Chris_Brooks_-_Thirteen_Week_Guitar_Technique_Bootcamp__Intermediate_Level

THIRTEENWEEKGUITAR
TECHNIQUEBOOTCAMP
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL
13 Powerful Practice Routines for Picking, Legato, Sweeping and Tapping Mastery
CHRISBROOKS
Thirteen Week Guitar Technique Bootcamp –
Intermediate Level
13 Powerful Practice Routines for Picking, Legato, Sweeping and Tapping Mastery
ISBN: 978-1-78933-433-3
Published by www.fundamental-changes.com
Copyright © 2024 Christopher A. Brooks
Edited by Tim Pettingale
The moral right of this author has been asserted.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means without prior permission in writing from the publisher.
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Contents
Introduction ...............................................................................................................................................4
Get the Audio and Video ............................................................................................................................8
Week One: Warmup and Single-string Chops ............................................................................................9
Week Two: String Changing (Single Escape Path).................................................................................... 20
Week Three: Inside / Outside Picking ...................................................................................................... 29
Week Four: Legato Building with Tabata ................................................................................................. 36
Week Five: Sweep Picking Builders ......................................................................................................... 44
Week Six: Economy Picking Builders....................................................................................................... 49
Week Seven: Speed Training ................................................................................................................... 54
Week Eight: Tapping Fundamentals ........................................................................................................ 60
Week Nine: Advancing Alternate Picking ................................................................................................ 69
Week Ten: Advancing Legato .................................................................................................................. 76
Week Eleven: Advancing Sweep Picking ................................................................................................ 83
Week Twelve: Advancing Economy Picking ............................................................................................. 90
Week Thirteen: Advancing Two-Handed Tapping ..................................................................................... 98
Templates for Comprehensive Practice Routines ................................................................................... 107
Conclusion: Goal Setting and Reverse Engineering .............................................................................. 109
About the Author ................................................................................................................................... 110
Other titles by Chris Brooks ................................................................................................................... 111

Introduction
Welcome to my guitar bootcamp and practice plan, the 13-Week Guitar Technique Bootcamp.
Following on from my previous book (Guitar Practice Warmup Routines), as part of a planned practice book
trilogy, this volume serves up a wealth of practice material for chop development and maintenance, along with
a practice method designed to get the maximum results for your time.
When I was growing up, practicing was straightforward: repeat the examples the teacher had circled in my
Mel Bay Guitar Method beginner book and try to do those each day until the next lesson. Since it was the only
book I owned, and there were just a few exercises or melodies each week, I didn’t have many questions about
the process.
When my parents gave me a Vinnie Moore instructional video for Christmas in 1990, I had much more to
practice: scales, sequences, arpeggios, and song excerpts. Then came Paul Gilbert’s first REH video, a handful
of album transcription books, and Steve Vai’s ten-hour workout in Guitar World magazine. Before I knew it,
I had enough material to practice all day.
When I enrolled at the Australian Institute of Music, I was so keen to practice everything, I used to pull my
guitar out on the hour-long train ride to run picking drills, then skip some of my classes to hide out and shred
in the lunchroom (sorry, Music History and Music Business lecturers!)
While it was fun to do those mammoth practice sessions, I didn’t know how to reduce my practice time back
then, and still address the key aspects of each area of study I undertook.
Years later, I learned to refine my technique goals, breaking my objectives into specific elements, then came
up with ways to address those elements with handfuls of exercises rather than hundreds.
Instead of being overwhelmed by, say, fifty picking licks that I could/should/would practice if I had time, I
could break down alternate picking into subjects like single string technique, changing strings after upstrokes,
downstrokes, and a mix of the two, then address those in a tidy and efficient practice routine.
I would cycle different exercises through the routine, categorising each according to the skill required and the
mechanical “payoff”, rather than trying to practice every lick, every day. My practice had more purpose and
no excess fat.
Other techniques can be refined using this same elemental approach, whether it be legato, sweep and economy
picking, tapping… you name it. Think of any larger concept, reverse engineer it into building blocks, then
create practice content to target the specifics.
On the days when I have fifteen minutes waiting for my wife to get ready before we go out, I can run a picking
routine. When I have a whole hour to get some focused practice done, I can address two or three techniques
in one sitting, or include vocabulary like licks, solos, or etudes I wish to study without letting my chops slip.
The work smarter format of the routines in this book will help developing players:
• Build technique using fundamental steps
• Address an array of techniques in a bootcamp style program with a detailed plan
The advancing player will benefit from:
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• A maintenance program relevant to the essentials of technique
• A format in which the examples can be swapped out for other material and new challenges
• Ready-to-play routines to warm up existing chops before the day’s work
If you own my other books, you already know that I’ve penned a wealth of material on subjects like alternate
picking, economy picking, sweep picking, legato, tapping, speed, and synchronisation, with a hundred or more
examples in each.
The routines in this book will work as a template for structuring everything you learn from my other books and
other guitar resources into a practice-smart format.
As you progress through this material, you can replace any drills that have outlived their purpose with more
challenging material you acquire or develop yourself.
I’ll be following up this book with an advanced bootcamp edition to take your chops even further, so keep an
eye out for that. It promises to be a library of high performance guitar chops.
Besides the audio examples provided, I’ve created plenty of bonus video content to give you close-up footage
of my technique, additional performance tips, and a sample of a few workouts, so you can watch them occur
in real-time. There is even a load of drum tracks to work with as an alternative to the metronome.
Thanks for trusting me to be your technique coach for the next few months.
Chris Brooks
5
How To Use This Book
Each chapter targets an element of technique using a series of related drills that form a practice routine.
Rather than taking one lick and drilling that to infinity, then taking another, and so on, you’ll work through
each exercise in the plan daily, approaching the target skill from multiple angles. This is far more effective
than trying to perfect one lick before moving ahead – a far slower way to do things.
The practice format is what I call Targeted Practice. Much like “arm day” or “leg day” at the gym, targeted
practice sessions focus on a specific skill for an entire session.
At the end of the book, I’ll cover another important approach: Comprehensive Practice. Like full-body
workouts, comprehensive sessions incorporate multiple skills for versatility and maintenance.
A common time-killer is spending too much time “metronoming” in small increments that are often redundant.
For example, if you can comfortably play an exercise at 120 bpm with good form and timing, then spending
fifteen minutes crawling from 80 bpm to 120 bpm kills a lot of valuable practice time.
The approach in this program will be simpler: three speeds per lick in many cases, with enough variance in
tempo to make a difference to your progress. I’ll run you through this process in the Week One workout. Many
workouts can be completed in fifteen to thirty minutes.
Some of you might be developing your chops for the first time, like Bob the pentatonic guy, who’s played
for a while but wants to get serious about technique now. Others, like Sam Sweep Picker, might be more
experienced than Bob and have been working on their technique for months or even years but want a more
innovative way to practice.
In this book, I’ll refer to Bob as a “developing player” and Sam as an “advancing player.” I’ll recommend
separate routines for developing and advancing players in several chapters. When the developing player has
gone through the book for the first time and worked the program, they’ll be ready to go through it again as an
advancing player.
I recently asked my social media followers what kind of commitment they can make to a program like this in
any given week. The most common answer (by far) was around thirty minutes per day, five days per week, so
that’s loosely what we’ll aim for with the workload. You might spend the same, less, or more time than this on
the workouts, according to your availability and progress.
To summarise, each chapter will look something like this:
• Goal for the week
• Specifics of the technique for your attention
• Material targeting the week’s goals
• Recommended study plan for developing players and advancing players
Before we start, have the following on hand:
• A music stand (if working from the paperback edition)
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• A metronome, or use the free drums supplied in the audio download for this book
• A clock in clear view
To use the included drum loops, select the repeat mode on your audio player for endless looping drum
accompaniment.
7
Get the Audio and Video
The audio files for this book are available to download for free from www.fundamental-changes.com. The
link is in the top right-hand corner. Simply select this book title from the drop-down menu and follow the
instructions to get the audio.
We recommend that you download the files directly to your computer, not to your tablet, and extract them there
before adding them to your media library. You can then put them on your tablet, iPod or burn them to CD. On
the download page, there is a help PDF, and we also provide technical support via the contact form.
There’s a wealth of video material available to help you get the most out of this book, available at:
https://geni.us/bootcampint
Sign up for free to access many examples from the book.
For over 350 free guitar lessons with videos check out:
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Tag us for a share on Instagram: FundamentalChanges
8
Week One: Warmup and Single-string Chops
Alternate picking is the first topic on the agenda. As one of the guitar’s most foundational plectrum techniques,
we’ll be honing alternate picking in three stages:
1. Single-string technique and speed (this week)
2. String-changing (Week Two)
3. Mixed inside and outside picking (Week Three)
Before getting into technique work, it’s crucial to warm up. To find the perfect warmup routine for just about
any aspect of guitar technique, grab yourself a copy of my book Guitar Practice Warmup Routines.
In the meantime, I’ll start you off with a sample routine.
My golden rule for beginning a practice session is: Make sure your warmup isn’t more complicated than your
workout.
Many guitar exercises can be very strenuous and often more demanding than real playing situations.
So, this week, we’ll be warming up with a simple routine designed to get into things slowly. These exercises
are not speed drills, so keep them controlled and steady and save the speed for later.
The warmup routine is to be done without a metronome, which I’ll refer to as “unmetered” from now on.
Unmetered practice still has a pulse, but we’re not using the metronome to set or increase the speed.
9
Warmup Routine
Example 1a is a rest-stroke exercise to wake up the picking hand. Mute the strings with your fretting hand,
then bring the pick down and back up. We want the pick to land on each string directly from the last, like a
strum but rhythmically separated.
Repeat the drill for about thirty seconds, beginning with slow and deliberate motions. Speed up until you start
losing rhythmic accuracy.
Example 1a:
Next, we’ll alternate between open strings and fretted notes, picked with all downstrokes as 1/8th notes. Use
exaggerated motions to move each finger on and off the fretboard to warm the fingers up and continue the drill
up to the first string before repeating. Repeat a few times or up to thirty seconds.
Example 1b:
Now we’ll use all upstrokes with this descending version of the previous drill.
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Example 1c:
The following two drills are what I call picking paradiddles. Just as drummers do, between the left and right
hands, we’ll be alternating between single and double strokes but with downstrokes and upstrokes of the pick.
Example 1d goes down, up, down, down, then up, down, up, up. Example 1e starts halfway through that cycle
and continues.
Repeat each for up to thirty seconds. If you find paradiddles a real mental challenge, do a couple more sets of
each with a small break in between.
Example 1d:
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Example 1e:
Next, let’s get all fingers on the fretboard with this position-shifting drill on each string. From the 3rd fret,
use all four fingers in succession, jumping up to the 7th fret and 11th fret where indicated, and without
losing timing.
Continue the drill down to the sixth string and repeat a few times.
Example 1f:
For the last warmup, move a major seventh chord shape down the fretboard, using a release of finger pressure
to play very staccato chords. The on/off pressure is an excellent strengthening exercise for the fretting hand.
You can repeat this as many times as needed but take a break and shake your hand if you feel any tension.
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Example 1g:
Now that you’re warmed up, let’s run through the single-string alternate picking routine.
13
Alternate Picking Single-string Workout
Single-string picking is the first logical step to alternate picking dominance. Before introducing string changes
that use inside and outside picking, some single-string focus can help to streamline your motion, improve
synchronisation, and test for your baseline speed.
For now, run through each exercise and learn it. I’ll discuss the practice approach at the end of the chapter, so
try everything at a comfortable speed on this first go.
Similar to the chromatic 1-2-3-4 drill in Example 1f, the first part of the single-string workout begins on the
first string, this time in one-fret position changes. Bars one and two ascend while bars three and four descend.
Repeat the drill on each string.
Example 1h:
Example 1i mixes ascending and descending directions in four-note groups, using the first and fourth fingers
to slide. This will also be played on every string.
The synchronisation and timing of pick strokes and finger slides are crucial to this drill staying together as you
speed it up, so pay close attention to the position shifts.
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Example 1i:
Moving on to diatonic scales, the next two drills use an E Minor scale along the second string.
Each three-note melodic group goes up and down using fingers one, three and four, or one, two and four.
In Example 1j, the first finger is the starting point in each position. In Example 1k, it’s the second finger. The
difference between the two drills effectively reverses the pick stroke associated with each fretting hand finger.
Performing both drills at the same tempo will highlight any synchronisation discrepancies between them.
Example 1j:
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Example 1k:
For fretting hand stamina, Example 1l is a pedal-tone lick that repeats the fourth finger note in between each
other note.
The fingering shape walks down the third string, changing keys from E Major to D Major between bars two
and three.
Example 1l:
To get the fast single-string picking of Al Di Meola and Vinnie Moore, it’s beneficial to work on triplets instead
of just 1/16th notes.
Examples 1m and 1n are closely related exercises using the E Harmonic Minor scale. The first of this pair is
played in 1/8th note triplets, while the second is played as 1/16th note triplets (sextuplets).
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When doubling three-note groups like this, the first three notes begin on a downstroke and the next three on an
upstroke, so synchronisation is once again crucial.
Example 1m:
Example 1n:
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The last drill for this workout is going to be a speed test. With no position shifting required, this simple
repetition lick will help you measure your daily speed in the practice plan ahead.
Example 1o:
Now that you’ve read the material, let’s talk about the practice plan for this week.
Week One Practice Routine

