*Alternate Picking Patterns:
These are all the different sequences I use for alternate picking. Start on the first fret
and go from the 6th string to the 1st and back down.
1234 2341 3412 4123
1243 2314 3421 4132
1324 2413 3214 4213
1342 2431 3241 4231
1423 2134 3124 4312
1432 2143 3142 4321
(take a break, let the broken tendons heal, etc)
*Angles
This an exercise described by Steve Vai himself in an interview. The specific goal of this is to increase your string-to-string speed.
e-1-2---2-----3-------4
B-----1-----2-------3--
G---------1-------2----
D---------------1------
A----------------------
E----------------------
Take this basic design all the way up the fretboard, then move it down one string and do it again. This should help your pinky control and also your string-to-string speed.
*Tapping:
In an attempt to keep up my tapping chops (what there are of them) I usually run through the following tapping runs
Juice (solo)
Big Trouble (solo)
(more tapping is also practiced during my sweeping section)
*Sweep Picking
I spend a little bit of time at the beginning of my practice just running through the standard arpeggio shapes.
Then I also run through Pachabels Canon. The full tab to this can be found here in JEMsite in the lessons section.
*Trills
Start at the first fret and just trill between the first and second fret and move it all over the board. Then use the 1st and 3rd. Keep going until you're just too damn tired to do it anymore, then do it a while longer. Get creative with it. See how many different ways you can
accent your trills.
*Scales
Duh...I always practice theory. A typical practice ends with me setting up Fruity Loops to just play one chord over and over while I jam on a scale over it. Every day something different. It's a little thing and it's fun, but it will really help your improvisational skills.
(Edited by jem7vwh at 8:49 pm on Sep. 16, 2001)
These are all the different sequences I use for alternate picking. Start on the first fret
and go from the 6th string to the 1st and back down.
1234 2341 3412 4123
1243 2314 3421 4132
1324 2413 3214 4213
1342 2431 3241 4231
1423 2134 3124 4312
1432 2143 3142 4321
(take a break, let the broken tendons heal, etc)
*Angles
This an exercise described by Steve Vai himself in an interview. The specific goal of this is to increase your string-to-string speed.
e-1-2---2-----3-------4
B-----1-----2-------3--
G---------1-------2----
D---------------1------
A----------------------
E----------------------
Take this basic design all the way up the fretboard, then move it down one string and do it again. This should help your pinky control and also your string-to-string speed.
*Tapping:
In an attempt to keep up my tapping chops (what there are of them) I usually run through the following tapping runs
Juice (solo)
Big Trouble (solo)
(more tapping is also practiced during my sweeping section)
*Sweep Picking
I spend a little bit of time at the beginning of my practice just running through the standard arpeggio shapes.
Then I also run through Pachabels Canon. The full tab to this can be found here in JEMsite in the lessons section.
*Trills
Start at the first fret and just trill between the first and second fret and move it all over the board. Then use the 1st and 3rd. Keep going until you're just too damn tired to do it anymore, then do it a while longer. Get creative with it. See how many different ways you can
accent your trills.
*Scales
Duh...I always practice theory. A typical practice ends with me setting up Fruity Loops to just play one chord over and over while I jam on a scale over it. Every day something different. It's a little thing and it's fun, but it will really help your improvisational skills.
(Edited by jem7vwh at 8:49 pm on Sep. 16, 2001)