Welcome to part 5 of the Alternate Picking Guitar lesson series. In this lesson you are going to learn how to play 4 and 6 notes per a click scale fragments with strict alternate picking.
Exercise 1- 1/6th note Alternate Picking Pattern 2-4-2-1
16th note Alternate Picking Pattern
1/16th note alternate picking is one of the fundamentals of the rock guitarist and once a player has executed the chromatic 1/16th notes then it is time to nail some scale fragments so that you can use them in your improvisation and solo construction. The numbers at the end of the title for exercise 1 (shown above) 2-4-2-1 are referring to your finger numbers. There are a few patterns to work on before you can fluently start moving around the fretboard with your scales and modes.
Remember accuracy is everything, practise with a clean tone to start with and then add distortion later. 1/16th notes should be counted as 1 e and a 2 e and a 3 e and a 4 e and a. Tap your foot on the number and work with a metronome whenever you want to push yourself and increase the tempo. With the pattern above as well as the pattern below I have personally seen Paul Gilbert use these live so they aren’t just an exercise. When you feel comfortable I want you to work on dynamics, learn to play harder and quieter at different times and hit certain notes harder for example the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 is a good place to start.
Exercise 2- 1/16th note Alternate Picking Pattern 3-4-3-1
16th note Alternate Picking Pattern Ex 2
This exercise takes the same idea as before except we are using a different finger grouping which can make all the difference to your speed and accuracy. You find this much easier than the previous example, practise it as mentioned above and use my practise planner to get the most out of your practise sessions.
Exercise 3- Sextuplet Alternate Picking Scale Fragments 2-4-2-1-4-1
Sextuplet Alternate Picking Scale Fragments
Playing 6 notes per a beat is something that may initially throw you, but once you slow your metronome down to 50-60 bpm and give it a try, it may not seem quite so scary. Repeat the exercise and try it at different areas on the fretboard to experiment with the lick. As this exercise is slightly more interesting than the previous ones you have learnt, it is very useable in improvisations and constructed solos. Use the finger pattern numbers in the title to help you if you are unsure which fingers to use on which fret.
Exercise 4- Sextuplet Alternate Picking Scale Fragments 3-4-3-1-4-1
Sextuplet Alternate Picking Patterns 2
Please come back again soon for regular free guitar lessons on a subject you may like. If you have wanted to learn guitar with a method instead of learning bits from all over the internet then you be interested in my eBook Be The Guitarist. This eBook will provide you with everything you need to know to find your style and really enjoy playing guitar. Every scale, chord, mode, arpeggio and piece of theory in the eBook has been included after trying it with my own private guitar students and removing the unnecessary information.
Be The Guitarist- Contents page
Be The Guitarist- Contents Page 2
Keep up the practise!
Tom Clark