Follow the Chords

[ingog]

Griff had a lesson about playing a lead by following the chords. For example, for an A, D, E, 1,4,5 you could play box 1 starting in the 5th fret, then D on the 10th and E on the 12. In another lesson he suggests trying to stay in the same general area of the 5th fret.
Here is how I see it and maybe its not new news for you but it was for me. Play box 1 starting in the 5th fret A. Now right above that on the 5th string is the D. When I learned the boxes, the 4th box was easy because it is exactly the same as box 1 (with the B string changes as always) but you start from the D. Slide up 2 and you are at the E box 4. But to me they are all box 1's.
Box 1 from 6th string. 1-4,1-3,1-3,1-3, 1-4, 1-4. Box 4 from the 5th string 1-4,1-3,1-3, 2-4 (which is 1-3 plus one for the B string), 1-4, 6th string 1-4. For me with limited brain cells it easier to SEE it as all box 1's but just on the next string.
Take it one step further, it even works on the 4th string. If you find yourself on an A,D or E on the 4th string, again just play box 1 from that point but remember the B strong rule. Sometimes when play solos I get lost and forget what box I'm playing. Since I've play blues so much, my ear tells me what chord I'm on I just need to search for the root note and play box 1 from any string. Does that help anyone?
At that point I'm just trying to save my ass and not hit some terrible note

 

[Paleo]

You could also try playing Box 3 to the left from the 5th string E (C7 shape chord) to stay in the same area, rather than moving Box 4 up from D.

As you say, all right-facing one octave patterns are the same.

Maybe the same is true of left-facing octave patterns?

And maybe the same is true for right and left-facing chord and arpeggio shapes as well?

Might be worth checking out.

 

[MikeS]

Griff had a lesson about playing a lead by following the chords. For example, for an A, D, E, 1,4,5 you could play box 1 starting in the 5th fret, then D on the 10th and E on the 12. In another lesson he suggests trying to stay in the same general area of the 5th fret.
Here is how I see it and maybe its not new news for you but it was for me. Play box 1 starting in the 5th fret A. Now right above that on the 5th string is the D. When I learned the boxes, the 4th box was easy because it is exactly the same as box 1 (with the B string changes as always) but you start from the D. Slide up 2 and you are at the E box 4. But to me they are all box 1's.
Box 1 from 6th string. 1-4,1-3,1-3,1-3, 1-4, 1-4. Box 4 from the 5th string 1-4,1-3,1-3, 2-4 (which is 1-3 plus one for the B string), 1-4, 6th string 1-4. For me with limited brain cells it easier to SEE it as all box 1's but just on the next string.
Take it one step further, it even works on the 4th string. If you find yourself on an A,D or E on the 4th string, again just play box 1 from that point but remember the B strong rule. Sometimes when play solos I get lost and forget what box I'm playing. Since I've play blues so much, my ear tells me what chord I'm on I just need to search for the root note and play box 1 from any string. Does that help anyone?
At that point I'm just trying to save my ass and not hit some terrible note

"They are all box 1's" That's the way I look at it too! You just start box 1 on a different string root.

 

[Paleo]

Why doesn't anyone ever mention that to the left they are all Box 5's?

And all Box 1's become Box 5's after the first octave?

If you're always playing "to the right" you're missing "half" the fretboard.

 

[ingog]

I think it wasn’t mentioned because the gist of the article was how to stay in one spot. Of course one can expand by going down to box 5 or up to box 2 or any other box. One could also expand by adding arpeggios or modes but I just want to suggest an easy way because we all know box 1

 

[Paleo]

Playing Box 3 to the left over the V7 chord keeps you in the same "spot".

Moving Box 4 up the neck moves you into the next position.

However, I wasn't referring to the lesson when I asked why a left-facing pattern isn't usually "discovered".

Many members have reported "discovering" that all Minor Pentatonic Boxes are Box 1 when played to the right of the lower root on each string.

But it's also true that each "Box 1" played to the right has a left-facing "Box 5" played to the left from the same root on each string.

And also vertically becomes a left-facing pattern after the first octave.

Some people aren't even aware they can play the same notes "to the left" or aren't comfortable doing so or simply don't care.

But the notes are there if you want to use them.

(Interested folks might want to check out a lesson Griff calls "Blues Shapes" in "Rutbusters" if they have it or access to it as an AAP Member.)


Something to think about, if you want to:

Every time you move "Box 1" up a string, what's happening on the strings below?

 

[david moon]

Many years ago I was away from home on a contract engineering job, and took some lessons locally (long and irrelevant story). Anyway, after the teacher ascertained that I knew minor pent box 1 and quite a few chords, the first thing he threw at me was left-facing box 5. He also liked to play "jam until you make a mistake" back and forth. Of course he usually came out on top but the student could learn from that too.