UP-STROKE Alternate Picking Concepts

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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]

upstroke, alternate, picking, guitar, technique, example

We, will now extend this and complete the bar.

upstroke, alternate, picking, guitar, technique, example

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.

upstroke, alternate, picking, guitar, technique, example

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

upstroke, alternate, picking, guitar, technique, example

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

upstroke, alternate, picking, guitar, technique, example

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.

upstroke, alternate, picking, guitar, technique, example

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

upstroke, alternate, picking, guitar, technique, example

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

upstroke, alternate, picking, guitar, technique, example

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

upstroke, alternate, picking, guitar, technique, example

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

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

upstroke, alternate, picking, guitar, technique, example

McLaughlin-esque ii V7 I Alt Guitar Line [140 Bpm]

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John McLaughlin-esque ii V7 I Alt Guitar Line [140 Bpm]

Please watch video above for detailed info:

Hi Guys,

Today, a quick ii V7 I McLaughlin-esque lick

This is at 140 Bpm with an altered approach to harmony with strict alternate picking guitar technique.

The chords are as follows.

For the ii minor chord I employ a minor chord with a Major 7th and an added 9th.

mclaughlin-altered-harmony-guitar-theory

For the V7 chord I raise the 5th [#5] and add a flattened 9th note.

mclaughlin-altered-harmony-guitar-theory

And for the I chord I make this augmented by raising the 5th.

So, the ii V7 I becomes harmonically altered and creates an interesting sound

john-mclaughlin-altered-harmony-guitar-theory

Guitar Line

The line starts on an upbeat with 3 target tones that deliberately set up the 1st note of bar one. This adds forward momentum and adds a colourful chromatic set-up.

mclaughlin-altered-harmony-guitar-chromatics-lesson

The target tones start on an “Up stroke” so that on the first beat of bar one you will land and start a “Down stroke”

mclaughlin-alternate-picking-guitar-how-to

Over the DmMaj7/9 chord I start with a Dm9 arpeggio and then exploit the D Harmonic minor scale by ascending in fragments.

mclaughlin-altered-harmony-guitar-improvisation-theory

Over the G+b9 chord I start on the third note B and then play an Eb 4-3 arpeggio.

mclaughlin-guitar-music-theory-improvisation

The Bb from this arpeggio then moves up to the B natural and then I play the b9 to tonic and #5 to5 which then finally moves down to the note C for the tonic of the next chord C+.

mclaughlin-guitar-music-theory-improvisation

Whole Bar:

John-mclaughlin-altered-dominant-guitar-improvisation-theory

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Alternate Picking Guitar Mechanics “How to Cross Strings”

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Alternate Picking Guitar Mechanics “How to Cross Strings”

Please watch video above for detailed analysis:

Hi Guys,

In this blog I am going to look at and answer the age old question-

“What is the one thing that players don’t do or not understand when learning alternate picking guitar technique”.

The answer to the question and the secret if there is one is to understand the “Mechanics” of alternate picking which means:

Visually and Intellectually knowing what is happening when we Cross the Strings.

Below demonstrates what is happening when crossing the guitar strings:

Fig 1: Example

alternate-picking-guitar-mechanics-diagram

You will notice the importance of coming “Up” on the upstroke-This is because we come up skip over the string before plucking down on it.

Fig 2: Example

Below is an example descending across all 6 strings:

alternate-picking-guitar-mechanics-diagram

The video at the top of the page demonstrates this in full detail:

Okay, now let’s play through a few repetitious exercises.

The first is a basic 2 string exercise: Notice the “Up skip over pluck down” when crossing the strings.

Exercise 1: Two string Alternate Picking Guitar Pattern:

2-string-alternate-picking-exercise

Exercise 2: This time we employ string skipping to emphasise “Up skip over pluck down”.

alternate-picking-string-skipping-exercise

Exercise 2: This time we emphasise this even further by employing two string skips

alternate-picking-string-skipping-exercise

For more information please click FREE Ebook below:

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