Major Scale Sandwich Exercise Part 1


Published on 26 January 2016
For more information from the source site of this video please visit: http://secretguitarteacher.com/youtube/advanced/theory/8Q0WACxdJt0/83848290-major-scale-sandwich-exercise-1.php The major Scale Sandwich Exercise (Please watch the secretguitarteacher videos on the CAGED system before watching this one else it won't make much sense!) The end result of learning and drilling the CAGED system, as covered in the last lesson, is the ability to locate and name any note on the fretboard. It is also to lay a foundation pattern upon which we can build the skills and knowledge to be able to play any scale, mode, chord or arpeggio in any position in any key. In this lesson we are going to put in place the next layer. This will lead to you being able to locate any Major scale in any key at any fretboard position in any direction. After that, it is simply a question of learning the formulas for the scales, modes, chords and arpeggios you want to work with and the Sandwich exercise will help you do the rest! First, lets take another look at the CAGED system pattern. Look closely and you will see that it is really a collection of diagonal octave patterns. It actually boils down to just two patterns: This one, we call the basic forward diagonal octave pattern. And this one, the basic backward diagonal pattern. The forward one can be thought of as 2 x 2 -- 2 strings across, 2 frets up. The backward one as 3 x --3 - 3 strings across, 3 frets back. We can play these anywhere off the sixth string.. and they will always produce an octave. Now let's explore what happens when we move these shape vertically across the strings.. Firstly the Forward diagonal.. We can use the same pattern off the fifth string, but as we try it off the fourth string we encounter what we refer to as the second string tuning anomaly... So the shape has to be stretched accordingly..Similarly off the third string So we end up with four possible forward diagonal patterns -- two basic ones...and two stretched ones Now let's look at the backward diagonals. Because they reach across three strings they are immediately affected by the second string tuning anomaly as we try to play the pattern off the fifth string.. This time the effect shrinks the pattern.. and again the same effect is felt off the D string. So we have three backward diagonal patterns. One basic one..and two shrunk ones. So, to recap.. in all we have seven diagonal octave patterns. Going back to the CAGED system a moment we can see that all we are playing in the CAGED system exercise are these seven patterns laid out in a way that overlaps. Then its on to the next step where we start making our sandwiches. A sandwich consists of two slices of bread and a filling. Eventually we are going to make sandwiches with a whole variety of fillings, but as its your first day at the sandwich factory I am going to show you how to make Major scale sandwiches -- once you can make these, it is relatively easy making all the other flavours! We are going to work at fret five, but we could equally do this at any fret from 3 up to 20. We will start with Forward diagonal sandwiches -- think of these as white bread sandwiches if you like! First we play the octave - that's our first slice of bread. Then we play the Major scale up and down -- that's our filling. Then we play the octave again -- that's our other slice of bread. Tasty eh? Next we move across one string and play the octave pattern there, then the filling -- Major scale up and down exactly the same as the first sandwich. And don't forget the second slice of bread. Now a lot of guitarists settle for just that. Just as a lot of people are quite happy eating nothing but white bread sandwiches. But I think you're missing out a great deal if you don't at least try brown bread sandwiches as well, so let's see if I can tempt you to work out the Backward Diagonals Sandwich Exercises.....and that's what we'll tackle in part 2.