# 8-string for beginners - explore your extended fretboard with me



## helferlain (Dec 10, 2010)

[ prelude ]

Hi, 

after more then ten years playing simple chords on a 6-string guitar I'm now taming my selfbuild 8-string. I finally have the motivation to challenge the pentatonics, scales and the whole big fretboard. So if you are new to 8-string guitars and tired of strumming djenty powerchords feel free to follow me exploring my 8-string guitar.

The Bass and Guitar Fretboard Diagram Printer was very helpfull for me to understand the following stuff. Have a look and play around!


If you find some mistakes in my english please correct me, dict.cc | Wörterbuch Englisch-Deutsch isn't always right...

[ part 1 ]

starting with pentatonic scales

Most of us guitar playing dudes have started some day with pentatonics. Here we are again:

A pentatonic scale is made of the root note (R) and the associated intervalls (2,3,5,6)



> Basic (G)major pentatonic pattern
> 
> 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
> 
> ...


Normally it's repated in a permanent position over all the strings:



> Basic (G)major pentatonic pattern in permanent position, 3 octaves
> 
> 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
> 
> ...


Guitar students all over the world are forced to memorize those patterns with all variations (there is nothing wrong with it, it's just boring sometimes...)

Now have a look at this special pentatonic scale over two strings:



> Basic (G)major pentatonic pattern
> 
> 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
> 
> ...


Now try to find out how it is repeated over the full fretboard:



> Basic (G)major pentatonic pattern with changing position, 4 octaves
> 
> 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
> 
> ...


as you can see, this simple pattern is repeated every 2 strings, and starting with the lowest (R) to the highest (6) it contains full 4 octaves. The only difficult part is from the G to the B string. 

Please watch your fingering on this part. It's also quite simple:

Starting with the index finger on (R) use the ring finger for (2), slide the ring finger to (3). Now the index finger is in the correct position for (5) and again the ring finger for (6)

This works over the first six strings. Reaching the (6) on the G string start with the middle finger for (R) and use your little finger for (2) / (3)...

Now try to find your way back home to the lowest (R)!

to be continued...


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## helferlain (Dec 15, 2010)

No complains so far? Ok, let's go to

[ part 2 ]

pentatonic crossing

Here ist the standard tab fot the G-major pentatonic from [ part 1 ] 



> Basic G-major pentatonic STANDARD TAB
> 
> E -|---------------------------------------10-12-|-12-10------------------------------------------
> B -|-------------------------------8-10/12-------|-------12-10\8----------------------------------
> ...


What happens if we want start with a root note on the B-string? It's quite similar. For example the C-major pentatonic, starting on the B-string, 1st fret:



> Basic C-major pentatonic STANDARD TAB
> 
> E -|--------------------------------8-10/12-|-12-10\8--------------------------------|---------
> B -|---------------------------8-10---------|---------10-8---------------------------|---------
> ...


Note the last 3 notes showing how to include the low F#-string in this pentatonic pattern.

As soon as it gets boring to play the same pentatonic scale up and down try to mix this two scales:
Play a scale to the highest note (12th fret / high E-string), then use the other scale downwards. Play this scale back to the highest note and change again for downwards.

This is the place where I am stickin' at the moment I have some further ideas in mind and will post them later. Hope you find this exercises a little bit usefull.

to be continued...

EDIT: some mistakes corrected


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## Explorer (Dec 15, 2010)

Just a suggestion...

In the non-guitar book "Getting into Jazz Mandolin," there are patterns which stay in the same basic positions. You might consider playing scales across the fretboard in the same 4-5 fret zone, in addition to heading up the neck. Try some patterns which start on the first, second, third or whatever given note of your chosen scale, starting on the bottom string and heading just across the fretboard, and then back again, and practice doing it both starting at the bottom and at the top. That means you will have more vertical scalar motion without having to have vertical physical motion, and will feed into doing string skipping exercises as you develop using the entire width of the fretboard.

I'm sure that others are finding your posts helpful. Keep it up!


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## helferlain (Feb 13, 2011)

Explorer said:


> Just a suggestion...
> 
> In the non-guitar book "Getting into Jazz Mandolin," there are patterns which stay in the same basic positions. You might consider playing scales across the fretboard in the same 4-5 fret zone, in addition to heading up the neck. Try some patterns which start on the first, second, third or whatever given note of your chosen scale, starting on the bottom string and heading just across the fretboard, and then back again, and practice doing it both starting at the bottom and at the top. That means you will have more vertical scalar motion without having to have vertical physical motion, and will feed into doing string skipping exercises as you develop using the entire width of the fretboard.
> 
> I'm sure that others are finding your posts helpful. Keep it up!




Thank you for your reply. I think i get your idea and I'm working on it. For me the german book "IN VIVO GUTAR" has some similiar patterns. I'm trying to write down some scales and tunes for 8-strings. But this will still take some time.

For now I playerd around with my digicam and made a little video for you:


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## Explorer (Feb 13, 2011)

Love the guitar!

One of the techniques used for keyboards is learning how to cross the thumb under and the fingers over each other, so that one can play a long range of notes smoothly. 

Since you're working your way through this and building habits which will hopefully be used for years, I suggest you work on incorporating the pinkie into those scales, instead of or in addition to using the slide. That will give you the ability to have all the notes of a long pentatonic run to sound the same. 

You could also work on using the slide on a different set of notes than the later pairing.

Good work!


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## helferlain (Feb 13, 2011)

@explorer:

Thank you once again. ( Ahh.. those sweet times of my first musical steps with a keyboard in the early 90's of the last century... You reminded me why I quit the keyboard after a few years of fiddeling around )

Today I know about how important it is to use your fingers in the correct way. 

The simplicity of the pentatonic movement above was to encourage me and everyone else new to 8-strings. 

I will use your suggestios for my next video  This should make a proper addition to part 1 of "8-string for beginners"

BTW: I found this classical piece of music on youtube, called "Asturias" by a composer namend "Albeniz". It's normally played very fast, but it's structure seems moderate and it sounds also good if played a bit slowly. I'm trying to customize it for my 8  There will always be the first time you play a new piece of music. But nobody shows you those times on youtube ...

It may take a while but I will be back here!


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## JeremyJayE (Feb 14, 2011)

hey nice ideas and video, here are The 7 modes of the major scale written out in single positions. hope this is of interest

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=622774&id=819860343&l=a6792f2daf


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## JeremyJayE (Feb 14, 2011)

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?a...=a.10150396804495344.622774.819860343&theater


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