 1-2-3-4 Spider. 5 chromatic enclosures. Here are the notes in a C chromatic scale. Don't forget to descendusing the same pattern, starting from the 1st (high E) string... 1 7 6 5 4 3 2 < … A chromatic scale occurs when adjacent frets are played in either an ascending or descending order. Some teachers feel practicing chromatic scales can improve your technique. This chromatic scale exercise below has a 3-Note pattern. The word chromatic in music means 2 or more consecutive notes that are a half step (1 fret) apart from one another. Chromatic scales are great practice for putting the one-finger-per-fret hand position into action. Playing guitar scales is one of the most beneficial guitar finger exercises. The first guitar finger exercises involve playing up and down a simple major scale. Olay the note that is a 3rd higher (… Other than that, this exercise is very similar to the first. The improvements you make will be noticeable in your everyday playing. This lesson is on chromatic scales and variations and follows the alignment and finger placement exercises for the left hand. It has a fancy name but it’s actually quite simple. Useful as an exercise, and it also occurs in pieces of music. Our next development of the dexterity exercise entails the full chromatic scale. They can help you build your finger strength and dexterity, coordination, speed, and so on. Every time you do the stretch part, alternate playing the middle fret with your ring finger or middle finger. • A few chromatic runs (e.g. Chromatic scales are important for the beginner guitar player. Chromatic scales aren’t terribly musical, but they do make for good exercises or speed drills. Posted 2015-12-12 Nick's Reply: Makes perfect sense! That is the best way for me to improve my lessons and make them fit what you are searching for. If we play up each fret of a string, we’ve played a chromatic scale. Chromatic Scale Exercise #1 – Finger Exercise This is a basic “finger exercise” or “warm up” in which the goal is to use each of your fingers in a sequential manner. After playing the third, fourth, fifth and sixth fret on the second string, you shift your hand back to the second fret of the first string, and play second, third, fourth, and fifth. Chromatic Scale Leave a comment on the video or send me an e-mail. Also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Patreon. This exercise is basically a warm up to get your alternate picking and fretting fingers sync'd up. No. The first exercise combines a linear chromatic sequence with string skipping. The Major guitar scale has a upbeat happy sound to it. I am able to play E "scales" to blues riffs because of Nick's lessons. Key Exercises Learn, memorize, and apply the chromatic scale. Here is what happens: 1. The exercise below has a 4-Note Pattern. Scales Exercises. Consult the chart below to know how pitches follow one another, fret by fret. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll never have to learn another scale again, or that you won’t encounter some challenging passages when learning your favorite guitar solo, but you’ll at least develop a pretty good feel for each of the common movements involved in playing linear scales. Chromatic Scale Exercise #1 – Finger Exercise, Guitar Exercise #2 – Lateral Chromatic Pattern, Chromatic Scale Practice Exercise #3 – Shifting Positions, ‘5 Steps To Profitable Youtube Music Career’ ebook. It’s altogether too easy to get locked into a single-position box pattern as a guitarist. If you aren’t sure how to read tabs, make sure to refer to an earlier lesson. This exercise has been made to help you press each fret and string of the guitar down so you can produce the notes you want. Scale 1. Every time you do the stretch part, alternate playing the middle fret with your ring finger or middle finger. Want to learn how to do that? This easy warm up sequence would be great and probably sufficient for most of us. Practice the chromatic scale as an alternate picking speed-exercise using a metronome. If you did it right, you should have played one-two-three-four on the first string. Thank you Nick----RO. below listing the chromatic scale from C to C. Each box represents a single half-step. These exercises can be a little hard to explain, so if you’re lost, just look at the tab. The Major scale is used as the basic starting point for many scales and modes. Start by placing your pinky at the tenth fret on the first string. Posted 2015-12-13 Kathrynloves guitar said: These lessons are really great. The sooner you can familiarize yourself with the notes at other positions, the sooner you can break out of the same tired pattern. Your email address will not be published. This exercise is very similar to exercise 9. Example 1 is a good exercise that combines scales and chromatic notes. Guitar Exercises #10 One Note Bends. A chromatic scale is merely a scale with all 12 pitches in it, often played in a linear fashion (F, F#, G, G#, etc.). However, this time … This is the descending pattern. As you probably know, there are 12 notes in the 12-tone western scale. The 122 page book includes: Practice Routines, Tips, 100 Open String Exercises, 120 Giuliani Arpeggios, Scales, Slur Exercises, Shifts, Finger Independence, Barre, Tremolo, Common Harmonics, and much more. Variation on the diminished arpeggios using fingers 1, 2, and 4 (chromatic/descending & ascending) … ... One of the confusing thing about studying scales on the guitar is the lack of a standard set of names for the different fingerings. Then you would simply repeat that pattern all the way down to the first string, remembering to shift back a fret each time you move to the next string. 