Challenge for Proficient FFcPers

**JonZ** · May-12-2012, 1:31pm

Try to play each position and exercise descending only.

How did you do?

**Mike Bunting** · May-12-2012, 4:15pm

Fine.

**JonZ** · May-12-2012, 6:06pm

I found I couldn't do it, despite my proficiency on the warm up. I have started practicing them all in reverse. The arpeggios have been the hardest.

**Grommet** · May-13-2012, 6:00pm

Like all all, or just all of the Ionoan Mandology excercises (4 in each position)?

At 6-7 months in I'm not that proficient yet, but took a stab at it anyway. A little slow, but not bad. Maybe I'll make a .tef file or two for my growiing collection. I've put all my FFcP excercises into separate TabLedit files. I now have the 16 Ionian Mandology ones in both major and natural minor keys as well. I have example ones for Harmonic and Melodic Minor as well (just a single key in 1st FFcP position for harmonic and for melodic minors at this time). I have also transcribed, "Moving on Up" together with his two recommended alterations of that excercise, plus "Guides and Gravity", "Lydian Down Up Down Up", and the Arpeggios" The Arpeggios I have only looked at to date. Most of the rest get a daily going over (frontwards only for now!).

Scott

**JonZ** · May-13-2012, 9:18pm

I was thinking of the "Super FFcP Warm Up"

Personally, I don't like to write out the different modes. I just figure out what notes to change from the Ionian as I go. The figurin' seems to help it stick.

**Grommet** · May-14-2012, 1:26am

The Super FFcP I have only downloaded and printed out for now. Good point about the mode figuring/brain sticking. I wondered about it myself, but have elected to let the fingers do the heavy lifting first. I had never formaly played minor scales, and the reps have seemed to help with developing my ear in that area. Eventually, I will try playing some minors while follwing the major scale tab to try your figuring on the fly approach. There's the rub tho, so many choices. I've neglected the Pentatonic excercise to date tho they look invitingly simple. I do find it easier to commit to practice if I have the .tef files all good to go.

Scott

**Grommet** · May-16-2012, 2:11am

Ah, first run through on the Ted's" Arpeggios" excersizes using my TabLEdit files. Slowly of course for starters. Very nice sounding patterns. Tried only a few bars in descending only mode (backards) just to be able to report back that I did. An interesting suggestion JonZ. Also went throught the first 1/3 of Super FFcP reading off the printout. Need to make a .tef file still, but even with that transcribed will still have to work entirely off the printout until the fingering in ingrained, as I did with "Moving on Up". No point in my attempting the descending variation of that one for now. Come on, who else is getting their FFcP groove on? Also, Thanks to Ted Eschliman for keeping my fingers/brain busy.

**Ted Eschliman** · May-16-2012, 10:10am

One of my dreams is to introduce an FFcP book with slightly less jazz emphasis that does exactly what you guys are talking about, reversing course, manipulating more variations. It's great to see folks already extending them in this way; the whole goal was for them to be a jumping off point, not just an end unto themselves.

For those who are interested in five course instruments (5- 10-string), I've been working on my own version of stacking these into two octave exercises myself. You can do it with 1st FFcP (plus 4th FFcP), but you run out of string with any more on a four course instrument. Still, double octave challenges are great for developing finger posture and cleaning up technique. This is another incarnation to explore.

**JonZ** · May-16-2012, 1:15pm

I have found working through the patterns substituting b3, b5 and b7 helpful for BG and Blues. A lot of what you hear does not sound bluesy, but it gets the location of those notes into your head.

Of course, FFcP is all about closed positions--great for up the neck. But much non-jazz music incorporates a lot of first position sounds. I would like to see how you would address first position with the same economy. Or is it just not where you want to go?

It would be interesting to know other peoples' thoughts on variations on FFcP for non-jazz players. I know that writing out all of the exercises is a lot of work, but sometimes the best learning method is just to say "Do Super FFcP Warm up with _____ variation."