Major Scale In 3rds

If pausing and splitting the ascending / descending into two sections yes. The tab shows this.

If playing in a continuous loop then no.

but how will it get the 3:4 time feel?


i just based my practice on the tab justin provided and it so happened to end with an up

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It doesn’t have a 3/4 time feel. 3rds does not mean waltz time.

This audio matches the first tab above.

This matches the second tab above.

That is the exact tab I provided also. The two sections of this play through start with a Down as I indicated below my notation.

oh. so we pick down twice on the highest note?

also do we have to pause when playing the 1st tab?

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When playing with a pause between two sections yes.

Notice that the last note of each section is a longer note in the tab. Every note is an 8th apart from the very last note of each section last half a bar.
That is why I am saying it has a pause.

if we wanted to play the first tab consecutively is that okay? because to me it feels better playing that note twice.

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It only makes sense to play it twice in succession when it ends one section and starts another section.

For scale practice Justin recommends that you aim to play three consecutive, unbroken loops with no errors.
You can apply a similar target here.
That means each and every note is played once only. Root notes included.

That is not to say it is bad or wrong. But it will lead to the sort of doubt you have raised here - which is a Down and which is an Up.
If you step away from a proscribed pattern then you can do it how you want with whatever picking pattern that leads to.
:slight_smile:

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okay, thanks for the insight. but just to clarify do we have to play notes twice in major scale patterns 2 and 3?

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hi. sorry to ask. I would like to know what does this exercise help with? what skill does it develop? I don’t really understand the video. I find the exercise helps with my fingering with the scale/more flexible when playing around the scale.

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Chords are built by stacking 3rds. The exercise not only helps you to play scales as chord arpeggios it also stop you from playing solos like scales. If you write out a scale in 3rds you will find every chord in that scale. For example if you play the C major starting on the second note D in 3rds you’ll get a Dm7 chord.

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I’m working on Scale 1 &2 in 3rd and finding Scale 2 has been challenging. Been working on this for about 3 weeks in both scale patterns. I find going back up Scale pattern 2 somehow boggles my mind as to high and low. I depend on my ear for correction. Not sure how long this is going to take before it imprints .

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Is there a video at some point following on from this that talks about the application of building chords from these thirds within the scale shapes??

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@Gracewalt Hello Grace and welcome to the Community.
There is not a video that explicitly shows chords built in 3rds within scale patterns. If you want a little more on the knowledge you could try Justin’s Practical Music Theory which includes some learning in chord construction.

This lesson(text only) explains chord construction using the A shaped barre chord but once learnt can be used for any of the 5 chord shapes in the CAGED system.
Not exactly about all chord in a scale but is a good place to start understanding how this works.

Yeah this is helpful, I’ve been doing this a little it just feels like a mountain of work to eventually be able to incorporate these kinds of chords freely into my playing. One day…

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