The Importance of Timing and Attitude
One of the most important attributes of any great singer or instrumentalist is great timing and phrasing. This means they have developed the ability to begin and end a note or phrase at precisely the right moment for maximum effect. To develop a good feel for timing right from the start, you should always practice with a metronome or drum machine if you are not playing with other musicians. Great players mean every note, nothing is unconvincing or half-hearted. It is the feeling and emotion the notes are played with that makes all the difference. Once you can play something, you must be totally committed to it. Never think "this is easy, I don't really need to concentrate here" or this attitude will become a part of your playing. Good players make simple things sound great, and this is what you should strive for right from the start. Treat everything you play as music, rather than having one attitude for 'exercises' and another for Veal music'.
This example uses the E minor pentatonic scale in the open position. This means that the open strings are used instead of your first finger. Run through the scale several times and then play this example. Be sure to damp out the open strings when they are not being played.
