As a guitar teacher, I constantly explore new ways to make my lessons enjoyable, yet educational for my students, and one such method that we will discuss today involves utilizing the harmonic minor in a speed picking pattern.
While exploring the lick number 30, we decided to introduce the harmonic minor, not merely for its unique tonal possibilities, but also as a way to enhance our speed picking technique. The basic idea that we follow here is creating a speed picking pattern out of the harmonic minor.
How do we do this? Let's look at an example. We start by playing eight-seven-five, then repeat eight-seven-five again. These sets of notes act as our foundation, picking them at a rapid pace.
After this, we proceed to the harmonic minor note, which in this case, is the e-flat, or if you prefer, the G sharp or D sharp. Here, we continue with our fundamental picking ideas. If you recall, we often discuss the down-up-down-up pattern that you use with groups of six. We continue this pattern by playing the fourth fret of the second string with a downward strum, creating the rhythm of down, up, down, up, down, up, down.
As we continue, you'll notice the pattern from earlier repeating; eight seven five - eight seven five. Following this, we move downward to play five-seven, forming the basis of our harmonic minor speed picking pattern.
From there, it's all about progression, moving from seven five four to five seven on the fourth string, to the third string fourth fret with the first finger and subsequently back down seven five four. This varying set of notes maintains the intrigue and pace of the rhythm, ensuring your speed picking remains consistent and accurate.
The key to mastering this is the alternate picking. The rapid succession of down and up strokes allows for quicker and smoother plays.
Now, we come to the end of the pattern, with the harmonic minor note (D sharp) at six going to seven in play. Even as you slide from six to seven, ensure that a satisfying vibrato fishtails your maneuver, rounding off the stroke neatly. This little detail can give your lick character and expressiveness, adding to its musical appeal.
Remember, there is room for flexibility. While this is one way to perform the speed picking with harmonic minor, if you have another fingering or option that you think best suits your style, feel free to adapt. The aim here is to extract the essence of the harmonic minor while optimizing the speed picking technique.
What's fantastic about this approach is the integration of the neoclassical harmonic minor sound within the broader metalcore progression. This style, popularized by remarkable guitarists like Yngwie Malmsteen and Paul Gilbert, generates an intriguing and effective antidote to break the repetitiveness in something like a pentatonic scale.
In summary, implementing harmonic minor licks adds an extra element to your playing, whether to break the monotony or to test out different styles and techniques. The goal always remains the same - to continue growing, learning, and most importantly, enjoying the art of playing the guitar. When we began exploring lick number 30, we started using a harmonic minor. This particular approach does not just utilize the harmonic minor for its engaging tonality, but it also serves as a great tool to improve our speed picking technique. I've created a speed picking pattern based on this harmonic minor, an approach that you too can apply in your practices.
So how does this work? Allow me to guide you through. We kick off by playing a pattern that consists of numbers eight, seven, and five. This pattern is repeated again. After finishing the repetition, we move to the harmonic minor note. This note could be the E flat, or as some might prefer, G sharp or D sharp.
Now from here on, our focus shifts to the continuation of the picking ideas we discusse earlier. Specifically, the pattern of down-up-down-up we use when playing in groups of six. We will be diligently carrying this pattern forward, playing the next note, which is the fourth fret of the second string, with a downward strum. So, it ends up sounding like down, up, down, up, down, up, down.
Expanding on this, we'll keep the rhythm steady with eight seven five - eight seven five then drop down to play the notes five-seven. This gives a sense of continuity and lays the groundwork for our harmonic minor speed picking pattern.
The beauty of this technique comes in when we start moving through the strings. I usually start by traveling down from seven five four to then go back up to five seven on the fourth string. Now, it's time to jump onto the third string using the first finger. This leap from the fourth to the third string creates an exciting break in the rhythm, adding an extra dimension to our picking.
