Fast forward a nearly a decade and a half.

I've been a fan of Eric Johnson for many years and I knew that he played Jazz IIIs as well, although he only likes red. I like red or black, just to mix it up. Anyway, a little while ago, Jim Dunlop introduces the Eric Johnson Classic Jazz III pick to fulfill Eric's preference for the older Jazz IIIs that had a slightly different finish. These new versions are not only less glossy for better grip, but they are also slightly larger than the more modern Jazz IIIs.

I recently bought a pack of the new Eric Johnson Classic Jazz III picks at my local guitar center on a whim to see how different they are. WOW! I was really impressed. The slightly bigger feel is hardly visible, but it feels significant. Also, the embossed lettering on the pick is thinner and more raised. The modified lettering in combination with the duller finish gives the pick a sandpaper-like feeling that is just right for grip without being annoying.

My only complaint with the modern Jazz IIIs were that they would sometimes slip because they are so small, but these new (old…reissue?) Classic Jazz IIIs are just about perfect. Eric Johnson knows his stuff. Go pick up a pack today and see how they improved on the best pick!

Current Setup

[Guitar] -> Vox V847 wah (modded for true-bypass) -> Boss TU-2 tuner -> Keeley Compressor (2 knob) -> Ibanez TS-808 (reissue) overdrive -> Fulltone OCD overdrive -> Keeley Katana clean boost ->Dunlop Uni-Vibe with UV1-FC foot controller -> Visual Sound H2O chorus and echo -> Ernie Ball VP Jr. passive volume -> Fender '65 Twin Reverb (reissue) amp

The items I've marked in bold are the ones that I'm perfectly happy with. I don't see any need to replace those items. I might like to put the TU-2 and the TS-808 in true-bypass loops, but other than that, I don't have any issues with them.

Wah

I like my Vox V847 quite a bit, especially since I modded it to include a true-bypass switch. It's a huge step above the CryBaby I used to have, but it just doesn't have the sweep I wish it had. …and then the new hotness walked in: the Fulltone Clyde Deluxe wah.

This naughty little girl has a selector for 3 different voices: Wacked, Jimi, and Shaft. The only setting it's missing is "adult film", although I think the Shaft setting would pass for that. It also has an input gain knob, although I'm not sure how much I'd use this, to be honest. I'm sure it would be fun to play with, but I haven't been a fan of the idea of gain in or before the wah, at least in the past.

Like all of the other items on this wish list, the Fulltone Clyde Deluxe wah would be completely unnecessary and totally awesome! It's also $250, unfortunately.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Fuzz

I've wanted a fuzz pedal for a while now, which has been a change for me. For years, I didn't like fuzz pedals. They just sounded like chainsaws to me. Over the last few years, I've come to realize that, if voiced properly and used correctly, they can be used for that Eric Johnson-esque lead violin sound. I like to have several different levels of gain stages in my pedalboard and I think the Keeley Fuzz Head would be the perfect pedal to round out the upper end of my drive/distortion spectrum.

From the demos I've heard and from what the Pro Guitar Shop salesman has told me, the Fuzz Head falls into this "violin lead" tone category, which is just what I'm looking for. The sound characteristics, the tweakability (including the silicone/germanium switch), and the Keeley name are enough to sell me on this one. This pedal will ravage my wallet for $189-$209, depending on sales at the time.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Sorry, Pro Guitar Shop. You don't carry Keeley and you don't have a demo video.

Modulation

I like my Uni-Vibe a lot, but it takes up a lot of space since it's two pedals, especially since the controller ends up sitting off-board. The Fulltone Mini Deja Vibe 2 would be an awesome replacement for my Uni-Vibe in that it has many of the same controls, except that it's in one unit and the sound quality is better. The extended rate control has me very intrigued as I have always felt like the range of speed adjustment on my Uni-Vibe's controller seemed short.

