String Skipping Guitar Lesson

Chapter 1: (01:42) Lesson Introduction Matt addresses a specific right hand technique in this lesson. He demonstrates the proper way to play arpeggio patterns that feature a high level of string skipping. You will practice this technique by working through excerpts from three popular rock songs. These songs are "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" by Radiohead, "Tonight, Tonight" by Smashing Pumpkins, and "December" by Collective Soul. If you are not familiar with these songs, watch their corresponding music videos at www.youtube.com.
Chapter 2: (12:19) String Skipping This scene begins with a demonstration of the first excerpt that you will learn. This excerpt is the introduction and verse section to the song "December" by Collective Soul.

Left-Hand Technique

When learning any new skill, it is always best to isolate the hands. By mastering the easier, left-hand component of this excerpt, you will be able to focus all of your attention on learning the challenging right hand pattern.

G5

This song is played in the key of G major. It begins with an "open" G5 power chord. Notice how the second finger is used to mute the fifth string in this voicing. Lightly rest the middle finger on this string to ensure that it does not vibrate. The third and fourth strings are played open. The third and pinkie fingers fret the notes D and G respectively. Throughout this chord progression, the third and pinkie fingers remain stationary while the first and second fingers must shift to fret various bass notes.

Note: Diagrams with proper fingerings to all of the chords presented in this lesson can be found under the "Supplemental Content" tab.

G5/F

The left hand must perform a difficult stretch in order to fret the next chord in the progression. You must have a significant amount of finger independence to master this chord shape. The best way to practice such a chord is not by playing the chord itself. Instead, practice reach development and finger independence exercises such as the ones that Dennis demonstrates in lesson 5 of the Phase 2 Metal series. When switching from G5 to G5/F, simply fret the note F at the1st fret of the sixth string. The rest of the notes within the chord remain unaltered.

Csus2

The next chord in the progression is Csus2. Now, the second finger is playing the bass note C at the 3rd fret of the fifth string. The second finger must mute the open fourth string. Once again, the third and pinkie fingers remain fixed on the notes D and G respectively.

Note: Matt refers to this chord as Cadd9 in the lesson video. This is also another viable name for this chord. However, since the third is missing from the chord, it must be written as follows: Cadd9(no 3rd).

Bb6

When switching from Csus2 to Bb6, lift up your second finger. Then, fret the note Bb at the 1st fret of the fifth string. The first finger mutes the fourth string within this chord. Similar to G5/F, this chord features a large stretch performed by the first finger.

G/B

Slide the first finger up one fret to play the final chord in the progression. The first finger is now playing the note B at the 2nd fret of the fifth string. The D string remains muted when playing this chord.

Right Hand Pattern

The first three measures of this excerpt apply the same picking pattern. The bass note of the chord is played followed by a pattern played on the third, second, and first strings. Practice the picking pattern with open strings to isolate the right hand component. Use strict alternate picking throughout the excerpt.

Right-Hand Technique for String Skipping

Do not rest any part of the right hand on the body or the bridge of the guitar. Rest the top of the forearm on the upper hip of the guitar's body. This allows for maximum range of movement with the right hand wrist. The wrist is also free to move at a greater speed when this technique is applied. Watch Matt at 07:35 for a demonstration. Notice how only the forearm is anchored to the body of the guitar.

Practicing the Exercise

The biggest difficulty of this exercise is skipping from the sixth string (played with a downstroke) to the third string, which is played with an upstroke. Drill this string skip very slowly to improve your accuracy and consistency. If you have not had practice with this technique, it will feel very awkward at first. However, after playing string skipping material for about two weeks with this technique, it will feel totally natural.

Loop the picking pattern with open strings at first. Then, loop the pattern while fretting each individual chord. Finally, connect all of the chords in the progression to play the excerpt. The picking pattern changes slightly in the final measure. Loop this pattern with open strings. Then, apply the appropriate chord shapes in the left hand. Watch Matt at 10:52 for a demonstration of this pattern.

Playing patterns with string skipping is always easier if you have the music memorized. This allows you to watch your right hand instead of staring at the sheet music. Chapter 3: (06:25) String Skipping Exercise The second excerpt in this lesson is from the verse section to "Tonight, Tonight" by the Smashing Pumpkins. This exercise is slightly easier than the exercise presented in the first scene. If you are new to string skipping, you might want to start with this excerpt. Then, work back to the "December" excerpt. Finally, advance to the excerpt in the next scene for the most challenging exercise.

Left-Hand Fingering

This excerpt involves a shifting bass note played on the fifth string. The bass note is played in conjunction with the open G and B strings. For each of the bass notes, simply slide the first finger to the appropriate note. Matt demonstrates an alternate fingering at 01:04 that may be more comfortable for you. Experiment with both fingerings to discover which works best for you.

Right-Hand Pattern

The right-hand pattern remains the same throughout this entire example. Once again, play the excerpt with strict alternate picking. You will most likely experience the most difficulty with the skip that occurs between the second string and the fifth string. If this is the case, drill this string skip over and over at a slow tempo. Matt provides an example of this brief exercise at 02:00 in the lesson video. One thing you can do to help with difficult string skips is arch your thumb upwards when skipping from a high string to a low string. This is only possible if you were born with a hitchhiker thumb. This turns the pick upwards just slightly, enabling the pick to clear the third and fourth strings. This excerpt is played at a very quick tempo. It is played in eighth notes at 154 beats per minute. However, you should start with the metronome set to about 60 or 70 beats per minute and work your way up one setting at a time.

Tuning Down

The guitars on this recording are tuned down a 1/2 step. If you wish to play along with the recording, you must re-tune your guitar. Refer to lesson 10 of this series to learn the most effective way to tune your guitar down. Chapter 4: (11:13) Another String Skipping Exercise Make sure that you have mastered the first two examples before attempting to play the final example. This example is from Radiohead's "Street Spirit (Fade Out)." This song is the final cut on The Bends.

Memorizing the excerpt is essential to playing it fluidly and accurately. Otherwise, you will be trying to think of what note comes next on top of trying to play a difficult right hand pattern.

Left-Hand Pattern

The chord progression consists of the "open" Am, Em, and C chords. However, some additional melody notes are added to each of these chord shapes. The melody notes are played on the B string throughout the entire song. The melody line remains constant regardless of which chord is being played. Due to the inclusion of a melody line, this passage must be played with strict classical technique. Do not allow the thumb to come up and over the fretboard.

Right-Hand Pattern

The picking pattern begins with the bass note of each chord. The bass note is played on the fifth string for the Am and C chords. It is played on the sixth string for Em. The rest of the pattern remains exactly the same for each chord. The third string is always plucked immediately after the second string. This feature will help you memorize the pattern.

Practice the picking pattern with open strings before adding in the left hand. Play with strict alternate picking. Then, practice the picking pattern with each individual chord. Finally, practice the excerpt as it is notated in the "Supplemental Content" section. Drill each chord change in the song. For example, switch back and forth between the Am pattern and Em. Then switch between Am and C. Chapter 5: (01:56) Final Thoughts In the following lesson, Matt will switch gears back to lead guitar. He will discuss string skipping and playing large intervals within the context of a melody or solo line. The right hand techniques demonstrated in this lesson will be applied to some new scale exercises.

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