Now, these jumping, dropping, and going back up movements wouldn’t be possible without alternate picking. This method, alternating between down and up-strokes, works as the backbone of our speed picking pattern, allowing for faster, smoother execution of notes, and is something that we're going to be practicing throughout our drill.
Towards the end of the pattern, we see the harmonic minor note (D sharp) going from six to seven comes into play. It's crucial to note that there's a transition in the vibrato as we slide from six to seven. This vibrato adds a nice touch of expressiveness making the pattern stand out.
Now let's clarify one thing - while I teach this particular way of integrating harmonic minor into speed picking, you do not need to follow my way blindly. There could be an alternate fingering or pattern that suits you. Perhaps you achieve the harmonic minor sound better in a different way. And that's perfectly fine. Always remember, the main aim of this exercise is not to copy but to learn and improve.
The incorporation of the neoclassical harmonic minor sound adds a fantastic twist to the broader metalcore progression. This style gives a nod to the brilliance of guitarists like Yngwie Malmsteen and Paul Gilbert, who popularized this unique sound. It’s incredibly useful when attempting to add variety to repetitive exercises.
In conclusion, injecting harmonic minor licks into your practice creates an interesting melange of sounds and techniques, helps break the monotony, and fosters your journey of growing and learning as a guitarist. When it comes to guitar playing, monotony can be the biggest enemy. Repeating the same sets of scales or riffs can quickly lead to boredom and sap away your enthusiasm. That's one of the reasons why I like to infuse my lessons with something different, something potent. The harmonic minor licks are just such a tool.
Adding this sort of neoclassical harmonic minor sound into your playing, especially over a metalcore progression, creates a rich and dynamic tone that's truly captivating. You might recognize this sound in the play styles of iconic guitarists like Yngwie Malmsteen or Paul Gilbert.
So why does the harmonic minor have such a unique sound? Well, it’s due to the raised seventh note. This creates a three-semi-tone jump between the sixth and seventh notes and a distinctive one semi-tone jump from the seventh to the octave. This pattern gives the harmonic minor a rather ‘exotic’ sound that can fundamentally change your soundscapes.
Now let me share a simple exercise to demonstrate how to incorporate this into your practice. We'll start by making a harmonic minor scale speed picking pattern. In our example, which follows the pattern of eight-seven-five (repeated twice), we'll move to the harmonic minor note, which might be E flat, G sharp, or D sharp, depending on how you prefer to recognize it.
A key aspect to understand here is the picking technique. We're aiming for a down-up-down-up pattern for groups of six notes. Next, we progress to the fourth fret of the second string with a downward strum, forming a rhythm. After continuing the eight-seven-five-eight-seven-five sequence, we drop down to play five-seven. This lays the groundwork for our harmonic minor speed picking pattern.
We can continue to travel down and play seven-five-four and seven-five-four on the third and fourth strings, alternating between down and up strokes for a smoother execution of notes, and it’s a great exercise to enhance your speed picking technique skill.
Another important thing to note is the vibrato as we slide from note six to note seven. This vibrato creates a pleasant sound that adds more depth and expressiveness to your playing. But remember - there's no one-size-fits-all in guitar playing. If you have your own unique fingerings or options to get the sounds, use those.
The key takeaway here is to break the monotony. Music, like all forms of art, thrives on variety. And as we introduce harmonic minor licks into our everyday practice, we're not just learning new techniques, but we're also taking a critical step towards cultivating our unique sound. We're challenging ourselves to venture beyond the known territories, to embrace the unfamiliar, and above all, we're ensuring that our love for guitar playing continues to burn brightly.
So grab one of these harmonic minor licks and give them a try the next time you play. You might be surprised at the difference it makes in transforming your regular practice into a fresh and exciting exercise.
Curious about enhancing your guitar skills? Navigate to the reviews that our guitar learners have posted on how they have improved their proficiency by learning to play guitar at GuitarZoom.com
Want to explore more about the harmonic minor or other scales? Get more insights from our blog posts dedicated to scales. For those who are interested in accelerating their soloing skills, check out soloing section where I share my best soloing tips and tricks.
