Guitar Techniques Primer

(Jordan Humber 2008)

The following article is designed to introduce a number of soloing techniques commonly used by
guitarists.

Technique can be seen as the physical skill needed to perform the ideas you have as a guitarist, and
that is the aim of this article: to introduce you to techniques that may be uncharted, and to help
develop creative ideas. With this in mind, gaining maximum speed with the materials presented
here shouldn't be the top priority. If you find you're playing notes faster than you can think about
the notes you're playing, it might be an idea to take a step back and ensure that what's coming out of
the guitar resembles music.

Throughout the article numerous examples are given to demonstrate possible uses of the given
technique. Each example is given in the context of a chord or key, and these should be observed to
help aid transposition of the 'licks' contained within. Learning a technique from a handful of licks
may demonstrate the technique sufficiently, but using the technique to create your own lines will
make it stick far more effectively. Therefore, as well as attempting the exercises given here, you
should aim to experiment as much as possible to generate ideas of your own. Perhaps start with
transposing the examples into different keys....

A quick word on the notation symbols used: The right-hand picking directions are shown where
appropriate underneath the tablature lines. The squarer of the two symbols represents a down-
stroke, and somewhat confusingly, the downwards pointing symbol represents an up-stroke.

With all the examples, a quick look at the notation will indicate the rhythmic groupings of the notes.
This should help suggest the feel of the pieces and ensure the correct rhythmic approach.

There are six techniques discussed in this article, in no particular order:

 Alternate picking
 Legato
 Tapping
 Sweep picking
 Hybrid picking
 String skipping

The article then finishes with a few ‘combination licks’, which are examples combining two or
more of the ideas presented earlier on. Along with each technique, a few artists (who are fine
exponents of the given technique) are listed as recommended listening, as well as a few ideas as to
how to take the ideas presented further.

Finally. a series of short videos have been made in conjunction with this article to demonstrate the
exercises contained within. These may aid with some of the more visual techniques, or where the
musical notation is unclear.
Alternate Picking

The simple idea behind alternate picking is that every down-stroke is followed by an up-stroke, and
vice-versa.

To visualise the advantage to this, play the open low E string ten times, each time with a down-
stroke. You will see that between each down-stroke, your right-hand is having to lift the plectrum
back up in an up-stroke motion before the next down-stroke. In other words, to play ten notes, your
right-hand has made twenty movements (the ten down-strokes to play the notes, and the ten up-
strokes where no note was played).

Alternate picking replaces this 'all-down' picking pattern with down-up-down-up picking. To see
the benefit, now play the same ten notes using strict alternate picking. You'll see that your right-
hand is performing half as much movement as in the previous example because for every down-
stroke, you are also playing a note on the up-stroke. Without any extra movement, you have
doubled your picking efficiency. To further ensure maximum efficiency, examine your right-hand
movement. Most players achieve the greatest efficiency by picking from the wrist and keeping
right-hand finger movement to a minimum. Similarly, too much elbow movement can hamper
efficiency.

The sound of alternate picking is very articulate. Each note has its own pick-attack, and as such the
results at high-speed can sound somewhat mechanical. That said, it's a very efficient technique and
should be practised with priority as many guitar parts can be best played using alternate picking.

The following example in the key of C major demonstrates a simple alternate picking lick. Be sure
to take note of the picking directions indicated underneath the tablature:

Potentially the most difficult aspect of the above exercise is the change of string that happens
between the last note of the first bar and the first note of the second bar. Alternate picking is
undoubtedly easier when all the notes are on the same string, but as few guitar lines stay on one
string, it's important to be able to cross strings efficiently.

The following exercise, in the key of G major, contains more frequent string-crossing:
Was the above lick harder or easier than the first exercise? What happens if you play both examples
again but start each one with an up-stroke instead of a down-stroke (and continue to use alternate
picking throughout)?

The following example shows the A Phrygian scale (think: F major scale) played in descending
thirds. The exercise features a lot of string-crossing, with both up-strokes and down-strokes
performing the crossings:

What happens when you play the example in reverse, ascending the scale in thirds? Can you adapt
the exercise to the other parallel modes, A Ionian, A Dorian, etc...?

The final alternate picking example is a small excerpt from Steve Vai's neo-classical piece,
Eugene's Trick Bag. The original is played at around 130bpm, but if you can approach 100bpm
you're doing well. The lick uses all four left-hand fingers throughout and is deceptively hard to
master:
With all the exercises, aim to play them cleanly at all times. Accuracy is more important than speed,
and the latter will come as a result of the former.

Suggest listening:
John Petrucci (Dream Theatre)
Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne)
Guthrie Govan (Erotic Cakes)