Alternate picking guitar technique for jazz, fusion and heavy metal. Aimed at modern jazz improvisation. Employing the alternate picking technique right hand techniques of John Mclaughlin and Al Di Meola.
THE FOUR MAIN ALTERNATE PICKING GUITAR RHYTHMS FOR CREATIVE IMPROVISATION SET-UPS
The first alternate picking rhythmic set-up employs the 8th note and two 16th notes. This is a useful rhythm as it gives your picking right hand a moment to set up the “Up stroke” and fire the phrase forward leading to a smooth alternate picking lick/line.
The next rhythmic set up employs a dotted 8th note and a 16th note. Again this slight delay before the phrase takes off gives your right hand time to flick up and fire off the phrase with confident alternate picking.
This phrase below is the “Off-beat” phrase and is one of the most important because it creates anticipation and syncopation in your alternate picking which is essential for jazz and fusion guitar playing. [As I suggest in the video you will find this a lot in the John Mclaughlin album/CD called “Belo Herozonte].
Finally we have basic alternate picking 16ths starting on the beat. I sat on the down stroke with the plectrum on my guitar for this phrase.
All of these phrases use a simple pentatonic scale because this is the best way to get these rhythms precise when starting out with alternate picking.
Recommended listening:
“Belo Herozonte” John Mclaughlin the Translators
“Music spoken here” John Mclaughlin the Translators
JOHN MCLAUGHLIN LEFT HAND FINGERING LESSON MUSIC TAB
The key to getting fluidity and developing the ability to play long jazz/fusion guitar phrases up tempo relies on good left hand fingering. Most people focus on the right alternate picking hand and then find it impossible to join/link up the improvised line phrasing /rhythm
The phrases and guitar fingering get generally “Un-guitaristic” when weaving in and out of altered [Dominant] harmony on the guitar fingerboard. This is why it is essential to manipulate the “Left fretting hand” fingering. The fingering that John Mclaughlin employs in much of his jazz guitar playing is available to all as is shown in my two guitar tab/notation examples and video. The secret fingering is actually quite simple and logical.
John Mclaughlin talks about fingering a lot in interviews and even said to Larry Coryell that “Fingering is everything”. When the fingers can move effortlessly and weave in and out of the complex harmonic lines it does become natural to articulate musical phrases into improvisation that way.
THE “SECRET” JOHN MCLAUGHLIN ALTERNATE PICKING GUITAR FINGERING! Revealed!
Above, is a very common John Mclaughlin fingering that he employs to get through fast uptempo phrases. It is actually quite repetitive and very useful for building any scale regardless of that scales intervals or complexity. This is the key to his explosive and effortlessness when alternate picking fluid modern jazz fusion guitar lines. Also, with this fingering it is possible to display excellent chromatic mastery,approach notes and jazz encircling set ups with ease.
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A Tremelo is a rapid alternating motion [Think of Russian music or spy music]. Tremelo picking comes from a RELAXED wrist and NOT the forearm, elbow or shoulder.
Count 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & and let your “Wrist” lightly pick down and up on one note. You can then gradually build a rapid alternating speed. Also try “Accenting” the first note in each bar. [Always avoiding tension in the elbow].
1 STRING TREMOLO PICKING
Now play it by “Doubling” the speed and INTERNALISE [Feel] the “1e & a” Rhythm. Count it in your mind as you start with a down stroke and pluck down up, down up, down up etc .
CROSSING 2 STRINGS WITH GUITAR TREMOLO PICKING: “EVEN GROUPINGS”
First try this with 8th notes and then double the speed with 16th notes. Hear the internalised “1e and a” of the Sixteenth notes and as you tremolo pick across the strings you will always cross with the same “EVEN” stroke. This makes crossing the strings very easy because when you can cross 2 strings then you can SIMPLY REPLICATE this across all 6 strings.
EX.3
EX.4 TREMOLO PICKING SCALE ACROSS ALL 6 GUITAR STRINGS:
Just replicate exercise 3 with a scale this time ascending and descending across all 6 guitar strings starting with a down stroke creating “even” tremolo picking. [It will be smooth and musical and simple with even patterns].
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