STUDY

GUIDE

Igor Paspalj
Speed Picking Beginner
Masterclass

JTCGUITAR.COM
Igor Paspalj / Speed Picking Beginner Masterclass 2

INTRODUCTION

Hi everybody, and thank you for checking out this

masterclass. My aim here is to help you develop fast and
efficient picking technique through various exercises, licks
and solos.

This is the first of a three-part series (Beginner, Intermediate and

Advanced) and although this part is aimed primarily at beginners,
there’s plenty of exercises and concepts that will be useful to
intermediate and advanced players

This Beginner masterclass is divided into three sections:

Alternate picking

Sweep/Economy picking

Hybrid picking
Igor Paspalj / Speed Picking Beginner Masterclass 3

Each of these sections then includes the following:

INTRO

Short exercises: Each one is designed to focus on a particular picking

“problem”, for example switching smoothly to an adjacent string in a stream
of alternate picking. The best way to practise the exercises is to “loop” them
at various speeds, transposing them into different positions, different keys,
different set of strings, etc…

Licks: By combining materials from previous short exercises, we can create

longer ideas, more suitable for use in “real life” playing.

Solo: At the end of the masterclass, we’ll study a full-length solo, using all
picking techniques and the majority of exercises from this masterclass. This
solo is designed to challenge your picking hand through twists, turns and
combinations of different picking styles.
Igor Paspalj / Speed Picking Beginner Masterclass 4

CHAPTER 1

GENERAL PRACTICE TIPS

1. Nobody likes practising with metronome, but use it at least during your
warm up practice routines. If you find the metronome click too boring, use
a simple drum loop instead. This is great for improving your time feel, and
you may invent some cool new ideas in the process.

2. Start slowly at a speed that feels comfortable enough to nail the licks or
exercises 100% correctly, but then challenge yourself to play faster, even at
speeds beyond your current ability. Don’t worry if it doesn’t sound great at
first – if you want to play fast, you also have to practise fast. It’s very good
practice to challenge yourself to burst into much higher speeds after good
warm up routine and slow practice session.

For example, spend 15 minutes warming up, playing exercises slowly. Then,
spend 30 minutes practising a few exercises or licks at a comfortable speed,
let’s say 120 bpm. After that, bump it up to 150 bpm and spend 5 minutes
trying to play the exercises. Don’t worry if it sounds sloppy. After that, bring
the tempo down to 130 and try again. At this point, after that challenging
burst at 150 bpm, going back to 130 will feel surprisingly easy, and you’ve
already made that jump from 120 bpm.

3. Experiment with different kind of picks and pick materials. I personally

recommend stiffer picks, anything from 1.5-2.0mm, usually made from
Delron. You might like to try picks with “speed bevels” Some of the more
expensive boutique picks feature “natural wear”, which makes your picking a
tad easier, because the pick glides more smoothly across the strings. Some
players make these bevels on brand new picks with sand paper.

4. Try different right hand positions. Some positions are more efficient in
sweep picking, some will make your palm-muting technique easier, some
Igor Paspalj / Speed Picking Beginner Masterclass 5

will give you more stamina in alternate picking, etc. Find a position and
GENERAL TIPS

pick angle that feels comfortable, and see if you can execute all picking
techniques without any major issues. You can then fine-tune it for best
results. For example, try fast tremolo speed picking for a while (20 seconds
maybe) on each string in turn, using various hand positions. What does it feel
like? When do you start to feel tired? Is there tension right from the start?
Also, experiment with pick angle (and therefore the position of your thumb):
start around 45-60 degrees and work from there.

5. Practice with different gain settings on your amp or modelling unit. This
has a huge effect on how you play. At low gain settings, your picking hand
has to work little harder to maintain a consistent tone, but you won’t notice
unwanted noises. On the other hand, high gain compresses the sound,
making it easier to pick consistently, but you have to pay more attention to
palm-muting and suppressing unwanted noises.

In general, the licks in this masterclass are designed to be played with

medium-to-high gain settings. Tweak your amp settings until you find a
sweet spot where all notes sound clear and articulate. That will largely
depend on a type of amp and/or pedals, and you’ll probably find you can
change things again as your technique improves.

