Is there a FFcP type exercise for chords?

[Darren12]

Other folks have heaped praise on the FFcP exercises, and I too have to say how fantastic they are. I’ve been working on them for a month and I can tell they have greatly improved my ability to sonically link notes together and have improved my finger strength. I have since made them a part of my practice routine.

I was wondering are there are any exercises similar to FFcP that are chord based as opposed to single note?

[Ky Slim]

I found this on mandozine site. It's pretty similar to the ffcp studies.

[catmandu2]

Because (with chords) we are multiplying each "note and position" (by 3 or more), there are a variety of ways to approach it. I use chord "scales" and inversions.

[Amanda Gregg]

Mike Compton has this great linking double stop exercise (one note of the first double stop is shared by the second double stop, etc). I'm sure you can conjure that up with pencil and paper.

[Patrick Bouldin]

Here's a good movable fully closed position chord, and totally movable...
http://www.mandolincafe.com/cgi-bin/...ch.pl?chord=E7

[David L]

FFcPis not an abbreviation I am familiar with. What is it?

[bohemianbiker]

Four fingers closed position (ie, not using open strings). More details on jazz mando.com. bb

[JonZ]

Well, you could do chord scales.

C Dm Em F G Am Bo C

Move your fingers the smallest amount to make each new chord.

Then do it in 3rds.

C Em Dm F Em G F Am G Bo Am C

Again, move your fingers the smallest amount. So if your first chord is the root inversion of C, you would go to the second inversion of Em.

C B
G G
E E

(See how only one finger has to move? That's basic voice leading.)

You could do this with 4ths, and any patterns you want. You can change the inversion you start with. There are a lot of variations.

Then you could do it with 4 note chords, or chord scales based on other scales. Or incorporate 7ths, but stick to 3 note chords.

There is not a simple chart to follow, but it would not take much to figure it out, and the figuring would help you learn them.

I haven't tried this, so I don't really know if it is a practical exercise. I like to work on scales and arpeggios as exercises, but prefer to work on chords within the context of tunes.

But it seems like it would help you learn basic voice leading.

[catmandu2]

Yes Jon--thanks for explicating this idea. Depending on how you feel, this approach might feel intuitive and a natural exploration--just a necessary way of exploring the arrangements of the instruments--conceiving and deploying theoretically--arranging tunes, improvising, etc. Sometimes I just follow the tones and intervals through the modal patterns without really thinking much, or I'll use a tune/chart to develop/arrange, etc., and I often play games--just throwing inversions around in fun or rhythmically in different accents,--all the ways you play with single-note scales and exercises, etc...if you explore this way it's a bit like a sport because the changes and transitions are happening fast-if you want to try to analyze every thing you do and what systems you're exploiting, etc.. Maybe a bit like a horn player thinks--not in key fingerings or positions but in tones/intervals. With frets, memorizing patterns, forms, devices, etc is just an easy way to conceive, regulate, explore, etc--there are many of course

[Beanzy]

This is one I'm using at the moment. If you're into Jazz that may be useful for you too.

http://www.jazzbooks.com/mm5/merchan...A#.VG7NQWe0Pjg

I'll move onto a more general one next;


http://www.jazzbooks.com/mm5/merchan...O#.VG7QPGe0Pjg

or possibly this (can't decide yet);

http://www.jazzbooks.com/mm5/merchan...O#.VG7RYGe0Pjg

[JonZ]

Yes Jon--thanks for explicating this idea. Depending on how you feel, this approach might feel intuitive and a natural exploration--just a necessary way of exploring the arrangements of the instruments--conceiving and deploying theoretically--arranging tunes, improvising, etc. Sometimes I just follow the tones and intervals through the modal patterns without really thinking much, or I'll use a tune/chart to develop/arrange, etc., and I often play games--just throwing inversions around in fun or rhythmically in different accents,--all the ways you play with single-note scales and exercises, etc...if you explore this way it's a bit like a sport because the changes and transitions are happening fast-if you want to try to analyze every thing you do and what systems you're exploiting, etc.. Maybe a bit like a horn player thinks--not in key fingerings or positions but in tones/intervals. With frets, memorizing patterns, forms, devices, etc is just an easy way to conceive, regulate, explore, etc--there are many of course

Yeah, but then I ask myself why I should invent patterns instead of just working out the voice leading on some nice tunes.

[catmandu2]

Yeah, but then I ask myself why I should invent patterns instead of just working out the voice leading on some nice tunes.

Yep arranging tunes is another means to explore these relationships as well...probably what I do most

[Mark Gunter]

I found this on mandozine site. It's pretty similar to the ffcp studies.

That's a nice sheet to get someone started, thanks for sharing that! Not sure why they left out the VIIdim chord, maybe space considerations.

Yeah, but then I ask myself why I should invent patterns instead of just working out the voice leading on some nice tunes.

Jon, maybe because it might spark creativity and inspire you to write something new instead of just playing the nice tunes?

[gtani7]

Lots of great info here and the other thread too! You could also look at the jazz/chord melody books of Ted Eschliman, Don Stiernberg, Dix Bruce and Aaron Weinstein, lots of challenging sequences and alternative voicings/inversions, including some playing way up the neck with open strings that you probably wouldn't think of.

Also "Beyond BG mandolin" by Matt Glaser and the late John McGann has an introduction to jazz harmony

[johnbaxter]

I don’t know if this will be of use to you, but I have some resources on Chord Groups and Movable Chord Shapes on Mandozine.

Chord Groups
http://www.mandozine.com/resources/chords/chordgrp/

Movable Chord Shapes
http://www.mandozine.com/resources/c...movablechords/

[Stevo75]

Have you heard of the CAGED system? That's a good system for linking together chords. Similar to the FFcP idea. In fact, for each FFcP there is a CAGED chord that goes with it.

[Darren12]

I inadvertently posted this question twice so I apologize for that.

Also I haven't yet responded to either of them. To those of you who took the time to reply thank you. I have been going through all of your suggestion/recommendations and adding to my practice routine.

[Mark Gunter]

I inadvertently posted this question twice so I apologize for that.

Also I haven't yet responded to either of them. To those of you who took the time to reply thank you. I have been going through all of your suggestion/recommendations and adding to my practice routine.

And for posterity, here is the other thread: http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...ht=ffcp+chords