Intervallic Picking Exercises--Part 2

By Scott Hesse

Last tip, I gave you a picking exercise that used ascending intervals in ever-widening fashion. This time around, I will show the same thing using descending intervals.

The example below shows you the starting point of C two ledger lines above the staff. As I said in the last Guitar Notes, the fingering I give is how it fits best for my technique. You can use what I show as a starting point, or find a way that fits the way you play. 

However you decide to do this, make sure you start slow and build your speed up gradually. Also, really pay attention to the way these intervals sound as you play them. On some of the wider-spaced intervals, I like to just stay on them for a while and get comfortable. 

Everything we do when we practice trains our ears to hear music on a deeper level. So remember that what you hear now is more than what you heard a year ago. What you hear a year from now will be better and deeper than what you hear today.  

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The last thing I'll say about this is something I've suggested before in these tips. Once you're relatively comfortable with what's given, find a different way to practice this material. Break it into smaller pieces and make an exercise of that. Or put on a different starting point. Whatever you do, make any exercise you get into something of your own. 

Happy practicing!!