I've been working on compiling most of the exercises i use on my daily practice regimen, and i figure it's pretty complete. looking firsthand it's lacking legato exercises but most of these sequences can be played in a legato fashion.

the sequences in the scalar ptb are meant to be played all over your fretboard using any scale you want, so i assume you already know your major scale before tackling these.

Don't mind the wonky time signatures at some places, it's xmas and i'm mildly intoxicated so I might've let some stuff slip by.

I'm still working on the ptb for my arpeggio exercises, i'll add it here later on. in the meantime, enjoy!

most picking patterns are indicated. if you have questions about anything in these two scores, ask, i'll be happy to clear any confusion

(the scores requires the powertab software, a free program found Here.

Happy Holidays!

Edit: In chromatic, the first exercises actually contains 4 variations of the same rythm contour. each bar shows the variation. the second line shows the descending picking pattern. in the scalar section, exercises F, that's actually 4 straight 16th note patterns you'd use to go up and down any scale in a similar fashion to exercise A, instead of using economy picking however, you'd use strict alternate picking.

USE A METRONOME FOR ALL OF THESE OR ELSE!

I figure it'll help if i actually post the scale patterns used in these exercises:

All these patterns are transposeable, basically, playing pattern one starting at the second fret you'd play a C#major scale instead of the Cmaj.

I've also put the root notes in white on the diagrams. The root is basically the scale's heart note. in a C major scale the root would be C. if you want to play, say, an E major scale, you just need to move your patterns so the root locations land on E instead of C.

For the curious among you, the major scale is build from this formula

Root, +1, +1, +½, +1, +1 ,+1, +½
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1

basically, from the root, raise a whole step (two frets), to get the second, raise a whole step from the second to get the third, raise a half step (one fret) from the third to get the fourth. etc.

here's a reference for the theory newbies:

A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#

all these notes are a half-step apart.

A, Bb, C, Db, D, Eb, E, F, Gb, G, Ab

The exact same notes, only viewed in flats. A# = Bb.

this is used (for one) to avoid redundancy in key signatures

The F major scale is F, G, A, Bb, C, D, E. if you were to write it with only sharps, it'd have two A's in a row. which looks a bit messy on a score since you have both the sharp A and natural A.

So, following the formula:

C +1 = D
D +1 = E
E +½= F
F +1 = G
G +1 = A
A +1 = B
B +½= c

so we have the c major scale: C D E F G A B c

small tip: learning these 7 scale patterns, you also learn the Dorian scale, the phrygian scale, the lydian scale, the mixolydian scale, the minor scale and the locrian scale. those are all "modes" basically the same scale but choosing a different note as a root (D dorian has the same notes as C major, but you start from the 2nd, which is D, so D dorian would be D E F G A B C). I don't want to get into modes too much, but basically, it changes the color of stock major scales.

D major = D E F# G A B C#
D Dorian = D E F G A B C
notice the difference? both the third and 7th and flatted (lowered a half-step) in the dorian scale, giving it a minor(b3) Seventh(b7) quality.

a little formula i used when i was studying modes was the following:

1,2,3,4,5,6,7 is the major scale (C D E F G A B)

1,2,b3,4,5,6,b7 is the dorian scale (D E F G A B C)

1,b2,b3,4,5,b6,b7 is the phrygian scale (E F G A B C D)

1,2,3,#4,5,6,7 is the lydian scale (F G A B C D E)

1,2,3,4,5,6,b7 is the mixolydian scale (G A B C D E F)

1,2,b3,4,5,b6,b7 is the minor/aeolian scale (A B C D E F G)

1,b2,b3,4,b5,b6,b7 is the locrian scale (B C D E F G A)

i suggest you keep these as reference if you have even the most remote interest in music theory. these are the basic principles.

like i said, questions, Ask away.

okay, here's the ptb for the arpeggio practice. i've only included triads in this one since most of these exercises can be changed to use four note arpeggios, but i'll let you figure this one out. pay attention to the picking pattern, it might feel odd at first to start some sweeps with an upstroke, but when you want to loop an arpeggio for a measure, the upstroke makes it much more efficient. of course that doesn't mean you should start all arppegios with an upstroke.

