For the Freejazz/Jazzfusion thing I've been a proponent of in my latest three videos and several uploaded documents, I've put together a list of what to go over in the woodshed;

1 Practice three note per string scales where you ascend then scooch up a half step [or whole step] before you descend then scooch over one more time before re-ascending.

2 Practice three note per string scales where you ascend then scooch DOWN a half step [or whole step] before you descend then scooch over one more time before re-ascending.

3 Play three notes on one string twice in the same place before proceeding to the next string.

4 Play three notes on one string again but transposed up [or down] a half step.

5 Play a scale in one position where you only progress a little that come back to the start after-which you progress a little further each time.

6 Play a scale in one position where you progress three strings but only come back two before progressing another three.

7 Play three notes per string but not in the order 1,2,3. Play 132 on each string, 312, 213, 231, 312, and 321 instead.

8 Play three notes per string as mordents/turns aka 2321 or 2123.

9 Play scales in one position using digital patterns like 1234,2345,3456..., 121232343454..., 12321,65456...,

1O Practice linking position playing with diagonals and crawling along the edge in various permutations. Ascend, Descend Diagonally, Ascend, Crawl back on the first two strings confined to a scale [not chromatically].

11 Move a single motive around the Dance Directions.

12 Play the motives on various starting notes and permutations moving them around the Dance Directions.

13 Play through the complete series of motives to memorize them.

14 Play one motive from each group in the order of the series constrained to the various Dance Directions.

15 Play through the complete series of motives but in the reverse order and constrained to the Dance Directions.

16 Play one motive from each group in the reverse order constrained to the Dance Directions.

17 Experiment with memorizing different orderings of the groups constrained to the Dance Directions.

I like this, I may borrow a few of these exercises, thanks Tatsu.

Kris

I'm definitely going to be working on this as well. I forgot to mention going through the scales with string skipping the pinky, string skipping the middle finger, string skipping both the pinky and the middle finger, string skipping the first finger etc..

Another idea is to play through the scale motions with two hands for times when you have someone to play chords and bass.

Research shows that people who practice very, very, very slowly, play cleaner when they speed up. Pros gradually increase the speed with a mentronome only when its time to do that but never push it to faster than they can comfortably play.

I think if you practice this stuff really slowly with two hands, when it's time to actually play, you'll burn down the house.

Great points Greg.
Slow practice makes quick playing easier no doubt. Although I'm not much of a scale practice guy...I can see how this definately improves your playing. I'm just lazy.
The string skip thing is probably a good exercise for all....Oz Noy is a great example of this practice,(technique).....he's all over this method...

cheers,
kev

Thanks Tatsu, this was a very useful post!

I also forgot to mention after you get to moving a long string of motives around the Dance Directions to then incorporate motive schemes like aabc aaba aabb abaa abba abab and the like. If that proves too tough then spiral down to aab or abb and you should be good to go. Although of course you can just go abcdefghijklmop...without repeating any motives now and then also.

Remember the dance instructor said that after you know which direction you're supposed to go, then you have to know how many steps there are. If going straight across a guitar that's six steps. If using aab ccd, one motive per beat, then you'll finish those when you come to the last string but there's probably 8 beats, not 6, so you'll have to hold a note for two more beats or keep going with two more motives to round out those measures. It just means plan ahead if you're using motives only grouped in threes.

Those dance directions that visit the same string twice like the one for Coltrane's augmented scale has 12 steps to the dance but you're probably going to need 16 regardless of if you used a four grouped scheme or a three grouped scheme. Just hold a note for four beats or play four more motives.

Tai Chi works the same way.

In the every least, this post can inspire Stickists to each have their our list.!

Priorities = Good.

Yeah, and if you make your own list, don't keep forgetting everything you want to put in it the way I do. I forgot to include practicing trills and repeated notes.

Trills have several ways they can be performed; you can start on the low note before the beat or on the beat OR you an start on the high note before the beat or on the beat. Trills can be 12, 121, 1212, or more 1212121212.

Repeated notes can be 11,22,33, 111,222,333 or 1111,2222,3333 just to cover all the bases.

Seems like I'll probably think of something else...

I did think of something else; aaab.