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NEW Frank Vignola Lesson: Tone Production Ear Training

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Train your brain to make the ear to finger connection come to life!

Essentially, tone production and where to play the next note on the fingerboard are two of the most important things we should be thinking about when we are in the moment playing a song. We usually hear the note we want to play in our head but do not know where to put our finger on the fingerboard to play that note we are hearing, especially when you are in the moment. These 10 studies are an effective way to practice working on tone production whilst training your fingers to go where your ear is telling it. They are an excellent way to study the fingerboard and train your brain to make the ear to finger connection come to life. 

Each study is performed at 60 beats per minute. Each note of the study is a whole note and held for 4 beats. Because these exercises are played at extremely slow tempos, it forces us to produce the best tone possible in order for the note to sustain for all four beats. It also gives a chance to think about where you will play the next note of the study on the fingerboard. There are always a few options as far as where to play the next note on the fingerboard of a scale, arpeggio and ultimately a melody. For example, the G note on the 5th fret of the 4th string is also the open G 3rd string as well as the G on the 5th string on the 10th fret, etc… 

When we create the time to think about the next note we play, we train ourselves to be in the moment, thinking carefully about the next note whilst striking the note just right to produce the best tone you can possibly get.

2 video segments per exercise included plus the manuscript and TAB. One video is a lesson breakdown where I go over options of where to play the next note while gently reminding you of producing good tone. The other video is a practice-along demonstration video. You can practice along with this video. We start with a 3 octave G major scale ascending and descending. Then we move on to a G major 7th arpeggio starting on the major 7th. We continue and do the same thing in the key of Bb. Then, we move on playing an F minor arpeggio. Then adding the 2nd to the arpeggio creating a 1-2-b3-5 arpeggio in F minor. Then onto a diminished arpeggio and scale. Finally, the two whole-tone scales to round the diverse sound of scales and arpeggios we will be covering. So, grab your guitar, tune it up and let’s get started!

Exercise 1- Performance Demonstration

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Also, check out Frank Vignola’s online jazz guitar TrueFire channel which now includes the new Jazz Song Learning System, a 6 part lesson system to learn jazz standards. Over 700 unique video lessons ranging from beginners to advanced jazz guitarists.

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