Thanks, sounds pretty good so far. I really need to touch up on my technique/scales, so this will definately help me out. You should make a video about this, just demonstrating the workout, explaining each bit. I think they have some instructional video thing going at UG, and you could definately put it in.

I should probably make a video of these, but teaching to around 15 students a week plus the band and still going to school leaves little room for that. i -am- planning to make a better version of these though, with explainations and technical tips for each, since right now it's more like a big scrapbook of exercises to pick from.

The way it's built, you should master the earlier exercises first, then look at the few last ones, they're based on the first versions but with a few rythmic quirks. the legato string skip and the long legato exercise at the end is quite effective for left hand strength, but you should look at the legato coils before even tackling these.

one little tip for these, to build your pinky strength, instead of picking the note with an upstroke each time you start a string with your pinky and going on a pull-off sequence, simply tap the pinky hard enough on the note for it to be heard and continue the run with this technique in mind. it's hard at first, but it helps you play cleanly and the fluid feeling of legato sounds better. you can see this in the last exercise where instead of a pickstroke there's a T symbol. This can be applied pretty much anywhere you play a descending legato run.

here are three quick examples to apply to your scale practice in order to keep your playing out of the scale boxes i showed you earlier. this helps your phrasing alot, giving you a much better visualization of your scales, since you don't practice only the 7 individual patterns, but you're also practicing the transitions between them. after a while you'll have a much better comfort at improvising simply because you can move all over the fretboard without GETTING LOST IN THE OVERABUNDANCE OF FRETS.

This should also help clear alot of "black zones" (you know, those frets you never play)

Example A is a simple diagonal run using the major scale. just practice it and it'll fall under your fingers

Example B is a bit trickier, since you're playing an entire octave on one string, you should shift positions according to the scales pattern you learned, even if there are only two notes of that pattern.

so on the first part, the fingering would be:
1--2--4--1-2--4--1-2
and then you'd finger the 15th fret of the A string with the pinky finger and then go again in a descending motion. This exercise is also great for legato, just tap the first fret with your first left hand finger and then hammer away! Practice this one slow, very slow, to get tight and precise position shifts.

Example C, a classic shredding run on two strings that can be shifted on any pair of two strings. this lick is heard everywhere and is great to build up a climax on.

That's a fantastic abundance of useful tips and tricks, Seb. Thanks!

I'm wondering, do you know about the website Freelicks, started by Kristofer Dahl? Because I'm wondering how you would compare yourself to him in terms of skill. I know a lot of people don't see any point in comparing, so I understand if you don't feel like doing so.

There are probably tons of people better than me. i've only been playing for 4 years, but i have also -only- been playing during most of the time, and with all the teaching i've done in the past year i've learned how to practice efficiently and such.

As far as comparing goes, here are two of my philosophies

"You don't have to be the best to make your mark. just be a good'un"

"You gotta learn to play reallly well, then forget it all and do your own thing."

the moment you compare your skill to someone else, is the moment you should question yourself. are you comparing because you want to improve your playing for yourself, or just to say "I'm better than this guy" to boost your ego?

Technique is very important. but the listener doesn't care about technique. the listener cares about sound. and how you sound is how you play. and how you play is your technique. if you're sloppy, you'll sound sloppy and you won't appeal to anyone.

And if you copy techniques from your idol. you'll sound just like him. sounding like someone else is the worst way to go because eventually you'll be stuck in a rut where your own voice will have been silenced during your entire learning process.

I'm not saying it's bad to cover songs. but it's bad to cover only Malmsteen or cover only Zeppelin and so on.

Yngwie's still around and there are already plenty of Jimmy Page clones.

I realize i went off on a rant here but most of my students have asked me this question and i'm pretty sick of everyone comparing everyone.

it all comes down to, do your own thing, and play just how you'd talk.

Of Course, all of this is opinion, take what you like from it.

Exactly the kind of answer I was looking for!

I figure I should post a few links I found some very useful lessons on:

Steve Morse Lessons

a good stack of lessons and tabs from the mastermind of alternate picked arpeggios

Steve Vai Lessons

some of Vai's early lessons from the 80's. when there was no seven string guitar.

Martian Love Secrets

A column by Steve Vai again, oriented towards the psychology behind music. a bit crazy.

Tempo Mental

A -great- primer on rythm groupings. Steve the man again!

