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Topic: E9 scale exercise in fourths |
W. Van Horn
From:
Houston, texas
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Posted 27 Jun 2013 1:13 pm |
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Note: Make sure your browser window is maximized to get the correct formatting of this post.
This is NOT a technique lesson. I cannot recommend using this video as a reference for technique, this is just an exercise I came up with to help with my attempt to remove palm blocking and anchoring the fourth finger from my technique.
Here is an exercise I have been working with. What we're doing is playing a pattern through the major scale of 1-2-3, 1-2-3-4, 2-3-4-5, 3-4-5-6, 4-5-6-7, 5-6-7-8, 6-7-8-9, 7-8 (numbers indicate scale degrees). Play through it and you'll hear it, it's a familiar sounding exercise. After playing through that we will do the same thing -descending- a fourth up.
For example, we'd play that pattern ascending in C major, then descending in F, then ascending in Bb, descending in Eb, etc...
Note that I have added a “turnaround” of four notes between each scale. This is so that your picking is continuous throughout the whole exercise with no rests.
We'll be using two basic scale positions – one based out of the open or “no pedals” position and one based out of the A and B pedals down position. Here is a C major scale 4 ways – 1. Ascending, open position 2. Descending, open position 3. Ascending, pedals down position 4. Descending, pedals down position.
1_|_______________________|____________________|______________3____________________
2_|________________8______|____8_______________|_________3L________________________
3_|_______________________|____________________|________________3-3B_______________
4_|__________________8____|__8_________________|____________3_______________________
5_|___________8-8A________|______8A-8_________|_____3-3A___________________________
6_|______8-8B_____________|___________8B-8_____|_3B________________________________
7_|____8__________________|________________8___|___________________________________
8_|__8____________________|__________________8_|___________________________________
9_|_______________________|____________________|___________________________________
10|_______________________|____________________|____________________________________
1_|_______3________________________________________________________________________
2_|___________3L___________________________________________________________________
3_|__3B-3__________________________________________________________________________
4_|_________3______________________________________________________________________
5_|______________3A-3______________________________________________________________
6_|____________________3B__________________________________________________________
7_|________________________________________________________________________________
8_|________________________________________________________________________________
9_|________________________________________________________________________________
10|________________________________________________________________________________
I will post the tab of the exercise along with a youtube link. In the link I will play the above four scales, followed by an example of the basic exercise in C, followed by the whole exercise starting on Bb. We start on Bb in order to avoid using the open strings and so that we play both the open position and closed position an equal number of times ascending and descending. |
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W. Van Horn
From:
Houston, texas
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Posted 27 Jun 2013 1:20 pm
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Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oYjkSb7pO8
L = half tone lower
Scale progression – Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, B, E, A, D, G, C, F
Major Scale Exercise
1_|_______________________________________________________________6_____6_________
2_|____________________________________________6______6_______6_____6_____________
3_|_______________________________________________________________________6_______
4_|_____________________________________________________6_______6_____6_____6_____
5_|________________________6______6-6A____6-6A___6-6A_____6A_____________________
6_|______6_____6-6B___6-6B___6-6B______6B_________________________________________
7_|____6_____6______6______________________________________________________________
8_|__6_____6_______________________________________________________________________
9_|________________________________________________________________________________
10|________________________________________________________________________________
1_|_______6______6_____6______6____________________________________________________
2_|________________________6L_____6L______6L______6L______________________________
3_|__6B-6___6B-6_____6_____________________________________________________________
4_|________________6_____6______6_______6__________________________________________
5_|__________________________________6A______6A-6____6A-6_____6A-6_____6__________
6_|________________________________________________________6B______6B-6__6B_4B_4__
7_|_______________________________________________________________________________4
8_|________________________________________________________________________________
9_|________________________________________________________________________________
10|________________________________________________________________________________
1_|_______________________________________________________________4_____4__________
2_|____________________________________________4______4_______4_____4_____________
3_|_______________________________________________________________________4_______
4_|_____________________________________________________4_______4_____4_____4_____
5_|________________________4______4-4A____4-4A___4-4A_____4A_____________________
6_|______4_____4-4B___4-4B___4-4B______4B_________________________________________
7_|____4_____4______4______________________________________________________________
8_|__4_____4_______________________________________________________________________
9_|________________________________________________________________________________
10|________________________________________________________________________________
1_|_______4______4_____4______4____________________________________________________
2_|________________________4L_____4L______4L______4L______________________________
3_|__4B-4___4B-4_____4_____________________________________________________________
4_|________________4_____4______4_______4__________________________________________
5_|__________________________________4A______4A-4____4A-4_____4A-4_____4__________
6_|________________________________________________________4B______4B-4__4B_2B_2__
7_|_______________________________________________________________________________2
8_|________________________________________________________________________________
9_|________________________________________________________________________________
10|________________________________________________________________________________
