Basic Technique Exercises
This page has exercises to help establish basic technique as outlined in this lesson.
Contents
Picking Exercises
Holding the Pick
This exercise is very simple, designed solely to help ensure you are holding the pick correctly. Your grip should point the tip of the pick directly at the face/front of the guitar. Rather than make normal 1 note picking strokes or strumming all the strings, you want to simply move your entire arm slowly, "pushing" the pick through each string. You should be able to continue the motion through each string without having to reset your grip. You should be able to perform both downstrokes and upstrokes equally easy using the same grip - you should not have to rotate your wrist or otherwise prepare for a downstroke vs. an upstroke.
d---------- u---------- E------------0-----0------------ B----------0---------0---------- G--------0-------------0-------- D------0-----------------0------ A----0---------------------0---- E--0-------------------------0--
If you cannot "push" through the string, you are likely having one of the following issues:
- Your grip is too tense. Loosen the hold on your pick and let it flex between your index finger and thumb more.
- You are gripping the pick too far away from the tip and/or plucking the string too high above the tip of the pick. This means the string is contacting the pick in a bulkier part, which is less likely to flex or slide down off the tip.
- Your grip is not pointing the tip of the pick directly towards the face, but is angled. Either downstrokes or upstrokes "hook" the string, causing it to slide up the pick into your fingers instead of down the pick and off the tip.
- Your grip is angling the "face" of the pick so it is far from parallel with the strings. This causes the pick and/or your index/thumb grip to be unable to flex and allow the string to slide off the pick. Try making your grip so the pick face is near (but not exactly) parallel with the strings.
- Your pick is thick and inflexible. This is generally ok if you adjust according to the above four points. If not, try using a thinner pick.
- Your pick has notches in its edges, which are preventing the strings from sliding down the edges. Time for a new pick or sand down the edges.
Picking Single Notes
This is a very simple exercise - just pick the open string. Use only downstrokes to start, and practice on every string. Once the feel of picking becomes comfortable and your rhythm gets more consistent, move on to upstrokes, up-picking the string for every note. Start slow and work on comfort and consistency.
x12 |:--0--0--0--0--:|
This expands the above exercise by changing strings within the exercise. Practice all downstrokes, then all upstrokes. Be sure to focus that the transition between each string is clean from a picking perspective. It's ok to let the prior string(s) continue to ring. Focus on picking only the correct string per beat, and make sure all your strokes have the same dynamics and tone.
E--------------------------------------------------------------0--0--0--0-- B--------------------------------------------------0--0--0--0-------------- G--------------------------------------0--0--0--0-------------------------- D--------------------------0--0--0--0-------------------------------------- A--------------0--0--0--0-------------------------------------------------- E--0--0--0--0-------------------------------------------------------------- E--0--0--0--0-------------------------------------------------------------- B--------------0--0--0--0-------------------------------------------------- G--------------------------0--0--0--0-------------------------------------- D--------------------------------------0--0--0--0-------------------------- A--------------------------------------------------0--0--0--0-------------- E--------------------------------------------------------------0--0--0--0--
This takes the above exercise further by involving string skipping. This will help develop your right hand accuracy, not only to pick the correct string, but to get even picking string and rhythm when transitioning between strings.
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------0--0--0--0-- B--------------------------------------------------------------0--0--0--0-------------------------- G--------------------------------------0--0--0--0--------------------------0--0--0--0-------------- D--------------0--0--0--0--------------------------0--0--0--0-------------------------------------- A--------------------------0--0--0--0-------------------------------------------------------------- E--0--0--0--0-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- E--0--0--0--0-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- B--------------------------0--0--0--0-------------------------------------------------------------- G--------------0--0--0--0--------------------------0--0--0--0-------------------------------------- D--------------------------------------0--0--0--0--------------------------0--0--0--0-------------- A--------------------------------------------------------------0--0--0--0-------------------------- E--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------0--0--0--0--
Fingering Exercises
Fretting Technique
These exercises should help focus on fretting technique. Start slow and focus on each note, making sure there is no buzzing or sharp pitch or dull tone due to poor fretting technique. Each possible pair of fingers is emphasized, although we are not yet venturing into stretches. First position is used to use the widest distance between the frets, which may be considered the most difficult due to the larger distance between frets. This makes it good to focus on fretting technique, requiring not only the proper strength and use of the fingertips, but accuracy to hold the string just "behind" the fret.
Index and Middle
E--------------------------------------------------------------1--2--1--2--
B--------------------------------------------------1--2--1--2--------------
G--------------------------------------1--2--1--2--------------------------
D--------------------------1--2--1--2--------------------------------------
A--------------1--2--1--2--------------------------------------------------
E--1--2--1--2--------------------------------------------------------------
i m i m ...
E--2--1--2--1--------------------------------------------------------------
B--------------2--1--2--1--------------------------------------------------
G--------------------------2--1--2--1--------------------------------------
D--------------------------------------2--1--2--1--------------------------
A--------------------------------------------------2--1--2--1--------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------2--1--2--1--
m i m i ...
Index and Ring
E--------------------------------------------------------------1--3--1--3--
B--------------------------------------------------1--3--1--3--------------
G--------------------------------------1--3--1--3--------------------------
D--------------------------1--3--1--3--------------------------------------
A--------------1--3--1--3--------------------------------------------------
E--1--3--1--3--------------------------------------------------------------
i r i r ...
E--3--1--3--1--------------------------------------------------------------
B--------------3--1--3--1--------------------------------------------------
G--------------------------3--1--3--1--------------------------------------
D--------------------------------------3--1--3--1--------------------------
A--------------------------------------------------3--1--3--1--------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------3--1--3--1--
r i r i ...
