FENDER PLAYERS CLUB SCALE SEQUENCING AND CONTOURING

www.fenderplayersclub.com 1

If you started on the bottom rung of a ladder and climbed up four steps, then jumped back down three, up four steps anddown three, etc., you would move up the ladder one step at a time. If you numbered the rungs, the pattern would be1234, 2345, 3456, etc. Applying a repeating pattern like this to a scale is known as sequencing the scale.

Some typical sequences for scales are:

1234, 2345, 3456, 4567, 5678, etc.

1231, 2342, 3453, 4564, 5675, etc.

123, 234, 345, 456, 567, 678, etc.

13, 24, 35, 46, 57, 68, etc.

They may also be used descending and they may be inverted to create more possibilities. There are virtually an endlessnumber of possible sequence patterns.

Sequencing exercises will help you to think of grouping notes in a variety of new ways, as well as being great cross-stringpicking practice. The four examples below break down the first full sequence that follows into manageable sections. Thescale is the the A natural minor, sequenced with the first pattern above. First play each example with all downstrokesuntil you have the notes memorized. Then focus your attention on your right hand as you introduce alternate picking.

TIP: If you have trouble keeping the picking consistent, try exaggerating the picking motion by making very largemovements at first. Then, after you get the knack of it, pare it back down to small, relaxed picking motions.

118

119

120

� AUDIO-118-125.mp3

FENDER PLAYERS CLUB SCALE SEQUENCING AND CONTOURING

www.fenderplayersclub.com 2

121

Below is the A natural minor scale sequenced in ascending groups of four. Notice that at the end, the sequence is brokento make it wind around and land on the root. This is an example of contouring. A contour is a more general term thatrefers to any shape, while a sequence is only a regular, repeating shape. All sequences are contours, but not all contoursare sequences.

122

Now let's try a few different sequences with this same scale. The first one below takes the previous sequence pattern,descending and inverted. The next example uses a 231, 2342 pattern and inverts it to descend. Also, notice where thesequences have been altered for musical purposes, to complete the phrase with a more natural feel.

123

124

FENDER PLAYERS CLUB SCALE SEQUENCING AND CONTOURING

www.fenderplayersclub.com 3

EXAMPLE 125 uses a three note descending sequence, played in triplets

125

This lesson is from:Metal Lead Guitar: Volume Oneby Troy Stetina.

This intense metal method teaches you the elements of lead guitar technique with aneasy to understand, player-oriented approach. The metal concepts, theory, and musicalprincipals are all applied to real metal licks, runs and full compositions.

Learn at your own pace through 12 "smoking fully transcribed" heavy metal solos fromsimple to truly terrifying! "One of the most thorough" and "one of the best rock seriescurrently available" - Guitar Player magazine.

Music and examples demonstrated on cassette or CD.

Inventory # HL 699321. Book/CD pack $19.95 (US).