This level is aimed at players that have worked thoroughly through Levels One, Two and Three or generally advanced players that want to explore harder ideas. The first two figures are string skipping 5-tuplets which should feel common after the last level. In fact if you very gently mute the bass strings with the right hand and play quite hard, it will sound similar to the picking technique.

Figure 3 is a three up/two down roll and will exercise your pull-off accuracy. Figure 4 is A Blues scale in Octaves. Figure 5 is Position One of Am Pentatonic scale, configured as a three notes per string form. Figure 6 is a string skipped Pentatonic with an octave pattern.

These last three examples are technically more advanced than the Major shapes that we have explored in the last three levels and will require a good stretch. Position your thumb low on the back of the neck and try to maximise your span by increasing the space between the digits. You will also need to increase your vision and speed of thought in order to accommodate the long diagonal pathways across the fretboard, so play slow initially for a week or two so as to memorise the forms and then apply your speed to them. Make sure that you are totally warmed up when you do these type of exercises and practice with caution. A good level of proficiency is needed in the Major Scale skills before these ideas would be of any use,so take your time developing the other levels. When you have some experience with the Pentatonic concepts, the Major ideas will seem effortless.

Note that only the first two have audio examples. The rest will be along shortly!

Hope you liked it, see you round!

 

The example TAB's don't fit in my web page so you have to look at them on another blank page, sorry, I just don't have time to edit them all!

Level 4 tabs: Ex1 - Ex2 - Ex3 - Ex4 - Ex5 - Ex6

Level 4 mp3: Ex1 - Ex2 - (there are no audio examples for Ex3-Ex6)

 

About Martin Goulding

Martin Goulding is one of Londons busiest private teachers; has written for international best seller `Guitar: A Complete Guide For The Player’ and specialises in modern-rock techniques at the Guitar Institute in West London. His band Linear Sphere have just released their debut album and can be found on www.linearsphere.com. Also see www.guitarinstitute.com.

 

HELP!!!!

If you need to ask a question about this lesson - there is a topic set up specifically to help you with this lesson. To help you find it easily you can click the following link and it will take you right the topic. You'll be able to see questions that other people had and ask your own questions! Hopefully one of the very helpful members of our community will be there to help you soon, I do go there and answer stuff too - but there are just too many questions for me to answer alone! So click this link to get help with this lesson!