For the first couple of days, begin with the warmup routine described in examples 1a to 1g, then repeat the
single-string exercises (examples 1h to 1o) a few times each, without a metronome. Learning the exercises
before doing any metered practice (days three to five) with drums or a metronome is essential.
At the end of day two, try accelerating each drill up to the edge of your current ability to get a feel for your
limits.
For the remainder of the practice week, warm up and do tempo training for the single-string routine. I suggest
three speeds per drill, each tempo far enough apart to create a meaningful difference in how it feels to play.
Repeats full of mistakes don’t count, so keep going until you have accurate reps.
Aim for the following in your tempo choices:
• Tempo 1: a comfortable speed at which you can execute the picking and fretting accurately
• Tempo 2: a moderate challenge while maintaining good form
• Tempo 3: the point where maintaining fast and accurate repeats is quite demanding
Choosing your three optimal tempo settings will take experimentation, but by the end of day three, you’ll have
a better idea of what settings to use for future workouts. Re-evaluate your speeds as you improve.
Developing players: try 15 beats per minute (bpm) increments at first, e.g., 80 bpm, 95 bpm, 110 bpm. If you
underestimated yourself by the time you get to Tempo 3, choose more ambitious speeds next time.
Advancing players: the more experienced you are with the drills, the more you can challenge yourself. Try 25
bpm jumps or 20 bpm with a faster starting point.
At the end of the routine, use Example 1o as a free-time speed test. Begin moderately, then accelerate through
the repeats as you reach your max speed.
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Grab a metronome and figure out what speed you topped out at as a reference for future testing. Compare your
results for days three, four, and five.
Tempo Training Routine
Drill Tempo 1 Reps Tempo 2 Reps Tempo 3 Reps

Example 1h 1 x 6 strings 1 x 6 strings 1 x 6 strings
Example 1i 1 x 6 strings 1 x 6 strings 1 x 6 strings
Example 1j 1 x any 3 strings 1 x any 3 strings 1 x any 3 strings
Example 1k 1 x any 3 strings 1 x any 3 strings 1 x any 3 strings
Example 1l 1 x any 3 strings 1 x any 3 strings 1 x any 3 strings
Example 1m 1 x any 3 strings 1 x any 3 strings 1 x any 3 strings
Example 1n 1 x any 3 strings 1 x any 3 strings 1 x any 3 strings
Example 1o Free Time Accelerated Max Speed
See the accompanying video content for a demonstration of this routine in real-time.
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Week Two: String Changing (Single Escape Path)
Moving the pick from string to string is the next important area of technique for study and practice.
The routine ahead tackles string changes after upstrokes and downstrokes as two isolated categories. For
efficient practice in both areas, I’ve narrowed it down to a couple of chromatic and diatonic exercises for each.
Examples 2a to 2d begin on downstrokes and change to each new string after an upstroke. Even numbers of
notes per string make the picking uniform, whether ascending or descending.
Example 2a uses ascending 1-2-3-4 fingerings, descending with 4-3-2-1.
It’s crucial that the timing of string changes stays consistent with each row of single-string notes, so each bar
should sound like a steady stream of notes.
Example 2a:
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Working horizontally with position shifts, Example 2b should be moved to every string pair, i.e., second string
and third string, third string and fourth string, etc.
Example 2b:
Chromatic exercises are good for consistency, focusing on picking technique and developing raw speed for
string changes, but musically, there’s nothing particularly “real world” about them.
For that reason, it’s essential to include things with more melodic value in your practice.
When I’m on a time budget, the following two exercises are licks that I drill for a few minutes each to get my
even-numbered, downstroke-leading picking technique powered up for the day.
Example 2c is predominantly from the E Minor Pentatonic scale, with added F# notes on the 7th fret of the
second string and the 9th fret of the fifth string.
Bars one and two are the same as bars three and four; then the whole pattern moves up three frets to the key
of G Minor. I do this to keep myself interested and to move the fretting hand to different positions. You could
also move the pattern up and down chromatically to work in different areas of the fretboard.
21
In Example 2d, the string changes step back and forth so that the lick is not always ascending or
descending exclusively.
Example 2c:
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Example 2d:
All things being equal, your alternate picking will benefit significantly from isolating and practicing licks that
routinely begin strings on upstrokes too.
In the video of this week’s routine, you’ll see how my picking angle adjusts to suit the string changes occurring
in the remaining examples of this chapter.
Example 2e contains five notes on the first string of each bar, resulting in the pick leaving the string after a
downstroke. The second and third strings of each bar begin on upstrokes.
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Example 2e:
Another way to improve “upstroke leading” is to reverse the pick strokes of even-numbered drills. Let’s play
the same notes as Example 2b but begin with upstrokes on each string instead of downstrokes.
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Example 2f:
Modifying the two earlier diatonic examples in this chapter, examples 2g and 2h begin with three notes on the
fifth string and even numbers afterward. While musically very similar to examples 2d and 2e, these drills will
feel quite different mechanically.
Example 2g:
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Example 2h:
26
Let’s run through some practice options for this material.
Week Two Practice Routine

