Lead Guitar Techniques

Brought to you by
by Ben Perchard,
guitarmethods@shredacademy.com
For more instructional content visit - www.ShredAcademy.com
Copyright 2006
If you have bought this guide from anyone other than Ben Perchard or Shred Academy please
send an email to contact@shredacademy.com all help will be rewarded
------------------- Guitar Methods: Lead Guitar Techniques - Version 6 - by Ben Perchard Shred Academy --------------------
Whats new in Version 6?3

Using This Package.4
Understanding Diagrams...5
Warming-up7
Muscle Memory...8
Introduction to Scales.9
Shifting between scale shapes15
The Fretting-hand 17
Thumb Positioning
Finger Independence
Chromatic Scale Exercises
The Picking-hand 22
Hand Anchoring
Picks
Picking Techniques
Alternate Picking
Inverted Alternate Picking
String Skipping
Sweep Picking
Economy Picking
Sweep Picking: Tutorial ....25
6-String Sweeps
Legato30
Finger Tapping32
Advanced Tapping33
Vibrato35
Knowing the Fretboard/Memory...37
Building Fast Runs.39
Exotic Scales...42
Co-ordination...43
Tricks of the Trade. ...44
Scalloping Your Fretboard47
Helpful pointers are highlighted in yellow
Note to reader: This document is continually updated; a free updated version of this package will be
emailed every couple of months. If you havent had an update in a while, check the update log (link
below) and send me an email if you think you are missing something.
o Writing updated throughout all files

o New headings/graphics
o Online log updated to new address, to keep up-to-date on the progress with
your Free Updates and also discounts on future purchases:
http://guitar-methods.blogspot.com - CHECK THIS PAGE every now and
again to see the latest news on whats happening.
o Video added to demonstrate some essential exercises throughout this guide.
o Feedback form updated
In Recent Updates:
Version 5.1
New V5.1 Exercises
Updated Speed Enhancer
New videos and software added to CD
Version 5.0
New diagrams
PDF Quality enhanced for clearer viewing
Writing updated throughout all files
Online log created
Entire package re-organised to make navigating the different files easier
Speed Enhancer file updated with new exercises
Feedback form updated
Exercises Section developed to make future updates easier to find and therefore keeping the
main 2 files from becoming clogged and seeming too much to handle
Lots more exercises added!
Name changed from Shred Techniques to Lead Guitar Techniques
New Logo and headings
A number of these were implemented because people emailed me with suggestions, so if there is
something you want to see in the next update - just send me an email!
This package contains many files. The two largest files are this one you are reading,
and the exercises file. This file contains all the stuff you need to know with some
practice exercises written throughout, the GM - Exercises file in the exercises folder
contains a wide variety of exercises some taken directly from this file and some new
ones. It also contains a section on fretboard memory and routines.
To get the most out of this package, I recommend you read through this file and take
everything in before you even think about picking up your guitar, and then once you
have read it through thoroughly and understood everything (or most things!) then get
your guitar and go through it again. Practice playing the tabs and scales as you go, and
when you are familiar with it all, go to the exercises file and go through it on a regular
basis.
If you are fairly new to the guitar or consider yourself to be less than average, I highly
recommend you begin with the scales and alternate picking exercises starting slow at
first, before you progress. Do not even bother trying the sweep picking as sweep picking
arpeggios is something you should learn last it is very important that you focus on the
easier things before you attempt the harder things.
As this package is supposed to be for guitarists of all levels, some people may find
some of the explanations a little over-simplified, but some people do struggle with these
things, especially the diagrams, so I have tried to explain them more thoroughly.
Version 6.0 sees the addition of video, for the first time in this package. 19 Exercises
have been filmed to give you an idea of what it should look and sound like. A number of
people requested audio clips to accompany the exercises, so I went one better and
filmed them! Throughout the guide there will be a small logo like this:
This will tell you where to find the corresponding exercise on the video. Enjoy!
Also the headings have been updated to a friendlier blue and green colour for easy
reading. The blue headings in the centre signify an individual section, and the smaller
green titles aligned to the left remind you that you are reading about a sub-section of a
broader topic.
Throughout this file and also the GM - Exercises file there will be a number of different
diagrams. Those who have come across these sorts of diagrams before may find them
easy to understand, and may want to skip this section, but for the benefit of those who
have not, here is how they work:
Above is a diagram of the major scale, there will be lots of these in the scale section.
These diagrams are representing what you should see if you are holding your guitar,
and looking down at the fretboard the horizontal lines are the strings, and the vertical
lines are the frets. The headstock is presumed to be on the left side (out of the picture).
The pale red/brown colour is to show the fretboard, and the arrows show that it carries
on in both direction in other words the first vertical black line does not mean fret 1, it
could be any fret (unless stated). The letters on the left show which string each of the
black horizontal lines represent.
The position of the numbers are to show which note to be played, and the numbers
themselves are to show which finger your fretting hand (your left hand, unless you are
left handed) should be using to sound the note. 1 = index finger, 2 = middle finger, 3 =
ring finger, and 4 = little finger/pinkie. Later diagrams will have numbers that represent
the interval instead of the finger number, so I have tried to make this simple by ensuring
that the numbers in SQUARE boxes always represent the fingers you should be using.
The RED numbers are the root note the first one in the scale. If you are playing along
with a song, the root note is usually the first note, or the one that is played most
throughout a chord sequence.
Above is a tab. You should know what these are the numbers on the horizontal lines
are the fret number and the numbers underneath are the fingers to use.
Now take a look at this diagram:
This diagram is found in the GM - Exercises file. It is the major scale again (same as the
first one I just showed you) only it has been extended to show every note in the major
scale on the first 12 frets as there are 12 frets in an octave, just imagine fret 1 = fret
13, and then you have the next 12 frets!
This diagram is very different to the previous one. For a start the headstock is shown on
the left - so it is showing a specific area of the fretboard. The frets are numbered across
the top, and the inlay markers are in blue. The numbers on the actual fretboard are NOT
the fingers and NOT the fret number they are in fact the Intervals, and are in circles
rather than squares to make them easier to spot. If you dont know what intervals are,
dont worry; well come to that later.
OK, ready?
Lets Go!
Before playing anything that might be deemed challenging you should always warm
your fingers up properly. This doesnt mean holding them next to a fire, it means you
need to make sure they are flexible, stretched and agile enough to hit any note you
want.
Here is my warm up routine, I suggest you try it and then adapt it to something you find
more interesting:
o Go through the basic 5 scales, up and down, as shown on the introduction to
scales pages in the guitar methods guide (first 5 diagrams in scales section)
o Bend every fret from frets 2 15 on top 5 strings using only ring and little finger.
o Do at least 3 fretting hand exercises slowly in the fretting hand section of the
guitar methods guide.
o Do at least 2 minutes of alternate picking exercises, for example the ones
shown in the guitar methods guide. The chromatic scale will do, just to get your
picking hand as warmed up as your fretting hand.
Almost every physical action you carry out is thanks to muscle memory. Muscle
memory is the term given to the act of your brain memorizing the right buttons to push
to make your muscles do what you want them to, to the extent that you do not need to
make these decisions consciously. When a golfer hits a hole in 1, it is because he has
trained his muscles to such a fine-tuned state, the muscle movement in the arms are all
sub-conscious; all he needs to do is judge how far he wants to hit it, not how he is going
to hit it. This is all thanks to practising, giving him a developed muscle memory.
Ask a professional guitarist to play an A minor and he will do so in about 0.1 seconds.
Remember the first time you played an A minor? It probably took you a good 10
seconds or so, at least, as you had to consciously place your fingers in the right place
before you could strum the notes. So how does the pro do it so quick? Easy by bypassing the conscious decision stage and doing it subconsciously, with a little help from
muscle memory. Thinking takes time, most people think in real time, so it is almost as
if the words are being said in your head, so you would have to think right, A minor, ah
thats the one that looks like..this! which takes a couple of seconds to do. If you burn
that into your memory, or muscle memory thats a couple of seconds saved.
So, if it wasnt already obvious the only way to do this is to practise over and over and
over again. It may be boring, especially if you are learning an element of guitar you
dont have much interest in, but look at it this way, if you think if I play this sequence of
notes 100 times, the 101st time I play it I will be able to do in my sleep fact! you
should find it more bearable. That may make learning a little more fun for you! Just
imagine every time you play an exercise, that is 1 less time you need to play it before
you have perfected it.
Play ANYTHING enough times, and you will be able to play it in your sleep and at
pretty much any speed you desire. Every time you practice, thats one less
practice session to becoming a guitar virtuoso! REMEMBER THAT!
Maximising Muscle Memory:

Muscle memory will develop the more you play so it is essential that what you are
playing is correct. The best way to ensure you remember to play things properly is to
always learn things slowly at first, and never play the same exercise for TOO long, to
avoid complacency and rushed notes. Try picking 2 exercises and switching between
them every 15 seconds, this will make it harder for your muscles to remember the
exercise wrong. It will take longer to learn each exercise, but will be much more
thorough, as repetitive learning can be bad learning.
Below are 5 basic scale shapes. If you dont know them, learn them! The red notes are the root
notes start here, this is also the key you are in and the numbers suggest the recommended
fingering (1 = index, 2 = middle etc) I suggest you always use these, as, even though at times
it may feel like there are easier ways to play something, the harder you find it the better you will
be when you learn it! The earlier you do things right, the easier it will be to pick up.
Below each diagram there is also the tab for playing the scales starting on an open string (the
open string being the root note). Playing these can also help you understand where the next
note goes and why, when improvising your own material.
These can be played on any fret:
On a single String (tab):
0 2 4 5 7 9 11 12 14 16 17 19 21 23 24
This is obviously one of the most standard scales, later I will show you some of the
more exotic scales.
Rather than playing the notes sequentially (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) try making a run out of it by playing the notes
in groups of 3s, such as 1, 2, 3, 2, 3, 4, 3, 4, 5, 4, 5, 6, )
0 3 5 7 10 12 15 17 20 22 24
You are probably familiar with this one already; it is used very commonly in rock music.
0 3 5 6 7 10 12 15 17 18 19 22 24
This is the same as the Minor Pentatonic but with 1 extra note
(In each octave)
0 2 4 7 9 12 14 16 19 21 24
0 2 3 5 7 8 10 12 14 15 17 19 20 22 24
10
Below are 5 different shapes to play the minor pentatonic scale on different parts of the
fretboard, played in the key of G. Learn each of the 5 shapes, as this will enable you to
skip up and down the fretboard seamlessly
1st Shape
This is the minor pentatonic scale shape shown in the previous section. The notes do
not stop there they carry on up (and down) the fretboard. The blue numbers indicate
the fret number
2nd Shape
This is the next group of notes in the scale pay attention to the fret numbers, as this
shows how they link together.
11
3rd Shape
This is the 3rd Shape. By now you can see that the left column of numbers/notes in
each Shape is the same as those in the right column of the previous shape the 1s in
this shape are the same as the 3s and 4s in the 2nd Shape
4th Shape
.
This is the 4th Shape make sure you are learning them all, play them every day until
you know them like the back of your hand.
5th Shape
This is the last Shape. The 3s and 4s in this shape are the 1s in the 1st Shape
12
The 5 shapes above all piece together, as shown below. Hitting any of the notes where
a black dot is shown on the diagram would be a part of the scale, and the red dots are
all the root notes. (The numbers have been removed as the fingering depends on what
Shape you are in)
Here is how they fit together:
This is the 1st and 2nd Shapes together:
Learn these two together first. Try going up the notes in the 1st Shape and down the
notes in the 2nd Shape, and vice-versa. Then just play anything, improvise, using these
notes in any order to get a feel for them.
13
This is the 3rd and 4th Shapes together:
Same again with these 2, up and down, then improvise.
This is the 5th and 1st Shapes together:
Same again with these 2, up and down, then improvise. This brings you back to the 1st
shape an octave higher from the starting position.
And finally all 5 Shapes together:
Now practice playing the 3 groupings you just did together in one big long flowing
exercise! Start at the 1st Shape on fret 3 and work your way up to the end of the 1st
Shape again on the 18th fret.
When you start to get good at this and have remembered the notes properly try picking
a random root note in the middle and work outwards.
14
Shifting between the different shapes allows you to reach higher and lower notes, rather
than just staying within the limitations of a single scale shape. There are many ways to
move from one scale shape to another, but here is one way to move from the bottom of
the fretboard up to the middle very quickly, in the minor pentatonic scale (still in the key
of G):
Arrows illustrate a slide
This is a useful little run, especially when you may be jumping into a solo as it enables
you to skip up two or 3 octaves to a good soloing position, but without having to leap
from one end of the fretboard to the other (not very smooth), and without over
complicating things by having too many notes in your run.
Notice how this shape of 5 notes is repeated on every 2 strings:
The following image illustrates how best to DESCEND the fretboard, its almost the
same but the fingering is different:
15
Ascending:
This is fairly similar to the other method of shifting up and down the fretboard, and also
has a similar pattern on each 2 strings. Take note that this time you are starting 5 frets
higher than the previous run.
Pattern:
Descending:
Again this is the same as the ascending sequence the only difference is the fingering
and the direction you are sliding.
16
The four golden rules for these exercises:

o Keep unused fingers close to strings (about inch)
o Play on fingertips your thumb resting on the back of the neck
o Lift each finger as the next one is pressed
o Keep fingers in line with the metal frets, do not have your fingers slanted
towards the body of the guitar or you will have trouble later on.
It is harder to correct the later you leave it to learn these rules, but it is never too
late.
THUMB POSITION
One question that many people ask is what is the correct position your thumb should be
in when trying to play fast licks? Basically, there are 3 positions your thumb COULD be
in (see below diagram for reference):
o Wrapped all the way around the neck with the tip in the air (A)
o Wrapped mostly around the neck with the tip around the level of the fretboard (B)
o Or with the tip rested on the back of the neck
There isnt a right or wrong position to place your thumb really, but each does have its
advantages. Position A restricts your reach and reduces your speed, but makes
bending much easier, position C grants your fingers all the speed and room to move
that you will need but makes bending hard, and position B is somewhere in the middle.
Depending on what style of music you are playing you will find one position more
natural than the rest, but this doesnt necessarily mean it is the correct position for you,
you may be restricting yourself.
For playing extremely fast guitar and really pushing yourself to the limits with screaming
solos and never-ending runs up and down the fretboard, you want position C. Look at
any pro guitarist really going for it and I can guarantee you wont be able to see his
thumb sticking up round the back of the neck, it just isnt practical.
17
These will help you develop your finger skills on your fretting hand
Exercise 1: Finger Independence #1, - 1,2,3,4, 1,2,3,4, up the neck
This is similar to a basic chromatic scale exercise, which you may have done before,
only a little different.
Start with ALL four fingers on the
fretboard in the positions shown (I have
made the numbers green to signify all
at the same time)
Now move your index finger to the

next string across, and play this
note (A#). The remaining 3 fingers
stay pressed on the E string.
Now move your middle finger as

shown and play this note (B). Do
rd
th
the same with your 3 and 4
finger so that you end up in a line
again on the A string
Now repeat this process onto the D string, and then the G, the B, and end up on the E
string. Now move along a fret, and start going back down again:
So, you will be starting the exercise with your index finger on the 1st fret and going up
the strings, and then coming back down ending on the 2nd fret. Then go up on the 3rd
fret and down on the 4th and so on, until you get to the 12th fret, at which point you can
stop!
18
The name of this exercise is finger independence because it trains your fingers to move one-at-a-time, and
ensures all other fingers are perfectly still until they are needed. The 1,2,3,4, 1,2,3,4, up the neck is also
important the numbers refer to the fingers you are using and in which order they are to be used. The first
1234 refers to the going up part of the exercise and the second 1234 refers to the coming down part. This
is useful because the following exercises are similar - these numbers tell you quickly what to do, so pay
attention to the exercise title to know what fingers to be using for going up and coming down. Up the neck
simply means you are starting on fret 1 and going up the neck some exercises will be the opposite.
Exercise 2 a): Finger independence #2, - 1,2,3,4, 1,2,3,4, up the neck

This exercise is similar to exercise 1, only the finger returns to the starting position each
time.
Start in the same position as Ex.1 and move your index finger to the next string play this note.
Now move it back to the start with your other fingers. Then do the same with your 2nd finger.
Return to the start and repeat with your 3rd finger. Carry this on up the strings and then work
back down like in Ex1. Do this up the neck to fret 12.
Exercise 2 b): Finger independence #2, - 1,2,3,4, 1,2,3,4 down the neck
Repeat Ex.2 a) but this time reverse it, and start on the 12th fret of top E, and go down
the neck to the 1st fret of bottom E. Also, this time make sure that by the time the finger
has moved back to its starting fret with the other fingers, the next finger is in place, so
you are moving 2 fingers at a time:
Start from the 12th fret on top E string. Move your index finger down to the B string and
play the note.
19
Now put your 1st finger back and move the 2nd finger down AT THE SAME TIME and
play the note. Carry this pattern on down the neck to fret 1.
For The Previous 2 Exercises: If you move the wrong finger on any of these notes, start
that string again as you dont want to teach your finger to move at the wrong time. Make
sure your muscle memory learns correctly by re-doing your errors.
Exercise 3: Chromatics 1,2,3,4, 1,2,3,4, up the neck

This is a standard chromatic scale exercise. Start at fret 1 and go up to fret 12.
The numbers are black to signify your fingers are now used only one at a time again.
Repeat this until you get to the top E string. When you get there, move your fingers up a
fret, and go down (frets 2, 3, 4, 5). Go up to fret 12
If you have trouble keeping your ring finger or little finger from flying around
when youre not using it (like if you are playing a note with your index finger and you
cannot keep your little finger less than above the string) then practice the chromatics
exercise (Ex.3) and after you play the 1st fret, prepare to play the 4th fret next and lower
your little finger, but then ACTUALLY play the 2nd fret, and again lower your little finger
ready to play the 4th fret next, but instead play the 3rd, and then finally play the 4th fret.
20
Imagining you are going to play the 4th fret next should help your brain to train your little
finger not to stray too far away from the string!
Exercise 4: Finger independence using chromatics #1 1,2,3,4 4,3,2,1 up the
neck
Repeat Ex. 3, using the 1,2,3,4 4,3,2,1 formation. Start from fret 1 and finish at fret 7.
Re-read the four golden rules and assess whether you have been following them so far.
Make sure you make a conscious effort to do so through all of these exercises until it
becomes second nature. Use all-down strokes or alternate picking.
Exercise 5: Finger independence using chromatics #2 1,2,4 4,2,1 up the neck
Repeat Ex. 3, using a 1,2,4 4,2,1 formation you dont use your 3rd finger at all.
Exercise 6: Finger independence using chromatics #3 1,3,4 4,3,1 up the neck
Repeat Ex. 3, using a 1,3,4 4,3,1 formation dont use your 2nd finger at all.
Exercise 7: Finger independence using chromatics #4 1,3,2,4 4,2,3,1 up and
down
Repeat Ex. 3, using a 1,3,2,4 formation. When your index finger gets to fret 7, go back
down again to fret 1.
Exercise 8: Finger independence using chromatics #5 1,4,2,3 3,2,4,1 up and
down
Repeat Ex. 7, using a 1,4,2,3 formation.
Are you still obeying the 4 golden rules of the left hand??? I hope so!
See the exercises page for more fretting-hand exercises
21
One of the easiest mistakes to make when learning how to tear up the fretboard is to
think that it is your fretting hand that cannot keep up with your guitar heroes. If you have
made this assumption, you will probably find that it is in fact your picking hand that
needs the most work. This section will give you help and exercises to build up your
picking hands muscles, and picking accuracy.
ANCHORING YOUR HAND
Some people play with one or two of their picking hands fingers anchored on the body
of the guitar just below the string, or sometimes ON the strings. Many pros play this
way, helping to make fast picking easier, and also to remember where each string is as
you can judge it based on distance from your anchored fingers (useful for string
skipping), but personally I find it limits my speed. Find what works best for you. There is
no right or wrong way in this case just do whatever you find easiest. If you DO anchor
your hand with your fingers and want to try it without, use the edge of the palm of your
hand rested on the guitar body above the strings, and when you play on the top strings
you just move it over and rest it on the bottom strings (as if you were palm muting, but
youre not because your playing the strings your palm isnt touching!)
PICKS
First of all: what kind of pick do you use? It is the general consensus that if you want to
play stuff very quickly, you need a thick pick. If you are using anything under a 1mm
pick then when you pick the string the pick will bend, and you want the STRING to bend
not the pick. You dont want the pick to bend backwards and snap against the next
string like a ball bouncing down a flight of stairs, you want it to carve through the strings
like a bowling ball through pins!
I used to use the Jim Dunlop Tortex Red (I think about 0.5mm) but having bought about
40 picks to find a new thick pick to shred with, I decided that the Jim Dunlop Jazz III
(shown below in black and red) was the best of the bunch. They are small so do not get
in the way, and hard so they dont bend, so I recommend these if you are switching up
to a heavier pick. It will take some getting used to but it shouldnt take too long.
22
ALTERNATE PICKING
This is the king daddy of picking, and a technique you MUST master to learn to play the
way you want to play. This involves picking in a consistent down-up-down-up motion
regardless of string changes. Down-up-down-up picking is easy on one string, its pretty
natural to pick up. It gets difficult when you change string, because if you play the A
string followed by the D string it is natural to play down-down but to alternate pick you
have to keep it down-up.
Try this exercise to see how well you can alternate pick:
To build up your alternate picking, practice a variety of exercises that involve 3 notes
per string, as this guarantees you will need to move down a string hitting it UP and
move up a string hitting it DOWN on a regular basis, as shown above.
Here is a good way I found to discover how well you are alternate picking: play a
standard exercise like the one above using alternate picking, and say Down, up, down,
up, down, up as you go. Make sure you are saying it in time with your picking! Then
suddenly stop mid-stroke, and see if the word you just said matches what you are
doing.
There are more alternate picking exercises for you to work on in the exercises file but
you should also be alternate picking your scale shapes so dont think it is something you
only do occasionally it should be your main form of picking.
INVERTED/REVERSE ALTERNATE PICKING

