Maximizing Practice Efficiency

As musicians, it's vital that we get as good as possible in as little time as possible, or in other words: practice efficiently.
In this lesson you will learn all about how to maximize this practice efficiency to really squeeze every last drop of benefit out of your practice sessions, and learn a little bit of the science behind how our brain and hands learn best. 


How should we practice? Short sessions? Long sessions?

We humans (especially when it comes to motor-learning) respond best to consistent, regular, and "spaced out" practice sessions when trying to learn a new skill or improve an existing one. "Binge practice" (practicing for long periods without breaks) is simply not the way to go - we just don't learn that way. By distributing practice sessions over time, we avoid mental burnout and fatigue, allowing for more effective consolidation of skills from short-term to long-term memory. This approach also enhances retention, encouraging deeper understanding and critical thinking about movements. Furthermore, "spaced out" practice optimizes neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to adapt and reorganize in response to practice, leading to more efficient motor control. That's the verdict: "spaced out" practice - not "binge practice" - is essential for achieving lasting mastery of motor skills.

How long should these "spaced out" practice sessions be?

Practice session length is also key. It turns out that optimal motor-learning improvement is achieved through these "spaced out" practice sessions so long as they are no shorter than 15 minutes, and no longer that 60 minutes. This is the sweet spot! Any shorter than 15 minutes and the brain doesn't warm up properly and pay attention, and any longer than 60 minutes ("binge practice") causes the brain to become complacent and disengaged. The resulting diminishing returns essentially stops the strengthening and forming of the relevant neural connections, hindering progress, and improvement. By making sure our practice sessions are between 15 and 60 minutes long, we can maximize our improvement, consolidate skills, and maintain a high level of mental engagement.

How long should breaks be?

Research suggests that taking regular breaks is essential for effective motor learning and memory consolidation. To refresh the brain and prepare for another practice session, breaks should last 15 minutes or more. This duration allows the brain to relax, recharge, and consolidate the newly acquired information, making it easier to retrieve and apply in the next practice session. A break of this length enables the brain to transition from an active, focused state to a more relaxed, diffuse mode, allowing for the processing and solidification of new neural connections. By incorporating regular breaks of 15 minutes, we can optimize our practice schedule, enhance our overall progress, and maintain a high level of mental freshness and focus.

Example:

Keeping in mind all we've learned, let's study how a guitarist could utilize a 2 hour time slot in their day - inefficiently and efficiently, respectively:

INEFFICIENT:
Let's say a guitarist decides to practice an exercise for 120 minutes non-stop ("binge practice").
The first 15 minutes is largely ineffective as the brain and hands are warming up. Nothing much is accomplished here.
The next 45 minutes are effective, but then wanes beyond the 60 minute mark.
This guitarist gets a very poor 45 minutes of total effective practice.

Now let's take a look at how this 120 minute time slot could be more efficiently utilized.

EFFICIENT:
Let's say another guitarist decides to chop the 120 minutes into two practice sessions, having a 15 minute break in between ("spaced out").
Again, the first 15 minutes of any practice session is mostly ineffective, but take a look at the total effective practice time across both sessions.
This guitarist, thanks to the strategic use of a break, achieves a significantly higher 75 minutes of total effective practice.

SUMMARY:
Both guitarists above used the 2 hour time slot, but the guitarist practicing efficiently racked up 30 minutes of total effective practice 
more than the guitarist practicing inefficiently, and even got a break to use social media, use the bathroom, or grab their 20th coffee of the day.

Be sure to use this knowledge you've gained here and apply it to your practice schedule.
The additional practice you can squeeze out of your precious time adds up as the years go by.

This is working smarter.

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Create Your Own Scale Sequences

What are scale sequences?

A sequence is a repeated and ordered pattern applied to the notes of a scale or arpeggio.

Imagine walking in a straight line for 8 steps. You could go ahead one step at a time like you normally would or you could decide to mix it up. For instance, you could step forward 3 times and step back once. You could step forward 4 times and step back twice. You could even skip a distance of 2 steps and then take a step back. All of these would be different ways in which you could walk ahead 8 steps. They are different patterns. They are different sequences.

Why learn them?

