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Fretboard Rut Busters :

10 Ways to Improve Your Performance Up and Down the ec! 

"tuc! #n a rut #n open pos#t#on$ %ow about when you so&o #n ' m#nor(do you f#nd yourse&f &oc!ed at the )th 

 fret$ 're you at &oss for how to f#nd chord vo#c#n*s up and down the nec!$

If the answer to any of these +uest#ons #s ,yes-. #t m#*ht be t#me to ta!e a fresh approach to the fretboard/ %ere are 

10 t#ps that can he&p you #n your on*o#n* +uest toward fretboard freedom/

1. oveab&e hord orms

 're you an open2pos#t#on p&ayer desperate to brea! #nto the upper re*#ons of the fretboard$ Don3t be d#scoura*ed/

It3s s#mp&er than you m#*ht th#n!/ You3re undoubted&y fam#&#ar w#th barre chords- but d#d you !now that most of  

them are der#ved from open2pos#t#on chords$ 4a!e a &oo! at the common open2pos#t#on vo#c#n*s #n I5UR6 1 and  

the#r barre2chord counterparts/ ot#ce that the f#rst f#n*er becomes the subst#tute nut- or ,human capo-. a&&ow#n* 

the chord vo#c#n* to be transposed a ha&f2step h#*her/ 4he beauty of the barre chord #s that once you3ve &earned one-

#t3s a c#nch to move #t around the nec!- transpos#n* #t to any !ey/

 

I5UR6 1

 

"#nce a&most any open2pos#t#on chord can be transposed up the nec! us#n* th#s method- rev#ew the open vo#c#n*s

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 you a&ready !now and e7per#ment by transform#n* them #nto barre chord forms/ 4he ones shown #n I5UR6

8 m#*ht *#ve you some #deas/

 

I5UR6 8

 

8/ 9ctave "hapes

9ne of the secrets to un&oc!#n* the myster#es of the nec! #s understand#n* octave shapes/ ay e7per#enced

 *u#tar#sts use a system &#!e the one #n I5UR6 :as a po#nt of reference for &ocat#n* the roots of sca&e patterns of

chord vo#c#n*s up and down the nec!/

 

I5UR6 :

 

%ere- the note 6 #s &a#d out #n every &ocat#on on the freeboard- but pract#ce memor#;#n* the shapes us#n* other

notes too/ ' *ood rout#ne #s to start at the &owest area of the nec! and wor! your way up to the h#*hest/

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 'nd remember- the shapes repeat themse&ves 18 frets up from the start#n* po#nt/ In other words- the f#rst 6 octave 

shape reappears at the 18th fret- the second octave shape reappears at the 1<th fret- and so on/

9ctave shapes are a&so an e7ce&&ent way to memor#;e a&& of the notes on the nec!/ I5UR6 <' and <B #&&ustrate

a step2by2step process/ You f#rst need to memor#;e a&& of the notes on the &ow 6 and ' str#n*s/ W#th th#s

!now&ed*e- you can eas#&y memor#;e the notes on the rema#n#n* four str#n*s/

  I5UR6 <'

 

I5UR6 <B

 

ot#ce that by memor#;#n* the notes on the &ow 6 str#n*- you are s#mu&taneous&y &earn#n* the ones on the h#*h 6/9nce th#s #s ach#eved- the D str#n* can eas#&y be memor#;ed: =ust move two frets up the nec! from a note on e#ther

6 str#n* and you are p&ay#n* the same note an octave away on the D str#n*/ 4he same octave shape on the ' str#n* 

 *#ves you the notes on the 5 str#n*- and two frets down from the ' str#n* *#ves you the notes on the B str#n*/

:/ onnect#n* "ca&es 'cross the ec!

any p&ayers f#nd themse&ves &oc!ed #n certa#n pos#t#ons when they so&o/ For e7amp&e- the ' m#nor pentaton#c

sca&e #n )th pos#t#on #s a popu&ar rest#n* p&ace for *u#tar#sts/

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 ' *ood way to ,spread. your p&ay#n* out over the nec! #s to p#cture a sca&e pattern as a pu;;&e p#ece that f#ts on

the fretboard/ >#!e any pu;;&e p#ece- #t connects to #ts ne#*hbor to form a b#**er p#cture/ 4he ent#re ' m#nor

 pentaton#c sca&e can be &a#d out &#!e th#s on the nec! us#n* a system of f#ve pu;;&e p#eces that f#t to*ether #n

consecut#ve order/

  I5UR6 )shows f#ve patterns of the m#nor pentaton#c sca&e and how they f#t to*ether on the nec! #n the !ey of

 '/

  I5UR6 )

o matter what !ey- these patterns a&ways &ay out #n the same order on the nec!/ ' *ood way to *et started us#n*

these pu;;&e p#eces #s to p&ay pattern 1- occas#ona&&y dropp#n* down to the ne#*hbor#n* pattern and bac! a*a#n/