On day one, spend five minutes loosening up with the warmup routine from Week One, then try the eight new
exercises in this chapter slowly and unmetered.
Take note of the string-changing requirements of examples 2a to 2d versus those of examples 2e to 2h.
To tempo-train for the rest of the week, you can either do all of this week’s exercises in one day, or spread the
work across alternating days, completing each routine with single-string revision from last week.
For example, days two and four might look like this:

Warmup - - -
Example 2a 2 x full drill 2 x full drill 2 x full drill
Example 2b 1 x each string pair 1 x each string pair 1 x each string pair
Example 2c 2 x full drill 2 x full drill 2 x full drill
Example 2d 2 x full drill 2 x full drill 2 x full drill
Example 1k 2 x any string 2 x any string 2 x any string
Example 1n 2 x any string 2 x any string 2 x any string
Days three and five might look like this:
Drill Tempo 1 Repeats Tempo 2 Repeats Tempo 3 Repeats

Example 2a Unmetered warmup - -
Example 2d Unmetered warmup - -
Example 2e 2 x full drill 2 x full drill 2 x full drill
Example 2f 1 x each string pair 1 x each string pair 1 x each string pair
Example 2g 2 x full drill 2 x full drill 2 x full drill
Example 2h 2 x full drill 2 x full drill 2 x full drill
Example 1o New Speed Test - -
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While many players start each practice with revision, I often put the main aim of the day’s session (after
warmup) front and centre unless the revision is crucial to the day’s work.
Remember to reassess each tempo in your three-speed approach every few days to ensure you’re still challenging
yourself. Pull the speeds back if your form is suffering or if you catch yourself faking it a little to keep up.
In Week Three, we’ll explore the final string-changing approach for alternate picking, then move on to legato,
sweep picking, two-handed tapping, and more.
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Week Three: Inside / Outside Picking
The mixed escape path is the last subcategory of alternate picking for isolated practice. This is where string
changes occur after upstrokes and downstrokes in a single line, forcing the pick to work between the strings
(inside picking) and around them (outside picking).
The mechanical hurdles of switching from inside to outside picking at frequent intervals are part of what
persuades many players to try economy picking (which we’ll get to in Week Six).
Practicing and progressing with the material in this week’s routine will make it possible to sideline some of
the simpler material from Week Two.
Beginning with all inside picking (Example 3a), a single note on the first string in bar one turns picking around
from hitting new strings on downstrokes to hitting them on upstrokes.
In bars three and four, the same picking pattern moves to the next set of three strings, beginning on the fourth
string. In the routine, you’ll move it to the fifth string and the sixth string too.
Example 3a:
Beginning with five notes on the third string, Example 3b is an outside picking variation of the previous drill.
The pick now takes the longest route to every new string.
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Example 3b:
Turning to diatonic scales, the next drill contains an E Minor scale fragment. Repetition patterns on small
string groups is a great way to woodshed the details of string changing.
In bars one and two, the pick will work outside the third string and second string, then inside the second and
first string.
Moving down one scale note in the same position, bars three and four use inside picking until reaching up to
the first string in bar four.
Example 3c:
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One way to equalise your ability to change strings with inside and outside picking is to run drills that flip the
pick strokes within the same repeating melodic pattern.
With nine notes in the motif in Example 3d, each bar will begin on the opposite pick stroke to the next.
After the first two bars, the drill moves to other octaves and string groups.
Example 3d:
String skipping is an excellent tool for exaggerating the difficulty of a picking pattern, so we’ll do that with
the next drill.
31
Example 3e:
One-note-per-string picking lines offer arguably the biggest challenge of alternate picking string changes.
Let’s do that with an idea based on major seventh arpeggios and cross-picking.
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Example 3f:
With plenty of detailed focus in the drills so far, it’s time to run some complete scales. Odd number patterns
like three-notes-per-string will see each string start on a different pick stroke to the next.
Try this with any scales you like. I’ve used this E Minor scale pattern for demonstration.
Example 3g:
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Finally, we can up the ante with scales by applying sequences.
Example 3h uses the E Minor scale from the last example, applying an “ascending fours” picking pattern in
bars one and three, with “descending fours” in bar two.
Example 3h:
Week Three Practice Routine

As usual, start each day getting warmed up, then spend day one and possibly day two getting acquainted with
the material in this chapter.
On tempo training days, developing players might choose to balance three to four examples of new material,
with some revision from Week Two. If you’re hungry for more work, throw more of this week’s material into
the rotation.
Advancing players might like to go all-in on this week’s material and use a whole session later for Week Two
revision.
Developing Players

Warmup - - -
Example 3a 1 x 4 string groups 1 x 4 string groups 1 x 4 string groups
Example 3b 1 x 4 string groups 1 x 4 string groups 1 x 4 string groups
Example 3c 4 x (16 bars total) 4 x (16 bars total) 4 x (16 bars total)
Example 3d 3 x (12 bars total) 3 x (12 bars total) 3 x (12 bars total)
Example 2d 2 x full drill 2 x full drill 2 x full drill
Example 2h 2 x full drill 2 x full drill 2 x full drill
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Advancing Players
Drill Tempo 1 Repeats Tempo 2 Repeats Tempo 3 Repeats

Warmup - - -
Example 3a 1 x 4 string groups 1 x 4 string groups 1 x 4 string groups
Example 3b 1 x 4 string groups 1 x 4 string groups 1 x 4 string groups
Example 3e 3 x (12 bars total) 3 x (12 bars total) 3 x (12 bars total)
Example 3f 2 x (16 bars total) 2 x (16 bars total) 2 x (16 bars total)
Example 3g 4 x (16 bars total) 4 x (16 bars total) 4 x (16 bars total)
Example 3h 4 x (16 bars total) 4 x (16 bars total) 4 x (16 bars total)
In the next section, we’ll wake up the fretting hand with legato work.
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Week Four: Legato Building with Tabata
This routine is for first-time legato players to build hammer-ons and pull-offs and to focus on some fretting
hand accuracy and fitness.
If it is your first time working on this material, don’t overdo it. Keep these legato tips in mind:
• Finger placement comes from the wrist and elbow too. Your fingers don’t do all the work
• You only need enough pressure to sound a note. Hammer-ons don’t need to slam down hard onto the
fretboard and pull-offs don’t need to be harshly dragged off the string
• The picking hand works with the fretting hand to silence noise. String control is a must
I’ve included a quick video to watch on good legato habits.
In this chapter, I’ll suggest a different type of practice called Tabata. Tabata workouts are standard in the
fitness industry and are based on fixed, short, work and rest intervals. More on that soon.
Let’s ease into this routine’s material with some hammer-ons.
Examples 4a and 4b are atonal exercises based on 1-2-3-4 fingerings, but the notes and fingers are assigned to
alternating strings.
First up, you’ll pick the 5th fret on the sixth string and hammer onto the 8th fret with your fourth finger, then
move to the fifth string 6th fret with the second finger and pick, hammering on a fret higher with the third
finger. Repeat in string pairs.
Example 4a:
36
Example 4b runs the fingers in order but splits them between ascending and descending string pairs.
Example 4b:
Next, smoothly move through fingers one to four on each string as indicated. The pattern ascends in three-
string groups, a fret higher each time. It ends with a legato slide on the first string.
When doubling back to lower strings, you can use the upstrokes where indicated, or play downstrokes at the
beginning of every string in either direction.
To get a truly legato (“tied together”) sound, pick at the same volume as your hammer-ons and make sure each
hammer connects smoothly to the next without audible gaps between notes.
37
Example 4c:
It’s time to introduce pull-offs, so we’ll practice those using some trills to begin with.
Each string trills between the first and third fingers, then the second and fourth fingers. Each bar moves one
fret higher until you’re in the 10th position on the sixth string.
Example 4d:
38
Time to get diatonic. The following drill uses bursts of notes on the third and fourth strings with all notes
belonging to the key of C Major.
The fretting shapes include semitone/wholetone, wholetone/wholetone, and wholetone/semitone combinations.

