Beginner Bushido Task 2 Options

[Ben Higgins]

Task 2 : https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Inside-Outside-Picking/

Record and upload a version of this (at a tempo that feels comfortable to you) by Wednesday 8th Feb.

Following on from our basic picking hand work, I'd like to shine the spotlight towards picking between strings and picking over them. This is often referred to as picking 'inside' or 'outside' the strings. You will encounter these motions when you play alternate picking licks that cover more than one string so it is essential to understand them. It can be very difficult to attain any sort of speed when isolating these picking mechanics. Some people can reach very high speeds doing it (see John Petrucci) but those people are evil.

I use this as a way of introducing your hand to the motions and getting comfortable using them, rather than going for speed training. Once you've spent some time at this level, you would naturally encounter these motions in various picking patterns and the speed of the inside/outside picking would naturally increase along with the exercises you practice in time..

The 'backing track' is just a click track so feel free to record your takes with a metronome as the backing. Of course, I recommend starting only at a tempo you can manage and see if you can increas the tempo by perhaps 5 or 10bpm by next week. Enjoy !

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[MossRoller]

As others have stated here, it initially seemed it would be easier then it was.
The first couple days were a little tough getting my fretting hand stretched out.
By the 5th day everything was feeling pretty good at 90 bpm. I initially had to start in the 70s.
I feel like I went backwards a little since then. I'm not very satisfied with today's take.
Also spent a lot of time trying to set up a proper recording which I didn't succeed at.
But it's the end of the week so to save a finger...
Hopefully the audio is good enough to hear properly.

Other than that, I'm loving these tasks and looking forward to the next one.
Unless you keep me at this one for another week.

Inside picking at 88 bpm. Outside picking at 90 bpm.

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

[Ben Higgins]

As others have stated here, it initially seemed it would be easier then it was.
The first couple days were a little tough getting my fretting hand stretched out.
By the 5th day everything was feeling pretty good at 90 bpm. I initially had to start in the 70s.
I feel like I went backwards a little since then. I'm not very satisfied with today's take.
Also spent a lot of time trying to set up a proper recording which I didn't succeed at.
But it's the end of the week so to save a finger...
Hopefully the audio is good enough to hear properly.

Other than that, I'm loving these tasks and looking forward to the next one.
Unless you keep me at this one for another week.

Inside picking at 88 bpm. Outside picking at 90 bpm.

Thanks for the take !

88 and 90bpm is a very respectable tempo for this type of lick. It's not easy at all.

On the picking side of things I'm very impressed. You've got good technique coming from the wrist. It was actually your fretting hand that struggled with the timing a little bit but this is all about the picking so let's not worry your fretting hand yet !

I wondered what sort of pick you're using ? It looked a little bendy.. or maybe I imagined it ?

Using a stiffer, thicker pick will help. I use a 1.14mm which is rigid enough for me. Some people prefer even thicker but that thickness is more than rigid enough for accurate picking.

Another thing that helped me immensely was holding the pick closer to the tip. I can see quite a bit of the pick sticking out. The more of it that touches the guitar, the more resistance there is. Also, holding it closer to the tip forces the wrist to have to move to change over strings which engages the right muscles and makes it harder to 'cheat'

It will feel weird to change the way you hold it at first but it only takes a couple of days really to get used to it. You don't have to make a dramatic change, just move your thumb and finger down a bit closer to the tip.

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!