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Master the Robert Fripp Cross Picking Technique | Guitar Lesson

Posted on August 14, 2024August 14, 2024 by Modern Music Theory and Application

Robert Fripp Cross Picking Guitar Technique Lesson

Please watch video above for detailed info:

Hi Guys,

Just a short blog to explain what I mean by employing the “Down Down Up” guitar picking technique.

If we look at the patten below we can see the “Down Down Up” Picking pattern:

fripp-guitar-cross-picking-lesson-example

This is a very useful picking pattern/device that will hold you in good stead: But the key is to employ it sparingly.

Why is this?

This is because sometimes the rhythms we see and sometimes feel can be different than our natural inclinations when picking/plucking the strings.

So, if we look below we will see that the picking hand/subconcious wants to pluck a group of 5 notes and 3 notes to make up the 4 and 4 groups of 16th notes.

This is because of the “Crossing” of the strings, the order of the notes or the way the actual groups of notes on the guitar fingerboard work out:

EXAMPLE:

OR:

Notation Example:

PICKING STROKES:

The other reason to put this “Down Down Up” into what would otherwise be an alternate picking pattern is because:

“Sometimes where you have a down stroke you may want an upstroke to complete the phrase”.

This can be because of one note that has to be played on a down or upstroke specifically otherwise the whole passage is awkward to play. So, to execute “Down Down Up” for that one part makes sense.

FULL EXERCISE:

Below, is the full exercise that deliberately mixes up “Down Down Up” and “Down up” Alternate Picking”. It’s only an exercise [Larks Tongues in Aspic III Style] but, hopefully it gets the point across.

Exercise:

fripp-cross-picking-lesson-guitar-technique-tab

fripp-guitar-cross-picking-lesson-example-tab

Conclusion:

This technique can also be found in Al Di Meola’s REH video from the 1980’s. Al di Meola employs this for chordal/Arpggeio Picking, [as does Fripp sometimes].

Again, if used sparingly this right hand picking pattern/technique is absolutely essential for this type of art/creative style guitar music.

Lastly, picking one note per string is way more difficult and precise than plucking standard 3 notes per string as there’s so much string crossing going on.

FREE PDF DOWNLOAD:

fripp-cross-picking-lesson-2 Download

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Al Di Meola Arpeggio Inversions on Guitar: Techniques and Variations

Posted on July 11, 2024July 11, 2024 by Modern Music Theory and Application

Al Di Meola Arpeggio inversions: Right hand guitar technique lesson

Please watch video above for detailed info:

Hi Guys,

Today, a look at picking arpeggio inversions on the guitar. This is in the more recent style of Al Di Meola’s nylon string guitar playing/composing.

Okay, Let’s get started!

The main guitar picking pattern is “Down Down Up” and the variations of this naturally occur form the music itself.

Here is the basic pattern:

This simple “Down Down Up” patten means that the final upstroke makes it easy to pluck the next downstroke on the lower strings.

Arpeggio inversions:

To begin with lets play a simple F Major arpeggio in the root, 1st inversion and 2nd inversion:

As you can see and hear the “Down Down Up” works smoothly with the basic F major arpeggio inversions.

CHORD SEQUENCE

Now, let’s pick a chord sequence and vary the picking set up and pattern:

Basic Down Down Up: F root, E7 1st inversion, Am root:

Now, we will add an open E string for a syncopated rhythmic off beat set up,

You will also notice the two upstrokes on the high B and C notes. This makes it easy to descend with the pick/pattern whilst anticipating the next chord:

This time we will employ the 1st open E string and do the same thing:

EXTENDING THE HARMONIC CHORD SEQUENCE

We will now extend this chord sequence with more arpeggio inversions to outline the chord sequence.

So, G7 1st inversion, C Major root, A7 1st inversion to D minor root:

Let’s extend this some more.

C7 1st inversion, F Major root, D13 1st inversion:

We now have

Here is the Full Sequence:

With Open Strings added:

A couple of variations:

This example makes use of triple upstroke picked to create beautiful melodic movement:

Finally, we will exploit A augmented 1st inversion going to D minor root: Also, notice the single note melodic rise of the high notes.

IN CONCLUSION

In conclusion, these are just a few examples of the beauty and fluidity of following arpeggio inversions for melodic composing and performing at the guitar.

This way of playing smoothly through the inversions works really well with the guitar pick, and as you can see in the examples the inversions can be manipulated rhythmically with anticipation/syncopation.

FREE PDF DOWNLOAD:

arpeggio inversions Download

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Alternate Picking “Upstroke” Guitar Exercise

Posted on March 21, 2024March 26, 2024 by Modern Music Theory and Application

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Alternate Picking Guitar explained in detail-“The UP STROKE”

Please watch video above for detailed information

Hi Guys,

Today, just a short alternate picking guitar technique exercise starting on an “Upstroke”.

The first part of the exercise employs a scale fragment that starts on an upstroke .

Although, this creates an odd grouping of 5 notes, it works really well because when you cross over the strings you will be starting on a “Down stroke”

This, also works well because this is a simple two finger pentatonic movement.

alternate-picking-guitar-explained-how-to

In the second bar we imitate the first part of the first bar by starting on the “Upstroke” again, creating another 5 note grouping,

In the next part we start on the “Down stroke” again. Also, note the fingering as we cross the strings. This is a favourite of guitarist John McLaughlin. This is crossing with the 2nd finger.