Taken
From:
As
a complement to the previous lesson in which I
showed you two fret-hand exercises, I've now put
together two pick-hand exercises. You've got to
work on both sides of the equation, ya know!
I've
spent countless time working pick-hand exercises,
and while I'm not the speediest picker in the
world, I don't hit the wrong string very often,
even though I rarely look at my pick hand while
playing.
With
diligent effort on the two exercises shown below
– as well as many variations on these –
you'll reach the same point. And when your right
hand no longer requires constant supervision,
you'll be able to concentrate on what your fret-hand
is doing. And that will add professionalism to
everything you play on guitar.
Exercise
1
Let's
start with simple alternate picking exercises,
using eighth notes. Alternate picking means down-up-down-up,
etc. One measure of eighth notes is counted "1-and-2-and-3-and-4-and."
When playing eighth notes, you strum down on the
1, 2, 3, and 4. Strum up on the "and"
for each beat. This exercise is about as basic
as it gets:
Exercise
2
Now
we'll double time that, playing the same alternate
picking, but as 16th notes. Sixteenth notes are
counted "1-e-and-a, 2-e-and-a, 3-e-and-a,
4-e-and-a." At the same tempo setting on
your metronome, 16th notes are played twice as
fast as eighth notes.
Your
Homework
You
can certainly dream up multiple variations on
these two simple exercises. For starters, try
doing them on every string. Then try alternating
between strings while using alternate picking
to play both 8th and 16th note patterns. And don't
forget to count as you do it – learning
to count is a tremendously underrated musical
skill.
Once
again, putting in a lot of time on these types
of simple exercises pays huge dividends in everything
else you attempt to play on guitar. The earlier
in your guitar-playing life you make these exercises
a regular part of your practice regimen, the faster
you will advance on guitar.
By
Adam St. James
