Chords for Bluegrass flatpicking coordination exercise
Tempo:
112.4 bpm
Chords used:
G
E
D
B
A
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
Technique Busters!
Ha ha ha!
Here's just a couple of things you can do to improve your technique.
But guitar playing is essentially extreme coordination between what the right hand is doing and what the left hand is doing.
In bluegrass music, you're picking technique of down, up, up and down.
I visualize these as little quarter moves that play through the string in both directions.
So rather than just kind of slapping the string straight, I think,
a little quarter move that's above the string plays through it.
And the same thing on the way back.
[N] And that creates, I also anchor here with the ball part of my hand and with one of my fingers.
But there's a lot of ways to do this.
Some guys can do this floating free.
Anyway, you want to [E] be able to get your up and down strokes on.
And you'll be able to start slow.
The pick wants to maintain a 90 degrees as you play through it.
And then gradually increase speed.
So you should be able to do that on each string.
Of course, you can do that with your right hand.
Well, that's pretty quick to coordinate what's going on with your left hand.
So one of the things was these, Doc [N] Watson years ago,
threw a couple of these chromatic runs in [G] some of his tunes.
He would just be able to rip them up.
[C] [G]
And [N] that is great practice for this coordination between your left and your right.
I like to start these with an upstroke, but you can do it both ways.
You should be able to do it both ways.
But here's starting with an upstroke on a G run chromatic.
[E] [G]
[B] [D] [F]
[A] [C#] [A#] [Gm]
[N]
[G] [D]
[B] [E]
So you can get those hands working together.
[A]
[G]
[G]
So every stroke, if you switch strokes, your hand will move to the next string with the opposing stroke.
Down on three, [D] up on four, [A] down on five, [E] up on six.
So you're constantly managing this coordination.
[G]
[N]
[D]
[E] That'll really get [B] your coordination going.
Ha ha ha!
Here's just a couple of things you can do to improve your technique.
But guitar playing is essentially extreme coordination between what the right hand is doing and what the left hand is doing.
In bluegrass music, you're picking technique of down, up, up and down.
I visualize these as little quarter moves that play through the string in both directions.
So rather than just kind of slapping the string straight, I think,
a little quarter move that's above the string plays through it.
And the same thing on the way back.
[N] And that creates, I also anchor here with the ball part of my hand and with one of my fingers.
But there's a lot of ways to do this.
Some guys can do this floating free.
Anyway, you want to [E] be able to get your up and down strokes on.
And you'll be able to start slow.
The pick wants to maintain a 90 degrees as you play through it.
And then gradually increase speed.
So you should be able to do that on each string.
Of course, you can do that with your right hand.
Well, that's pretty quick to coordinate what's going on with your left hand.
So one of the things was these, Doc [N] Watson years ago,
threw a couple of these chromatic runs in [G] some of his tunes.
He would just be able to rip them up.
[C] [G]
And [N] that is great practice for this coordination between your left and your right.
I like to start these with an upstroke, but you can do it both ways.
You should be able to do it both ways.
But here's starting with an upstroke on a G run chromatic.
[E] [G]
[B] [D] [F]
[A] [C#] [A#] [Gm]
[N]
[G] [D]
[B] [E]
So you can get those hands working together.
[A]
[G]
[G]
So every stroke, if you switch strokes, your hand will move to the next string with the opposing stroke.
Down on three, [D] up on four, [A] down on five, [E] up on six.
So you're constantly managing this coordination.
[G]
[N]
[D]
[E] That'll really get [B] your coordination going.
Key:
G
E
D
B
A
G
E
D
Technique Busters!
Ha ha ha!
Here's just a couple of things you can do to improve your technique.
But guitar playing is essentially _ _ _ _ extreme coordination between what the right hand is doing and what the left hand is doing. _
_ In bluegrass music, you're picking technique of down, up, up and down.
I visualize these as little _ quarter moves that _ play through the string in both directions.
