Jam Track Riff


Teacher: Tonight's licks are presented in the key of A major

A Major Scale


horse: how do you know Mike Miller?

Teacher: I attend school where he taught in L.A.

Teacher: We will take a familiar scale, like the Major, and work through it in interval combinations

Teacher: To review, the distance from a note of the scale to the next is called a '2nd' interval.

Teacher: or from one note of the scale to its next closest neighbor

Teacher: Skipping two notes ahead gives a '3rd' interval.

2nd-2nd Interval Pattern (up-up)


Teacher: The combination we're starting with is going up a 2nd, then another 2nd. Producing a three note phrase

Teacher: This pattern is started on the first note of the scale. Then played off the next note and so on up the scale

Teacher: This interval pattern could start an octave higher and we could take it down the scale

2nd-2nd Interval Pattern (up-down)


corey: hmm

Teacher: Notice I try to use the same fingering. But this introduces some combinations that will tend to trip up the fingers

Teacher: We could also take our interval pattern and reverse the order of the notes. Up the scale...

2nd-2nd Interval Pattern (down-up)


Teacher: And finally descending pattern, descending through the scale.

2nd-2nd Interval Pattern (down-down)


Teacher: This is a popular 'sequence' you may have heard many times

Teacher: So try to workout the upcoming patterns these four ways.

jarquiette: those 9 - 5 's are quiete a stretch

Teacher: Hurts so good. And they look great in pictures!

Connelly: Very True

horse: lol

Teacher: 1. Intervals going up, line going up

Teacher: 2. Intervals going up, line going down

Teacher: 3. Intervals going down, line going up

Teacher: 4. Intervals going down, line going down

Mike: I like the down up pattern

Teacher: Lets get more stetches and a more open sound with wider intervals.

Connelly: Sounds Great

Teacher: This time we keep the 2nd interval to start, but then jump up a 3rd. Goes like this

2nd-3rd Interval Pattern


Teacher: OK.

Mike: This looks like an arpeggio to me

Teacher: Some of the patterns end up outlining chords. And there will be a similar sound at times to an arpeggio.

Teacher: Hang with the idea. You will see some totally new patterns. Remember to work these out in all four patterns.

Teacher: Now a 2nd + a 4th

2nd-4th Interval Pattern


Teacher: These introduce some tricky fingering combinations. Part of the usefulness of working these out

Teacher: Or how about next. A 2nd + 5th combo

2nd-5th Interval Pattern


Teacher: A 2nd + a 6th

2nd-6th Interval Pattern


Teacher: 2nd + 7th anyone?

2nd-7th Interval Pattern


Mike: Wow your covering a lot of ground

pagefan: Go for it!

Mike: String skips, I love it

Teacher: Alright. 8ths are enough.

2nd-8th Interval Pattern


pagefan: What? No 9ths?

Teacher: Well, how about let's change the starting interval.

3rd-2nd Interval Pattern


Teacher: You could go higher if you dare...

Teacher: But now we could work out to 3rd+3rds. 3rds+4ths

jarquiette: What's the primary application for these?

Teacher: It has a couple of useful applications

Teacher: First it is a new way to think of note patterns or 'sequences'.

Teacher: Next, these will lend a more 'open' sound to your playing. Less scalar

Teacher: And if you think you can blaze through your major scales at 200 BPM on the metronome try working out to some of these patterns

Mike: I tend to rut in scale patterns so this is useful

jarquiette: I can definately use that - my soloing tends to sound scaley

Teacher: Try working these up to triplets to the jam track. About 100 Beats Per Minute

Teacher: What we might end up with is a chart that looks like this

Mike: This is an awsome way to learn.

Interval Patterns Table


Teacher: We worked through the top row of 2nd interval patterns. 2nd+2nd, 2nd+3rd, and so on. 8va means octave.

Teacher: Now try the 3rds row. Try a new one or two each day.

Teacher: all four ways of working the pattern. Especially the one that seems more difficult.

Teacher: And the ones you like the sound of

Teacher: Then work out other scales with the same ideas. Another good choice for the jam track

A Mixolydian Mode


Teacher: Great. Got to run. Have fun. Take it a little at a time.

Connelly: Thanks For the help

Stratman: great

Mike: Thanks, will go to the archive and use the jam tracks on this.