6. Relax your fretboard hand as much as possible. When we play fast, we

tend to press too hard on the fretboard, reducing efficiency, and it takes
some practice and focus to get rid of this habit. The fretboard hand is equally
important in developing efficient and fast speed picking, because it has to be
perfectly synchronised with the picking hand at all times.

7. Try to minimise movement in your fretting fingers. The more they have
to move to and from the frets, the less efficient your playing will be. This is
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another problem that tends to happen when we try to play faster. It’s all about
GENERAL TIPS

economy of motion.

8. When practicing, apply accents (emphasis) to different notes in a group.

For example, in a group of four 16th notes, the normal approach is to
emphasise the first one (ONE two three four). But try hitting other notes
harder... one two THREE four, one two three FOUR etc.

9. Experiment with palm muting, especially on higher gain settings. Palm

muting can actually make your playing sound faster, because of the
“staccato” sound it produces. It also helps your playing to sound cleaner on
high gain settings by suppressing noise and unwanted open strings. Play
various licks both openly and palm muted, going back and forth between
those two types of articulation. Not only it will improve your articulation skills,
it also increases the dynamics and versatility of your playing.

10. Do not neglect the little finger (pinky) on your fretboard hand. Although
it is naturally the weakest finger, it can be developed and improved greatly,
which will benefit your technique in the long run. Try applying the “one finger
per fret” rule as a starting point. For example, at the 5th fret, all 7th-fret notes
are played by your 3rd finger, and all 8th fret notes are played by your 4th
finger. There are of course exceptions (bending the 8th fret, for example) and
sometimes it’s more efficient to use just three fingers, but this hand position
is a good basis to start from.

So, are you ready for some serious picking study? Let’s go!
Igor Paspalj / Speed Picking Beginner Masterclass 7

CHAPTER 2

ALTERNATE PICKING

EXERCISES
EX1: This simple exercise aims to help you work on the transition between
two adjacent strings. Try applying the accent on the 1st or 5th note of the
exercise, as well as both. Of course, it’s alternate picking all the way –
strictly down-up-down-up. This rule applies to ALL exercises and licks in this
section.

EX2: Same as Ex1, but a descending version of the pattern.

EX3: This example is made from two short patterns, one on the 3rd string
and one on the 4th string each one on a different string. It’s a great exercise
that helps your synchronisation between left and right hand.

EX4: Very similar to the previous example, but based on only one string. This
helps with your synchronisation and position shifting in your fretboard hand.

EX5: A classical-style sequence: again, very good for improving sync

between your left and right hands.

EX6: A variation of the previous exercise. Both are very reminiscent of

melodic ideas used in the Classical repertoire of 18th century.

EX7: This one is based on A minor pentatonic (A C D E G), using 2-note-per-

string alternate picking. It’s a simple four-note pattern, moving down through
the scale.

EX8: Ascending version of the previous idea.

EX9: Another simple idea, working on the movement between adjacent

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strings, but this time in triplets. Experiment with accents on the 1st or 4th
ALTERNATE PICKING

note of the exercise, and alternate between them. This sounds very effective
when played fast, especially applying palm muting.

EX10: Descending version of the previous exercise; work carefully on moving

across the strings.

EX11: A triplet exercise combining both ascending and descending, focusing

on sync between left and right hand.

EX12: A three-string ascending and descending run. Looping this one over a
longer period of time can really challenge your alternate picking and develop
stamina in your picking hand.

LICKS
LICK1: This first lick is based on combinations of exercises 9 and 10.
Experiment with accents and articulations. For example, play the first part
(lower octave) with palm muting and the second part (upper octave) without
palm muting, or whatever.

LICK2: Based around Exercise 11, this is very classically influenced. Practise
it in the same manner as previous one.

LICK3: This lick has some properties of various exercises combined. It can
be a bit challenging to execute, as the left hand is often static with short
“bursts” of movement, jumping from position to position, all during constant
right hand picking movement. Pay special attention to play this one in perfect
sync, without “cheating” and “dead” notes.

LICK4: Our first lick is based on exercises 3, 4 and 5. A bit more stretching of
the left hand involved, so if you decide to loop it for a more intensive workout,
try to relax your left hand as much as possible, and stop for a while if you feel
any tension or pain.
 Igor Paspalj / Speed Picking Beginner Masterclass 9

LICK5: A pentatonic lick, aimed to work on your 2-notes-per-string picking.

