Chloe Marshall, Author at Uberchord App

Ultimate Guitar is Among the 10 Best Music Blogs Every Guitar Player Should Follow: Musictheory.net, Songsterr, No Treble

Chloe Marshall — Fri, 11 Nov 2016 16:30:13 +0000

Here on the Uberchord blog we regularly create some awesome content for guitar enthusiasts of all skill levels to come and learn anything and everything they can about guitar. In case you haven’t got onto it yet, we also have a really nifty app to help you learn guitar faster and better, here is a free download. But that doesn’t mean we don’t really appreciate what some other fantastic people are creating out there in the guitar community. So, if you haven’t already heard of them- here are 10 blogs totally worth following.

1. Guitar Player Magazine

Let’s start with an obvious one. I hope it goes without saying that every guitarist should be keeping at least a little bit up to date with what’s going on over at Guitar Player Magazine. I’ve followed this magazine for as long as I’ve played guitar and probably have a stack of these magazines from back when printed copies were still around (though, if that is your thing- they do still offer a print subscription package!). Now it’s all online, making it super quick and easy to access any time you want. The website itself has everything you could possibly need to be in the know- gear reviews, guitar reviews, interviews and some awesome technical and improvisation exercises too. It is THE guitar player magazine to be following. So get onto it!

2. iHeart Guitar Blog

I have a lot of respect for Peter Hodgson, who writes over at iHeart Guitar. He’s an industry pro who has written for Gibson, Australian Guitar, Mixdown Magazine and a host of other publications, which means he’s got a wealth of knowledge about anything and everything guitar related. This site is packed full of interviews and great gear reviews. Whenever I’m in the market for some new stuff, I check here first to see what he’s got to say. Peter also has his finger on the pulse when it comes to rare or new releases. Depending on what you usually follow, this is the content you might not necessarily get via the mainstream so it’s definitely worth a look.

3. Ultimate Guitar Tab

Ultimate Guitar is where I learned to read tab and where I can safely say I learned nearly all of the songs I ever learned prior to figuring things out for myself by ear. But it’s not just a website full of guitar tab. It also has a tonne of news, reviews, featured lessons and forums that cover every topic you could think of. If you’re not a fan of traditional tablature and you’re okay with paying a small fee, there’s also a handy Tab Pro feature where you can learn songs with the rhythms provided.

4. Songsterr

What’s that? You don’t want to pay for a tab service like Tab Pro but still want tab with rhythms? Lucky for you, Songsterr has you covered. Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite have the massive data base of songs as Ultimate Guitar but it still boasts a formidable collection of guitar, bass and drum tabs. Songsterr is an especially good free platform for learning songs

with trickier rhythms because of the free in-built play-along feature. The only down side is that the free version doesn’t come with tempo control (among a few other restrictions like screen size and printing). But hey, there’s always Songsterr Plus- the paid version. Either way, this is a good site to keep in mind- especially if Ultimate Guitar doesn’t have what you need.

5. MusicTheory.Net

While we’re on the subject of tab being confusing- have you ever tried reading notation? The chances are that if you’re self-taught (or just have a guitar teacher who doesn’t get you reading much), you’ve probably been tempted to bypass all of the music theory and just go straight to learn the songs you want to play. That’s exactly what I did at first too. But if you ever get to a point in your playing where you realise you don’t know quite enough to join in on some improvisational stuff with a band, or you’re trying to get a solo started but things just aren’t clicking, it might be worth going back to basics and learning the theory.

Music Theory.Net has you covered here. It’s great if you’re just starting out because it lays out the basics and builds up from there. They have a lessons section and then an exercises section where you can test your skills (which can also just be a great refresher if you already know a bit about what you’re doing). It’s rare for a site this comprehensive to be providing everything for free, so I’d recommend taking advantage of it.

While you’re here though, we can’t help but suggest a few things if you’re learning about music theory. Music theory is a subject that is needlessly complicated when it comes to the guitar. On piano and violin, it’s much simpler because sheet music is a lot more straightforward. For guitar though, some notes on a music staff can be played in several places. So even though musictheory.net may help you out when it gets confusing like this, we suggest you start with our 10 part series of music theory articles……

6. ClassicalGuitar.Org

It can be really hard to find decent classical content on the internet without some kind of price tag attached. For casual enthusiasts, the chances are you’re not interest in spending on simple exercises and manuscripts. Luckily, Christopher has us covered over at ClassicalGuitar.Org. His free resources are extensive and come in easy PDF formats for you to take what you need. Frankly, I’m still amazed that this is all free- it’s great quality. He’s also got a range of interviews with some highly skilled classical guitarists, as well as links to guitar societies and teachers in all corners of the world. So this is a really fabulous place to get involved in the classical guitar scene (because why wouldn’t you want to do that?)

7. Home Studio Corner

This one’s for all the people looking to create their own music who can’t afford a pricey studio session. Joe Gilder is a master of the home recording techniques. He talks about editing, mixing, mastering and even gives tips on room treatment (because yes, that is important!). So if you’re looking at recording from home, have a look through the archives over at Home Studio Corner first. Joe probably has the answer to a problem you didn’t even know you’d be facing yet.

8. Six String Soul

Another fantastically diverse catalogue of guitar gear reviews, equipment features, technique builders, website and forum recommendations and other industry know-how is Six String Soul. Be sure to check out the interview section for some really interesting stuff from popular guitarists and industry pros. The creator is also open to content suggestions, so feel free to get in contact with him if you have any requests.

9. Share My Guitar

One of the great things about being a guitarist is getting involved with an amazing community of musicians who want to share their skills and experience with you. Share My Guitar is one of many fantastic places that exists for this exact purpose. Product reviews, features, gear recommendations and artist reviews are written by guitarists, for guitarists. They love a chat too, so be sure to leave a few comments!

10. No Treble

When I included this site on the list, I wasn’t sure if I’d get away with recommending a bass – only website to a bunch of guitar enthusiasts. But as someone who has also played bass for many years (and who spent a great amount of time arrogantly convinced it was just a downgraded guitar), I think this is as good a time as any to point out how amazing the bass can be if you take time to explore it. Let’s face it, most guitarists have probably picked up a bass from time to time, but have you ever really played a bass?

Diversifying your skills a little bit to include some knowledge of how the bass exists in the scheme of all things music will probably make you a better performer (and definitely a better bandmate). Check out No Treble to see exactly how much this awesome instrument can do. The site frequently updates with stunning performances, podcasts, lessons, interviews and gear reviews for everything bass-related.