I've read all of the Steve Vai one's before, and I second the notion that they are amazing. I ought to go through Martian Love Secrets again now that I'm a bit more technical than I was 6 months ago.

it's been busy lately but here's a quickie. very useful to warm up both of your hands.

it's very important to keep a strict alternate picking, to keep your 1st and 2nd fingers off the string when you're not playing them, but still right over the frets. same thing for the 3rd and 4th fingers. this one is useful because it stretches the usually lazy side of your hand when you first pick up your instrument. steady position of the first and second fingers, and moving ring and pinkie. use the steady position as a sort of pivot point for the 2 other fingers.

of course. metronome, slide up to the 12th fret. and if you're a workaholic, go back down to the 1st fret.

Right hand picking is a very important thing to notice. Basically the goal of being a great player is perfect synch of your movements. This includes perfect coordination of the fretting and picking hands. I'll take a look at 2 major approaches to picking through a standard E minor scale.

First one is a strict alternate picking version of the scale. Played in 16th notes. for those who don't know, the V is an upstroke, and the upside down U is a downstroke.

The best way to play this is to accentuate the movement of the picking hand at slow speed. As you speed up, the movement will become locked in your hand and it will flow naturally. The trick is to play outside the string. There's alot more movement involved compared to economy picking (the next technique) but it adds alot of crisp and sharp attack to the notes, making them stand out. This works best when combined with a light palm mute. The fact they're in 16th notes but have 3 notes per string forces you to count without taking notice of the 3 note per string approach, making you more comfortable with different timings.



Second example is a run of the same scale. In 8th triplets in economy picking. The goal here is to let the hand slide. As opposed to alternate picking, this technique favors keeping the pick inside the strings. There's a light alternate picking section when you shift positions but it simply helps reverse the movement to economy pick upwards. the rule of thumb to economy picking is that every time there's an odd number of notes on the same string, you'll play with sweeps. When you have an even number of notes (basically like on the position shifting) you need alternate picking.

About triplets.
You can also use alternate picking throughout as well, the timing will feel a bit more natural.



The last one is a kind of personal twist to these. I found myself really comfortable going on an ascent with strict alternate picking. Then finding myself just as comfortable playing sweep on a descent. The goal is to be able to play both techniques. There's no way everything in a musical situation is perfect 3 notes per string patterns. You need to be versatile and that means picking both ways with a natural flowing approach.



Find your comfortable technique (ie the way you've been playing all this time without noticing) and practice it. Then look at the other technique you suck at, then practice it. Then combine them when jamming. You'll see a lot more coordination between the hands, and your sound will be cleaner.

Sorry it's been a while again, but i haven't forgotten this series of mini-lessons just yet!

Today i'll cover the wonders of adequatly warming up.

Yesterday i was with one of my students who had trouble doing big stretchy chords. so for the first half of the class i decided to properly warm up his hand (something he obviously never does). i gave him a few two chord progressions involving only new chords, but with relatively easy shifts. this loosened his hand to the point where he could perform a big add9 powerchord at the first fret (this is a beginner so it's a feat in my view).

it's come to my attention through the last year of teaching that most people don't warm up, or don't know -how- to.

Don't know why you should warm up?

• Avoid long/short term hand and wrist injuries (carpal tunnel and the likes)
• No struggling to play songs after your warmup
• increased left hand strength after several weeks of warming up before playing
• comfortable way to learn new chords

you should warm up when you first pick up your guitar in the morning/evening/night and when your hands are feeling stiff and cold -even- after you've played once during the day and feel like doing it again.

I'll cover 4 chord progressions using basic jazz chords to get you started.

the first one is a simple m7 - m6 progression. start at the 5th fret and move it chromatically (one fret at a time) up the neck. The Am7 chord requires a 3 string barre with your ring finger, but you need to reverse your joint in order to have a correct hand posture. the bass note is fingered with the middle finger, crossing over the A string so it mutes it (this should be done without you noticing it, but try to make a counscious effort). keep the index finger over the D string so it's ready for the Am6 chord. this one requires a barre as well, but only on two strings. so briefly lift your ring finger and reapply the pressure on the G and B strings, reversing your joint again (the simple action of removing and reapplying pressure will help your fingers get used to the joint reversal), at the same time, put your index finger on the 4th fret of the D string. play this one note at a time to make sure it sounds good.




