OCTAVE SHAPE #1

Let’s take a look at that C major scale again. Notice the lowest and highest notes are both C. These notes are one octave apart; memorize the physical relationship between those two notes. I refer to this as Octave Shape #1.

Note that the octave shape works “upward” (ascending) as well as “downward” (descending). In other words, it’s important to be able to apply this octave shape to find other octave notes, whether higher or lower in register.

FIGURE 1


OCTAVE SHAPE #2

Notice that the 2nd fret of the G string is an A, one octave above the A located at the 5th fret of the E string. I refer to this as Octave Shape #2. This is not a particularly comfortable fingering to play, but is invaluable in helping to tie the whole fingerboard together. More on that in a moment.

FIGURE 2

EXERCISE 1

Let’s work on assimilating these octave shapes. Play random notes on the G string and find the corresponding octaves below on the A string (Octave Shape #1). Then repeat the exercise, but find the corresponding octaves below on the E string (Octave Shape #2).

Video Exercise 1

 

EXERCISE 2

Let’s now reverse Exercise 1, so that we’re ascending. Play random notes on the E string and their octaves above on the D string (Octave Shape #1). Then repeat, finding the octaves above on the G string (Octave Shape #2).

Video Exercise 2a

 
 

As I mentioned earlier, these octave shapes are really effective for helping to tie the fingerboard together. Just employing Octave Shapes #1 and #2 exclusively, one can quickly find other locations of any note on the fingerboard. Here’s an example showing all of the C’s on the fingerboard.

Video Exercise 2b

 
 

EXERCISE 3

Now that you’re familiar with the intervals in the octave above & the octave below, here’s an effective exercise to help drill them: have someone call out random intervals (“3rd above....5th below....7th above....”, etc.), and think of each new note as the root (the “1") for the next interval. For instance, once you play the “3rd above” in the described scenario, don’t consider it to be the 3rd any longer; rather, it is the root from which you’ll find the “5th below”.

This exercise helps keep the focus on the interval shape exclusively, without regard to a particular key. If you get stuck (i.e. someone asks for the “7th above” when you’re already on the G string), just use Octave Shapes #1 or #2 to buy yourself some room to roam, and continue.

Video Exercise 3

 

By the way, if there’s no one around to call out random intervals, you can alternatively write out a slew of different intervals in random order on a sheet of paper and go from there.

Let’s work through a quick version of this, to make sure you’re clear on how this exercise works. Start out on the B located at the 7th fret of the E string.

Then play each of the following intervals, KEEPING IN MIND that each new note becomes the root note for the following interval:

3rd above
5th above
4th above
octave below
6th above
You should be playing a C now.

EXERCISE 4

Once you’ve assimilated those intervals, it’s time to “fill in the blanks”, by memorizing the sharp’s and flat’s (#’s and b’s, respectively). You know that a Gb is one fret (or one “half-step”) lower than a G. Since G is the 5th relative to C, Gb is the b5th. Memorize the shape of the b3rd, b7th, etc., in both “octave above” and “octave below” positions.