Guitar Theory - Using 4 Fingers To Fret 4 Adjacent Notes On One String - 3 Half-Steps

In this exercise, we use all 4 fingers to fret 4 adjacent notes on 1 string, at the 12th fret

Before moving to the adjacent string...

This exercise is a good intermediate point in your guitar lessons.

From a beginners view, if we can do this exercise LEGATO, meaning even and smooth, from beginning to end,

That means our picking hand is able to pick out 4 notes on a string before moving on to another string.

That means each of our fingers has been trained, and exercised, and abused, and blistered, and calloused, strengthened, and grip calibrated, and toned down, and brought under control, and open, and loose, and relaxed, and working effortlessly, and comfortably, and...

From the moment you master this relatively simple exercise, you will be ready to start taking away notes from it, stripping it down, analyzing the notes that we use, and don’t use...

There is not a single scale that is not contained within the outline of these notes, in any hand position.

So from this point forward, as an intermediate student, your job is to chip away at this exercise, to play every possible combination of notes, from any starting note...

To learn all of the scales

starting with the chromatic. “Chrome” like a mirror, reflects all colors.

So a chromatic scale is all notes, usually thought of as 12 half-steps within an octave,

But in truth the chromatic scale is like a number line 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12

But then also all the infinite space between 1 and 2, etc.

Think slide guitar...

Next learn where the Root, Perfect 4th, Perfect 5th, Perfect Octave 8va are.

These anchor points will be used more often than others during normal guitar playing, and will give you the foundational reference point - anchors you can use to build more upon later.

Next, learn the minor and major pentatonic scales,

And use these pentatonic scales as a frame work upon which to learn the natural minor and major scales...

Next, practice each of these scales, but use each different scale degree note as the root note. This is mode.