Ways of playing scales and scale patterns

 

A certain scale or scale pattern can be started either

 

• ↓ - going up the pitch (ascending pitch wise), or

• ↑ - going down the pitch (descending pitch wise)

In addition to starting a scale either ascending or descending, there will be a turn involved after reaching the top or the bottom (the highest or the lowest string) pitch wise, making it a loop. When it comes to practicing, this 'loop' way of playing a scale is, in my opinion as a professional teacher, preferable to just playing it ascending or descending. That is why I take it as a default way of playing a scale, and therefore playing the scales only one-way is completely excluded from my teaching methodology and OSIRE. So let's just make it a little more accurate:

 

• ↓↑ - going up the pitch (ascending pitch wise) and back or

• ↑↓ - going down the pitch (descending pitch wise) and back

Here's an example of this, with an F major scale and a 012 beginner scale pattern:

 

 

 

I will stick to the same scale and scale pattern as for the further videos. On top of the two options above, you can also connect scale degrees to each other by changing position either up or down the fret:

 

• → - changing between scale degrees (pitch wise up)

• ← - changing between scale degrees (pitch wise down)

Combining these 4 options you have in total 10 (+ 2) ways of playing a scale or a scale pattern along the fret board.

(The extra 2 options are the "only ascending" and "only descending" options. Also, there could be more combinations with the options listed above, but they could not be used for educational purposes due to their complexity.)

 

My methodology uses Roman numerals to indicate the different ways of playing a scale. In OSIRE, you can look at these options also by clicking the relevant Roman numeral button.

 

 I

↓↑

 

One scale degree, starting from the scale root note, ascending (and back)

 

 

II

↑↓

 

One scale degree, starting from the scale root note, descending (and back)

 

 

III

↓→↑

 

Full scale, starting from the scale root note; ascending, and then scale degree change pitch wise up and descending (zigzag shape)

 

 

IV

↑→↓

 

Full scale, starting from the scale root note; descending, and then scale degree change pitch wise up, and ascending (zigzag shape)

 

 

V

↑←↓

 

Full scale, starting from an octave higher than the root note; ascending, and then scale degree change pitch wise down, and ascending (zigzag shape)

 

 

VI

↓←↑

 

Full scale, starting from an octave higher than the root note; descending, and then degree change pitch wise down, and descending (zig zag shape)

 

 

VII

↓↑→↓↑

 

Full scale, starting from the root note; ascending and back, and then scale degree change pitch wise up, etc.

 

 

VIII

↑↓→↑↓

 

Full scale, starting from the root note; descending and back, and then scale degree change pitch wise up, etc.

 

 

IX

↑↓←↑↓

 

Full scale, starting from an octave higher than the root note, descending and back, and then scale degree change pitch wise down, etc.

 

 

X

↓↑←↓↑

 

Full scale, starting from an octave higher than the root note, ascending and back, and then scale degree change pitch wise down, etc.