Tag Archives: Guitar Scale Runs

Alternate Picking Quintuplets Guitar Lesson

Hey there, this lesson is all about the alternate picking guitar technique found all over the guitar world and today we will focus on the Quintuplet rhythmic sub- division whilst using this technique. Quintuplets are five notes to a beat and when played well they can bring a very ordinary set of notes to life. I find quintuplets to have an unresolved sound and lend themselves to continues runs of notes in the note grouping before resolving to a more predictable note grouping such as 4 notes to a beat.

Exercise 1- Alternate Picking Quintuplets Exercise 1 (2-4-2-1-4, 2-1-2-4-1)

Alternate Picking Quintuplets Exercise 1

Work on the examples without a metronome until you have learnt the pattern of notes, then turn on the metronome starting at around 50bpm. When counting the Quintuplets I would recommend counting them as 1 Pi Ta Pa Ta, 2 Pi Ta Pa Ta, 3 Pi Ta Pa Ta, 4 Pi Ta Pa Ta. Doing this will help you stay in time and allow you to accent the 1, 2, 3 and 4 as you play through the exercise. You may wish to hide the beat note by not accenting the 1, 2, 3 or 4 or you may even want to experiment with accenting every ‘Pa’ instead. Each different part of the beat will bring a different sound to the table when accented so experiment. The numbers at the end of the title for the exercise shown in brackets refer to the finger pattern used throughout exercise 1.

Exercise 2- Alternate Picking Quintuplets Exercise 2 (3-4-3-1-4, 3-1-3-4-1)

Alternate Picking Quintuplets Exercise 2

Notice that the difference between exercise 1 and 2 is that we develop the finger strength of different groups between the two exercises and that exercise 1 uses the Em shaped A Dorian mode and exercise 2 uses the Gm shaped A Dorian mode. Learn more about these modes here.

Exercise 3- Alternate Picking Quintuplets Exercise 3 (2-4-2-1-4, 2-1-2-4-1)

Alternate Picking Quintuplets Exercise 3

The exercise shown above takes the general idea of exercise 1 and throws in a string skipping theme into the mix. This means that you jump over a string in order to play another part of the lick. We use this technique to develop the large interval sound that is less predictable and sure to grab some listener attention. If you have never done string skipping before you may do some mis- fretted notes along the way!

Exercise 4- Alternate Picking Quintuplets Exercise 4 (3-4-3-1-4, 2-1-2-4-1)

Alternate Picking Quintuplets Exercise 4

Exercise 4 takes the general shape of exercise 2 and adds string skipping for affect. Pay attention to the fingering pattern shown in the exercise title.

If you have enjoyed this lesson and would be interested in more guitar lessons then please browse the blog section of this site. Alternatively, if you would like to study a method of guitar and master scales, modes, chords, arpeggios and understand and use theory then please see Be The Guitarist. This eBook will provide you with a wealth of material and is perfectly accompanied with The Ultimate Practise- Planner. Ever found that you just don’t know what to practise when you pick up your guitar? This eBook takes all the diagrams and concepts from Be The Guitarist and puts them in TAB exercises with time scales to suit different lifestyles.

Have Fun!

Tom Clark

Alternate Picking Guitar Lesson- Part 4

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Welcome to part 4 of the Alternate Picking Guitar Lesson Series. In this lesson you will be learning how to play some scale fragments or portions of scales with the use of alternate picking. Learning these note groupings will develop your finger set strengths, improve alternate picking accuracy and make your arsenal of licks, runs and phrases is easier to pull out when you need them most.

Exercise 1

Alternate Picking Triplet Scale Fragments

This little fragment shown above is a great way to isolate your ability with the 4- 2- 1 finger combination which you can then combine with other finger group patterns and other areas of scales to create speed runs, sequences and any type of line that relies of being able to move around a scale efficiently. In the second bar you change strings with the same finger pattern with strict alternate picking, it may be tempting to use legato but try and be disciplined and stick with the alternate picking approach. If you find it hard to play in triplets then count 1- trip- let 2- trip- let 3- trip- let 4- trip- let and play the number slightly harder to make it easier to hear if you are in time.

