In this lesson we’ll be looking at a couple of quick warmup exercises that uses all 4 fingers. We’ll start with a chromatic pattern and then look at a couple of variations. 4 finger patterns are a perfect way to get warmed up as well as become more accustom to using all 4 fingers more efficiently.
The aim with this guitar warmup exercise is to warmup your picking hand and fretboard hand & fingers. Once warmed up you can start to practice more complex ideas with less risk of strain or injury. When using alternate picking make sure that both hands are really in sync with each other. If you’re used to picking in a 3nps fashion then this will really be a test of your dexterity.
Continue Reading
Welcome to episode 3 of Power Up! This time we’ll be looking at a simple picking lick. The idea is to repeat this slowly over and over to develop coordination between your fretboard hand and your picking hand.
Developing coordination with this odd time alternate picking idea across all 4 fingers on your fretboard hand will help not only with picking ideas like this but also many other aspects of your playing, from advanced chords to riffs and of course shred techniques.
Continue Reading
Today we’re going to look at some basic string skipping drills to help improve your speed and precision. The string skipping technique, as the name suggests, involves skipping over one or more strings to the next.
For example you might be playing on the low E string and then skip the A string and move straight to the D string. Remember to practice these string skipping basics slowly until you have built up your ‘muscle memory’. In this lesson we will be focusing on string skipping whilst alternate picking.
Continue Reading
Today we’re going to look a little ripper of an alternate picking lick. This one ascends across all 6 strings from the low E string. This is an interesting idea because we’re using sequences across groupings of two strings. Let’s Go! Full Shred Ahead! If you want a quick overview of the lesson then Download the Tab.
This alternate picking lick is based around a little sequence that begins on fret 10. The lick starts with a descending idea. Once you’ve got the basic mechanics of the lick under your fingers it’s then simply a case of moving it through the positions.
Continue Reading
Tremolo picking involves picking the same note multiple times in a row, usually at least four. This technique originates from classical guitar and other stringed instruments. The idea was to create modulations in volume by finger picking a note multiple times with harder and softer plucking.
In rock and metal Tremolo Picking is more common to use the technique to maintain volume by giving each note less time to decay. It also provides more attack giving a harsher, more aggressive sound.
Continue Reading
The following exercise is designed to help you increase your alternate picking speed. We’ll do this by pushing slightly beyond your ‘comfortable limit’ in short controlled bursts. By ‘comfortable limit’ I mean the fastest speed you can play before you start to make mistakes or go out of time.
The lick is a short, single bar which consists of mostly 16th notes. However the first 3 notes of each half are 16th note triplets. You can play these faster than 16th notes. You can fit 16 sixteenth notes in a bar but you can fit 24 sixteenth note triplets. Once you get comfortable with this exercise you’ll find you’ll be able to increase your alternate picking speed quicker than you thought!
Continue Reading
Here’s an interesting descending harmonic minor picking lick that incorporates 3 and 4 notes per string. This one is particularly challenging because the 4 note pattern uses a minor third > half > whole shape which is unconventional for this type of lick.
We’ll be using a 3 and 4nps pattern for most of the lick, finishing up in the Dorian#4 position of the harmonic minor modes. Get warmed up and get your shred on because this Harmonic Minor Picking Lick is a ripper.
Continue Reading
This week we’re going to look at a rippin’ alternate picking lick that switches between 4 and 3 fingers per string. We’re going to be using sequences of sevens and fives to play through this lick in octaves across all 6 strings. In this alternate picking lick we will be utilising the Harmonic Minor scale
Typically an alternate picking sequence of 5’s or 7’s will be using a 3 finger shape, however because we are switching between 3 and 4 fingers per string, a sequence of 7’s now becomes a 4 finger shape. You’ll notice that when you start over on the next octave you begin again with your pinky. The really unique thing about this lick is that the sequences start at opposite ends, this makes for an unconventional sound to a picking lick.
Read more