New Additions:

As an addition to this growing list here is another great guitar resource: Musician Tuts is a fast-growing tutorial hub for musicians. Currently mainly focussed towards guitar players, they publish extremely in-depth tutorials, reviews, and guides. They also offer additional bonuses to readers such as a “Deals” page with exclusive discounts, a community site to discuss music-related topics with others and frequently run giveaways. The creator of Musician Tuts is always open to new content ideas or partnerships so don’t hesitate to reach out to him if you have something in mind

Guitar Chalk is an online magazine that focuses on guitar lesson resources, gear recommendations, and their own educational articles. Content is designed for guitar players, students, and music teachers.

Content is primarily written and developed by Bobby Kittleberger, as well as a slew of professional and amateur contributors, which has included the likes of Linda Taylor from “Whose Line Is It Anyway,” Tommy Emmanuel, EMU music professor Mark Whetzel, Guitar Gate’s Michael Palmisano and a number of other qualified consultants and guitar-enthusiasts.

In other words, Guitar Chalk’s content is not written by marketers, SEOs or internet gurus trying to start an “authority” or affiliate site. It’s real advice and thorough ideas, developed by people who actually play guitar in a professional or semi-professional capacity.

And, hey, if you’ve any suggestions for other music and guitar blogs for us, please share in the comments section below, we would love to know them.

The great thing about you being here is that you’re already on a great blog! Uberchord’s free content will only help accelerate your learning and playing skills. Take a look around our sight, or check out our topics we’ve published recently like what key is equivalent to b flat minor, 1-7 progression, and the meludia app.

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10 Easy Ear Training Techniques Every Beginner Guitar Player Should Use

Chloe Marshall — Fri, 07 Oct 2016 14:59:29 +0000

Whether you’ve been playing guitar for a while or are just starting out, ear training should be an important part of your practice regime. Among many other benefits, by developing your aural (listening) skills you’ll find it easier to tune your guitar and learn songs without having to read tab/notation. That being said, it’s not always easy to find an ear training method that works for you. If you are a beginner or an intermediate guitar player, I highly recommend you to download the free Uberchord app (click to download) for practicing your chords. The app listens to you play guitar and provides you instant feedback and even tracks your daily progress. While you practice your guitar, just follow these 10 ear training hacks and you are surely gonna see the difference within few days.

1. BRUSH UP ON YOUR THEORY

What does this have to do with ear training, you ask? Quite a lot actually. Although some people naturally have a great ear, most of us will need all the help we can get to become familiar with the various rules that form the basis of most of the music we listen to. Regularly practising your theory– especially the stuff regarding how notes work together to form chords, and how scales and modes work- will give you regular interaction with (and allow you to develop a better understanding of) all of the sounds you’re planning on identifying by ear, which puts you in a really good position to throw out the tab/manuscripts for a bit to start further developing your listening skills later on. Musictheory.net is a fantastic (free) place to start.

2. PLAY SCALES

Do this as often as possible and learn as many scales as possible. Start with playing the blues guitar with the 5 Pentatonic scale patterns, it’s really and fun to play. While you’re playing it, try saying each note name out loud. This will help your brain begin to associate a certain note name with its pitch sound on the guitar. Bonus: it will also help you start to navigate the fretboard a lot quicker, so it’s a win-win really!

3. PRACTICE YOUR INTERVALS

Interval training is super important for any musician trying to develop their aural skills. Basically, it’s training yourself to recognise the relationship between two notes of a scale when they’re played one after the other. As intervals tend to form a fundamental part of many melodies, knowing what each one sounds like will put you well on the way to better identifying the note sequences you hear in songs. It might take some time to get used to, but there are plenty of resources online ready to help you out. Take a look at the online music intervals tutor which listens to intervals or watch this video below:

4. USE A TUNING FORK OR A PITCH PIPE

This one is more to help you with tuning your guitar by ear. Tuning forks or pitch pipes come in a range of pitches, but for guitar you want one that resonates on the same frequency as E so that you can begin tuning your lowest string. Practice humming along with the sound you hear and you’ll have it memorised in no time.

5. ROOT NOTE IDENTIFICATION EXERCISE

This one is really great because you can do it whenever and wherever you want – as long as you have some music to listen to. Simply try to find the root note underlining each chord of your favourite songs and hum along. It might take some time to get it right, but you’re basically aiming to blend the pitch of the note you’re humming with the root note of the song- so if it sticks out slightly or sounds unpleasant, you’ve still got work to do!

*Not sure what root notes are? Check out this video:

6. MELODY IDENTIFICATION EXERCISE

This follows on from the root note exercise. Once you’ve found the root note, you’ve also put yourself in a good position to find the chord, which means you’re one step away from being able to figure out the melody to the song. Grab your guitar and start listening to a song with a relatively simple melody. From here you can begin to try and figure it out. Start small by aiming for a part of the song that has a well- defined melodic arc (the chorus is usually your best bet) and try to identify each note on your guitar. There are two ways of doing this, depending on your preference.

The first is to work out the root note, identify the chord (or google the chords if you find this too hard at first) and then use your knowledge of what chord is supporting the melody to work out what notes are being used. HINT: The notes used in the melody are often taken from the chord itself (with a couple of exceptions), so start with those and then experiment from there.

7. SING! SING! SING!

I’m probably the first to admit that every time someone told me to sing along while playing the guitar they would receive a less than enthusiastic response. That being said- they were right. When we sing along with the notes we play (even if you think you’re a terrible singer), our brains are going to an extended effort to process the pitch of the note we hear so as to accurately repeat it back with the voice. This means that if you practice singing along with an awareness of the note names you’re aiming for, you’re going to start building the skills you need to be able to recognise notes by ear- just by singing along!

8. BECOME FAMILIAR WITH COMMON CHORD PROGRESSIONS

A large majority of the songs you listen to will rely on some variation of a II, V, I (2, 5, 1) chord progression or I, IV, V (1, 4, 5). That is, they will often either drift between the first, fourth and fifth chord of a major scale (common in pop/rock music), or between the second, fifth and first chord (more common in jazz). Becoming adept at recognising these progressions as they occur can often be a quick and easy way of working out the chords to a song- which is essentially a practical ear training exercise in itself. Here are a video links to help:

I, IV, V:

II, V, I:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGT3-0GxIjs

9. DICTATION AND TRANSCRIPTION

This is one of the more traditional methods of ear training but it’s a classic for a reason. It relates to listening to a melody (or rhythm) and writing down what you hear on manuscript. Obviously it will work better if you have a good understanding of musical theory first- so at least make sure you know the notes on the staff before you try this one. If you’re interested, Teoria offers quite a helpful training exercise.