1_|_______________________________________________________________2_____2_________
2_|____________________________________________2______2_______2_____2_____________
3_|_______________________________________________________________________2_______
4_|_____________________________________________________2_______2_____2_____2_____
5_|________________________2______2-2A____2-2A___2-2A_____2A_____________________
6_|______2_____2-2B___2-2B___2-2B______2B_________________________________________
7_|____2_____2______2______________________________________________________________
8_|__2_____2_______________________________________________________________________
9_|________________________________________________________________________________
10|_______________________________________________________________________________
1_|_______2______2_____2______2____________________________________________________
2_|________________________2L_____2L______2L______2L______________________________
3_|__2B-2___2B-2_____2_____________________________________________________________
4_|________________2_____2______2_______2__________________________________________
5_|__________________________________2A______2A-2____2A-2_____2A-2_____2__________
6_|________________________________________________________2B______2B-2__2B_5_6_7_
7_|________________________________________________________________________________
8_|________________________________________________________________________________
9_|________________________________________________________________________________
10|________________________________________________________________________________
Here's where we change which position(open/pedals down) is ascending and which is descending
1_|_______________________________________7______7_____7______7___________________5
2_|_________________7L______7L______7L______7L____________________________________
3_|________________________________________________7_____7-7B___7-7B_9B_7-7B_5B-5__
4_|____________________________7________7______7_____7_____________________________
5_|____7-7A____7-7A____7-7A______7A_______________________________________________
6_|_7B______7B_____________________________________________________________________
7_|________________________________________________________________________________
8_|________________________________________________________________________________
9_|________________________________________________________________________________
10|________________________________________________________________________________
1_|________________________________________________________________________________
2_|___5______5_______5_____________________________________________________________
3_|________________________________________________________________________________
4_|_5______5_______________________________________________________________________
5_|_____5A_____5A-5___5A-5_____5A-5______5________________________________________
6_|_________________________5B______5B-5___5B-5___5B-5__________________5__________
7_|_____________________________________________5______5___5_____5___5-6___________
8_|______________________________________________________5___5-4___5_______________
9_|________________________________________________________________________________
10|________________________________________________________________________________
1_|_______________________________________5______5_____5______5___________________3
2_|_________________5L______5L______5L______5L____________________________________
3_|________________________________________________5_____5-5B___5-5B_7B_5-5B_3B-3__
4_|____________________________5________5______5_____5_____________________________
5_|____5-5A____5-5A____5-5A______5A_______________________________________________
6_|_5B______5B_____________________________________________________________________
7_|________________________________________________________________________________
8_|________________________________________________________________________________
9_|________________________________________________________________________________
10|________________________________________________________________________________
1_|________________________________________________________________________________
2_|___3______3_______3_____________________________________________________________
3_|________________________________________________________________________________
4_|_3______3_______________________________________________________________________
5_|_____3A_____3A-3___3A-3_____3A-3______3________________________________________
6_|_________________________3B______3B-3___3B-3___3B-3__________________3__________
7_|_____________________________________________3______3___3_____3___3-4___________
8_|______________________________________________________3___3-2___3_______________
9_|________________________________________________________________________________
10|________________________________________________________________________________
1_|_______________________________________3______3_____3______3___________________1
2_|_________________3L______3L______3L______3L____________________________________
3_|________________________________________________3_____3-3B___3-3B_5B_3-3B_1B-1__
4_|____________________________3________3______3_____3_____________________________
5_|____3-3A____3-3A____3-3A______3A_______________________________________________
6_|_3B______3B_____________________________________________________________________
7_|________________________________________________________________________________
8_|________________________________________________________________________________
9_|________________________________________________________________________________
10|________________________________________________________________________________
1_|________________________________________________________________________________
2_|___1______1_______1_____________________________________________________________
3_|________________________________________________________________________________
4_|_1______1_______________________________________________________________________
5_|_____1A_____1A-1___1A-1_____1A-1______1________________________________________
6_|_________________________1B______1B-1___1B-1___1B-1__________________1_1B_______
7_|_____________________________________________1______1___1_____1___1-2___________
8_|______________________________________________________1___1-1L__1_______________
9_|________________________________________________________________________________
10|________________________________________________________________________________
Last edited by W. Van Horn on 28 Jun 2013 1:17 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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kevin ryan
From:
San Marcos, California
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Posted 28 Jun 2013 8:20 am
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| Really good stuff... |
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W. Van Horn
From:
Houston, texas
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Posted 28 Jun 2013 1:19 pm
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Thank you Kevin!
