Scale Question (hopefully not too dumb)

[markallen]

I've just recently taken a stab at learning fingerstyle guitar and specifically trying hard to focus on Travis-Style with an alternating bass line.

So my dilemma is when practicing scales across the entire fretboard is it common to use thumb and index to play scales on the bass strings or to just use the thumb alone? The treble strings I'm alternating index and middle but I'm not sure how to approach the bass strings.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Feel free to laugh and ridicule at will!

Cheers,
Mark

[Brent Hutto]

My theory is, your technique serves a purpose and you should always be aware of what that purpose is. The alternating-thumb technique produces a specific rhythmic feel and enables you to produce a bass line that effectively accompanies the melody you're playing, right?

When you're practicing scales you're not playing a melody plus accompaniment and it's doubtful that you want a Travis-style rhythm going on during the portion of the scale that happens to fall on the bottom three strings. So doing the alternating thumb doesn't really serve your purpose well.

I'd alternate i-m-i-m-i-m... in the way that most people file feels and sounds natural for scales. As you mention, your main purpose is to learn the fingerboard which is a left-hand orientation. Keep the right-hand technique simple so it stays out of the way of your main purpose in playing the scales.

You'll also, as it turns out, be practicing a different style of right-hand technique that will come in handy at times even when playing music so that's a good thing too.

[Ryler]

This is not precisely what you're asking about, but Pete Huttlinger has a scale-based thumb exercise on his site:

http://www.petehuttlinger.com/pdf/Thumb_Work.pdf

This is not an across the fingerboard exercise as it involves open strings and is in the first position as tabbed, but you may enjoy it. Oh, it is quite easy.

[markallen]

Thanks Brent / Ryler!

It's starting to make a little more sense now!

M