can someone please explain the whole "less position shifting on a 5er"

[drewphishesp]

So I get one of the appeals of a 5 is to have 2 octaves at your fingertips in one position. But if I were to play this e major scale, wouldnt I still have to shift a bit? Are people able to stretch 4-9 without shifting?

G|--------------------------------------6--8--9--
D|-----------------------------6--7--9-----------
A|-----------------4--6--7--9--------------------
E|--------4--5--7--------------------------------
B|--5--7-----------------------------------------

Or do you play it like this to avoid shifting:


G|-----------------------------------4--8--9--
D|--------------------------4--6--7-----------
A|-----------------4--6--7--------------------
E|--------4--5--7-----------------------------
B|--5--7-------------------------------------

but even then you still have to shift a bit? I think I may have answered my own question partially

 

[ba55i5t]

You are using the root second finger. If you use root first finger then you will see.

 

[MalcolmAmos]

Lets start here:

E major scale = E, F#, G#, A, B, C#, D#, E

And lets use the ole Major scale box pattern instead of tab.

So lets use the major scale box and start it on the B string - for two octaves.

Major scale box- 5 string showing scale degree numbers and the root note on the 5th string.
G|--12--|-------|--13---|-------|--14---|--15---| 1st string
D|---9---|-------|--10--|--11---|
A|---6---|-------|---7---|---8---|
E|---3---|---4---|-------|---5---|
B|-------|---R---|-------|---2---| 5th string. Yes this box has been edited, I had the G string wrong in my first post.

Place the Box's R on the E note - 5th string, 5th fret and run the pattern. Yep you get E, F#, G#, A, B, C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A, B, C#, D#, E or two octaves all with in easy reach --- except for the last two notes. Looks like you can not get around this "slide".

I never use tabs.... The ole major scale box and I are old friends. Place the root and the notes await you inside the box. Course you need to be able to visualize the box and know the "spelling" for what you want.

• Major scale spelling = R-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 Want the E major scale - start on an E note and follow the spelling for a major scale. Want the A major scale - start on an A note and follow the spelling for a major scale.
• Natural minor spelling = R-2-b3-4-5-b6-b7-8 Place the root and follow the spelling for a natural minor scale.
• Major pentatonic = R-2-3-5-6
• Minor pentatonic = R-b3-4-5-b7
• Major triad spelling = R-3-5
• Minor triad spelling = R-b3-5
• Major 7 chord = R-3-5-7
• Minor 7 Chord = R-b3-5-b7

Happy trails.

 

[drewphishesp]

you still have to shift to finish the second octave
and 14 in ur box shape is not a scale note in this case it would be a D which is not in the scale

 

[drewphishesp]

You are using the root second finger. If you use root first finger then you will see.

still dont get it

 

[Schlyder]

This should make clearer what he meant by a "first finger start major scale shape - 2 octaves "

G|----------------------------------------6--8--9--
D|-------------------------------6--7--9-----------
A|---------------------6--7---9----------------
E|------------5--7--9---------------------------
B|--5--7--9----------------------------------

 

[Schlyder]

You should also learn the fourth finger start shapes.

To recap... you have 1st, 2nd, and 4th finger starting shapes for all scales/modes/arpeggios ...one and two octaves or more... do them from your lowest to highest note on the instrument. Know where you are in one of those patterns when chords change no matter what fret/string you start on.

 

[drewphishesp]

awesome thanks! the one example above with the root box is wrong right?

 

[drewphishesp]

Man i still can stretch from 5-9 its tough for me

 

[Schlyder]

awesome thanks! the one example above with the root box is wrong right?

yes.

 

[Schlyder]

Man i still can stretch from 5-9 its tough for me

use fingers 1 2 and 4 You will notice how the first finger start pattern morphs to the 2nd finger start pattern in the second octave. and if you had more strings like an 8 string, that pattern would morph into the 4th finger start position on the third octave.

 

[MalcolmAmos]

you still have to shift to finish the second octave
and 14 in ur box shape is not a scale note in this case it would be a D which is not in the scale

Correct, my bad. I've corrected the box in my first post.

Thanks for catching my error.

 

[drewphishesp]

No worries it a tually helped bc i sat there and played it for like 10 minutes and I was like wait I know this doesnd sound right

Correct, my bad.

 

[zon6c-f]

Now that we understand...

Even less shifting with 6 string!

 

[Ric5]

So I get one of the appeals of a 5 is to have 2 octaves at your fingertips in one position. But if I were to play this e major scale, wouldnt I still have to shift a bit? Are people able to stretch 4-9 without shifting?

G|--------------------------------------6--8--9--
D|-----------------------------6--7--9-----------
A|-----------------4--6--7--9--------------------
E|--------4--5--7--------------------------------
B|--5--7-----------------------------------------

Or do you play it like this to avoid shifting:


G|-----------------------------------4--8--9--
D|--------------------------4--6--7-----------
A|-----------------4--6--7--------------------
E|--------4--5--7-----------------------------
B|--5--7-------------------------------------

but even then you still have to shift a bit? I think I may have answered my own question partially

quit playing scales and start playing songs

 

[TigerInATrance]

What you really did was argue quite nicely against a fiver and in favor of a six!

 

[srcTW]

I like playing mid neck and I like having an E F F# and G at that position versus shift down the neck when playing fast.

 

[Nephilymbass]

So I get one of the appeals of a 5 is to have 2 octaves at your fingertips in one position. But if I were to play this e major scale, wouldnt I still have to shift a bit? Are people able to stretch 4-9 without shifting?

G|--------------------------------------6--8--9--
D|-----------------------------6--7--9-----------
A|-----------------4--6--7--9--------------------
E|--------4--5--7--------------------------------
B|--5--7-----------------------------------------

Or do you play it like this to avoid shifting:


G|-----------------------------------4--8--9--
D|--------------------------4--6--7-----------
A|-----------------4--6--7--------------------
E|--------4--5--7-----------------------------
B|--5--7-------------------------------------

but even then you still have to shift a bit? I think I may have answered my own question partially

Can you play the 5th fret and the 9th fret without shifting positions? I think what you’re missing is there’s actually no reason to use the 4th fret to play your example because you can play all the 4th fret notes on the 9th fret of the string below it. This reduces the “stretch” from the 4th fret to 9th fret to 5th fret to 9th fret which yes for me that’s not very difficult.

 

[Nephilymbass]

This should make clearer what he meant by a "first finger start major scale shape - 2 octaves "

G|----------------------------------------6--8--9--
D|-------------------------------6--7--9-----------
A|---------------------6--7---9----------------
E|------------5--7--9---------------------------
B|--5--7--9----------------------------------

This is how I would play it^^^

 

[hrodbert696]

To set aside the particular scales for a moment, I think the advantage people generally refer to is "LESS position shifting on a fiver," not "NO position shifting on a fiver."