Guitar Finger Building Exercise - Etude of Technique

There are 7 audio tracks available for download that go with this lesson. See full track listing at the end of the lesson.

In this lesson we are going to work those little digits of yours using arpeggios, hammer-ons and Pull-offs, and pivoting.

Arpeggios are simply the notes of chord played in succession. For example the “A” minor chord is built with the notes A, C, and E. Instead of playing the notes collectively in a chord fingering you would play them individually.

Hammer-ons and pull-offs are also commonly referred to as slurs. It simply is just using the left hand to play notes without picking. An example of a hammer-on would be if you played the seventh fret on the fourth string with your first finger you would “hammer” your third finger down on the ninth fret to make the ninth fret sound.

A pull-off is just the opposite of a hammer-on. An example of a pull-off would be If you were to play the ninth fret on the fourth string then “pulled” your third finger off of the ninth fret while holding down the fourth string seventh fret with your first finger making the seventh fret ring.

Pivoting is a technique where a note in succession of notes keeps getting repeated. For example playing the notes B-E-B-F#-B-G-B-A-G-B-F#-B-E-B. The “B” note is the note that is being pivoted. It is kind of like a spring board between notes. Pivoting was a technique commonly used in Baroque music by artists such as
Johann Sebastian Bach. There is a lot of pivoting to be heard in Bach’s famous composition “Toccata and Fugue.”

In the following lesson I put notes over the example to show you where the techniques being used are. This way you can have a visual to the explanations I wrote previously.

As always practice slowly and evenly. Be precise and use strict alternate picking through-out to build on your basic techniques. Never sacrifice your fundamentals when working on new material. Remember my motto; always constant, accurate, and intense!!!

Until next time, keep Rockin’ N’ Rollin.
-Professor Jim

Etude of technique

The Downloadable Audio Track Listing

Download all these practice tracks for just $1.99. Yes I want the Practice Tracks

1. Guitar Tuning Notes
2. Finger Building Exercise Etude of Technique Slow
3. Finger Building Exercise Etude of Technique Fast
4. Finger Building Exercise Etude of Technique Played against Backing Track
5. Finger Building Exercise Etude of Technique Jam Track 100BPM
6. Finger Building Exercise Etude of Technique Jam Track 120BPM
7. Finger Building Exercise Etude of Technique Jam Track 140BPM

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©2009 Jim Rutkowski & Fred Russell Publishing, All Rights Reserved. This article can not be used without permission from the Author. To Contact the Author email curt@RockHouseMethod.com