ALTERNATE PICKING

Play around with accents on various notes in this one, as well as your muting
technique. It can sound very effective when you bring it up to speed.

LICK6: This lick is also a combination of various exercise patterns, and

features more challenging left hand fingering. Also, a lot of movement
between adjacent strings. It’s a great lick to perfect the sync between your
hands.
Igor Paspalj / Speed Picking Beginner Masterclass 10

CHAPTER 3

SWEEP AND ECONOMY PICKING

EXERCISES
EX1: This is a basic sweep picking exercises which you can practise in two
ways:

1. Two downstrokes followed by hammer-on.

2. Two downstrokes followed by an upstroke.

In both cases, try to play the two consecutive downstrokes as a single,

smooth movement, naturally sliding from the D string to the G string.

EX2: Same as EX1, but a descending version of that same pattern. And again,
there are two ways to play it:

1. Downstroke on the G string, followed by a two upstrokes.

2. Upstroke on the G string, followed by pull off and downstroke. Technically

this is no longer sweep picking, but it’s a very efficient way to perform this
exercise at high speeds.

EX3: This is basically a Dm9 arpeggio, but the shape of it is more like a scale
fragment, so it works perfectly with economy picking. You can pick every
note, or use hammer-ons and pull-offs on the 5th and 3d strings.

EX4: Similar to Ex1, but this time in 16th notes (four notes per beat). Probably
one of the most popular two-string arpeggio sweep picking patterns. The
most efficient way to execute it is with two downstrokes, followed by an
upstroke and then a pull-off.
 Igor Paspalj / Speed Picking Beginner Masterclass 11

EX5: Descending version of Ex4. One upstroke, followed by a pull off, and 2
SWEEP + ECONOMY PICKING

downstrokes. See also what I said about palm-muting.

EX6: An ascending C major or A minor scale played with economy picking.

Starting with a downstroke ensures that you’ll cross the strings with
consecutive downstrokes. Again, make sure your pick falls smoothly and
naturally from string to string, without any extra unnecessary movements or
jerks.

EX7: The descending version of the previous exercise. This time, you need
to start with an upstroke in order to play consecutive UPstrokes on the
descending string crosses. Descending economy patterns of this kind are
more difficult to execute then ascending, because the picking hand has a
tendency to rush too fast when making transition from string to string, so
really focus on this one to keep the timing as precise as possible.

EX8: One more economy picking exercise. Practise it both with and without
palm-muting, listening to the difference in sound.

EX9: This is an Am7 arpeggio in a two-string descending pattern. The best

way to execute this with economy picking is down-up-up-down. This one can
also be challenging to play in time, so take it really slowly at first.

EX10: Here’s the ascending version of the previous exercise, applied to a

Gmaj7 arpeggio. The picking pattern is therefore the reverse: up-down-down-
up.

It’s also a good idea to practise Ex9 and Ex10 by switching between economy
and alternate picking. For example, play Ex9 four times with alternate picking,
then Ex10 four times with economy, then reverse this pattern. Try other
combinations too.

It’s very important that you eventually start combining all these picking
techniques together, and then use whichever one fits your playing at a
particular moment. This will often vary depending on the specific lick or the
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precise articulation you want to hear.

SWEEP + ECONOMY PICKING

LICKS
LICK1: This is a combination of Ex2 and Ex6, and therefore is a combination
of sweep and economy picking. I usually play it as described in the notes for
Ex2, but you should practice it both way as in Lick 2.

LICK2: This economy picking lick is based around Ex8. Practise it with and
without palm muting.

LICK3: Similar to Lick 2, but covering more strings.

LICK4: Two-string sweep arpeggios based on Ex4 – a very neoclassical

sound. You should experiment with connecting various major and minor two-
string arpeggios, as in Lick 4. Move them up the neck to play a sequence in
the key of A minor.

LICK5: This is another lick built from two-string arpeggios. It’s similar to
Lick4 from, but this time we’re using pure economy picking. Make sure you
pick every note, using no hammer-ons or pull-offs. It’s based on combination
of Ex9 and Ex10 above, and in the same way, try them both with alternate
picking, and combination of alternate and economy.
Igor Paspalj / Speed Picking Beginner Masterclass 13

CHAPTER 4

HYBRID PICKING

EXERCISES
EX1: The most basic idea to introduce you to hybrid picking – downstroke
with the pick on the lower string and then pluck with your middle finger (M)
on the higher string. You’ll notice at first that notes played with middle finger
have tendency to “pop out” too much in comparison with the picked notes.
A major part of mastering this technique is controlling the dynamics and
articulation. Try to make all the notes sound consistent at first, and then you
can experiment with making individual notes louder or quieter, smoother or
more abrupt. It’s a very expressive technique!

