This post finishes up the 2nd quarter technique exercises. We’re
adding a whopping 5 minutes to our daily routine! (10>15 min.)
Remember in my original intro post, ” Practicing with no time:
part 3″ published 10/15/2019, the point is to build a practice
habit, something you do at the same time every day like brushing
your teeth. One reason I’m keeping the time allotment so small
is you have to be able to do it on the hard days. 15 minutes can
seem like a long time on a busy/crappy day! Moving on…..
Exercise#2 QUAD TECHNIQUE: A lot of people know this one.
It’s good for articulation, alternate picking and ultimately, speed.
(tab follows explanation pick all notes down and up)
-Put your 1st finger on the 6th string 1st fret, your 2nd finger
on the 6th string 2nd fret, your 3rd finger on the 6th string 3rd
fret and your 4th finger on the 6th string 4th fret. Pick all 4
notes in sequence, down up down up. Do the same on the 5th
string, 1 finger per fret/down up down up. Continue this for the
4th, 3rd, 2nd and 1st strings; 1 finger per fret and continuous
down/up picking. When you get to the 1st string 4th fret 4th
finger, slide your 4th finger up 1 fret to the 5th fret and start
back down; 4th finger on the 1st string 5th fret, 3rd finger on
the 1st string 4th fret, 2nd finger on the 1st string 3rd fret and
1st finger on the 1st string 2nd fret. Repeat the process on the
2nd string, 1 finger per fret still picking down and up. Continue
all the way down the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th strings, then move
your finger 1st finger from the 2nd fret to the 3rd fret on the 6th
string and walk back up, etc. Your goal is to keep walking your
way back and forth across the fretboard to at least the 12th fret.
(tab: pick all notes down and up v^)
1—————————————————————1-2-3-4->5-4-3-2–
2—————————————————1-2-3-4————————-5-4-3-
3————————————–1-2-3-4——————————————–etc..
4————————–1-2-3-4——————————————————–
5————-1-2-3-4———————————————————————
6-1-2-3-4———————————————————————————
Don’t be in a rush with this exercise, take your time and pick each
each note cleanly, especially your 4th finger notes (nobody likes
to use their pinky!). The 3rd exercise is for cross picking, the
ability to jump your pick from one string to another without looking.
#3 CROSSPICKING: This exercise develops your ability to find the
string you want to pick without having to look for it, to pick
without looking. This is my simplification of a Berklee Book
exercise. I switched it to a 1st position A minor/C major pentatonic
scale because everybody knows that one. If you don’t you will by
the time you finish reading the tab! Keep your 4th finger pressed
down on the 1st string 8th fret throughout the exercise. Pick 100%
down and up (v^), the pinky note on the 1st string 8th fret will
always be on the up stroke of the pick. Here is the tab;
v ^ (down-up)
1—8–8–8–8–8–8–8–8–8–8–8–8–8–8–8–8–8–8–8–8-etc…
2-8–5———————————————————————-5–8–
3———7–5——————————————————5–7–
4——————7—5———————————–5–7–
5————————–7–5——————–5–7–
6———————————–8–5—5–8–
You will probably need to look at your pick at first, but aim to
play without looking as soon as possible, even with a few mistakes.
Learn to pick this exercise by feel! Speed is not the goal here,
developing a sense of where the strings are is the goal.
This wraps up the 3 technique exercises. I still do all 3 as a
warm up 5 days a week. It stretches out my fingers and loosens
me up for the rest of the day and only takes me 5 minutes or so.
Remember 15 minutes total (5 on I/II roots and chords, 5 technique
and 5 jamming) 5 days a week. We’re building a habit! The next
quarter introduces scales.