10. PLAY, PLAY & PLAY!

When it comes down to it, one of the things that will help most in terms of training your ear is to actually sit down and play your guitar. The more we do this, the more we will develop an inherent understanding of pitch and how it relates to guitar; and music as a whole. Close your eyes and listen to the chords closely when you practice using Uberchord app. Explore the fretboard as often as you can. Play for fun, play to practice, play to perform- and do it as often as you can!

There is no better way to practice ear training that to learn songs and identify some of the theory principles behind them. We cover topics on our free blog like chords in the key of f minor, what are chord inversions, and easy arpeggios on guitar. The tips in this article and blogs like these will help out immensely!

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5 Contemporary Fingerstyle Guitar Players you NEED to Hear: #5 Andy Mckee

Chloe Marshall — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 14:00:00 +0000

No list of contemporary finger style guitarists would be complete without Andy Mckee. While perhaps recognised by casual listeners for his mind-blowing cover songs, Mckee’s original compositions are a complex force of finger style madness- many of which have arguably redefined what it means to be an acoustic guitarist.

So without further ado, let’s get into a few of the reasons why I believe Andy Mckee is easily one of the best guitarists on the contemporary acoustic guitar scene.

A cover like no other

Andy McKee’s latest album – Live Book

The simple fact is: most mainstream music listeners will be more likely to discover a finger style guitarist if their repertoire contains covers of a few well known songs. Unfortunately, this means that in an attempt to gain more listeners, some players have a tendency to simply replicate the original with little to no thought given towards how they can make their own creative mark on the composition.

This is problematic for a couple of reasons:

1) You don’t get a chance to show off your own unique skill set, and
2) If an audience wanted to hear an exact copy of the original, they’d go and listen to the original.

I’ve highlighted this last point because it’s a really important thing to remember if you ever decide to make a cover. Just imagine if you were an audience member and five guitarists took it in turns to play a cover of the same song, one after the other. Would you remember the four who simply reproduced the original, or the one who dared to change things up a little and make it their own?

Andy Mckee is an expert on making his cover songs unique. Able to draw on a vast set of skills, Mckee isn’t afraid to integrate some of his signature moves into the melodies we know and love, drawing on complex harmonic sequences, two hand techniques and percussive taps to transform each original into an instrumental masterpiece.

Take “Africa” for instance. The chances are that you’ve heard the original track by Toto, yet the way Mckee stuns with such impressive command of his signature two-hand technique makes you almost forget the song belongs to anyone other than him. Watch as he manages to balance the opening riff and main melody on the left hand alongside an impressive right-hand percussive technique:

Elsewhere, in his cover of Everybody Wants to Rule the World, Mckee convincingly transforms his guitar into a one-man orchestra. Take special note of how he uses his thumb to produce an ongoing bass pattern, whilst simultaneously utilising a percussive slap of the strings as a backbeat:

A Pioneer of the Two-Hand Technique

I mentioned Mckee’s use of the two-hand technique during my quick breakdown of Africa, but there is so much more to be said about this aspect of his playing. The two hand technique I’m discussing involves moving both of your hands independently to create two virtually separate melodic/rhythmic patterns. Generally speaking, you’ll find that the right hand/strumming hand is producing some sort of rhythm- acting as a drum on the body of the guitar. This hand exists to complement the left hand, which will most often be playing the main melody and any relevant harmonic or chordal ideas.

If you’re just starting to develop your finger style technique, then it’s highly likely that you will have never attempted to play your guitar like this before. This is with good reason- because it can be really difficult! Such a technique requires a near-constant attention to coordination and it can become quite confusing when both of your hands are acting in an almost-contrary motion to each other. Simply put, this technique is not for the faint-hearted and usually requires significant time and dedication before you can manage to train both hands to act without confusing the other.

Click on image to listen to Andy McKee’s first studio album

The good news is that Andy Mckee shows us just how great this technique is when you finally get the hang of it. By now you’ve already watched Africa, so you know that Mckee is fully capable of playing a right-hand drum beat without losing focus on the melody his left hand is producing. But just how far can he take this skill?

Look no further than Drifting. This is arguably one of Mckee’s most well-known original pieces among guitarists (though I’m sure there are many more worthy of that title). Distinguishable for its unique dependence on the two hand technique, Drifting rarely sees Mckee strum or pluck near the body of the guitar. Instead, this composition is a seamless combination of fingerboard tapping, percussive taps, two-finger taps and fingerboard plucking which is both impressive to watch and enjoyable to listen to. If you’re ready for a serious challenge (highly intermediate to advanced players only), you could even pick up one of Mckee’s Drifting tabs and try to learn it! Check it out:

A Talent that Inspires

It goes without saying that Andy Mckee has a command of the guitar that truly is worth aspiring to. For me, the discovery of his music was what led me into the world of acoustic finger style and even now it continues to motivate me to be a better player. I could easily go on about all his other songs and why they’re worth listening to, but instead I’ll just allow you to check out his Youtube channel and discover the rest of the magic that is Andy Mckee’s music for yourself.

Andy Mckee is the ideal role model for many guitarists, so let’s use him as an inspiration- not a reason to quit!

You can also visit McKee’s website for tabs and touring information. However, if you’re looking at learning one of his pieces, it’s important to remember that most songs of this calibre take time to pick up, so don’t expect to be playing it perfectly within the hour. I’ve seen some guitarists struggle with a Mckee piece simply because they aren’t ready to play it yet. If you find that you’re not quite at the right skill level, don’t be discouraged. There’s a long pathway between learning the basics of finger style and mastering an Andy Mckee song, so take the time to develop your skills.

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5 Contemporary Fingerstyle Guitar Players You NEED to hear #4: Tobias Rauscher

Chloe Marshall — Wed, 23 Mar 2016 15:30:00 +0000

After previously discussing such a distinguished performer in my article about Tommy Emmanuel, I wanted to introduce you to a finger style guitarist who is not necessarily an international household name…yet, but wait till you discover more about this absolute finger style genius!

