# Technique, Theory, Playing Tips and Tricks > Theory, Technique, Tips and Tricks >  Scale Warm-Up Exercises - Your Favorites

## Alex Orr

Been thinking I should go back and start using scale exercises as warm-up for practices.  Anyone have any favorites?  Generally I just pick a scale and play it all over the neck, mixing FFcP forms with just running all over the fingerboard.  Yeah...there is really no "exercise" to the exercise, just noodling for 5-10 minutes, sometimes with a metronome.  I'd like some more formal scale exercises.  Stuff that warms me up well, challenges me just a bit, and maybe helps me see my scales in a new light.  Anyone have any they'd like to share?

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albeham, 

Bigtuna, 

Joey Anchors

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## greg_tsam

FFcP is great stuff.  Have you checked out the .tef files under Exercises?  There are a great set from Tim O. and David G. just to mention a few.  Aonzo has some and classical etudes from Dancla.

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## greg_tsam

http://www.mandolincafe.com/cgi-bin/...arch?name=FFcP

FFcP .tef but I bought the book.  Good stuff from Ted E.

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## greg_tsam

Don't forget the .tef files on Mandozine.  This was one of the first sites I found when I bought my beginner mando.  Here's a link to the exercises.  http://www.mandozine.com/music/searc...rder=A&submit=

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JRcohan

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## russintexas

I've started using hornpipes and jigs. Largely the same content, but more musically satisfying.

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## JRcohan

Hey there,
The FFcP mentioned has helped me tons!  Having said that open strings sound so good here is a little exercise I use to warm up.  Also any folded scales or starting and ending on other notes than the 1 (tonic,) is helpful.  In my video and tabs below you will notice I do that for the key of D major, make your own variations with other keys.

Good luck and keep pickin,

http://jakecohan.com/info/2012/08/29...-the-beginner/

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## Miss Lonelyhearts

Life is too short. I play tunes. Scales are fine if you enjoy playing them.
I used to think that scales were important if you wanted to play jazz or swing or other improvisational music. But then I realized that I don't like the sound of most scale and arpeggio based improvisation. I'd rather riff off the melody and thematic ideas than off scales. YMMV.

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## Jordan Ramsey

Scales are vocabulary.  Just like learning the alphabet is a precursor to writing and communicating verbally...  Learning scales is a necessary evil if you want to communicate or improvise musically...  No matter how boring they can be in an improvisational setting, understanding key centers and scale patterns on the instrument is a crucial part of improvising effectively.  A great way to break up the monotony of up and down scales (and find practical improvisational applications) is to work on broken scales.  Listen to Sam Bush, and you'll hear broken scales all over the place...  Here are a few broken scale exercises that I warm up with...



Broken Scale Exercises in G.mp3

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albeham, 

Bill Findley, 

gfury, 

jpugh, 

Tandrin, 

Werner Jaekel

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## keebler

http://mandozine.com/techniques/scal...ly_scales.html

"Continue this pattern step by step until the index finger is on the 10th fret then reverse the starting note (down a half step) and go back down to the open position. Repeat this 3 times! and you'll become a mandolinist." -Carlo Aonzo 

I would recomend learning the straight scales before broken.  This will also train your ear to hear the distance between notes.

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## pickloser

I like Super FFCP:  http://jazzmando.com/new/archives/000210.shtml

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## JonZ

FFcP is good, but I am not big on playing the same patterns daily. What's the next scale in Teds book? Dorian? Lydian? Keep challenging yourself. 

If you aren't into jazz, you can sequence patterns for the scales you use in a lot of different ways: 2 up, 1 down, etc.

If you want to see scales in a new light, take a tune that you know well and play it in two different octaves in the same key at each position on the neck. Next day play same in a different key.

Or play it on a different single string in each key.

Choose a key and any small patch of the fretboard, and improvise in one key. 

These will get you familiar with where the individual notes you can use are, all over the neck.

One problem with FFcP is that you are always starting from the root, which eventually becomes limiting.

