MM Hybridmasterclass1 Booklet PDF

MASTERCLASS BOOKLET
Martin Miller
HYBRID PICKING
MASTERCLASS VOL 1
Single Note
Fundamentals
INTRODUCTION
Hello fellow guitar player, thanks for checking out my hybrid picking masterclass. This package
is part of a series of lessons dealing with different aspects of the guitar technique we refer to
as hybrid picking.
Despite its popularity, there is very little serious information on this topic out there. Most
teachers or instructional materials still completely ignore this way of playing. Time to shed
some light and have a closer look at the technical and tonal possibilities in a conceptual
fashion.
Keep in mind, that the approach I’m presenting comes from a personal perspective. It
represents how I approach and utilise this technique and is not entitled to be a universal truth.
Since hybrid picking is still a fairly young technique in the entire spectrum of guitar playing,
there is no standardised way of doing it yet.
IN THIS PACKAGE
In the first part of my masterclass we will discuss the fundamentals of the technique with
regard to single-note or lead guitar playing. However, the principles discussed also apply to
rhythm or polyphonic playing. After discussing some technical aspects we will be covering
WWW.JAMTRACKCENTRAL.COM
HYBRID PICKING MASTERCLASS VOL.1
Single Note FUNDAMENTALS
MARTIN MILLER
some preliminary exercises, to get the technique under your belt. Note that in this first volume,
we’ll be concentrating on using the pick in conjunction with the middle finger exclusively.
What is Hybrid Picking?
The term “hybrid picking” refers to a right hand picking technique (assuming you’re right
handed) combining the notes played with the pick and notes plucked with any of the remaining
right hand fingers. Picked notes and finger-plucked notes can either be played separately or
simultaneously.
Why use Hybrid Picking?
The world of hybrid picking opens up a whole new dimension of expression for guitar players.
If you’ve only ever played with a pick, you can incorporate hybrid picking into lines that you
already know, to play them more easily. Since you can prepare a string change by placing your
right hand fingers on the strings you’re about to play, this will avoid large jumps with your pick
and therefore reduce hand movement.
Also, as I’ll show you later, hybrid picking extends your tonal options. Depending on a few
factors you can either make the pick and finger notes sound similar or get tones that are
unobtainable by only using a pick.
Another huge advantage over pick-only playing is the vast polyphonic possibilities. Hybrid
Picking bridges the gap between techniques commonly used in plectrum guitar and those
more typical of fingerstyle guitar. By simultaneously being able to pick/pluck up to four notes at
the same time without having to strum you can now delve into the world of folk picking, bossa
nova rhythms, chord melodies, jazz comping or even classical fugues.
If you’re primarily a fingerstyle player, you can use the skills you already have and largely
expand your single-note vocabulary by combining it with the advantages of playing with a
pick: rapid alternate picking, palm muting, rock rhythm guitar, funk strumming, economy/sweep
picking, pinch harmonics, etc.
Who Uses Hybrid Picking?
This technique has been used by both electric and acoustic players for several decades now,
but has recently become extremely popular. Some players particularly known for their use
of hybrid picking are: Albert Lee, Danny Gatton, Johnny Hiland, Tim Miller, Tom Quayle, Brett
Garsed, Wayne Krantz, Tommy Emmanuel, Eric Johnson, Guthrie Govan, Greg Howe, Zakk
Wylde, Jimmy Page, etc.
As you can see, there is a huge stylistic diversity within that list of players. Hybrid picking is not
particular to a specific type of music, it’s what you do with it! This is also the reason that the
patterns provided in this instructional can be modified and applied to any type of music.
MARTIN MILLER
FUNDAMENTALS
Hand Position
There’s a few factors you have to think about regarding hand position if you intend to use both
the pick and your picking hand fingers at the same time. Some people like to anchor their
picking hand on the body of the guitar to keep their picking hand in place. This is not ideal
for hybrid picking as you have to make a rather radical shift in your fingers in order to pluck a
note. I prefer to keep my picking hand fingers as relaxed as possible, resulting in a light anchor
that is a good compromise between stability and accessibility of any finger whenever you may
need it.
Try this: move your hand away from the guitar. Relax all the tension in your picking hand
fingers, while holding the pick between your thumb and first finger. If you’re properly relaxed
your fingers will be slightly angled but neither overly extended or bent. Now move your hands
towards the guitar and use that position as a reference to find your ideal way of playing. The
final result will depend on your anatomy and the type of a player you are.
BENT EXTENDED RELAXED
Floating or Fixed?
Most electric guitar players rest the palm and part of their forearm on the lower strings and
guitar body. This provides great hand stability, prevents unnecessary string noise and lets you
employ palm muting easily. However, this doesn’t necessarily lend itself to polyphonic playing,
where multiple strings have to ring into each other. Think classical guitar!
In this case you have to slightly tilt your picking hand upwards or let it float fully, depending
on the part you’re playing. Also keep in mind that when playing on acoustic guitar, a heavily
fixed picking hand is going to dampen the resonance of the guitar body and therefore have a
negative effect on the tone.
MARTIN MILLER
Make sure you spend time developing your technique using both methods if maximum
flexibility is your goal. If you normally play with a fixed palm/arm, it may feel awkward at first
when you switch to a floating position; you’ll have to spend some time developing a feel for
that.
FIXED FLOATING
Nails
One important decision you’re gonna have to make is whether to grow your picking hand nails.
The advantages of nails are better tone and dynamic range (see the next section for further
details) and ease with hitting the strings perfectly. Even if you strike a note with just the flesh
of your finger tip, having at least some nail grown will harden your finger tip. Personally, if I
don’t have the nails there it feels like the string is just slipping over my finger tips with zero
control.
The downside is: nails require a lot of maintenance and if they are poorly filed or have grown
thin they’re going to sound and feel terrible.
How long should they be? If you look straight at the palm of your picking hand, you should be
able to see the very tip of your nails behind your fingertips. If they’re too short, you won’t be
able to hit the strings properly. If they’re too long the tone will suffer and you’ll get stuck in the
strings. Experiment!
Ideally, your nails should be curved, without any