This is the same as alternate picking, only you start with an upstroke. If alternate picking
is down-up-down-up, then inverted, or reverse alternate picking is up-down-up-down.
This can be developed the same way as alternate picking.
SWEEP PICKING
Sweep picking is a bit like strumming a chord, as the pick is always moving in the same
direction in one smooth motion, like a strum, the difference being that only one note is
sounded at a time. This can make playing individual notes easy to play much faster than
normal. Sweep picking is covered more in-depth later in this guide.
ECONOMY PICKING
Economy picking is probably what you developed yourself when you try to pick very
fast. It may appear to be like alternate picking as it is down-up-down-up while on just
the one string. The difference is when you move up or down a string, you pick the string
23
in the same direction as your hand is moving. This is more natural than alternate
picking, and makes playing more economical, hence the name. However, alternate
picking is more versatile and is ultimately the one you MUST develop thoroughly. The
difference is shown below:
STRING SKIPPING
This is simply the art of moving from one string to another, but more than 1 string at a
time. Such as, the E string to D or above, or the B string to D and below. Practicing
exercises like the ones below will help your picking hand gain knowledge/memory of
where the strings are, enabling string skipping to become second nature and also highly
increase your accuracy. Practice the following regularly, and go to the exercises file for
more:
Alternate pick these string skipping exercises:
Ex1
Ex2
Ex3
24
Ever listened to a guitar solo with SO many notes in it, you wonder how it is physically
possible to move your fingers that quickly? You think I couldnt move my fingers that
fast on their own, let alone trying to hit the right notes at the same time! Well my friend,
one of the best methods to achieve blistering speeds and hit a LOT of notes in a very
short space of time is by sweep picking arpeggios. Its true what they say speed isnt
everything, its what you do with it that counts, so I will now show you how to get the
speed, what you do with it is up to you!
Sweep picking is sometimes hard to define, and people have different opinions of what
it actually is. Sweep picking is the act of sweeping your pick across the strings, much
like how you may strum a chord, while your left hand is doing something very different
to chords.
Sweeping is mostly used to sweep arpeggios. Arpeggios are chords, played note-bynote, picked individually, as opposed to strummed. To sweep an arpeggio, you must
pick the first note of the sequence as normal, but when you pick the second note on the
next string you must release the first, using your finger to bring the string to silence
before the next note is sounded. This is very tricky to learn initially and WILL take
months or years to master, but when you have, believe me it is worth it.
As with most exercises you MUST start slow. The key to building speed in any aspect of
guitar is to start slow, and speed up when it feels comfortable.
To start sweeping, you may find a metronome useful. There should be a link to a free
online metronome on the links page. If you are using a metronome, set it to a slow
speed for all sweeping exercises, to begin with.
Now, try this exercise, get familiar with what notes you are playing before we proceed to
sweep it:
The finger to use for each note is shown below the tab.
The first thing you have to learn if you want to sweep properly, is how to mute the
strings properly. After you play the 10 on the G string, with your ring finger, release
the pressure from the string very slowly, until the string stops vibrating, with your finger
still on the string only remove your finger when you hear absolute silence. Now place
your middle finger on the 9, pick the note, and again release the pressure until the
string is silent. Now play the 8, and release until silent. So you are playing 3 notes
individually. We are not trying to sweep yet just mastering the muting element.
There should be NO overlap in the notes, each note should start and stop on its own
as if they were being played on the same string. Keep practicing this, until you can play
the 3 notes every time without any overlapping notes to a good standard. Once you
25
can do the string-muting and have no trouble playing the above exercise then you
may proceed and begin learning how to sweep properly:
Starting to sweep:
Same exercise as before, but the picking is different. Hold your pick in position, ready to
play the 10 on the above tab. Now, tip the pick ever-so-slightly forwards, so that the top
of the pick is slightly leaning towards the bottom of the guitar, making it easier to glide
over the strings in the direction you are about to move.
Now you can sweep the 3 notes in one smooth but SLOW action: Move your fretting
fingers from the 10, to the 9, to the 8 as shown above, keeping your picking hand
moving across the 3 strings in one motion, in time with your fretting hand. Practice as
it may not sound great/right to begin with, but you probably know what sweeping sounds
like anyway, so you should now have the know how to be able to achieve that sound.
Now that you can sweep in a downward motion, (if you cant - keep at it before you start
these next exercises!) you can now try sweeping upwards. Try the above exercise in
reverse:
Keep doing it, over and over, chances are you only spent 2 minutes doing the last
exercise so it probably isnt sounding perfect just yet (even if you think so!). For this
exercise you would obviously be tipping your pick back in the other direction towards
you, to make the sweep much easier. Now try putting them together:
This should be easy enough to do, with a bit of practice. Now to make things a little
more interesting:
The 3-string exercises were not too difficult, as you could have all three fretting fingers
in position waiting to be pressed down, but this exercise uses the 1st finger twice. This
does not mean you need to release your 1st finger from the B string and then move it
across and press down on the E string. Instead, you need to ROLL it.
26
Try just repeating this on 2 strings over and over to practice rolling:
Press down on the 8 on the B string, with the tip of your finger, and play the note. Now
release your finger to mute the sound just as before, but keep the tip of the finger on the
string. Now you must bring the rest of your finger down so that it covers the E string AS
WELL, keeping your tip on the B string to keep it silent. This MUST be rolled, as you
dont want to take your finger off the B string and move it across, because that will be
too slow. Instead you roll your finger onto the next sting, making the movement fast.
keeping your tip rested on the first (B) string will stop the first string ringing in case you
strike both by accident. However, once the string has stopped moving it is not essential
you keep contact, but it is a good way to learn, to begin with.
Now, try that one again:
It should be easier to play now with the use of rolling your finger on the 8s. Practice
this arpeggio a lot, as it is relatively easy to play yet it spans 4 strings something
which some people would say is enough strings! Not for me though I like full 6-string
sweeps, and I am going to get you started on your own.
The next step is to develop this exercise onto the 5th string:
This is a little more tricky as there are now 2 rolls going up, and 2 coming back down
again. Practice makes perfect, everyone knows that, so every minute you spend
practicing sweep picking exercises is a minute less you will need to master it to a level
you are happy with. For me, I spent about 15 minutes on sweeping per day for around a
month before I could sweep to a reasonable standard, and after 3 months I could do 6string sweeps almost perfectly every time at a slow pace, and to a pretty good standard
at a speed of light pace! However, I am by no means an excellent sweeper, so if you
want to sweep like the masters, I suggest you spend more time than I did on it.
