How’s it going guys. This is John McClennan
here with guitarcontrol.com, bringing you
this video blog. One of the things that I
want to talk about today is as we’re working
and just going down this path of developing
our guitar ability, you want to start to be
able to feel and just get as in-tune as
possible with your instrument.
One of the things that I do when I’m working
on something, let’s say I’m playing a riff like…
I learn the lick and then I try to look away and
I just play those same notes, learning to feel,
okay, what’s it like to go from the 3rd fret to
the 4th fret and can I feel what one fret feels
like in this area of the guitar and then up high.
This is an exercise that will help you develop
that sort of ability and being able to play down
low and right up high and not have to look.
I saw Eric Clapton play last year and it was amazing.
I mean, he just plays and he’s singing and he just
never has to look down. So he’s just got — the guitar
is part of him. So that’s what we need to try to do.
Here’s the exercise.
Be sure to click the link below for the tab for this.
You start on the 3rd fret. We’re going to play all
the same note. We’re going to play Gs all over the guitar.
So here it is. We’re going to play G on the 3rd fret,
then we go up to G on the 10th fret, on the next string.
Then we go to G on the 5th fret, on the next string.
Every time I’m moving strings, 12th fret, 8th fret,
1st fret and then back down.
You play all those notes and then what you want
to try to do, and I’ll see if I get this right
here, but… All without looking. So the first
one I kind of like — searching for it. Not far
enough. Yeah, use your ear to find that note.
Try not to look. Notice, I miss it. After the
second time, I know right where it is. It’s
like my hand remembers the fret and how it feels,
that distance. Here I am jumping 3rd fret all
the way — it’s seven frets. And I’m trying just
to nail all of those notes without looking so I
can play from the low end of the guitar up higher
and without looking I know what it feels like to
jump seven frets.
One last variation is you can substitute this G
for high G. It’s harder than it looks.
So try that. And you can start on any note.
You can start on F, F sharp, G, and just work
back and forth like that. So be sure to click
the link below for the tab and I hope this helps
you develop your oneness with the instrument.
See you in the next video.