edges to catch on the string. The exact curve will
vary from finger to finger but can be easily found
using the following trick: take a nail file, put your
fingers against it as if you were to pluck it like a
string and start filing a little (as seen in the picture).
That gives each nail the correct angle to attack
the strings. Now continue filing till all sharp edges
are completely removed. Again, keep
experimenting a bit and find your personal
“sweet spot”.
MARTIN MILLER
TONE
A lot of factors come into play when it comes to fingerpicking tone production. Apart from the
obvious ones (how hard you hit the string, where along the string you pluck) I want to address
three aspects specifically.
Nail vs. Flesh
As I’ve briefly mentioned before, it is possible to fingerpick with a tone that is really close to
the sound of the pick. In order to achieve this you have to use the nails on your picking fingers.
The sound of your flesh is notably softer and quieter, especially before you develop calluses.
Unless that is the sound you’re going for, this particularly becomes a problem when balancing
out the dynamics of multiple notes played at the same time. Also if you grow your nails, you
can still decide not to use them for certain notes, widening your range of expression.
Attack
For the richest, fullest tone possible, you need to hit the strings with a combination of nail and
flesh. Before playing a note, make sure you contact the string with the inner side of your nail
(the side closer to your thumb) and the flesh underneath. The biggest tone is being created
when the string is vibrating perpendicular towards the guitar and not parallelly along to it. In
order to achieve that, make sure you don’t pluck from under the string; you need to hit the
side of it. The majority of the plucking movement then should come from the MCP joint of
your finger, causing the string to slide along the nail and eventually releasing it. When done
correctly you’ll be rewarded with a resonsant, loud, clear tone, blending beautifully with the
sound of the pick.
If you prefer to achieve a brighter, spankier, more percussive tone, get your finger under the
string, lift it and then suddenly release it. This will cause the string to slap against the frets, an
effect that is often used in country or rock guitar.
Soft vs. Hard
Another aspect of the sound you can manipulate is the hardness. When going for a warm,
soft sound loosen your DIP joint as you pluck the string. Imagine this as somewhat similar to
a brush touching a piece of paper. On the contrary, if you want your sound to be harder and
more aggressive, harden your DIP joint. The difference will be similar to utilising a soft vs. a
hard pick.
Watch: ‘tone.mp4’. In this video example I first utilise my nail to strike the side of the string,
while loosening my DIP joint. After that I harden the DIP. Lastly I go under the string string and
use mainly the flesh to pluck the strings, while the DIP joint remains hard. You’ll notice this
progressively getting more aggressive.
Experiment with mixing up all the aforementioned factors when you practice.
Dynamics
Don’t forget that dynamic control is crucial when it comes to having good tone. For example, the ability
to balance the volume differences between picked, legato and fingerpicked notes can result in an almost
MARTIN MILLER
synthesizer-like effect. Alternatively, you could do the opposite, heavily emphasising either the
picked or plucked notes in order to create more contrast and interest. It’s all about control.
Watch: ‘dynamics.mp4’. In this example I play alternating picked and plucked notes. First I’m
increasing and decreasing the volume of the lower note, while maintaining the volume of the
upper one (at least as good as I can). After that I do the opposite, maintaining the volume of the
LOWER note, while increasing and decreasing the volume on the top note. Imagine having two
faders on a mixing board and being able to adjust both parts individually at will.
WHEN AND HOW TO USE HYBRID PICKING

