teTra_cHords – making scales easier?

let me be honest.  i find the 5 patterns a much easier way to remember how to play scales…but others suggest the use of TetraChords.  especially jazz peeps.  and they know a lot of stuff…

so maybe they are on to something….either way…the more ways you know a scale, the more likely you are to remember it!  it may also help you create some cool runs.  and they can be fun to play once you memorize them.

Tetra(4) Chord – means that you play a pattern of the 1st 4 notes of the scale, then you can shift up 2 frets and play that pattern again and that will be the complete scale.  so, you only have to memorize 1 tetraChord (series of four notes) shape per scale pattern.

let me tab it out, play it and you will see the simplicity of it all…remember it’s broken up into 4 note patterns.

middle, pinky, index, middle, [shift]

——————————————————————————

——————————————————————————

——————————————————————i–m————

—m-p-i–m————————————m-p————4-5————————

———2-3—-then shift up two frets—-5-7———————————————————–

—-3-5————————————————————————-

once you get down with that first octave, you start over on that note to continue into the next octave…AND, you have to shift on the B string…

middle, pinky, index, middle, shift                                            m p  i  m

—————————m-p——————————-i–m————–7-8-/10—-

———–m-p-i–m—————shift-up one fret-7–8——-8-10——–

-m————–4-5——7–9—————————————————

-5———5–7——————————————————————–

————————————————————————————

——————————————————————-

the one above is in G major – starting at a point that resembles, pattern 4….

now, here’s one with the same starting point as pattern 3, in A…

——————————————————————————————————

————————————————(s)7-9-10—————————————————-

———————————–4-6-7–/–9————————————————————–

——————4-6-7——-7—————————————————————————-

—-2-4-5–/–7——————————————————————————————-

–5—————————————————————————————————-

here’s  a pattern 2 in C…

————————————————————7–8—————————————

————————————-(s)5-6—-/—8—10—————————————————–

————————4-5—–5-7———————————————————————-

——-2-3—-/–5–7————————————————————————————-

–3-5————————————————————————————————–

—————————————————————————————————–

here’s one based around pattern 5′s starting point in G…

——————————————————————————8-/-10——————

———————————————————–(s)8—-8-10-12————————–

——————————————5-(s)7–9–11——————————————–

————————–5——-5-7-9———————————————————

———–3-(s)–5-7-9——————————————————————————-

—-3-5-7———————————————————————————————-

summary:

memorize how to play scales using tetraChords [series of 4 note patterns] starting in 5 different positions.  you will get to know the neck better and have a new angle with which to approach your playing