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## Bob Clark

I like scales and arpeggios, but I really like exercises.  I know that some players don't like them or don't think they are effective, and I understand their position.  But I like them.  I like playing them and I think they help me.  I use the exercises on one string from Schradieck'_ The School of Violin-Technics_. I find it gets my fingers limbered up and moving and it focuses my thoughts.  I do this before I start working on the pieces I want to learn, or playing pieces I already know.

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## keebler

> One problem with FFcP is that you are always starting from the root, which eventually becomes limiting.


IMHO, to make the best use of FFcP, you should not consider it "closed", rather open to continue both up and down on the scale.  

I think of it as just another manner for pattern recognition, which is basically what the Aonzo scales are doing (FFcP in four positions for two octaves)

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## JonZ

I agree. There isn't a problem with FFcP. The problem is with limiting yourself to the same patterns over and over.

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## Dylan Hatch

I like to use Super FFcP for a warmup, almost every practice.  I do like variety in my practice routine, but a little established ritual is cool too.  I play one "round" of Super FFcP to start off practice.  Start with a different finger each day, and work a little tremolo into a few of the transitions, but other than that the same pattern to start off every practice.

A few things that make that worth my while:
-Striving to 'make it music' each time, not just a string of notes, no matter how many times I have played it.  Sets some good habits regarding constant presence in the moment.
-Total comfort with the pattern leaves me some mental "room" to devote some more attention to the line of my wrist, what portion of my fingertip is pinning the string, overall sensation of well-struck notes, etc.

So, anyhoo, that's what I start with.  That's not the full warmup - I rotate in some tried and true tunes as well.  Also, I am actually using that metronome that has made a lovely decoration for the last few years.  Using the metronome in my warmup scales and tunes really gets things going on the right foot.

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## Bertram Henze

I am using tune sets for warmup. Currently Congress Reel/Julia Delaney's/Star of Munster.

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## Pasha Alden

hi Jake and other mandolin players 

Your video on scales is really helpful.  Will certainly keep picking until I scale the height of perfection - (pun intended.  

Again my thanks

Vanillamandolin

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## Pasha Alden

Many thanks - so helpful - especially where no mandolin teacher is in sight.  I am starting to think I need to find one on skype.  Best

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## Pete Counter

Matt Raum has a two volume set called Mandolin Technique studies, He uses sequences as well as musical studies. Very good exercises.

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## Pasha Alden

Hi many thanks that is helpful and I will look into that also.  Cannot get enough material.  This forum and the entire cafe is such a source of support.  Just need to say I found another beginner mandolin player in SA today.  He is in the Western Province and I am in the Eastern province, that is 900 km apart.  That gives all an idea of the shortage of mandos in SA! Incidentally we have 9 provinces - just to give you an idea of the geography of SA, or is that the lie of the land?

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## Werner Jaekel

jramsey,

hi,

Why are they called "broken" scales ? Is there any theory or rule behind it, beside the obvious ?

( Pete Martin followed a rule 1 up, 3x down  vice versa in his book Mandolin and Fiddle Improvisation Using the Chord Tone Scale 

http://www.petimarpress.com/downloads/CTS.pdf )

Broken Scale Exercises in G.pdf

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## Perry

I have a book put out by Flatpicking Magazine called "The Guitar Player's Guitar to Developing Speed, Accuracy, and Tone"

http://flatpickingmercantile.com/Mer...tegory_Code=01

They make a BIG point about practicing exercises to a metronome set at 60bpm. Something about how the brain absorbs ideas well at this speed.

Anyway this may seem excruciatingly slow at first but practicing exercises or even fiddle tunes at this speed can pay off. Make every note sound as good as possible....get the most "juice" out of every note. Up strokes as loud as down strokes etc...

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## Jordan Ramsey

> jramsey,
> 
> hi,
> 
> Why are they called "broken" scales ? Is there any theory or rule behind it, beside the obvious ?


Hi Werner, no theory or rule... just my own way to designate when different patterns are being used on the scale.  I guess my reasoning for using that term is that you "break up" the pattern and the standard approach of straight up and down that most people apply to scales.  You could just as easily call them scale exercises, or scale pattern exercises.  I originally learned my first two examples on trumpet in the Arbans and Clarke books, and my third exercise is variation on Jethro Burns' "Exercise a la Ellington" in his book.

