Ready To Upgrade Your Picking?
Hey!
I'm excited to announce a new mini-course that will take you through the classic single-string groups of four alternate picking sequence in a systematic way.
This sequence has been a staple for hundreds of years and popularized by Yngwie's playing.
Check out some examples from the man himself here and here, and here's one from me and another one from Paul Gilbert.
Why Focus on Single-String Alternate Picking?
To be clear, the focus is on mastering the single-string sequence and it's variations.
Working on your single-string alternate picking is one of the most important things you can do to improve your overall picking. As Frank Gambale once said, "You can't sweep on a single string."
I've seen in my own technique that the more time I spend on single-string practice, the stronger my overall picking technique is.
What You'll Learn:
- The Natural, Harmonic, and Melodic Minor scales on all 6 strings
- Coverage of these scales in all 12 keys
- Massive improvement in your alternate picking technique on a single string
- Development of clean and fast position shifts to aid any future picking licks
- Effective practice strategies for reliable results
- Ability to play the Single-String Groups Of Four Sequence on any string and key across the entire fretboard
- Supplementary exercises and sequences that'll help you improve even faster
What You'll Get:
This course involves a daily practice routine (50 minutes per day) that eliminates all the guesswork. Here's what you'll receive:
- The Detailed Practice Routine: Available in PDF and Guitar Pro formats
- Video Walkthroughs: Step-by-step instructions showing how to practice and what to look out for.
Imagine how much better your picking technique would be if you started this 3 months ago. Start today, and in a few months, you'll be amazed by your progress!
The time will pass anyway. The only difference is whether your picking technique remains the same or becomes massively upgraded. Take action now and transform your guitar playing!
Why You Need This Course
Download the tabs for the two opening licks HERE
(excerpt from the course)
How To Use This Course
This course will take you through a daily practice routine with very specific exercises to help you master the Groups Of Four Sequence (referred to as GOFS in the course) and, in the process, learn several things that will improve your overall alternate picking technique.
If you follow the routine as intended, it will take you close to 50 minutes per day. This might feel like a lot, but see it as an investment in your overall picking technique that will pay off big in the future.
No one can say for how long you should keep the routine up; that's up to you and your particular needs and circumstances.
Anyone who goes through the routine exactly as is will see major improvements in a fairly short time. So do the work, and relax—the results will be there.
It'll take you 5 days to go through the routine and cover every position of the "Systematic Position Shifts" exercise, and I think that's a great point to move to the next scale.
For the first 15 days, you'll cover the entire routine using the A Natural, Harmonic, and Melodic minor scales. That's a great first milestone to shoot for.
After that, do the same in the key of E minor, D minor, etc., until you either feel satisfied and want to take a break for a while, or you power through all the keys, which would take you 180 days in total, or 6 months.
If you do that and make sure that you focus on accuracy throughout, your picking technique will be completely transformed
I don't want you to change the tempos of the exercises, we're programming our technique here.
Instead, add any speed burst practice and/or just playing around with different tempos for fun as your treat AFTER you've done the proper work.
It's so important to focus on the absolute accuracy when you do the daily routine, each exercise has a purpose and the tempos are not important.
Even if you didn't do any speed burst work you'd find that your speed and accuracy will improve without you trying.
Here are the exercises of the practice routine and the estimated time for each:
Practice Routine:
- Transition Time Position Shifts - Index & Pinky: 5:30
- Main Sequence Accents Practice: 14:24
- Systematic Positions Shifts: 6:20
- Sixes Variation: 3:30
- Sequence Variation Accents Practice: 13:15
- Leaping Fours: 6:20
Total Practice Time: 49:09
You have the full routine explained in the Natural Minor module below. I briefly cover the difference between the scales in the Harmonic and Melodic minor modules.
If you get stuck on any lesson, please post a question in the comment section under the pertinent one and I'll help you out as soon as possible.
