In this lesson we’ll look at a short piece of music I put together from a classical study that is specifically designed to work on your ability to play in position… that means keeping your hand in one place, close to the fretboard, so you don’t have to watch what your fingers are doing.
When you’re learning something new, this skill will improve your results tremendously as you will learn how to not feel like you have to look at your hands all the time.
You can download the music first, then watch the video:
And download the video here (might have to right click) – MP4 | WMV
94 replies to "Playing In Position"
This is a great drill. More of these please!
This might have been said by someone. But the position you hold your instrument in is very often an issue that leads to poor hand position. Classical guitarists hold their guitars as they do for that reason.
If the neck is not in a position that enables you to access the fret board comfortably then you will struggle.
Everyone is different, longer or shorter arm, longer or shorted fingers. Hand position comes from not just your wrist and fingers but your arm positions as well.
Get this right for you and things become much easier.
Hi Griff!
In the video, you referred to this scale as “a piece of music”.
In my ignorance I used to NOT consider scales as “pieces of music” and actually tried to avoid them. What a dumbkoff!!
When I FINALLY realized one day that scales are actually BEAUTIFUL “pieces of music”, my playing and knowledge suddenly increased immensely!
Still not a great player but I keep on learning every day and I am very grateful to you for sharing your vast experience with all of us. Thank you!
The late and very great Chet Atkins said..It’s all about the scales. He’s right because everything comes from scales.
Music theory would be better if it were called scale theory.
This is wonderful for practice. And technique.
Where can I find The tab
Nothing downloadable – no links. 🙁
above the picture where it says “download the music first” CLICK ON THAT , there is you music before you begin. Hope this helps
Thanks griff ,this is what I need to practice
ok found the hyper link thanks for everyones help
the tab is not there
no tab
Hi Griff did not get tab. This is a good tool
IT’S VERY CLOSE TO THE DO-RAY-ME*FAS-O LA-TE-DOH.
IN ALL MY 60+ YEARS, I FOUND YOU NEED TO PRACTICE, PRACTICE, UNTIL YOUR SOLO, IS PART OF YOU. I LEANED THIS WHEN I WAS 13, LEARNING CLASSCIAL GUITAR. I HAD TO JUST HAVE ALL FINGERS ON THE FRET BOARD FOR TOP TO BOTTOM AND ALL 4 DOWN ON THE STRING AND THEN PLAY BACK DOWN .
THANK YOU GRIFF. THIS IS SOMETHNG I ALREADY KNOW ,THAT PRACTICE AND FEEL WORKS AND YOU CAN STARE OUT INTO SPACE AND SOLO AWAY.
Didn’t get the tab
the words “download the music” in the text right above the video are a hyperlink, even though it doesn’t show unless you mouse over it. Click there and you will get the tab.
Thanks Griff for this video on the fingering positions of the G major scale. I would like a lesson from you also discussing and relating from a theory point of view the G Major scale to the G minor pentatonic scale and G major pentatonic scale, how they differ and when they are used in music. I have your theory book and don’t recall this discussion. Thanks.
Its towards the end, but major pentatonic drops the 4 and 7 from the major scale, while minor pentatonic is R, b3, 4, 5, and b7.
This was great! Found how to correct finger placement and get better economy of the fret board. I will be working on this and get to where I am not looking at my hand. Good stuff…Griff
More technical exercises, please! They help so much.
HAD THIS DRILLED INTO ME WHEN I WAS 10, LEARNING CLASSICAL GUITAR.
I’M A MEMBER OF NFTRA AND BMI. I ONLY HAD TO LOOK AT CORD TABS WHEN I USE TO DO STUDIO WORK.
THIS I ALREADY KNOW BY EAR. THANKS GRIFF,
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW ALL THE SCALES , NOTES AND SOUNDS, DOWN LOAD PHAT PHISH. HAS EVERY THING. SHOWS THE FRET BOARD, ALL THE NOTES AND THEY LIGHT UP WHEN IT PLAYS THE SCALES.
This feels impossible on my acoustic guitar (don’t own an electric). My fingers just don’t seem to reach.
Could try moving up 2 frets to A. Just add 2 to each tab number. Frets are closer together and might be easier. Could go up 4 frets to B, or any other place where your fingers fit more easily.
This video will fix it for you – this is nearly ALWAYS the problem:
http://bluesguitarunleashed.com/blog/lets-talk-technique/
Needed to see this video to realize my home grown flaws and how much easier it makes by fingering correctly.
Mostly caused by avoiding using my small finger and my middle finger tripping everything up while trying to play both the third and fourth.
