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Four Fingers = One Pattern – Quick Practice Tip

Teacher: David Wallace

About Four Fingers = One Pattern – Quick Practice Tip:


 

Hi there, I’m Dr. David Wallace, with myTalentForge.com’s Quick Tip of the Week!

Today’s Quick Tip is to think in terms of 4 finger patterns.

So, when I’m playing, I don’t think note to note, I don’t think in terms of half-step, whole-step, half-step, whole-step, whole-step, whole-step, or things like that… But I think in terms of tetrachords- 4 note shapes.

So, for instance, I think of this shape, etc. …

Whatever it is, I’m thinking about 4 fingers being one shape. And that makes it easier!

Because then 4 is suddenly simplified into 1, and it makes things think faster.

Now, here’s the other magical thing about this- you will start to find that each shape has a sound like this chromatic shape of all half-steps… That’s obviously what you use for the chromatic scale.

So if we have all whole-steps […] that makes a whole-tone scale. And I think of that as a whole-tone pattern.

This one […], if I take it on another string, gives me a major scale. So instead of thinking whole-step, whole-step, half-step, I think major.

Each of the primary patterns makes a different scale and if you learn those patterns, and think in those patterns, then suddenly your knowledge of the finger board increases; all keys become equal. You start to become much more fluent in all positions, in all keys.

And if you’re really interested in exploring this, check out the One Octave Modal Scales on myTalentForge.com, and we’ll practice these so that in about 15 minutes, or so, of practice, you’re able to set your intonation for the day from half-position all the way to 7th position, using the most common finger patterns and finger shapes.

So think in terms of those shapes!

About David Wallace

Dr. David Wallace improvises solos like “Jimmy Page fronting Led Zeppelin” (New York Times). A composer, Texas-style fiddler, and musician fluent in classical, rock, jazz, CCM, and more, Doc Wallace chairs Berklee College of Music’s String Department. Previously, he enjoyed fourteen years as Juilliard professor, and seventeen years as New York Philharmonic Teaching Artist.

David is an internationally-touring musician; an award-winning composer; and a master teaching artist who has performed, consulted, and authored curricula for dozens of performing arts institutions, including Carnegie Hall, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Tanglewood Music Festival.

David has also gained widespread acclaim for his ability to connect with audiences in diverse settings. His Berklee Press book, Engaging the Concert Audience: A Musician’s Guide to Interactive Performance, is widely considered “an invaluable manual for all musicians, classical or otherwise” (Symphony Magazine).  Never content to let music remain in the concert hall, David actively brings his artistry to venues like schools, hospitals, psychiatric facilities, homeless shelters, houses of worship, and prisons.

David performs and records with his Texas-style string band, The Doc Wallace Trio; classical flute-viola-harp trio Hat Trick; klezmer / world-fusion jam band, Yale Strom’s Broken Consort; and symphonic metal tour de force, The Chuck & David Show.  Watch videos of David’s electrifying performances on YouTube, and learn more at www.docwallacemusic.com.

Join Talent Forge and learn from David.

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