Hey Zen!

Welcome to your June MTP thread. Very glad to have you back in MTP with me as you are very hard working student who completes all the assignments. Always a pleasure to work with such students and will always aim to push you over the edge because of that approach
For your 1st assignment in June we have arranged to work on your scales in 12 keys! You will be asked to record backing track and play scale in 2 octaves ascending and descending. We will be using cycles in future assignments so everything will click more in future.
Here is your 1st assignment!

1st assignment :
Major scale using cycle 4

- Record a backing track based on cycle 4 starting on C major ( C , F , Bb, Eb, Ab, Db , Gb and Cb!)
- Make every chord 2 bars long!
- Play corresponding major scales two octaves ascending starting on root first time around the whole progression.
- Play corresponding major scales two octaves descending starting on root second time around the whole progression.
- Use constant 8th note rhythm and the last note in the scale should be root tied (you will see
- Backing track can just be rhythm guitar with metronome click but you are welcome to do much more !
- Use whatever picking seems most natural to you to play those scales (alternate, economy, legato etc)
- Post your work in audio and/or video format in this thread here.
- Tempo of your choice !

Deadline for your 1st assignment will be 9th of June, 6 days from now.

Let me know if you got any extra questions and good luck

Pedja

Hello Pedja ..

Fantastic assignment ..

Lookin for some clarifications.. if I've understood correctly.

1) Can I play 3 notes per string? If I do and start from 6th string, I'll complete the 2 octaves once I reach 2nd string .. Is it ok? If not, I'll have to spend some more time adjusting to the traditional shapes, something that I've never got used to.

2) If I start from the root of each chord, then I'll be playing the same ionian pattern .. just in different keys.. is that correct?

3) DO you want the chord progression to be strictly in that sequence ? ( C , F , Bb, Eb, Ab, Db , Gb and Cb!) ..cycle of 4th.. Sounds great ... Can i use power chords?

3) Cb?? .. I think I read this somewhere why its called Cb & not B, I'll go look.

Btw, i hadn't done cycle of 5th's & 4th's till now, but I have read them today in your article on this subject .. gettin a feel of it. I'll ask more questions once I start applyin it.

This post has been edited by zen: Jun 4 2010, 12:23 PM

Hey Zen,

I am glad you are already enjoying your assignment. Let me try to answer all your questions here

1) Can I play 3 notes per string? Yes you can but you cal also play scales using CAGED system shapes. In a way you get best out of both worlds!
2) If I start from the root of each chord, then I'll be playing the same ionian pattern .. just in different keys.. is that correct? Absolutely 100% correct
3) DO you want the chord progression to be strictly in that sequence ? ( C , F , Bb, Eb, Ab, Db , Gb and Cb!) .. Sounds great ... Can i use power chords? You are allowed to do power chords or regular chords, up to you since you will be making the backing track for it. I am really looking for constant 8th notes, 2 octaves and no mistakes when changing scales.
3) Cb?? .. I think I read this somewhere why its called Cb & not B, I'll go look. We call it Cb because we came to it using cycle 4 which cycle that uses keys with flats! If we did Cycle 5 (which is keys with sharps), we would come to B major. If we listen to the sound, both Cb and B sound the same but for theory purposes we call one Cb and another one B depending on the context.

Glad you are already working on the assignment. Let me know if you got any more questions!

Pedja

Great Pedja .. thanks for the quick response ..

I did CAGED from chord perspective a while back but never ventured into details or learnt the boxes properly.. .. I guess I shoud've ... But knowing 3nps patterns .... isnt that joining 2 boxes of caged ? Is there is a significant difference in 3nps patterns & caged boxes?

You welcome Zen

CAGED is connected with 3 note per string patterns but the main difference is following : 3 note per string patterns have 7 different positions while CAGED system uses only 5 positions! 3 note per string patterns are great to learn because you can play through the guitar neck soloing in 3 octaves while if you stick to CAGED system shapes you can get maximum of 2 octaves plus diatonic 3rd. I use CAGED a lot and simple use sliding in and out of shapes when I am soloing across guitar neck. I also use constant structure when playing so you will see my play and repeat my ideas in 3 octaves using the same fingerings and shapes on different strings. Lets leave this for another time
Let me know if you got more questions man!

Pedja

Awesome .. thanks Pedja .. Ya, lets leave it for another time as I wanna first do 3 nps properly first.. than start caged and get confused. But will surely pick it up once I get a good grasp of 3nps.
I'm still working on connecting 3nps .. something that I would love to be incorporated in the future assignments in some form or the other

Ive understood this assignment now. Will get to it !! Cheers

This post has been edited by zen: Jun 4 2010, 01:16 PM

Pedja .. can we discuss the REC take for this month too?
I would need some time to practice it, so earlier we lock it in, the better.
As discussed before, do you wanna provide me some options to choose from?

This post has been edited by zen: Jun 5 2010, 12:57 PM

Zen, lets first decide on area you would like to focus in June. If that is theory and harmony along with chord vocabulary, I will recommend you my 4 part harmony lessons (Drop 2 voicings completed + 2 lessons in Drop 3).So as you see, there are around 6 lessons that I will recommend you cover in Chord vocabulary. If you would like to focus on technique, we shall look trough GMC database and find some options to choose from!

Hey Pedja ... Still confused on the REC.. so, let me get back to you on it.

I'll upload the 1st assignment here later tonight .. just redering it again

This post has been edited by zen: Jun 8 2010, 12:58 PM

Any guesses for what was on tele?

Fantastic work Zen!

It looks like you were watching some online poker haha

It was Moto Grand Prix

I think I should polish my guitar and then make it a trivia in every take "guess whats on tv challenge"

This post has been edited by zen: Jun 8 2010, 03:10 PM

I would have never guessed it !

Did you think about REC for this month?

Pedja, Sorry for the late response..Do you mind if I do this one for REC? Getting started in sweeps and I think this is a good one.

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/solo-guit...weeping-basics/

No problem Zen, that could very easily work sweep picking. Go for it!

Thanks Pedja .. Wont be easy for me but will do my best. I really want to learn that technique properly.

As timeframes dont allow me to make it to the chats, I couldnt discuss 2nd assignment with you.
Not sure what you have planned but anything along the current lines of implementing major scales and practice joining 3nps shapes/patterns would be very helpful.. but I'm flexible with the study path you propose .. Cheers !!

No problem Zen. I was planing to assign you Cycle 5 in the same manner as you did Cycle 4 for previous assignment. We could also get going on the sweep picking lesson right away or focus on incorporating 3nps with CAGED into major scales?
I am good either way and all those things will be useful for you!

Cool man .. Cycle 5 sounds sweet .... Cant leave it at a semi-circle

I've started practicing that sweep picking lesson for REC too

Fantastic Zen. I might post all the assignments late tonight as game is about to start

Here is your 2nd assignment Zen!

2nd assignment :
Major scale using cycle 5

- Record a backing track based on cycle 5 starting on C major ( C , G , D, A, B, E , F# and C#!)
- Make every chord 2 bars long!
- Play corresponding major scales two octaves ascending starting on root first time around the whole progression.
- Play corresponding major scales two octaves descending starting on root second time around the whole progression.
- Use constant 8th note rhythm and the last note in the scale should be root tied.
- Backing track can just be rhythm guitar with metronome click but you are welcome to do much more !
- Use whatever picking seems most natural to you to play those scales (alternate, economy, legato etc)
- Post your work in audio and/or video format in this thread here.
- Tempo of your choice !

Deadline for your 2nd assignment is 19th of June.

Let me know if you got any questions!

Pedja