This Exercise makes me more aware of ware my fingers are and which goes where..thanks.
its a good excersise, but what if you dont your little Pinky,???
Start!
Thanks Griff
great excersise, not as easy as it sounds but keeping at it
economy in motion or less motion . a former teacher just had me go from 2nd to fifth fret then backwards . did you ever think of calling it doe ray me fa so la tea . going backwards as in this done by griff seems easier then going up . why is that dont get it.
Really appreciated how Griff mentioned how long it might take to get this. Thinking that it could take anywhere from a year to never removes the pressure to be perfect. When you seem somebody like him that can rip off a scale or a lick like most people breathe, it can be a little intimidating to a beginner. Any exercise that minimizes the sense of vision to rely mainly on touch and hearing is highly worth while, even if it it the simplest chord change of a super easy scale. Best thing was how Griff turned it into something that sounds like something.
Well maybe it has been a year since I first saw this video and I am a lot more into scales, many more memorized, and continually working on technique, where there no strange sounds from what I play and more than anything that my fingers are not lifting off the fret board when I play. I even have pinky exercises I do, and I have an exercise with a pencil between my fingers when I play solos or scale exercises. My speed has increased, I am cleaner in playing, slow improvement but improving.
Hey Griff,
Great practice, it is similar to what I have already learnt and do it all the time to warm up. Great and thanks for the TAB.
Michael-St Andrews- Australia
Nice to see after I informed you of my neck sergeries. I AM retraining my neuro pathways. If you remember? I play keyboards. Your a favorite mentor. what is a good song for a relationship conflict control?
Griff where can I look for the tab?
thank you for the lesson it’s very helpful
I am having a difficult time keeping my fingers close to the fretboard. I have carpal tunnel and my left hand feels like it’s on fire. (I had the surgery for it about 15 years ago.) It seems like I can only practice for maximum 10 to 15 minutes and then I have to stop. What to do?
I remember learning this from a jazz guitar book when I was trying to become a jazz guitar player. It is coming back . Thank you
Really good****as always.
Would you send the tab ?
The tab is in the music. There is a link in the first line above the video where it says “download the music first”.
Hi Griff,
love your stuff.
While looking at your posts I am seeing you from the front and having to transpose the vision of your left hand fingering to my left hand. I.e. The vision of the neck of your guitar (on the screen) goes to my leftt although as I hold my guitar the neck of my guitar goes to my right. I am a right handed guy. This means that I have to mentally transpose left to right. Not a big deal but I am getting older ,the mind slower and as you are thankfully trying to make things simpler for the learner maybe you might think about this.
Possible solution: Perhaps if you filmed from behind you with your image reflected in a mirror it would align your video presence, albeit slightly, with the student’s (my) brain and the way I am holding the guitar.
Just a thought.
Thanks for the great lessons.
DGP
DGP, It’s not Griff’s videos that are backward, it’s your brain. Best get used to it — all videos, whether online or DVDs are this was unless the instructor is left handed. Once you get your brain accustomed to realizing this, it second nature. I’ve been playing for 50 years and when I first started (of course video and DVDs did not exist)I had only pictures in instruction books to refer to. However, for a short time I had the same sort of feeling you do now…it will pass…good luck! PS Stick with it. Griff is a great teach. Even as long as I’ve been playing, the learning never ends! That’s why music is so great!
do ray me fous so la tea do! keeping your finger on the fret board was drilled into me when i was learning clasical guitar.
Thanks, Griff. As I’ve told you many times, I love your teaching style. I felt it necessary to remark, though, that few, if any, guitar teachers realize how many things they ask their students to work on “for a few minutes every day”. If I just did all the exercises that I was supposed to every day, it would quickly occupy all and more of my my practice time. Yes, I would get better at doing those things, but how boring would that be? I would appreciate a bit of advice on a realistic daily practice routine that allows time for fun.
Many Thanks Griff – great lesson 🙂 helps me loads
Hi Griff, this is a great exercise,and one I am quite familiar with. Transitioning from 15 years of violin (3-17) to 50-plus years to of bass (17-69) was rough; however, I find guitar extremely challenging.
Going from the “Jameson Set Deep Talking Bass flat wound” to GHS (extremely light gauge (09-42), and playing with a pick is a whole new world. On the up side music theory is transferable and when your students (myself included) get this under their fingers, one of my first bass teachers had me do all the major scales in thirds. It is a lot like that Billy Gibbons exercise going from string to string. In G major, it would be 3 2 5 3/ 2 5 3 2/5 4 2 5/ etc. Ron.
thank you Griff – i make the mistake of lifting my fingers and didn’t realize i was doing it.
great lesson
This isn’t blues related either. I have been working on a Doc Watson song, “Nothing To It” and haven’t been able to cut a lick of eight notes without my fingers getting all jumbled up. With your lesson today I finally figured out what I was doing wrong. Man, you made my day!
tab? is this a previous tab?
