In this Lesson we will look at alternate picking right hand guitar technique and the fingering needed for jazz fusion improvisation.

John Mclaughlin Alternate Picking Belo Herozonte/ Music Spoken Here Guitar lick:

Al di Meola Alternate Picking “Guitar Trio style” Lick

 

John Mclaughlin 3 string alternate picking guitar right hand wrist exercise.

“Shakti” John Mclaughlin alternate picking “2 finger” fingering scalic ascending lick

GUITAR TRIO CONCEPTS: ALTERNATE PICKING LINES

TRIO EXERCISES:

Performing in the style of the Guitar Trio with the plectrum requires strict ALTERNATE PICKING for the solo lines that are picked at a very high velocity. You need to be able to “Jump” straight into the rhythmic flow. The patterns below detail the best key alternate picking patterns to gain mastery for this.

The key to all of this is to “Count Time/Groupings”and “Tap your foot” as you do so. If you count time you will play what you hear. It is the key to performing this guitar trio music.

Line 1-“16ths” Alternate Picking starting on a “Down” stroke

Line 2- Extended version of the previous line above, again starting on a “Down” stroke

Line 3-Groups of “4” with strict Alternate Picking but this time starting with an “Upstroke” creating a “Rolling” effect as the plectrum glides across the strings.

Groups of 6 VARIATIONS:

Line 4-This is a “Variation” of our very first pattern but this time played in “Sextuplets” starting on a “Down” stroke.

Line 5-This line can be heard as Triplets or Sextuplets. This time though we are starting on an “Upstroke”. Again, because we are starting our alternate picking on an up stroke there is a fluid rolling effect as we cross the strings.

Line 6-This is a key signature line of Pace de Lucia and Al di Meola. It is an ascending G major scale in double timed triplets [or Sextuplets]. We are starting our picking on an “Upstroke”and ascending passionately up the scale, The better the rhythm of the alternate picking the more clean and powerful this little lick becomes.

Line 7-Here is another variation of the 16th note line. This time we start “Upstroke and roll the line along with tight rhythmical alternate picking. The key as always is to count good time when picking and tap your foot for precision.

Line 8-“Spanish” descending 2 string line. Really it is an ascending “Down” stroke alternate picking pattern followed by an ascending “Up” stroke rolling alternate picking pattern. If you treat it like that then it is easy to play and learn.

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For a closer look there is a complete transcription of “Friday Night in San Franscisco” Book available AMAZON