How To Improvise With Scale Pattern 1

[E Ferg]

Good Morning Shredders,

I just recently purchased the Breakthrough Guitar course.  After taking approximately 40 years off from playing the guitar (and not that proficiently at that), I have recently rekindled my interest.  I now tend to be pretty detail oriented with things.  I've noticed in the first scale pattern lesson Jonathan fingers the the pattern in a very specific way including alternate up and down picking.  I'm wondering if I should be mirroring that exact finger patterning to train my hand and fingers.  Should I also including the up and down picking?  My hands are not the biggest and of course my fingers are just now getting to spread out again trying to hit certain chord shapes.

Thank you in advance for any advice!

Best Regards,

E Ferg

[Yves Cadieux]

Hi E Ferg!

My first personal answer to your question would be "yes", you should try to go with the suggested fingering which is for Pattern 1, 2 Big stretches, 2 Middle fingers and 2 ring fingers patterns. It is helpful in order to memorize all the other patterns and the Freedom Key system that Jonathan will explain in coming lessons. Alternate picking is always good to practice as it is very often used for practical reasons.

However, in many lessons I heard Jonathan say that if you have problem reaching the farthest not with the pinky while doing the Big Stretch, then move your hand and do as you can, there is no problem with that. In the meantime, I would suggest you look into the finger exercises in the Unlimited Dexterity course, they will certainly help you improve in a matter of weeks, no matter the size of your hands, I am pretty sure of that.

Hope this helped you!

YC🎸

[E Ferg]

Thanks a bunch for that info!!!😊