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Werner Jaekel

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## AlanN

Oooh, I love that Jethro Duke thing, too JR!

One that lousy picker Alan Bibey likes is Do-to-Do 1 octave major scale, then end with the 2 octave arpeggio, no open strings anywhere and your hand does not move on the neck. I try that thing moving up 1 fret at a time, by the 3rd or 4th hit, I'm whacked...

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Jordan Ramsey

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## Pasha Alden

Hi there, the point about the metronome at a certain speed for our brain to absorb ideas?  Very interesting.  Many thanks for that thought provoking post. 

Best

Vanilla

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## Jim Garber

Werner Jaekel posted this Johann Quantz piece in *another thread* which works as nice arpeggio warmup IMHO.




> I love Bach, who doesn't. And Johann Quantz, by the way.
> 
> X:1
> T:Minuet (version 1)
> C:JohannQuantz
> N:Arranged for mandolin   by Alan Howard
> L:1/8
> Q:240
> M:3/4
> ...


Attached is the notated version from the ABCs.

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pickloser

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## Randy Smith

[QUOTE=jramsey;1123280. . . and my third exercise is variation on Jethro Burns' "Exercise a la Ellington" in his book.[/QUOTE]

That one's great, and "Warmup Thing" gets a person going up the neck.  Burns' book needs to make a comeback.  Also helpful is Gordon Stobbe's *The Fiddler's Red Book of Scales and Arpeggios*.  Just ignore the bowing instructions.  2. Maybe the greatgranddad of exercise books is Kreutzer's.  Paul Anastasio said this was what Joe Venuti always made him bring to his lessons with Venuti.  You don't have to get hung up with exercises to learn from doing a few of them.

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Jordan Ramsey, 

JRcohan

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## Pasha Alden

Thanks all of this is so helpful and though finding some of these books in SA is a struggle, one is at least pointed in the right direction as far as good exercises go?

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## Werner Jaekel

Hi,

to me it is absolutely boring without any fun whatsoever to run scales up and down just for the purpose of playing a scale. 

I prefer to pick interesting tunes in particular scales, look for deviations in the notation, and play these in full awareness of the scale. Also I look for tunes for example in A or Bminor, to get a sense for the difference. And same time for another maybe in Bb or Gm.

The first thing when I see a new tune I look for the scale by counting flats or sharps. It's a good exercise. 

Also, if one is familiar with the circle of fifths and with the rule of sharps and flats and with the fretboard one can play scales without memorizing them. No need for any book.

I found the book by Matt Raum Technique Studies is very useful.

For a work out I use a tune like this one




> Originally Posted by Jim Garber
> Werner Jaekel posted this Johann Quantz piece in another thread which works as nice arpeggio warmup IMHO.


Hi, Jim, just spotted your post and thought a tef might help. These classical pieces offer good scale and arpeggio exercises. And a good workout for the left hand. I have two more by Johann Quantz, if you are interested. And more from Bach.

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## Jim Garber

> Hi, Jim, just spotted your post and thought a tef might help. These classical pieces offer good scale and arpeggio exercises. And a good workout for the left hand. I have two more by Johann Quantz, if you are interested. And more from Bach.


I like the Quantz piece but I prefer regular notation vs. tef files. I don't like tab much and also don't like the way tef view prints out notation -- way too big or too much space between staves.

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## pefjr

I love playing scales and there is a never ending supply. I don't remember where I picked up the double stop do -re mi scale, but it has been more educational than any single note scale. It's all double stops. I will try and describe it, basically it starts with the two finger C chord and goes up the middle two strings to Dm, Em, F, then back down to the A and E strings at the G chord and up the A&E strings to Am, BM, C chord(7th and 8th fret). So.. sing do ri me when you play C, Dm, Em, F then down to G, Am, Bm, C. Play around with it and sing. It  was around xmas time that I started this, so I was soon playing Silent Night using this double stop scale. Everyone soon pick it up and we started playing blues like the Saint James Infirmary. Use the G and D strings also starting with the F chord  and up the fret board. I have discovered all kinds of fretboard logic using this scale, like where all the chords are up and down. I have started using the three finger chord now, but I am still slow . Try it and see what you can do. Everyone is at a different level, so many will already know this scale backwards and forward.