The tab is in the music. There is a link in the first line above the video where it says “download the music first”.
Griff , this is a great lesson . I have a habit of doing just what you said , picking up the fingers . I am getting a little better with practice , but thanks for explaining so much in detail . Mike Z.
Great exercise, notice nobody mentions what a great way to get use to “up picking” or as some say “back picking” each second note as you do.
Great lesson but where do I find the tab?
Keep them coming I love my BGU materials and am saving my pennies for my next course, Acoustic BGU.
PS I am trying hard to use some of the things I have learned to figure song out for my self but am having a hard time with Kid Rocks “Good time looking for me” Any suggestions?
The tab is in the music. There is a link in the first line above the video where it says “download the music first”.
Great exercise. Thank you! Please would you post the tabs for this?
The tab is in the music. There is a link in the first line above the video where it says “download the music first”. So obvious!
very good lesson. good practice on all the major scales.
Thanks Griff,
As always, great lesson.
Hey Griff, you are an awesome teacher! This is very basic stuff but very worth revisiting for intermediate players as well. Your love of teaching shines through on this lesson and keeps me inspired. THANK YOU!
Fantastic lesson Griff !!!
Great lesson Griff- something I need to work on to continue to develop. Can you tell me what book this classical study cam from- would love more of these exercises.
Very good lesson to learn,another good lesson that you can learn all over the fret board.
Prior to joining BGU,I tried to play jazz guitar for 2 years. The book is named Patterns, scales and modes for jazz guitar by Arnie Belle. Therefore I am familiar with this pattern. It’s interesting to notice how the voice itself is probably the best musical instrument. No wonder you advocate listening first, then try to memorize,which helps counting in a big way. Thanks for sharing.
This will help me stay in position, while I am playing.
Thanks
Any chance that the $29 Easy Blues Solo’s Special will be coming back?
Thanks,
Bob
GRIFF! THAT BRINGS BACK MEMORY’S OF MY FIRST GUITAR LESSON.IT WAS FLAMINCO GUITAR. I HAD TO LEARN THE SCALES AND WHEN I WENT BACK UP I HAD TO PLACE ALL 4 FINGERS ON THE FRET BOARD FIRST BEFORE I LIFTED EACH FINGER UP. LIKE PLAYING THE SCALES ON THE PIAONO. KEEPING MY FINGERS ON THE FRET BOARD WAS DRIVEN INTO ME. THAT WAS 40 YEARS AGO THAT WAS ANY EASY LESSON. THANKS BRO.
I HAD TO COMMENT ON YOUR PERFECT GUITAR PLAYING. THERE IS 2 GUYS I THINK FALL IN THAT CATAGORY. DAVID GILMORE FROM PINK FLOYD AND JIM SIPALINA FROM QUICK SILVER MESSAGINGER SERVICE.
Thanks Griff,This a good one,it works Len
Observation and opinion.
You mention SRV alot, which is fine, but where SRV was a showman, his brother Jimmie Vaughn, is one of the best technicians that’s ever been, about five times better picker than Stevie. My two sheckles, thanks for all you do.
I attended UT
You are truly a gifted teacher and seem very dedicated to teaching the guitar. I like how you have not made it a big commercial thing which shows your passion for teaching and playing the guitar . You have addressed so many of the little problems that we all encounter but I might have missed this one. My problem is to do with my picking. I’ll go to pick a note and notice that nothing happened . I have completely missed the string or hit the one above it or below it. I do warm ups or take a difficult section and go over it again and again. One day things will go okay and then the next , wow , what is happening . I work on the guitar at least an hour and a half a day and some days I wonder why I bother . Any suggestions?
I wish you were my neighbor because I would definitely be a pain in your neck but I live in Alberta Canada so you are safe . Will be getting your courses though .
I use the major scale when I am playing modes mostly phrygian dominant for metal guitar so I am fluid with the major scale however as Griff has stated this dose not apply to blues guitar when sight reading not looking at you hand is a must I’m always checking charts of the boxes and it’s always hard not to look !
Great stuff as always Griff. You make learning to play more accessible to new players while still providing stuff that has meaning for more advanced players.
Cheers
I love your lessons and the way you share them without making a pitch for money in every video. That class is why I bought the great 4 Solos video, and to me, it ,makes watching your videos MORE FUN, and easier to watch knowing I have done my small share toward paying you back for your generosity. You also dont look like you will steal my DVD player if you really were in my living room lie the other American pitchman.