As mentioned before, there are multiple reasons why you would want to use hybrid picking
instead of just the pick:
1. tonal reasons
2. you want to play a passage with greater ease
3. the passage is unplayable without fingers
Personally, I use hybrid picking to make my guitar playing life easier, not harder. Not every
passage works with hybrid picking. If it feels completely unnatural with a certain phrase, I will
use a different technique instead of forcing myself to hybrid pick.
Be aware that hybrid picking can only be used when going from a lower string played with the
pick to a higher fingerpicked string (for example, picking the D string then fingerpicking the
G string). This is simply a result of the shape of our hands. This may seem extremely obvious,
but it helps to be aware of this when creating patterns. When descending you have to use
alternate picking, sweep picking or so-called “hammer-ons from nowhere”.
Where appropriate, I’ve notated my personal favourite picking directions in the Tab examples.
Also I use the smallest possible number of fingers, to keep things (relatively) simple. If I can, I’ll
play a lick easily using just the middle finger (the strongest). I will only employ other fingers if
they make it easier to play a line.
If you watch your fingers when you fingerpick, you will see that your fingers move from the
ground towards the sky, or from the thinner strings towards the thicker strings, like an upstroke
with the pick.
This is also the reason why I usually avoid using a finger stroke immediately after an upstroke
with the pick. This would be sort of similar to doing repeated upstrokes with the pick, which
feels more clumsy than doing consecutive down- and upstrokes. Of course there will be rare
exceptions.
MARTIN MILLER
FUNDAMENTALS 1
Like me, I’m sure you’ll find
As this:
recorded by jamtrackcentral.com
(From the 2016 Album MARTIN MILLER HYBRID PICKING MASTERCLASS: VOL 1)
1
         
T
A 7 7 7 7
5 5 5 5
B
m
FUNDAMENTALS 2 m m m
Asthis:
… much more natural than recorded by jamtrackcentral.com
1
         
T
A 7 7 7 7
5 5 5 5
B
m m m m
The reason is that the fingerpicked note brings the pick into the ideal position for a
downstroke, just like in alternate picking. So in many cases you may like to view a fingerpicked
note in hybrid picking as a substitute for an upstroke.
If you still want to learn how to do upstrokes and fingerpicked notes in quick succession,
feel free to reverse the picking motion on the preliminary exercises.
A few more things I try to avoid (these are just guidelines and not set rules):
1. Repeated finger strokes on the same string. I’ll usually play legato for one or more notes
before doing another finger stroke, depending on the tempo. In many cases I’ll use the pick
after the string was initially picked with a finger.
nb please refer to the relevent example videos in your download for the rest of the
transcriptions
EXAMPLE 1
Ex.1: As recorded by jamtrackcentral.com
        
3 3
        
4x
1
3 3
T
A 5 6 8 6 5 5 6 8 6 5
B 8 8 8
m H H P P m H H P P
JamTrackCentral Ltd 2016

Generated using the Power Tab Editor by Brad Larsen. http://powertab.guitarnetwork.org
MARTIN MILLER
EXAMPLE 2
Ex. 2: As recorded by jamtrackcentral.com
        
3 3
        
4x
1
3 3
T
A 5 6 8 6 5 5 6 8 6 5
B 8 8 8
m m
2. Moving across strings using the same finger. Instead I’ll try to have at least one pick stroke
or another finger in there.
EXAMPLE 3
Ex. 3:
As recorded by jamtrackcentral.com
 
             
3x
    
1
T 5 5 5 5
A 6 6 6 6
7 7 7 7
B 4 4 4 4 4
m m etc...
EXAMPLE 4
  
                   
     