So rather than just kind of slapping the string straight, I think,
a little quarter move _ that's above the string plays through it.
And the same thing on the way back.
_ [N] And that creates, I also anchor here with the ball part of my hand and with one of my fingers.
But there's a lot of ways to do this.
Some guys can do this floating free. _
_ _ Anyway, you want to [E] be able to get your up and down strokes on. _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ And you'll be able to start slow.
_ _ _ _ _ The pick wants to maintain a 90 degrees as you play through it.
_ And then gradually increase speed. _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
So you should be able to do that on each string. _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ Of course, you can do that with your right hand. _ _ _ _ _
Well, that's pretty quick to coordinate what's going on with your left hand.
So one of the things was these, Doc [N] Watson years ago,
threw a couple of these chromatic runs in [G] some of his tunes.
He would just be able to rip them up.
_ _ [C] _ _ [G]
And [N] that is great practice for this coordination between your left and your right.
_ I like to start these with an upstroke, but you can do it both ways.
You should be able to do it both ways.
But here's starting with an upstroke on a G run chromatic.
[E] _ _ _ [G] _
_ _ [B] _ _ [D] _ _ [F] _ _
_ [A] _ _ _ [C#] _ [A#] _ _ [Gm] _
_ _ _ _ _ [N] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [G] _ _ [D] _ _
_ _ _ _ [B] _ _ [E] _ _
So you can get those hands working together.
_ _ [A] _
_ _ [G] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [G] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
So every stroke, if you switch strokes, _ _ your hand will move to the next string with the opposing stroke.
_ _ Down on three, [D] up on four, [A] _ down on five, [E] up on six.
_ _ So you're constantly managing this coordination.
[G] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [N] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _
_ _ [E] _ _ That'll really get [B] your coordination going.
Ha ha ha!
Here's just a couple of things you can do to improve your technique.
But guitar playing is essentially _ _ _ _ extreme coordination between what the right hand is doing and what the left hand is doing. _
_ In bluegrass music, you're picking technique of down, up, up and down.
I visualize these as little _ quarter moves that _ play through the string in both directions.
So rather than just kind of slapping the string straight, I think,
a little quarter move _ that's above the string plays through it.
And the same thing on the way back.
_ [N] And that creates, I also anchor here with the ball part of my hand and with one of my fingers.
But there's a lot of ways to do this.
Some guys can do this floating free. _
_ _ Anyway, you want to [E] be able to get your up and down strokes on. _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ And you'll be able to start slow.
_ _ _ _ _ The pick wants to maintain a 90 degrees as you play through it.
_ And then gradually increase speed. _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
So you should be able to do that on each string. _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ Of course, you can do that with your right hand. _ _ _ _ _
Well, that's pretty quick to coordinate what's going on with your left hand.
So one of the things was these, Doc [N] Watson years ago,
threw a couple of these chromatic runs in [G] some of his tunes.
He would just be able to rip them up.
_ _ [C] _ _ [G]
And [N] that is great practice for this coordination between your left and your right.
_ I like to start these with an upstroke, but you can do it both ways.
You should be able to do it both ways.
But here's starting with an upstroke on a G run chromatic.
[E] _ _ _ [G] _
_ _ [B] _ _ [D] _ _ [F] _ _
_ [A] _ _ _ [C#] _ [A#] _ _ [Gm] _
_ _ _ _ _ [N] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [G] _ _ [D] _ _
_ _ _ _ [B] _ _ [E] _ _
So you can get those hands working together.
_ _ [A] _
_ _ [G] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [G] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
So every stroke, if you switch strokes, _ _ your hand will move to the next string with the opposing stroke.
_ _ Down on three, [D] up on four, [A] _ down on five, [E] up on six.
_ _ So you're constantly managing this coordination.
[G] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [N] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _
_ _ [E] _ _ That'll really get [B] your coordination going.