Second one is alot simpler, and pratices parallel movement. for the chord shift you should simply reverse the middle and index finger on the A and G strings. but move them both at the same speed and at the same time (as if there was a mirror between them).




The next one is trickier. the fingering for the Amaj7 chord should be 1x342x and the fingering for the A6 chord should be 2x143. you basically you lift all your fingers BUT the pinky (and it's important to KEEP the pinky on the string so your fingers gain independance). again, move all your fingers in a parallel motion, taking care to notice the slight wrist rotation involved in the shift.




last one, is easy. just keep your pinky at the same place, moving your middle finger to the 5th fret and barring your index at the 4th fret. again, all at the same time. or else the purpose of these exercises will be wasted.




Hope this was useful to some of you. if anyone has any requests for the next lesson, post here!

Seb, you are godlike. Thank you.

This is going to be a really short one, but this is VERY important to take notice of.

ever feel awkward when going on a quick solo then wanting to break it down some with a slower melodic type of lick? ever had that wierd feeling your right hand just doesn't keep up or is getting mixed up in all your notes?

maybe you should practice alternate picking more. take a simple 4 note coil (see the ptb's at the top of this thread if you don't know what i'm talking about) and use ONLY up down up down picking throughout. if at some point you feel some sort of discomfort (not pain, but like your hand is getting mixed up) then there's a weakness.

it's very important to take any new lick/scale/arppeggio with an alternate picking approach first, this way you'll be able to instantly insert it while improvising. and your right hand won't get confused since you trained it to mindlessly pick "up down up down" all the time, so after practicing for a while, you'll forget your right hand even exists.

if anyone wants me to go into deeper detail, post it here, and i'll gladly show a few examples to demonstrate what i'm talking about.

one aspect alot of players overlook is how to make the same lick/phrase/melody come alive in very different ways in order to acheive their own voice on the instrument. One aspect i really like trying out in improvisation is going on a long run of alternate picking notes, and then to make things interesting using a bunch of slid notes to connect my current phrase to the next one. also, hammering your way up a scale and then finishing your phrase with a really loud picked note will have its effect. you can also rake down all the strings to make that picked note even more outstanding. I'll let you guys figure it out since it's a really personal approach. it's your voice, not mine

a good way to practice this is to take one phrase or scale, and play it differently. as an example. this Dmin7 arppegio. get it under your fingers in alternate picking. once you get it down starting with a downstroke. play it starting with an upstroke. your hand will thank you. then the second aspect, played with a much more fluid approach. notice the acciaccatura-ed note (the tiny C (fret 8 for those that don't know their notes. shame on you!)) that seems to double the C you just hammered to. i suggest you check this line out separatly. the trick is to hammer from the 5th fret to the 8th fret ( A to C) and then pick the C note but don't linger on it. as soon as you pick it slide up to the D and back down to the C pulling off to the A. it'll give a sort of stutter that may sound strange at first but once you get used to it you'll start incorporating it into many other lines. I personally like to use it with pentatonic based lines.

and then the last one is the same arpeggio but starting on the minor7th in case you don't feel all that "rooted" up into the shape. it's a good way to get used to the legato movement.

this is just scratching the surface. you could also bend up from the C to the D but that's another story. the possibilities are limitless when it comes to phrasing a melodic line. use your ears and your heart.

okay. so you have these exercises right? did you know that each exercise can actually mean up to 8 different ones? no?

let me explain a small concept to you. timing.

let's say you have a lick in 16th notes. now we all know 16th notes come in groups of four usually (in 4/4 time, if you don't know this shame on you. back to the basics with you!)

so the basic of your lick has 4 notes. you can play this lick 4 ways. starting on the first, second, third, or fourth note.

this is called rythmic displacement, or permutation, and is an invaluable tool in keeping your practice sessions fresh and challenging. (to me anyway)

here's the principle applied to a simple 4 note coil. this alone should keep you busy for a while. and if it doesn't, well, start everything with an upstroke. or maybe play it completely legato with minimal picking, or hell, try to economy pick it. all techniques are important if you want to achieve a certain sound.

start slow. and with the first coil, try counting 1,2,3,4 along with it. it helps to keep in time. with a metronome the displacement will definitely show itself in the 3 other variations.