These are the only three shapes in diatonic scale patterns.
Example 4e:
For stamina, use the shapes from the previous drill, but extend them with more down and up repetitions.
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Example 4f:
A very important aspect of descending legato is the “hammer-on from nowhere,” indicated as a ghost note in
the tablature ahead.
Rather than picking the first note on every string in a descending legato line, we’ll use the leverage of the
fretting hand to hammer instead, shown in Example 4g.
When expanding the drill into a flowing line like Example 4h, pick strokes are only used to initiate strings on
the way up.
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Example 4g:
Example 4h:
Let’s work on ascending and descending slides, paying attention to the timing to ensure that position-shifting
does not negatively impact rhythm.
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Example 4i:
To complete the legato builders in this section, here’s a sequence that translates well to any three-note-per-
string scale. Here, we’ll use a C Major scale.
Since the six-note figures are played as 1/16th notes, try to maintain awareness of the beats and bars, and avoid
getting thrown off rhythmically.
Example 4j:
Week Four Practice Routine

If this is your first time developing hammer-ons and pull-offs to play legato lines, it’s important not to go too
hard too soon in your practice.
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The fingers of the fretting hand are applied differently in legato, since you’re sounding almost every note with
the finger attack rather than the pick.
Tabata makes a lot of sense as a practice tool for the material in this routine, so that’s the theme of this week
– short bursts of work followed by micro breaks.
This week, rather than tempo training and forcing yourself to reach certain speeds, you’ll be repeating each
drill in fixed intervals of work and rest. This will help the technique come together a little more organically
without physical overload.
The intervals I recommend are 45 seconds of work and 15 seconds of rest. That means you can do this week’s
whole routine in ten minutes, leaving time for another round, or to run last week’s routine as revision. Picking
work can also benefit from the Tabata format when you’re short on time.
In the work period of each round, repeat the drills as written at a comfortable tempo (metronome not required).
When the break time arrives, shake your hands off and resume at the start of the next minute.
It’s not a race to beat the clock but, as you develop over the week, you will notice you’re getting more repeats
in as you improve and get faster.
If you’re a phone app user, grab the free app SmartWOD from the App Store or Google Play. This app is a
great tool for setting up your Tabata routine with work periods, rest periods, and notifications when it’s time
to stop and start.
Below, I’ve prescribed ten intervals of 45/15 seconds, but you can also try 40/20, or even 30/30 seconds if your
hands need time to acclimate to the legato drills.
When you’re done, try a Tabata routine of inside and outside picking from Week Three.
Towards the end of the week, try a few legato drills to a metronome or drums to ensure you’re not floating
away metrically. Legato can be a technique that quickly gets off rhythm if the pick isn’t there to lock in with
the beat constantly.
Tabata Program
Drill Work Period Rest Period Total Workout

Warmup - - -
Examples 4a to 4j 45 seconds 15 seconds 10 minutes
Examples 3a to 3h 45 seconds 15 seconds 10 minutes
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Week Five: Sweep Picking Builders
Sweep picking can seem like one of those elusive techniques with a high entry level of experience.
I don’t believe it needs to be, so I’ve created a routine here perfect for the first-time sweep picker, with every
step you’ll need for whisking through arpeggio passages.
Developing players will apply a mix of Tabata and tempo training to this material, whereas experienced
sweepers might use it as a warmup or revision.
All examples in this routine use an A Major triad unless otherwise stated.
The essential fundamental of sweep picking is the rest stroke. This is where the pick leaves each string and
snaps directly into the following string, rather than performing separate successive downstrokes or upstrokes.
For a total focus on your picking hand, the first two drills leave the fretting hands in position with ringing
notes. Do these with a clean tone. You can use overdrive after these.
Note on the video content for this chapter how I orient the pick in the optimal angle for each sweep picking
direction, with the back end of the pick angled downwards for ascending sweeps (Example 5a) and angled
upwards for descending sweeps (Example 5b).
Avoid letting the pick hover between strings in either direction, making sure each pick stroke snaps directly
to the following string.
Example 5a:
Example 5b:
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Your next task is to separate the notes with the fretting hand. Continue the flow of the picking hand sweep but
without the notes overlapping.
Example 5c:
Moving higher up the A Major triad, the next drill uses the first finger on the third and first strings.
Example 5d:
When repeating portions of an arpeggio, the sweep motion will often be broken, with the pick moving around
the strings (outside picking) or between them (inside picking) to start again.
In the next two drills, an 1/8th note triplet rhythm is used.
Example 5e employs an outside pick stroke to repeat the downstroke sweeps, and Example 5f needs an inside
pick stroke to repeat the upward sweeps.
Example 5e:
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Example 5f:
Let’s use five notes in either direction, maintaining the rest strokes and separate notes in both.
Example 5g:
For the final sweep picking builder for this routine, you will combine ascending and descending sweeps without
any break in between. You’ll have to switch directions seamlessly without breaking the rhythms indicated.
Bars three and four, then bars five and six, use E Major and D Major triads as indicated, with the same fretting
hand pattern as the A Major triad in bars one and two.
You’ll be able to advance your sweep-picking vocabulary further in Week Eleven.
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Example 5h:
Week Five Practice Routine

As you accumulate techniques for practice, it is imperative to map out your practice with enough variety to
achieve new goals but enough familiarity to maintain what you’ve learned and keep progression happening.
For sweep-picking development, I’m recommending a mix of Tabata and tempo training, detailed in the
tables below.
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Since these drills start very simple, an official warmup routine may be optional. If you need to loosen up first,
run the warmup from Week One or one of the many in my Warmup Routines book.
If you spend five days on this new material, make time to do a legato session and a picking session on other
days of the week or at the end of this roughly twenty-minute sweep picking routine.
Sweep Picking Tabata
Familiarise yourself with the drills in this chapter with a Tabata routine of 45 seconds of work and 15 seconds
of rest. To fill this part of the routine out to ten minutes, include your two most challenging drills twice each.
Drill Work Period Rest Period Duration

Warmup - - -
Examples 5g, 5h 45 seconds 15 seconds 2 minutes
Sweep Picking Tempo Training
After a couple of days of Tabata, introduce tempo training. Since the first four examples are for explaining the
sweep-picking technique, you can bench those and focus on the more practical examples.

In the next section, we’ll use sweep picking as an option for scales, avoiding some of the pesky elements of
string changing with pure alternate picking.
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Week Six: Economy Picking Builders
Economy picking is the speed-picking choice of players like Frank Gambale and Yngwie Malmsteen, the latter
of whom employs the technique for ascending string changes.
All drills in this section call upon the C Major or A Natural Minor scales.
This week, we will look at eight technique-building drills for economy picking, then bake those skills in with
a mix of Tabata and tempo training routines.
Like sweep picking, economy picking takes the pick to each new string in the most direct way possible,
often using directional motion. Outside-picked string changes in alternate picking are replaced by double
downstrokes and upstrokes in economy picking.
Example 6a uses sweep picking to change strings between the second and first strings in bar one, with the
addition of the third string in bar two.
Maintaining a steady rhythm in economy picking is important, especially if you’re used to working around
the strings in alternate picking.
Example 6a:
The consistency of economy picking means you’ll never be forced into outside picking, even when adding
more strings.
Let’s pick through four strings at a time in the 9th and 7th positions.
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Example 6b:
The next two examples are the descending counterparts of examples 6a and 6b. Ensure you’re using rest
strokes for actual sweep picking on the string changes.
If you find this direction much more complex than ascending, spend more development time on these two drills.
Example 6c:
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Example 6d:
Expanding to six strings using the C Major scale, examples 6e and 6f start and stop in two-string units of
economy picking.
Example 6e:
Example 6f:
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So far, we’ve played in one direction at a time. When it comes to turning around, the number of notes on
the turnaround string will determine whether the direction change happens using separate pick strokes or
with sweeping.
In Example 6g, the odd number of notes on the third string in bar one and the sixth string in bar two mean
that string changes occur using opposing pick strokes (down on the third string, up on the fourth string,
for example).
Example 6g:
Unlike the previous drill, Example 6h has even numbers of notes on the last string of each direction, making
it possible to sweep pick through the direction changes.
Example 6h:
Let’s look at our practice plan for economy picking.
Week Six Practice Routine

Two of the most important attributes of economy picking are flow and timing.
Flow is about ensuring that the string changes are smooth and not disruptive to the rest of the line, and timing
is about ensuring you are phrasing in the way you intend.
While the upside of economy picking is the freedom to fly across string changes, its equal and opposite
downside is the pitfall of rushing or dragging in meter when you don’t mean to.
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Addressing both elements makes economy picking a great candidate for alternating between Tabata and tempo
training practice.
This week’s practice routine works like the sweep-picking routine in Week Five.
Tabata routine
Run each drill for a minute, then double up on the final two examples.

