I Plead the 5th(s)

​A couple of days ago I posted a video on Facebook of me demonstrating the exercise below. This exercise is taken from a book I'm writing that utilizes successive intervals played around interval cycles. 

This particular excerpt uses two notes built from a perfect 5th apart from their root note. In the example below, I start on an F, then build two perfect 5ths above it for my note sequence. So that gives me an F going up to a C, then ascending once again up to a G. 

Then I progress the stacked 5ths pattern in parallel fashion through sequenced patterns of interval cycles. What that means is that I ascend and descend through minor 2nds, Major 2nds, minor 3rds, Major 3rds, etc. I do that all the way up through the Major 7th interval. 

This is a great way to keep in shape on your instrument! It requires both physical and mental dexterity to get through the exercise, as you can tell from the video. Upon seeing me work through this set of patterns on Facebook, one person noted that as the interval cycles widened, my brow got more and more furrowed. And, indeed it did!

Apart from this being a great physical workout, I really like the fact that playing through the interval cycles with any pattern, is a great ear trainer!

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Work through this slowly, and in small pieces at first. One advantage to working through a big exercise in small pieces is that you'll be able to conceptually understand what you're doing on a deeper level. If an exercise remains at the mechanical level and never evolves to the point that I can figure out how to use it when I play or write, then I feel like it's not a great exercise.

Of course, you really can figure out different uses for ideas like this if you use your imagination. This has been an incredibly enriching activity for me in working with this interval concept over the past several years.

If you have other ideas about this concept, let me know about it! Connect with me below and share your ideas!
 
Happy practicing!!