Born in Berlin, Tobias Rauscher describes himself as a ‘modern percussive finger style guitarist’ and particularly notes rock and heavy rock as influences on his music. I first discovered Tobias Rauscher when I was looking to expand my finger style repertoire a few years ago and was immediately hooked in by his impressive range of compositions. So without further ado, here are a few reasons why I think Rauscher should be on your listening list too.

A Master of Technicality

I know, I’ve stated in some of my previous articles that technicality isn’t necessarily everything when it comes to a finger style guitar piece, but it certainly helps get my attention when I’m browsing through YouTube. Before I go on, I should emphasise that it isn’t solely Rauscher’s technical abilities that have prompted me to call him a ‘master of technicality’. Instead, I’ve found that it is Rauscher’s ability to combine those skills alongside other expressive techniques that has resulted in his production of an array of emotionally engaging pieces for his ever-expanding audience to enjoy.

Here’s one of my favourite Rauscher pieces – Still Awake. Be sure to keep an eye out for all of the harmonics, percussive tapping and other techniques that exist to compliment a catchy yet reflective tune- all executed with such steady control on Rauscher’s behalf.

Not Afraid to Push the Limits

Often, I’ve had difficulty distinguishing between the many guitarists in the sea of pop covers, rock covers and experimental finger style guitar pieces published by a countless number guitarists trying to get noticed on Youtube. Maybe it was luck that the first piece I stumbled upon by Rauscher sounded so remarkably different to others in terms of style, but I soon discovered that this artist has a particular penchant for crafting pieces that are simultaneously experimental whilst also appealing to those looking for something slightly more mainstream.

If you’re after an example of what I’m talking about, look no further than Acousticore – a finger style piece, with two finger tapping and percussive elements that showcase exactly how Rauscher’s rock preferences appear to have influenced his music. It’s familiar without copying what we’ve heard before- something that surprises us while simultaneously meeting our expectations. It’s also really fun to learn if you have the time!

A Composer to be Reckoned With

You might’ve noticed, but so far the pieces I’ve shown by Rauscher are all originals. In fact, if you look through his work you’d be hard-pressed to find more than just a few cover songs in amongst a sea of amazing original compositions. It’s rare that an artist looking to gain a following would be able to garner interest without first repurposing a few of the more well-known pop tunes, yet Rauscher’s channel has overcome this, and has currently had nearly 14 million views. Why? I would look no further than the quality of his originals.

I’m sure you’ve realised by now that I’m a fan of Rauscher, so it should come as no surprise to you that I’ve listened to every one of the songs he’s published on Youtube. I’m yet to find a piece that I haven’t found to be highly entertaining and capable of conveying some semblance of emotion to viewers. Each original piece features a captivating display of technique, control and expression which, simply put, makes it incredibly hard to look away. Memories is just one of his pieces that I love to hit the repeat button on.

So there you have it. Tobias Rauscher is definitely one to watch and learn from. The best thing about his originals is that he’s made them available to you! For more information, check out his YouTube Channel, follow him on Facebookand visit his website for more details.

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5 Contemporary Fingerstyle Guitar Players You Need To Hear- #3: Tommy Emmanuel

Chloe Marshall — Thu, 11 Feb 2016 16:00:55 +0000

No list of finger style guitarists would be complete without Tommy Emmanuel. With nearly a lifetime of playing behind him, 2 Grammy nominations and 2 ARIA awards, Emmanuel is nothing short of a master when it comes to all things guitar-related. His work includes collaboration with the likes of Eric Clapton, Doc Watson and the late Chet Atkins- the latter of whom labelled Emmanuel as one of only 5 guitarists to ever receive the ‘Chet Atkins Certified Guitar Player’ seal of approval.

While not proficient in the art of reading and writing music, Tommy Emmanuel has long since had an extraordinary ability to identify even the most complex of chords and melodic patterns by ear. It should be noted that Tommy Emmanuel does not strictly limit himself to finger style picking, however for the purpose of this article I intend to focus on pieces which involve either the use of a specific finger style technique or thumb-picking method (I will discuss this particular style of picking later in the article).

An Amazing Live Performer

I have often emphasised the importance of developing your ability to deliver a convincing live performance. As a beginner guitarist, you might be tempted to hide away and practise all of your pieces in private. Practise is great- and is absolutely crucial to developing your technique- but I’d highly recommend venturing out in front of a crowd whenever possible. This is because live performance leaves little room for error, so it’s a really great learning experience. Live performance demands a constant attention to expressive detail, with even the most technically advanced pieces capable of losing an audience if not delivered with any emotional conviction. Tommy Emmanuel takes this idea to the next level.

If you were to compare a track from one of Emmanuel’s CD recordings to one of its many live versions, I can guarantee that you will find a myriad of differences between the tracks. Emmanuel’s live performances will often feature extensive melodic embellishments, outstandingly technical fill- in licks and occasionally even segments of purely improvised content. In Over the Rainbow, Emmanuel’s use of vibrato, quickly executed chord-fillers and some exceedingly technical harp-like harmonics are just some of the ways he manages to entrance his audience for nearly six minutes with what could be considered a highly repetitive melody. Take a look:

A Man of Many Genres

There’s no use limiting yourself to one genre of music. If your interests span across multiple genres- like most musicians’ will- then go ahead and explore each musical style as much as you can. Some of the world’s best musicians are able to transition seamlessly from a heartbreakingly beautiful ode to an entertaining, upbeat tune without leaving their audience feeling at all jolted by the sudden change in mood. In the world of finger style guitar playing, no one can dispute Tommy Emmanuel’s ability to do exactly that.

From this classic rendition of Amazing Grace:

To the quick-fingered, percussive mastery of Mombasa:

There is no doubt about it- Tommy Emmanuel is indeed a man of many genres. So take a lesson from him and don’t be afraid to mix up your repertoire with something different every once in a while!

The Thumb Pick

I want to finish up by addressing a particular picking technique used by Emmanuel in some of his pieces- the integration of the thumb pick. Before I go on, take a look at Classical Gas:

As you can see, the thumb pick is a small picking device that you attach to your thumb, which basically serves to amplify each stroke of your thumb while your other fingers perform as they usually would. I recently penned an article on Travis Picking, which you can take a look at here. The simplest way for me to explain how to get started with the thumb pick is to try using it while practising your Travis Picking technique. Once you get the hang of that, try using the thumb pick while practising your regular fingerpicking technique- you’ll be playing like Tommy Emmanuel in no time!