1
T 5 5 5 5 5 5
A 6 6 6 6 6 6
7 7 7 7 7 7
B 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
m a c etc...
3. Jumping more than three strings between a downstroke with the pick and a fingerpicked
note. In those situations (low E to B string, low E to high E, A to high E) I’ll use my 3rd finger
instead. The large gap puts too much tension onto the tendons and it becomes difficult to
fingerpick a string at an ideal angle. EXAMPLE 5
             
1
              
7 7 7 7 7 7
T 7 7 7 7 7 7
A
B 5 5 5 5 5 5 JamTrackCentral
5 5 2016
Ltd 5 5 5 5 5
m Generated using the Power Tab Editor by Brad Larsen. http://powertab.guitarnetwork.org
c etc...
Of course feel free to alter the preliminary exercises to your needs if this isn’t an issue for you.
MARTIN MILLER
PRELIMINARY EXERCISES
Before we get into actual real-world examples of patterns and licks, it might be a good idea to
do some basic exercising, especially when you’re new to the technique. I encourage you do try
these exercises on all sets of strings and all over the neck. Once you’re comfortable with the
picking pattern suggested, feel free to manipulate that as well and draw your own conclusions
on what works best!
EXAMPLE 6

1
                 
T
A 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7
5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5

B
            
m m etc...
2
    
T
A 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7
5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
B
This very simple example is designed for you get used to hybrid picking in the first place. It
is also a very good playground for you to try out my suggestions in regards to nails, tone,
dynamics, etc. EXAMPLE 7

                  
3x
1
T
A 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7
5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
B
m m etc...
Here we have the same example as before but reversed. Even though the mechanics of
alternating between the middle finger and downstrokes are identical, this exercise feels
very different. This is because the middle finger now lands on a downbeat and the picked
downstroke on an upbeat. So now your middle finger is leading the phrase rhythmically, not
the pick. This situation will occur a lot in real-life playing. Since this may feel a little awkward at
first, I strongly recommend practising it seperately.
Also try:
- playing examples 6 & 7 on multiple sets of strings and positions. Every string and position
has a different feel and string resistance, requiring subtle adjustments in hand position etc, so
prepare your technique for any situation!
EXAMPLE 8 MARTIN MILLER

 
1
             
 
T 8 8
A 7 7 5 5
7 7 5 5
B 7 7 5 5
5 5
       
m m etc...
2
        

7 7
T 5 5 8 8
A 5 5 7 7
5 5 7 7
B 5 5
5
Here we have the same picking principle but now moving fluently across all sets of strings.
Also try:
EXAMPLE 9
- reversing this exercise (like the change from exercise 6 to 7) and playing in different positions.
Ex. 9:
       
1
         
T 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
A 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
B
       
m m etc...
2
         
T 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
A 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
B
Now we’re increasing the spread between the middle finger and the fingers holding the pick,
making the movements feel different.
Also try:
- reversing, different sets of strings and positions.

EXAMPLE 9 HYBRID PICKING MASTERCLASS VOL.1
As recorded by jamtrackcentral.com MARTIN MILLER
Ex. 10:
   
1
    


    
 
8 8
T 8 8
A 7 7 5 5
7 7 5 5
B 5 5
5 5
 
m m etc...
   
2
        
  
8 8
T 8 8
A 5 5 7 7
5 5 7 7
B 5 5
5 5 5
Also try:
- reversing and different positions EXAMPLE 11

        
1
           
T 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7
A
B 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
m m etc...
Also try:
- reversing, different sets of strings and position

EXAMPLE 12
       
     
   
1
  
9 9
T 9 9 9 9
A 6 6
7 7
B 7 7 7 7
5 5 5
m m etc...
Also try:
- reversing and different positions
EXAMPLE 13 MARTIN MILLER

         
       
             
1
   
T 5 5
A 6 6 6 6 6 6
7 7 7 7 7 7
B 7 7 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
m m etc...
              