Now you can play a basic 5-string sweep, practice it a lot this will probably get boring hearing
the same 5 notes over and over, so mix it up a bit, by moving the pattern up a couple of frets, or
down a couple of frets. Keep yourself interested or you wont learn properly!
27
Ok, its time to learn a 6-string sweep! Be sure that you can do 4 and 5-string sweeps to
a good standard before you even bother trying, and once you have you shouldnt find it
too hard to pick up:
There isnt much to learn really with the addition of the 6th string, it is just the added
complication of having to move your first finger from the E string to the B string half way
through. Practice for at least 10 minutes before playing anything else, either from this
guide or a song you know or anything. Get this drummed into your head and your
fingers now, and you will be able to pick it up a lot easier next time you come back to it
(like tomorrow).
The next step from here is to make the arpeggio a little more interesting, which can be
done by throwing in a couple of extra notes, like so:
This will incorporate your 4th finger for the first time in sweep picking. If you have learnt
the previous exercises before sweep picking, including the chromatic scale exercises,
your 4th finger should be reasonably trained and strong enough to cope with these
exercises.
There are two ways to play the above exercise:
a) Pick the first note normally, and then sweep the 12 to the 8,
b) Sweep right from the beginning, and hammer-on the 12 so that it does not
interfere with your right-hand sweeping motion.
Either way you choose, will obviously also be apparent at the end of each half of the
above exercise (up/down) as well. I personally developed the hammer-on style, but it is
your choice.
As you can see, you have just played a bar-chord (with a few extra notes), only playing
each note individually. Now play the minor chord, by dropping the 4th finger 1 fret
lower:
28
This involves a 3-string roll, which is a bit trickier than the 2-string version, and will take
a while longer to practice, but will be worth it. Every new thing you come across that is
hard to learn is another trick to show off once you have mastered it! Relish the
challenge!
Now mix them together, and move this shape up and down the fretboard. Your fingers
may now be able to sweep at the 8th fret, but you will find it feels very different when you
try it at the 1st fret where the frets are wider, and the 17th fret where they are much
thinner. Practice all over the fretboard to maximise your abilities:
29
Legato is a musical term for smooth or fluid playing, and in guitar it refers to hammerons and pull-offs, and slides. If you want to play fast then legato is the best way to
accomplish this as it doesnt require such a heightened sense of finger co-ordination,
and it means your fretting hand can do most of the work (probably your more developed
hand).
First of all try this simple exercise try to ONLY pick where the symbol below the tab
tells you to, every other note should be played with a hammer-on or pull-off, where
appropriate.
Pick the first note to start the exercise, hammer-on the 8 and 9, then pick the next note
as you are changing up a string, and hammer-on the 8 and 9 again. Now you are going
back down, so pull-off the 8 and 6, then as you change down to the string you started
on hammer-on the 9, then pull-off to 8 and 6, to the beginning. This is all done without
picking, and to avoid unwanted string noise from adjacent strings make sure you are
playing on the tips of your fingers other than that it just takes practice! Carry on with
the exercise, but notice you only need to pick the 1st note of the sequence when you
begin the exercise, as the string is already vibrating the 2nd time onwards.
Once you have got to grips with the exercise above, try this one below:
Again only pick where you see the star below the tab, and where you see the / and \
this signifies you should slide your finger up to the 11th fret and back down again to the
9th. This exercise should help you mix hammer-ons and pull-offs with slides, and also
prepare you for longer, more complicated phrases.
To practice your legato go over all of the scale diagrams in the exercises section using
legato and you will notice the improvement rapidly.
30
Just play this scale first - when you go up the scale pick each string only once and
hammer-on the rest of the notes. When you get to the top and start coming back down
again you dont pick at all you must pull-off the entire scale without picking! This will
probably be very hard to begin with, but practice makes perfect, so get practicing!
Legato can also be effectively used with right-hand dampening at the nut (by the
headstock-end of the strings) which is discussed later in the tricks section.
Now try this one:
31
Most people are aware of what finger tapping is, and if you are not, it doesnt take a
genius to work it out it is the art of using one or more fingers on your picking hand to
tap on the string being played, for the purpose of reaching notes that are not within your
fretting hands reach.
Grab your guitar. On the B string, put your index finger on the 3rd fret, and now with your
picking hand, place your middle finger on the 7th fret. (It doesnt have to be the middle
finger, but if you are going to use this in your playing your index finger will probably be
holding a pick) Now, with the string pressed down, move your middle finger down to the
side, gradually releasing pressure until the string is released. Youve just pulled off! But
thats not really tapping is it. Just do this over and over for a minute to get the hang of
pulling-off with your picking hand.
When you are comfortable with this, try bringing your middle finger down onto the 7th
fret with a little more force, sounding the note, and then quickly pull-off to sound the 3rd
fret as before. Now pull-off the 3rd fret to sound the open B. Now put it all together in
one action:
- Tap string at 7th fret
- Pull-off to sound 3rd fret
- Pull-off again to sound the open note
- Repeat!
Make sure you use the palm of your picking hand to mute the rest of the strings to avoid
unwanted string noise!
Now do it the other way round. PLACE your finger at the 7th, and leave your fretting
hand alone for a second. Pull-off as before, but this time sounding the open B as your
fretting hand isnt doing anything at the moment. NOW hammer-on the 3rd fret with your
fretting hand, and hammer-on again with your middle finger of your picking hand. Go
around again, keep doing this:
- Pull-off from 7th with tapping finger to sound open B
- Hammer-on 3rd fret
- Tap string at 7th fret
- Repeat!
Now you can do finger tapping going up and down. Now lets try an exercise, play each
segment 8 times to get familiar with it before you try changing notes as this is to learn
the technique not the tune. As you become familiar with the tune, switch to 4 times
each, if you want! This can be played on any string:
32
Here are 2 ways to incorporate some advanced tapping into your soloing:
-
Tap + Slide
When tapping with your picking hand you may want to reach even higher notes
by sliding your finger along the string to the next note in the scale. If you were
going to play this phrase..
..You could instead play this to add a bit of flair and diversity:
Tap the 17th fret as you would normally with your picking hand, but this time keep
it pressed down on the string, and slide it along to the 19th fret. It can be tricky to
begin with to do this accurately, but like all things with guitar if you do it enough
times you will be able to play it to a high standard. This form of advanced tapping
is great to use with a sweeping arpeggio, to extend it even further, so experiment
with it, try tapping and sliding at different frets and use it to add to your box of
tricks!
-
Tapping runs
Another way to make use of tapping is to ascend and descend up and down a
scale using your picking hand to tap on each string at the fret that translates to
33
the first note of the string above. Sound complicated? Well its really not, let me
show you:
Here is the pentatonic scale diagram as used in the introduction to scales

section. Play the first 2 ascending notes on each string with your fretting hand,
and tap the 3rd note along on each string with your picking hand. This 3rd note is
the same as the 1st note on the string above which creates a nice doubling-up
sound. Again, play around with it to familiarise yourself with the idea, then you
can decide when best to use it.
There are more tapping exercises in the exercises file
34
Vibrato is the effect of repeatedly raising and/or lowering the pitch or frequency of a
note to add expression to a phrase. In other words making a wobbling sound! This is
done on a guitar by moving the string up and down with the fretting hand. Most people
think they can do this easily, but actually they arent doing it properly.
When used correctly and performed professionally, vibrato can transform an amateursounding lick into a stylish onslaught of heavenly notes. The problem is, many people
cannot execute vibrato properly as they have not been shown the correct way to do it. If
you have never been shown how to implement vibrato into your playing properly then
forget everything you know about it and follow these instructions:
There are a couple of different ways to apply vibrato, here is one of them:
Place your index finger on the 5th fret of the G string
Rotate your finger slightly (around 45 degrees, away from your thumb) so that
the side of your finger is making contact with the string
Slowly move the string DOWN towards the ground, then slowly release back to
the starting position gravity assists in making the downward motion smooth, as
does the string tension for the upward motion.
From your fretted finger, pivot your hand to make the bends gentle, as opposed
to moving your entire hand up and down pivoting makes it more accurate.
Here is another:
Place your finger on the 5th fret of the G string
Use your wrist to move your finger horizontally up and down the string so that
string is only moving very slightly. This is a style that classical players favour, but
it is good to use a variety of vibrato styles to make your playing diverse.
The resulting effect on your sound is much subtler with this method.
When using vibrato on the 1st string (top E):
Instead of pulling down towards the floor push the string upwards.
Only do this on the 1st string as there isnt room on the fretboard to pull down.
When adding vibrato to a note during a bend:
Play the 15th fret on the B string
Bend the note up to the 17th to sound an E note
Very gently and slowly at first release the note a fraction
Bend the note back up to the 17th
Repeat until you get used to it, then practice speeding it up until you are
comfortable you can do it at will, without having to think about it.
Other things to think about:
When using vibrato always make sure the movement is coming from your hand,
wrist and arm, NOT your fingers.
When using vibrato there are two things to consider how far are you going to
move the string and how fast are you going to do it? Experiment with both, but
you will find that the wider you move the string the slower the movement should
be, so fast movements should be small movements.
35
When using vibrato with a bend, make sure you use 2 or even 3 fingers to make
the bend, for added control and support.
There is also a short video clip of vibrato in use -
36
There are 2 interpretations of this, a) knowing what every note is, and b) knowing how
to move about the fretboard seamlessly. But ultimately, they coincide.
Memorizing the fretboard completely in other words, to be able to name every single
fret of each string without having to say OK, its the E string, and 6 frets up so, E, F, F#
is NOT something that will come over time. It is very important and will help you a
lot regardless of whether you want to play heavy metal or country or anything in
between. This knowledge only comes from sitting down and systematically going
through it over and over again drilling it into your head X string at X fret = X note. For
assistance in memorizing the fretboard, check out some of the free tools bundled with
this guide, especially Absolute Fretboard Trainer. There is a program there that will help
you achieve something amazing, for a small price to pay, considering the skill it will help
you achieve will be priceless.
To aid in this learning process, (or if you dont want to buy the above program, which is
not mine, just a good one I recommend) try this:
Starting at the bottom of the fretboard, open E, play every E on the fretboard. If you
have 24 frets there should be 14 of these. Then go through and play all the Fs, then the
F#s, then the Gs...
You should find that learning these positions will help you find your root note for your
scales, which, if you have learned them properly, will enable you to jump from one scale
shape at a particular root note on the fretboard to another one, which should have a
different shape altogether. Remember the diagram in the scales section, showing all 5
shapes pieced together? Just like that, only you wont need to piece them together, you
should be able to skip about, from one shape at the top end straight to another shape at
the bottom end. Then, you will be well on your way to learning the fretboard completely.
More fretboard memory exercises found in the exercise file, including the fretboard
quiz to help assess and improve your fretboard knowledge and memory.
37
Now you should be fairly comfortable with what has been covered before you progress
any further. The previous sections have covered a lot of ground, so these next few
sections will be building on it!
If you want to learn how to really shred up the fretboard like a crazy finger machine you
will need to know how to develop some fast runs. Anyone who has been playing lead
guitar for 6 months or so can muck about with the minor pentatonic scale at a
reasonably fast speed, but that isnt going to impress anyone, least of all yourself. If the
minor pentatonic scale has up-to-now been your best friend, you will need to try to
break free from the restricted boundaries you place yourself in. It is easy to lapse into
the routine of playing some power chords at the lower end of the neck and then jumping
to the 12th fret for some widdly pentatonic mayhem, well not any more!!
3-note runs are a great and common way to shoot up and down the fretboard, and there
are 3 fundamental shapes for forming these:
Remember the squares mean the numbers are referring to the finger not the fret!
1.
2.
3.
These can be played on any string and on any fret. I used to find playing number 3
easier to use fingers 1 3 4 but having learned that 1 2 4 is the correct way to play it, I
38
have since adapted and now find it much easier to play, so make sure you use the
correct fingers.
A good way to practice these shapes is to go through the major scale:
This looks totally different to the major scale shape I showed you at the beginning, but
they are the same thing only a different shape. Here you can see all 3 shapes in action,
on 2 strings each. Practice this using a metronome starting slow, but play it regularly,
increasing the speed of the metronome as you become better. It is important not to
increase the speed of the metronome too quickly do not try to push yourself, make
sure you are playing as fast as you can, while still playing every note perfectly. Then
you will find it easier to play each time and increasing the speed will come naturally.
Playing too fast too soon will result in sloppy playing and will be burned into your muscle
memory for a long time!
Sometimes it is useful to do a fast ascending or descending run on a single string.
Practice this triplet run:
The arc with the 3 above shows the triplet groupings, making it easier to see how the
tab is constructed. It is also the number of notes in the beat so you would tap your foot
once per group of 3. Adjust your finger position after each triplet so that the first note in
each group is always played with your first finger.
Now try playing this exercise:
39
This exercise loops nicely so play it over a few times to get to grips with the structure,
and then play it on a regular basis (every day) to build up your speed.
Now were going to do something a little more adventurous start out with a few basic
power chords, then do a fast ascending single-string run flowing straight into the
beginning of a solo. This will demonstrate one way of building up to a solo using a fast
ascending run with triplets:
This is a fairly simple exercise if you have worked on the previous ascending run
exercises, as the first section is simple power chords, the second section is a variation
on the previous exercise, and the last section is a short lick to finish it off and flow you
into a solo. There are a few things that may need explaining though:
The wave-y line means use vibrato, and is held for 2 beats.
This diagonal line means slide up from the 14th to the 16th quickly
This means bend from the 15th up to the 17th quickly

Practice the above exercise thoroughly, because we are about to take it one stage
further again!
40
This time it will start off the same with the power chords, then it will go to the two-string
run, then to a single-string run, followed by a sweeping arpeggio and the feeding lick to
your solo. This one is more difficult to perform to a good standard and will need
practice, especially when it changes to the arpeggio at the end, make sure you have the
timing correct.
This is a pretty long exercise, but it will be good practice for you to learn it by heart and
go over it regularly, like all exercises, as it incorporates a lot of changes power chords
to triplet runs on two strings, then two strings to one string, then changes again to
sweep picking and then back to triplet runs again.
It is all very well and good practicing lots of exercises like I am giving you, but the most
important thing is being able to apply them in a practical way, so hopefully this exercise
will help you to do that, and come up with your own tunes to practice what you have
learned from the exercises.
41
Exotic scales are very useful and essential for the budding guitarist who wants to play
like their idol. Play through as many as you can and find some that you like some you
wont like at all and then stick with them to help construct your own licks and phrases.
Here is an example of an exotic scale:
This scale is called the Byzantine, and is in the key of C. I wont talk about how this
diagram works or tell you what the intervals are, as this is all in the GM - Exercises
file.
There are more exotic scales in the exercises file, I suggest you learn them all and then
try to find some more on your own that suits your personal taste. Exotic scales are very
useful, and can easily be included in improvisation or any solo you may be constructing,
much easier than the basic scales. If you were playing in a band, and it came to your
guitar solo and you wanted to just make something up on the spot, no-one would be
very impressed if you just went up and down the major scale, because everyone knows
what that sounds like! However, if you were to make a few runs up and down an exotic
scale it would sound new and more interesting to the listeners. They are also useful to
just use for a split second you could be playing an ordinary song using ordinary
chords and scales, and then end a phrase with a short sharp burst of notes from an
exotic, and it will add a nice eastern sound for a split second which usually has a great
effect, if done properly! Try it, theres no way I can explain it any better, you just have to
see for yourself.
Go to the exercises section for lots of exotic scales!
42
One thing I realised is the importance of being able to co-ordinate your two hands
together to work in harmony. I expect there are a lot of you out there who are not doing
this. If you have your guitar with you now, then play something as fast as you can, (if
you dont then just close your eyes and imagine you are for a second) it doesnt matter
what, just play something really fast NOW
Now think about what you just did were your hands co-ordinated? Or was your picking
hand just picking furiously away, as fast as you could, while your fretting hand hopped
from one note to another in a slightly slower pace? One of the things I realised I was
doing wrong when trying to play fast is that, when I was trying to play a lot of different
notes, I wouldnt be picking the string once for each note, it would be more like a 2:3
ratio, every 3 picks my fretting hand moved only twice. It may be annoying and even
insulting, but you really have to re-learn this very slowly:
Get a metronome and set it to something slow (between 40-60bpm) and just practice
improvising over it in something simple like the E minor pentatonic or blues scale, just to
get to grips with the co-ordination. Once you have done this for a few minutes start
increasing the metronome speed and see how well you cope. You will probably find that
the point at which you can barely keep up, is far slower than you may have been
previously attempting to play. Try and make a conscious effort to make sure your hands
and fingers are co-ordinated next time you are letting rip, and if you notice a problem
then work on it!
Now try this exercise:
Use all 4 fingers so your hand stays in a fixed position all you need to worry about is
making sure you are picking the string at the same time you are placing your finger on a
fret (or pulling off to sound the open string). Focus on trying to avoid fretting the note
before or after you actually pick the string it should be at the same time. You may be
doing it 0.5 seconds before/after, it may only be 0.1 second, but the aim is to get this
down as close to 0.0 as possible. If you are picking and fretting at the same time then
you have good co-ordination and your soloing wont sound sloppy!
There are more exercises on co-ordination in the exercises file
43
It is a proven fact every lead guitarist in the world likes to show off. Its just what we
do, if we didnt do it we would be letting the audience down!
So, its time to cover some basic tricks that will help to make you sound like an
awesome guitarist, even if you are not all that great yet! (you will be soon if you stick to
the exercises!)
As this section is relatively new it is still quite short with just a few tricks and licks that I
like to use myself, so I want your help email me guitarmethods@shredacademy.com
and let me know any tricks and licks you like to use and I might include them in the next
update! Its nice to help people so if you do something a lot that you dont see here then
please let me know, thanks!
Pinch Harmonics/Artificial Harmonics
This is one of the best ways to make your guitar sound like a squealing banshee, and is
used a lot especially in the metal genres. I find the best way to achieve this result is to
pick the strings in such a way that your thumb makes a very slight contact with the
string as well as the pick if you have not done this before, put your finger on the 4th
fret of the G string and repeatedly pick the string, each time slightly rotating your picking
hand so that your thumb makes more and more contact with the string. Experiment with
this, and find the bite point where it works the best. You will also find that you get a
better sound depending on what part of the string you strike, so try moving your picking
hand into different positions, start by the bridge and move it up towards the neck until
you hear/find the best places to use pinch harmonics. Once you can do this to a
reasonable standard you will find it is an EXCELLENT touch to add into your playing
when used sparingly (too much can just sound painful)
Natural Harmonics
If you dont know what a natural harmonic is then let me show you play any open
string, and then touch (just quickly) the string right above the 12th fret (make sure it is
directly above the fret, not to the left as you would if you were going to press the string
down). You dont have to press the string down at all just gently make contact with the
string and then let go you will hear the same note only an octave higher. This is a
natural harmonic!
You dont really need to know why they work, and if you are interested then I am sure it
wont take you long to find it on the internet, so I wont waste any more time talking
about it. I want to talk about how you can use them!
Now that you know how to sound a harmonic properly, you will see that if you run your
finger gently along the string while constantly picking at the same time you will hear all
sorts of different harmonic notes. There are lots of things you can do with them, but
here is a cool one for you:
o Rest your finger gently on the G string at the 5th fret, ready to play.
44
o Strike the G string and quickly move your finger away from the string, sounding
the G harmonic 2 octaves higher. If you have a tremolo/whammy bar/Floyd rose
system then now is the time to use it!
o Bring the tremolo arm around and plunge down for a slow dive (push the tremolo
arm down towards the pickups), then bring it back up again, followed by a bit of
tremolo vibrato.
o Now, silence the harmonic from ringing as you shoot straight up to the 18th fret