The reason I’ve chosen to focus on Emmanuel’s use of the thumb pick in Classical Gas is simple- it’s an example of how easy it is to diversify your picking techniques. Emmanuel is not strictly a finger style player. Sometimes he uses the thumb pick, other times he’ll use a regular pick. Occasionally he might use a hybrid picking style- which involves holding a pick as you usually would- between your thumb and your index finger WHILE also using the rest of your hands in a more traditional fingerpicking style. The lesson here is that there is no right way to pick. Often, your choice of picking method will be a stylistic choice. Maybe the song sounds better with a thumb pick because it allows you to place more emphasis on the lower bass notes. Maybe you don’t want to use a pick at all because bare fingers achieve a softer timbre and match the mood of a particular song better. The point is that each picking style has its place and I can think of no better example than Tommy Emmanuel as to why you, as a beginner guitarist, should try to develop proficiency in each of these styles. After all, there’s no sense limiting yourself, right?

To check out more from Tommy Emmanuel, visit his Website, Youtube or his Facebook

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5 Contemporary Fingerstyle Guitar Players You Need to Hear #2- Mike Dawes

Chloe Marshall — Thu, 28 Jan 2016 16:00:00 +0000

Recently, I penned an article about the ever-innovative acoustic virtuoso, Luca Stricagnoli. It has to be said that there are easily more than 5 fingerstyle guitar players who could qualify for this list, so narrowing the selection down has proven an incredibly difficult task. However, my primary goal is to provide beginner fingerstyle guitarists with a few people to look up to while attempting to develop their fingerstyle guitar technique. With that in mind, I couldn’t possibly overlook the creative genius that is Mike Dawes.

Like many of his fellow musicians over at Candyrat Records, Dawes isn’t one to typically sit back and strum a few chords. At only 25 years of age, the English performer’s unique compositional talent has earned him worldwide recognition. I could try to convince you of his skill by listing the hoards of artists who’ve spoken in his favour, or even by detailing the success of his international tours and album sales (you can still check all of that out here). But why not let the music speak for itself instead?

Let’s start with something spectacular:

THE IMPOSSIBLE

In all honesty, sometimes as a guitarist you will hear something so profoundly amazing that it’ll tempt you to give up trying. On a first (and maybe second or third) listen, “The Impossible” will probably have that effect on you. A mix of refined harmonics, slaps, two-finger tapping and pull-offs- among many other things – “The Impossible” has a way of hypnotising listeners. I noted last week that technicality alone is not always enough to impress, and Dawes again combats this by matching an absurd level of technical skill with an equal – if not greater – sense of musicality.

Of course, it’s important to make sure that as a musician, you view these things as a learning experience rather than a reason to quit trying. No one ever got anywhere by giving up at the first hurdle, and as a guitarist you should always look for something to aim towards – no matter how unachievable it may seem at the time. Most things will come eventually after sufficient dedication and practice, so its critical that you try to always give yourself something to work on – even if you’re already a really great player. Personally, whenever I feel my development as a performer begin to stagnate, I watch The Impossible again and again. Because, yes – hopefully by now you can probably do quite a bit on the guitar, but can you do THAT?

Somebody That I used to Know

Bands are great, but flawlessly playing each part of an entire song without one? That takes some serious dedication. While Dawes’ Youtube Channel has a few covers worth checking out, his rendition of Gotye’s Somebody That I Used to Know is easily one of my favourites. Exhibiting an astounding sense of control,

Dawes integrates harmonics, hammer-ons, pull offs, slaps and some incredibly well-timed live-looping alongside his fingerstyle technique to show us how a cover song can be and should be done. Drawing on Gotye’s original, Dawes seeks out every tiny musical complexity the song has to offer; celebrating each nuance in its entirety without ever seeming to lose focus on the bigger picture.

This cover avoids directly copying its original whilst simultaneously staying true to it. Simply put, it’s an awesome piece of music that is totally worth listening to. You could even learn it (if you’re up to the challenge!).

Superstition

Showcasing just some of the endless performance possibilities that come with proper use of the loop pedal, Dawes makes this funky rendition of Stevie Wonder’s Superstition look effortless. The song begins with a wicked bit of percussion on the body of the guitar and only gets better from there. Take a look!

So, why listen?

I’ve found that a great arrangement tends to do two things to a fingerstyle guitarist: 1) make you want to hear it again, and 2) make you want to play it. Luckily, with most of Mike Dawes’ pieces, you can access official tablature that allows you to do just that. Don’t be fooled though – it isn’t easy. If you’re a beginner or intermediate guitarist, I’d probably recommend finding some easier fingerstyle guitar pieces first. However, it’s always important to have a goal in mind- so no matter how long you’ve been playing, if you find yourself wanting to eventually play a Mike Dawes piece then don’t stop practising until you get there. Your development as a guitarist will only continue for as long as you are able to push yourself towards bigger and better things.

It’s not all hard work either! Challenging pieces give you a lot more to work with that can actually end up being more fun than that four-chord progression you’ve already played a thousand times over. Always aim slightly higher than your comfort zone. If you’ve only been playing for a few months, don’t throw yourself in the deep end by trying to learn The Impossible, but likewise don’t settle for playing Wonderwall for the rest of your life.

Mike Dawes is a technical mastermind and a truly excellent performer. Most importantly though- especially for any beginner fingerstyle guitarists out there – he’s a valuable point of inspiration and motivation. A difficult technique takes time and patience, but one listen to any of Dawes’ compositions should be enough to convince you that all of that practice will eventually be worth it. Think of where you might end up!

Watch how he sets up his guitar for live performances:

Love what Mike Dawes is doing? Be sure to keep up to date by checking out his Website or Youtube and Facebook

The post 5 Contemporary Fingerstyle Guitar Players You Need to Hear #2- Mike Dawes appeared first on Uberchord App.

5 Contemporary Fingerstyle Guitar Players You Need to Hear #1- Luca Stricagnoli

Chloe Marshall — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 14:36:42 +0000

I recently penned an article on beginner fingerstyle guitar technique, which got me thinking about all of the opportunities that open up when you put that pick down and play without it for a while. Unfortunately, fingerpicking can be a really hard technique to get the hang of and it’s really easy to give up trying if you feel like there’s no point even bothering to learn it. So as a bit of motivation, I thought I’d take some time to look at a few of the many great fingerstyle guitarists who’ve truly taken this guitar style to the next level. You might never want to use a pick again once you see all the things you can do without it!

This week I will be looking at a recent favourite of mine – Luca Stricagnoli.