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## Jim Garber

pefjr: I don't think i ever practiced double-stop scales but in fiddle and mandolin playing I often think of the chords that go along with the melody (I am also a guitar player). When I do take breaks, some of my improv works around double stops.

Speaking of double stops, I have worked thru some of the etudes in this book, *Melodious Double Stops*, which are very nice. It is also excellent for those who want to read double stops in std notation.

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## pefjr

> pefjr: I don't think i ever practiced double-stop scales but in fiddle and mandolin playing I often think of the chords that go along with the melody (I am also a guitar player). When I do take breaks, some of my improv works around double stops.
> 
> Speaking of double stops, I have worked thru some of the etudes in this book, *Melodious Double Stops*, which are very nice. It is also excellent for those who want to read double stops in std notation.


Some teachers call this a harmonizing scale, and it may be the same as a Melodious Scale. Basically it's two finger chords, but I have now added the third finger to make it an 3 finger chord scale. Starting at the F or C chord. When I get a chance I will take a look at that book, thanks. Maybe it will help me with my fiddling around.

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## JRcohan

> my third exercise is variation on Jethro Burns' "Exercise a la Ellington" in his book.


I am also a huge fan of Jethro's warm-up scale exercises.  Specifically the "Exercise a la Ellington," is helpful for playing with a unique timing, accenting certain notes without playing straight triplets.

This can be applied to any piece one plays, in terms of straight triplets Jethro is also the master, here is a video where I show a way I like to use triplets in terms of simple major scales.http://jakecohan.com/info/2012/10/30...-useful-trick/

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## Bertram Henze

Jake, I suspect that when you say "triplet" you really mean "triad".

A triplet is an ornament of three quick strokes replacing 2 eighth notes; none of those are shown in your video.  :Confused: 
Here I found someone who explains it in detail (we can probably ignore whatever he is doing with the plastic mug).

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## Jordan Ramsey

I don't see how the term triad (arpeggio, broken chord, etc.) would come into play with this video... it's a scale/lick/eighth-note triplet exercise.  Triplets can be played as quarter notes (three notes over two beats), eighth-notes (three notes in one beat), sixteenth-notes (six notes in one beat), etc.  Jake's picking eighth-note triplets, but it would be helpful to have a metronome running to hear the rhythmic relationship of the lick to a beat.  From a teaching standpoint, I would minimize the description of the scale (if they don't know the scale, they're not ready for this lesson), and maximize the description of the lick and the rhythmic applications in time (which you do a nice job of at the end).  Nice picking and a nice sounding mandolin, hope to pick sometime, Jake.

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## Bertram Henze

Maybe I have misunderstood the wider meaning of slow triplets. In ITM (where I come from), triplets are fast - look what this guy (a cafe member) does on the G strings - those are what I know as triplets.

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## Jordan Ramsey

Hi Bertram...  the terminology I'm using comes from standardized music theory... has nothing to do with either bluegrass or ITM traditions.  Triplets can function many ways rhythmically, slow or fast.  The eighth-note triplets you are accustomed to are the same thing that Jake is playing in his video, he's just playing them at a slower tempo.  In the last video you posted, if you tap your foot to the quarter-note (@ 200 bpm), he's playing eighth-note triplets (three notes for every beat).

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## AlanN

At first listen/view, it just seemed to me to be a faster scalar thing. I would need to hear that lick played against a rhythm to really hear/feel the triplets.

Obvious triplet thingies are

- Ray Legere on the outro to his version of Jerusalem Ridge
- Dawg on Rattlesnake
- Wayne Benson on Lower On The Hog (a video floating around)
- Alan Bibey on many things 

(albeit all of these in a grass setting)

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## Bertram Henze

> I would need to hear that lick played against a rhythm to really hear/feel the triplets.


The first note of each triplet is not very much emphasised, that's what puzzled me the first time. The very first one at the start of the video is better than the others.
I would still describe them rather as eighth notes in a 6/8 time.

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## Pasha Alden

Hi Jim and others 

Double stops? Wonderful.  Many thanks.

