Technical Basics and Scales
IN THIS LESSON
ONE-POSITION SCALES & ARPEGGIOS USE ALL 4 FINGERS, ON EVERY STRING, TO PLAY ALL OF THE SCALE&ARPEGGIO NOTES LOCATED IN THAT POSITION.
These exercises can be tricky for our ears because we aren’t simply playing a Bb major scale that begins and ends on the note Bb. Written turnarounds and lead ups to the listed position help orient our ears to the key, and brackets help orient our eyes.
The finger patterns may feel new, so below you will find the string and hand frame listed for each position.
Practice Tips:
Be sure to always use your 4th finger instead of open strings - only open C may be played.
The arpeggio uses the same hand frame as the scale, so it is useful to place all fingers to feel the spacing (for example, place 12 along with 3, or 123 along with 4.)
Bb Major One Position Scales
First Position:
Finger Patterns:
C: 1-2
G: 1-2
D: Open
A: 3-4
Second Position:
Shift: Begin on the D string, shifting to Eb with the first finger to reach second position. In the arpeggio, immediately shift to 2 on F.
Finger Patterns:
C: Open
G: 3-4
D: 3-4
A: 2-3
Third Position:
Shift: Move the first finger to F on the D string, placing us in third position. In the arpeggio, shift on 1 to F again.
Finger Patterns:
C: 3-4
G: 2-3
D: 2-3
A: 1-2
Fourth Position:
Shift: Shift the first finger to G on the C string to reach fourth position. The 4th finger extends up to a top Bb on the A string. The arpeggio involves a shift from the 3rd finger F in 1st position to 3rd finger Bb in 4th position. Alternatively, for an easier transition in the arpeggio, shift on the G string. Extend the 4th finger up to add the top Bb.
Finger Patterns:
C: 2-3
G: 1-2
D: 1-2
A: Open, reach 1 back for Eb. Extend 4th finger up to add top Bb.
For students who are more comfortable with reading Treble clef than reading ledger lines in alto clef, fourth position is re-written in treble clef in exercise E.
-
If you need a metronome or tuner app, consider downloading Tonal Energy.