Warmup - - -
Examples 6g, 6h 45 seconds 15 seconds 2 minutes
Tempo Training

Example 6a 4 x (8 bars total) 4 x (8 bars total) 4 x (8 bars total)
Example 6b 4 x (16 bars total) 4 x (16 bars total) 4 x (16 bars total)
If you’re concerned about losing your alternate picking skills, spend one or two days this week revising
practice routines from weeks two and three, paying close attention to what string-changing approach you’re
using each time.
At some point, you might feel like going all-in on one type of picking, and that’s not only okay, it’s what most
of your heroes are doing!
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Week Seven: Speed Training
This week, I want to introduce the idea of practicing purely for speed, to push your limits and get an inkling of
where your technique is at. Rather than building a new technique in this chapter, you’ll learn an acceleration
process I developed for my practice routines decades ago.
In my book, 137 Guitar Speed and Coordination Exercises, Section Two covers something I call The Speed
Practice System.
I recommend this book for all aspiring shredders because it’s an important resource for improving and
accelerating technique. For now, though, I’ll give you the Reader’s Digest version so you can also make some
speed gains in this program.
A big part of the speed practice system is to take repetition drills, calculate your top speed, create a burst
version of the drill, then accelerate it in percentages above your top continuous speed. Sometimes taking speed
hostage like this is better than waiting for it to show up on its own.
As you study this chapter, keep your metronome, a pen, and a notepad close by. A calculator will be handy too.
For phone-savvy people, you can do this all on your mobile.
First, let’s test a repetition-picking drill (Example 7a). I want you to repeat this drill with the metronome off
and, as you repeat, keep ramping up your speed until you reach the edge of your ability.
Be honest with yourself regarding accuracy, stopping when you reach the point where it becomes messy and
falls apart.
Example 7a:
Now, turn on your metronome and determine what speed you topped out at. When you think you’ve figured
it out, try playing it again with the click of the metronome, confirming that this is your top continuous speed.
When you’re done, crank the metronome faster by ten percent and play this burst version of the previous drill
(Example 7b). When you’ve done it a handful of times, do it ten percent higher again, then another ten percent
if you can.
For instance, if your top continuous speed for Example 7a was 120 bpm, you would try Example 7b at 132,
145, and 160 bpm. This might seem like a scary idea at first, but the idea is to push beyond your limits with
burst licks which will, in turn, elevate your top continuous speed.
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As you get into the crazier tempos, your accuracy will decline, but the concept is to reach for that higher tempo
and let your brain develop the means to do it.
Example 7b:
After you’ve rested your hands for a moment, go back to Example 7a and play it at ten percent above your
original top speed. Chances are, you’ve established a new top continuous speed. If not, keep it up each day this
week because the system will produce results.
Now that you know how the speed practice concept works, it’s time to apply it to other drills.
Example 7c is a single-string drill with position slides, and Example 7d is the burst training version.
Example 7c:
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Example 7d:
Example 7e and its burst equivalent (Example 7f) are diatonic, using three-note groups from the key of C
Major along the third string. Similarly, Examples 7g and 7h represent another continuous and burst drill pair.
Example 7e:
Example 7f:
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Example 7g:
Example 7h:
Another concept from 137 Guitar Speed & Coordination exercises is using subdivisions to initiate speed.
This alternate picking drill uses 1/8th notes in bars one and two. In bar three, the same notes are played
as 1/16th notes, effectively doubling the speed in one-bar bursts. This can be an excellent tool for getting
exposure to higher speeds and observing if mechanical issues need to be ironed out.
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Example 7i:
This drill combines an A Minor triad with descending scale notes with economy picking.
Representing a fifty percent increase in the notes per beat, bar two is the same phrase as bar one but played in
sextuplets or 1/16th note triplets.
Example 7j:
Week Seven Practice Routine

Since the content of this chapter is the practice routine, your mission this week is to incorporate some speed-
specific training into the week’s activities.
As a five-day program, let me suggest that this week be divided between five subjects:
1. Alternate Picking
2. Legato
3. Sweep Picking
4. Economy Picking
5. Speed Training
By spending just one day per week on pure speed training, you stand a good chance of elevating your
technique in several areas and developing a mindset for reaching your maximum potential. In Week Eight, we
will add two-handed tapping to your regimen, then double back to some of the other techniques with more
advanced material.
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Week Eight: Tapping Fundamentals
Tapping is a great extension of legato playing in which one or more fingers of the picking hand play a role in
hammer-ons and pull-offs.
This routine looks at four aspects of two-handed tapping:
• Single-string repetition licks
• Pentatonic scale extensions
• Diatonic tapping lines
• Arpeggio tapping
These are concepts taught in my book, Rock Guitar Tapping Technique, distilled here for the format of this book.
In these drills and sequences, you’ll be using one tapping finger. I use the first finger like Edward Van Halen,
Paul Gilbert, and Nuno Bettencourt. Other fabulous tappers like Reb Beach, Steve Vai, Guthrie Govan, and
Greg Howe use their middle finger.
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Example 8a starts with a symmetrical tapping pattern repeated on the second, third, fourth and fifth strings.
The notes fit into the key of G Major, but I’m not thinking about any key or chord for this pattern.
Each string begins with a 12th fret tap which pulls off to the 5th fret, followed by a hammer-on to the 7th fret
before repeating.
Example 8a:
Played entirely on the third string, Example 8b is an etude in which the tapping finger and the fretting hand
will move up the fretboard, one at a time.
To initiate the fretted first note, the tapping finger will pluck the string with a flick motion.
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In bar two, the tapping finger moves up to a higher fret. In bar three, it’s the fretting hand’s turn, with the two
alternating throughout.
The tapping in each bar outlines the chord names indicated.
Example 8b:
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Like legato, tapping sometimes calls upon hammer-ons from nowhere.
In Example 8c, the fretting hand’s first finger initiates each ascending string. Just enough pressure to sound
the note will get things rolling.
Since this drill uses three notes per string with a 1/16th note rhythm, be mindful of where the beat is without
getting thrown off by the idea of playing melodic threes and rhythmic fours.
Example 8c:
Let’s apply the mechanics of the last drill to an E Minor Pentatonic scale. The tapped note on each string is
two scale notes higher than the fretted note before.
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Example 8d:
Our next pentatonic idea is also based on an E Minor Pentatonic shape but has the relative major sound (G
Major Pentatonic) in this lick. The tapping finger initiates each string in this sequence that goes back and forth
between strings.
Example 8e:
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If your fretting hand fourth finger lets you down on more difficult legato sequences, players like Reb Beach
swap that digit out for the tapping finger.
Here are two three-note-per-string patterns from the key of C Major that sound more like regular legato since
there are none of the broad interval jumps often associated with tapping.
You can do this with any scale pattern with the same layout of three notes per string.
Example 8f:
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This week’s material concludes with two string-skipping triad ideas. Both are built from a three-octave D
Minor triad (same shape, different strings).
Example 8g is a good primer for Example 8h, a busier pattern that jumps between octaves more frequently.
In both instances, following each tapped note on the way up with the next hammer-on from nowhere is important.
On the way down, have your tapping finger ready to start each new string, and use that time to position the
fretting hand.
Example 8g:
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Example 8h:
Week Eight Practice Routine

While tapping is simple, some licks can seem distinctly more advanced than others, as you coordinate two
hands on the fretboard, each responsible for separate hammer-ons and pull-offs.
For this week’s material, warm up on some of the legato builders from Week Four. From there, decide if you’re
best suited to the developing player or advanced player routines below.
This week, we’ll return to tempo training for all examples. Spend a day or so revising the material, then choose
your routine.
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Developing Players:

Advancing Players:
In the remaining chapters, we’ll add to our main technique subjects. Developing players are encouraged to
take a look at what’s coming up, but feel free to keep working on the existing workouts if you need more time.
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Week Nine: Advancing Alternate Picking
Having covered alternate picking, legato, sweep picking, economy picking, speed training, and tapping in the
last eight weeks, it’s time to double back and top up those subjects with new material.
It’s easy to let areas of your playing stagnate when you don’t update them with new information, so the
remaining chapters will be that new information, building on the foundations you’ve established so far.
To advance your alternate picking, it’s important to make it real-world-ready, taking the separate elements
practiced in weeks one to three and using them in musical practice.
For a single-string update, Example 9a is an etude in the key of A Minor that uses a melodic unit of six
notes, played three times on each string. Rhythmically, the first two units are 1/16th notes, followed by a
sextuplet burst.
The first part of the etude is four bars long, repeating an octave lower on the third and fourth strings in bars
five to eight.
Example 9a:
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We can apply downward and upward escapes as a uniform approach in separate sequences for string changing.
Example 9b, using the B Minor Pentatonic scale, begins each string with a downstroke. The pick escapes to
each higher or lower string after an upstroke.
Example 9b:
Odd numbers of notes on both E strings force the previous sequence into the opposite picking type – upstrokes
beginning each new string and downstrokes completing them.
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Example 9c:
Applying consistent usage of outside picking (Example 9d) and inside picking (Example 9e), the following
two drills are based on descending and ascending “threes” in the B Minor Pentatonic scale.
Example 9d:
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Example 9e:
With three note-per-string scales, you can use even-numbered motifs on each string to apply your favourite
alternate picking strategy.
Here’s an A Minor scale played with each string finishing on an upstroke (Example 9f), then modified to finish
on downstrokes instead (Example 9g).
Remember that any even-numbered picking sequence can be retooled to the opposite picking approach by
including an odd number of notes at the beginning.
Example 9f:
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Example 9g:
Branching out of absolute picking uniformity, the last two drills in this update feature mixed string changes.
Even with a strong emphasis on changing strings after downstrokes, Example 9h sees a couple of instances of
changing after upstrokes.
Even if you use your favourite strategy a lot, it will help to connect ideas with a secondary approach.
Example 9h:
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For the last lick in this routine, a C Major scale is played with several changes to direction and picking path.
If true alternate picking is your aim, this versatility and adaptability will pay dividends in your improvisation.
Example 9i:
Week Nine Practice Routine

