Category Archives: Scale Sequences

Alternate Picking Guitar Lesson Part 3

Welcome to part 3 of the Alternate picking guitar lesson series. During this lesson you will learn how to take the alternate picking technique you learnt in Part 1 and 2 and use it on scale fragments. By practising on scale fragments you are developing a skill you will use in your improvisations and it will then take you to understand how to use scales and modes before you can really start sounding great.

If you want to learn all about scales and modes, chords, arpeggios and theory then please see Be The Guitarist.

This first exercise is for you to develop both speed and accuracy by working in quarter notes, eighth notes and sixteenth notes with the same set of notes. Some guitarists like to keep the metronome setting the same, for example 90 bpm and play the exercise below, this can prove difficult because you are doubling your speed each time you change up the next note type.

Lets start by picking through an A minor pentatonic scale with strict alternate picking.

Exercise 1- A Minor Pentatonic Scale Fragment

A Minor Pentatonic Alternate Picking Exercise

By simply practising an A Ionian mode (major scale) with alternate picking you will start to make this your default picking pattern which makes lead guitar playing a lot easier. Practise this picking pattern of every down followed by an up with all the positions of the major scale.

Exercise 2- A Ionian Alternate Picking

A Ionian Alternate Picking Exercise

Taking fragments from a scale like the A Dorian as shown below is a great way to isolate particular finger patterns and develop an even ability with varying finger patterns across the strings. All of these fragments combine to form scale runs that you hear from everyone from Paul Gilbert to Joe Satriani. Notice the exercise below is in triplets so you are aiming to play 3 notes per a click, not 4 as you have previously been doing. Try to hit the first triplet of each beat a little bit harder as this will build your ability to be a dynamic guitarist.

Exercise 3- Fragments

Alternate Picking Scale Fragments

Come back for more alternate picking guitar lessons or have a look around the blog section for something different.

Have fun and keep practising!

Tom Clark

Pull- Offs Guitar Lesson Part 1

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Hey there, welcome to Part 1 of the Pull- Offs Guitar Lessons where you will learn exactly what this technique is and examples to get you incorporating it into your guitar playing.

A Pull- Off is when you play a note without picking the string, but instead use another finger to pull off the string at an angle so that the string sounds a note onto the fretted note behind the note you pulled off. You can pick a note as you usually would but have a note ‘prepared’ lower in pitch than the note picked on the same string. After you pick the higher note you then need to pull away from the string towards the floor so that the note fretted lower can sound from the pull off motion created.

You will be able to see a pull-off in TAB shown by a curved line (tie) between notes.

Exercise 1- A Minor Pentatonic Pull- Offs

Beginner Scale Pull- Offs

If you have not realised how you would play this exercise already then here are my simple tips to mastering the beginner Pull- Off exercise. Place both your first and third finger on the G string to start with, making sure your first finger is on the 5th fret and your third finger is on the 7th fret. Pick the G string and now pull your third finger towards the ground so that the note does not die as it would if you just lift your finger off. You may at first hear some excess string noise created by pulling the note off, so you will need to mute this by using the underside of your first finger laying gently on the higher strings (B and high E). Once you have the two notes on the G string working comfortably then its time to tackle the D string notes.

Repeat the exact same process on the D and A string, ensuring to mute unwanted string noise as you move across the strings. When you reach the low E string you will need to use your fourth finger on the 8th fret and it may be harder to achieve a solid pull off with this finger but be persistent, it will pay off!

Exercise 2- A Minor Pentatonic Pull- Offs short run

Pull- Off Scale Run

This exercise is an extended version of the exercise you have just completed and utilises notes on the higher string of the A Minor Pentatonic Scale we are using. If you are interested in learning all about Scales and how to use them then please see Be The Guitarist for easy to understand diagrams and full explanations. This example uses a pattern often found in rock guitar based music during the guitar solo where high energy licks are a favourite.

As with many of the exercises I give you, I would suggest using a metronome to work on accuracy. Start out at 80 bpm playing two notes per a beat and working up in 5 bpm slots once it becomes easy at the current tempo.

You should use this pattern with other guitar scales to broaden your chances of being able to pull it out of the bag when you need it most! Once again, if you want to master guitar scales then Be The Guitarist is a great resource.

Exercise 3- A Minor Pentatonic Pull- Offs Long Run

A Minor Pentatonic Long Pull- Off

This exercise is a further extended version of the previous A Minor Pentatonic Scale Pull- Off Run licks you have learnt. Notice the sequence based phrasing used by not simply moving up and down the scale with pull- offs, but instead using notes from surrounding strings to create a predictable but effective sound.

I hope you have enjoyed this lesson and please subscribe for notification of free guitar lessons, new eBooks plus much more!

Tom Clark

Guitar Scale Runs- Four Note Motifs Part 1

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Hello, today you will be learning about the Four Note Motifs that are found all over many forms of music, but in particular rock guitar based music. These scale sequences are usually played at a fast pace with a fairly distorted guitar tone and this is only achieved by practising the sequence below at a very slow pace. By learning the four note sequences you will be able to execute flurries of notes to form parts of solos that will grab the listeners attention.

