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Fret Board 4 Play
Happy new year everyone! I want to start this year off with a bang! So here it goes. We are going to start out with something a little different. Time for some alternate picking. No, not nose picking…. alternate picking. So, take your finger outta yer nose and grab a pick. The first thing that I did was write out the main theme to “17th Century Chicken Pickin’” by Impellitteri. This song is a MUST LEARN! Chris Impellitteri is one of my favorite guitarists. We start in classic E minor here. I strongly suggest starting on a down stroke. The whole song is in triplets. So get out your metronome!!!!! “Do I have to? I hate that damn thing!” I know, I know. BUT, stop whining and just do it!!!!!!!!
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |*------------------------12-11-9-14-12-11------------------12-11-9--------------------- |-----------------9-10-12------------------14-12-10-12-10-9---------10-9-7-12-10-9------ |*10-9----9-10-12----------------------------------------------------------------------- |------12------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |-------------------------------------------------------10---------------10-14-12-10---- |-------------------------10--------------13p12----------------------------------------- |-----------------------------------------------14-11h14--14p11----11h14---------------- |-10-9----9-10-12-10-12-14--14-12-10-12-14----------------------12---------------------- |------12------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |-----------17-14----------14-17-15-14-19-15----------15-19-17-15----------------------- |-----------------15----15-------------------15----15-------------15-13-12-------------- |--14-12-11----------14-------------------------16-------------------------14-12-11----- |--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |--------------------------| |--------------------------| |--12-11-9-11-9-----------*| |---------------12-10-9----| |-----------------------12*| |--------------------------|
Now let’s say it together: Impellitteri = Awesome. That’s what I like to hear. Now let us hit up some slick sounding picking licks. Here is a sweet lick that uses the same notes with different timbre. Check it:
|---------12-15-17-15-12-----------------10-12-15-12-10----------| |-12-15-17--------------17-15-12-10-12-15--------------15-12-10--| |---------------------------------------------------------------*| |---------------------------------------------------------------*| |----------------------------------------------------------------| |----------------------------------------------------------------|
Now we are going to change direction once again. If you have ever looked at a major scale, then you know it is made of the cords in the sequence of: Maj. Mi. Mi. Maj. Maj. Mi. Mi7b5 In that order. Now lets apply this to arpeggios in the key of D major: Dmaj, Emi, F#mi, Gmaj, Amaj, Bmi, C#mi7b5 (diminished), Dmaj Now let us tab it out in an alternating ascending/descending pattern:
-----2h5/7p3---------5h9/10p7-------------9h12/14p10-----------------12h15/17p14--------- ----3-------5-------7--------8----------10----------12-------------14-----------15------- ---2---------4-----6----------7--------9--------------11---------12---------------14----- --4-----------5---7------------9-----11-----------------12-----14-------------------16--- -5-------------7/9--------------10/12---------------------14/16-----------------------17- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now isn’t that nice? Speaking of nice, here is a nice alternate picking lick for you to chew on. Learn it in sections. Start slow. Use a metronome! You can hear this bad boy played to speed on Racer X’s “Extreme Volume 1 live” cd. Listen to “Paul’s Solo.” This lick rocks!
----------10----------15-12-10------------------------| -10-12-13----13-12-10----------13-12------------------| ----------------------------------------------------*-| ----------------------------------------------------*-| ------------------------------------------------------| ------------------------------------------------------|
Here is another cool sweeping sequence that I came up with. Enjoy. A minor.
--------------------8h12p8-----8h12t17p12p8---------| ------------------10------10-10------------10-------| -----9h10p9------9----------9----------------9-----*| ---10------10--10-----------------------------10---*| -12----------12---------------------------------12--| ----------------------------------------------------|
Before I leave you….it wouldn’t be right unless I left you all with a lick that is so completely INSANE that you lose sleep practicing it!!!! So here is my insane lick of the month for you all to chew on 
Four octaves of string skipping on one fret board! holy ****! Play as fast as possible! You had better eat a whole box of “Wheaties” before you even attempt this!
------------------------------------------------------------14-15-17--- --------------------------------7-8-10-8-7-----------7-8-10------------ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- -------4-5-7-5-4----------4-5-7------------7-5-4-5-7------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- -2-3-5-----------5-3-2-3-5--------------------------------------------- -15-14----------------14-15-17-14-15----------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- -------14-12-11-12-14----------------14-12-11---------------11-12-14--- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------12-10-9-10-12------------ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------2~------------------------------------------------------ ---------------2~------------------------------------------------------ -12-11---------2~------------------------------------------------------ ---------------4~------------------------------------------------------ -------12-10-9-4~------------------------------------------------------ ---------------2~------------------------------------------------------
Damn my hands hurt just looking at that! Well that is all this time around. I hope you enjoyed this month’s column.
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