changing from one scale to the other

[Joe Zuke]

I am a bit confused  about the way some scales end and then start on a new one.

For example, why does pattern one end with 2 middle fingers, then pattern 2 starts with another middle finger. Why doesn't it start with 3 big stretches?

the same thing happens between pattern 2 and 3. So, why are there 3 consecutive finger patterns during transition? I may have missed it in the training.

Is there a rule to apply? Thanks for any feedback

Joe

[Yves Cadieux]

Hi Joe!

I will try to help, but you have a good question/observation here.

First, I think you meant ``ring finger`` rather than middle finger when you mention the end of pattern one and the beginning of pattern 2.

The Big Repeating Pattern described by Jonathan would call for 3 Big Stretches right after 2 ring finger and that is what we would have if we had an instrument with an infinite number of strings....which is not the case though with our cherished 6-strings guitars.

So, we have to go back on the low E string for the next pattern to start on the next note of the scale we are in, which breaks the Big Repeating Pattern.

However, I noticed something which I think was not mentioned By Jonathan in his courses (I am not sure though that he did not mention it, maybe I just missed it) and that can be helpful when memorizing the patterns. The thing I noticed is that every Pattern starts with the last fingering of the preceeding Pattern and then the Big Repeating Pattern applies for the next five strings of the Pattern.

For example, Pattern 1 ends with 2 ring fingers and Pattern 2 starts with the second ring finger (which is the last fingering of Pattern one) before going to 3 Big stretches as given in the Big Repeating Pattern.

Pattern 2 ends with 2 middle fingers and Pattern 3 starts with the second middle finger and then goes to 2 ring finger as given in the Big Repeating Pattern.

Pattern 3 ends with 3 Big stretches and Pattern 4 starts with the third Big stretch and then goes to 2 middle fingers as given in the Big Repeating Pattern.

Pattern 4 ends with one Big stretch and Pattern 5 starts with the first Big stretch....

Pattern 5 ends with the first ring finger.....Pattern 6 starts with the first ring finger...

Pattern 6 ends with the first middle finger.....Pattern 7 starts with the first middle finger...

Pattern 7 ends with the second Big Stretch.....Pattern 1 starts with the second Big stretch...

So, there is a regularity in the sequence, but not the one expected!

YC🎸

[Joe Zuke]

Yves, thank  you so  much!! You were right in correcting my typo..I was frustrated 🙂 I was thinking that it had something to  do with the 7th/ big repeating pattern. But you have made an awesome observation which I did not hear in the course either. You gave me a great way to go from pattern to pattern with a simple thought process. You should get a gold guitar for this!!

[Alan Desmond]

Hi Joe. You may find the attached helpful shows overlapping between pentatonic scales in this case Am.  The nice thing about pentatonics is you can just slide the whole pattern to any other key note & you've got it. Always remember target the root note & its octaves.  There's another diagram just similar for Major pentatonics. You can do so much with just these,  Me i dont try to remember all 7 major scale patterns, i just keep a laminted check sheet handy and remember, major, minor. As you go thro the course & other learning you will find there's so many different scales & patterns. But this one Am i practice every day as warm up cos its so usefull. Hope this helps, cheers  Alan

[Fred Soukup]

@Alan DesmondThanks for the great charts!

Fred 🎸

[Alan Desmond]

On 3/29/2022 at 7:55 PM, Alan Desmond said:

Hi Joe. You may find the attached helpful shows overlapping between pentatonic scales in this case Am.  The nice thing about pentatonics is you can just slide the whole pattern to any other key note & you've got it. Always remember target the root note & its octaves.  There's another diagram just similar for Major pentatonics. You can do so much with just these,  Me i dont try to remember all 7 major scale patterns, i just keep a laminted check sheet handy and remember, major, minor. As you go thro the course & other learning you will find there's so many different scales & patterns. But this one Am i practice every day as warm up cos its so usefull. Hope this helps, cheers  Alan

Hi

On 3/30/2022 at 2:50 AM, Fred Soukup said:

@Alan DesmondThanks for the great charts!

Fred 🎸

Hi Fred & Folks your welcome, i find these particular charts most usefull, as i say you just shift them to a new key note or position as you need, & ha-presto youve got it.  I've committed Am mappings to memory and use aa part of daily warm up. Maybe just a thought other may do same.

On 3/29/2022 at 7:55 PM, Alan Desmond said:

Hi Joe. You may find the attached helpful shows overlapping between pentatonic scales in this case Am.  The nice thing about pentatonics is you can just slide the whole pattern to any other key note & you've got it. Always remember target the root note & its octaves.  There's another diagram just similar for Major pentatonics. You can do so much with just these,  Me i dont try to remember all 7 major scale patterns, i just keep a laminted check sheet handy and remember, major, minor. As you go thro the course & other learning you will find there's so many different scales & patterns. But this one Am i practice every day as warm up cos its so usefull. Hope this helps, cheers  Alan

I just found the A major sheet, so here it is to save you hunting for it.