Four Note Per String Patterns (4NPS)

GuyBoden

Fretting hand, Four note per string patterns (4NPS)

Advance Warning: These can be a bit of a stretch.

I've been practicing four note per string (4NPS) patterns further up the neck, where it's easier. I'm thinking of spending one week on each pattern, then hopefully moving down to a lower fret the next week to the next pattern.

There's four notes on each string, one note for each finger. Yes, it's a bit of a stretch at first, so I'm taking it easy and slowly. I play up and down the pattern on each string, trying to keep each finger in place as I play each note.

I'm spending 10-15mins each day on this pattern, it's getting slightly easier each day. I've started at the 12th fret, because it's less of a stretch than lower down the neck, you could start higher up the neck at the 19th fret and make it even less of a stretch (If you have enough frets).

Some string lines are easier than other, I have problems moving the Middle and Ring independently.

Fingers are Index, Middle, Ring, Little, one finger for each note/fret.

Here's the patterns I'm using, I'll add one per week.

If my practice is going well, I'll post another pattern next week. They're fun.....

digitalkettle

Wouldn't you be better off applying 4NPS along the neck rather than across it?

For example: E F G A on the E string followed by B C D E on the A string followed by F G A B on the D string, etc.

GuyBoden

digitalkettle said:

Wouldn't you be better off applying 4NPS along the neck rather than across it?

For example: E F G A on the E string followed by B C D E on the A string followed by F G A B on the D string, etc.

Any notes on the lower frets is too big a stretch for me at the moment. So, patterns on higher frets are easier for me. As the weeks advance I might try along the string, if my fingers stretch enough.

Derryl Gabel is a master at 4NPS. see here:

sweepy

The first pattern gives some interesting effects as you are doubling notes on adjacent strings and is more rhythmic in nature. Getting 4nps legato along the neck in a diagonal pattern is certainly fun and interesting and is fluid when you get it right and you get a Holdsworthian lightbulb moment 

digitalkettle

sweepy said:

The first pattern gives some interesting effects as you are doubling notes on adjacent strings and is more rhythmic in nature. Getting 4nps legato along the neck in a diagonal pattern is certainly fun and interesting and is fluid when you get it right and you get a Holdsworthian lightbulb moment 

Yep, hearing a lot of Holdsworth in there for sure

The doubled notes are an interesting effect...and they’re built in to a 4NPS box shape. I think I was concerned (?) that it was a trap to fall into where the physical features of the instrument take control of the music you make on it (jeez...did I write that?). However, Derryl’s lines seem pretty creative to me!

GuyBoden

My logic is that there are 7 different patterns in total for Major, which combined and overlapped cover the whole of the fretboard.

7 patterns, so I will hopefully be learning one pattern per week for 7 weeks.

Once more patterns are learned, the patterns can be linked and overlapped, so then there will be the ability to play more diagonal lines across the fretboard.

Derryl Gabel makes it look easy. I know the patterns will get very difficult on the lower frets, but I'm hoping it doesn't get impossible if my fingers have practiced being stretched incrementally over the weeks......

digitalkettle

GuyBoden said:

 I know the patterns will get very difficult on the lower frets, but I'm hoping it doesn't get impossible if my fingers have practiced being stretched incrementally over the weeks......

There's no shred there anyway

Danny1969

I'm a big fan of stretching and the different effects you can get and I'm now stretching so when I move up a string I'm dropping a tone. So typically E - G  - B on the A string and then you drop and tone and do A - C - E on the D string and then drop a tone and do D - F - A on the G  string. I use the 3 notes because I like the triplet feel ... very cool effect 

GuyBoden

Danny1969 said:

I'm a big fan of stretching and the different effects you can get and I'm now stretching so when I move up a string I'm dropping a tone. So typically E - G  - B on the A string and then you drop and tone and do A - C - E on the D string and then drop a tone and do D - F - A on the G  string. I use the 3 notes because I like the triplet feel ... very cool effect 

That's a big stretch. I've just tried them, an 8 fret span, well done..........

My simple approach to 4NPS is basically just the same as learning 3NPS patterns, but with added extra notes, so much more difficult stretches.

So, I'll just be adding extra notes to the seven common 3NPS Major patterns to get seven 4NPS Major patterns.