At first this passage will seem daunting because there are so many notes being played. Once you understand that it is a sequence and therefor a pattern is repeated through the scale, it becomes less daunting because you can hear where the passage is going.

Tackle the sequence four notes at a time and once learnt, attempt to play the diatonic notes harder than the rest of the notes in the sequence. This is known as accenting and will bring some life to a flat sounding run.

Sequence 1

When you have learnt the notes of the sequence, turn on your metronome set to 60 bpm and try to play two notes per a beat and then when this becomes easy, try four notes per a beat as shown in the sequence above.

Sequence 2

Sequence 2 is played in 1/8th notes which means you play 2 notes per a beat instead of 4 and uses the C major scale in the A shape form. Play the sequences in the remaining four shapes of the C major scale so that you can connect the scale shapes up and down the neck. If you don’t know how to play the scale in different positions then see Be The Guitarist for easy to understand scale diagrams and full explanations.

Come back soon to learn two more Four Note Motifs.

Tom Clark

Guitar Scale Runs- Three Note Motifs Part 2

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Hey there, this lesson will be focusing on two different scale runs in the key of C major that have a different sequence. These two sequences will provide you with some interesting ways to practise your scales and modes when running up and down the scales in an ordinary fashion becomes boring.

Ensure to practise the sequences with a metronome starting out at 60 bpm and only increase the tempo when you are finding it easy at the current tempo. Try to accent each diatonic note of the scale, this means play the 1st, 4th, 7th, 10th, 13th etc note of the sequences harder than the other notes. This will help you build your dynamics so that you can learn to play loud and soft at different times.

Sequence 3

As with all the sequences I have been teaching throughout this series, I recommend you learn the sequence as it is shown and then experiment with idea. By experiment I mean that you should understand and absorb the sound of the sequence and then try to take another shape of the scale and recreate the sequence. To do this you will need to know all the positions of at least your major scale so that you can choose another position of the scale and then work out how to play the sequence.

If you want to learn your scales then see Be The Guitarist for easy to understand diagrams and full explanations.

Sequence 4

Keep practising and I hope you have enjoyed the Three note motif lessons. Come back for more lessons on guitar scale sequences where you will learn how to play Four Note Motifs.

Tom Clark

Guitar Scale Runs- Three Note Motifs Part 1

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Hello there, this lesson is all about the scale runs we hear in many forms of music, in particular rock guitar based music. Our aim is for you to have some patterns under your belt to pull out on your command and execute with ease. If practised slowly with a focus on accuracy there is no reason why you could not achieve high speed runs in a matter of months. Also worth mentioning is that I have designed this exercise to be in 6/8 time signature, this means you are playing 6 notes per a bar. You could do this in common 4/4 also, so why not try that one time.

Sequence 1

Here is the second motif we can create by playing a variation on the original sequence we have just learnt. This sequence relies on playing what are known as ‘Triads’ but through the A shaped C major scale, why not try this pattern up the A string pulling out notes from the D and G string?

Sequence 2

Once you understand the sound of the sequence and exactly what you are doing with the scale in use you can recreate the sequence in the remaining shapes of the C major scale. This will give you greater command of the fretboard so that you do not feel limited to a certain area on the neck when soloing or writing parts on your guitar.

Try and pick the diatonic notes of the scale harder to work on your dynamics and if you want to know all about scale then please see Be The Guitarist.

Come back for part 2 and 3 of the Three Note Motifs where you will learn four more scale runs to experiment with.

Tom Clark

Scale Sequences- Octaves for Guitar

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Hey there, welcome to the final diatonic sequence before we move onto motivic sequence. This lesson will cover the Diatonic Octaves sequence and I am hoping it will become another trick to add to your growing list.

An octave is two of the same notes played at a different point on the guitar where one of the notes is higher and one is lower. This sequence is the most safe sequence to use when trying to improvise and is found a lot in many forms of music. The diagram below will show the octave sequence using the A shaped pattern in the key of C major, however you will normally find it as shown in the 2nd diagram as it is easier to play and is often used as a 2nd guitar part to follow a chord progression with added variety.

Diatonic Octaves

Here is the more commonly found example where you play the same notes as shown above but create the C major scale up the A string instead of across the strings. Off each note of the scale you play an octave of the note to create the slightly sporadic sounding major scale.

Try play this example as shown and then play the octave notes at the same time with a strumming pattern of your choice and hear the different sounds you will achieve.

As with all of the sequences you have been learning, I would like you to try to play the same sequence with the remaining shapes of your major scale. This means understanding the sound of the particular sequence and recreating it with different scale patterns in the same key. If this all sounds too complicated then please see Be The Guitarist for easy to understand scales and modes.

Practising with a metronome is not always everyones idea of fun when you start out on the guitar, but most players would say that practising particular things with a metronome helped them enormously. You can find online metronomes by simply google searching or you can buy an actual metronome from any good music store. When you are playing two notes per a beat as shown in the two diagrams above, it is a good idea to start out at around 60-80 bpm before increasing the metronome in 5bpm slots once the exercise becomes easy.