Finally, there are no "hacks" here, to get the result you need to put in the work. That's also why it's so cool and quite an achievement when you get there!
Best
Jon
Example Curriculum
- Speed Burst Practice - Develop Speed With Control
- Lick Of The Day #22: Yngwie Style Alternate & Sweep Run
- Lick Of The Day #25: Yngwie Style Picking Run
- Lick Of The Day #39: Classic Yngwie Picking Run
- Lick Of The Day #56: Yngwie-esque Legato Lick
- Lick Of The Day #64: Yngwie Style Shred Lick
- Lick Of The Day #69: Yngwie Style Descending Alternate Picking Run
- Lick Of The Day #76: Neoclassical Picking Run In D Minor
- Lick Of The Day #88: Yngwie Style Shred Lick
- Lick Of The Day #109: Unleash the Fury - Yngwie-Inspired Shred Lick
- Lick Of The Day #112: Yngwie-Inspired Triple Threat - Hybrid, Alternate & Sweep Picking
- Lick Of The Day #113: Yngwie-Style Picking Run
- Lick Of The Day #131: Aggressive Yngwie-Style Picking Run
- Lick Of The Day #133: Neoclassical Picking Fest
- Lick Of The Day #135: Neoclassical Picking Run
- Lick Of The Day #142: Malmsteen Meets Gambale Mixolydian Lick
- Lick Of The Day #146: Yngwie-Inspired Picking Run
- Lick Of The Day #151: Yngwie-Inspired Alternate & Sweep Picking Run
- Lick Of The Day #152: Yngwie-Style Picking Run
- Lick Of The Day #168: Yngwie-Inspired Picking Run
- Shred Bite #2: Neoclassical Picking Run
- Shred Bite #5: Yngwie-Style Picking Run
- Shred Bite #22: Neoclassical Picking Run
- Shred Bite #26: Flashy Phrygian Dominant Run
- Shred Bite #29: Yngwie-Style Picking Run
- Shred Bite #36: Far Beyond The Sun Ending Run
- Shred Bite #42: Yngwie-Inspired Shred Run
- Quick Lick #60: Old School Yngwie Inspired Run
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the focus of this mini-course?
A: This mini-course focuses on mastering the single-string groups of four alternate picking sequence, inspired by techniques used by guitar virtuosos like Yngwie Malmsteen.
The course is designed to improve your overall alternate picking technique, position shifts, and fretboard knowledge.
Q: What will I learn in this course?
A: You will learn the Natural, Harmonic, and Melodic Minor scales on all 6 strings, covered in all 12 keys.
You will also develop clean and fast position shifts, practice effective strategies for reliable results, and play this classic sequence on any string and key across the entire fretboard.
Supplementary exercises and sequences will further enhance your skills.
Q: How much time do I need to dedicate daily to this course?
A: The course involves a daily practice routine of 50 minutes. This consistent practice will significantly improve your picking technique and overall guitar playing.
Q: Is this course suitable for beginners?
A: While the course can benefit guitarists at various skill levels, it is designed for those who already have some basic knowledge of guitar playing.
Complete beginners might find the exercises challenging but can still gain valuable skills by practicing at a slower pace.
Q: What materials are included in the course?
A: The course includes a detailed practice routine in PDF and Guitar Pro formats, along with video walkthroughs of the routine. These resources provide step-by-step instructions and tips to ensure effective practice.
I'll also help you out via the comments section if you get stuck at any point.
Q: How long should I follow the routine?
A: The duration for which you follow the routine depends on your personal goals and needs. However, it is recommended to practice for at least 60-90 days to see significant improvement.
Continuing through all the keys can take up to 180 days for a huge upgrade of your picking technique.
Q: Are there licks in this course?
This course is about giving you the tools and practice routine to massively improve your picking on a single-string.
There's no licks specifically for the course but I've added quite a few in the Bonus section from my various paid and unpaid lick packs that show how I use these types of sequences.
If you have any more questions, feel free to contact me!
