robert fripp – modern music theory and application

Alternate Picking “Upstroke” Guitar Exercise

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

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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.

alternate-picking-guitar-explained-lesson

Here is the 2nd bar in full,

FULL EXERCISE 1:

VARIATION IN THE SECOND BAR:

Here, is a variation for the second part of the exercise.

alternate-picking-guitar-exercise-lesson

Note, the semitones and the crossing over with the second finger to easily cross the strings:

alternate-picking-guitar-exercise-technique

FREE DOWNLOAD OF EXERCISE:

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Fripp/King Crimson style Guitar Picking Exercise:

Posted on February 6, 2024February 10, 2024 by Modern Music Theory

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Robert Fripp/King Crimson Style Guitar Picking Exercise: Alternate Picking/Cross Picking

Please watch video above for detailed info:

Hi Guys,

Today, a “Quirky” Fripp-esque/Crimson-esque guitar picking exercise.

Here is the first part:

As you can see this is very intervallic and as Robert Fripp might call it, “Finickity” picking pattern.

GUITAR TECHNIQUES:

Alternate picking starting on an upstroke works really:

Also, the pattern “Down Down Down Up” works well: [with a short amount of alternate picking on the C B E notes in the bass]

Fripp-king-crimson-cross-picking-guitartechnqiue-example-lesson

Moving on from this we have chromatic movement: So from here on in we employ strict alternate picking starting on an “Upstroke”:

In this next phrase we have a contrapuntal effect with arpeggio and scale movement put to good use.

We finish the first part with more descending chromatic movement with the last line imitating the phrase before it.

2nd Part “Chordal”

In the 2nd part we exploit whole tone scale movement:

We will decorate this by employing 4ths:

Now we will dismantle the whole tone scale by making a chordal quartal melody and strum this up a semitone and back to create a colourful sound:

This is then repeated up in Major thirds.

Up another Major third:

Finally we descend from the 12th fret with this little motif:

FREE PDF DOWNLOAD:

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UP-STROKE Alternate Picking Concepts

Posted on August 10, 2023August 23, 2023 by Modern Music Theory

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UP-STROKE Alternate Picking Guitar Concepts

Hi Guys,

Today, a quick look at starting alternate picking runs on an upstroke.

upstroke, alternate, picking, guitar, technique, example

Starting on an upstroke can be useful when playing stepwise scalic patterns/runs. This can be modal, pentatonic or major/minor.

Here, is the first little exercise/idea: [Note that this starts on an upstroke and finishes on a downstroke]

We, will now extend this and complete the bar.

As you can see when starting on an upstroke it is easy to connect together fragments of scale and create extended fluid lines.

Here is another example of extending and varying by employing simple scalic movement starting on the up stroke.

Connecting scale fragments is a bit like taking the first half of the bar and imitating it into 2 phrases.

Employing Rests:

In this next example we have rests. These are useful as they give you a split second to get your fretting hand into position.

Open String Even to Odd:

This time we will employ the open string to create an even pattern to an odd pattern to set up the upstroke for the next phrase.

This time we will use the same concept to ascend with a simple piece of pentatonic/scale:

Now we will descend starting on the up-stroke [no open string]:

Repeated Note:

Finally, we will employ a repeated note with some scale and open string distance.

Notice that the repeated note and the open string are on the off beat:

Counting Time=Essentail

One last thing: When doing these and any exercises it is essential to count time. Below is an example:

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Author: Clifford Martin Musical Artist: Guitar Gti

Modern Music Theory

Clifford Martin is a trained classical musician and composer. His 1st study being piano and composition and a deep study into the meticulous world of modern music theory. He also studied jazz piano and jazz drums privately. Clifford later came back to the guitar and studied in the jazz fusion style of John McLaughlin and Al di Meola. It was at this point that he put all of his years of learning together into one musical form This website is a sort of cataloging of ideas and musical concepts for exploitation and development in the arts of musical composition and improvisation. What started out as a jazz improvisation site has grown into a full blown, harmony, timbre, pitch and rhythm library. Peace, Enjoy!