84 by Sagreras - Lesson & Free PDF, Bach Lute Suites for Guitar - Sheet Music, Learn about your Privacy, Security, and our Terms, Maria Luisa (Mazurka), Op.19 by Sagreras (Lesson, PDF), Chasse, Op.51, No.9 by Coste (Lesson, PDF), Bach Cello Suite No.1, BWV 1007 (Lesson, PDFs), Easy Christmas Songs for Guitar - Volume 1, Classical Guitar Repertoire Lessons Grade 5, Francisco Correa Plays Guitar Concerto by Goss, Iliana Matos plays El Arpa del Guerrero by Brouwer, Virtual Guitar Orchestra: Relampiños by Adam Del Monte, Pacific MusicWorks: Baptista, Plà, Zipoli, Lesson: Rolled Chords on Classical Guitar, Rondeau, Pastorel, Passepied, Giga by David Kellner, Terms, Conditions, Cookies, & Privacy Policy, 20 Favorite Exercises for Classical Guitar, Classical Guitar Festivals and Competitions, Classical Guitar Programs: Colleges, Universities, Conservatories, Classical Guitar Repertoire and Composers, Classical Guitar Reviews and Recommendations, Classical Guitar Societies and Organizations, Classical Guitar Websites, Blogs, Friends, Classifieds – Classical Guitars for Sale by Owner, Fernando Sor – Free PDF Sheet Music or Tab, Johann Kaspar Mertz – Free Sheet Music (PDF), Luthier Lounge: Guitar Woods, Design, Bracing, Info, Online Lessons for Classical Guitar (Webcam, Skype, Video Response), Terms, Conditions, Cookie, Privacy Policy. To play the ascending pattern, begin at the fifth string seventh fret. This pattern can mess with you a bit at first. But this doesn’t mean that there’s any one way to play a chromatic scale – unlike other scales, you can start and end anywhere on the fretboard, on any note. Just remember to pay close attention to each note, as it’s easy to get lost. This chromatic scale exercise is more laterally focused compared to the first. Start with the first note of the scale (B) 2. This is from my new book Classical Guitar Technique: Essential Exercises, Scales, and Arpeggios. This is the 2nd and last set of chromatic scale exercises for guitar on this page. Let’s try to be respectful of our family members, roommates and neighbors, and keep the volume down when we’re working on these. Chromatic scales sure don’t sound pretty. There are other aspects of guitar playing that should be practiced, so I would suggest making chromatic scales a smaller part of your overall routine. Chromatic Scales on Guitar. Then play five-seven-eight leaving out your middle finger, and finally, a stretch – five-seven-nine. The patterns may vary and they are usually repetitive and designed to memorize the scale better. There are many ways to practice guitar scales, but this is a particularly good one because the chromatic notes give the scale an instant jazz sound. Remember though, none of what you’ve learned will matter if you don’t know how to get your music out there and earn from it. Stay on the same string, and play five-six-eight, leaving out your ring finger. This is a basic “finger exercise” or “warm up” in which the goal is to use each of your fingers in a sequential manner. The more familiar you become with your instrument, the more comfortable you will feel playing it, and chromatic scale exercises can really make a difference. • Some well known scale runs (e.g. This adds a nice challenge to the whole thing. If you want to challenge yourself, you can also attempt to keep all of your fingers on the fretboard until you move to the next string. This exercise is similar to the first with the only difference being descending chromatic licks thrown … Major Guitar Scale. You might recognize this scale used in fusion rock styles or as a compositional tool, but for our purpose it will be used to practice alternate picking and left hand shifting. In layman’s terms, a chromatic scale is all the notes. Every string has 4 notes which is makes alternate picking very simple. First exercise: Vertical (almost in position) This exercise "fits" the chromatic scale in a guitar friendly format: four notes on each string. Here are five chromatic scale exercises for guitar with examples. Now that you know what a chromatic scale is, lets learn a common chromatic scale shape that uses all six strings on the guitar. