Five Minor Scale patterns
Steve Rieck: Today, I want to expand on the scale pattern exercise that we had earlier where we learn five major scale patterns in terms of practicing them around the fretboard. We learned, in that case, the C Major scale in five different positions. Today we are going to learn the A Minor scale again with five positions. And the thing about the A Minor scales that it's relative to that the C Major scale. What it means in musical term is that it actually contains the same seven notes. The notes of the C Major scale is going to C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C and so a relative minor scale would be a minor scale containing the same notes A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A. Notice that there are no sharps or flats in either of the scales these are same seven notes.
So really what's the difference, so it's a matter of where you hear the tonal center. So if you hear that sort of starting and ending or finishing resolving to A rather than C then you really in the A Minor scale whereas if you were to--more or less hear those notes centered around the C tonal center, it will be the C Major scale but ultimately its same seven notes. So anyway on with the patterns we have got five patterns to learn. I will actually call out the note names, these are tabbed out in the beginning of the video and they are basically two octave patterns and what I am going to do for reference is refer to the string number and the finger that begins the pattern.
So pattern one is actually is going to start on the sixth string with the fourth finger. Right here so I am going to call this is a six, four pattern. Let me play it slowly and then I will talk with the notes. So again that's the sixth string, the fourth finger starts a pattern we are calling that pattern one in tabs. The notes I am going to play is very slowly I will call out the notes for you. A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A, G, F, E, D, C, B, A, G, F, E, D, C, B, A, G, F, E, F, G, A.
And if you are kind of than that stage of guitar playing where you feel a little bit lost in terms of node names on the fretboard, if you play the guitar sort of by tab or just by shape and you are not familiar with those names what I would really like you to do is slow down and really call those note names out as you play these then ultimately if you do it after while you really know all the natural notes in your fretboard which is what the A Minor scale is. And by doing that then just sharps and flats are obviously easily after that, so you really kind of learn the whole fretboard.
So into the second pattern, I am going to start pattern now with the first finger on the sixth string. So this is will be what we call a six one pattern and let me play it slowly. Now even slower with the note names A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A, B, to C slid D, E, F, G, A, B, C, B, A, G, F, E, D, C, B, A, G, F, E, D, C, B, A. And into the third pattern, the third pattern is going to end, actually I am going to play the A back here, but it's really ultimately going to kind of live here in the seventh position.
So its going to go and again calling to notes out loud which I can't say too much it is a great thing to do is slow down and the say the notes while you play it A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C, D, C, B, A, G, F, E, D, C, B, A, G, F, E, D, C, B, A. So that's the third pattern. The fourth pattern is going to move up to the ninth position basically and at this point we are going to start on the fifth string. So this is going to be the fourth finger at the 12th fret of the fifth string. So we will call this a five four pattern, fifth string fourth finger.
So let me play it slowly and then we will talk with the note names. So that one has a few stretches and out with the first string of that. Anyway A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C, D, E, D, C, B, A, G, F, E, D, C, B, A, G, F, E, D, C, D, E, F, G, A. So even tough I am thinking of that as the root here at the 12th fret of the fifth string you will notice I extended that it below that root. So you could see the notes in the scale beneath that.
So now the fifth pattern is up into the 12th position and of course the 12th position, 12th fret is like the open string. So you can think of this is an open position too, if you move too down to the end of the fretboard tune, then octave down, but anyway it sounds like this. And now slowly with note names A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A, G, F, E, D, C, B, A, G, F, E, D, C, B, A then below it G, F, E, F, G and back to it A at the 12th fret of fifth string.
So that's the fifth pattern and as far as picking directions go that's really up to use. It's a warm up its important to learn the minor scales thoroughly but as far as right hand picking goes, you could of course pick those with alternate picking or all down picking whatever you really need to work on. And I even know some people would play all with up strokes too because that such a such one guitar player I know mention that your picking is only as good as your up strokes.
So as bizarre as it may sound to try to pick up and all of the notes of the scales, that's actually a great exercise as well. I probably don't want to use it in a performance but as far as practicing and warming it up it's a great exercise. So those are the five a minor scale patterns.
Giles Martin: This is Giles Martin I am here at Abby Road Studios to talk about Come Together. Come together was recorded in July 1969 as part of the Abby Road sessions. The last album the Beatles make. So that starts with the first finger at the tenth fret of the six string, the third finger on the 12th fret and fifth string and then fourth finger at the twelfth fret of the four string.
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