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Killer Guitar Exercise
Killer Guitar Exercise
Compendium of
Killer Guitar Exercises
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If you have this file (or a printout) and didn’t pay for it, Pleae send the deprived
author the major "dickhead" Mike Hartford a flash informing that he's just been
ripped off - I encourage any one to fill his mailbox! Mail: mhartford@maine.rr.com.
F ew instruments lend themselves to such a wide array of
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As with any program of study, the key is discipline. As you’ve
no doubt discovered, the guitar has no shortcuts. You get out of it
precisely what you put into it. These exercises are no different.
Reading them will not make you a better player, nor will playing
them once or twice. They must be played repeatedly- more times
than you can count. Repetition is crucial.
When you practice something such as the guitar, you are merely
showing your body what you want it to get good at. In the case of
the guitar, you are quite literally making pathways for electrical
impulses to more effectively travel from your brain to your hands.
It is a long process. It is so long, that most people become
disheartened and give up the guitar before ever giving themselves a
chance to accomplish anything. Make sure that is not an option for
you.
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The exercises in the guide are all written in TAB format. This
is for two reasons. The first is that it is basically universal and
accessible to those who can’t read standard musical notation. The
second is that most of these exercises involve notes to be played in
specific areas on the fretboard. TAB can show that exact location,
whereas a musical note on the staff is open to interpretation (a “D”
note can be played on the seventh fret of the “G” string, or the
third fret of the “B” string, for example).
In terms of fingering, the TABS utilize the “one fret per finger”
concept. This basically dictates that usually you will be playing in
a four-fret range, and each of your four fingers is assigned to its
corresponding fret. This is illustrated below, with the fingerings
written in red:
Any exercises that go outside of the one fret per finger rule will
have the correct fingering written above the TAB, similar to the
example above.
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Many of the exercises are prefaced with instructions and
comments regarding how to play them, what they will do for your
technique, and any other pertinent information. Ones with no
instructions are designed to be either very self-explanatory, or
simply a continuation or variation of the previous exercise(s).
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There is a right and a wrong way to do everything. For those new to
playing, it’s important you first learn and understand the theory behind
alternate picking. It simply dictates that you pick individual notes in a
down-up-down pattern. This allows you to play notes much faster than if
you played, for example, all notes on a down pick; since you’d have to still
bring the pick back up to get the next note. There are other picking
techniques that don’t employ a strict down-up-down method, and those will
be covered later on in this guide. Until we get to that point, particularly if
you’re new to alternate picking, just concentrate on the down-up-down
pattern.
The exercise below is one of the most basic you will find, but it’s a great
way to practice alternate picking. It is played on the fifth fret of the B string
(the string adjacent to the high “E”). Even if you’re an accomplished player,
this is still a great exercise. Never underestimate the power of practicing
one note. Practice it on all strings in various areas of the fretboard.
Exercise 1
D- Down Pick
U- Up Pick
The next two exercises add two and three notes, respectively. Be sure to
continue using alternate picking.
Exercise 2
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Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Exercise 5 is the well known “box pattern”. Any of the Pentatonic scale
fingerings are mostly made up of box patterns.
Exercise5
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Exercises 6 and 7 are box patterns with different fingerings. The picking
patterns are still the same, but including these in your practice routine will
make sure you can play equally proficient with all of your fretting fingers.
Exercise 6
Exercise 7
Exercise 8
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Here’s where things get a little tricky…
Also, note that after your two consecutive down picks, you then go back
to the standard alternate picking pattern. This is all fine until you realize that
when you end up back at the beginning of the exercise to repeat it, you are
now playing that first note (fifth fret of the “B” string) on an up pick, where
you originally began it as a down pick. This now means the entire picking
pattern will change the next time through, including the elimination of the
need to sweep pick the third and fourth notes. This will mess you all up for
a while. Just keep pounding away and you’ll begin to develop an ability to
play it without even thinking about it.
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Exercise 9
Exercise 10
Exercise 11
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The next six exercises take the idea of sweep picking a little further.
Sweep picking is essentially used to play arpeggios, which are chord notes
played individually. Practicing these will help you become accustomed to
this technique. The general theory behind sweep picking is what’s referred
to as economy of motion, which basically means the quickest means of
playing notes with the least amount of movement.
Exercise 12
Exercise 13
Exercise 14
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This is an interesting arpeggio pattern taken out of the Lydian Mode,
which is built off the fourth note of the Major Scale.
Exercise 15
Exercise 16
Exercise 17
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Exercises 18 and 19 are great chop builders. They incorporate both
alternate and sweep picking, sometimes referred to as alternate picking,
because you are literally alternating back and forth between both kinds of
picking.