Index and Pinky
E--------------------------------------------------------------1--4--1--4--
B--------------------------------------------------1--4--1--4--------------
G--------------------------------------1--4--1--4--------------------------
D--------------------------1--4--1--4--------------------------------------
A--------------1--4--1--4--------------------------------------------------
E--1--4--1--4--------------------------------------------------------------
i p i p ...
E--4--1--4--1--------------------------------------------------------------
B--------------4--1--4--1--------------------------------------------------
G--------------------------4--1--4--1--------------------------------------
D--------------------------------------4--1--4--1--------------------------
A--------------------------------------------------4--1--4--1--------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------4--1--4--1--
p i p i ...
Middle and Ring
E--------------------------------------------------------------2--3--2--3--
B--------------------------------------------------2--3--2--3--------------
G--------------------------------------2--3--2--3--------------------------
D--------------------------2--3--2--3--------------------------------------
A--------------2--3--2--3--------------------------------------------------
E--2--3--2--3--------------------------------------------------------------
m r m r ...
E--3--2--3--2--------------------------------------------------------------
B--------------3--2--3--2--------------------------------------------------
G--------------------------3--2--3--2--------------------------------------
D--------------------------------------3--2--3--2--------------------------
A--------------------------------------------------3--2--3--2--------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------3--2--3--2--
r m r m ...
Middle and Pinky
E--------------------------------------------------------------2--4--2--4--
B--------------------------------------------------2--4--2--4--------------
G--------------------------------------2--4--2--4--------------------------
D--------------------------2--4--2--4--------------------------------------
A--------------2--4--2--4--------------------------------------------------
E--2--4--2--4--------------------------------------------------------------
m p m p ...
E--4--2--4--2--------------------------------------------------------------
B--------------4--2--4--2--------------------------------------------------
G--------------------------4--2--4--2--------------------------------------
D--------------------------------------4--2--4--2--------------------------
A--------------------------------------------------4--2--4--2--------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------4--2--4--2--
p m p m ...
Ring and Pinky
E--------------------------------------------------------------3--4--3--4--
B--------------------------------------------------3--4--3--4--------------
G--------------------------------------3--4--3--4--------------------------
D--------------------------3--4--3--4--------------------------------------
A--------------3--4--3--4--------------------------------------------------
E--3--4--3--4--------------------------------------------------------------
r p r p ...
E--4--3--4--3--------------------------------------------------------------
B--------------4--3--4--3--------------------------------------------------
G--------------------------4--3--4--3--------------------------------------
D--------------------------------------4--3--4--3--------------------------
A--------------------------------------------------4--3--4--3--------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------4--3--4--3--
p r p r ...
Economy Fretting
This exercise focuses on economy in fretting, by minimizing unnecessary finger movement. Hold the frets with each finger behind the current fretting finger:
p
r-----r
m-----------m
i-----(hold)------i
--4--5--6--7--6--5--4--
i m r p r m i
As seen above, the index finger can hold the 4th fret throughout the entire tab above. The middle finger can fret the 5th fret, so long as the lower 4th fret does not need to be played. By holding the lower frets, they do not need to be re-fretted later on. This emphasizes economy of motion, reducing the amount of fretting your left-hand fingers need to do, allowing greater speed, clean picking technique, and performance stamina.
This exercise applies the above principle to an open position C scale.
r r r r r
m--m m--m m
i--i i--i i--i
E--------------------------------------------0--1--3--
B-----------------------------------0--1--3-----------
G-----------------------------0--2--------------------
D--------------------0--2--3--------------------------
A-----------0--2--3-----------------------------------
E--0--1--3--------------------------------------------
The above exercise is simple and demonstrates the possible economy holds on the different strings, but it does not demonstrate the benefit, which occurs when ascending and descending on the same string. It is also more evident outside of first position:
p p p p p p p p p---p
r--r r--r r-----r r--------r r r
m-----m m--m m m------m
i--i i--i i-----------i i--------i i--i i-----i i---------------i
E------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------5--6--5--6--8-/10--
G-----------------------------------------------------------------------5--7--5--7---------------------
D--------------------5--7--9--7--5-----------------------------5--7--9---------------------------------
A-----------5--7--8-----------------8--7--8--7--5--7--8--7--8------------------------------------------
E--5--7--8---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Muting
Time to work on muting (silencing) the guitar. (This is different from the technique of palm muting.)
This exercise focuses on both right and left hand muting by breaking them down individually. We just strum and mute.
left right both E--0----(x)----0----(x)----0----(x)-- B--0----(x)----0----(x)----0----(x)-- G--0----(x)----0----(x)----0----(x)-- D--0----(x)----0----(x)----0----(x)-- A--0----(x)----0----(x)----0----(x)-- E--0----(x)----0----(x)----0----(x)--
When muting with the left-hand, avoid the following:
- Applying too much pressure to the strings, pressing them into the frets (even if only momentarily), causing noise and possibly ringing strings
- Slapping your fingers against the strings too quickly, causing a slight percussive sound
- Using only one or two fingers, triggering a natural harmonic to ring out (especially when muting over the lowest order harmonics' pivot points (12th, 7th, and 5th/24th frets))
- Muting only a few instead of all of the strings
When muting with the right-hand, avoid the following:
- Accidentally picking (or even tapping the pick against) a string
- Slapping your palm against the strings, creating a percussive sound
- Rubbing your palm against the strings once they are muted, which will cause noise
- Applying too much pressure to the strings - depending on your setup, this may cause noise in the following ways:
- the bridge to do a whammy dive, which may cause bridge/body coupling noise or bear claw springs to ring
- the strings to touch the pickups
- the strings to touch the highest fret
- Muting too close to the bridge which will simply dull the notes instead of muting them
- Muting only a few instead of all of the strings