Tip Of The Day

Right Hand Technique Drill -- [ I devised this drill to address a fingering issue I needed to correct. After sharing it with virtuoso guitarist Ben Lacy, we discovered it works as an articulation exercise for any string instrument, be it fingers, pick, bow, or plectrum ] Starting high up the neck on the G string (let’s say G @  fret 12) , play: G (down to) -5 -(down to) root -(up to) 5 -(up to) F#, using double strokes in the RH.

So..G2 --D--G1--D--F# --D -G1 --D -- F--D--G1--D--E--D--G1--D (keep going back up) F --D--G1 --D --F# --D--G1 --D {don’t stop but move the whole thing down a ½ step and repeat - down and back up on the top note} F# --C#--F#1 --C# --F--C# --F#1 --C#  --E --C# --F#1 --C# --Eb --C# --F#1 --C# --E --C# --F#1 --C# -- (move down another ½ step and continue).

Cover the entire fingerboard with this pattern. Press tempo as fast as possible. Read this one over a few times until you get it. It’s a bit difficult to understand. If you can’t figure it out, don’t worry about it. This is just the first phase of an epic exercise that will be posted on the website in the near future.