now, when starting on displacement, one trick i got was to keep my 1,2,3,4 count (or 1,2,3,4,5,6, 1,2,3,4,5. etc, depending on your note grouping) even though i was starting on the second or third note in my lick. it helps tell your head that it's still the same lick you previously learned, with reversed picking and accents. so i would start playing on the 2nd beat, and count in my head 2,3,4,1,2,3,4,1 and so on. same thing with the third beat. 3,4,1,2,3,4,1,2.

when you get used to displacement, go back to counting with simple 1,2,3,4 even though you start on the first, second, third or fourth beat, whatever. then you'll already be alot more comfortable with "whacky" groupings like 3 note per string scale in 16th notes instead of triplets. or even a 3 note per string scale in groups of five but with no coils. let me tell you this is a real brain twister. but it helps to free your mind and prepare it for rough tasks like improvisation and choosing the right notes. you can't think about melody when you're struggling with timing.

have fun. you can use this approach to ANY exercise, not just the example below.

the diminished 7th arppegio is a favorite of mine in terms of how it forces the pinky to work out. it's a really simple lick to remember too, and works everywhere in the neck, and when used with the right context, it sounds SPOOKY.

the first one is the standard alternate picking version of a 4 note dim7th coil you should practice before tackling anything else.

the second is my favorite example, it combines alternate with bursts of sweep picking, it's hard to master, but it gives your hand complete freedom, and combining sweep with alternate forces the hand to stick closer to the strings so you gain more speed since you don't waste energy moving your hand all over the place with alternate picking (even if alternate is the better technique of the two)

try out both, but the hybrid one will help those with sweep difficulties.

I wonder if anyone really reads this.

now's the time to request something you'd want me to detail, a few requests wouldn 't be bad either, which would give me time to write up several lessons that actually interest some of you guys.

ask anything, i'll try my best to clear it up!

This thread is insane. Thank you so much for all the time you've put into this!

I have a question about strict downpicking - ie: Master Of Puppets.

I practice and practice and practice but I can NEVER get my right arm comfortable. Try as I might I just cannot isolate the movement to my wrist, so my arm gets tense and I have to stop as it gets weary. Do you have any advice?

Also, where do you position your picking hand? Do you anchor it? Do you change positions for different styles/techniques?

Edit: In the Am7 to Am6 exercise, are you meant to keep the high e muted? And is this joint reversal really necessary? I find it easy to simply keep the finger flat against the G and B as opposed to only using my fingertip.

as far as downpicking goes. it's all about endurance. start with a metronome slowly on a passage, and repeat it like 24-30 times in a row. then increase speed. etc. you might not reach your goal tempo yet but the muscles will work and get stronger.

muting the high e isn't a necessity in the min7 min6 chords, since whatever note is on the low e is also on the high e and thus a part of the chord. still, this kind of bent-bar is a useful technique to get down, useful in some triad shapes and especially in a major chord sweep in the Root - fifth - Root - Third - Fifth shape since you need to roll the fifth root third movement.

as far as picking. whatever feels right. I anchor sometimes under the bridge pickup, depends on the technique.

I wouldn't mind a few nice tapping or sweeping passages, maybe some with both combined. i.e some nice shapes to practice but arranged in such a way that it sounds nice, I find it much easier to do metronome work when it sounds nice too.

Seb, what fingers would you use to play something like this?

e------------------------------------21-22-23-24
B-------------------21-22-23-24-----------------
G--21-22-23-24----------------------------------

I can't figure out an efficient way of playing all the way up the fretboard like this.

I'd personally do it 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th. Yes it's a tight squeeze but it's really the best way of doing it.

1234

it's the proper way. no escape.

Don't tell me you guys can fit all four fingers on those adjacent frets at once.

And how about something like this:

E------1-3-5-------

Do you use your middle or ring finger to hit the 3?

Middle.

You can fit them all. you just don't.

I always keep one finger at a time on the fretboard.

first picture is all fingers at once, then one at a time

second row details your fingering.

It's good to know that it's possible, heh.

I don't understand what the second row is showing.

1-3-5 patterns but at other frets, i was too lazy to adjust the camera angle

forums are up again. time for another twist!

