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this one is tough for me. I liked the comments reminding to break it down to make it easier. knowing it is practice practice.
Tony, breaking it up into sections; learning the basic scale, ascending and descending is helping me most. This is a beautiful lick when it’s played accurately…it’s going to take some work on this end, but feeling confident!!
ok…that was hard. Fingers are cramping.
Tony or anyone – do you have any recommendations for volume and tone for our hammer ons? I get good sound with pull offs…because my finger does the work…but I do not seem to get much volume or lasting tone with my hammer ons….(playing on a 1980 Takamini f-349).
I am using D’Addario Phosphor Bronze strings – light gauge (.012-.053)…should I be using something different?
It’s a combination of speed and force with me. The slower and softer H.O = less volume. Faster and harder = more volume. Both with accuracy of course.
Yes…makes sense…thanks Michael…I think I just need to keep working at it;)
I thought I could do hammer ons, but going from an open string and then hammering on the second and fourth I can’t get any sound out of the 4th fret. Is there something I’m missing? I need help!
Wow that was grueling, yea rough go on this one ….think I’ll have to go meditate for the rest of the night.
I feel more like I’m doing math then playing guitar, I’m calling it good for now, ^!*# the backing track!
wow Tony P that is a tough one for me, plus I m out of ink so I can t print the tabs, so for tonight I just practice the linear part of the scale.
This was really tough for me….at least I have the scale down. Need to do some pinky strengthening exercises for this one. Lots to work on. I think I’ll “favorite” this for additional future work.
Love! I really liked playing that B chord in the progression at the end.
This is my 3rd month in TAC. This is by far the hardest scale for me so far. I’ll be practicing this through the weekend, and I am good at pull-offs and hammer-ons. WTF? From reading many of the posts, I know I am not alone. Heck, I think Tony is still practicing it.
That’s not a tear!! I have allergies!
a bit much isn’t it?
We can do it…one bit at a time…;)
I guess i’ll quit stalling and try and learn this
Tee hee…right there with you;)
How are the with/without triplets versions even considered the same thing? Without sounds like a super primative version of with maybe.The triplets version (aside from the triplets even) is totally different with all the doubling back on itself and all that.Way more notes.I don’t get it
Just logged on and was greeted with this..aargh..I’m such a wuss, I don’t even want to attempt this. Very daunting, Tony can’t even explain it without messing up!
Sam, I know this is late. I would focus on nailing the scale first. add as much of the hammers and pulls you are able once you have the scale pat. You do not have to get the full drill right off the bat. I can do the hammers but the pulls are where I struggle. Playing this correctly and in time the first time is impossible. Chunk it at take slow steps through this. At least that is how I had to learn it. I am much better with it this time around, but still not perfect.
Hmmm…think I need a pinky transplant to be able to do this. It’s not long enough or strong enough to be able to do the hammer-ons especially on the low E string. Will come back to it though!
What’s the guitar used in this video? Brand etc?
looks like a Martin 000-15 maybe , 50’s-ish, that’s my guess
Ugh. Hammers on.
A lot in a little gets done here! Challenging!
Challenging! I got through the scale and managed the triplets, but the backing track is going to take some time! Very challenging but fun!
Way to much for me at the moment….managed the simple scale but triplets are out of my reach for now…come back to them a way down the line
Well…stuck at it, slowed it right down and got right through….now to get it without delays etc….will take a month or so at least
Yep Steve, I slowly, I mean SLOWLY, plowed through it. A month? I don’t know if I could get this in 3 — not in any musical way. Putting it to a backing track? years?
Michael K and Steve C…You guys can get it sooner…just do what Tony suggests and take it ascending scale first, descending next and then introduce the hammer ones and pull offs. I found that mastering the scale up and back is the trick…
To quote Nancy herself: “WHY? WHY?”… Working on it but might not have it down till Spring.
There’s no rush! Each one of these you master will make it quicker and easier to master the next, and the next …
By all means take your time. A year from now, this drill will seem trivial.
Way to go! Working my always weaker and unruly pinky! I found playing the folded scale first helpful, although that could get confusing with pick direction so I just did all down strokes until my left fingers knew it, then on to the hammers and triplets and correct pick direction.
Kudos! Learning gradually with correct technique will improve your ability to learn new pieces. After all, it’s not about learning this particular scale, it’s about your ability to quickly learn and master each new exercise.
