Introduction
Longform Patterns
Scale patterns, such as the 5 pentatonic patterns or the 5 major scale patterns help you a lot to navigate the fretboard. Once you have familiarized with them, you can use them to create some nice solos.
Of course, youŽll need some time to explore those patterns and get out of the "playing only up and down"-rut. That means, once you have familiarized yourself with the patterns, you might find yourself playing up and down the scale constantly, which after a while gets boring for sure.
So you need to get back to creating melodies and actual music again, combining that with runs and sequences that are based on those patterns.
OK, if you're familiar with the regular major scale-patterns, you might be interested in learning the 7 longform patterns ( aka. "three notes per string" patterns ).
Those have become an important tool for many players such as myself. The advantage of those longform patterns, compared to our regular major patterns, is that you do have the same amount of notes (three of them) on every string, which works great with both alternate picking and economy picking.
The major scale patterns often have two notes per string inbetween. The same goes for the pentatonic patterns (that's why I showed you the stretch- or three note per string-pentatonic).
So, without further ado, lemme show you how to generate the patterns, how to play through them and practise them, and how to create some cool licks and sequences with them...
How to create the patterns
Our example will be in the key of F Major. That scale has the notes F-G-A-Bb-C-D-E-F.
Now, starting on the low E-string, we move along each string and mark each of these notes. Let's say we start on the lowest F, 1st fret of the low E-String. We mark that one, then we mark the G (3rd fret), A (5th fret), Bb (6th fret), C (8th fret) etc.
Next, we'll do the same on the A-string, and then on all the other strings.
Once we do this on all strings, it looks like this:
Each dot marks one note from the F Major scale. The red dots mark the Fs.
Have you ever heard about those Fretlight-guitars. There were quite a few ads for those in the guitar magazines a few years ago. The Fretlight Guitars were strat-style guitars with LED's in the fretboard. There were LEDs at each fret and below each string. Also, there were some extra controls on the body of the guitar. With those controls, you'd dial in a certain key and scale (i.e. E major), and on the fretboards, certain LEDs were activated, marking each note of the E major scale.
Now, that might be a neat tool to get used to scales and patterns. I dunno, cuz I never tried it. But you don't wanna depend on only such a special guitar. You wanna be able to find those scales and patterns on the fretboard yourself... on your regular guitar.
If you practise and memorize those patterns (the major scale ones, or the pentatonic ones, or the longform patterns), you'll be able to do in your mind what the Fretlight guitars did.
If you know what key you're in, you can imagine those patterns on the fretboard, and it is basically as if you have those LED's installed. That is at least how it works for me. Once I know what key I am in, I imagine the patterns on the fretboard, and I see all of them, see the notes of that key and their location on the fretboard.
Of course, that takes a lot of practising and memorizing, and once you're done, you have to make sure you're not stuck with those patterns, trapped by them (playing them only up and down), but to use them to create whatever you hear in your mind.
OK. Now, after we've marked all those notes, let's split the fretboard up into patterns. This is how it looks then:
Looks confusing, doesn't it? Well, let's split this up into five separate patterns...
The patterns
No.1 (starting on the root of the major scale)
No.2 (starting on the second degree of the major scale)
No.3 (starting on the third degree of the major scale)
No.4 (starting on the fourth degree of the major scale)
No.5 (starting on the fifth degree of the major scale)
No.6 (starting on the sixth degree of the major scale)
No.7 (starting on the seventh degree of the major scale)
No.2 (starting on the second degree of the major scale)
No.3 (starting on the third degree of the major scale)
No.4 (starting on the fourth degree of the major scale)
No.5 (starting on the fifth degree of the major scale)
No.6 (starting on the sixth degree of the major scale)
No.7 (starting on the seventh degree of the major scale)
To me, those were easier to memorize than the regular major patterns, I don't really know why. Look at the first pattern: from the low to the high E-string, the notes go: Root-WT (Whole Tone)-WT
First note on the next string is at the same fret as the one on the lower string, and again, it's two whole tone steps. Then it's one half tone and one WT for the next two strings, and finally one WT and one HT for the highest two strings.
It's up to you to find a method how to memorize them. I personally think it is the easiest way to use each one on it's own for a while. I.e. memorize the first pattern, and use it to create some licks or improvise on it.
Once you feel comfortable with it, move to the next.
Don't do it too fast.
Let's take a look at a few sequences and licks that do not only sound cool, but might help you to practise using those patterns, to memorize them.