Luca Stricagnoli is an Italian born, classically trained guitarist- but that doesn’t mean you should expect his music to be strictly classical. Currently signed to Candyrat Records, the 23-year old’s latest releases encompass everything from experimental guitar compositions to cleverly arranged cover songs.

THUNDERSTRUCK

I first discovered Luca Stricagnoli after a friend linked me this on social media:

Luca Stricagnoli’s Thunderstruck is a brilliantly arranged acoustic spin on one of ACDC’s rock classics. The concept of the guitar cover song in itself, however, is nothing new. Youtube is full of talented fingerstyle guitarists performing acoustic renditions of the songs they love- Sungha Jung, for instance, is one of the many fabulous cover artists on Youtube you could take inspiration from if you’re after ideas on how to create your own acoustic cover. In fact, with so many acoustic covers out there, it can be easy to get overlooked.

What sets Stricagnoli’s Thunderstruck apart from these cover artists is his innate ability to push beyond the typical constraints of a cover song. Where most cover artists would simply repurpose the original melodic and chordal lines to suit the guitar, Stricagnoli integrates a vast array of guitar techniques and an astounding sense of rhythmic drive alongside the existing melody to create a cover that is both true to the original and uniquely its own.

NB: For intermediate to advanced players, Thunderstruck is a great piece to try and learn, especially if you want to develop your coordination. Stricagnoli has made the transcription of his cover available (for a small fee) online. Alternatively, you could easily use the video as a listening exercise and attempt to transcribe the song yourself.

A ONE MAN BAND

In some ways, Luca Stricagnoli is not far away from achieving this title. Skilfully adept at incorporating other instruments into his compositions, Stricagnoli allows himself to assume the role of both soloist and accompanist through a brilliant display of coordination and focus, which often sees him playing multiple instruments simultaneously.

It is in this way that Stricagnoli demonstrates how there are always new ways to make music- even on your own! His rendition of Last of the Mohicans features a violin bow, three guitars and just one performer.

If that weren’t enough, Braveheart sees Stricagnoli abandon his right-hand technique altogether at times in favour of other melodic instruments!

It’s a reminder that your playing is really only limited by how far you’re willing to experiment. Luca Stricagnoli is one of many who have untapped the guitar’s potential and used it to further their creative pursuits. So get experimenting and see where the guitar can take you!

PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES

Before I go on, you should probably watch this:

I could have easily dedicated this article to Erik Mongrain- the man to whom Stricagnoli has dedicated The Future to. Instead, I’ll just take a moment to say that if you haven’t previously heard of Erik Mongrain, he is definitely worth checking out too.

The style of playing exhibited by Stricagnoli in The Future- and by Mongrain in AirTap- doesn’t always sit well with mainstream music listeners. As a guitarist, however, there is absolutely no denying that the level of skill required to create and perform a piece of this calibre is worthy of recognition.

Any guitarist who has ever attempted to play their instrument like Stricagnoli does in this video will be able to appreciate precisely how difficult it can be to generate a clear and consistent tone- especially at a moderately fast pace. What’s more, the concentration required to do so often risks sacrificing some of the more emotionally expressive aspects of a musical performance.

The simple fact is: even the most technically impressive piece in the world will quickly lose its audience when played without some degree of emotion. It would have been easy for Stricagnoli to suffer under technical pressures in The Future. Instead, he showcases exactly how well this particular guitar style can capture emotion when used correctly.

The Future encompasses what I believe to be the essence of Stricagnoli’s musicianship- a combination of talent and refined skill that allows itself to be distinguished by an ongoing thirst for creative innovation. Such an experimental style of guitar is a perfect example of how Stricagnoli seems to continually push his own boundaries.

I have not yet viewed a performance by Stricagnoli and not been in awe of some aspect of his musicianship. For any guitarist, the dedication Stricagnoli displays in constantly expanding on his own creativity is something to be aspired to. So, if you haven’t yet caught up on all of the amazing work Luca Stricagnoli has to offer, what are you waiting for? Check out Luca Stricagnoli’s Youtube Channel or Luca Stricagnoli’s Website

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Travis Picking: A lesson in thumb control

Chloe Marshall — Tue, 29 Dec 2015 08:39:13 +0000

Sometimes you’re going to find yourself without a bass player, or you might be going solo. Maybe you’ve come across a folk song you like, or maybe you’re trying out Ragtime. In any case, you’ll probably eventually encounter a technique called travis picking.

Named after the great Merle Travis, travis picking is all about using your right- hand thumb to play a steady bass pattern while your other fingers play the melody (often syncopated). It’s a fun way to become your own accompanist, but can be a hard technique to develop due to the difficulty that comes with controlling two different picking rhythms simultaneously. To make things a bit easier, this article will look at the fundamental aspects of the travis picking technique. Once you develop the basics, the rest will come together in no time!

Let’s begin with this great video introducing you Travis Picking:

The first step in getting the hang of travis picking is making sure that you have control of your thumb. By itself, the thumb movement could actually be considered quite easy since it is usually just an on-beat pluck, alternating between two or three strings. Like this:

(NB: Play each of the above notes with a downward stroke of the thumb)

Got it? Great. Now things start to get a little bit more difficult but I’ve simplified a short melody below to gradually introduce you to the idea of playing a melody over the top of this bass pattern.

For the next few exercises, you’ll notice that above the thumb pattern, there is an added melody. As you advance your travis picking technique, some songs will require you to use a specific finger for ease of play. For now, however, I’m just going to focus on making sure you’re able to keep your thumb playing at a consistent pace underneath a melody- as this is the essence of travis picking. So, feel free to play these extra little melodies with either your index, middle or ring finger- whichever feels more comfortable.

Let’s begin with something simple. For the first exercise, simply play the thumb- picking pattern you learnt earlier. Set your metronome (if you don’t have one, you can get one for free online here) to 60 BPM (Beats Per Minute) and aim to match each strike of your thumb to one metronome-click. Once you feel comfortable, use your finger to pluck the open high E-string on the second note of each bar. It should be played at the same time as the first fretted E-note of each bar (second fret, D string):

NB: Play this exercise on loop at 60BPM until you feel comfortable, then increase your metronome speed to 70BPM and try to get control of both the bass (thumb line) and melody (finger line). Do this repeatedly, increasing your metronome in gradual increments of 10 BPM until you reach 120BPM. Once you can comfortably control both your thumb and the melody at 120BPM, you’ll be ready for the next exercise.

