The Chromatic Scale
It has all the tones!
The chromatic scale is a half-tone scale, with twelve semi-tones. To play the chromatic scale on the guitar all you have to do is play each successive tone on the neck. The way it's played in this exercise is shown on the fretboard diagram (the numbers represent the fingers which you'll be using to fret these notes). Have a gander:
4x, 3x, 2x and 1x
Play the chromatic scale ascending and descending while alternate picking with a constant speed, first playing every note four times, then threee times, two times and finally each note once. Your right hand should steadily move up and down so that you play downstrokes and upstrokes consistently. Each downstroke must be followed by an upstroke and each upstroke followed by a downstroke.
In the first pass play each note four times. Make sure you let your fingers rest on the string while playing and keep to the fingering positions displayed in the fretboard diagram. Try to move only one finger at a time (when your finger moves to the next string make sure the others rest on the previous one until it's their turn to move). Play the chromatic scale ascending and descending.
In the second pass play each note three times but keep the tempo the same. Your right hand should constantly pick down and up just as in the previous pass. In this pass you have to make sure that your right hand consistently picks down and up. This is important when picking on one string ends with a downstroke - you should start with an upstroke on the next string. Take a look at the tabs to clear any confusion. The downstrokes and upstrokes are denoted by special symbols above the tabs (the one that looks like a V is the upstroke symbol).
In the third pass play each note two times. Now you are gradually increasing the speed of the left hand while not changing the tempo of the right hand. Be careful that you make micromovements with your left hand - move one finger at a time.
And finally, play each note one time. Again, watch for the string changes and make sure your alternate picking is consistent.
- Be very careful when playing each note three times and one time and apply correct picking! If you finish a note on one string with a downstroke, start on the new one with an upstroke!
- This is not a speed exercise, but use the metronome anyway!
- Let your fingers rest on the string while playing and make small movements with your fingers - one finger at a time.