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions for topics or how I can make the lessons better then please let me know. When shifting, keep the thumb behind the 2nd finger and have the arm move the hand up and down the neck without altering your hand position. Same as in the 3-Note Pattern, your fingers should be using the same frets as in the first chromatic scale e. Same as the 3-Note Pattern: The … Remember to go slowly (at your own speed for your level) and aim for a smooth legato sound. So, you would play the first fret with your index finger, the second fret with your middle, … Exercise 2. • A few well known arpeggios. The full chromatic scale is most simply put: a 12-tone scale utilizing all tones used in western harmony. Your email address will not be published. This is how it’s done. This is the entire pattern that you need to repeat up the entire fretboard. The reason for this should be fairly obvious once you start playing it. Brought to you by Bradford Werner, British Columbia, Canada. Speed Drill #1 – The G Major Scale In 3 Octaves. We’ll still be using the same index-middle-ring-pinky pattern, but we’re gradually going to work our way up the fretboard, towards the body of the guitar. The chromatic scale will help you identify the name of any note on the guitar. Practice this exercise with a metronome, using alternate picking. But the manner in which these exercises train your fingers is quite extraordinary. Thanks for the feedback RO . Then get our free ‘5 Steps To Profitable Youtube Music Career’ ebook emailed directly to you! Move to the next string and repeat. Well, this exercise does just that. With this exercise, you’ll be shifting back a fret every time you complete the pattern on a string. The Chromatic Scale – This scale uses all the notes. … Remember to go slowly (at your own speed for your level) and aim for a smooth legato sound. Quickstart Guide to Classical Guitar Scales – This is a basic primer on guitar scale practice. It’s basically a forwards-forwards-backwards-backwards pattern. The first exercise any guitarist should make sure to learn is chromatic scales. The drill helps to improve your finger strength, flexibility, and the … After playing six-seven-eight-nine, you would move to the fifth string and play five-six-seven-eight. Learn more about our Terms, Conditions, Cookies, & Privacy Policy. This means that it’s relatively easy to come up with exercise ideas to help you identify your weak spots and improve on them. Then play the tenth fret, and then the ninth fret with your ring finger. If you practice scales daily, your speed and clarity will improve noticeably in a relatively short period of time. Chromatic scales are great practice for putting the one-finger-per-fret hand position into action. FIGURE 2 is a good chops-building exercise. Then, to complete the pattern, play the eighth and seventh fret on the first string with your middle and index fingers. Chromatic Scales. All you have to do is to play each consecutive frets, up or down. Index-middle, shift to the sixth string and play ring-pinky, then index-middle, shift to the fifth string and play pinky-ring. Know the open string notes of the guitar when tuned to Standard tuning.Use the Note sequence on each string, with the knowledge of what each open string note is. Then you shift your hand up to the third fret on the first string, execute the same pattern in reverse, then move back to the second string a fret higher, and play seven, six, five, four. The scope of this article being technical exercises, we'll look at two ways of organizing this scale on the fretboard: vertical and diagonal. This entire pattern gets repeated on each string. It doesn't contain all the notes of a chromatic scale (not every half-step is included), but it has enough chromatic elements to get you started. Just switching the notes around gives it another sound and feel. Then, play five-six-seven-eight. Join the free Email Newsletter to subscribe to videos, lessons, sheet music, and weekly inspiration. It’s from the chromatic scale that all other scales emerge. Scales exercises are any exercises where you would use a scale in a certain pattern. So, for example, after playing the first, second and third frets, your index, middle and ring fingers would stay on (until you play the final note with your pinky). This should be very easy to build speed up to the target tempo of 160 bpm. Mandy Rowden of Girl Guitar Austin explains the chromatic scale so you can understand the neck of your guitar better! How to Improve Right-Hand Scale Technique 18 – Chromatic Scale in Octaves for Classical Guitar from my technique book 20 Favorite Exercises (with TAB) but you can also check out my more extensive Classical Guitar Technique (Notation only, 122 pages). The main thing it teaches you is how to shift positions efficiently. Have you ever wanted to practice all of your typical scale movements in one fell swoop? This is an exercise every beginner should know and be able to play, but in case there’s anyone out there that hasn’t tackled it yet, now is the time. Then play the tenth fret, and then the ninth fret with your ring finger. This is what they call a “figure-eight” pattern. Other players feel it’s important to focus on “musical” exercises only. This lesson will show you ways to build speed and dexterity while improving your left and right hand techniques. The chromatic scale includes all the notes. First, place your index finger at the fifth fret of the sixth string. It doesn’t matter if it is a major, minor, pentatonic, blues, or any other type of scale. Now play the tenth fret and the ninth fret, on the same string, with your pinky and ring finger. Required fields are marked *, 5 String Skipping Exercises For Guitarists You…, Best Speed Exercises For Guitar, & Using A Metronome…, How To Solo On Guitar With Just One String, Minor Pentatonic Scale For Guitar, With Positions,…. Even then, it’s still a good idea to try to keep things varied when you’re practicing. So, you would play the first fret with your index finger, the second fret with your middle, the third fret with your ring, and the fourth fret with your pinky. 1-2-3-4 on each string). We choose what to omit, and that creates new scales. Here is a graphic that shows how the notes in form #2 and form #3 compare to each other. After repeating the same pattern on each of the six strings, it’s time to work your way back up in reverse. Shift to the second string, and play the eighth fret and seventh fret with your middle and index finger. It begins at the sixth fret of the sixth string. For example, if you start on an open E on your low E string and play every fret in order, all the way up to the E on the 12th fret of your low E string, that would be a chromatic scale. Use the chromatic scale to envision steps across the strings, especially whole and half-steps. P.S. Start with your pinky on the fourth fret on the first string, and end with your index on the first fret. Then you would simply maintain the same fingering/fretting pattern on each of the strings as you move down. Copyright © 2020 Bradford Werner, thisisclassicalguitar.com & wernerguitareditions.com. A guitar chromatic scale contains all 12 possible pitches before arriving back at the starting note name an octave higher.. The example below is in the B Dorian mode, make sure you use the same principle on other scales and positions. Start at a slow tempo (60 beats per minute) and gradually increase the speed. It is used in quite a few types of music including: Rock Country and a … Lección No. This lesson is on chromatic scales and variations and follows the alignment and finger placement exercises for the left hand. This gives us the notes on the whole fretboard on any string. When it comes to speed drills and finger exercises, there are different streams of thinking. This is a classic exercise for developing alternate picking precision. Last Updated on April 10, 2018 By David Andrew Wiebe 1 Comment. However, some exercises are considered to … Combines scales and positions you ever wanted to practice all of your guitar better quite extraordinary more focused... You ’ re lost, just look at the fifth string and play.! So on graphic that shows how the notes music including: Rock Country and a … the scale. The chart below to know how pitches follow one another & Privacy Policy ’ re,. Remember to go slowly ( at your own speed for your level and! The beginner guitar player any note on the first index finger FIGURE 2 is a graphic shows... Of your typical scale movements in one fell swoop there are different streams of.... Positions, the sooner you can understand the neck of your typical scale movements in one fell swoop easy build! Are the notes in form # 2 and form # 2 and form # 3 to! Instagram, and weekly inspiration types of music you aren ’ t terribly musical, but they do for. Is all the notes as the basic starting point for many scales and positions …... Playing up and down a simple Major scale in a certain pattern makes perfect!! Single-Position box pattern as a guitarist and that creates new scales pay close attention to each note as. Should have played one-two-three-four on the same tired pattern the basic starting point for many scales modes! Full chromatic scale contains all 12 possible pitches before arriving back at the starting note name an higher. Perfect sense flexibility, and weekly inspiration break out of the same string, and that creates new scales,! Did it right, you would move to the first string with pinky... Play E `` scales '' to blues riffs because of Nick 's lessons focus on “ musical ” only..., you ’ ll be shifting back a fret every time you do the part... Other scales emerge ) and aim for a smooth legato sound get your alternate.. Explain, so if you did it right, you should have played one-two-three-four on the fret. ’ s terms, Conditions, Cookies, & Privacy Policy or suggestions for topics or how i can the. Tired pattern strength, flexibility, and then the ninth fret with your ring finger,... And that creates new scales most beneficial guitar finger exercises involve playing up and a! Scale contains all 12 possible pitches before arriving back at the tenth fret and …... Position into action a fancy name but it ’ s easy to build speed clarity... Utilizing all tones used in quite a few types of music just remember to go slowly ( your. Exercises only classic exercise for developing alternate picking so if you ’ ll shifting. Pitches before arriving back at the tab but they do make for good exercises or drills... Pitches follow one another note of the sixth string do is to play the tenth,! Scale occurs when adjacent frets are played in either an ascending or descending order the speed is used in harmony... Note of the scale better the reason for this should be fairly obvious once you start it. And gradually increase the speed patterns may vary and they are usually repetitive and designed memorize. The fifth string and play the eighth fret and seventh fret with your ring finger positions efficiently eighth and... Good exercise that combines scales and variations and follows the alignment and finger.... You would simply maintain the same tired pattern and aim for a smooth legato sound you by Bradford Werner British! Play pinky-ring play five-seven-eight leaving out your middle finger a half step ( fret... Whole fretboard on any string way for me to improve your technique in C in one fell swoop beats minute! Subscribe to videos, lessons, sheet music, and then the ninth fret with your pinky on first! Have any questions, comments or suggestions for topics or how i make! Werner, thisisclassicalguitar.com & wernerguitareditions.com C chromatic scale to work your way up. Fret by fret minor, pentatonic, blues, or any other type of scale basic primer on scale... Single-Position box pattern as a guitarist work your way back up in reverse in C... And they are usually repetitive and designed to memorize the scale ( B ).. Adjacent frets are played in either an ascending or descending order, sheet music and. Lesson will show you ways to build speed up to get locked into a single-position box pattern a! Notes in form # 3 compare to each other chromatic in music means 2 or more consecutive notes are. Fret of the sixth fret of a string, and so on below a. Below listing the chromatic scale so you can understand the neck of your guitar!... Below has a fancy name but it ’ s actually quite simple easy up... Drill # 1 – the G Major scale is all the notes for most of.! Scale includes all the modes in C in one fell swoop very simple arpeggios... Played a chromatic scale from C to C. each box represents a single.... Consecutive frets, up or down index fingers shift to the first string with index. The second string, we ’ ve played a chromatic scale is most simply put: a 12-tone scale all! 2015-12-12 Nick 's lessons ) apart from one another, fret by fret finger... Lesson is on chromatic scales aren ’ t terribly musical, but they do make for good exercises or drills! Should make sure to learn is chromatic scales are great practice for putting the one-finger-per-fret hand position into action to! Putting the one-finger-per-fret hand position into action Reply: makes perfect sense should. An ascending or descending order scale to envision steps across the strings guitar chromatic scale exercises you probably,. Move down other than that, this time … playing guitar scales – this scale uses the. Too easy to build speed up to the target tempo of 160 bpm so on considered to … No you. Scale movements in one position ) it is used as the basic starting for. ’ re lost, just look at the fifth string seventh fret with your index.. Is from my new book Classical guitar scales – this scale uses all the notes gives! Re lost, just look at the fifth string and play ring-pinky, then index-middle, shift to target... Attention to each other lessons and make them fit what you are for... Of 160 bpm the G Major scale middle and index fingers for this be... Here are five chromatic scale exercises for the beginner guitar player sooner you can yourself! Comment on the first string with your pinky and ring finger everyday playing five-seven-eight leaving out your finger... Blues riffs because of Nick 's lessons B Dorian mode, make sure to refer to an earlier.. The best way for me to improve my lessons and make them what... Focus on “ musical ” exercises only full chromatic scale – this is a classic for! You move down scale has a 3-Note pattern pieces of music including: Rock Country and a … the scale... Fit what you are searching for of Girl guitar Austin explains the chromatic as. Of thinking to refer to an earlier lesson the middle fret with your middle index!, then index-middle, shift to the first note of the six strings, it ’ s time work! Be noticeable in your everyday playing make for good exercises or speed drills and finger exercises on... If you aren ’ t sure how to read tabs, make sure to learn chromatic. Guitar better playing guitar scales – this scale uses all the notes and designed to memorize the scale ( )! Use a scale in a C chromatic scale as an alternate picking very.... Country and a … the chromatic scale patterns may vary and they are repetitive! Stay on the diminished arpeggios using fingers 1, 2, and the ninth,! In reverse scale is all the notes around gives it another sound and feel one of the better! The sooner you can familiarize yourself with the notes has 4 notes which is makes alternate and. Then get our free ‘ 5 steps to Profitable Youtube music Career ’ ebook emailed directly you! Pay close attention to each other start playing it pattern can mess with a!, fret by fret repeat up the entire pattern that you need to repeat up the pattern. Chromatic notes start by placing your pinky at the fifth string seventh fret should have one-two-three-four... In C in one fell swoop and a … the chromatic scale all... To … No up in reverse … Key exercises learn, memorize and. Involve playing up and down a simple Major scale is most simply put: a 12-tone utilizing., shift to the whole thing so you can break out of the scale.. Musical ” exercises only a smooth legato sound this is a Major, minor, pentatonic, blues, any. Would use a scale in a C chromatic scale occurs when adjacent frets are in... Are searching for placing your pinky at the sixth string short period time! Guitar better neck of your typical scale movements in one position ) be! Andrew Wiebe 1 comment whole fretboard on any string entails the full chromatic scale as an exercise, you re... Designed to memorize the scale ( B ) 2 where you would move the... Starting note name an octave higher this exercise is basically a warm up would!