This week, I’d like you to put picking back in the spotlight, focusing on this new material and using selections
from weeks two and three as warmup material.
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Other subjects can be relegated to revision in a few days, or at the end of your daily workout below.
Since a few of these ideas are longer than some basic picking drills and may require more memorisation, spend
two days trying the material without the pressure of speeding up if you need it.
On day three, use the metronome to determine your three speeds for tempo training each example.
If you feel you’re not ready for nine new picking sequences right away, pick three to four, then add others to
the fold as you progress.
Advancing Players

Example 2d Slow warmup - -
Example 2g Slow warmup - -
Example 3e Slow warmup - -
Example 9i 4 x (16 bars total) 4 x (16 bars total) 4 x (16 bars total)
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Week Ten: Advancing Legato
Like the alternate picking material in last week’s routine, this week will be about advancing your legato skills
to make them more applicable to playing freely across the fretboard.
All the drills in this section use modal patterns from the key of G Major, some within the three-note-per-string
format and others using position slides to cross into other patterns for greater reach.
In the first of the new drills, you’ll get used to running up and down scales in short segments of three strings.
This will give you time to build stamina by playing in the odd bars (one, three, five, seven) and resting after
reaching the other bars.
While each string has three different notes, the rhythms are in fours, so avoid playing triplets here.
Example 10a:
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Okay, now you can play triplets! Example 10b is played in 1/16th note triplets and adds an extra string to the
last pattern in bars one and two.
In the second half of the drill, the lick is moved down two diatonic positions.
Example 10b:
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Alternating between three notes and a five-note motif in string pairs, Example 10c starts at the 5th fret,
jumping to the fourth string in bar two to begin the previous pattern an octave higher.
In bar three, the pattern begins again from the 10th fret of the second string until we run out of strings.
Example 10c:
Here’s a descending sequence that also has an octave jump. With only one downstroke, it will be up to your
fretting hand fourth finger to initiate each other string.
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Example 10d:
If you’re into players like Joe Satriani, developing some “burst” phrasing in your legato is a good stylistic
approach to have up your sleeve.
This kind of rhythm is the first step to getting into that sound. Play the audio to hear how the 1/8th notes create
pauses within the otherwise 1/16th note rhythm of the line.
Example 10e:
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As another exercise in rhythmic control, Example 10f contains sextuplets, 1/16th notes, and ascending slide
position shifts. The position shifts set up the repeat of the same two-string shape in ascending octaves.
Example 10f:
Using four notes per string, Example 10g demonstrates a great way of covering the whole fretboard with one
legato lick.
Example 10g:
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Lastly, in this routine, we’ll stretch out the minor pentatonic scale into a string-skipping, three-note-per-
string pattern.
Bars one and two outline the A Minor Pentatonic scale. By moving everything a string lower in bars three and
four, we get an E Minor Pentatonic scale without changing the frets used.
Example 10h:
Week Ten Practice Routine

Since timing is crucial to the legato lines in this chapter, this week’s routine is tempo based.
After warming up with some drills from the original legato chapter, you’ll try each of the exercises from this
week’s material with the click of a metronome or the supplied drumbeats. If you need a “learning day” for
running the material without playing to the beat, please do so.
It’s important not to strain your hand on these drills, so use a few bars of rest in your tempo training whenever
you need.
Legato can sound amazing when you let it off the leash and go as fast as you can, so be sure to experiment with
just going for it unaccompanied, too.
Developing players are advised not to take on more than they’re ready for. If necessary, build this routine up
with a couple of new drills each day until you’re trying everything in the routine.
If legato is causing your hands to tense up too much, take a break, come back to it tomorrow, and divide your
practice between legato and some picking revision.
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Advancing Players

Example 4c Slow warmup - -
Example 4e Slow warmup - -
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Week Eleven: Advancing Sweep Picking
Now that you have developed downward and upward sweeping, rest strokes, and fundamental direction
changes, it’s time to ramp up this topic with extended major and minor triad shapes, more frequent direction
changes, and some scale connections.
Because of the directional flow of sweep picking, it can be easy to rush the parts that move in one direction
and drag in places like turnarounds. It’s imperative in this routine to stick to the designated rhythms for the
examples, locking into the beat of the metronome or drum accompaniment.
Example 11a expands the A Major triad used in Week Five. Note the slurs that occur on the first and fifth
strings. These are optional but very commonly used for speed and smoothness.
Bars three and four demonstrate the extended minor shape using a B Minor triad.
Example 11a:
Let’s use two major and two minor extended triads from the key of A Major. Moving around like this may be
harder to visualise, so ensure you’ve memorised the shapes from the previous example.
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Example 11b:
Playing the six-string shape from the lowest note is done with a downstroke on the sixth string the first time
(bars one and three), but an upstroke when coming back to it from the higher strings (bars two and four).
We’ll play the major triad sweeps this time in 1/8th note triplets.
Example 11c:
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Example 11d repeats a two-string turnaround, expanding to five strings in bar two.
Each direction change has all-picked, doubled notes, requiring your pick to switch from an upward to a
downward sweep on short notice and in time with the rest of the drill.
Example 11d:
To get into Jason Becker sweep picking territory, Example 11e changes direction between strings and calls
upon five- and six-string shapes.
Since the turnarounds occur in unusual places within some beats, be vigilant about your timing. After several
repeats, you’ll get into the groove and it will feel less awkward.
Example 11e:
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Here’s another Becker-style idea using speedy sextuplets and combining six- and three-string sweeps.
Example 11f:
So far, each of the extended triad sweeps have used the 3rd of the chord as the lowest note in the shape.
The following example introduces a position-shifting pattern that begins on the root note in the E-shape barre
chord area and uses the third string to slide into our more familiar C-shape sweep.
Sliding in time can be challenging, so make sure you nail the timing of these major and minor patterns before
speeding up.
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Example 11g:
Many developing players get stuck trying to blend arpeggio playing into their scale-picking comfort zones, so
the last two examples in this routine will address this.
Working up the ascending C-shape A Major triad sweep, Example 11h switches to alternate picking the notes
of the A Major scale located within the same zone of the fretboard.
Continuing the scale work throughout bar three, the drill concludes with a descending triad sweep in bar four.
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Example 11h:
Lastly, we’ll do something similar with the five-string shapes of B Minor and C# Minor triads with notes of
the A Major scale.
Example 11i:
Week Eleven Practice Routine

Tempo training should form the bulk of this week’s practice, but it’s of the utmost importance to make sure
each sweep and direction change is baked into your technique in a smooth and flowing way.
When the metronome is ticking fast, and you’re sweeping four to six notes per beat, there’s a slippery slope
of rhythmic errors that can become well-rehearsed bad habits if due diligence isn’t observed at slow and
moderate tempos.
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So, where previous tempo training levels were used as stepping stones to unleash new speeds, this week’s
training is an opportunity to ensure that your sweeping works at various speeds – not just fast.
After spending the first day reviewing the material, and perhaps day two for Tabata practice, day three and
beyond should be tempo based.
Remember that sloppy reps don’t count, so ensure you get clean, accurate results before moving up the click.
Developing players might initially limit themselves to examples 11a to 11c, adding more drills over time.
Conversely, advancing players might like to forego the first few examples from day three onwards, emphasising
examples 11d to 11i more.
The tempo program is as follows:

Example 1a 30-second warmup - -
Example 5g 30-second warmup - -
Example 5h 1-minute warmup
Example 11i 8 x (16 bars total) 8 x (16 bars total) 8 x (16 bars total)
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Week Twelve: Advancing Economy Picking
This week’s practice routine contains longer examples than the development drills from Week Six. All
Examples are from the key of A Major.
Here, we’ll apply economic string changes to six-string diatonic scales, arpeggio and scale combos, and
pentatonic scales. These are all part of developing freedom with the technique to weave in and out of various
musical ideas – something that takes time to internalise.
Example 12a moves a three-string motif along the fourth, third, and second strings before repeating it an
octave lower on the sixth, fifth, and fourth strings. The pick sweeps to each new string and the patterns move
horizontally along the fretboard using position shifts.
Example 12a:
90
Next, this A Major scale sequence contains sweep- and inside-picking string changes, always taking the pick
along the most direct route to each string.
Example 12b:
Using D Lydian and C# Phrygian scale patterns from the key of A Major, the next drill changes direction less
predictably than the two previous drills.
Example 12c:
91
Economy picking is a perfect technique for scale and arpeggio combination licks.
In the next drill, we’ll combine an A Major triad on the fourth, third, and second strings with scale notes in the
same position.
The lick is transposed to work around a D Major triad and its surrounding notes in bars three and four.
Example 12d:
Example 12e is another scale/arpeggio combo, this time, built around Amaj7 and Dmaj7 arpeggios. While
the arpeggio shapes are the same in both positions, scale notes on the third string differ between positions to
adhere to the key.
92
Example 12e:
The next drill is a stepping stone to the one that follows it. Both are based on a horizontal economy picking
pattern on string pairs.
Example 12f shows a two-string pattern containing ten notes. Each bar afterward moves the sequence down
one diatonic position at a time.
93
Example 12f:
Capitalising on the speed and fluidity of economy picking, we can create a rushed time feel by squeezing the
ten-note melodic groups into two beats of each bar. These are called decuplets – ten 1/16th notes played in the
space of eight.
To master the feel of the note groupings in Example 12g, practice in free time at first. Then, after beginning
the first group of notes on beat 1 of the bar, aim to play through notes at the right pace to land the first note of
the second group on beat 3 in each bar.
With enough practice and subtle adjustments, it will become more natural.
94
Example 12g:
To finish with one more unorthodox economy-picking concept, here’s a sequencing shape I like to use with the
minor pentatonic scale (C# Minor Pentatonic, in this case).
The layout uses two- and three-notes-per-string in a way that stays in one position without doubling any pitch
between strings. Sweep-picking string changes apply throughout.
Once you have this shape and picking pattern down, it can be convenient for creating economy-picking
sequences that reside close to the familiar pentatonic box.
You can learn a wide variety of fresh and fast pentatonic ideas in my recent book, Pentatonic Speed Strategies
for Guitar.
95
Example 12h:
Week Twelve Practice Routine

