Getting started
Reading Positions for Etudes
Each etude can be played in several positions on the neck. This table shows them all: one row per etude, one column per position, and the scale pattern to use in each.
You don't need to work through the table in order. The three reading plans that follow (pages 6–8) take you through the etudes three times, a little higher up the neck each time. Use this page to look up a position, or select a cell to open that etude in that position.
| Etude | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A♭ | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 8va | |||||
| A | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 8va | 4 8va | ||||
| B♭ | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 8va | |||||
| B | 5 | 6 | 1 | 2 8va | 3 8va | ||||
| C | F | 5 | 6 | 2 8va | 3 8va | ||||
| D♭ | 4 | 5 | 6 6 8va | 2 8va | |||||
| D | 4 | 5 | 6 8va | 1 8va | 2 8va | ||||
| E♭ | 4 | 5 | 6 8va | 1 8va | |||||
| E | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 8va | |||||
| F | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 8va | |||||
| G♭ | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 8va | |||||
| G | F | 2 | 3 | 5 8va |
3 scale pattern 38va an octave higher than written F fixed-position scale
8va means the etude is played an octave higher than it is written.