Some 2-String Ladder Patterns for Diminished Scales
"Ladder" patters are patterns that climb up or down the neck rapidly using only a small number of strings. Since I'm posting a lot about symmetrical scales at the moment, here are some ladder patterns for the Whole-Half and Half-Whole Diminshed scales. Remember that these scales are modes of each other, so which scale you're playing will be determined by where you play these patterns on the fretboard in relation to the background tonality.
Here's a simple zig-zag pattern that can be continued indefinitely -- the only tricky part here is a small stretch and making sure you don't get confused about where your index finger should be. I've given the pattern and how it repeats, with a bar line to divide the two (this is how the other patterns will be given, too):
T-----------2--3--5--/6--5--3-----------|------------5--6--8--/9--8--6------------------------- |--2--4--5---------------------7--5--4--|--/5--7--8---------------------10--8--7--/8----------- A---------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------ |---------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------ B---------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------ |---------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------
As with all fingerings like this, the one using the 3rd and 2nd strings is slightly different because of the different tuning between these two. In this case it's a little easier to play:
T---------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------ |-----------2--4--5--/7--5--4-----------|------------5--7--8--/10--8--7------------------------ A--2--3--5---------------------6--5--3--|--/5--6--8----------------------9--8--6--------------- |---------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------ B---------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------ |---------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------
Here's a pattern using broken thirds and moving up in the same way:
T-----------2--3--------------3--/5-----|-----------5--6---------------6--/8-------------------- |--2--5--4--------5--4--7--5---------7--|--5--8--7--------8--7--10--8---------10---------------- A---------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------- |---------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------- B---------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------- |---------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------
Again, there's the version on strings 2 and 3:
T--------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------- |-----------2--4--------------4--5-----|-----------5--7--------------7--8---------------------- A--2--5--3--------5--3--6--5--------6--|--5--8--6--------8--6--9--8--------9------------------- |--------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------- B--------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------- |--------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------
Here's one that mostly stays on the lower string:
T--------------------4--6--7-----------|---------------------7--9--10-------------------------- |--2--4--5--4--5--7-----------4--5--7--|--5--7--8--7--8--10------------7--8--10---------------- A--------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------- |--------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------- B--------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------- |--------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------
The version on the second and third strings is again very similar but importantly different:
T--------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------- |--------------------5--7--8-----------|---------------------8--10--11------------------------- A--3--5--6--5--6--8-----------5--6--8--|--6--8--9--8--9--11-------------8--9--11--------------- |--------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------- B--------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------- |--------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------
Here's one that uses slides to keep the right-hand fingering the same throughout the whole run:
T---------------2--3--5--/6--|---------------5--6--8--/9--|-----------------8--9--11-/13------- |--1--2--4--/5---------------|--4--5--7--/8---------------|--7--8--10--/11--------------------- A----------------------------|----------------------------|------------------------------------ |----------------------------|----------------------------|------------------------------------ B----------------------------|----------------------------|------------------------------------ |----------------------------|----------------------------|------------------------------------
Again, with the 2nd and 3rd strings all we do is switch the fingering around slightly. This time, though, we're moving by two frets at a time so your fretting hand has to shift positions slightly more quickly:
T----------------------------|------------------------------|---------------------------------- |---------------4--5--7--/8--|---------------7--8--10--/11--|------------------11--12--14--/15- A--2--3--5--/6---------------|--5--6--8--/9-----------------|--9--10--12--/14------------------ |----------------------------|------------------------------|---------------------------------- B----------------------------|------------------------------|---------------------------------- |----------------------------|------------------------------|----------------------------------
These at least offer some nice tricks to throw into a solo when you want to hear one of these diminished scales, but they also provide some valuable technical practice, too. Enjoy them and see if you can come up with some of your own.
