System 11 Finger Gymnastics

In System 11 Finger Gymnastics, we will be doing a series of exercises that are not pattern-based. In all of the previous systems, Finger Gymnastics was used to train for strength, syncopation, and stamina by doing non-musical but complex finger patterns. They were all useful to enable your fingers to learn complicated combinations and to synchronize your left and right hands.

In System 11, we will break from the typical Finger Gymnastics and instead improvise on random notes. It is a difficult thing for the brain to detach from musical phrases and shapes it has spent years learning. In this system, we will force our brains and fingers to play things we have never played before. This is very challenging to do. Players like the inimitable Pat Metheny often improvise moving out of known harmonic language into more random playing to give tension, then back into more known harmonic language. This is, however, very difficult to do in practice, but sounds amazing.

Every 2 weeks, we will practice different iterations of this concept. See instructional videos for more detail.

W1-2: Weeks 1-2 Random 8th Notes only. No known patterns for more than a few notes.

W3-4: Weeks 3-4 4 bars Am 8th note only. 4 bars of random 8th notes only.

W5-6: All above the 12th fret. Dm sounds 2 bars-8th notes only, random 2 bars 8th notes.

W7-8: G7 patterns 2 bars, random 2 bars. 8th notes.

W9-10: In weeks 9-10, we will mix different rhythms. We will start for 2 bars over Em, 8th notes only. Any Em sounds are good. Then 2 bars of random 8th notes. Then, 2 bars of Em, 8th note triplets. Followed by random triplets. Then 2 bars Em, 16th notes, random 16th notes. Then back to triplets.

W11-12: This will be the same as weeks 9-10 but in Am, 1 bar each. All ideas and phrasing allowed. 1 bar of Am ideas any phrasing, 1 bar of random playing.