Exercise 2

Alternate Picking Triplet Scale Fragments Ex 2

The exercise above is great for building the strength and ability of the 4- 3- 1 finger grouping. If you learn this fragment and build your speed and accuracy with a metronome you will be ready to tackle larger runs in coming lessons. This fragment could be described as a portion of an A Dorian mode but those finger patterns could be played somewhere else and function differently, so it is a great pattern to get down. In bar 2 when you change strings you should aim for real clarity in the striking of the note and not opt for the approach so commonly found where players rush a string change and disguise it with distortion.

Exercise 3

Alternate Picking Triplet Scale Fragments Ex 3

This fragment ties the two above together nicely and is more realistic of a run that you would find players such as Paul Gilbert doing at break neck speed. An exercise such as this may sound just like an exercise at low speed, but you would be surprised how many bars of technical rock solos are filled with lines just like this. Perhaps it is the speed and tone that often disguises the melodic content, but it works and sounds exciting and if it is your kind of sound then why not add it to the trick bag.

If you have enjoyed this lesson and would be interested in learning much more about guitar then please read Be The Guitarist for a detailed, tried and tested method of learning guitar without the time wasting.

If you are learning quite a lot of different ideas, licks, chords etc and are feeling stuck on how to practise it all then you may be interested in The Ultimate Practise- Planner. This eBook will provide you with practise routines designed for varying lifestyles and dedication to the instrument. You wont have to worry about what to practise because it is all laid out for you in easy to read TAB exercises.

Have fun and keep practising!

Tom Clark

Combining Hammer- Ons and Pull- Offs Guitar Lesson

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Hey there, this lesson will cover combining the Hammer- On and Pull- Off technique. We have covered the two separate techniques but combining them makes things even more interesting. By combining the two techniques we can use scales to create flurries of ascending and descending melodies that are not quite as predictable as either just ascending or descending phrases.

Exercise 1- Combined Hammer- On and Pull- Off A Minor Pentatonic Run

Combined Hammer- On and Pull- Off A Minor Pentatonic Run

Exercise 2- A Aeolian Hammer- On and Pull- Off Run

A Aeolian Hammer- On and Pull- Off Run

This lick is very similar to something Paul Gilbert would play with the addition of his classic use of bends thrown in there. If this lick does not come to you easy because of the mixed up triplet and eight note rhythms then do not despair as you can experiment by taking the notes and making your own licks and finger exercises.

Exercise 3- Descending C Ionian Hammer- On and Pull- Off Run

Descending C Ionian Hammer- On and Pull- Off Run

If you want to find out more about the scales and modes that you have been learning during this lesson then please read my eBook Be The Guitarist for full explanations of guitar scales in all positions plus chords, arpeggios and much more!

Keep Practising and have fun

Tom Clark

Pull- Offs Guitar Lesson Part 1

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Hey there, welcome to Part 1 of the Pull- Offs Guitar Lessons where you will learn exactly what this technique is and examples to get you incorporating it into your guitar playing.

A Pull- Off is when you play a note without picking the string, but instead use another finger to pull off the string at an angle so that the string sounds a note onto the fretted note behind the note you pulled off. You can pick a note as you usually would but have a note ‘prepared’ lower in pitch than the note picked on the same string. After you pick the higher note you then need to pull away from the string towards the floor so that the note fretted lower can sound from the pull off motion created.

You will be able to see a pull-off in TAB shown by a curved line (tie) between notes.

Exercise 1- A Minor Pentatonic Pull- Offs

Beginner Scale Pull- Offs

If you have not realised how you would play this exercise already then here are my simple tips to mastering the beginner Pull- Off exercise. Place both your first and third finger on the G string to start with, making sure your first finger is on the 5th fret and your third finger is on the 7th fret. Pick the G string and now pull your third finger towards the ground so that the note does not die as it would if you just lift your finger off. You may at first hear some excess string noise created by pulling the note off, so you will need to mute this by using the underside of your first finger laying gently on the higher strings (B and high E). Once you have the two notes on the G string working comfortably then its time to tackle the D string notes.

