Guitar Theory - The Octave Shape - 12 half steps

In this exercise, we listen to the sound of the root note, and the octave note, which is 12 half steps above the root note, and has the same letter name like A to A, B to B, etcShow more

By using the pointer finger, and ring finger.

This exercise should be done using all possible finger combinations, on all strings, on all frets,

And remembering to sharpen the B string note when necessary.

This is a very important chord shape, because it is the root and the octave,

which together, are arguably the foundation of all other music theory

Also, this shape is exercising your fingers and getting them to work together, so seamlessly that they both become like co-anchor points, co-reference points,

With neither finger being any more or less than the other finger.

Instead of just using your pointer finger as the root, master, reference, anchor point,

And moving UP to the other finger(s) as the scale degree, the slave, the traveller, the tentacle, the claw, the ...

You now use your ring finger as the equally important root, reference, anchor point,

And work your way DOWN thru the scale degrees, one half step at a time...

Eventually we will practice using each of the 5 fingers and thumb as the root, anchor, reference note,

But for today, i hope the overall significance of this particular octave shape, using these two fingers, is not lost on the listener.

And eventually each of the 5 fingers will become equally capable of being the anchor,

By which point you may not even need the crutch of anchor points anymore,

and each finger would be equally capable of being its own independent anchor point, knowing where it is, without any need for help from other fingers or anchor point crutches

This exercise is also useful because it is bringing the ring finger into a slightly awkward position,

And that will prepare the ring finger to go into an even more awkward position, which is the Perfect 5th, which is a very important note.