4hey try #t w#th the pattern above- and so on- unt#& you can =ump free&y from pattern to pattern- or pu;;&e p#ece to 

 pu;;&e p#ece/ 9nce you are comfortab&e #n the !ey of '- try another !ey- &#!e 6 for #nstance ?   I5UR6 @ A 

  I5UR6 @

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</ #sua&#;#n* the 6nt#re ec! as 9ne Cey

9ne of the most powerfu& assets a *u#tar#st can have #s the ab#&#ty to ,see. the ent#re fretboard as one !ey/ 4h#s can 

be ach#eved by app&y#n* the ,pu;;&e p#ece. concept to the ma=or sca&e/

I5UR6 D shows f#ve ma=or sca&e patterns and how they &ay out on the fretboard #n the !ey of 5 / ?'s #n the

m#nor pentaton#c patterns- th#s order of patterns rema#ns cons#stent #n any !ey/A 

 

I5UR6 D

 

4o create order #n th#s seem#n*&y =umb&ed array of dots- #t he&ps to ,see. the under&y#n* 5 ma=or chords #n each

 pattern ?   I5UR6 E A/ 4hese chord fra*ments conta#n the notes of the I ?oneA chord #n the !ey of 5 ma=or- and are

the p#vot po#nts around wh#ch you weave your me&od#es to *#ve the sca&e #ts 5 ma=or f&avor/

 

I5UR6 E

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But th#s #s =ust where the fun be*#ns/ >#!e the ch#&dren3s boo!s where you hunt for p#ctures w#th#n a p#cture- see!

out some of the other chords from the 5 ma=or sca&e/ I5UR6 F shows some e7amp&es to *et you started/ 4he

ab#&#ty to v#sua&#;e chord shapes beneath your sca&e patterns w#&& *u#de you to the chord tones- and that #s the !ey

to me&od#c so&o#n*-

 

I5UR6 F

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)/ hord "ubst#tut#ons

4#red of us#n* the same o&d chord vo#c#n*s$ %ere are some subst#tut#on #deas that m#*ht *et you th#n!#n* of chords

#n a d#fferent way/

  I5UR6 10 demonstrates how a @ chord conta#ns the same notes as an 'm chord/ In essence- these are dua&2 

 funct#on#n* chords/ In other words the @ vo#c#n* can a&so be thou*ht of as an #nverted 'm chord/ 4h#s means

 you can p&ay any 'm chord as a subst#tute for @- or v#ce versa/ any advanced p&ayers &earn to reco*n#;e these

types of chorda& s#m#&ar#t#es and are ab&e to +u#c!&y #nterchan*e them when necessary/

 

I5UR6 10

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hec! out I5UR6 11 for some of the most common and usefu& e7amp&es/

  I5UR6 11

@/ 4wo2"tr#n* Patterns

%ere are some &#c! #deas that w#&& *et you c&#mb#n* the nec! w#th &#*htn#n* speed/

4he f#rst uses the 5 ma=or pentaton#c sca&e spe&&ed out on the &ow 6 and ' str#n*s ?   I5UR6 18 A/

 

I5UR6 18

 

ot#ce that the pattern repeats #tse&f two frets up on the D and 5 str#n*s and a*a#n three frets up on the B and

6/ 4h#s a&&ows you to use the same two2str#n* shape up the nec! #n three octavesG You can p#c! every note #f you

w#sh to- but the su**ested &e*ato sty&e m#*ht a&&ow for *reater speed/ I5UR6 1: shows the same concept us#n*

the 5 m#nor pentaton#c sca&e- start#n* on the b ?FA/

 

I5UR6 1:

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4h#s ad=acent2str#n* concept scan a&so be used for arpe**#os- as #n I5UR6 1</ 4hese notes spe&& out an #nverted

ma= arpe**#o/ Pract#ce these e7amp&es and try to come up w#th some of your own/ Inc#denta&&y- they can wor!

e+ua&&y as we&& descend#n* the nec! from the h#*h 6 and B str#n*s/

 

I5UR6 1<

D/ >#near "ca&e Patterns

"#n*&e2str#n* sca&es- or ,&#near sca&e patterns-. are an e7ce&&ent dev#ce for *ett#n* you f&u#d&y up and down the nec!

 from one pos#t#on to the ne7t/ If the concept #s new to you- start by pract#c#n* pentaton#c sca&es up and down each 

str#n* #n d#fferent !eys- then *raduate to ma=or and m#nor sca&es/ I5UR6 1) emp&oys the 6 natura& m#nor sca&e

 for a descend#n* pu&&2offHs&#de &#c! down the h#*h 6 str#n*/

 

I5UR6 1)