From the moment you learn a scale, it is your duty as a musician to convert it into music. Playing scales up and down the same way forever simply won’t cut it, and so the use of scale sequences is the answer. Sequences are an essential part of fretboard freedom and musical freedom. The more you master, the more interesting and creative sounds you can make with scales. Using sequences can change the way in which your guitar leadwork affects a track/song/jam. For instance, simply playing up through the notes of a scale produces a rather bland and straightforward result, represented below by a straight line. Whereas by applying something powerfully intervallic, you can produce a far more jagged and melodic sound to the ear, represented below by the jagged rising line:

 The Four Terms

All you need to create scale sequences is this set of four terms: "Forward""Back""Skip", and "Hold". It's really that simple!

"Forward" means to proceed a number of intervals.
"Back" means to retreat a number of intervals.
"Skip" means to skip a number of intervals.
"Hold" means to hold on the final interval.

Examples of Scale Sequencing

To demonstrate how the four terms "Forward""Back""Skip", and "Hold" can be used to create scale sequences, I will now walk you through some examples.

"Forward (any number)" (unsequenced):

The instruction of "Forward (any number)" tells you to proceed through any number of notes. Forward any number of notes (can be anything, 1 through to infinity) produces an unsequenced scale, as you're just playing one note after another. This means that "Forward 1" would produce an unsequenced scale, as would "Forward 2", and so on. This isn't very interesting, but it serves to point out that even an unsequenced scale is actually sequenced! Let's proceed with more examples.

"Forward 3, Hold":

The instruction of "Forward 3, Hold" tells you to proceed through three notes and to treat the last note of the grouping as the first note in the next grouping. The result is that every third note gets double-picked. This creates a sequence that resembles something one might actually play. 

"Forward 3, Back 1":

The instruction of "Forward 3, back 1" tells you to proceed through three notes, and then drop back one to continue the sequence. If you are familiar with my tuition material, you may recognize this sequence by the name of "Linear Threes".

"Forward 4, Back 1":

The instruction of "Forward 4, back 1" tells you to proceed through four notes, and then drop back one to continue the sequence. If you are familiar with my tuition material, you may recognize this sequence by the name of "Linear Fours".

"Skip forward a 3rd 4, Back 1":

The instruction of "Skip forward a 3rd, back 1" tells you to play the first note, then skip the second entirely to play the third of that original note, and then drop back one to continue the sequence. If you are familiar with my tuition material, you may recognize this sequence by the name of "Skipped Thirds". It also has the name "Diatonic Thirds". It's quite a common sequence in lead guitar.

"Forward 6, Skip back a 3rd":

The instruction of "Forward 6, Skip back a 3rd" tells you to play forward six notes, then skip back a 3rd to continue the sequence. If you are familiar with my tuition material, you may recognize this sequence by the simple name of "Sixes". Have you been playing this for years and never known its name?

Create Your Own Sequences!

You can create your own sequences! Simply use the four terms: "Forward""Back""Skip", and "Hold" to start building.
I will make one up now so you can see how this might work. I will use the diminished scale as it is one I frequently work within (as it uses all four fretting fingers with great regularity and is easy to sequence because of how the intervals are naturally laid out).

I really am making this up right now, let's see how I do:

"Forward 4, Back 1, Skip forward a 3rd, Back 1, Skip forward a 3rd, Skip back a 3rd":


An unsightly name, for sure, but a pretty pleasing sequence nonetheless.
Remember that although I have given all examples so far as ascending-only, you can certainly play them descending - the name does not change:

Now you try! Choose a scale, combine any of the four terms, and see what you can build.

Bonus Sequences You Have Probably Never Regarded as Sequences

Check out these three sequences which you've probably never realized are sequences.

"Hold" Just gives you a tremolo. The instruction simply tells you to treat that note as the first and last note of all groupings. A little silly to point out? Not really! We all know just how useful the humble tremolo can be.

"Forward 2, Back 1" immediately traps you in a loop where you go back and forth between two notes. Useless? No! This is a trill and is quite common in legato playing.

"Forward 3, Skip back a 3rd" will also trap you in a loop, but this is actually a very useful picking exercise. You may know it as "Repeating Triplets".

 Get my "40 Scale Sequences" ebook PDF for more!

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Double-Tracking Rhythm Guitars



Have you ever wondered how the professionals manage to produce such impressive rhythm guitar recordings? In this tutorial I will teach you how to record these rich, full, and professional-sounding rhythm guitars by "Double-Tracking" and creating an auditory illusion ("Haas Effect") that we, as sound engineers, can use to trick the human brain into experiencing that sought-after width and thickness.


STEP 1:


Record your riff into an audio track.
As you can see, I record in Ableton, but this can be done in any recording program.


STEP 2:


Duplicate this track. Doing so allows you to copy over any EQ or other settings you may have already applied to your rhythm guitar.

STEP 3:
 
Delete the audio on the duplicated track. Why?
Because you should never double-track and/or apply the Haas Effect with an exact copy & pasted clone of your audio.
It will sound very strange, robotic, and metallic.

STEP 4: 


Record the riff again, this time on the duplicated track.
Get it as close to the original as you possibly can.

STEP 5:


Using the pan controls, pan one track all the way to the left and the other all the way to the right, like so:



As you can now see, track 1 is panned 50L and track 2 is panned 50R (making up the whole stereo spectrum of 100):




STEP 6:
 

Apply a track delay to one of the tracks. I chose the second track, although it doesn't matter which one you choose.
I typically set a track delay of -7.00ms.
I have found that this is the sweet spot for me.
If you set it much closer to zero there will be too little delay. Conversely, set it too high and the tracks will be too much out of sync.

STEP 7:

Listen to that sound! So thick and full; so much presence.
Well done, you have successfully double-tracked and applied the Haas Effect to your rhythm guitar recording.

The effect explained:

So, how does this all work?

We have two (near) identical riff takes.
One is playing through the left ear/channel.
The other through the right ear/channel.

But... one of the tracks is delayed by a miniscule -7.00ms.

This is where the auditory illusion and brain manipulation takes place!
Because one ear hears the riff a fraction of a second after the other ear, the brain interprets it as echoing off a distant surface,
meaning that the sound must be very wide and vast. Our brain has evolved to make assumptions like this, and so this is how we hack it.
It's through this auditory illusion that we create full, professional rhythm guitars. 

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Shoulder and Elbow Study Animations



The shoulder and elbow are responsible for a lot more than you may think when it comes to guitar technique. In lead guitar, it is essential that we learn and master control over these joints to put them to work immediately. If you aren't using shoulder and elbow mechanics yet - this may be the eye-opener you've been needing! Let's now explore, with animations (see bottom of page), precisely how these joints perform a variety of motions.

Arm String Tracking (animation #1)
 

"String Tracking" is the term used to describe how the picking hand moves from string to string. Both my sweep picking technique and scalar picking technique rely on the arm to achieve this. By pivoting at the shoulder and flexing/extending the elbow, observe how a slightly positive, piston-like, diagonal, push/pull path is sliced out across the strings, moving gradually up towards the neck pickup and back again. 

Wrist Yaw Picking (animation #2)
 

If you are familiar with my works, you'll already be aware that my pickstrokes are generated by the side-to-side yawing of the wrist, otherwise known anatomically as "wrist deviation". Observe the animation and notice how the motion comes entirely from the wrist.

Elbow Picking (BAD) (animation #3)
 

Sometimes it's worth including an example of how NOT to do something. Avoid locking the wrist joint and spasming at the elbow. Sure, the strength of the elbow is mighty, and at first it may seem like it's a great way to pick (because of the undeniable and instant speed one can achieve), but there are many reasons why this is a bad idea:

- Spasming at the elbow will eventually lead to injury.
- Moving the mass of the entire forearm + hand assembly about the elbow fulcrum takes a lot of energy.
- It only seems to work cleanly for neutral pickslanting and upward pickslanting.

Elbow Accents (animation #4) 


You don't have to rule elbow picking completely out of your picking technique, however. I, and many wrist pickers like me, use the elbow to assist with accenting. See the animation below where a loop of four pickstrokes is being played. The wrist is loose and yaws the whole time, but observe how the elbow lifts the forearm up on every other upstroke and then smacks down hard on that first note (ONE...two...three...four...):

- With a loose and yawing wrist, slam the forearm down using the elbow to accent the first pickstroke (ONE...).
- Wrist yaw pick the next two pickstokes. (two...three...)
- With a loose and yawing wrist, raise the forearm up using the elbow to perform the final stoke of four, in preparation for the hard downward forearm accent again (four...).

Repeat.

The sheer speed and tightness you can get with elbow accenting is phenomenal.

Wrist Yaw Picking 6S (animation #5)
 

This animation demonstrates how to combine wrist yaw picking and string tracking to traverse 6 strings. If done correctly, the hand will feel like it's picking just one string the whole time. In reality, the string is simply changing underneath the picking hand. In a downward pickslant:

- Wrist yaw pick the first 4 strokes (one...two...three...four)
- String track the distance of one string by pivoting at the shoulder and flexing/extending the elbow.
- Wrist yaw pick another 4 strokes (one...two...three...four)
- String track the distance of one string by pivoting at the shoulder and flexing/extending the elbow again.

and so on across the remaining strings.

Elbow Accents 6S (animation #6)
 

Finally, try combining the elbow accenting mechanic with string tracking across 6 strings. In a downward pickslant again:

- With a loose and yawing wrist, slam the forearm down using the elbow to accent the first pickstroke (ONE...).
- Wrist yaw pick the next two pickstrokes (two...three...)
- With a loose and yawing wrist, raise the forearm up using the elbow to perform the final stoke of four, in preparation for the hard downward forearm accent again (four...).
- String track the distance of one string.

Repeat across the strings.


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The truth about "elbow picking"



"Picking from the elbow", "elbow picking", and "arm picking" are some terms for what is considered by most lead guitar players to be taboo when it comes to picking technique.
So why do so many beginners automatically start picking from the elbow when they attempt to increase their picking speed? Simply put, the brain and body work together to find the easiest and quickest way to produce results. Usually this is fantastic! But unfortunately in this case, elbow picking turns out to be the quickest and fastest way for a beginner to start tremolo picking. They get results and the bad habit is reinforced. This article will explain why you should avoid locked wrist elbow picking, but then surprisingly it will explore how a combination of wrist and elbow is actually a very synergistic method.

The motions

On the left you can observe what I refer to as "side-to-side wrist" picking in my popular ebook PDF "Lead Guitar Practice Methodology", and on the right you can see how "elbow picking" works. When pivoting from the wrist, the side-to-side motion is very precise, efficient, and easy to do. Very little mass is being thrown about the fulcrum (wrist).
Compare this with pivoting from the elbow, where the entire mass of the forearm has to rapidly move about the fulcrum.



The case against strict elbow picking

Locking the wrist and pivoting purely from the elbow is a disaster for many reasons:

First, elbow picking genuinely risks tendon injury later in life.
One could assert "[insert guitarist here] picks from the elbow and he/she has never had an injury!"
In response one could argue that "[insert person here] drank and smoked all their life and lived to 100!"
Individual exceptions can and will occur, but on the whole, elbow pickers are putting themselves at risk.

Secondly, it breeds tension and is pure overkill. Why? Because firing large muscles in order to move an entire forelimb back and forth is wasted energy. It actually takes very little force to pick a note. Using the arm to pick is overkill, akin to attempting to sign your name on a document using a house painting brush.

Third of all, elbow picking lacks the precision of the wrist.
One could argue "[insert guitarst here] picks super fast and with complexity!"
I have seen these guitarists' picking hands up close in slow motion and I can tell you that they aren't as clean as you'd think. Strings are often sloppily clipped by the pick as it travels over during string crosses - something I make a huge effort to avoid for the sake of purity. The challenges of pickslanting are very troublesome when approached with a locked wrist and pivoting elbow.

The secret synergy

Although I fervently try to stick to pure "side-to-side wrist" picking for the sake of purity and "good form", continuing to elbow pick but also freeing up the wrist creates a synergistic relationship which many famous players use with great success to shred like mad! Have you ever noticed how players like John Petrucci play with the wrist up to a certain speed, and then inject elbow motion to take it to the next level? Let's take a look:

The wrist is freely picking side-to-side, but now the elbow picking creeps in, too. They both work together to execute the pickstokes. The reason these motions complement each other in such a way is because both "side-to-side wrist" picking and "elbow picking" operate along the same axis. They both move the pick along the same line through space. Energy provided from one fulcrum feeds the other, and vice versa. Rest your arm on a table and pivot at the elbow. You will notice that if the wrist is relaxed, it will pivot passively in response. That's evidence of this wrist and elbow synergy.

In summary

Don't pick purely from the elbow with a locked wrist. I recommend you use the "side-to-side wrist" picking method outlined in my ebook PDF "Lead Guitar Practice Methodology" as default. I can pick with pure wrist at about 240bpm 16th notes. Which in all fairness is about the fastest I've ever needed to play. With elbow assist I can get up to 280 - 300bpm. Because of the strength of the muscles involved, you will always play fastest with an elbow pivot assist. This is just a fact. Nevertheless I must urge you to resist the temptation for as long as possible.

