Introduction to String Skipping With Audio



String skipping is a technique that is not only a great way to give your picking and fretting hands a thorough workout, but will give you the opportunity to introduce some interesting harmonic ideas into your solos.

Lets jump straight into and easy-ish example:

This exercize is in E Major:

Ex 1.                  

E -|-------------------
B -|----------5--7--9--
G -|-------------------
D -|-6--7--9-----------
A -|-------------------
E -|-------------------
     d  u  d  u  d  u  

Click here to download audio for Ex 1 at slow>> and fast>> tempos.

I've included picking indications here because the direction of your picking strokes is important. You'll notice while changing on from the 3rd to 4th note of each passage that its a change on the outside of each string. That's is your pick is moving from a downstroke on the D string to an up stroke on the B string, moving over three strings. For a more detailed lesson on string changing see Alternate Picking - Traversing Strings >>. The pick also changes on the outside between the last note of the passage and the first note again on the next repeat.
Be carefull that you concentrate on picking each note so they sound even. Even volume, even pace and even sustain.

For Ex 2. we'll try a longer passage in C Minor:

This exercize involves a very similar picking technique but will challenge your ability to change fingering position quickly.

Ex 2.

E -|----------------------------------------------------------------10-11-13-15--
B -|----------------------------------------------9--11-13-----------------------
G -|----------------------------8--10-12-------------------8--10-12--------------
D -|----------8--10-12-------------------8--10-12--------------------------------
A -|-------------------8--10-11--------------------------------------------------
E -|-8--10-11--------------------------------------------------------------------
     d  u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d

Click here to download audio for Ex 2 at slow>> and fast>> tempos.

Finally we'll finish off with a challengind sequence in D Major:

Ex 3.

E -|-------------------------------------------------
B -|-------------3-----------7-----------3-----------
G -|-------------------------------------------------
D -|----4--5--7-----7--5--4-----4--5--7-----7--5--4--
A -|-5-----------------------------------------------
E -|-------------------------------------------------
     u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  

E -|-------------------------------------------------
B -|-------------5-----------8-----------5-----------
G -|-------------------------------------------------
D -|----5--7--9-----9--7--5-----5--7--9-----9--7--5--
A -|-7-----------------------------------------------
E -|-------------------------------------------------
     u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  
    
E -|-------------------------------------------------
B -|-------------7-----------10----------7-----------
G -|-------------------------------------------------
D -|----7--9--11----11-9--7-----7--9--11----11-9--7--
A -|-9-----------------------------------------------
E -|-------------------------------------------------
     u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  
    
E -|-------------------------------------------------
B -|-------------8-----------12----------8-----------
G -|-------------------------------------------------
D -|----9--11-12----12-11-9-----9--11-12----12-11-9--
A -|-10----------------------------------------------
E -|-------------------------------------------------
     u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  
    
E -|-------------------------------------10----------
B -|-------------10----------14----------------------
G -|-------------------------------------------------
D -|----11-12-14----14-12-11----11-12-14----14-12-11-
A -|-12----------------------------------------------
E -|-------------------------------------------------
     u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  

    
E -|-------------14----------10-------------------------
B -|-------------------------------------14-------------
G -|----------------------------------------------------
D -|----11-12-14----14-12-11----11-12-14----14-12-11----
A -|-12----------------------------------------------12-
E -|----------------------------------------------------
     u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  u  

Click here to download audio for Ex 3 at slow>> and fast>> tempos.