Scales & Technical Work should form an important, structured part of your practice routine. It will improve your general technique, practical theory knowledge, improvisation, understanding of melody & harmony, rhythm, tone, and so on.

Check out the Pickin’ Lessons structured, 2 part, scales & technical practice below. Give it a shot & I’m positive you’ll find yourself moving forward in no time! Once you know the practice structure, you could cover all the important material in as little as 10-20 minutes. Aiming to practice everyday (or as close to as possible!)

We’ll begin with Level 1 for each instrument, for the beginner, but well worth checking out if you need some structure in your practice and it may also fill some holes in your knowledge. In the future, the higher levels will expand into more advanced content, in a structured, methodical approach. Continue reading on below to look at the structure we’ll approach this practice at Pickin’ Lessons.

Part 1: S.A.C.

Scales | Arpeggios | Chords

(Allow 4-8 minutes)

• Scales: A scale is the tonal basis of music. It is a set of tones from which you can build melodies and harmonies. The tones of a scale are ordered according to their pitch;
• Arpeggios: An arpeggio is a broken chord – notes from a chord played individually. Useful in understanding & analysing the relationship between harmony & melody;
• Chords: A chord is a group of notes played as one, creating harmony. We’ll also cover harmony in general in this section. (Double stops, 3rd’s, 6th’s, scale tone chords, etc).

Why practice S.A.C.?

• • Improves general technique, coordination, control, speed, fluency & tone;
  • Helps you to learn your instrument and way around the fretboard;
  • You’ll learn the relationship between harmony & melody;
  • Will also contribute to improving your improvisation.
  • You’ll eventually learn tunes & songs quicker as you’ll have a stronger command of your instrument.
  • The time given is a guide, once you know the material, this should be more than enough time to run over the content. Of course, if you want to spend more time, go for it!

Part 2: R.I.S.E.S.

Rhythm | Improvisation | Speed | Exercises | Sight-Reading

(Allow 6-12 minutes)

• Rhythm: Rhythm is music’s pattern in time. Having good rhythm is perhaps the most fundamental part of playing music;
• Improvisation: Creating melody & harmony with pre-learnt tools in the moment. A very valuable skill to have;
• Speed: Not just about playing fast, but with control & good technique;
• Exercises: working on improving general technique & control for both left & right hands;
• Sight-reading: The ability to fluently read music (either tab or standard notation) without the need to first practice or learn. Even a basic level of sight-reading will help you learn new pieces of music faster.

Why practice R.I.S.E.S.?

• You will become a better musician;
• You’ll learn new music faster;
• Your technique will improve;
• Your improvisation skills will improve as will your ability to communicate musically with other musicians;
• Your sense of rhythm & listening skills will develop further.
• The time given is a guide, once you know the material, this should be more than enough time to run over the content. Of course, if you want to spend more time, go for it!

FAQ

Q: What scales, arpeggios, etc. should you practice?

A: Mandolin | Scales & Technical Practice | Level 1 is online now. Future levels will be released in time for all instruments. Level 1 is for the beginner student, but it may cover something you’ve missed in your journey if you have played for a while.

Q: How long should you spend practicing S.A.C. & R.I.S.E.S.?

A: You could cover all areas in as little as 10-20 minutes once you’re familiar with the content. The real key is to try and practice this regularly. Every day would be ideal, plus any other tunes or songs you are working on. Spending more time is fine, but 10 minutes covering these areas, everyday will certainly improve your playing.

Q: How much time should be dedicated to each focus area?

A: You could try to evenly spread your time over each section, but realistically, some areas may need extra attention. For example, you may know your chords really well, but need extra time on the arpeggios. That’s fine! The time is only a guide, but if it’s taking you an hour, you may not be likely to get to it everyday. Keep your practice focused, and at first, within the 10-20 minute time frame.

Q: You can’t fit in all the material in just 10 minutes!

A: That’s ok! With practice, you will. You may need to initially spend more time while learning the patterns, or only practice some of the content on days where you have limited time and leave the remainder for when you do have the extra time. Again, the most important thing is to practice regularly.

Q: Is this the only areas you should practice?

A: While S.A.C. & R.I.S.E.S. does cover the important areas you should be focusing on, there are certainly other areas you would want to spend time on. Some additional practice strategies are:

• Develop your knowledge of notes on the fretboard (see Fretboard Freedom);
• Learn tunes & songs – it’s what we love playing the most & with others, so make sure you have a good selection to memory!
• Jam with others – so important in your development!
• Try to learn tunes & chord progression by ear – an excellent skill to develop.

Let’s Get Started!

Guitar | Mandolin | Banjo