Since the examples in this week’s routine will take longer to learn, spend two days on Tabata training to
develop some muscle memory. Save tempo training for later in the week or until you feel ready.
I suggest two Tabata intervals per lick to give yourself time to memorise the drills without the pressure of
speeding up.
During the tempo work, you might like to put four licks together in one session and the rest in another session
for alternating days.
Developing players are encouraged to take on a couple of examples at a time if the entire routine is overwhelming,
adding the new examples to some revision work of older routines.
96
Tabata Routine (Day Two)

Warmup - - -
Examples 12a 45 seconds 15 seconds 2 minutes
Examples 12b 45 seconds 15 seconds 2 minutes
Examples 12c 45 seconds 15 seconds 2 minutes
Examples 12d 45 seconds 15 seconds 2 minutes
Examples 12e 45 seconds 15 seconds 2 minutes
Examples 12f 45 seconds 15 seconds 2 minutes
Examples 12g 45 seconds 15 seconds 2 minutes
Examples 12h 45 seconds 15 seconds 2 minutes
Tempo Training (Days Three to Five)

Warmup - - -
Examples 12a 3 x (24 bars total) 3 x (24 bars total) 3 x (24 bars total)
Examples 12b 4 x (16 bars total) 4 x (16 bars total) 4 x (16 bars total)
Examples 12c 4 x (16 bars total) 4 x (16 bars total) 4 x (16 bars total)
Examples 12d 4 x (16 bars total) 4 x (16 bars total) 4 x (16 bars total)
Examples 12e 4 x (16 bars total) 4 x (16 bars total) 4 x (16 bars total)
Examples 12f 3 x (18 bars total) 3 x (18 bars total) 3 x (18 bars total)
Examples 12g 4 x (12 bars total) 4 x (12 bars total) 4 x (12 bars total)
Examples 12h 4 x (16 bars total) 4 x (16 bars total) 4 x (16 bars total)
97
Week Thirteen: Advancing Two-Handed Tapping
In the final week of adding examples to your practice regime, we’ll add more practical tapping ideas that build
on the fundamentals of Week Eight.
After this week’s practice routine, I’ll walk you through some ideas for practicing multiple concepts daily.
Let’s revisit single-string tapping and add fresh concepts to advance your tapping beyond the basics.
Example 3a is a pedal-point or “pivoting” lick that can be applied to any scale along a string.
In a pedal-point sequence, a static note is typically repeated between the notes of an ascending or descending
line.
In this case, tapped A notes repeat on the first, third, and fifth strings. Each tap pulls off to a different fretting
hand note from the D Minor scale. The sequence repeats in octaves.
See what other scales you can apply this to.
Example 13a:
As a single-string etude, Example 13b is an Edward Van Halen-style composition with moving left and right-
hand parts.
Outlining the triads indicated in each bar, this etude calls to mind the classic Eruption approach to tapping.
98
Example 13b:
99
Using the A Minor Pentatonic scale along the third string, the next drill is a six-note sequence that can be
applied to other scales and strings.
Of particular interest is the way the tapping finger and the third finger of the fretting hand intermittently
replace each other on the same frets, so play close attention to the details.
Learning short motifs like this and expanding them to other fretboard locations and tonalities will make it
easier to improvise with tapping rather than relying on pre-written phrases all the time.
100
In this example, the sequence has a very Paul Gilbert-inspired sound.
Example 13c:
Adding to the scale-playing approach we looked at back in Week Eight (Example 8f), Example 13d provides
some practice for moving around an A Minor Blues scale using two fretting hand fingers and one tap assigned
to each string.
The third and fourth strings contain a couple of direction changes to make it more of a challenge than always
playing straight up and down.
101
Example 13d:
Using three fretting hand fingers, Example 13e is built on an A Natural Minor pattern played in
descending octaves.
Each string change begins with a hammer-on from nowhere, using the tapped notes like an extra finger to play
four-note-per-string scale lines.
Example 13e:
102
As a way of using tapping to play picking lines, Example 13f is an Yngwie Malmsteen-style sequence that fans
of his music would associate with fierce alternate picking.
This A Harmonic Minor pattern has a legato effect, since the tapping finger is used like a fretting hand extension,
assigned to the highest note on each string, where many of us would use the fourth finger.
Example 13f:
To revisit some octave-based arpeggio tapping, Example 13g applies a six-note sequence to single-string C
Major and G Major triads.
103
Example 13g:
For a visualisation challenge, the last drill of the routine moves a three-string add9 arpeggio shape between the
fourth, third, and first strings (bars one and three) and the fifth, fourth, and second strings (bars two and four).
The patterns from bars one and two are repeated a whole tone lower in bars three and four.
Example 13h:
104
Week Thirteen Practice Routine
Since the examples in this week’s routine are musically-evolved versions of the concepts studied in the earlier
tapping chapter (Week Eight), they rely on you having developed clean articulation for your taps, good noise
control for unwanted strings, and accurate, well-timed fretting from both hands.
Advancing players are welcome to go ahead and apply the tempo training format to this material as a
standalone workout.
Developing players may prefer to link up development drills from the Week Eight material with practical and
musical examples from this chapter.
105
For a single-string focus, you could begin with examples 8a and 8b, then advance to examples 13a and 13b.
For scales, revise examples 8c and 8d before running examples 13d and 13e. Likewise, with arpeggios, follow
examples 8g and 8h with examples 13g and 13h.
If you’re ready to go all-in on the new sequences from this chapter, try a combination of Tabata training for
memorisation, and tempo training for speed with the supplied drumbeats.
Tapping Tabata (Days one to three)
Drill Work Period Rest Period Total Duration

Warmup - - optional
Tempo Training (Days four and beyond)

Examples 13a 4 x (16 bars total) 4 x (16 bars total) 4 x (16 bars total)
Examples 13b 4 x (16 bars total) 4 x (16 bars total) 4 x (16 bars total)
Examples 13c 4 x (16 bars total) 4 x (16 bars total) 4 x (16 bars total)
Examples 13d 4 x (16 bars total) 4 x (16 bars total) 4 x (16 bars total)
Examples 13e 4 x (16 bars total) 4 x (16 bars total) 4 x (16 bars total)
Examples 13f 4 x (16 bars total) 4 x (16 bars total) 4 x (16 bars total)
Examples 13g 4 x (16 bars total) 4 x (16 bars total) 4 x (16 bars total)
Examples 13h 4 x (16 bars total) 4 x (16 bars total) 4 x (16 bars total)
106
Templates for Comprehensive Practice Routines
Now that you’ve blasted through three months of targeted technique practice, let’s talk about balanced routines
that allow you to address several subjects in one sitting.
Comprehensive Practice is how I label the sessions used to revise, maintain, or improve several subjects
simultaneously. In this section, I’ll provide some templates for thirty- and sixty-minute practice sessions in
which you will select the material to include.
Working on multiple mechanical disciplines, it’s essential to be discerning when choosing what material to
practice. If you only have an hour or even a half, it’s crucial not to have any fat on the bone and stick to what
provides value for your time.
Whether you’re a developing or advancing player, you can take the templates below and choose the drills that
best represent your own challenges with any technique.
Template A: 30-minute Tabata
This format is perfect for refreshing material, ensuring you’re still on top of it. In this template, you’ll choose
five examples from each subject and do forty-five seconds of repetition work and fifteen seconds of rest,
moving on when the Tabata app tells you.
After doing the warmup, repeat each drill throughout the “work” intervals unmetered, edging up from a
comfortable pace to your top speed by the time the app tells you to rest.
Subject Drill 1 Drill 2 Drill 3 Drill 4 Drill 5 Duration