Vanillamandolin

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## AlanN

Thought of another triplet monster work-out: Dave Peters on Poppyleaf Reel.

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Jordan Ramsey

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## Pasha Alden

Hi thanks for the post on double stops!  I am having huge fun - and it is certainly a nice alternative to moving up and down the scales in the conventional way.

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## pefjr

> Hi thanks for the post on double stops!  I am having huge fun - and it is certainly a nice alternative to moving up and down the scales in the conventional way.


Vannnilla, this forum is a Gold Mine. I just found this in the Classifieds, Accessories: 12 Free PDF Books - Theory, Improvisation, Tunes, Jazz

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## wormpicker

[Oops, sorry.  This was directed toward Perry.  I don’t know how to tag members.]

Apologies for digging up this very old thread, but can I ask you about your “excruciatingly slow” comment?  I’ve been working on my picking, and if I go at 60 bpm, using the standard 4 strokes (down-up-down-up) per beat, that doesn’t feel excruciatingly slow to me.  In fact, it’s pretty darn challenging. Am I doing this right, and just have to keep working on it and building, or are you talking about using only two or even one pick stroke per beat (which would indeed be blissfully or even excruciatingly slow)? Thanks.

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## Simon DS

Ive begun to practice at 150 bpm (each click is an eighth note).
Ive found Im making faster progress at this slower speed but even so I sometimes find it difficult to think, not about each note but the different patterns of 4, 6, or 8 notes, and how they  repeat etc. AND at the same time rhythm, smooth flow, equal volume and the whole list of other things.

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## wormpicker

> Ive begun to practice at 150 bpm (each click is an eighth note).


So, you are picking two notes (down-up) on each click? I guess that would be like four of my down-up-down-up picks for every click at 75 bpm, which doesnt feel terribly slow to me. I guess Im a slug!  Ill keep working at it. Thanks.

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## AlanN

Always liked this, up and down.

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## Mike Rodbell

> Many thanks - so helpful - especially where no mandolin teacher is in sight.  I am starting to think I need to find one on skype.  Best


I found ArtistWorks a nice alternative to skype. Took Mike Marshall's lessons for a year. He can take a while to respond to your videos, although I found his guidance to be incredibly useful.  Also somewhat sheepish to admit that alot of what he shared I should have already known. Good posture, hand position, take it slow, alternating up/down on right hand, etc.

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## Simon DS

@Wormpicker, I mean that if I play a tune that has only 8 notes in it -a very short tune, and the eight notes are eights, then my metronome will click eight times at 150 bpm. And the eight notes will make up a 1 measure tune.
 BUT my metronome has three different sounds and a silence that I can program so the eight clicks can sound different and form, for example a rock or latin rhythm with emphasis on say 1, 2, 5, 8. 
Its the emphasis at very slow speed that I want to learn.

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## wormpicker

> @Wormpicker, I mean that if I play a tune that has only 8 notes in it -a very short tune, and the eight notes are eights, then my metronome will click eight times at 150 bpm. And the eight notes will make up a 1 measure tune.


Ah, ok. I think I get it now (sorry, I’m so dense at this stuff).  You are picking one stroke on every metronome click. Since I’m picking 4 strokes (down-up-down-up) on every click, your 150 clicks-per-minute picking would be the same as my picking speed at ~38 clicks per minute, which is a reasonably slow speed. Thanks for the clarification.

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## Simon DS

> Ah, ok. I think I get it now (sorry, Im so dense at this stuff).  You are picking one stroke on every metronome click. Since Im picking 4 strokes (down-up-down-up) on every click, your 150 clicks-per-minute picking would be the same as my picking speed at ~38 clicks per minute, which is a reasonably slow speed. Thanks for the clarification.


-no you're not dense  :Smile: 
Everyone here is learning, and because its a Global website in a sense, then lots of people do lots of things differently. Its cool. I really like MandolinCafe.
Good luck!

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ottawa_adam, 

wormpicker

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## Pete Martin

I really like Barry Harris' method of studying scales.  You really get to know where everything is.  You can see this method here:

https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...learning-bebop

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Simon DS

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