-
Hi all. Ive been practicing on 1 string for quite some time now, first the high E and then i alternate down, but constantly for say a chorus improvising on 1 string. I must say, this method is fantastic, cus it helps you to focus on a more melodic concept, instead of leaning towards "position playing". I recommend this to everyone. Try it on every standard. Currently im working on stella BS and Solar, and i`ve never had more fun playing guitar!
-
10-26-2007 05:44 AM
-
and of course, forgot to mention, sing EVERYTHING you play!!
-
I've done this using two and then three string groupings. It certainly helps break the pattern habits!
-
this is a very good idea.
and once you can start "seeing" a melody on the top string, you're only a step away from a ripping chorus of wes style block chords...
okay, so that's a big step, but it's a start
-
Mick Goodrich, in his book, The Advancing Guitarist, talks about an exercise where we treat the guitar as a 6 string unitar, thinking horizontally along strings rather than vertically based on position.
He talks about the smoothness your melody and lines will get from this approach. I haven't spent much time on it, but it is a cool idea.
-
its definetely worth a shot guys.
-
Indeed, this is a very good exercise, good for ear-finger coordination and breacking patterns.
-
Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
and once you can start "seeing" a melody on the top string, you're only a step away from a ripping chorus of wes style block chords...
okay, so that's a big step, but it's a start
hahahaha. yea i still dont understand how to make block chords fast enough to even start to improvise with them. probably practice.
but this sounds like a great idea. i honestly cannot get off patterns(especially pentatonic mixolodian, and blues scale patterns), so alot of the things i improvise sound very very similar.
this method helps for this patterm to be broken?
-
well,it'll break you out of the box...
and yes, it's all about practice...
-
It's essential to avoiding boxes and position playing.
The goal is freedom. It also leads to better voice leading.
unless you're playing country (which I do sometimes)
cheers and nice forum,
chappy
-
so, anybody happy with the single string thing yet?
-
single string playing is one of the keys to escaping pentatonic, boxes
(even in country)
-
I'm no expert, but I think it would be a good idea to keep practicing on all strings while you practice one string, or you'll find yourself preforming solos on single strings.
Am I right?
Avi
-
Ask Pat Metheny - I heard a rumor that at the time he went to Berklee, he played on single strings for a year. And look how good the guy is now. Its a rumor, but there could be something to it.
-
Haha. That would be insane. Only single strings for an entire year. My guess would be that ole Pat probably just played mostly on one string. He probably "only" spent an hour and a half or so of his twenty six hour practice days on cross-string playing and used the rest for his single string stuff. Just kidding. I have no idea how long Pat Metheny's practice days were or how long he spent on what. I just think, personally, that limiting yourself (for example playing strictly on single strings) is a great way to improve. Unfortunately, if I (again just my opinion) were to stop practicing across strings altogether I would probably suffer in that area. Then again, if you have superhuman talent and dedication like Pat then you'll probably be fine.
In all seriousness though, it's a great way to break out of patterns and familiarize yourself with the neck. The only way to free yourself when you jam is to limit yourself when you practice.
-
I think if you only see a melody on a single string you should be more worried about using all the strings.
Play notes, not shapes.
-
That's sort of what the single string thing does. You can't switch patterns because you don't have any patterns to begin with. It makes you use your ear and really know what notes you're playing.
-
I know, that's what I'm saying. You should really know what notes you are playing when playing normally too.
-
Let me shed some light on the "Metheny' rumor. i studied with Pat for a year.
His 'single string' stuff came directly from Mick Goodrick who remains a guitar guru. Both encouraged the single, double string practice method as part of an overall approach. Both assumed that whatever note you play, you know. The number of strings is irrelevant. The confinement and linear way of thinkiing are a way to escape boxy, shape based playing and to play what you hear.
I still use it and I haven't had a real job yet
jim c
-
this goes with what I posted earlier about playing (for starters) you scales up and down on one string at a time.....you get to know where all the notes are in this way...
Pagannini was famous for this technique..
time on the instrument...pierre
-
Playing on one string breaks us out of patterns because most of us have spent
96% of our playing time playing across the neck. It breaks habits by taking
us out of our comfort zone.
Shifting smoothly can be a challenge and single string playing seriously raises the bar making it perfect to address that technical issue.
From a unitar mentality, each string has a very unique tone quality and the thicker strings require a different attack than the thinner ones.
Improvising on a standard on one string gives us a chance to experience that individuality.
Jazz is a music that musicians strive to play from a fourth dimensional perspective and the skills to move two dimensionally can only help.
-
i think mick goodrick had an idea to use a matrix for practicing.pick a key,a mode from that key,pick a string and then play that until you`ve got the hang of it.endless possibilities and combinations but eventually you move on to playing on 2 strings and then 3 and so on.actually seems like an impossiblity given the seemingly infinite number of key/scale/string variations but i would view it as a tool for practicing rather than something that could ever be completed let alone mastered...unless you are some kind of guitar monster
-
I practiced this method a lot when I was younger and was trying to learn the neck better, and get out of box scale shapes.
I worked on it for about 2 years and found it completely changed my approach to the neck, and helped me get out of my pet licks and be more creative.
A lot of my students challenge me to play a solo on one string, or one finger, or both, when I ask them to do these exercises, and I can usually still do it. Though I don't tell them it took me 2 years to be able to do it!
MW
-
it's an exercise and a tool. I rarely play a gig on 1 string
chappy
-
Everything on a single string is symmetrical in terms of intervals.
Here's a diagram of 12 major scale note locations on a single string from the lowest note available on that string for one octave. Each number indicates a degree within the scale (1-8).
If you play these shapes on one string it gives you all 12 keys.
If you want to play the same key on all 6 strings then simply find the diagrams
where the #1 degree is a unison or octave.
Ex. Key of G
I 3rd fret
II 8th fret
III open
IV 5th fret
V 10th fret
VI 3rd fret
These shapes can help develop finger memory and if we are mindful of the notes we are playing can greatly increase our fingerboard knowledge
Mastering note locations in all keys is challenging but a very attainable skill.
Practicing all the string combinations in every mode and scale might certainly take more hours than we have to play in any one day but it isn't necessary once we grasp the underlying architecture of intervals and fingerboard. Then it becomes a fun game of seeing how fully we can express ourselves under these geographical limitations and it often leads to new musical discoveries. Under playing circumstance we can take advantage of these discoveries but are not bound by the rules of a method for study and exploration.
Reply With Quote
Giving the Loar some love
Today, 05:05 PM in The Builder's Bench