Purchase and download my ebook PDF right now for just $15USD! Check out the trailer and description in this promo video to see if it's for you:

 

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Guide to the perfect pickstroke



Here's some advice that I've learned from observing my own practice sessions over the years regarding how to achieve the perfect pickstroke. What do you think of when you imagine the perfect picking technique? Fast picking runs? Small and visually effortless motions? Long tremolos of near-endless and seemingly frictionless stamina? I have three rules to share with you which if followed, will allow you to achieve a pickstroke capable of producing such results.

It doesn't matter which of the two methods you use to generate your pickstrokes:


Nor does it matter which pickslant you happen to be using at any given time:

Instead, the focus of this article is on developing a fast, accurate, reliable, and effortless pickstroke time after time. Every time. Here are the three rules!

1. Use tiny pickstrokes

The larger your pickstrokes' breadth, the less control you will have over how much of the pick contacts the string for each pickstroke. As such, the resistance the pick encounters at the point of contact with the string (pick/string resistance) will be wildy unpredictable. That means that tiny pickstrokes and picking depth are directly related to each other. In addition, large pickstrokes will slow you down as the pick has a greater distance to travel through the air after/before every pickstroke. Attempting to increase speed without reduction in picking breadth results in tension. Tension results in failure. Keep those pickstrokes tiny!

2. Use just the tip of the pick

Only the tip of the pick is needed. The more plastic you have to muscle over a string, the greater the pick/string resistance will be, and the tenser and slower you will be. Beginners tend to use a lot of the pick because they are subconsciously afraid of missing the string altogether. But as you progress you must move away from this. Only use the tip. Don't even think of it as "picking" the strings. Think of it as "tickling" the tops of the strings.

3. Relax

Wait. This isn't just some carelessly spouted nonsense. It's absolutely necessary, I promise! Like my brother Gus the drummer says: "tense muscles are slow muscles". If you are tense, even just a little bit, your muscles will fight each other to some degree. For example: If you are doing a downstroke but your muscles are already tensing up preparing for the upstroke, your downstroke has been tainted by tension - ruined! Relaxation is something that needs to be practiced just like everything else. You must be consciously aware of it.

 

Combine these tips

Next time you're practicing an exercise or picking pattern, make a point of checking for the above three tips. Consciously ask yourself:

1. Could my pickstrokes be smaller?

2. Could I use less of the pick?

3. Can I relax any further? (without literally dropping the pick and collapsing)

 

I do this quick tri-check every practice session of every day. I hope it will help you like it has helped me.

 

Check out my PDF "Lead Guitar Practice Methodology" if you want more hardcore scrutiny like this!

 

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How to read guitar TABs

Reading and writing guitar tablature (TABs) is essential for learning other people’s music and for keeping a record of your own creations. I would even argue that it’s more practical than standard music notation as TABs dictate the exact and intended way in which a passage of notes should be played. How/where we play our notes is a vital aspect of lead guitar playing – there can be no ambiguity or confusion! TABs make everything crystal clear. Their only downfall is that timing isn’t represented very well (if at all) but if a video accompanies the TAB then it’s not a problem in the slightest.

While it won’t include absolutely everything, this article will at least teach you the majority of info related to TABs - certainly everything you’ll need to know to read my TABs in particular.

 Which string is which?
The first task is to understand how the strings of the guitar are visually represented by the horizontal lines on the TAB. Observe the image below: the top line corresponds with the high e string (thinnest string) and the very bottom line corresponds with the low E string (thickest).

 
  

Fret numbering
Now that the relation between TAB lines and strings has been established, notes can be dropped into the TAB. See below how a number “4” has been written onto the b string’s line? That simply tells you to play the 4th fret of the b string. At this point it doesn’t specify any further regarding how to execute the note (downstroke, upstroke, hammer-on etc) so play it however you wish. 

 NOTE: When you encounter a “0”, read it as an instruction to not fret anything (play an open string):

 

 Chords
Chords are expressed any time you encounter vertically stacked numbers in a TAB. The fact that they’re vertically stacked tells you that the notes are played simultaneously. See below an example of a “diad” (double-stop) and a C chord:

 

Chords are most commonly strummed. Their strum direction (downwards or upwards strum) can be specified in the TAB by adding either an upward pointing arrow for a downward strum or a downward pointing arrow for an upward strum. While the arrow directions may seem incorrect, opposing or nonsensical at a glance, you’ll find they do actually make sense when applied physically.

For example: A strum from the thinner strings to the thicker strings would be considered an upward strum. A downward pointing arrow represents this perfectly as it shows the strum originating from the thinner strings and traveling towards the thicker strings.
 