3NPS below:

digitalkettle

I don't like learning sets of things...similar to your seven patterns, I started seeing one repeating pattern:

...
---ef-g-- \ 2 lots of -xx-x-
---bC-d-- /
--f-g-a-  \
--C-d-e-  | 3 lots of -x-x-x-
--g-a-b-  /
--d-ef--  \ 2 lots of -x-xx-
--a-bC--  /
--ef-g--  \ 2 lots of -xx-x-
--bC-d--  /
-f-g-a--  \
-C-d-e--  | 3 lots of -x-x-x-
-g-a-b--  /
...

Well, that's what it would look like on an infinite fretboard tuned in 4ths...obviously, in the real world, you have to step around the G-B string transitions

GuyBoden

After a week of 10-15mins 4NPS at the 12th fret, I am now ready to move to the 10th fret.

Here's the 4NPS pattern for week 2.

bloodandtears

kudos... these stretches are just too much for me to find comfortable..

GuyBoden

Yes, these stretches are becoming very difficult, I have moved on to my week 3 pattern.

Keeping each finger down while playing each note is difficult, but has got easier over time.

The most difficult thing is moving the middle and ring fingers independently between two frets.

My pattern for week 3:

GuyBoden

GuyBoden said:

Yes, these stretches are becoming very difficult, I have moved on to my week 3 pattern.

Keeping each finger down while playing each note is difficult, but has got easier over time.

The most difficult thing is moving the middle and ring fingers independently between two frets.

My pattern for week 3:

This week's pattern is proving to be very, very difficult because of the wider fret spacing, so bigger stretches are needed.

On the positive side, the patterns from previous weeks are getting easier.

shredologist

Great content, I definitely need to learn 4 NPS, I practiced 3 NPS for years. Need to evolve. 

GuyBoden

GuyBoden said:

Yes, these stretches are becoming very difficult, I have moved on to my week 3 pattern.

Keeping each finger down while playing each note is difficult, but has got easier over time.

The most difficult thing is moving the middle and ring fingers independently between two frets.

My pattern for week 3:

I need to spend more time on this pattern, the stretches are not easy when trying to keep each finger down on each fret, so I'll give this another week's practice.

GuyBoden

Things are progressing, I'm moving onto the next pattern at the 7th fret. These patterns are gradually getting more and more difficult as the distance between frets increases. The last pattern took a few weeks for my hands the get accustomed to the stretches, so I think this pattern will take at least two weeks too. 4NPS do open up your the fretboard making it seemingly easier to navigate.

Pattern at fret 7th.

GuyBoden

GuyBoden said:

Things are progressing, I'm moving onto the next pattern at the 7th fret. These patterns are gradually getting more and more difficult as the distance between frets increases. The last pattern took a few weeks for my hands the get accustomed to the stretches, so I think this pattern will take at least two weeks too. 4NPS do open up your the fretboard making it seemingly easier to navigate.

Pattern at fret 7th.

I'll be spending at another week, maybe more, on this pattern, the stretch is too much at the moment, but I know from past weeks practice, they get easier with time. 10min a day that's all it takes.

GuyBoden

I'm moving onto the 5th fret pattern, one of the great advantages of 4NPS is that you can move quickly to any 3NPS or CAGED position with the stretch of either the index finger to go lower or little finger to go higher.

I'm starting to linkup the patterns and move around the fretboard jumping between the patterns. It's getting easier.

I already know that this next pattern at the 5th fret will be difficult, for the first few weeks at least.

Vinylfan

That looks interesting, will give it a try at the 12th to start with.  I've done a few other exercises like that over the last couple of months so interested to give this a go.
Thanks

GuyBoden

GuyBoden said:

I'm moving onto the 5th fret pattern, one of the great advantages of 4NPS is that you can move quickly to any 3NPS or CAGED position with the stretch of either the index finger to go lower or little finger to go higher.

I'm starting to linkup the patterns and move around the fretboard jumping between the patterns. It's getting easier.

I already know that this next pattern at the 5th fret will be difficult, for the first few weeks at least.

This pattern at the 5th fret is a very, very difficult stretch to play fluidly, but I'll be persevering until it is comfortable to play. The other previous patterns are beginning to settle in as part of my playing routine, they are linking to CAGED and 3NPS patterns nicely with just the stretch of one finger.