Picking Techniques From "The New"

Happy international guitar month! I hope everyone is doing well. I just released my fourth solo CD called "The New". Last lesson I showed you some ideas to improve your picking. This lesson I want to show you some excerpts from "The New" CD. These excerpts can make great picking examples and hopefully will inspire you to write your own ideas. I have always had a love for writing and applying new ideas to my music. I feel it is more important to create something of your own than to copy someone else. Okay, Let me show you some of my ideas.

Our first example is a guitar and bass unison line from "The New" CD's second track, "All Or Nothing". This very fast unison line happens at 2:11. It is all 16th note triplets at 96 beats per minute. The line is based in the B Harmonic minor scale (B, C#, D, E, F#, G, A#). If you have been practicing with your drum machine or metronome you should not have a problem with the timing. It may take some time to get this up to speed. Make sure you accent and be aware of the fingerings I supplied.

MP3 - Example 1
MP3 - Example 1: Slow

The next line from the same song "All Or Nothing" occurs a little bit after the first one I showed you. it is at 2:49. This one is a little slower, but can be tricky because of the timing. The first bar is in 5/4 and the second is in 6/4,which can make things tricky in a band situation. After the fourth time through, basically the line is played up a 3rd. Also, be aware of the fingerings.

MP3 - Example 2
MP3 - Example 2: Slow

In the song "Empty Space In My Heart" also from "The New" CD, at about 3:25.I start this excerpt off in the higher octave, then the band kicks in on the lower octave. This one can be tricky because you are pedaling back to the G and F# on the low E string, skipping strings. This line is based out of the G Harmonic minor scale (G, A, Bb, C, D, Eb, F#) and can make a great picking coordination exercise. Follow the fingerings supplied.

MP3 - Example 3
MP3 - Example 3: Slow

The final example is from a track called "Before A Storm". This tune has a lot of shredding in it. I will show you a string skipping passage that occurs at about 0:43 and repeats other places on the track. This one is also based off of G Harmonic minor. This line uses all 16th note triplets and it moves very quickly. It is really important to have both hands in sync when playing this one.

MP3 - Example 4

These are just a few examples off "The New" CD; there are a lot more ideas I can show you. I hope this lesson will help to inspire your own. If you have any questions, feel free to email me. Be sure to check out my CDs on this amazing site and check out my new CD release, "The New". Also visit mikecampese.com for more information.