I really like being able to adjust the rate with my foot while playing, so this rules out a lot of pedals that I would otherwise consider, such as the Voodoo Lab Micro Vibe. For $250, I can kick my Uni-Vibe into my pedal storage unit and keep the swirling action going!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Delay

Here's where it gets tricky. I've got a Danelectro Fab Echo (just for fun, but it doesn't sound good enough), a Line 6 Echo Park (lots of options, but too digital), and a Visual Sound H2O (echo and chorus…decent on both, but neither is great), so trying to justify another delay seems kinda silly. But wait, it gets worse…I don't want a single delay. I want two more! For my rig, I need a pedal that can handle short slapback delay and something that can handle longer, warmer echoes. I don't really love any of my current pedals for these sounds. They are okay, but not amazing. I want amazing.

For short slapback, I want the Way Huge Aqua Puss MkII. This is supposed to be the pedal for slapback echo and short delay. It only goes up to 300ms, so I can't use it for my longer echoes, but Brad Paisley uses one, so what better endorsement can I ask for? Yeah, I know…John Mayer uses one too. I'm hoping having one of these won't turn me into a shallow womanizer. I can pick up an Aqua Puss for $149, or less if I trust the low-ball sellers on eBay.

Click here to view the embedded video.

For longer echoes, I think the MXR Carbon Copy is the pedal for me. It's small, has great analog sound, and the delay times are up to 600ms, which should be long enough. If I want to get crazy, I'm going to have to go digital, and then I can use my Echo Park. It's true-bypass, has a small footprint, and great analog sound, including optional modulation. People on the internet and at guitar shops are really digging this pedal. For $149, I can have all the echo I need…I need…I need…I need….

Click here to view the embedded video.

UPDATE 2/5/2011: Tonight, I picked up a Way Huge Aqua Puss MkII! I'm pretty happy with it so far. It sounds a lot more live and organic than the H2O. I think it will be great for the shorter delay times I want.

Chorus

I haven't figured out exactly what chorus pedal I'd like to have on my dream pedalboard, but I'm pretty happy with the Boss CE-5 Chorus Ensemble pedal that I have. It's not on my current board because of the H2O, but I like that CE-5 and its lush sounds. It may not be true-bypass, but the effect is great. Maybe I can put it in a true-bypass loop to help keep everything clean.

Volume

I'm not really sure what to do about this. I read that passive volume pedals can really suck the high-end off your tone. I hadn't noticed this at first when I first started using it (see "frog in pot" adage), but after removing it from my signal chain, I really notice the difference. I like having the volume pedal, but until I can find transparent option, I think it may have to go sit in the corner.

Old Friends

I've got a few other pedals I'd like to bring back into the mix. I mentioned the Boss CE-5 Chorus Ensemble, but I'd also like to get my Ibanez TS9DX back in use. It's a slightly different flavor than my TS-808 and I'd like to use it as the first pedal in my multi-stage gain spectrum. My Visual Sound Jekyll & Hyde might make an appearance, but if I get the Keeley Fuzz Head and if I have my TS-808 on the board, then the J&H is covering a lot of the same territory. I like my Line 6 Verbzilla, but it's a little more experimental than I need for most playing. Frankly, I really like the spring reverb in my Twin Reverb. The last "old friend" I want to add to my pedalboard is my Voodoo Lab Proctavia octave fuzz pedal. I don't use it a lot, but I just love that effect and I want to have it ready for use!

Board Yet? Get It?! "Board" Heh…Heh…

In addition to all the new pedals and rearrangements I want to make to the actual effects in my rig, I'd also like to build a new pedalboard. I've got an idea in mind that would incorporate my diamondplate decks as well as a wooden frame. I also want to incorporate some true-bypass loopers, but I can't find one that will accommodate all the pedals I'll need. I may end up building a couple small loopers and then chain them together. Either way, I want to incorporate a signal buffer to try to help retain the high-end of my tone. Tone suck with a Telecaster really…well, sucks.