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any *u#tar#sts use the &#near sca&e method to create harmon#;ed #nterva&s of rd and @ths up and down the

 fretboard/ For e7amp&e- I5UR6 1@ shows the ma=or sca&e harmon#;ed #n rds on the h#*h 6 and B st#n*s/

>oo! at the notes on the B str#n*/ 4hey spe&& out the ma=or sca&e start#n* on the root/ 4he notes on the h#*h 6

str#n* a&so ascend the ma=or sca&e- but they start a d#aton#c rd ?two sca&e stepsA away from the root/

 

I5UR6 1@

  I5UR6 1D emp&oys @ths from the 6 m#nor sca&e/ Both str#n*s ascend the 6 m#nor sca&e w#th the notes on the

h#*h 6 start#n* on the root and the 5 str#n* notes start#n* a d#aton#c @th ?f#ve sca&e stepsA be&ow/ "#7ths and rds

offer a very p&eas#n* ,*u#tar#st#c. sound/ Pract#ce them #n var#ous !eys and on d#fference sets of str#n*s/

 

I5UR6 1D

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E/ "ymmetr#ca& "hapes

W#th most chords and sca&es- p&ay#n* them up and down the nec! re+u#res that you be fam#&#ar w#th a number of

d#fferent shapes/ But th#s #s not the case w#th symmetr#ca& chords and sca&es/ 4hese re+u#re =ust a s#n*&e pattern-

wh#ch can be app&#ed to mu&t#p&e pos#t#ons a&on* the nec!/

For #nstance- the d#m#n#shed th chord #s made up of stac!ed m#nor rd #nterva&s ?wh#ch are thus symmetr#ca&A and  

can be named by any of #ts chord tones 4h#s means a d#m#n#shed th chord vo#c#n* can be ,p&u**ed #nto. any of

 four d#fferent spots a&on* the fretboard ?   I5UR6 1E A/

 

I5UR6 1E

4he au*mented chord cons#sts of stac!ed ma=or rd #nterva&s and can be p&ayed #n three d#fferent p&aces ?   I5UR6

1F A/

 

I5UR6 1F

 

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4he d#m#n#shed th arpe**#o and the who&e tone sca&e can &#!ew#se be moved #n th#s very v#sua& manner/ hec! out

the s&#ppery &#c!s #n I5UR6 80' and 80B/

 

I5UR6 80'

 

I5UR6 80B

 

F/ Re&at#ve "ca&es

When two sca&es share the same notes but be*#n and end at d#fferent po#nts- they are sa#d to be ,re&at#ve. sca&es/

For #nstance- ' m#nor and ma=or each have no sharps or f&ats- but one sca&e starts on ' and the other sca&e starts 

on ?   I5UR6 81 A/ Cnow#n* th#s- *u#tar#sts often borrow from one sca&e or the other to e7pand the#r

#mprov#sat#ona& pa&ette/ ot on&y w#&& do#n* th#s *et you around the fretboard- #t w#&& a&so *#ve you mu&t#p&e

opportun#t#es to use the &#c!s you may have deve&oped #n other sca&e and mode pos#t#ons/

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I5UR6 81

 

>et3s use the !ey of 6 m#nor as an e7amp&e/ "ay you are us#n* the 6 natura& m#nor sca&e ?or 6 'eo&#anA to so&o over 

an 6 m#nor chord/ You can a&so use the notes from the re&at#ve ma=or sca&e of 5/ 4h#s w#&& probab&y put you #n

another pos#t#on on the nec!- offer#n* d#fferent pu&&2off and bend#n* s#tuat#ons/ 4ry some rd and @th doub&e2stops 

#n 5/ If you have some coo& Dor#an &#c!s- chec! out ' Dor#an- as #t #s the second mode of 5 ma=or/ 4he B m#nor

 pentaton#c sca&e a&so wor!s we&& over the 6 m#nor chord because #t uses se&ected notes from the 6 m#nor sca&e that

 *#ve the chord an 6sys< sound/

"tay a&ert to the fact that you are so&o#n* #n an 6 m#nor tona&#ty ?p&ay a &ot of 6 notesGA- and the cho#ces are

&#m#t&ess ?   I5UR6 88 A/ hose the one that wor!s best for you- deve&op #t and then move to another/

 

I5UR6 88

10/ "#n*&e29ctave ra*ments

Iron#ca&&y- the ent#re nec! can be mastered by absorb#n* #t #n sma&&- s#n*&e2octave sect#ons/ 'n e7ce&&ent pract#ce

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rout#ne #s to ta!e a sca&e- say ma=or for #nstance- and p&ay #t #n a one2octave pattern- ascend#n* and descend#n*-

 from every note on the *u#tar ?   I5UR6 8: A/ Pract#ce th#s rout#ne re*u&ar&y and you w#&& not#ce #t forces you to

re&y on your ear more than on patterns- thus &essen#n* your chances of *ett#n* &ost on the nec!/

 I5UR6 8: