Chromatic Practice Techniques

Chromatic Scales and the best methods for learning and practicing them. Helps you work on technique and timing skills.

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• scales
• chromatic
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[kcrich13]

Petrucci uses classical techniques also. It depends on what he is playing. His thumb will drop when he does the six fret stretches. A lot of metal guitarists use the classical techniques, especially when covering five or six frets while shredding. They also hang their thumb too if playing two or three notes per string within four frets or for hard vibrato. Different techniques for different situations.

[pebberbrown]

@kcrich13 No not really - semi close to a moderate classical form is all they really do. Most of the kinds of guys you are talking about dont really have the classical technique down that well - they just brute force through whatever discrepancies they have. The closest thing they do is put the thumb behind the neck - thats only a very small part of real classical technique.

[satchfan2010]

I have John Petrucci's ''Rock Discipline'' John demonstrates a chromatic exercise. John keeps all finger's down when ascending, however, when descending he does NOT keep all four fingers down on the fretboard when changing strings.( I, myself have always practiced the chromatic scale this way). I tried descending how you teach it, Pebber and i find that it slows me down when descending the scale. I don't see the benefit personally, if it hinders my speed in the long term.

[pebberbrown]

@satchfan2010 It doesnt hinder your speed in the long run. Its straight classical guitar technique thats 400 years old. Petrucci doesnt have that kind of technique. Do whatever you want.

[merseyguy1974]

Thanks for the vid sir.

(Quick question) - Just to clarify with regards to descending chromatically; should I place my fingers ALL THE WAY down first, and then pull off; or should I just find a sort of compromise and lightly position the fingers down ?. I ask because I kind of find that putting the fingers all the way down in position first only adds to tension in my left hand which tends to slow me down.

[pebberbrown]

@merseyguy1974 They are not PULL OFFS but curl movements away from the string. I put all fingers down on the string lightly without PUSHING down. They just contact the surface of the string with the TIP of the finger and then curl each one inward toward the palm. I repeat DO NOT PULL OFF.

[pebberbrown]

@soupie  YOU CANT do that until you are FREE from physical limitations.

[pebberbrown]

@soupie Missing the point of it all

[govindoburdwan]

No teacher of mine ever told me that but after 3 years of wrong practice i eventually learn that you should always keep ur fingers as close as possible to fretboard...like the classical players.U r 100percent correct...Justin from justineguitar also says this. Sorry for my bad English.

[shredrix]

i really love those angles Pebber ... ive been applying them to the major scales as well and instead of only doing 6 strings at a time , ive been also doing 2,3,4, and 5 strings with the exercise... really great stuff and sounds so different to my ears with the reverse angles ...anway, thanks so much Pebber , you sure are teaching me alot

[merseyguy1974]

@pebberbrown (Just another quick question please) when descending chromatically doing four finger exercises) while moving across strings, I notice that I'm placing my 2nd, 3rd and 4th fingers down first (during the string change). Should I try to get all 4 in position instead (and then curl off in turn), or should I only move each finger (into position on the next string) as and when needed ?

[merseyguy1974]

@pebberbrown Thanks for the response.

Thats a good point about curling the fingers in rather than (as I wrongly put it) pulling off. (Rather than "pulling off", I should of said lifting off - which was also slowing me down)

Thanks again - subbed btw.