The Paradox Of Cash And Regret

Here is where I run into a pretty big issue. I want to make a lot of expensive changes, so I should sell some of my pedals I'm not using, right? Wrong. Well, kinda wrong. You've got the right idea, but I have run into regretting the sale of nearly every piece of gear I have sold in the past. I wish I still had a Digitech Whammy. I got $100 out of it, but I'd rather have the pedal now instead of the $100 I got. Would I really play it that much? No, but I hate that I don't have it anymore. I want all my pedals to give to my step-son someday. They would be worth so much more like that than to sell them on Craig's List or eBay for half of what I paid for them. I may consider selling some of my pedals, but I'm going to think very cautiously and carefully before I do. I'd much rather just put them in a box and never play them so that I have them to pass down some day.

Since I don't know if I'll be able to fund my new gear by selling old gear, this may be a long and drawn out process. The good news is that it's something to stay excited about and keep striving for. If I got the perfect rig right now, then what would I have to look forward to in the gear realm? Oh, yeah…maybe I could just be content. Bah! Blasphemy! I've definitely got some of Eric Johnson's tone OCD in me. Step 1 is admitting you have a problem. Step 2 is ditching all the batteries in your pedals and going to AC-powered adapters! Hey, I'm one step ahead of Eric on the road to recovery.

Use a metronome when you practice. This helps establish consistent timing, accuracy, and synchronization between your left and right hands. Your playing will improve much faster by using a metronome. You can also build up speed by slowly increasing the tempo in small increments such as 8bpm at a time.

Shorten the length of your strap. Sure, it looks cool to play with your guitar hung really low, but it hurts your playing. If you're more concerned with looking cool, then you probably aren't reading this anyway. Your left hand can't reach or stretch as far as it can with the guitar high up. The higher the guitar, the more your thumb can be behind the neck and the more your wrist can be pushed forward and your hand can wrap around the neck. Think of holding the neck like you'd pick up a pencil, not how you'd pick up a shovel.

Pay attention to where you fret. Fretting in the middle between strings has a different sound and feeling than fretting right behind the fret. For accuracy, precision, and tone, you should fret as close to the back side of the fret as possible without muting the tone of the string. There are, however, some exceptions to this rule, as Eric Johnson is quick to point out.

Less is more…in terms of gain. Many beginning guitarists want their sound to be completely distorted because it sounds cool. Surprisingly, a lot of the music you might want to emulate isn't as distorted as you might think. Also, it's important to understand that tone is a big part of playing guitar. If you have too much distortion, there is no tone. No tone, means less distinction between notes, which equals poor dynamic and melodic contrast.

Intentionally order your pedals. While there are many schools of thought on pedal order, and your ears should be the ultimate decision makers, there is a general order to pedals that makes them most effective in the typical setup.

1. Guitar – this one should be obvious
2. Pre-volume – some people like to run volume pedals or clean boosts before everything else
3. Wah – the wah is a tone control, so generally, you want it close to the clean sound of the guitar
4. Compression – this is like the pre-volume so you want it near to the clean sound of the guitar
5. Harmonizers – pitch shifters, octavers, harmonizers, etc. should be next before the sound is colored
6. Overdrive – put the lightest drive first so you can cascade them into heavier sounds
7. Distortion – this is heavier than overdrive, so it should go after it
8. Fuzz – this is the most extreme form of drive and should be last in the chain of drive pedals
9. Noise suppression – if your noise suppressor has a loop, put your drive pedals in that loop to cut hiss
10. EQ – equalization pedals should typically go after drive pedals
11. Modulation – this is where your chorus, phaser, flanger, or rotary pedals go
12. Delay – just like with drives, it's a good idea to cascade your delays in ascending order with slapback first and long delay last
13. Reverb – this ambient effect should go last after all other types of delay
14. Post-volume – if you don't run a pre-volume, this is another good place to put a volume pedal
15. Amp – again, obvious

Alternately, if your amp has an effects loop, EQ, modulation, delay, and reverb often go well in that loop. Ultimately, try out different combinations and see what works best. Stevie Ray Vaughan often ran his wah after his TS9 Tube Screamers, which goes against the general rules to follow for pedal placement.

