As a follow up to my last post on Major 2-5-1 drills – pattern 1, I thought I’d provide a short footnote about how you can get maximum benefit from this exercise and in fact, any drill exercise. The purpose of drills is to teach our muscles and brains to do things in an automatic way. It can be tempting to do them in front of the TV or while our minds wander off into a beautiful daydream. Alas! This kind of practice is not going to be as beneficial as a more conscious form of practice.
In the short video below, I share some tips with you for getting the most out of your 2-5-1 drills, but the same applies to all other drills (minor 2-5-1s, to come in a future post, turnarounds etc.)
At least in the beginning, when you’re still familiarizing yourself with the fretboard and trying to keep track of where the roots are, it’s very important to focus on what you’re doing and look at the download chart while you’re practicing the drill. Make sure your eyes and brain are taking in the names of each chord as you play it. You can also say the name of each chord out loud while you look at the chart. Occasionally, you’ll also have to look at your ukulele to ensure your fingers are in the right place.
It’s a lot to think about at first, but I promise you it will get easier! You’re building muscle memory and pattern recall at this stage, and you’ll be amazed how just practicing these drills a few times per week will help you progress fast in your understanding of jazz charts. The payoff is worth it! Don’t forget you can get your free downloads for major 2-5-1 drills when you sign up for our newsletter by clicking on the link in the right hand column.