You know it might be a rough lesson when Tony can’t explain it with mistakes. It’s nice seeing instructors being human too. Anyway, on scale days I always make a scale diagram. I just use the tab/sheet music for instructions– i.e rythmn , HO’s, PO’s.. .etc. I find the diagram just easier to follow while learning the scale.
I have added this to favorites. @Jumpin’ Jeff s is correct. Pick direction is everything. What a great workout for the pinkie finger. I think I may need a protein shake 🙂
Wow, hands are just not big enough or strong enough for this ….
I put a capo on the fifth fret and do it there.
Yeah, I’ll start there.. . I’m saving this one to my favorites to come back to…. Hopefully I will see improvement. I’ve only been at this about a month now and I’m really enjoying TAC!
Good instincts! Newbies should always work with a capo at the 5th fret or higher. No one is born with fingers or hands strong enough or limber enough for playing in the open-position without exercise. Makes it hard to play along with Tony, I know, but stick with it for a few months, then drop the capo down one fret. A few months more and down another fret and so on. Each one-fret transition will be easy, but don’t fall for the temptation to go too fast. Fine motor movements with strength are one of the most difficult skills to master and take a lot longer to develop. Give it time; this is a life-long practice. Eventually you’ll be playing everything in open position with great hands; if you push it too fast, your hands will never develop properly.
Most women have smaller hands than most men. So it will likely take you longer than someone with the advantage of large hands. But if you just take it gradually, you’ll overcome the deficit and play as well or better. There’s lots of great guitarists with relatively small hands, some of them TAC members. Watch their hands in online videos. None of them were born with that ability, they just worked at it steadily over a long period to get to what they now do easily.
I never used a capo, and the 5th fret seems a bit extreme. If someone has to go that far down, they might wanna get their guitar set-up and/or go with a thinner gauge string. That being said, there’s nothing wrong with it. “Always” just seemed too definitive. imo
Might need to try it that way
Tried the 3rd fret with the capo and it helped some. Thanks, Lin
I have known this scale for a long time now… but throw in 3rds and hammer ons and pull offs and it is a completely different critter. It will be awhile before I get this clean. Excellent exercise.
Nancy is one tough customer, but really great when you can keep up with her. I think it will be a bit more practice before I can really improvise over this triplet scale pattern. it is fun trying though!
slow and steady wins the race
Shows me what fingers have the strengh… middle finger second triplet and double notes.
That ones not bad. Thanks
great exercise
good lick
Great little lick Tony, keep them coming!
Great start to the new year. I’ve got it but definitely need to work on it, it’s slow mo right now.
Occasional buzz, but getting there. Full speed will take a bit more practice.
I am finally getting this!!… Happy New Year everyone!!
Fun!
Pretty simple to pick up, harder to perfect fluidly. Does pick direction really matter as long as you hit the right notes in time?
I was wondering that same thing (about pick direction)….anybody know?
The rhythms at faster speed were impossible for me to comprehend until I standardized pick direction. Initially I was playing rather loose with pick direction and it ended up creating a barrier I had to work through.
@jumpin jeff s is right. Get in the practice of correct pick control and you will be able to learn pieces quicker and play them consistently.
I liked this one…struggled a bit to get third part of triplet ‘clean’ at first, but it’s coming
Practice until it’s fluid, then transpose the lick to other keys.
Practiced …watched my Bruins against your Hawks in the Winter Classic….practiced some more…Got it!
I never understood what a triplet was before. Now I’ve get it
I’m going to live to be 110 years old! Suzanne Somers
the more you practice this the smoother it sounds, practicing trip a lettes
happy new year
Pick direction, pick direction, pick direction. This one was a major jumping off point for me in understanding how triplets work. Initially I hated Nancy, now I LOVE Nancy. So worth the extra effort an time I spent figuring it out.
?? It’s telling me it’s not available yet! how’d you get to it?
They are responding to Jan 1st exercise.
Nancy Kerrigan E scale can be accessed through the Practice tab in the improv section. I have done it a few times through the years and find it useful to review every now and again.
You can also just add it to your “favorites.” That’s even faster.
It gets easier the second time around. Pleased with my progress.
This was a great warmup exercise! Gives me hope and anticipation for all the learning in 2019!
Fun!