EX2: This is the same picking pattern as the previous exercise, but combined
with some hammer-ons and pull-offs on a lower string. Practise it both with
and without palm muting.

EX3: Here’s one of the ways to play arpeggios incorporating hybrid picking.
Here we have a combination of sweep movement over the 5th and 4th
strings, followed by a middle finger pluck on the 3rd string.

EX4: Another popular way of using hybrid picking, adding open strings. This
is very popular with country players. It sounds best with palm muting. Middle
finger on the G string, pull-off, pick on the D string.

EX5: A short exercise that sounds very effective when played fast, and
moved around the pentatonic scale (this is G minor pentatonic: G Bb C D F).
Once again, the basic rule: downstroke on lower string, middle finger pluck on
higher string. Experiment with palm muting and dynamics
 Igor Paspalj / Speed Picking Beginner Masterclass 14

EX6: Another classical-inspired lick, this time using pedal tones. A pedal tone
HYBRID PICKING

is a note (or notes) that sustain or repeat while another melody line moves
around. Here, we have a repeating E-D-E cell on the G string, with the main
melody above. The repeating pedal pattern is played with the pick (plus
hammer-on and pull-off) and the melody is plucked with the middle finger.

EX7: Try playing this one with two different picking patterns:

1. Down-M-down-up

2. Down-down-M-up

When you’re comfortable with both approaches, try to alternate between

them. Eventually, though, you should do whatever is more comfortable and
effective.

EX8: Another way of arpeggiating chords using hybrid picking. The picking
pattern is downstroke-M-downstroke-M.

EX9: Another pedal tone idea in G major, inspired by J. S. Bach. Also very
effective when you speed it up. Start with your middle finger on the high E
string, followed by a hammer-on, then alternate between pick and middle
finger. The middle finger plucked note is the pedal tone, with the melody
running below it.

EX10: This one introduces an interesting picking pattern, and I am sure you’ll
recognise the musical reference! Use palm muting and pay close attention to
the picking directions under the Tab.

LICKS
LICK1: This is based mostly on Ex1, with some position changes. Play around
with dynamics and palm muting on this one.
 Igor Paspalj / Speed Picking Beginner Masterclass 15

LICK2: A G minor pentatonic lick, using materials from Ex4-6. This follows
HYBRID PICKING

our usual pattern: middle finger on the upper string, pick on the lower string
(downstrokes).

LICK3: This lick uses the same principle as Ex2, combined with some
hammer-ons, pull-offs and various picking patterns.

LICK4: This is a combination of Ex9 and Ex10. Apply the same picking
patterns as in those exercises.

LICK5: Based around Ex4, this one sounds particularly effective when played
fast, and it’s easy to bring it up to speed – challenge yourself! Sounds great
with more aggressive middle finger “pluck”, combined with palm muting.
Igor Paspalj / Speed Picking Beginner Masterclass 16

CHAPTER 5

FULL SOLO “ÉTUDE”

You’ve done all the preparation, so now let’s apply all our picking techniques
in a “real world” musical example! This uses all the techniques we’ve covered,
and the challenge here is to start combining them, moving smoothly between
the techniques as dictated by the melodic lines.

Here’s a short “map” of how the picking techniques change through the solo,
...

Bars 1-2: alternate picking

Bar 3: economy picking

Bars 4-8: alternate picking

Bars 9-14: hybrid picking

Bars 15-16: alternate picking

Bars 17-24: sweep picking

Bars 25-33: economy picking

Bars 34-end: alternate picking (same idea as bars 9-14, but this time played
with alternate picking)

That’s it for now! I hope this masterclass helped you understand some basic
ideas and principles behind picking techniques and increasing your speed
and efficiency. I hope you will be able to apply some of those ideas and
examples in your own playing and your practice routine.

Thank you very much, and I’ll see you soon in the Intermediate part of this
masterclass!
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