The Guitar Player's Resource
Welcome back! In this lesson I will be showing you some examples that will help strengthen your picking that are constructed in a more musical fashion, instead of just repeating the same exercise in the same area. The examples are based off a couple of strings and they are moving across the neck within the key on different strings and octaves.
These exercises are aimed to help strengthen your inside and outside picking within each example. First start off on a downstroke, followed by an upstroke and be sure to follow strict alternate picking. Then try the same examples with an upstroke and then a downstroke. Be sure to stay consistent throughout.
Example 1 is the triplet pattern that the next couple examples are based off of. Be sure both hands are totally synced together, if not it will be sloppy. Also, use a metronome when practicing the examples to keep them even.
MP3 - Picking Exercises To Melodic Phrases - Example 1
Example 2 is a short line in the E Harmonic Minor scale (E, F#, G, A, B, C, D#) that is constructed from the triplet pattern in the first example. Try moving this up the neck and be sure to make it musical as much as you can.
MP3 - Picking Exercises To Melodic Phrases - Example 2
Example 3 is a way you can move the triplet pattern across the neck within a key and to apply it to a musical situation. This example is within the notes of the E harmonic minor scale, but this example is based off of the 4th mode of the harmonic minor, A Dorian #4. The formula for that mode is (1, 2, b3, #4, 5, 6, b7), and we have covered this mode in a previous lesson. Basically, the same pattern repeats up an octave and then it climbs up the scale resolving to Em. The progression for this example is mainly Am to Em, but you can experiment with other chords in between, from the harmonic minor scale.
MP3 - Picking Exercises To Melodic Phrases - Example 3
That is it for now! Be sure to make up your own examples and please visit www.mikecampese.com for more information.
Mike Campese is an all-around music performer, session artist and teacher competent in many musical styles, electric and acoustic. He has studied at G.I.T. (Honors Graduate), and with Paul Gilbert, Norman Brown, Stanley Jordan, Scott Henderson and Keith Wyatt.
