Building Picking Independance Part 2 -by Drew Peterson Continuing where we left off in the first installment... Part 3: Scale Drills 1.) Well, this one's pretty basic. Ascending three note motif, triplet feel. Good place to start. |----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |----------------------------------------------------------------------12----12-14-| |-------------------------------------------12----12-14-12-14-16-14-16----16-------| |----------------12----12-14-12-14-15-14-15----15----------------------------------| |-12-14-15-14-15----15-------------------------------------------------------------| |----------------------------------12----12-14-12-14-15~-| |-------12----12-13-12-13-15-13-15----15-----------------| |-12-14----14--------------------------------------------| |--------------------------------------------------------| |--------------------------------------------------------| |--------------------------------------------------------| 2.) Do it from the high G down to the E. I'm not going to tab it, it's pretty basic and i'm lazy. 3.) Same thing, just with a 4 note pattern. I'll tab this one descending. |-15-14-12----14-12-------12----------------------------------------------------------| |----------15-------15-13----15-13-12-15-13-12----13-12-------12----------------------| |----------------------------------------------14-------14-12----14-12----14-12-------| |----------------------------------------------------------------------16-------16-14-| |-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |-12-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |----16-14-12-16-14-12----14-12-------12-----------------------------------------------| |----------------------15-------15-14----15-14-12-15-14-12----14-12-------12-----------| |----------------------------------------------------------15-------15-14----15-12-12~-| 4.) Do the 4-note one ascending. 5.) Stretch out a bit more. 6.) Same idea, just with a 6-note motif this time. Think of it as fast sextuplets (6 notes per metronome click). This actually flows pretty easily. |-15-14-12----------14-12-------------12----------------------------------| |----------15-13-12-------15-13-12-------15-13-12-------15-13-12----------| |----------------------------------14-------------14-12----------14-12----| |----------------------------------------------------------------------16-| |-------------------------------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------------------------------| |-13-12-------------12----------------------------------------------------| |-------14-12----------14-12----------14-12-------------12----------------| |-------------16-14----------16-14-12-------16-14-12-------16-14-12-------| |----------------------------------------------------15-------------15-13-| |-------------------------------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------------------------------| |-16-14-12----------14-12------------12-----------------------------------| |----------15-14-12-------15-14-12------15-14-12-------15-14-12-----------| |----------------------------------15------------15-14----------15-14-12~-| 7.) Repeat that, ascending. 8.) Now try it with an 8-note motif (yes, cycling through an entire octave with each repitition). The fingerings are a bit tricky here through the bass strings. Play this as fast 32nd notes (8 notes per metronome click). |-15-14-12----------------14-12-------------------12----------------------| |----------15-13-12-------------15-13-12-------------15-13-12-------------| |-------------------14-12----------------14-12----------------14-12-------| |----------------------------------------------16-------------------16-14-| |-------------------------------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------------------------------| |-15-13-12----------------13-12-------------------12----------------------| |----------14-12----------------14-12----------------14-12----------------| |----------------16-14-12-------------16-14-12-------------16-14-12-------| |----------------------------------------------15-------------------15-14-| |-------------------------------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------------------------------| |-14-12-------------------12----------------------11----------------------| |-------16-14-12-------------16-14-12----------------14-12----------------| |----------------15-14-12-------------15-14-12-------------15-14-12-------| |----------------------------------------------15-------------------15-14-| |-------------------------| |-------------------------| |-------------------------| |-14-12-------------------| |-------15-14-12----------| |----------------15-14-12-| (i normally go one cycle motif and end by sliding from D-E) 9.) repeat this going up. 10.) Take another break to shake out your hands and loosen up. Look for any unusual pain. I mean, they ought to feel tired, but if there's actual pain in the tendons, take a break orcall it quits for the day. Still with me? Then on to... Part 4: Linear Drills 1.) Ascending up the neck of the guitar in Am, three notes per string on two adjascent strings. 1 2 4 1 3 4 1 3 4 2 3 4 1 3 4 1 3 4 1 3 4 1 3 4 1 2 4 1 2 4 |-------5-7-8--------7-8-10---------8-10-12----------10-12-13----------12-13-15-| |-5-6-8-------6-8-10--------8-10-12---------10-12-13----------12-13-15----------| |-------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 2.) Do it backwards (descend from high to low). 3.) Now, invert the fingering. Which fingers you use for which notes is the same as the previous one, but rearranged like this there's some big stretches. |-8-7-5-------10-8-7--------12-10-8---------13-12-10----------15-13-12----------| |-------8-6-5--------10-8-6---------12-10-8----------13-12-10----------15-13-12-| |-------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 4.) and now do it descending down the neck. 5.) Stop and stretch out your hands. Make sure they're not cold- your tendons are stressed even further when they're not warm enough when you subject them to this kind of abuse. "Warming up" has a literal meaning, too. 6.) Same drill, on non-adjacent strings. |------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |-------2-4-5-------4-5-7-------5-7-9-------7-9-10---------9-10-12----------10-12-14-| |------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |-2-3-5-------3-5-7-------5-7-8-------7-8-10-------8-10-12---------10-12-14----------| |------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------| |----------12-14-16----------14-16-17-| |-------------------------------------| |-12-14-15----------14-15-17----------| |-------------------------------------| 7.) Invert the fingering in the same manner as #3. I'm too lazy to tab it. 8.) Descend #7. 9) Single-string madness time. To warm up, play this: 1 1 2 3 4 3 2 1 1 1 2 |-9-10-11-12-13-12-11-10-9-10-11-| |--------------------------------| |--------------------------------| |--------------------------------| |--------------------------------| |--------------------------------| etc. 10.) Then, all the way back up and down the neck: 1 2 3 4 4 3 2 1 1 2 3 4 4 3 2 1 |-1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-3-4-5-6-7-6-5-4-| |---------------------------------| |---------------------------------| |---------------------------------| |---------------------------------| |---------------------------------| etc. 11.) Stretch out again. Relax. Make sure everything's cool. Check on your significant other. He or she probably misses you by now. Is the stove off? have you showered today? Nothing crucial you had to do that youve been forgetting? Nope? ok, then onward. 12.) Single string scale runs. 3 note motifs, up and back down. |-5-7-8-7-8-10-8-10-12-10-12-13-12-13-15-13-15-17-| |-------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------| etc. 13.) four note motif, up and back down. |-5-7-8-10-7-8-10-12-8-10-12-13-10-12-13-15-12-13-15-17-| |-------------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------------| etc. Ok, that about does it. If i think of anything else, maybe i'll update this later on, but this is a good primer to whip your picking into shape. Now if only i could find a way to keep myself motivated to practice this material. :o)