Repeat the exact same process on the D and A string, ensuring to mute unwanted string noise as you move across the strings. When you reach the low E string you will need to use your fourth finger on the 8th fret and it may be harder to achieve a solid pull off with this finger but be persistent, it will pay off!

Exercise 2- A Minor Pentatonic Pull- Offs short run

Pull- Off Scale Run

This exercise is an extended version of the exercise you have just completed and utilises notes on the higher string of the A Minor Pentatonic Scale we are using. If you are interested in learning all about Scales and how to use them then please see Be The Guitarist for easy to understand diagrams and full explanations. This example uses a pattern often found in rock guitar based music during the guitar solo where high energy licks are a favourite.

As with many of the exercises I give you, I would suggest using a metronome to work on accuracy. Start out at 80 bpm playing two notes per a beat and working up in 5 bpm slots once it becomes easy at the current tempo.

You should use this pattern with other guitar scales to broaden your chances of being able to pull it out of the bag when you need it most! Once again, if you want to master guitar scales then Be The Guitarist is a great resource.

Exercise 3- A Minor Pentatonic Pull- Offs Long Run

A Minor Pentatonic Long Pull- Off

This exercise is a further extended version of the previous A Minor Pentatonic Scale Pull- Off Run licks you have learnt. Notice the sequence based phrasing used by not simply moving up and down the scale with pull- offs, but instead using notes from surrounding strings to create a predictable but effective sound.

I hope you have enjoyed this lesson and please subscribe for notification of free guitar lessons, new eBooks plus much more!

Tom Clark

Guitar Scale Runs- Four Note Motifs Part 1

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Hello, today you will be learning about the Four Note Motifs that are found all over many forms of music, but in particular rock guitar based music. These scale sequences are usually played at a fast pace with a fairly distorted guitar tone and this is only achieved by practising the sequence below at a very slow pace. By learning the four note sequences you will be able to execute flurries of notes to form parts of solos that will grab the listeners attention.

At first this passage will seem daunting because there are so many notes being played. Once you understand that it is a sequence and therefor a pattern is repeated through the scale, it becomes less daunting because you can hear where the passage is going.

Tackle the sequence four notes at a time and once learnt, attempt to play the diatonic notes harder than the rest of the notes in the sequence. This is known as accenting and will bring some life to a flat sounding run.

Sequence 1

When you have learnt the notes of the sequence, turn on your metronome set to 60 bpm and try to play two notes per a beat and then when this becomes easy, try four notes per a beat as shown in the sequence above.

Sequence 2

Sequence 2 is played in 1/8th notes which means you play 2 notes per a beat instead of 4 and uses the C major scale in the A shape form. Play the sequences in the remaining four shapes of the C major scale so that you can connect the scale shapes up and down the neck. If you don’t know how to play the scale in different positions then see Be The Guitarist for easy to understand scale diagrams and full explanations.

Come back soon to learn two more Four Note Motifs.

Tom Clark

Guitar Scale Runs- Three Note Motifs Part 2

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Hey there, this lesson will be focusing on two different scale runs in the key of C major that have a different sequence. These two sequences will provide you with some interesting ways to practise your scales and modes when running up and down the scales in an ordinary fashion becomes boring.

Ensure to practise the sequences with a metronome starting out at 60 bpm and only increase the tempo when you are finding it easy at the current tempo. Try to accent each diatonic note of the scale, this means play the 1st, 4th, 7th, 10th, 13th etc note of the sequences harder than the other notes. This will help you build your dynamics so that you can learn to play loud and soft at different times.

Sequence 3

As with all the sequences I have been teaching throughout this series, I recommend you learn the sequence as it is shown and then experiment with idea. By experiment I mean that you should understand and absorb the sound of the sequence and then try to take another shape of the scale and recreate the sequence. To do this you will need to know all the positions of at least your major scale so that you can choose another position of the scale and then work out how to play the sequence.

