Another FFcP Thread

[mangorockfish]

I'm one of those on-again, off-again mando learners. I have the time now to devote to practice so am trying to learn all I can. During one of my on-again learning periods, I printed off some of the FFcP stuff, but never really understood what it was. Could someone please explain what this is and how it works. I kind of understand the individual finger ones, but don't understand it when two are combined - how it works. Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

[Rob Gerety]

I just started in with FFcP yesterday. I'm not sure I understand your question. I see it as a way to organize the major scales and chord tones on the mandolin fretboard so that you can gradually eliminate a lot of the conscious thought about notes that can get in the way of your music making.

[mangorockfish]

I guess what I'm asking is how does it work. Some of the examples I have are 1st finger, third finger and like 1st and 2nd finger combined, etc. I don't really understand what is going on here and what I'm supposed to get from it. I'm probably to "New" to be getting into this at this stage of my learning. I took a couple of lessons a few years ago and my teacher wrote out a G-scale for me, but it is not like any of the ones that I printed off concerning the FFcP.

[Rob Gerety]

I recommend that you find a way to get some very basic music theory under your belt and then I think it will start to make sense. FFcP is really just a way to play the major scales on the mandolin fret board. The major scale is the basic foundation of all western music.

[Rick Cadger]

mangorockfish, I understand your problem.

I bought Ted's book with the FFcP stuff in and it took a while to see what was going on. In fact, it still doesn't seem terribly intuitive to me, but I'm persevering with it.

I think it's just that different people's minds work in different ways. To some, FFcP is an instant revelation - even if the physical/mechanical execution takes some working at. To others, like you and me, the apprehension of the point of it all is less immediate and instinctive.

For what it's worth, and pleeeeeeease someone put me straight if I'm wrong, FFcP is just another way of looking at scale patterns. The basic patterns are closed, meaning they don't use open strings, and thus the same pattern can be used all over the neck. A pattern for a scale in C Major, for example, can shift up two frets to give a D Major scale. As there are no open strings there are no complications.

FFcP uses a small number of patterns (one for starting on each finger). By moving these few patterns around you can cover the whole spectrum of mando Major scales. It's easy because there are not many patterns to remember, and the ones there are simply move about to give different scales.

Doh, I'm really not explaining this well... And, as I said, I'm only just starting to get the hang of it myself.

[farmerjones]

i don't know what type of learner i am, but i tend to see patterns quickly. What i've gained from it:
I don't play the keys of G, D, & high A, all closed. But with FFcF patterns,
i can play in low A, E &, B/Bb. Slide it up again, gives you F, C, highG. Slide it up again, you get the next octave G, D, & A, respectively. Maybe think of your left index finger hand sort of as a capo, and the rest of your fingers playing the chord required. Elsewhere i've said i play alot of country & BG backup. Alot of I, IV, V tunes. These are always at hand now in any major key. Whatever tune comes along, if it doesn't go to the IV, it goes to the V on the first change, then maybe back to the I, or to the other. There's thousands of two and three chord tunes, you always have a 50/50 chance of getting the next chord change right.

[Rob Gerety]

Elsewhere i've said i play alot of country & BG backup. Alot of I, IV, V tunes. These are always at hand now in any major key. Whatever tune comes along, if it doesn't go to the IV, it goes to the V on the first change, then maybe back to the I, or to the other. There's thousands of two and three chord tunes, you always have a 50/50 chance of getting the next chord change right.

This is good to hear. Just in the last year or two I have begun to develop the ability to hear chord changes - even the minor chords - and play back up (mostly guitar) to fiddle tunes and the sort of music you describe. As I work on this FFcP stuff - just started the day before yesterday - I am anxious to get to the point that I am able to see the chord shapes and move in and out of lead and chord playing fluently. That is my goal. Sounds like FFcP is going to be a big help.