Picking Exercise

By Tim Robinson This is a good warm up exercise based on the major scale. It has the benet of combining both the scale and every arpeggio in the scale. First the ascending arpeggio is played, followed by the scale descending to the next step of the scale. That arpeggio is then played with the scale descending to the next step and so on until two octaves have been covered. I have marked suggested ngering and picking directions. The picking is Gypsy picking. If you don't use that system feel free to use alternate picking or whatever suites you. The exercise is written in the key of A major. You should transpose it to other keys, and also practise it in different places on the neck at various steps of the scale.

Guitar

&
T A B

###

q = 80

" !" ! !" ! "! !!! " !! ! " !"! " ! ! "! !! " !" " !
2 1 4 3 1 4 2 1 4 2 1 4 3 1 4 2 1 4 3 1 4 3 1 4 2 1 4 3 1 4 3 1

Guitar

4 7

6 4

7 5 4

4 7 6 4

7 5

4 7

7 6 4

4 7

6 4

7 6 4

Gtr.

### &

1 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 3 1 1 3 1 3 1 4 4 3 4 !!!" !"!" !" ! " " ! ! ! ! ! " ! ! " ! ! ! ! " " ! 4 3 1 4 3 1 4 3 3

Gtr.
7

4 7 6 4

7 6

4 7

7 6 4

4 7

7 5

7 6 4

4 5

Picking Exercise

Here is the same exercise except in reverse order. The arpeggio is descending and the scale ascends to the next step down. The arpeggio descends again followed by the ascending scale and so on until two octaves have been completed. The ngering is quite tricky, especially in the beginning part of the exercise. I have suggested some alternate ngerings on the top line which make it more idiomatic to the Gypsy jazz style. The important thing to remember is to take things at a steady, even pace. Keep your picking hand relaxed at all times. Again, this exercise should be repeated at different places on the neck at various steps of the scale, and be transposed to other keys.

Gtr.

3 2 4 3 3 1 3 2 3 3 3 3 1 4 3 1 1 1 4 4 4 4 2 2 4 2 4 4 2 4 2 3 4 ### 3 1 3 3 1 3 1 1 3 3 4 4 & !" ! !" !" ! " ! !" !" !" ! !!! ! "!! " ! ! " !" ! " 3 1

7 4

Gtr.

6 7

5 7

7 4 6 7

5 7

4 6 7

7 4

6 7

4 6 7

13

Gtr.

1 4 1 2 3 4 1 1 3 4 1 1 3 4 1 4 1 3 4 2 2 3 2 4 1 3 ### 3 4 1 & !"!" !"!!!"!! " !"!"! "! !!!"!"!" !!!" 3 4 1 3 4 3

Gtr.

7 4 6 7

4 6

7 4

4 6 7

7 4

5 7

4 6 7

7 4 5 7

4 6

17

Gtr.

&

###

1 2 ! ! ! " ! " ! ! ! ! ! ! ! " " ! " ! " " ! 4 1 2 4 3 1 2 4 1 4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 2 4

Gtr.