Exercise 18
Exercise 19
The next eight exercises are designed to not only work out your left and
rights hands, but your brain as well. You’ll find that you really have to
concentrate on which note comes next. Many players use these types of
exercises to warm up both physically and mentally. I have omitted the
picking pattern indicators in hopes that by now you have begun to develop a
feel for where to play the appropriate up picks and down picks.
Exercise 20
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Exercise 21 is simply Exercise 20 reversed. I use the word “simply”
somewhat sarcastically, since reversing this exercise adds a whole new
challenge!
Exercise 21
Exercise 22
Reversed:
Exercise 23
Exercise 24
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Exercise 25
Reversed:
Exercise 26
Exercise 27
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The next six exercises deal with string-skipping. String-skipping, as you
might imagine, is essentially playing notes that are not on adjacent strings.
They’re great for building technique, and the wide intervals can make for
some pretty intense sounds.
Exercise 28
Reversed:
Exercise 29
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Exercise 30
Reversed:
Exercise 31
Exercise 32
Reversed:
Exercise 33
These preceding exercises are only a few of the possibilities with string-
skipping. Experiment with skipping over two or more strings at a time, as
well.
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Sequences
S equences are some of the most beneficial exercises you can
master. For the purposes of this guide, sequences are defined as any scale
that is played in any pattern other than it’s basic octave-to-octave order. In
other words, sequences are scales whose normal sequential order is altered.
They are a great way to practice scales, because they really require you to
know where all the notes are in advance, not just the next note in the scale
pattern. In addition, they offer physical challenges that are paralleled by few
other exercises. A sequence can be played in any scale, in any key- so don’t
be afraid to apply these anywhere and everywhere on the fretboard.
Exercise 34
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Exercise 35 is a C Major scale sequence played in thirds. This simply
means that instead of the scale being played root, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th,
and 7th; it is played root, 3rd, 2nd, 4th, 3rd, 5th, 4th, 6th, 5th, 7th, 6th, and
root. Put another way, each note is followed by either it’s major third or it’s
minor third, depending upon what note follows in the scale. Once again, it is
a distinct pattern that is being played here. In order to help in learning these,
I am including the correct fingering- written above the TAB in red.
Exercise 35
Exercises 36, 37, 38, and 39 are C Major scale sequences in fourths,
fifths, sixths, and sevenths, respectively. I am providing a different Major
Scale fingering for each exercise.
Exercise 36
Fourths:
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Exercise 37
Fifths:
Exercise 38
Sixths:
Exercise 39
Sevenths:
As I’m sure you’ve noticed, the wider the interval- the more challenging
it is to play.
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Exercise 40 is an A Minor scale sequence that involves playing the first
five notes in the scale, playing back down three notes, starting again one
note higher, and repeating the pattern all the way up and back down the
scale. It may seem confusing at first, but after you begin practicing it, you
will pick up on the pattern and eventually be able to play it fluidly.
Exercise 40
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Exercise 41 is a sequence that allows you to advance up the scale, by
playing in reverse.
Exercise 41
Exercise 42
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Needless to say, sequences are amazing technique builders. The ones I’ve
included in this guide merely scratch the surface of the possible sequences
that can be concocted from virtually any set of notes, whether they are a
scale or any other pattern of notes. Any time you’re trying to learn a new
scale pattern, make a sequence out of it and practice it that way. I guarantee
you will learn it much faster and more thoroughly this way.
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The next six exercises are designed to improve your ability to combine
adjacent scale fingerings more fluidly. It’s one thing to be able to play a
scale in any fingering on the fretboard, it’s another thing to be able to
effortlessly move between those fingerings up and down the neck.
Exercise 43
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Exercise 44 is an extension of Exercise 43. It just completes the scale
pattern once you slide up to that second position.
Exercise 44
Exercise 45
Exercise 46
Exercise 47
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Exercise 48
In Exercise 49, notice that the exercise has a different ascending pattern
than the descending one.
Exercise 49
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Fretting Technique
T his section includes a few exercises dealing primarily with
fretting technique. A lot of attention is given to the picking hand due to it’s
function of mastering all the picking techniques required to hit all the notes
in an effective manner. However, it’s equally important that the fretting
hand develop strength and agility. After all, four of it’s fingers will all need
to work independently and cooperatively to fret all the notes on all areas of
the neck. With these exercises, we incorporate the techniques of hammer-
ons and pull-offs. A hammer-on simply means you are bringing a fretting
hand finger down onto a note with such a force as to make the note sound
without picking it. A pull-off is sort of the opposite- you are fretting note
and using that same finger to pull the string as you would with your picking
hand, thus allowing another lower fretted (or open) note on the same string
to sound.