Now drop your metronome back to 60BPM. The next exercise is similar to the first, except now you will be playing the open high E-string on the last THREE beats of each bar. Try it out:

NB: Use the same practise method as before- starting at 60BPM and working up to 120BPM before moving to the next exercise.

The third exercise requires you to move your left hand a bit more to create a more coherent melody line. I’ve still kept it very simple but as you can see below, you are now required to play a G note (third fret, high E string) on the first beat of the second bar and a D note (third fret, B string) on the first beat of the fourth bar. As before, practise this with your metronome at 60BPM and work up until you can comfortably play at 120BPM.

Like a challenge? Once you hit 120BPM, keep increasing the metronome in gradual increments of 10 until you reach your breaking point. Keep in mind though that the travis picking technique is typically used in folk or ragtime pieces and you would most likely be playing at speeds from 100- 150 BPM.

That was a very simplified breakdown of the travis picking technique designed for beginner guitarists to start to develop control and independence of their picking thumb. I’ll now look at a couple of song excerpts that use travis picking so that you can begin to expand on your technique.

Song Excerpt #1- Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right- By Bob Dylan

This was a song I learnt when I was first beginning to grasp the foundations of travis picking. I’ve transcribed the introduction to the song below:

You’ll notice that this transcription is slightly more complex than the earlier exercises. The key to reading a piece like this is to pick out the bass line first. As I stated before, the bass note is typically played on every beat. If there are two notes on that beat and you aren’t sure which one to play with your thumb- pick the lower note. Once you’ve distinguished the bass line from the melody, add the melody in and get to work with your metronome to build up the tempo!

NB: Double speed- As per the tempo marking on the transcription, one half note is equal to 90BPM. This means that you should actually be playing two bass notes for every click of the metronome. Since that is significantly harder to achieve, I’d recommend starting slower at 40-50 BPM and working up to 90BPM. Alternatively, you can still play one bass note for every click of the metronome by starting at 70-80BPM and simply working up to 180BPM.

If you’re still having trouble separating the bass and melody lines, I’ve transcribed the bass part separately below. Once you get control of this, add in the top melody:

Song Excerpt #2- Freight Train

For those seeking a bit of a challenge, I’ve also transcribed the first few bars of Tommy Emmanuel’s Freight Train. This is a simplified version (without a lot of the syncopated melody). Again, if you’re struggling to read the transcription as a whole, try picking out the bass line first and practicing that. For this song, start at 80-90BPM and work up to 140BPM.

So there you have it- your thumb is starting to get under control! There are thousands of songs available on the internet that use travis picking available. So get searching, or try some of the links below:

And also be sure to browse through our blog here at Uberchord! Not only do we cover several country songs for beginners, but we can help you get some more practice using this popular picking technique. Some topics we’ve covered recently included words and chords for jingle bells, cool beginner progressive riffs, and how to get hardcore guitar tone.

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Beginners Guide to Improvisation: Rock

Chloe Marshall — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 06:16:55 +0000

Learn how to improvise in the style of rock on guitar!

This beginner’s guide will give you everything you need to get started with developing your rock improvisation skills.

Rock songs typically follow a standard four-chord progression of I- vi- IV- V (1st, Minor 6th, 4th then 5th chord of a particular key). Simple rock songs also tend to feature a steady backbeat, which makes it easier to get a feel for the kinds of rhythms you should think about improvising with. Both of these factors mean that rock is a relatively easy genre to navigate in the early days of building your improvisation skills.

This rock improvisation exercise will focus around the A minor pentatonic scale. If you’re not familiar with that yet, take a look at the transcription below and practise it until your fingers get used to the pattern.

Got it? Great! For this article, we’ll be using a basic I- vi- IV- V progression in the key of C.

C is one of the easiest keys to improvise in because it has no sharps or flats. This means that you can play any of the notes A,B,C,D, E, F or G anywhere on your guitar over a chord progression in C and not hear too much dissonance in your improvisation.

This rule has a few exceptions. Playing an F over a G chord for an extended period of time, for instance, might sound strange. This is because non-chordal notes that are situated near a chordal note in the scale tend to clash. For this reason, it’s always important to anticipate chord changes so you don’t get stuck on a non-chordal note for too long, or people might begin to react badly to the clashing tones.

So what are chordal notes? For the progression in C, chordal notes are as follows:

C: C E G

Am: A C E

F: F A C

G: G B D

Obviously, if you limit your creative playing by only using three notes every time a chord comes around in the progression, your improvisation is probably going to feel quite repetitive. That’s where passing tones come in. To deviate slightly, let’s have a look at passing tones in the context of a basic two-octave C major scale.

Jumps between chordal notes can still be used, but typically good improvisation will feature a mix of jumps and steps (using passing tones) to create well- phrased melodic ideas.The notes marked with a ‘C’ are your chordal tones. As you can see, if you only played these notes, you wouldn’t be left with much to work with. That’s why the other notes- the passing tones- can be used as transitional notes to prevent your improvisation from sounding overly jumpy.

So, now you understand the difference between chordal and passing tones, let’s revisit the A minor pentatonic scale and work towards improvising over the chord progression.

The great thing about this pentatonic scale is that you can play any of the notes over any chord within the C progression and it will sound perfectly fine. This is because it’s solely made up of the notes A, C, D, E, & G- all of which are featured as chordal notes at some point in the progression. So, even if you play the wrong note over a particular chord (eg. an A note over a C chord), the progression will eventually change to suit this note and allow you to blend those sounds together. There’s very little margin for error, so why not have a go now and see what you can create? Here’s that progression again:

To begin with, take the A minor pentatonic scale and, using only the notes of that scale, try to come up with a few of your own licks.

NB: Remember to focus on phrasing- you’ll want to create a mixture of long and short rhythms. Consider the song’s tempo and listen out for any drum fills to see if you can use these to enhance your licks. For some, the hardest part of improvisation can often be the actual creation of your own ideas. If your fingers seem stuck at first, try humming or singing something over the progression to generate a few melodic phrases. Then integrate those ideas into your playing.

Once you’ve played around with the pentatonic scale, start to consider using some passing tones (these would be any notes in between the notes of the scale). The main purpose of passing tones is to add some colour and variation to your melodic ideas. Try not to linger too long on any of these notes. In fact, you may decide that some notes (eg. A# on the 6th fret of the E string) clash a little too much. Recall that the C major scale doesn’t use any sharps or flats so there’s bound to be some dissonance if you play them over this chord progression.