If you want to learn your scales then see Be The Guitarist for easy to understand diagrams and full explanations.

Sequence 4

Keep practising and I hope you have enjoyed the Three note motif lessons. Come back for more lessons on guitar scale sequences where you will learn how to play Four Note Motifs.

Tom Clark

Guitar Scale Runs- Three Note Motifs Part 1

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Hello there, this lesson is all about the scale runs we hear in many forms of music, in particular rock guitar based music. Our aim is for you to have some patterns under your belt to pull out on your command and execute with ease. If practised slowly with a focus on accuracy there is no reason why you could not achieve high speed runs in a matter of months. Also worth mentioning is that I have designed this exercise to be in 6/8 time signature, this means you are playing 6 notes per a bar. You could do this in common 4/4 also, so why not try that one time.

Sequence 1

Here is the second motif we can create by playing a variation on the original sequence we have just learnt. This sequence relies on playing what are known as ‘Triads’ but through the A shaped C major scale, why not try this pattern up the A string pulling out notes from the D and G string?

Sequence 2

Once you understand the sound of the sequence and exactly what you are doing with the scale in use you can recreate the sequence in the remaining shapes of the C major scale. This will give you greater command of the fretboard so that you do not feel limited to a certain area on the neck when soloing or writing parts on your guitar.

Try and pick the diatonic notes of the scale harder to work on your dynamics and if you want to know all about scale then please see Be The Guitarist.

Come back for part 2 and 3 of the Three Note Motifs where you will learn four more scale runs to experiment with.

Tom Clark

Scale Sequences- Octaves for Guitar

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Hey there, welcome to the final diatonic sequence before we move onto motivic sequence. This lesson will cover the Diatonic Octaves sequence and I am hoping it will become another trick to add to your growing list.

An octave is two of the same notes played at a different point on the guitar where one of the notes is higher and one is lower. This sequence is the most safe sequence to use when trying to improvise and is found a lot in many forms of music. The diagram below will show the octave sequence using the A shaped pattern in the key of C major, however you will normally find it as shown in the 2nd diagram as it is easier to play and is often used as a 2nd guitar part to follow a chord progression with added variety.

Diatonic Octaves

Here is the more commonly found example where you play the same notes as shown above but create the C major scale up the A string instead of across the strings. Off each note of the scale you play an octave of the note to create the slightly sporadic sounding major scale.

Try play this example as shown and then play the octave notes at the same time with a strumming pattern of your choice and hear the different sounds you will achieve.

As with all of the sequences you have been learning, I would like you to try to play the same sequence with the remaining shapes of your major scale. This means understanding the sound of the particular sequence and recreating it with different scale patterns in the same key. If this all sounds too complicated then please see Be The Guitarist for easy to understand scales and modes.

Practising with a metronome is not always everyones idea of fun when you start out on the guitar, but most players would say that practising particular things with a metronome helped them enormously. You can find online metronomes by simply google searching or you can buy an actual metronome from any good music store. When you are playing two notes per a beat as shown in the two diagrams above, it is a good idea to start out at around 60-80 bpm before increasing the metronome in 5bpm slots once the exercise becomes easy.

Enjoy and come back soon for Motivic Sequences that will teach you how to play the fast runs you hear from players such as Paul Gilbert.

Tom Clark

Diatonic Octaves- Up the neck

Scale Sequences- Diatonic Fourths for Guitar

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Welcome to another free guitar lesson on Guitar Scale Sequences. During this lesson you will learn about the Diatonic Fourths Sequence and hopefully take away another useful trick to use when improvising or writing melodies.

Try to play the sequence in the 5 different positions of the Ionian Scale and then do it in a few other keys to make sure you can transpose it. If you wish to learn all your scales then please see Be the Guitarist, easy to understand diagrams and full explanations.

As with previous scale sequence ideas I would like you to try apply the knowledge to other scales that you have learn such as Mixolydian for example. By doing this you will have greater command over the sequence and be able to pull out a fast flurry of diatonic fourths when you wish and in the right situation.

Tom Clark