While exploring the lick number 30, we decided to introduce the harmonic minor, not merely for its unique tonal possibilities, but also as a way to enhance our speed picking technique. The basic idea that we follow here is creating a speed picking pattern out of the harmonic minor.
How do we do this? Let's look at an example. We start by playing eight-seven-five, then repeat eight-seven-five again. These sets of notes act as our foundation, picking them at a rapid pace.
After this, we proceed to the harmonic minor note, which in this case, is the e-flat, or if you prefer, the G sharp or D sharp. Here, we continue with our fundamental picking ideas. If you recall, we often discuss the down-up-down-up pattern that you use with groups of six. We continue this pattern by playing the fourth fret of the second string with a downward strum, creating the rhythm of down, up, down, up, down, up, down.
As we continue, you'll notice the pattern from earlier repeating; eight seven five - eight seven five. Following this, we move downward to play five-seven, forming the basis of our harmonic minor speed picking pattern.
From there, it's all about progression, moving from seven five four to five seven on the fourth string, to the third string fourth fret with the first finger and subsequently back down seven five four. This varying set of notes maintains the intrigue and pace of the rhythm, ensuring your speed picking remains consistent and accurate.
The key to mastering this is the alternate picking. The rapid succession of down and up strokes allows for quicker and smoother plays.
Now, we come to the end of the pattern, with the harmonic minor note (D sharp) at six going to seven in play. Even as you slide from six to seven, ensure that a satisfying vibrato fishtails your maneuver, rounding off the stroke neatly. This little detail can give your lick character and expressiveness, adding to its musical appeal.
Remember, there is room for flexibility. While this is one way to perform the speed picking with harmonic minor, if you have another fingering or option that you think best suits your style, feel free to adapt. The aim here is to extract the essence of the harmonic minor while optimizing the speed picking technique.
What's fantastic about this approach is the integration of the neoclassical harmonic minor sound within the broader metalcore progression. This style, popularized by remarkable guitarists like Yngwie Malmsteen and Paul Gilbert, generates an intriguing and effective antidote to break the repetitiveness in something like a pentatonic scale.
In summary, implementing harmonic minor licks adds an extra element to your playing, whether to break the monotony or to test out different styles and techniques. The goal always remains the same - to continue growing, learning, and most importantly, enjoying the art of playing the guitar. When we began exploring lick number 30, we started using a harmonic minor. This particular approach does not just utilize the harmonic minor for its engaging tonality, but it also serves as a great tool to improve our speed picking technique. I've created a speed picking pattern based on this harmonic minor, an approach that you too can apply in your practices.
So how does this work? Allow me to guide you through. We kick off by playing a pattern that consists of numbers eight, seven, and five. This pattern is repeated again. After finishing the repetition, we move to the harmonic minor note. This note could be the E flat, or as some might prefer, G sharp or D sharp.
Now from here on, our focus shifts to the continuation of the picking ideas we discusse earlier. Specifically, the pattern of down-up-down-up we use when playing in groups of six. We will be diligently carrying this pattern forward, playing the next note, which is the fourth fret of the second string, with a downward strum. So, it ends up sounding like down, up, down, up, down, up, down.
Expanding on this, we'll keep the rhythm steady with eight seven five - eight seven five then drop down to play the notes five-seven. This gives a sense of continuity and lays the groundwork for our harmonic minor speed picking pattern.
The beauty of this technique comes in when we start moving through the strings. I usually start by traveling down from seven five four to then go back up to five seven on the fourth string. Now, it's time to jump onto the third string using the first finger. This leap from the fourth to the third string creates an exciting break in the rhythm, adding an extra dimension to our picking.
Now, these jumping, dropping, and going back up movements wouldn’t be possible without alternate picking. This method, alternating between down and up-strokes, works as the backbone of our speed picking pattern, allowing for faster, smoother execution of notes, and is something that we're going to be practicing throughout our drill.
