Picking Exercise

By Tim Robinson
This is a good warm up exercise based on the major scale.

It has the benefit of combining both the scale and every arpeggio in the scale. First the ascending arpeggio
is played, followed by the scale descending to the next step of the scale. That arpeggio is then played with
the scale descending to the next step and so on until two octaves have been covered.
I have marked suggested fingering and picking directions. The picking is Gypsy picking. If you don't use
that system feel free to use alternate picking or whatever suites you.
The exercise is written in the key of A major. You should transpose it to other keys, and also practise it in
different places on the neck at various steps of the scale.

q = 80

###
c œœœœ œœœœœœ
2 1 4 3

œœœœ
1 4 3 1 4 3 1 4 1 4 3 1

& œœœœ œ
4 2 1 4 3 1 4

œ œ
2 1 4 3 1 4 2

œ œ œ
2

œ œ      œ œ œ      œ œ        œ       
1
Guitar

 
T 4 6 4
Guitar A 6 4 4 7 6 4 6 7 6 4 4 7 7 6 4
B 5
4 7 7 5 4
7
5 7 5 4 7 7 5

### 4 œ 2 œ ˙
œ
œ œ œ œ 1 œ4 œ œ œ œ œ4 3 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ4 œ œ
3 1 4

œ
4 3 1 4
5 3 1 2

& œ œ œ œ
4 2 4

œ
2 4
3 1 1 331 3

 
Gtr.

                
  
4 5
5 7 5 5
Gtr. 4 7 6 4 6 7 6 4 4 7 7 6 4 6
6 7 6 4 7 7 6 7
7
 2 Picking Exercise

Here is the same exercise except in reverse order. The arpeggio is descending and the scale ascends to the
next step down. The arpeggio descends again followed by the ascending scale and so on until two octaves
have been completed.
The fingering is quite tricky, especially in the beginning part of the exercise. I have suggested some alternate
fingerings on the top line which make it more idiomatic to the Gypsy jazz style.
The important thing to remember is to take things at a steady, even pace. Keep your picking hand relaxed
at all times.
Again, this exercise should be repeated at different places on the neck at various steps of the scale, and be
transposed to other keys.

œ œ
# # # œ œ2 œ3 œ4 œ2 œ œ œ œ4 œ1 œ3 œ4 œ2 œ œ œ2 œ3 4 œ1 œ3 œ4 œ2 œ4 œ43 œ1 3 34 œ1 œ3 œ4
3 1 3
4 3 1 42 1 2 3 3 3 1 3 3

œ œœ
9 3

&
1 4 4 1

                   
Gtr.


7 4 4 5 4
5 5 7 7 5 7 5 5 7
Gtr. 6 7 7 4 6 7 6 4 6 7 7 4 4 6 7
7 6 7

# # # œ2 œ32 43 œ œ œ
4 1 3

œ œ1 œ œ œ œœ œœœœ œœ œœœ œœœœœœœœ

1 3 4 1 3 4 1 2 4 3
13 1 3 4 1 1 3 4 1

&
4 1 3 4 2 4 1 3
Gtr.
œ œ œ
     

5
Gtr. 6 4 6 7 4 4 6 4
7 4 6 7 6 4 6 7 7 4 4 6 7 6 4 6
7 5 7 7 4 5 7

###
œ œ
17

& œ
4 1 2

œ œ
4 3 4 1 2

œ œ œ
1 2 4

  œ œ œ œ     œ œ œ œ œ   œ œ œ ˙
1 2 4 1 1 4 1 2 4
Gtr. 2

   
Gtr. 7 4 4 6 4
5 4 5 7 7 4 4 5 7 5
7 5 7 7 4 5