Warmup Example__ Example__ Example__ Example__ Example__ 5 minutes
Alternate Picking Example__ Example__ Example__ Example__ Example__ 5 minutes
Legato Example__ Example__ Example__ Example__ Example__ 5 minutes
Sweep Picking Example__ Example__ Example__ Example__ Example__ 5 minutes
Economy Picking Example__ Example__ Example__ Example__ Example__ 5 minutes
Tapping Example__ Example__ Example__ Example__ Example__ 5 minutes
Template B: 30-minute tempo training
To spend half an hour on tempo training instead, use fewer drills with more time on each, cutting tempo
training down to two speeds: comfortable and challenging.
Break the thirty minutes down like this:
• Two drills per subject
• Two speeds per drill, for two minutes each
• A one-minute break between subjects to prepare the next examples.
107
Subject Drill 1 Drill 2 Break Duration
Warmup Optional Optional - 5 minutes
Alternate Picking Example__ at 2 speeds Example__ at 2 speeds 1 minute 5 minutes
Legato Example__ at 2 speeds Example__ at 2 speeds 1 minute 5 minutes
Sweep Picking Example__ at 2 speeds Example__ at 2 speeds 1 minute 5 minutes
Economy Picking Example__ at 2 speeds Example__ at 2 speeds 1 minute 5 minutes
Tapping Example__ at 2 speeds Example__ at 2 speeds 1 minute 5 minutes
Template C: 60-minute Tempo Training
For this format, choose four subjects and allocate fifteen minutes to each.
Many of the workouts in this book can be done in fifteen minutes by reducing tempo training to two stages.
That should allow enough time to revise various aspects of each technique.
Developing players might choose four routines from weeks one to five. Advancing players could choose four
routines from weeks eight to thirteen.
Subject Drills Tempo Duration

Technique: __________ Week ___ routine 2 speeds each drill 15 minutes
From here, you can advance your practice sessions by:
• Replacing any easy exercises with more complex versions or replacement drills
• Doing a deep dive on selected techniques using my full-scope method books
• Constantly re-evaluating the speeds that you use in tempo training
While the nature of this book is very lead guitar and dexterity focused, you can incorporate other subjects
into your practice templates whether you’re focusing on rhythm work, improvisation, fretboard knowledge,
or learning repertoire.
The important thing is to allocate time to your practice, create a plan for the best use of that time, and acquire
the material to base your training on.
“You do not rise to the level of your goals – you fall to the level of your systems.” – James Clear.
To source more material for your technique practice, see my other books listed on the last page.
108
Conclusion: Goal Setting and Reverse Engineering
I sincerely hope that this program has helped you make some guitar technique gains over the last thirteen
weeks, and I hope we can do it again soon at the next level.
It’s often said that technique is a means to an end, but that end is for each of us to decide. Whether you want
to use your chops to play better rock-blues, or shred through Paganini’s works, you and you alone can choose.
What will shave significant time off your progress is goal-setting. The work always needs to be done, but
knowing how that work contributes to your endgame as a player is worth regular consideration.
When considering what you want to achieve, your goals must not be vague or open-ended. Wanting to be a
better guitarist is cool, but knowing that you want to be able to pick the intro to a certain song at 140 bpm
within the next three months is a far better way to think in steps.
Your idea of what is good, fast, or better will always change, but identifying specific goals (yes, even if you
miss the deadline) is a more practical way to get where you’d like to be. What’s more, you’ll get to enjoy little
victories along the way.
For each goal, trace the steps from the completed stage backward to where you are now.
Before doing the workouts in this book, you might have considered alternate picking (for example) as a
technique consisting of just downstrokes and upstrokes. It might have been enough to say, “I want to be better
at alternate picking.”
But since breaking alternate picking down in the first few weeks of the course, you know there’s a more
analytical way to approach it for more significant results. And, as you observed, we can also break other goals
into smaller ones for a more methodological approach to success.
Here’s a goal-setting exercise to try:
• Write down five things you’d like to be able to do on guitar
• For each of the five goals, come up with five steps you might have to complete to get there. The more
specific you can be, the more likely you’ll devise a plan on your own
• Decide on the practice material that will help you achieve each step
In the lesson room, I sometimes used to flip the script on my students when they asked me how to achieve an
aspect of guitar playing. I would tell them to pretend they were the teacher for a moment and explain how I
might accomplish the goal they were asking me about. Very often, even just a little of this role reversal would
get the students to think in a solutions-oriented manner. Try it!
I’m a big believer in the value of practice and it’s my hope that the approach taken in this book will continue
to serve you as your needs and abilities as a player evolve.
Thanks again for having me as your shred coach. I’ll see you soon in the advanced bootcamp book!
Chris Brooks
109
About the Author
Chris Brooks has set new standards for the calibre of

guitar technique books. With a flair for what makes
things tick, his depth of understanding of guitar
mechanics has helped tens of thousands of readers
across the world.
Playing guitar since September 1987, Chris took early

inspiration from Brett Garsed, Kee Marcello, Vinnie
Moore, and Yngwie Malmsteen, practicing feverishly
through his teens.
Educated at the Australian Institute of Music under

the tutelage of Dieter Kleeman, Ike Isaacs, and Carl
Orr, Chris developed a passion for guitar education that resulted in managing a music school with close to a
thousand private students per week in Sydney’s western suburbs.
Focusing on online education and product development in the last decade, Chris has now written more than
a dozen bestselling guitar books, created scores of video products, and released two acclaimed instrumental
rock albums.
You can learn more at www.chrisbrooks.com
Other titles by Chris Brooks

Neoclassical Speed Strategies for Guitar
Sweep Picking Speed Strategies for Guitar
Advanced Arpeggio Soloing for Guitar
7-string Sweep Picking Speed Strategies for Guitar
Legato Guitar Technique Mastery
100 Arpeggio Licks for Shred Guitar
The Complete Guitar Technique Speed Strategies Collection
Alternate Picking Guitar Technique
Economy Picking Guitar Technique
Rock Guitar Tapping Technique
Chris Brooks’ 3-in-1 Picking & Tapping Guitar Technique Collection
137 Guitar Speed & Coordination Exercises
Pentatonic Speed Strategies for Guitar
1980s Rock Rhythm Guitar Mastery
Guitar Practice Warmup Routines
110
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THIRTEENWEEKGUITAR

Copyright © 2024 Christopher A. Brooks

Edited by Tim Pettingale

The moral right of this author has been asserted.

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Cover Image Copyright: Shutterstock

Get the Audio and Video ............................................................................................................................8

Week One: Warmup and Single-string Chops ............................................................................................9

Week Two: String Changing (Single Escape Path).................................................................................... 20

Week Three: Inside / Outside Picking ...................................................................................................... 29

Week Four: Legato Building with Tabata ................................................................................................. 36

Week Five: Sweep Picking Builders ......................................................................................................... 44

Week Six: Economy Picking Builders....................................................................................................... 49

Week Seven: Speed Training ................................................................................................................... 54

Week Eight: Tapping Fundamentals ........................................................................................................ 60

Week Nine: Advancing Alternate Picking ................................................................................................ 69

Week Ten: Advancing Legato .................................................................................................................. 76

Week Eleven: Advancing Sweep Picking ................................................................................................ 83

Week Twelve: Advancing Economy Picking ............................................................................................. 90

Week Thirteen: Advancing Two-Handed Tapping ..................................................................................... 98

Templates for Comprehensive Practice Routines ................................................................................... 107

Conclusion: Goal Setting and Reverse Engineering .............................................................................. 109

About the Author ................................................................................................................................... 110

Other titles by Chris Brooks ................................................................................................................... 111

• Build technique using fundamental steps

• Address an array of techniques in a bootcamp style program with a detailed plan

The advancing player will benefit from:

• Ready-to-play routines to warm up existing chops before the day’s work

To summarise, each chapter will look something like this:

• Goal for the week

• Specifics of the technique for your attention

• Material targeting the week’s goals

• Recommended study plan for developing players and advancing players

Before we start, have the following on hand:

• A music stand (if working from the paperback edition)

• A clock in clear view

Sign up for free to access many examples from the book.

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1. Single-string technique and speed (this week)

2. String-changing (Week Two)

3. Mixed inside and outside picking (Week Three)

In the meantime, I’ll start you off with a sample routine.

Repeat the drill on each string.

Week One Practice Routine

Aim for the following in your tempo choices:

• Tempo 2: a moderate challenge while maintaining good form

Tempo Training Routine

Drill Tempo 1 Reps Tempo 2 Reps Tempo 3 Reps

Example 2a uses ascending 1-2-3-4 fingerings, descending with 4-3-2-1.

Week Two Practice Routine

Drill Tempo 1 Reps Tempo 2 Reps Tempo 3 Reps

Days three and five might look like this:

Drill Tempo 1 Repeats Tempo 2 Repeats Tempo 3 Repeats

Week Three Practice Routine

Drill Tempo 1 Reps Tempo 2 Reps Tempo 3 Reps

Drill Tempo 1 Repeats Tempo 2 Repeats Tempo 3 Repeats

I’ve included a quick video to watch on good legato habits.

Let’s ease into this routine’s material with some hammer-ons.

The fretting shapes include semitone/wholetone, wholetone/wholetone, and wholetone/semitone combinations.

Week Four Practice Routine

Drill Work Period Rest Period Total Workout

In the next two drills, an 1/8th note triplet rhythm is used.