Towards the end of the pattern, we see the harmonic minor note (D sharp) going from six to seven comes into play. It's crucial to note that there's a transition in the vibrato as we slide from six to seven. This vibrato adds a nice touch of expressiveness making the pattern stand out.
Now let's clarify one thing - while I teach this particular way of integrating harmonic minor into speed picking, you do not need to follow my way blindly. There could be an alternate fingering or pattern that suits you. Perhaps you achieve the harmonic minor sound better in a different way. And that's perfectly fine. Always remember, the main aim of this exercise is not to copy but to learn and improve.
The incorporation of the neoclassical harmonic minor sound adds a fantastic twist to the broader metalcore progression. This style gives a nod to the brilliance of guitarists like Yngwie Malmsteen and Paul Gilbert, who popularized this unique sound. It’s incredibly useful when attempting to add variety to repetitive exercises.
In conclusion, injecting harmonic minor licks into your practice creates an interesting melange of sounds and techniques, helps break the monotony, and fosters your journey of growing and learning as a guitarist. When it comes to guitar playing, monotony can be the biggest enemy. Repeating the same sets of scales or riffs can quickly lead to boredom and sap away your enthusiasm. That's one of the reasons why I like to infuse my lessons with something different, something potent. The harmonic minor licks are just such a tool.
Adding this sort of neoclassical harmonic minor sound into your playing, especially over a metalcore progression, creates a rich and dynamic tone that's truly captivating. You might recognize this sound in the play styles of iconic guitarists like Yngwie Malmsteen or Paul Gilbert.
So why does the harmonic minor have such a unique sound? Well, it’s due to the raised seventh note. This creates a three-semi-tone jump between the sixth and seventh notes and a distinctive one semi-tone jump from the seventh to the octave. This pattern gives the harmonic minor a rather ‘exotic’ sound that can fundamentally change your soundscapes.
Now let me share a simple exercise to demonstrate how to incorporate this into your practice. We'll start by making a harmonic minor scale speed picking pattern. In our example, which follows the pattern of eight-seven-five (repeated twice), we'll move to the harmonic minor note, which might be E flat, G sharp, or D sharp, depending on how you prefer to recognize it.
A key aspect to understand here is the picking technique. We're aiming for a down-up-down-up pattern for groups of six notes. Next, we progress to the fourth fret of the second string with a downward strum, forming a rhythm. After continuing the eight-seven-five-eight-seven-five sequence, we drop down to play five-seven. This lays the groundwork for our harmonic minor speed picking pattern.
We can continue to travel down and play seven-five-four and seven-five-four on the third and fourth strings, alternating between down and up strokes for a smoother execution of notes, and it’s a great exercise to enhance your speed picking technique skill.
Another important thing to note is the vibrato as we slide from note six to note seven. This vibrato creates a pleasant sound that adds more depth and expressiveness to your playing. But remember - there's no one-size-fits-all in guitar playing. If you have your own unique fingerings or options to get the sounds, use those.
The key takeaway here is to break the monotony. Music, like all forms of art, thrives on variety. And as we introduce harmonic minor licks into our everyday practice, we're not just learning new techniques, but we're also taking a critical step towards cultivating our unique sound. We're challenging ourselves to venture beyond the known territories, to embrace the unfamiliar, and above all, we're ensuring that our love for guitar playing continues to burn brightly.
So grab one of these harmonic minor licks and give them a try the next time you play. You might be surprised at the difference it makes in transforming your regular practice into a fresh and exciting exercise.
Curious about enhancing your guitar skills? Navigate to the reviews that our guitar learners have posted on how they have improved their proficiency by learning to play guitar at GuitarZoom.com
Want to explore more about the harmonic minor or other scales? Get more insights from our blog posts dedicated to scales. For those who are interested in accelerating their soloing skills, check out soloing section where I share my best soloing tips and tricks.