LMAO…you should see Griff’s ebay page/account. He’s got more DVD players up in there than Best Buy.
Many thanks Griff. Another really good exercise. I am sure all your ‘Students’ really appreciate your skills and enthusiasm. Gives us all something to aspire to.
As usual Griff, great advice. whenever my classmates ask about guitar playing I refer them to you, ‘cos you’re the best
Thank you Griff. Good exercise
Very good lesson all the way around. Some months ago I watched somebody talk about keeping the fingers close to fret board when you play and I have been working on it ever since. I do some exercises but also to help myself because my pinky has a tendency to fly off, I try using different variations of peddle point playing in my solos which forces my fingers to stay down and I use a lot three finger pull offs and hammer on with the concentration being on the pinky finger staying where it is suppose to. I am getting better with this but it is not an easy process because I still see my fingers fly off at times. As to scales and not looking at my fingers I have been making good progress with that too. Three scales I don’t have to look at to play them is the major diatonic, box 1 pentatonic blues, and any minor Dorian scale. I know a lot more scales but I have to watch to make sure I am playing them right, but I do work on the memorizing them.
If you can play box 1 without looking I’ll bet you could play box 5 without looking in no time.
so this was to not look and know the note. more a excercise not a scale . yes i have praticed warm ups but never believed that it would help remember the notes. I know the e major scale like the back of the hand . glad that you made it aware that this isnt blues related. goin to try it out and hear what happens when mixed together .
Griff:
That sounds much like an exercise from Mel Bay Book 1 where one basically ascends the C major scale from 6 to 1 then back down repeating notes.
I started learning guitar with the Mel Bay book 1 way back when. I still have “Long Long Ago” memorized after all these years. It was the one in the middle of the book where you could see both pages opened at the same time and because it was in the middle of the book the pages wouldn’t try and turn to another page on you while you were playing.
I really didn’t like learning those songs in Mel Bay book 1, but several years later a friend showed my the opening riff to “Wish You Were Here” (Pink Floyd) and I thought to myself, “that’s very similar to the notes in “Long Long Ago”. I learned the “Wish You Were Here” riff first time through because of my familiarity with those notes.
well why is it that going down scale the pattern isnt the same hummm
This has been a GREAT exercise for me. Keeping my fingers on the fret-board on the stretch has been a challenge for me and locating notes on strings separated by an unplayed string, as well (skipping a string or two without looking) but this has helped immeasurably to play tabs while reading them.
Thanks for the tip, as usual, good stuff.
This is a good warmup routine. I will try it out. You did not mention but I think it can be done on any fret starting on Low E string?
Thanks Griff, a really invaluable lesson.
A great exercise for all styles of playing. Exercises both left and right hands, pick and finger-style. Sounds great played above 12th fret, classical shred style.
Thanks Griff. Loving your lessons, so much better than most other folk putting stuff out.
Griff,
I studied some classical guitar in my youth as well. I ran across an exercise that borders on excruciating at first but does a terrific job of training the fingers to stay close to the fingerboard. You can start anywhere on the fingerboard but a good place to start is at the 5th fret or higher since the frets are closer together.
On the 6th string, you will play A, Bb, B, C (5th, 6th, 7th & 8th fret) and keep all fingers down as you ascend.
Then on the 5th string you will play D, Eb, E, F (5th, 6th, 7th & 8th fret) but you have to keep all fingers on the 6th string until it’s time to move to the 5th string. So, when you move your first finger to the 5th string 5th fret, fingers 2, 3, and 4 stay pressed against the 6th, 7th, & 8th fret on the 6th string. Then the 2nd finger moves to the 5th string 6th fret, while all other fingers remain where they are. Same process for the 3rd and 4th finger.
Now all fingers are placed on the 5th string and the process is repeated going to the 4th string. Then the third string, 2nd string, 1st string.
Then the fingers will move one at a time to the 2nd string but play the notes in ascending fashion (descending won’t work) until you get all of the way back to the 6th string 5th fret.
Clearly this is strictly a technique excess with little musical value, but it does help to cure “fly away” fingers. My $.02 worth.
Love it. Took formal 5 string banjo classes and looked forward to the technique part. Bought the pent/tech mastery course and live by it (5 of Griff’s courses now) Thanks Griff, your vids and courses are the next best thing to actual being in a class.
Great exercise, thanks for the download, the Tabs would have helped.
the download the music above the video is the tab for the exercise … it is in PDF format so you need Adobe Reader
which is a free download if your don’t have it on your computer
The tab is in the music. There is a link in the first line above the video where it says “download the music first”.