Lesson 4

Now we need for our picking hand to get the fretting hand in shape. To make things easier to understand, each fretting finger will have a number assigned to it.

In our last lesson we worked on some picking exercises with only the picking hand. Now we need to put the fretting hand to work with the picking hand. These exercises will prepare you for the scales ahead.

Look at the image above and notice the numbers on the Low E string. Then look at the image above to the right and see what finger the number represents. In this exercise you will be picking one note at a time. The first note is picked on the Low E string with your 1 finger at the 5th fret. The next note is played with your 2 finger Low E string, 6th fret. Then the 3 finger plays the 7th fret and finally the 4th finger 8th fret.

In our last lesson we learned how to alternate the picking hand. You will now alternate the picking down then up while playing each of these 4 notes, one at a time.

Look at the next illustration above and now do the same thing, but on the A string. Remember to alternate your picking down then up. Continue this exercise with all the strings in the same fashion. When you become comfortable playing this, start with the High E string and work your way back up. Start with your 4 finger on the 8th fret and work back up towards the Low E string.

When you get real comfortable, start at different frets all over the fretboard. Have your illustrations with your notes filled out in front of you and check out the notes your actually playing.

Once you finish this exercise, you can check out some others in the exercise chapter.

Assignment:

Good Luck,

From The Jam Room