43rd Guitar Snake River Rapids Exercises: Index, Pinky, Ring, Middle in 4s

Note:  If at any time you are experiencing pain during the playing of this exercise or any other exercise I give, then stop immediately!  Please!  It doesn’t help me as a teacher to gain students with tendonitis, or other guitar injuries.

Note2:  Palm muting refers to muting the actual string that you are playing, and all the other strings.

Note3:  Without palm muting refers to not muting the string your are playing, while you are playing it, but then muting it after each note, while muting all the other strings.

Note4:  Down strokes refers to playing a string only with a downward motion of the pick.  Thus, the pick starts high hits the string and bounces off, and instead of picking the note with an upstroke of the pick on the rebound, return to a position with the pick above the string before making another down stroke.  This is a style of play Metallica commonly uses.  Generally, a down stroke sounds heavier than an upward stroke, such that using all downward strokes makes for a heavier sound.

Note5:  Alternating strokes refers to picking with upward strokes and downward strokes.  The purpose of alternating strokes is usually to gain speed while picking.

43:1  The first set of exercises I gave was primarily so that one doesn’t injure their fretting hand by stretch too much.  Next, I increased the “jiggas,” giving a picking hand work out.  The lesson-blogs from 40 to 63  will be on strengthening speed and finger motility.

43:2  The exercises in this blog will involve the index finger, the middle finger, the ring finger and the pinky finger.  Unlike earlier exercises, it will go below the 5^th fret.

43:3  On string 6, at the 12^th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: 12^th fret w/index finger, 15^th fret with your pinky finger, 14^th fret with your ring finger, and 13^th fret with your middle finger.

43:4  On string 6, at the 11^th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: 11^th fret w/index finger, 14^th fret with your pinky finger, 13^th fret with your ring finger, and 12^th fret with your middle finger.

43:5  On string 6, at the 10^th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: 10 fret w/index finger, 13^th fret with your pinky finger, 12^th fret with your ring finger, and 11^th fret with your middle  finger.

43:6  On string 6, at the 9^th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: 9^th fret w/index finger, 12^th fret with your pinky finger, 11^th fret with your ring finger, and 10^th fret again with your middle finger.

43:7  On string 6, at the 8^th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: 8^th fret w/index finger, 10^th fret with your pinky finger, 10^th fret with your ring finger, and 9^th fret again with your middle finger.

43:8  On string 6, at the 7^th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: 7^th fret w/index finger, 9^th fret with your pinky finger, and 9^th fret with your ring finger, and 8^th fret with your middle finger.

43:9  On string 6, at the 6^th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: 6^th fret w/index finger, 8^th fret with your pinky finger, and 8^th fret with your ring finger 7^th fret with your middle finger.

43:10  On string 6, at the 5^th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: 5^th fret w/ index finger, 8^th fret with your pinky finger, 7^th fret w/ring finger, and 6^th fret with your middle finger.

43:11  On string 6, at the 4^th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: 4^th fret w/ index finger, 7^th fret with your pinky finger, and 6^th fret with your ring finger, and 5^th fret with your middle finger.

43:12  On string 6, at the 3^rd fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: 3^rd fret w/ index finger, 6^th fret with your pinky finger, and 5^th fret with your ring finger, 4^th fret with your middle finger.

43:13  On string 6, at the 2^nd fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: 2^nd fret w/ index finger, 5^th fret with your pinky finger, and 4^th fret with your ring finger, 3^rd fret with your middle finger.

43:14  On string 6, at the 1^st fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: 1^st fret w/ index finger, 4^th fret with your pinky finger, and 3^th fret with your ring finger, 2^nd fret with your middle finger.

43:15  On string 6, at the 2^nd fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: 2^nd fret w/ index finger, 5^th fret with your pinky finger, and 4^th fret with your ring finger, 3^rd with your middle finger.

43:16  On string 6, at the 3^rd fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: 3^rd fret w/ index finger, 6^th fret with your pinky finger, and 5^th fret with your ring finger, 4^th with your ring finger.

43:17  On string 6, at the 4^th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: 4^th fret w/ index finger, 7^th fret with your pinky finger, 6^th with your ring finger and 5^th fret with your middle finger.

43:18  On string 6, at the 5^th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: 5^th fret w/ index finger, 8^th with your pinky finger, 7^th fret with your ring finger, and 6^th fret with your middle finger.

43:19  On string 6, at the 6^th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: 6^th fret w/ index finger, 9^th fret with your pinky finger, 8^th fret with your ring finger and 7^th fret with your middle finger.

43:21  On string 6, at the 7th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: 7^th fret w/ index finger, 10^th fret with your pinky finger, 9^th with your ring finger and 8^th fret with your middle finger.

43:21  On string 6, at the 8th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: 8^th fret w/ index  finger, 11^th fret with your pinky finger, 10^th with your ring finger and 9^th fret with your middle finger.

43:22  On string 6, at the 9th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: 9^th fret w/ index finger, 12^th with your pinky finger, 11^th fret with your ring finger, and 10^th fret with your middle finger.

43:23  On string 6, at the 10th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: 10^th fret w/ index finger, 13^th fret with your pinky finger, 12^th with your ring finger, and 11^th fret with your middle finger.

43:24  On string 6, at the 11th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: 11^th fret w/ index finger, 14^th fret with your pinky finger, 13^th with your ring finger, and 12^th fret with your middle finger.

43:25  On string 6, at the 12th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: 12^th fret w/ index finger, 15^th fret with your pinky finger, 14^th with your ring finger and 13^th fret with your middle finger.

43:27  Repeat exercises 43:3 – 43:25 on the string 5.

43:27  Repeat exercises 43:3 – 43:25 on the string 4.

43:28  Repeat exercises 43:3 – 43:25 on the string 3.

43:29  Repeat exercises 43:3 – 43:25 on the string 2.

43:30  Repeat exercises 43:3 – 43:25 on the string 1.

43:31  Repeat exercises 43:3 – 43:30 using alternating strokes (up and down) instead of just down strokes.

43:32 Repeat 43:3 – 43:30 without palm muting w/down strokes.

43:33 Repeat 43:3 – 43:30 w/palm muting and w/down strokes.

43:34 Repeat 43:3 – 43:30 w/alternating strokes, w/palm muting.

43:35  If it feels comfortable, this pattern can be played at higher frets than the ones listed.  For example, on string 6, at the 13^th fret, play the following: 13^th fret w/index finger, 16^th fret with your pinky  finger, 15^th fret w/your ring finger, and 14^th fret w/middle finger.  Repeat this pattern 4x counting to 4 each time the pattern is repeated.

43:36  Follow the pattern in 43:3 - 43:33 as far up the frets is as still easy or playable on your guitar. 

43:37  Then, feel free to work your way back to the 12^th fret using the same pattern.  Possibly consider moving the pattern down the fret in whole steps.  For example, start at the pattern at the 19^th fret, then the 17^th fret, then the 15^th fret, then the 13^th, then the 11^th fret.