Flatpick Guitar Clinic

We talked about using different cross-picking patterns to accent different notes in order to bring out a melody. We also talked about using your ear to listen and identify whether the song starts on the One, Three or Five of the One chord. In the workshop, we use G as the example key. In the case of G, One = G, Three = B and Five = D. In bluegrass music, as well as many other musical styles, the melody will usually only start on one of these three notes. Picking which note to start your break on will give…

Click here for Flatpick Guitar Crosspicking Patterns Here is a video that shows me playing the Sitting on Top of the World break from Sunday's clinic. We talked about using a repetitive crosspicking pattern to catch the listener's ear, and tie the melodic licks together. Then we broke up the crosspicking with some doublestops and downstroke melodic lines. Remember when you practice: Isolation Isolate the problem sections like the crosspicking pattern by practicing slowly with a metronome with your right hand only Repetition Practice the same sections with a metronome in a loop until you can play it ten times in the…