Improvisation in Indian music– “ManoDharma” A Step-By-Step Approach To Rock & Jazz Guitar Improvisation
Jun 29
An article by: Richie Jovie

Just when you thought it was safe to return to the fretboard nasty Uncle Richie adds another finger and brain twisting section to the hell that is the Exercise of Doom.

This part involves the use of intervals. Ideally you need to be able to finger any intervallic jump in any scale pattern in any key at anytime. The .pdf file shows the first 2 keys, C and G and shows the intervallic pattern. The rest of the keys are up to you. It would be very easy for me to transcribe out all of the fingerings but chances are you will just copy them and not learn from the idea. By only giving you the first two keys you will get the general idea and then let it blossom, that or you won’t bother and well you won’t learn much more. This won’t affect me as I have learnt all this…. heck it’s my exercise!!

You may wish to do this exercise in small bite size lumps, as going through all 12 keys in every interval possibility up to an octave in one sitting is frankly a bit mind numbing.

Once you become adept at ascending and descending the patterns try a little variation. One variation is to ascend C in 3rds and then descend G in 3rds then ascend D in 3rds etc.

Once you are comfortable with that try; Ascend C in 3rds descend G in 4ths ascend D in 5ths and so on.

The variations are as wild as you want to get with them but they will keep your brain active and by the time you complete this 2nd section you will have a very advanced grasp of the fingerboard.

Exercise of Doom part 2

Please note… you should be doing this to a metronome where at all possible so your timing remains tight.

Part 3 is cooking quite nicely. ( if you don’t like to tap then avoid part 3 )

** Disclaimer: Any injuries/mental illness/death caused by of these exercises is no fault of mine. The clue was in the title. :-)


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