Passages of notes
TABs read from left to right. The provided example instructs you to play the 2nd, 4th, and 5th frets on the D string, followed by the same fret numbers on the g string – all in order. See the image below for further clarification.

Picking instructions
As lead guitar players we use picks (plectrums) as our super precise surgical tools of choice. How something is picked is extremely important and must be conveyed in the TAB. The “V” symbol is an instruction to perform an upstroke, the half-square symbol tells you to perform the opposite (a downstroke). These symbols accompany the notes directly underneath the TAB. Observe the previous 6 notes updated to include picking instructions:

 

Legato playing
Legato (use of hammer-ons and pull-offs) is represented by archs over or under the notes being affected. The arch is written underneath the notes if they are on any of the three lower strings, and written above the notes if they are on any of the three thinner strings.
In the example below you are instructed to: Play a downstroke to sound the 2nd fret of the D string, then use legato to hammer-on to the 4th fret and then again on the 5th. Then repeat the same idea and execution on the g string.

Fingering instructions
While these examples aren’t complicated, it’s still a good idea to mention that fingering instructions for the fretting hand must sometimes be provided to further specify how a passage of notes should be played. Numbers will appear underneath the TAB to assign certain fingers to certain notes. “1” is the index finger, “2” is the middle finger, “3” is the ring finger”, and “4” is the little finger.

 Tapped notes
Tapped notes with the picking hand can easily be introduced and tie in with legato well. The tapped note gets a capital “T” above it to notify the reader that a note in the legato chain is to be played with the picking hand.

 

Bends
Bends are represented by curved arrows directly on the TAB to the right of the note being affected. Accompanying the arrow will be a “½”, “full”, “1 ½”, “2” and perhaps beyond though I don’t have the courage to bend beyond 1 1/2! A “½” is a half-step bend where you raise the pitch by one semi-tone, a “full” is a full step bend where you raise the pitch by a whole tone, and so on. See in the example image, the first note is bent upwards a half-step, the second is bent a whole step, the third is a full bend and release, and the fourth is a full prebend and release.

Shift slides and legato slides
There are two ways to perform slides: the “shift slide” and the more common “legato slide”. Most people don’t know the difference so I am very pleased to be writing a short section on these to set the record straight.

When you fret a note, pick it, and then move to another note on that string without unfretting, picking the next note upon arrival, that’s a “shift slide” and is represented very plainly with a sloped line connecting the two notes.

When you fret a note, pick it and slide to another note on that string but DON’T pick again upon arrival, as in you just allow the string to keep ringing from the slide, that’s a “legato slide”. While it too is represented with a sloped connecting line, it also requires a legato arch to tell the reader that it’s the latter type of slide.

Whammy bar note contouring
Dives are represented by straight lines directed down and away from the note being affected. Dips are represented by jagged Vs under and next to the note being abused. Pre-dip and releases are represented by a flat broken line rising up. Notice the “-1” accompanying all three examples? This lets you know to lower the pitch by a whole step.

Pickslant change instructions
This may be confusing to most players. In order to execute complex/advanced licks or passages, 2-way pickslanting is often required. In my TABs I chose to indicate where a change in pickslant occurs with an exclamation mark “!” above the note. For example, to strictly alternate pick the following tab in a looping fashion you’d need to change pickslant on the indicated notes to prevent the pick from getting trapped behind or in front of any string at any point. In the following TAB you’d need to use upward pickslanting on the D string and downward pickslanting on the g string. The “!” simply tells you where to change slant. 

 

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Tapping Arpeggios Lesson #2

Welcome to the second lesson on two-hand tapped arpeggios! Last time we covered the fundamentals such as: muting, string transitions, and a small 2-string example arpeggio to begin with. Now it's time to delve further into the technique and learn some larger arpeggio shapes. This lesson will teach you the tapped arpeggios for the four 7th chords of the major scale: The Maj7, the Dom7, the Min7, and the Min7b5 arpeggio. I will provide you with a TAB and also a fingering diagram (where the blue notes are the tapped notes) for each arpeggio.

NOTE: Use your picking hand's middle finger to execute the tapped notes for the following 4 arpeggios. Using the ring finger for tapped notes on the high e string is optional.

Maj7

 Dom7

Min7

Min7b5

As always, check out the video below for a more in-depth lesson and to see/hear these arpeggios in action!

 

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