Jun 29, 2013

The idea behind vertical playing...

It is a known fact that we can only play a bit over 2 octaves on the guitar when staying in position. Now, what is the advantage of playing 2 octave scale patterns?  Speed? Maybe.

Vertical playing also achieves "voice leading" techniques. That means that you do not need to play up and down the neck to achieve a "blended" sound. Sometimes the music calls for a drastic change in pitch. By drastic I mean physically. A physical move you can actually capture and hear on your playing. However, most of the times your 2 octave scale pattern will do the job!

So keep in mind that besides being the very nature of the instrument, 2 octave "same position moveable" patterns will achieve speed and modulating techniques!  It sounds contradicting but this will actually free our intuition on the neck.

This was a technique (or more like a philosophy) I learne from the great Pepino.  Too bad no body ever told me this in my years of music school.

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