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Lesson 8: Key of C Scale Studies

Edited by Paul Race for Creek Don't Rise?

Editor's Note: Between 1999 and 2004, Mitchel "Mickey" Cochran posted an extensive collection of free musical instrument lessons on his FolkOfTheWood.com web page. Sadly, we lost Mickey in 2011. After e-mailing surviving family members for permission to repost some of Mickey's most popular materials, we have begun restoring them to host on these pages. (Please see the Introduction page for more information on that effort.)

Scale exercises on banjo not only help you get used to finding the notes of any given song quickly, but also train your left hand to rest and easily play in the positions that may seem awkward at first but must become natural for you to progress beyond basic playing. - Paul


Lesson 8: Key of C Scale Studies
By Mickey Cochran

Your First Scale Studies (Key of C)

Following are studies in the key of C...keep in mind, most all songs are based on scale patterns. By learning your C scale, and learning patterns and studies that all fall within these C scale studies, you will be advancing your overall technique. You will be developing facility and dexterity on your banjo while familiarizing yourself with the fingerboard. This, in turn, will be one of the fastest ways to advance yourself on your instrument. C scale studies will apply to all songs that fall within the key of C...in essence, you will be learning the basic framework that melodies are structured upon. Additionally, scale studies will assist you in playing with others and learning to improvise. This methodology approach will accelerate the learning process far over and above learning one song after another by rote.



Copyright ?1999-2004 Mickey Cochran

Conclusion

Mickey's instructions are as valid today as when he wrote and recorded them years ago. Here's hoping that you find them just as helpful as his original followers did back when he was interacting on a daily basis with his them.

Please contact us if you're hitting any brick walls and we'll try to help you get therough them.

Best of luck, all, enjoy your music, and support the arts.

Paul Race

And when you're ready to move on, click here to go to the next part of this online lesson.

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All text and any illustrations and/or videos within the white box above are copyright 1999-2004 by Mitchell Cochran. All other materials, illustrations, and content on this web page, including the text reformatting and illustration restoration within the white box are copyrighted ? 2016 by Paul D. Race. All rights reserved.
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