Remember though, in improvisation, there aren’t any wrong notes. Often some of your best ideas will come from times when you’ve pushed your playing beyond your conventional understanding of ‘what works’ over any particular progression. The more you practise improvising, the more you’ll get a feel for the notes you prefer. Eventually, you should start to develop your own sound. Here are a few final tips for getting started:

1. Record what you play.

Even if you don’t own professional recording gear, grab your phone or any other recording equipment you might have and turn it on before you play. Improvisation is about coming up with new stuff, but that doesn’t mean you can’t reuse and develop a lick you’ve created in an earlier session. Recording what you play is a great way to reflect on what works and what doesn’t.

2. Learn new scales.

Even with the basic chord progression we’ve examined in this article, there are multiple scales you could take ideas from. Each will have a distinct sound that can further diversify your rock improvisation. For instance, try combining your A minor pentatonic licks with ideas from this A minor blues scale:

3. Know your fretboard.

Ever tried walking backwards, blindfolded in front of a crowd? As a performer, trying to improvise without knowing where any of the notes are on your guitar can be equally problematic. If you haven’t taken the time to learn yet, take a look at the diagram below and practise memorising note names. It might not seem important, but if you want to improve your rock improvisation, it’s probably best to know which notes are which!

4. Listen to Rock Music!

This one’s quite easy. If you don’t listen to rock music, how can you expect to play it? This applies to all aspects of your musical development. The more you listen to a particular genre, the more you’ll develop an inherent understanding of how to go about developing your own music within this genre. So go forth and listen to some more music!

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Guitar Picking Technique: Alternate picking

Chloe Marshall — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 15:48:00 +0000

Picking up where we left off

Recently, I posted a few fingerpicking exercises to help develop your picking technique. If you haven’t already, you can check it out here. Think you’ve got the hang of basic fingerstyle now? Awesome! Keep practising. We’ll revisit that at a later date. For now, I’m going to focus on a few exercises that will help you develop basic proficiency with your right-hand picking technique.

As great as fingerpicking is, sometimes you’re going to want to produce a different kind of sound. Maybe you’re after a distorted chord and your fingers alone just can’t draw out enough grunge. Maybe you want to smash out the guitar solo in your favourite rock song but it’s not coming through the way you want it to. That is where the pick comes in:

The pick can be a guitarist’s best friend at times. You’ve probably already seen one before. In fact, you might already own one or two of them. These exercises will require a pick. On the off chance you don’t have one yet, any guitar store you go to will surely have an abundance of picks (and at a decent price) to choose from. So head on down there and grab a few,then come back here and try out these exercises!

Not sure how to hold it yet? Have a look at the diagram below. It might feel awkward to hold it like this at first but don’t worry. As long as you practise regularly enough it’ll feel natural within no time at all.

ALTERNATE PICKING

So now that you’ve got the correct pick grip, I’m going to explain how to use what is perhaps one of the most common picking technique: Alternate picking. Alternate picking involves moving the pick a simple down/up pattern.

∏ = stroke down across the string V= stroke up across the string

Alternate picking moves in a ∏V∏V (down, up, down, up) motion. To begin with, try to get the feel of this motion by simply striking down and up on your open E string until you feel comfortable.

Now we’re going to look at some exercises that will help you coordinate this motion with your left-hand. One of the challenges you might face is accidentally striking down twice, instead of down, then up. Or, you might miss a downward strike and instead strike up twice in a row. This is a really important thing to fix now before you start using alternate picking in more technical songs or you’ll find that your pick might start to slip up and miss notes. I’d recommend starting out slowly (even if the exercise seems really basic) and making sure that you are consistently getting the motion correct.

Before we begin, these exercises require knowledge of eighth notes and triplet rhythms. If you’re unsure of either of these things, watch the quick video below.

(Eighth notes are at 0:26-0:30, Triplets are played from 0:30- 0:33).

Exercise 1:

Here is a basic A Minor Pentatonic scale:

The A Minor Pentatonic scale is commonly used for improvisation. So, once you get the hang of how to pick it out, you’ll also be able to start exploring how to create your own melodies over simple chord progressions.

To begin, use the exact downward/upward motion you practised on your E string. This time, your left hand will be playing two fretted notes per string, before moving up to the next string (your right hand will be alternate picking the strings along with it). Remember, you are starting on low E and ending on high E, then coming back to low E. Try practising one string at a time until you feel confident, then put it all together.

If you’ve got a metronome, set it to about 60BPM* and aim to strike each note on time with each beat (click). If it seems too easy and you want more of a challenge, try and pick two notes per beat, just like the eighth notes you heard in the video.

Your goal with this exercise is to be able to use alternate picking to play the A minor pentatonic proficiently. Proficiency doesn’t always involve speed, but you should at least aim to be comfortable enough to play the exercise from start to finish in a continuous, fluid manner. It might take some time so don’t stress if you don’t get it right away!

Exercise 2: Alternate Picking: Triplets

Here’s a slight variation on the A Minor pentatonic scale. This exercise is more challenging so try to get a good grasp of the first one before you attempt this.

You’ll notice that this exercise starts from the top on the high E string. This is what’s known as a descending variation on the A Minor Pentatonic scale.

Again, just use the simple downward, upward motion. Set your metronome to about 50BPM*. Remember how that triplet rhythm sounded? This time you are playing three notes per beat as per the triplet rhythm. Your notes should have a waltz-like feel to them.

*For both exercises, start at 50-60BPM and play on loop until you feel comfortable. Then, increase your metronome speed to 60-70BPM and again play until you get the hang of it. Continue to increase the metronome click by 10BPM each time you feel comfortable in order to build your speed and overall proficiency up. As soon as the metronome feels too fast to get your fingers around, you’ve probably reached your breaking point. I’d recommend going back about 30BPM from wherever you are and building up to that speed again and again until you manage to push past your breaking point. This is a really great habit to get into if you want to develop consistency in your playing.

So there you have it! You’ve started to improve your picking technique. Do these exercises as regularly as possible so you can really solidify your understanding of alternate picking. Remember:

No Practise = No Progress.

Guitar isn’t always easy, but don’t give up. Whatever the exercise, however hard it may seem, practise is the only way you’ll ever improve on it. Trust me, it’ll all feel great in the end!

Ready to move on already? Check out some more advanced alternate picking exercises below!

https://deftdigits.com/2013/05/22/3-easy-but-powerful-alternate-picking- exercises/

22 2-String Alternate Speed Picking Exercises

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