50th Guitar Snake River Rapids Exercises: Ring, Pinky, Index, Ring in 4s

You don’t have to start with exercise one.  Start with this exercise if you like!

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.

New Note6:  If it is too difficult to move this pattern up and down the fret board, I suggest not moving it, but trying it at various places.  For example, the index might occupy the 5^th fret, the middle might occupy the 6^th fret, the ring might occupy the 7^th fret, and the pinky might occupy the 8^th fret of any of the six strings, and the pattern that is the title of this exercise may be repeated without moving it up and down the fret board.  Another example might be to play the pattern of this exercise on a single string with the index finger at the 12^th fret, the middle finger at the 13^th fret, and the ring at the 14^th fret, and the pinky at the 15^th fret.

Note7:   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.

Note8: The exercises in this blog will involve the index finger, the ring finger, and the pinky finger.  Unlike earlier exercises, it will go below the 5^th fret.

50:1  On string 6, at the 12^th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: 14^th fret w/ring  finger, 15^th fret with your pinky finger, 12^th fret with your index finger, and 14^th fret with your ring finger.

50:2  On string 6, at the 11^th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: 13^th fret w/ring finger, 14^th fret with your pinky finger, 11^th fret with your index finger, and 13^th fret with your ring finger.

50:3  On string 6, at the 10^th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: 12 fret w/ ring finger, 13^th fret with your pinky finger, 10^th fret with your index finger, and 12^th fret with your ring  finger.

50:4  On string 6, at the 9^th fret, play the following pattern using all down strokes: 11^th fret w/ring finger, 12^th fret with your pinky finger, 9^th fret with your index finger, and 11^th fret again with your ring finger.

50:5  Work this pattern down to the 1^st fret.  Then, work it back up, a half step higher each time. 

50:6  Repeat exercises 50:3 and so on; on the string 5.

50:7  Repeat exercises 50:3 and so on; on the string 4.

50:8  Repeat exercises 50:3 and so on; on the string 3.

50:9  Repeat exercises 50:3 and so on; on the string 2.

50:10  Repeat exercises 50:3 and so on: on the string 1.

50:11  Repeat exercises using alternating strokes (up and down) instead of just down strokes.

50:12 Repeat without palm muting w/down strokes.

50:13 Repeat w/palm muting and w/down strokes.

50:14 Repeat w/alternating strokes, w/palm muting.

50:15  If it feels comfortable, this pattern can be played at higher frets than the ones listed.

50:16  Follow the pattern in 50:1 - 50:14 as far up the frets is as still easy or playable on your guitar. 

50:17  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.