Lesson 5 – Three Note Fingering Windows

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Historical Comment Archive:
  • Mandy McGregor Oct 1, 2022

    Oh dear! I am completely lost here. These patterns don´t sound like a scale at all like it did in the previous lesson. What do you mean when you say that after the first pattern the only place to start the next pattern is on the 4th fret and then on the fifth fret? And the scale seems to be missing the last note. I feel really stupid that I can´t get this. The diagrams don´t help me either. I was doing so well up to the last lesson.

    • Brad Bordessa Oct 1, 2022

      Aloha Mandy,

      Think of this more like an organizational concept than as a scale. It can be used to play a scale, like in the video, but really, the most important thing is getting used to seeing the three finger shapes. From there, you can utilize them in your head to organize what you’re playing.

      When I say “the next place to start from”, I’m just referring to the next note inside the A major scale. Just like you’d play the A major scale as:

      0 2 4 5 7 9 11 12

      You will use each of those notes to start a three finger window that extends up through the following two notes. So you get these fret combinations from the A major scale. (Notice how the left column of frets matches the plain scale above):

      0 2 4
      2 4 5
      4 5 7
      5 7 9
      7 9 11
      9 11 12
      11 12 14
      12

      This is a big departure from anything you’ve probably seen before so cut yourself some slack, try the video again, and please let me know if you need additional help. Happy to walk you through it if you let me know where you’re stuck.

      -B

  • Mandy McGregor Oct 6, 2022

    Thanks Brad
    I am still a bit confused but I have just had the best time jamming along to an A major track on YouTube using these 3 finger patterns and even going up to the E string with the same patterns. I felt like a rock Goddess, it was brilliant!! Now I have a practical use for the patterns I feel much happier. Onwards and upwards.

    • Brad Bordessa Oct 6, 2022

      This makes me so happy! Let me know if I can help with the confusion in any way.

  • Lyda Den 0s Jan 20, 2023

    I first was lost too, but with the explaining above, I think I understand, I will give it a go with the jamming as above on the A scale backing track.

  • Susan Murry Jul 7, 2023

    Thank you for the outstanding explanation.
    After a few practice sessions it became very natural.
    I do think playing the piano and knowing scales is a huge benefit.
    It also makes the spider finger exercises more interesting moving
    across strings.