INSIDER SECRETS

INSIDER SECRETS

50Arpeggiated picking

patterns for developing accuracy

and flexibility for the improvising guitarist

by ROBERT MINCHIN

©2002 Robert MinchinThis publication is protected by United States Copyright. Any attempt to copy in whole or part

will be vigorously prosecuted.

INSIDER SECRETS

The ideas that follow are

professional level techniques

and concepts gleaned from

over 35 years of performing

jazz and classical guitar and

studying from the masters.

The techniques in this volume of INSIDER SECRETS are devoted to developing

picking accuracy for the improvising guitarist.

Most guitarists have a great deal of difficulty in skipping strings and changing

direction during a high speed solo. The exercises in this book are designed to help you

develop the ability to skip strings, change direction and increase accuracy in your

playing.

For years, classical guitarists have used arpeggio studies to develop fluency and

virtuoso technique to cover any type of musical situation that might arise. In classical

guitar, arpeggios are considered very serious study. So they become a critical part of

the practice session. Classical guitarists also take difficult sections of the music and

make those sections into exercises.

For jazz guitarists picking practice has generally been limited to scales. This is a

necessary part of study. However, just practicing scales is very limited. That is why

arpeggio picking exercise are so important. It adds another dimension to your arsenal

of techniques.

This book applies the principles found in classical studies and applies it to plectrum

technique. It employs arpeggios in the development of these issues.

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P RO C E D U R E

Method 1. The exercises are written in tablature so that anyone can use them.

They are indicated on open strings. Method 1, would be to simply practice using only

the picking hand, striking the open strings of the guitar. This is a great way to practice

if you find your fingering hand is overly tired from too much practice. In addition, it

also allows you to focus 100% of your attention on your picking hand.

Method 2. This method uses a chord form that would move up fret by fret as you

complete a specific arpeggio pattern. I generally use a diminished chord because it

doesn’t tire the fingering hand as much. But you are free to choose any chord form. To

begin, play a diminished chord as shown:

Finger as shown keeping the 1st

and 6th strings open for the entire

exercise. Try to keep the 6th and 1st

strings ringing cleanly and clearly

throughout the exercises. This will

help you to improve your fingering

hand technique by forcing you to

keep your fingers arched and

accurately pressed on the frets.

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O O

First fret

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Play any pattern of your choice while you finger this diminished chord. When you

have completed the pattern, move the chord up one fret and play the arpeggiated

pattern again. Continue in this manner up to the 12th fret, then start moving back

down the neck towards the 1st fret as you play the pattern. Do this for each pattern.

This will give you a tremendous right hand workout.

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When you get to the end ofthe pattern, move the chordform up one fret and repeatthe pattern.

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Some words on practice

Practice these exercise very slowly. They are much more difficult than the usual

picking exercises guitarists normally do. Focus your attention on eliminating

unnecessary movement from your picking hand. Also, remain relaxed and hold the

pick lightly, don’t squeeze the life out of it. The only way to do this is to practice

S-L-O-W-L-Y and concentrate. You are also training your picking hand to learn new

muscular motor movements, which is another reason to practice slowly. Eventually,

increase your speed using a metronome so that you can develop your sense of time

and learn to feel the beat.

PRACTICES LOWLY

Above all, don’t get discouraged. These are techniques that take time to develop. We

are not striving for speed at first. We are striving for accuracy. But the rewards are

great. You will find yourself easily skipping strings and your improvised lines will

become easier to play.

My suggestion would be to incorporate these patterns as a warm up for your

practice session. 15 minutes a day over a period of time will greatly add to your

playing abilities.

After you have practiced these patterns for awhile, you can invent your own patterns

to address specific problem areas in your technique. Most of all have fun and create!

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USE A STRICT DOWN-UP PICKINGSTROKE

FOR EACH EXERCISE.

After you have mastered the down-up

movement, start utilizing an UP-DOWN stroke.

Then practice using all down strokes, then all

up strokes, as well as triplets. Be creative and

develop your own rhythmic patterns.

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3 STRING PATTERNS

Practice using each group of three string sets. String set 1: 1st, 2nd, 3rd strings

String set 2: 2nd, 3rd, 4th strings

String set 3: 3rd, 4th, 5th strings

String set 4: 4th, 5th, 6th strings

String Set 1

String Set 2

String Set 3

String Set 4

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4 STRING PATTERNS

Practice using each group of four string sets. String set 1: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th strings

String set 2: 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th strings

String set 3: 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th strings

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5 STRING PATTERNS

Practice using each group of five string sets. String set 1: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th strings

String set 2: 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th strings

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6 STRING PATTERNS

Practice using all six strings.

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TRIPLET PATTERN

If you have trouble maintaining a steady picking hand playing these exercises,

there are two ways that I use to keep a firm technique. 1) Rest your picking hand wrist

on the strings and pivot your stroke from the wrist. And 2), simply place fingers on

the pickguard to steady the hand as you pick. I find the first method far superior.

Eventually, you will develop enough skill to make your picking hand independent of

support. Although everyone supports the picking hand in some manner.

Also,there are at least 3) types of picking strokes:

1) The first would be to pivot from the wrist as you support your self with the

bottom of the wrist resting on the strings. I generally just rest the pinky finger side of

the bottom of my wrist on the strings, with all the fingers gently curled in (not

extended).

2) The second method uses a circling technique. This is much like holding a pen and

writing with it. It originates from the movement of the first joint of the thumb and

forefinger. This is much smaller physical movement than pivoting from the wrist.

And finally 3), would be a combination of the first two methods. You must

experiment and develop a technique that suits your own physical makeup. Everyones

hands are different and require special attention in order to develop the right picking

stroke for each person.

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Musical Examples

The musical examples on the next few pages represent a very small sampling of

what can be done by applying these exercises to the creation of actual musical lines.

Wide intervals, arpeggios, skips of all kinds can be accomplished with the technique

you will develop from this type of practice.

The following examples are not claiming to be great musical ideas. Only ideas that

demonstrate some of the ways you can apply the techniques in this book.

When constructing your solos using wide intervals, string skips, and direction

change, try to always be guided by your ear. Afterall, music is an “ear” art.

Just because one has developed extraordinary skill, does not mean they should not

be guided by good taste.

It does not matter what style of music you play, the skills derived from this book will

help anyone become a better technician.

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ETC...

ETC...

ETC...

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ETC...

ETC...

ETC...

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ETC...

ETC...

ETC...

Bbmaj7

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As mentioned before, these are based on classical guitar

arpeggio studies. If you listen to classical guitar, and I

highly recommend that you do, you will hear these

types of arpeggios. And, in fact, if you play fingerstyle

jazz guitar, these exercises will open up new avenues of

playing mechanisms for you to incorporate into your

chord melody arrangements.

Be creative and most of all, have fun!

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Final W ords

I have been playing for over 35 years and still find

these exercises quite challenging. I use them as a

warm-up or while watching TV. And after 15 or 20

minutes my picking hand is generally tired, just like

after a good workout. So my advice is not to kill

yourself with these exercises. Take it nice and easy.

You will find that after some time your picking

technique will have improved tremendously. But, yes,

it does take time. If you practice on a schedule and

keep it up, you will be amazed at how fast your

technique can improve.