Left Hand Shifting Problem

Exploring left hand position shifts


This is pretty simple, and teaches you a lot about left hand movement.

Play any scale up and down one string. Just one string. Let's say the open third, and let's say we're just going to play the C major scale (white notes): G-A-B-C// D-E-F//G-A//B-C// and then down. The "//" indicates a position shift. Try it. . .  OK, got it?


Now do it again, slowly, and try to play all the notes completely legato (connected). What do you have to do to connect the notes between position shifts?  Work on just one upward position shift to begin with (e.g. G-A-B-C//D) and get all those notes clean and connected. How DO you connect the C that you play with 4th finger with the D at the 7th position that you play with the 1st?   (Work it out and say it out loud!)

Then try it going down.  It's going to be a different story going down, and it might be a bit less obvious. . .

Take your time and don't force it. Just play around with it for 5, 10, 15 minutes. Then do it again the next day.

Work it out until 1/ the notes are completely connected and 2/ there is no "bump" or "accent" on the destination note after the actual position shift.

Work it out and apply to all your legato playing and position shifting needs! :-)

(This exercise was prompted by some ideas in Mick Goodrick's excellent book "The Advancing Guitarist", although he deals with the single string exercise for a different end. It's an excellent book, and if you're a guitarist planning to advance, you should really spend the USD 17.99 or whatever it costs!)