I recently found this neat little arpeggio shape that really spices up your chord progressions. it's based on the 4 tone chords Dom7 / min7 / maj7 / 7b5 and is played on 3 strings in the standard boxed pattern.

I have videos for the fingerings, tabs, and even a little etude that will get you working.

First example is in alternate picking. no brainer, just pick and pick and pick.


Video

second one is in sweep picking but i pick the first note of the second beat with an upstroke. accents and stuff.


Video

and last i try to play it with as much legato as possible. less accents though. would work well in 32nd notes.


Video

and then a little etude. uses all the shapes described about. with some doubling notes to ensure you're efficient in your shifting


Slow. all picking patterns

Fast, sweeping pattern 1. because that's the one i've been working on the most

have fun! it's nice to use these over a static minor chord and see what color tones you can get.

thats amazing

Hey Seb, would you be able to quickly describe some more scales for us?

I've learned all of the modes of the major scale but I don't know the other minor scales or blues scales or pentatonics. Anything would be good.

other minor scales as in melodic and harmonic?

and what about harmonic major?

and before tackling other scales, have you even bothered deeply improvising with each mode? i'd suggest you do that before you even start on other patterns. it's less confusing, and it'll be easier to just change the altered tone compared to the major scale than to see it as a whole new pattern.

as far as pentatonic goes, i'm working on something special.

Well I wasn't exactly talking about showing us the patterns on the fretboard but rather describing them in the "1 2b 3# 4 5 6b 7" format.

And yes I'm fairly comfortable with my knowledge of the scales, though I'm not good at improvising because at the moment I'm not good at identifying the chord/chord tones and/or choosing an appropriate mode to play in.

first of all. Scale formulas

Major 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Dorian 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7
Phrygian 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7
Lydian 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7
Mixolydian 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7
Aeolian 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7
Locrian 1 b2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7

Harmonic Minor 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7

Melodic Minor 1 2 b3 4 5 6 7

second of all. a really effective exercise. it's critical to only use alternate picking in that. it's in the key of C (see scale patterns at the OP)



At 80 bpm

At 160 bpm

have fun. (it took me a good year to from from 80 to 160 cleanly and flawlessly so don't worry if it's hard. because it is, just practice it. you'll see it creep up in your playing)

Monster lick! this is a straight diminished 7th arpeggio. with tapping, legato, string skipping.

try it out. it sounds really neat.

Monster!

Hey there, I'm having a solid go at as many of these things as I can, and I can already see an improvement in my consistency and timing. My arpeggios are coming along nicely - I just got the hang of rolling.

I'm wondering if you could upload a video of you playing the exercise that goes like:



I'm interested to see how stationary you keep your fingers.

here you go HRJ

Chromatic Workout

and here's a bluesy lick i came up with while fiddling around with some single coil tone fun. the tab isn't entirely accurate as far as the ending goes, but you know, just add your own twist, like i did, that's how you develop your own ideas and sound and tone.

the first example in the slow vid is entirely picked, as you can hear it sounds nice but not exactly smooth and bluesy. the second example is played legato just like the tab. it's based around the F# minor pentatonic scale with a blue note on the G string and the 13th on the second string to add that tensed up exotic sound.

i'm tuned to Eb so it SOUNDS like F minor, but when you play it in standard tuning it'll be f# minor. feel free to add this to to any Minor based chord progression, works well in all minor modes because the blue note (b5) and the 13th **** up how your ear will see the tonality and it's actually okay to use these notes as nice passing tones. creates a nice tension and release effect.

also. you can move this pattern to the 5th fret and you get A minor pentatonic. 7th fret you get B minor pentatonic. see a pattern here folks?

have fun. and one thing, for legato, practice with a clean tone so you sound good in any situation. distortion just makes it too easy. and if you have a single coil switch on your guitar, use it, the lone coil has less gain and forces you to hammer a bit stronger on the strings, making them really twang with beauty.

Slow, Pick and Legato

Fast and in context

the note groupings are a bit wierd but like i said, the tab's not all that accurate, but practice it this way and then add a bit of feeling and emotion into it and it will creep up in your playing in just about dozens of variations.

i think the second version is closer to what i played but it ends up being a 5 bar lick so it's a bit wierd, but with some getting used to you can make it fit anywhere.