Updated the tab - I had forgotten to write the last 7th tone in some of the ascending scales. If anyone has questions about this exercise I'd be happy to help out. |
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Sonny Jenkins
From:
Texas Masonic Retirement Center,,,Arlington Tx
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Posted 29 Jun 2013 8:28 am
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| Looks like an EXCELLENT pick blocking exercise!!! |
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John Peay
From:
Cumming, Georgia USA
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Posted 1 Jul 2013 3:28 pm Re: E9 scale exercise in fourths
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| Will Van Horn wrote: |
| this is just an exercise I came up with to help with my attempt to remove palm blocking and anchoring the fourth finger from my technique. |
Will, why are you changing this around, are you wanting to become more of a pick blocker? Just wondering, as I'm one who "palm blocks and anchors my fourth finger"....I do some occasional pick blocking, even with that. |
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W. Van Horn
From:
Houston, texas
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Posted 2 Jul 2013 2:32 am
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John,
I have been doing a combination pick and palm blocking since I first started playing, all while anchoring my right hand pinky. I decided to focus exclusively on pick blocking after doing a session where I needed to execute very fast, precise scalar melodies. It was really tough and to me mastering pick blocking seems like the best way to get things like that down with any level of control. SO - once I started working on that, Bob Hoffnar pointed out that anchoring the right hand pinky messes with that technique. Look at Paul Franklin and Joe Wright's right hand...Also I hear a very noticeable difference in tone while playing the lower strings, pinky anchored vs not.
It's been difficult, especially as I have been a banjo player for many years. I'm doing a honky tonk record right now and you better believe I don't think one second about how I'm blocking when I'm playing straight up honky tonk. Probably do more palm blocking than anything else on it. |
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Rick Myrland
From:
New Orleans
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Posted 3 Sep 2013 10:03 am
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What do you mean by anchoring your right hand pinky? I find when I palm block--which is quite rare, thus my attempt to improve it--I bounce my hand up and down because it's the fastest and cleanest way to do that. But I'm sure that technique would draw harsh rekube from most steel players.
_________________
Mullen G2; Fender Tone Master Twin Reverb; Goodrich L-120 |
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Josh Yenne
From:
Sonoma California
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Posted 12 Oct 2013 3:42 pm
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Great excercise... thanks for putting it up! I love stuff like this (but I have always loved repetitive little technique stuff) i'm going to bookmark and come back to this when I'm looking for something to work with.
Rick... I think that is what you're looking for in palm blocking... go look at videos of the masters Lloyd Green, Brumley, Mooney... those sorts of guys... their hand is bouncing...
I dont quite understand this demonization of "palm blocking"
I find that I end up doing both... it sort of depends on the run/sound I'm looking for... if you are speed picking there is going to be a lot of pick blocking that is for sure... but there is a SOUND to palm blocking... not just a technique to stopping the strings from ringing....
I really see no reason to be militantly in one camp or the other...
I do agree with not anchoring your pinky... that makes me cringe, I think that any tension in the hands on any instrument is a bad thing, and planting any part of your body adds tension... I always equate it to a short stop playing the field with "locked knees" But lord knows guys that are much better than me pull it off with the pinky anchored so....  |
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Adrian Wang
From:
Singapore
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Posted 28 Oct 2013 6:21 am
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Thanks, Will
I was thrown out of orientation and then realised and
1st time seeing a left handed pedal steel |
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W. Van Horn
From:
Houston, texas
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Posted 28 Oct 2013 8:17 am
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| My computer flips videos while recording. It's a right handed steel. |
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Tommy Shown
From:
Denham Springs, La.
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Posted 23 Nov 2013 9:53 pm
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Thank you for posting Will. I printed up the tab to practice with.
Tommy Shown
SMFTBL |
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Daniel McCombe
From:
Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 27 Nov 2013 6:05 am
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| This is great thanks! |
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