Just a quick video [above] looking at the death/closure of the guitar magazine:
For me, the guitar magazine was an important part of guitar culture and a great source of learning, especially in the old days where there was very little information about.
The most important, educational and best UK guitar magazine was “Guitar Techniques” which has sadly published its last copy.
For me, this magazine was an amazing concept with real in depth and valuable lessons from the likes of, Shaun Baxter, Pete Callard and Guthrie Govan.
Examples of some truly great work!
Shaun Baxter……
Pete Callard…….
Guthrie Govan…..
Every subject under the sun was investigated and captured in detail. Explained with clarity and easy to execute on our guitars!
So, enjoy the video above if you were like myself a guitar mag nerd [lol!], as it is really just a tribute to the great magazines and an age and culture of a time now seemingly gone by.
Last cover: The Final Guitar Techniques Magazine R.I.P
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Today, a Robert Fripp style Guitar Picking exercise that incorporates various Fripp/King Crimson guitar picking patterns.
These are angular, string skipping and awkward intervals that can be picked with either strict alternate picking or “Down Down up”. I employ alternate picking mostly, but, there are parts where I exploit the “Down Down Up” pattern purely because some string skipping intervals are too wide and awkward for alternate picking alone.
PART 1
The first bar is quite awkward and so I “Float” with my right picking hand. This way I am not stuck in any one position and I can freely pluck the passage without any intrusions.
At this part of the bar you will notice the awkward string skipping part between the C and C# down to the E note. You will need to pivot with the fretting hand for this. [Please see video above for detailed info].
The next bar is starting on an “Upstroke” with strict alternate picking:
PART 2
The next Phrase is reminiscent of “Larks Tongues in Aspic III” by Fripp. Notice the C note to the open E string to the C# note. This connects the phrase nicely by breaking the chromaticism up and at the same time making it fluid.
In the next part we can see how phrases might be counted or felt as groups of 5 or 3. [See video above]
PART 3
To round the phrase off I employ a descending Eb Dominant pentatonic scale: This employs alternate picking starting on an upstroke. [I finished on the note F# purely becasue I like the sound].
FINAL PART:
The final part employs a 5/8 chordal picking vamp:
The picking pattern I use is : “Down down down up up” and “Down down up down up” with the plectrum.
IN CONCLUSION:
This was just an exercise/example by taking some King Crimson, Robert Fripp signature licks, patterns and phrases and making a little etude from them. This in turn creates some familiarity with the right hand picking in order to create patterns of our own.
Making your own patterns and coming up with your own original and unique phrases is the key rather than to just copy.
There are so many variations to exploit, which gives any player a mountain of material to work with. So, anyone can make some really original, colourful and interesting music from this.