Exercise 50 is a Major scale pattern with three notes per string. You will
be picking the first note on each string, and then hammering-on the second
and third notes.
Exercise 50
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Exercise 51
Exercise 52
Exercise 53 is a pull-off exercise that utilizes the first and third fingers.
However, be sure to practice all variations of fingers in order to provide a
work-out for each finger.
Exercise 53
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In terms of an all-around general hammer-on/pull-off exercise, I’ve found
that nothing beats a good old-fashioned trill. A trill is simply a rapid
alternation of two notes. For Exercise 54, simply tap on the ninth fret with
your third finger; pull-off to the seventh fret (fretted with your first finger),
and repeat over and over as fast as you can. Once again, practice with all
fingers at various note intervals, on all strings.
Exercise 54
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Exercise 55 is simply a bass note played repeatedly. However, in this
context, we are going to play strictly with down picks, and consistently
“pound” on the note. At the same time, we’re going to partially mute the
string with the inside part of our picking hand. Before long, you will begin
to get a feel for what sounds right.
Exercise 55
Exercise 56
Exercise 57
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Exercise 58 involves playing the third fret on three adjacent strings at
various points. To make fretting easier, simply “bar” your first finger over
all three strings.
Exercise 58
Exercise 59
Exercise 60
Exercise 61
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String Bending
S tring bending is exactly as its name implies- bending a string
Exercise 62
Once you get proficient at bending the note to the proper pitch, begin
play the exercise by releasing the bent note and continuously repeating the
exercise.
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With bending, you obviously have the musical freedom to bend to any
pitch you desire, whether the resulting sound is perfectly in tune or very
dissonant. Usually, bends are either a half step or a whole step, meaning
they are either the equivalent of sliding up one fret, or two frets,
respectively.
Exercise 63
Exercise 64
Exercise 65
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At this point, we’re going to incorporate a great effect- vibrato. As you
may already know, vibrato (producing a slight wavering in pitch on the note)
is accomplished on the guitar by performing short bends and releases of the
note. It adds a great sound the note. These next three exercises involve the
bent notes to have a vibrato. They are also pretty cool licks.
Exercise 66
Exercise 67
Exercise 68
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Doubling
O ne sure way to get even more out of an exercise is to
implement the art of doubling. Doubling, quite simply, is just playing each
note in the exercise twice. This does more than just multiply the notes being
played each time by a factor of two. It alters your picking pattern and really
presents a new challenge. You’ll find that it’s necessary to slow down in
order to correctly hit each note, and your ability to combine both alternate
picking, sweep picking, and alternative picking will really be put to the test.
The next five exercises are all taken from previous ones we’ve covered.
Note the interesting picking patterns that arise as a result of doubling each
note.
Exercise 69
Exercise 70
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Exercise 71
Exercise 72
Exercise 73
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The final two exercises are both advanced arpeggio patterns. They are
both mentally and physically challenging, particularly if you have limited
experience with arpeggios.
A Major Seventh- A C# E G#
B Minor Seventh- B D F# A
C# Minor Seventh- C# E G# B
D Major Seventh- D F# A C#
E Seventh- E G# B D
F# Minor Seventh- F# A C# E
G# Half-Diminished- G# B D F#
Exercise 74
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It’s important to note that Exercise 75 is only one scale pattern done with
one arpeggio. This technique can be played with any scale fingering and
with any kind of arpeggio. Don’t be afraid to experiment.
Exercise 75
The obvious next step for both exercises 74 and 75 is to reverse them.
It’s important to be able to play them in both directions fluently.
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Conclusion
T he preceding thirty-seven pages are merely a collection of the
exercises that have helped me become better since I bought my first guitar
and began playing on April 27, 1986. Although I’ve come a long way since
then, I’m still a beginner in the vast world of music.
If you ever become discouraged and feel you will never get to the level
you want to be at, just remember that you’ve chosen an interest that is very
much a journey, not a destination. As long as you are playing in some
fashion, you will always improve. You will always find people who are
better at it than you, just as much as you will always find those who are not
yet as accomplished as you are. The same is true of life.
In the near future, I hope to have this guide available for purchase as a
CD and accompanying booklet. That process is in the works. I am also
working out details for other guitar-related guides, which I hope to have
available soon on Ebay under my trademark user name, tvshooter1. Please
check my auction pages on Ebay for future offerings.
Thank you for your purchase. It is my hope that this guide has provided
you with some new tools to apply to your craft.
Good Luck!!
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