2nd and 3rd Strings
The important thing to realize about the 2nd and 3rd strings is that they are tuned to a major 3rd, not a perfect 4th (G - B is a major third). This changes intervals shapes as well as how one plays scales between the strings, compared to all the other pairs of strings
Contents
PreReqs
C Major notes on 3rd String
G-0--2--4--5--7--9--10-12- G A B C D E F G
Here are the C Major notes on the 3rd String or G String (get the dirty jokes out the way now). Play each group of 3 notes per position as we did in previous exercises, up and down the string.
Intervals between 2nd and 3rd Strings
The M3 tuning between strings means the interval shapes we learned in the last lesson will be a little different. Basically, all you have to remember is that a major third is one semi-tone lower than a perfect fourth. Which means we need to move upwards one fret on the 2nd string to get the same intervals on the 2nd and 3rd strings. Let's do a quick example:
3rds
First tune the 2nd string up from the normal B to C. This gives us G and C on the 3rd and 2nd strings, which is a perfect 4th, the same as how we tune the other strings. When we play the 3rd intervals for C Major up the two strings, we get the following:
C--0--2--4--5--7--9--11- G--2--4--5--7--9--10-12-
The shapes are the same as those used on the 1st and 2nd string when tuned to E and B (a perfect 4th).
Now tune the 2nd string back down a half-step to B. Now you must play one fret higher on the B string to achieve the same intervals. Remember that intervals are defined by the distance between their member notes. Tuning down a half-step but playing the fret a half-step higher equals the same intervals:
B--1--3--5--6--8--10-12- G--2--4--5--7--9--10-12-
Notice all the numbers on the 2nd string are +1 from the first tab. I recommend playing the third intervals as follows:
| Maj 3 | Min 3 |
|---|---|
|-|r| |-|m| |
|i|-| |-|m| |
This allows you to always hold down both your middle and index fingers. You just add the ring finger for the major third.
4ths and 5ths
Now let's look at the 4th and 5th intervals:
| P4 | tt | P5 |
|---|---|---|
|-|m| |i|-| |
|-|-|r| |i|-|-| |
|-|-|-|p| |i|-|-|-| |
Again, the 2nd string tuned to B requires playing one fret higher than the shapes we learned for the E and B strings. It certainly takes a while to get used to instinctively knowing to play the different shapes on these strings. The best you can do is keep playing them - as the sounds of the intervals become more and more familiar, you'll easily know when you play the incorrect interval.
4th intervals
B-1--3--5--6--8--10-12-13-
G-0--2--4--5--7--9--10-12-
A4
5th intervals
B-3--5--6--8--10-12-13-15-
G-0--2--4--5--7--9--10-12-
d5
Scales between 2nd and 3rd Strings
Now let's look at a scale. Let's play B to G on the 1st and 2nd strings:
E----------0--1--3- B-0--1--3---------- B C D E F G
And let's play those same exact notes on the 2nd and 3rd strings:
B----------5--6--8- G-4--5--7---------- B C D E F G i m p i m p 4th Pos. 5th Pos.
or the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd strings:
E----------------3- B-------3--5--6---- G-4--5------------- B C D E F G m r i r p i 3rd Pos.
In the first two cases, we play a h-w pattern on both strings in both cases, but when going from the 2nd to 3rd string, we shift one fret upwards. My advice is to do a positional shift, rather than using the middle, ring, and stretched pinky, which can be awkward and difficult.
The 3rd example avoids an awkward fingering or positional shift, using strictly third position. This only uses 2 notes on the G string, making the pattern less symmetric in terms of fingering and uses 3 strings instead of 2. It can easily become confusing.
Let's take a look at this in a larger context:
E----------------------------------0--1--3--5- B-------------------------0--1--3------------- G-------------------0--2---------------------- D----------0--2--3---------------------------- A-0--2--3------------------------------------- E--------------------------------------------- A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A E-------------------------------------1--3--5- B----------------------------1--3--5---------- G-------------------0--2--4------------------- D----------0--2--3---------------------------- A-0--2--3------------------------------------- E--------------------------------------------- A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A
Both examples play the exact same notes, except the 2nd uses a shift from open to first position between the 3rd and 2nd strings. Notice how when performing the shift, we get 3 notes per string. This is a concept we will revisit later, but many speed players prefer this because it creates more balance when moving up or down the scale through the 2nd and 3rd strings. It is also easier to derive scales this way - each string will be either a w-w, w-h, or h-w pattern of 3 notes. Without the shift, we get only 2 notes on either the 2nd or 3rd string. This disrupts the order of the patterns across strings. In the 2nd example, we see w-h, w-h, w-w, w-w, and w-w patterns for each string. In the first tab we have w-h, w-h, w, h-w, and h-w patterns, then a final stretch/shift to the high A.
An advanced player knows how to play scales in fixed position as well as shifting as ascending or descending the scale. Most instructors or books confine the beginner player to fixed position; however, I don't want you to feel locked down. I want you to understand the patterns the instruments make, which requires looking at the fretboard from different perspectives from fixed positions.
Note: the figures above play an A Minor scale. Notice that it's the same notes as C Major. We'll look more into this later on.
Homework
- Learn all the notes on the 3rd string for the key of C Major.
- Play groups of 3 notes from the C Major scale up and down the 3rd string, in time with a metronome. Try to learn all the note names, saying them out loud as you play to help you learn them.
- Play some intervals on the 1st and 2nd string, then try to play those same intervals on the 2nd and 3rd strings.
- Practice the interval exercises above. Once you are comfortable with the fingering, play in time with a metronome and try to increase your speed, but don't push yourself yet - speed is not important yet.