One important thing though:
Some of those patterns require some wide stretches, especially if you use them in the lower areas of the neck. If you i.e. play pattern 1 in F Major, starting on the F at the 1st fret of the low E-string, you have to play the note at the first fret with your index finger, then the one at the 3rd fret with your middle- or ring finger (I'll leave it to you to pick which one you wanna use... I'd use the ring finger in most cases), and finally the note at the 5th fret with your pinkie. That is a wide stretch. I find it easier to execute it by leaving your thumb behind the neck, parallel to it (like a classical guitarist).
That way, you can stretch a bit more.
Here are two pictures of my left hand playing stretches like that:
And remember: if it hurts, stop!
Sequences and licks
Here is the first pattern (in the key of F Major) played ascending, and then descending.
I didn't put any picking-indicators here, because: you can play this with strict alternate pickung (d-u-d-u-d-u etc.), legato (hammer ons and pull offs ) and economy picking (d-u-d-d-u-d)
That is one thing that's so cool about the TNPS-patterns: they work with both alternate picking and economy picking.
Try those different possibilities. Use a metronome to make sure you're in time.
OK, here's some sequence, you might also consider it a lick:
We're playing a part of the scale ascending in pattern 1, starting on the E. Once we reach the Bb at the 6th fret of the high E-string, we move up to the second pattern and descend again.
You can continue this through all the seven patterns, if you like.
Do you remember those "Play up 2, jump back 1"-sequences I showed you in the picking articles. If you don't, the idea's easy: i.e. play F-G-A, then jump back to G and play G A Bb, jump back to A and play A Bb C, continung up through the scale.
Here is that sequence applied to pattern 1 in F Major, starting an octave higher than before:
And the descending version, in a lower pattern of the same scale (F Maj):
Another variation would be "Play up 3, jump back 2" (i.e. F-G-A-Bb, G-A-Bb-C, A-Bb-C-D etc.)
This is what's going on here:
You might have guessed it, let's move up one pattern and descend again:
OK, some other sequences. Let's change the key to C Major, and let's play an "ascend, then descend" 16th notes-sequence:
Now, one day I was playing that exercise over and over, and I came up with a cool idea... well, I guess it's not that much of a genius-idea, but I like it: Play the sequence above a few times, then play the same sequence, but start on the D, while staying in the same pattern! That way, your highest note will be a different one this time.
Guess what's next. Right, same pattern, same sequence, but starting on the E.
Continue this up through the pattern, and also use it in a different pattern. Always practise with a metronome.
More licks
Now, here's a fast run through pattern 1 in C Major which you could use in your own improvisations. The final note is G, which we slide up to.
I added picking indicators for economy picking. If you haven't tried it yet, here's your chance.
OK, now, let's descend again in the next pattern. The final note will be C again, which we slide down to (D'uh)
How about an example by Mr. Gilbert? (You knew that that was coming)
Here is a quick descending run from the song "Technical Difficulties" (the title track of the Racer X album).
Some repeating going on, which creates a neat effect. Now, believe it or not, on the recording, Paul doubled the run a third above (the "metal-interval *grin*)
Here's the second voice:
And since I mentioned Paul, I can't omit Greg Howe *grin*.
Here's how HE would descend using a TNPS-pattern... incorporating his trademark-tapping-sequence:
And one final example for descending in those patterns, this time using pull off's:
One other cool thing you can do is play doublestops. They are easy to create using the TNPS-patterns, since you do have three notes per string. Here's one example:
Use this kind of doublestops in your improvisation, it's a nice change after all the singlenote-runs. Be creative !
Conclusion
You might ask "What fingers to use?" Well, I'll leave that up to you. I recently gave a lesson to someone, and he used way different fingerings than I did to play through those kinda patterns.
It should feel comfortable to you, and don't forget about the economy of it. Don't hurt yourself, neither.
And finally, scale patterns are no guarantee for good solos or creative ideas. They're tools you can use. So experiement, learn them, be creative!
Try not to have all your playing like "Ascending in pattern 1, descending in pattern 5", try to create music !
ATTENTION: As discussed in the forums, I attached a Powertab-file with all the licks and exercises explained in this article. You can download it HERE. That way, you can listen to the examples via MIDI-playback, and you can slow them down (using the tempo-marker-option) to practise them along to the MIDI... If you don't have the Powertab-program yet, you can download it HERE for free.