Interval Training Exercises on the Guitar

Guitarist Mary Halvorson shows you how to work unique interval exercises into your routine, taking advantage of the pattern-oriented nature of the guitar to expand your knowledge of the fretboard!
Learn more at academy.jalc.org
Mary Halvorson - Guitar
Eric Suquet - Director
Bill Thomas - Director of Photography
Aaron Chandler - Sound Engineer
Rich Emery - Production Assistant
Seton Hawkins - Producer
Recorded March 6, 2014

[@kawaiandy2716]

This is a logical and efficient practice method. It makes me feel like I can gain "freedom" in my playing, and it motivates me! Thank you, Mary.

[@domukaz]

Transposing melodies, phrases, arpeggios, etc., through the circle of fourths, while keeping your fretting hand in one position, sounds like a great workout. Happy to have watched this video.

[@kilgoretrout321]

I feel like every genre's guitarists need to do this! It's so basic but the amount of work it accomplishes compared to effort put in is astounding. Too many exercises accomplish so little. This is why Jazz is so damn helpful...the musicians practicing it need the entire history of music at their disposal at a moment's notice. Therefore, the time they spend practicing must have the 'best bang for the buck.' I shudder to think what time Ive wasted practicing in unhelpful ways. Jazz musicians need to get on the KZbin and, if they have Paul Davids' enthusiasm, they'd change music history for this generation of musicians! If I sound outrageously enthusiastic, I apologize, I just drank a few cups of delicious coffee...

[@plazmatic954]

Important note: There needs to be a balance. There are some amazing musicians out there, and very cool things happening with music today, so I feel it's important to look at music's history, all the way back to the Baroque Era on any given instrument, but also you don't want to forget to keep up with what's going on. I do most certainly agree that this sort of thing is good for guitarists of every genre. As a bassist and guitarist, I can't even begin to mention how important this sort of pattern based playing, as well as sight reading helo build your knowledge and chops on the instrument

[@FlaschDJ]

... Mary says “the purpose of this article revise is to get to know the guitar neck better and to practice ear-training” ... both things I need

[@ignaciocordovadonoso8662]

Mary Halvorson! Amazing and unique guitarist! Very good lesson, too. Thanks.

[@Spinz99]

This is humbling. I like to study Jazz and love intervals. The quartal stuff. Thank you.

[@michael350p6]

I saw Mary perform at Fresno State last year. Amazing guitarist.

[@Jameskeith1972]

Love that guitar!

[@StompL7]

Thank you !

[@organicmusicspace]

Great ideas. Thank you.

[@johnfeole1971]

Thank you for this exercise tip!

[@jessixzheng9510]

Very useful!!! Thank you

[@mikel917]

Thanks! Lovely guitar....

[@TiagoLageira]

This is great!

[@joniel-dasilva]

Very inspiring!

[@AzSamad]

Great exercise, thank you for posting this!

[@redmonkeymusic]

nice one! thanks for posting 😋

[@TruthWhisperer1]

You're not a guitarist. You're a bad ass.

[@Litewiz]

Very clever!

[@forestoffrogs8117]

Time to practice

[@kevinh4042]

Wow transposing a melody without moving hand position sounds crazy hard...which shows how much catching up I need to do.

[@JohnGoodman909]

how would you work inversions into this exercise?

[@richardcron2395]

Cool.

[@crimfan]

King Crimson on a Guild archtop?

[@hellopsp180]

It's nice

[@Guitarunivers]

Cool

[@kenoneal3169]

Very good idea to stay away from patterns.Thank Yu.

[@JackZucker]

these are patterns too!

[@NavarreAnthony]

Is Mary using a pedal at 3:11 ? or am I going crazy lol. Curious as to what she is using.

[@alexkeegan5933]

She uses a Line6 DL4 with expression pedal to make those sounds. It's one of her 'signature moves'

[@damonshanabarger2604]

Wow I didn't think there was anyone else that played like me. Now if she could learn to play like Eddie Van Halen. Only joking. There seems to be a lot of things I could learn from her. She sounds different. I like that. I'd been experimenting around with breaking out of patterns for many years. I have only recently been learning the names of things though. I play guitar as a hobby. She does sound alot like me except for the Eddie Van Halen stuff. Nice video. I hope to hear from you again soon. I've been studying Jazz with Jens Larson, but I like your style.😀

[@rokeley94]

How does she get that sound at 3:11? Thanks for the videos!

[@Luchianopalma]

it's a delay with an expression pedal for the speed

[@benvel3392]

Am I imagining it or is that guitar like way bigger than most?

[@nikigba]

the guitar seemed to be getting bigger and bigger every time it was in the frame

[@TheAvics]

2:40 Tom and Jerry music

[@markusstorf7202]

What kind of guild guitar is this?

[@sacredgeometry]

Guild it says on the headstock

[@ertreri]

the exercise is great but you can see how ths would br jazzy since the intervals chosen for the improvisation are completely dissonant... not everyone cup of tea. jazz has that thing about it, hard to digest often tines... a bit of twilight zone sense

[@GaryPowell]

Would love to have some tabs for these exercises.

[@kilgoretrout321]

You don't need tabs. That's the point! She's explaining that the exercise can start on any string, any fret. You just use intervals. Maybe you've learned it by now, but intervals are the distances between 2 notes. If you hit the 6th string and 5th string, you've played a Perfect Fourth intervals. If you play the 3rd string and the 2nd string, you've just played a Major Third interval. There are other intervals, too! Seconds, Fifths, Sixths, Sevenths, Octaves. Ninths and Elevenths are basically repetitive, though they aren't ephemeral. This exercise allows you to soak up the sound of these intervals whilst leaving you the flexibility and comfortability to use them at any spot on the neck! I recommend spending some time over the course of a week or two and wrap your head around intervals until you get the Ah-Ha! moment. This exercise makes tabs meaningless because you'll eventually be able to just hear a tune on the radio or in your head and know what shapes to do in no time.

[@vecernicek2]

Seriously, dude? Cure your damn tabs disease.

[@FlaschDJ]

kilgoretrout321 “basically repetitive though they aren’t ephemeral?” Could you please express that using other words? I can’t make sense of that. My dictionary defines ephemeral as “short-lived”. Thanks

[@jaydenwhitlen1489]

Very Robert Fripp-esque

[@jcsk8]

diabolus in musica

[@pingpenne9487]

metal slug soundtracks be like 2:42

[@kabirgautam6250]

why does she play f on b string instead of e? looking a re collection....

[@jsogman]

Aint that a Mario level?

[@user-df5hw2sm3f]

No, it sounds like the treasure chest opening sound in Legend of Zelda

[@xsyxsykloj9941]

What model guitar is that?

[@hastyapriyamedha5794]

hollow body offcourse

[@TheBeeRescuer]

xsy xsykloj - a Guild.

[@superbroadcaster]

Considering it says Guild on the headstock and the pickguard... I think it's a Chevrolet!

[@fundypost]

A 1970 Guild Artist Award

[@guitar1067]

Guild Artist Award, originally a signature guitar: "Guild Johnny Smith Artist Award". Johnny switched to a "Gibson Johnny Smith" because Guild did not stick to the agreed specifications.

[@grunge6909]

Cant tell if this is a really tiny woman or a really big guitar 😂 good video

[@vicbarker5739]

your demo was not all that clear finger wise

[@paridox4ever]

that guitar looks ridiculous big not even hodor would make it look right (protip hodor actor is a guitarist)

[@crimfan]

King Crimson on a Guild archtop?