Enjoy and come back soon for Motivic Sequences that will teach you how to play the fast runs you hear from players such as Paul Gilbert.

Tom Clark

Diatonic Octaves- Up the neck

Scale Sequences- Diatonic Sevenths

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Hey there, another lesson on Scale Sequences for you today focusing on the diatonic sevenths designed especially for us guitarists.

As with previous scale sequence lessons I have given in this series, I would like you to consider the many ways you can use this knowledge so that you use it creatively and not let it stagnate. I want you to be able to pull out sequences when improvising as an alternative to simply running up and down scales at high speed. combine this sequence with other sequences learnt in previous lessons throughout this series to create unpredictable flurries of alternating sequences that will make you stand out from the crowd.

Once you have learnt the example below I would like you to try to play it by only using notes on the A and G string instead of moving diatonically up the the C major scale (A shape pattern). If you are interested in broadening your scale and mode knowledge then please see Be The Guitarist.

Try this sequence through the remaining 4 other shapes of the C major scale so that you are not tied to one spot of the neck. Try it in a different key for example E instead of C and finally play with modes by choosing a C Mixolydian and adjusting the fingering to achieve sevenths with the Mixolydian instead of the major scale (Ionian). Remember adjusting finger is not as hard as it may seem, if you know your modes then it is likely that you are just moving 1 or 2 notes up or down a fret.

If you have the desire to play at high speed then you a use a metronome and start slow- 1/8th notes at 80bpm and build up 5bpm at a time.

Keep Practising

Tom Clark

Diatonic Sevenths

Scale Sequences- Diatonic Sixths for Guitar

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Hey there, welcome to this lesson on Diatonic Scale Sequences focusing on the Diatonic Sixths sequence for us guitarists.

By learning this sequence and combining it with other sequences learnt throughout this series, I hope you will have a greater range of sounds to pull out when improvising. There is a time and a place for all of the sequences covered throughout this series and ultimately I hope you will experiment with combining the sequences in flurries of notes to remove the predictable element of the scale sequence.

Sometimes it works well to use the sequence in its original form as shown below and often when played at a higher speed it becomes less obvious what notes you are actually using and instead becomes what is known as a ‘run’. If you play guitar with a friend or bandmate and wish to create guitar harmonies then this sequence will become interesting for you too, experiment with playing the sequence below but one of you starts on the 3rd scale degree and one starts on the 1st degree (3rd scale degree is the 5th note of the example below).

If you feel that you need to know more about scales and modes and the theory behind scales and modes then please see my eBook Be The Guitarist.

Diatonic Sixths

As with previous scale sequences we have looked at, it is a good idea to experiment with playing the example above up two strings on the guitar. To do this you start on the same note shown above and play the same 2nd and 3rd note but continue the sequence up the neck using only notes from the A and G string. This is good to know for when you want to create a solo or melody that travels from low to high notes without just jumping up the neck. It can be the perfect connection between the intro to your guitar solo and high register end.

Another great thing about learning scale sequences is that it is training your ears to recognise the particular interval that the sequence is based on. For example, this sequence travels up the C major scale playing each scale degree starting from the 1st degree and then plays the sixth degree from that note. So if you count the note you play as 1,2,3,4,5,6 then 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 each time you are playing a sixth off the scale degree you are playing. This is known as a diatonic sequence as the notes used are all from the scale and no outside notes are used.

Find some good guitar backing tracks and test your newly found skills. All you need to know is the key that the track is in and then you can start playing and learning how to use a sequence to full affect.

Practise and have fun!

Tom Clark

Scale Sequences- Diatonic Fifths for Guitar

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Welcome to another free guitar lesson on Scale Sequences. During this lesson you will be learning about the Diatonic Fifths Scale Sequence and hopefully leave with another great trick to pull out when improvising or writing melodies on guitar. This sequence produces a very angular ‘out of the box’ sound when even using a common scale such as the major scale.

This example uses the C Ionian scale (major scale) in the A shaped pattern but you should attempt to play the sequence with the remaining 4 shapes of the C Ionian once you have learnt this example and can recognise the sound.

If you feel confident then try to apply the sequence to other scales such as Mixolydian or Lydian and also make sure to use the sequence in your improvisations.

Tom Clark

Scale Sequences- Diatonic Fourths for Guitar

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Welcome to another free guitar lesson on Guitar Scale Sequences. During this lesson you will learn about the Diatonic Fourths Sequence and hopefully take away another useful trick to use when improvising or writing melodies.

Try to play the sequence in the 5 different positions of the Ionian Scale and then do it in a few other keys to make sure you can transpose it. If you wish to learn all your scales then please see Be the Guitarist, easy to understand diagrams and full explanations.

As with previous scale sequence ideas I would like you to try apply the knowledge to other scales that you have learn such as Mixolydian for example. By doing this you will have greater command over the sequence and be able to pull out a fast flurry of diatonic fourths when you wish and in the right situation.

Tom Clark