3
         

   

  
5 5
T 5 5 5 5 5 5
A 6 6 6 6 6 6
7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7

B 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
5


T
A
B
5
EXAMPLE 14
1
                 
T
A 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
B
m m etc...
2
                 
T
A 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
B
Now this is the first exercise where we play repeated notes between the pick and middle
finger on the same string. You may, like me, find it very hard to get pleasing results at first. Try
to get two different types of articulation when working on these type of exercises:
1. Use your nail and don’t plant your middle finger; perform the pluck quickly so the notes ring
out as long and clearly as possible without any gap
2. Use your finger tip andGenerated

plantusing
your middle finger Ltdunder
JamTrackCentral 2016 the string before plucking it, so you
the Power Tab Editor by Brad Larsen. http://powertab.guitarnetwork.org
get a muted, staccato feel. You’ll hear a lot of that in country guitar playing for example.
MARTIN MILLER
Ex. 15:
EXAMPLE 15
1
                 
T
A 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
B
m m etc...
2
                 
T
A 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
B
The same notes as before, but this example focuses on adding accents (the > symbols) to both
picked and plucked notes.
Also try:
- shifting the accents around at will.

EXAMPLE 16
1
             
   
T
A 5 5 5 5
7 7 7 7
B 7 7 7 7
5 5 5 5
               
m m etc...
2
         
5 5 5 5
T 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
A 5 5 5 5
7 7 7 7
B 7 7 7 7
4
 

T
A
B
5
Similar picking pattern, moving across all strings...

EXAMPLE 17 Single Note FUNDAMENTALS

MARTIN MILLER
Ex. 17:

1
             

  

T
A 7 7
7 7
B 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
m etc...
    
2
             
T 7 7
A 7 7
B 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
This time we combine multiple pickstrokes with hybrid picking in a groups of 4

EXAMPLE 18
Pentatonic bounce variation
(From #7 MARTIN MILLER HYBRID PICKING MASTERCLASS: VOL 1)
the 2016 Album

1
          

  

  
T
A 7 7
7 7
B 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
m etc...
    
2
             
T 7 7
A 7 7
7
B 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
This exercise uses the same principle, but the notes are reversed, causing a change in the
picking pattern, due to my preference of having a fingerpicked note preceded and followed by
a downstroke.
EXAMPLE 19
Ex. 19: (From the 2016 Album MARTIN MILLER HYBRID PICKING MASTERCLASS: VOL 1)

3 3
    
3 3
1          
T
A 7 7
7 7
B 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
m etc...
3 3
  
3 3
  

       
2
T 7 7
A 7 7
7
B 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
MARTIN MILLER
A triplet pattern can be played with a double downstroke followed by the middle finger.
EXAMPLE 20

3 3
    
3 3
1          
T
A 7 7
7 7
B 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
m etc...
3 3
  
3 3
   
       
2
T 7 7
A 7 7
7
B 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
Here’s an alternative triplet picking pattern. This is one of the few exceptions where I’ll have a
fingerpicked note followed by an upstroke (this order still feels better than having the upstroke
before the fingerpicked note). As this example shows, none of the rules are set in stone; it’s up
to you to find out what works best for you!
Also try:
- applying all sorts of fingerings to ex. 17-20.
CONCLUSION
So this concludes the first instalment of my Hybrid Picking Masterclass. If you’ve gone through
the written material and exercises carefully, you should be ready to move on to the next
volume. In Volume 2 we’ll really get our technique in shape, as well as our vocabulary and
fretboard knowledge. I’ve got plenty more advanced patterns and exercises for you, and we’ll
extend and manipulate them, making them part of your improvisational toolset. I look forward
to seeing you in Volume 2!
All the best,
Martin Miller.


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MASTERCLASS BOOKLET

What is Hybrid Picking?

Why use Hybrid Picking?

Who Uses Hybrid Picking?

BENT EXTENDED RELAXED

Ideally, your nails should be curved, without any

Nail vs. Flesh

Soft vs. Hard

WHEN AND HOW TO USE HYBRID PICKING

JamTrackCentral Ltd 2016

Ex. 8: As recorded by jamtrackcentral.com

- reversing, different sets of strings and positions.

JamTrackCentral Ltd 2016

- reversing and different positions EXAMPLE 11

- reversing, different sets of strings and position

- reversing and different positions

Ex. 13: As recorded by jamtrackcentral.com

2. Use your finger tip andGenerated

- shifting the accents around at will.

Similar picking pattern, moving across all strings...

JamTrackCentral Ltd 2016

EXAMPLE 17 Single Note FUNDAMENTALS

This time we combine multiple pickstrokes with hybrid picking in a groups of 4

- applying all sorts of fingerings to ex. 17-20.

All the best,

JamTrackCentral Ltd 2016

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