on the B string, and bend up to the 20th (the same note as the harmonic was
making), followed by a simple descending minor pentatonic run to finish off (the
1s in the diagram would be on the 15th fret)
Harp Harmonics
This is where you make use of a natural harmonic while fretting a note, via your picking
hand. As you are fretting a note the actual position of the harmonic is shifted
accordingly. IE. There is a harmonic at the 12th fret, that sounds an octave, so if you
play the 5th fret normally and then touch the 17th lightly with a finger on your picking
hand while the 5th fret is still pressed, you get the octave again. You need to touch it
right above the fret just like a natural harmonic, but shifted to compensate the fretted
note instead of open string.
The Cheeky Tap
I call this the cheeky tap because it comes when you least expect it! You may have
seen some shred guitarists doing this in the middle of some sweep picking, where they
will sweep an arpeggio and as they get to the top E string they will stick in a finger-tap to
hit an extra-high note. Well thats what I would call a cheeky tap.
The cheeky tap is pretty easy to pull off when you arent doing any sweeping, and as
such it doesnt really need much explanation. To try it, go to the 15th fret on the B string,
bend up to the 17th (E) and then with your picking hand tap the 19th fret although
because the string is still being bent this should sound more like the 21st fret (will sound
ever-so-slightly flat because of the angle the string is at). So, thats the cheeky tap! Best
used when mucking about with some fast paced shredding, as it momentarily slows the
flurry down, before going off again!
If you want to try this trick on top of a sweep, try this:
45
Tap the 19th fret and make sure you dismount properly you can pull off the 16th fret to
the 12th to give you some time to get your picking hand back into position, ready to
sweep the 12th back down to the 14th.
Left-hand muting/Rakes
Resting your fretting-hand fingers on the string gently can create a harmonic, we
already know that, but press a little harder and the string will be silent. This is muting
with the fretting hand, and is often used in chords. This can also be used to rake the
strings, which creates an interested effect. It is simply the act of muting a number of
strings in quick succession, much like a sweep picking arpeggio but without hearing the
notes! More pressure is required to get the strings muted properly to avoid harmonics.
As with most things in guitar you just have to mess about with it to see where you could
use it or if you would even WANT to use it.
Dive-bombing
This is the act of using your Floyd-rose tremolo arm to make a note dive right down to
the point where the strings go slack. Best used (in my opinion) when entering a solo
playing the note (sustained) of the key you are in, followed by a nice big dive-bomb,
then coming back up with some furious shredding!
Chopping
What I call chopping, is the act of using your picking hand to chop the tremolo arm in a
swift motion (not too hard, dont want to chop it in half!) repeatedly, to make the
sustained note jump either up or down very quickly, depending on which direction your
tremolo arm is pointing. Best used when messing about!
Dive Chopping
This is when you employ the use of chopping your tremolo arm in the middle of a divebomb. But how do you push the bar down and chop it?!?! Well, you push down with
your fretting hand, and as you are diving, chop your fretting hand with your picking
hand! No Im not crazy I didnt make this up myself
Sliding Harmonics
This is when you repeatedly pick an open string, while running your middle finger on
your fretting hand along the string, up and down, sounding all the different harmonics as
you go. Sounds great!
Fret Picking
This is the act of using your pick to sound a note on the fretboard instead of around the
pickups resulting in the string sound the note where the pick is striking it. Combine this
with tremolo picking (the act of picking the same note very fast) and you might find a
use for this in your solos to mix things up.
Picking-hand dampening at the nut
For use with ultra slick legato, if you use your picking hand to dampen the strings at the
nut by resting the palm on the top of the strings by the headstock this will mute the
string noise now you can use legato all over the place with ease! This is a somewhat
cheat method, although loads of professionals do it (some even use special devices to
free up both hands) but I wouldnt recommend doing this to practice your legato, it
should be reserved for when you are can do it properly, to make it sound even better.
46
Scalloping the fretboard is the act of hollowing-out the wood between the frets, so that
when you place your fingers on the strings they do not make contact with the wood of
the fretboard.
There is some debate as to the exact benefits of committing such an act to your prized
possession, but the most obvious benefit is that it gives your fingers the freedom and
lack of friction to bend the strings without restraint. Some people scallop the top frets
only, some scallop the whole lot, most choose not to at all. I have scalloped one of my
guitars from the 20th fret up to the 27th (yes I have 27!) and the difference in playing is
fantastic. The only reason I havent scalloped the entire fretboard (or indeed any of my
other guitars) is because it changes the way you play guitar. If you are going to play on
scalloped frets you have to learn to touch the strings with your fretting hand much lighter
than you may normally, as too much pressure can cause the string to bend down too far
(past where the wood would normally catch it) and cause the string to go out of tune.
Whether you want to scallop your fretboard or not is up to you, and not something you
should do on a whim, so if you DO decide to give it a go, I strongly advise you to try it
out on a cheap guitar that you dont mind experimenting on so if you dont own any
cheap guitars, you should probably get the cheapest thing you can find on eBay and
have a go.
Now, how do you do it? The process is long and difficult to carry out to a high standard,
so you may want to pay for a trained professional to do it for you. If however you cannot
afford to do this, or you fancy a bit of DIY, then there is a detailed explanation of how
best to scallop your fretboard, on ProjectGuitar.com (www.ProjectGuitar.com) as kindly
described by Brian Calvert check this site out it has everything you could want to
know about maintaining your guitar. The full page with pictures on how to scallop the
top few frets is at http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/scalloped.htm and details on how to
scallop your entire fretboard is located at http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/scal1.htm
Good luck!
NOW CHECK OUT THE EXERCISES FILES FOR ALL THE EXERCISES
HERE LISTED ONE AFTER THE OTHER (for easy practice), AS WELL
AS MORE EXERCISES COVERING ALL THE SECTIONS IN THIS FILE!
47

Lead Guitar Techniques

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Lead Guitar Techniques

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Brought to you by

Whats new in Version 6?3

Helpful pointers are highlighted in yellow

o Writing updated throughout all files

Maximising Muscle Memory:

These can be played on any fret:

On a single String (tab):

Here is how they fit together:

This is the 1st and 2nd Shapes together:

This is the 3rd and 4th Shapes together:

Same again with these 2, up and down, then improvise.

This is the 5th and 1st Shapes together:

And finally all 5 Shapes together:

Arrows illustrate a slide

The four golden rules for these exercises:

Now move your index finger to the

Now move your middle finger as

Exercise 2 a): Finger independence #2, - 1,2,3,4, 1,2,3,4, up the neck

Exercise 3: Chromatics 1,2,3,4, 1,2,3,4, up the neck

INVERTED/REVERSE ALTERNATE PICKING

Here is the pentatonic scale diagram as used in the introduction to scales

There is also a short video clip of vibrato in use -

This means bend from the 15th up to the 17th quickly

Go to the exercises section for lots of exotic scales!

You might also like