Week11

Like a Rolling Stone

Tempo 70 bpm

Built on the philosophy: disciplined practice without friction; calm and steady; steps taken slowly; progress unfolds.

Primary focus: C major pentatonic scale and Like a Rolling Stone (Bob Dylan / Mike Bloomfield)

Source.

Day 1 – Warm-up & C Major Pentatonic

Warm-up (5 min)

• Spider walk (1–2–3–4 across two strings, then shift).

• Strum muted strings with metronome at 40 bpm.

Focus (20 min)

• C major pentatonic scale (5th–8th fret positions, see tab below).

• Play ascending/descending slowly, one note per metronome click.

Secondary (10 min)

• Isolate Bloomfield’s intro chords (C, Fmaj7/C).

• Play gently, listen to phrasing.

Improvisation (5 min)

• Free play using only pentatonic notes. Think: “Frisell would let each note breathe.”

Cooldown (3 min)

• Strum open C chord softly.

C Major Pentatonic Scale

5th–8th Fret

e|---------------------------5--8-------|
B|----------------------5--8------------|
G|-----------------5--7-----------------|
D|------------5--7----------------------|
A|-------5--7---------------------------|
E|--5--8--------------------------------|

Day 2 – Verse Chords + Scale Fragments

Warm-up

• Spider walk across all six strings.

• Strum C–Dm–Em slowly.

Focus

• Verse progression: C – Dm – Em – F – G

• Metronome 50 bpm, one chord per click.

Secondary

• Use pentatonic fragments to outline chord tones (e.g., C–E–G over C).

Improvisation

• Play 1–2 note phrases only, leaving space (Frisell approach).

Cooldown

• End on Fmaj chord, let ring.

Day 3 – Bloomfield’s Intro & Tone Study

Warm-up - Spider walk + finger roll low E → high E → back.

Focus - Bloomfield intro chords: C → Fmaj7/C

   C        Fmaj7/C
e|--0--------0---------|
B|--1--------1---------|
G|--0--------2---------|
D|--2--------3---------|
A|--3--------3---------|
E|--x--------x---------|

• Play gently, focus on letting chords ring and breathe.

Secondary - Short pentatonic fills between chords: single-string slides, hammer-ons.

Improvisation - Sparse phrasing, wide dynamics (Frisell inspiration).

Cooldown - Single note C (8th fret low E), let it ring.

Day 4 – C Pentatonic Expansion

Warm-up - Spider 1–2–3–4 + stretches (1–3–5).

Focus - C major pentatonic in two positions (5th–8th fret). - Connect positions with slides.

Secondary - Verse chords as arpeggios (C–Dm–Em–F–G), metronome 55 bpm, one arpeggio per two clicks.

Improvisation - Short 2-bar phrases, allow silence to shape rhythm.

Cooldown - Soft G major chord, let sustain fully.

Day 5 – Like a Rolling Stone (Verse Integration)

Warm-up - Spider walk + muted strums.

Focus - Play full verse progression: C–Dm–Em–F–G, with optional singing/humming. - Insert Bloomfield-inspired pentatonic fills between chords.

Secondary - Explore phrasing: fewer strums, broken chords, open strings (Frisell style).

Improvisation - Alternate Bloomfield (bluesy licks) and Frisell approaches (sparse, spacious).

Cooldown - Strum C chord quietly.

Day 6 – Pentatonic Improvisation Over Verse

Warm-up - Spider + pentatonic scale practice.

Focus - Play verse chords as a loop. - Improvise using only C major pentatonic.

Secondary - Add note bends for Bloomfield feel.

Improvisation - Contrast: tight fills (Bloomfield) vs sparse, reverberant notes (Frisell).

Cooldown - Single open G note, let resonate.

Day 7 – Integration + Simulated Performance

Pre-Performance Ritual (5 min)

1. Grounding breath (inhale 4, hold 2, exhale 6).
2. Open string meditation (C note).
3. Mental cue: “This is practice, not performance.”

Warm-up (5–7 min)

• Spider walk.
• Strum C–Dm–Em–F–G slowly.

Integration “Set” (25–30 min)

1. C major pentatonic scale.
2. Bloomfield intro: C → Fmaj7/C (arpeggiate lightly).
3. Verse progression + short pentatonic fills.
4. Improvise chorus-like section using pentatonic notes.

Simulated Performance (10–12 min)

• Play intro + one verse straight through.
• Combine Bloomfield and Frisell influences: clear phrasing, space, dynamics.
• Record performance.

Reflection / Cooldown (5 min)

• Free play a simple drone or favourite chord.
• Journal 1–2 lines:
  • “One sound I enjoyed today was…”
  • “Next week I’ll explore more of…”

Recorded Performance

Fender Jaguar

Pickup Position: Neck
Master Volume: 9
Master Tone: 5

Zoom G3Xn

Preset: OFF

Joyo Tremolo

Intensity: 25%
Rate: 25%

Fender Blues Jr. III

Volume: 4.0
Fat: OFF
Treble: 5.0
Bass: 7.0
Middle: 5.0
Master: 3.0
Reverb: 3.0

Blue Yeti

Gain: 10 o’clock
Mode: Cardioid mode, 18” from speaker, slightly off-axis

Lesson Video