Lesson 3: Neck Note Practice

[Russ]

Larry,
Not a chance. I had to look at my tab sheet just to figure it out when reading your question. It is my ultimate goal, but I'm not going to push myself to it until I get interested enough to purchase Griff's SWS course. I can pick out any note if I start from the top like I'm playing the scale, but can't just pick out any called note yet. That will be the ultimate challenge and goal.

 

[luckylarry]

Thanks Russ. I admit that that was the answer I was hoping for. Seems to be a big jump to knowing every note at will. 

 

[Russ]

You know if you really think about it, once you get one E string memorized, you've technically got 1/3 of the board down cuz of having 2 E strings. That's a definite plus. Don't worry about the timeline of memorizing the notes. You may chose to memorize them all as I am or you may chose to work on them for a warm up like others. One person's pace does not need to meet another's standards for going too slow or pushing too hard. Your pace is what needs to matter to you! You've got a year to take in all the information you can by reading or DVD. Take the physical stuff at the pace of healing as well. Don't rush your shoulder.

 

[luckylarry]

I appreciate your advice Russ and for sure I am looking after the shoulder. It is hard sometimes mentally because I just want to get back to where i was and be able to progress from there. But as you and many others have said I need to look after my shoulder and not rush things. BTW, I do a lot of mental exercises such as memorizing the circle of 5ths and the relative minors, practicing in my head the theory concepts from the theory course and so on. 

 

[Russ]

Glad to hear it Larry. Your mind will be sharp, but just try not to get too angry at your hand when its not quite up to speed.  :-X

 

[luckylarry]

Russ my hand was never up to speed.  ;D

 

[Russ]

: 

Started here with Ab (A flat). Took a few days with family and work schedules  : :

http://youtu.be/XL2n6IGIdHY

Ended up here:

http://youtu.be/dpyxixMTVWE

 

[Thatman]

And played with true mastery, good one Russ. 

 

[Russ]

Thanks Don. 

I realized just now, that I've had my metronome so long that its' gone through 2 watch batteries before I actually had a use for it  . It is now officially useful! 

 

[luckylarry]

Thanks Don. 

I realized just now, that I've had my metronome so long that its' gone through 2 watch batteries before I actually had a use for it  . It is now officially useful! 

That is really funny Russ. Thanks.  ;D

 

[Russ]

E flat soaked in so fast, I hardly had a chance to record it  : .

Messed with You Tube's video Editor. Hope you like this better. Let me know.

http://youtu.be/9tEkE0XMAMo

 

[Russ]

This is Bb's combined video.
http://youtu.be/FhTl7ZxQSDE

I've got F left to go, but probably won't get it until the middle of next week because we're going to see our daughter in a collage visit this weekend. I'm hoping the rest will have time to soak in pretty well, because I tend to make beginner errors and break concentration. I keep screwing up on what I consider "easy" ones.

 

[Thatman]

Good one Russ it's coming along fine and with running through from the beginning so often that will be driving the poitions in to your finger memory. 

Oh yeh, your YouTube editing is real cool too, didn't know you could do that. I'll have to have a play one day.  [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

 

[Russ]

Don,
I don't know if the You Tube editing is a new feature or if you "earn" it by having a certain number of uploaded videos. I know I've been qualified for 15 minute videos if I want to do that. I avoided the editing for a week or so, but decided I should give it a shot just for experience sake. It's not hard at all as long as you trim each video where you want it before you combine them.

 

[Russ]

AAAAAAAaaaanndd   I'm spent...

The Circle of Fifths, C-F.
12 notes in 72 positions 


    http://youtu.be/pgxBkfzHPHM

 

[Thatman]

Well done Russ, it's good to see you've come through that comprehensive exercise with flying colours. 

Plus with seeing all the videos it's added that little bit of Je'ne sais quoi.  [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

Just a thought though, and I don't want to throw you a curved ball, but if you started the sequence at the low E string with the note of 'C' how would you get by.  :-?

 

[Russ]

Don,
Griff mentions in his DVD that a person may be able to learn the Circle of Fifths (Griff's 12 Step Program- as I like to call it) in as little as one month. I could see that happening for someone who's retired or without a family life. It took me 7 weeks. In that 7 weeks, I took a day off here and there, for illness and a few days here and there for letting the Circle "sink in". Also, it was the only thing I focused on. If you are doing other lessons, I wouldn't expect you to learn it in less than 9-12 weeks. Still, that's a pretty cool time line for such a powerful lesson. Once this truly sinks in, think of how much easier and more understandable solos and playing in general will be.
That's why I spent 7 weeks learning it in both directions. I started on the high side because Griff says most solos start there. Technically, I should be able to start a note on the High or Low side and get to the next note. Unless I'm not understanding what you're saying...........

 

[Thatman]

Thanks Russ it's clear you've got a good grip on that challenge.

On a similar vein, when I was learning the boxes I noticed that I was always doing the same thing, start at string 6, or sometimes start at string 1. It was only much later that I realised I had to learn where the roots where, so now I play the boxes from the roots, and I play both boxes from each root.
Good luck with the next exercise.