The Guitar Player's Resource
Welcome back! In this lesson I will be showing you some exercises that will help you improve your finger independence as well as your picking. If you want to expand your playing and limber up your fingers, it is very important to do these type of exercises. The examples in this lesson will improve your dexterity and they will help to move your fingers more independently. There are several types of exercises you can do, I will just be giving you a few different types, and it will be up to you to make up your own. The primary focus is to make them as musical as possible so you can use these types of exercises in a musical situation. As always, be sure to move these around the neck and experiment using these type of exercises with different scales and keys. Also, don't forget to alternate pick all of these examples.
Example 1 is a great exercise that uses ascending and descending 5th intervals, in the F# Phrygian scale (F#, G, A, B, C#, D, E). Because of the wider skips and by moving the 5th intervals both ascending and descending, this is really great for both hands. When you are moving the 5th intervals up and down, it forces you to move your fingers more independently than it would by just playing them ascending. Also, the string skips will help get your right hand in shape.
MP3 - Picking and Independence - Example 1
Example 2 is a great pedal point/ostinato type exercise that commonly found in classical music and it is great for developing both hands. This example is based on the G# Phrygian Dominant scale (G#, A, B#, C#, D#, E, F#), with plenty of chromatic passing tones added. The passing tones give it a more modern flavor and the skips make it more challenging for both hands.
MP3 - Picking and Independence - Example 2
Example 3 is another really great pedal point exercise that is excellent for developing your independence and your picking. Basically, the high E is the pedal tone while you are moving down the neck chromatically from the E. It is important to use your imagination and play this exercise everywhere and in different directions.
MP3 - Picking and Independence - Example 3
That is it for now! Be sure to make up your own exercises, and don't forget to check out my latest CD, "Chameleon". For more info, visit mikecampese.com.
Mike Campese is an all-around music performer, session artist and teacher competent in many musical styles, electric and acoustic. He has studied at G.I.T. (Honors Graduate), and with Paul Gilbert, Norman Brown, Stanley Jordan, Scott Henderson and Keith Wyatt.