Play acoustic and electric guitar. These instruments are very different beasts; playing acoustic will make you a better electric player and playing electric will make you a better acoustic player.

String gauge is directly proportional to tone. If you want a big, fat, thick tone, you better not be playing on 9s. A big part of Stevie Ray Vaughan's sound (a surprising amount, actually) was based on the strings he used. He typically played on 13s and he would tune to Eb for easier bending. There is almost no excuse why you should ever play on 9s or, God forbid (no, not the band), 8s. If you need to do a lot of bending, especially compound and oblique bends, try some 10s for country or similar styles. Otherwise, you should be on 11s or better, especially for blues. Once you hit 12s, make sure you look for a wound 3rd (G) string rather than a plain string.

They say that cat Shaft is a bad motha–shut yo mouth! Never underestimate the power of left-hand muted pick scrapes and wah-wah.

The following exercise is done in 3 parts. Each one should be repeated starting on the 12th fret and working down the neck until you hit the first fret. Then you should move to the next string and repeat until you have played the exercise on each string. I also highly recommend using a metronome to stay in time and focus on keeping the notes even. Find the starting metronome tempo by seeing at what speed you can comfortably play 16th notes, then go back and start with the 8th notes.

8th Note Speed Picking

First, start with 8th notes, just two picks per note.

   1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +    1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +
e|-15-15-12-12-13-13-12-12-|-14-14-12-12-15-15-12-12--|
B|-------------------------|--------------------------|
G|-------------------------|--------------------------|
D|-------------------------|--------------------------|
A|-------------------------|--------------------------|
E|-------------------------|--------------------------|

   1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +
|-14-14-11-11-12-12-11-11-|-(etc.)-|
|-------------------------|--------|
|-------------------------|--------|
|-------------------------|--------|
|-------------------------|--------|
|-------------------------|--------|

8th Note Triplet Speed Picking

Now increase the complexity a bit by adding a third note to each beat and play 8th note triplets.

   1  +  a  2  +  a  3  +  a  4  +  a
e|-15-15-15-12-12-12-13-13-13-12-12-12-|
B|-------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------|

   1  +  a  2  +  a  3  +  a  4  +  a
|-14-14-14-12-12-12-15-15-15-12-12-12-|
|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|

   1  +  a  2  +  a  3  +  a  4  +  a
e|-14-14-14-11-11-11-12-12-12-11-11-11-|-(etc.)-|
B|-------------------------------------|--------|
G|-------------------------------------|--------|
D|-------------------------------------|--------|
A|-------------------------------------|--------|
E|-------------------------------------|--------|

16th Note Speed Picking

Now add a fourth note, essentially doubling the first version of this exercise. At this stage, it really helps to think of the notes as not faster, but rather shorter.

   1  e  +  a  2  e  +  a  3  e  +  a  4  e  +  a
e|-15-15-15-15-12-12-12-12-13-13-13-13-12-12-12-12-|
B|-------------------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------|

   1  e  +  a  2  e  +  a  3  e  +  a  4  e  +  a
|-14-14-14-14-12-12-12-12-15-15-15-15-12-12-12-12-|
|-------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------|

   1  e  +  a  2  e  +  a  3  e  +  a  4  e  +  a
e|-14-14-14-14-11-11-11-11-12-12-12-12-11-11-11-11-|-(etc.)-|
B|-------------------------------------------------|--------|
G|-------------------------------------------------|--------|
D|-------------------------------------------------|--------|
A|-------------------------------------------------|--------|
E|-------------------------------------------------|--------|

16th Note Triplet Speed Picking

For the trickiest challenge of all, add two more notes to make 16th note triplet groupings of 6.

   1  e  a  +  e  a  2  e  a  +  e  a  3  e  a  +  e  a  4  e  a  +  e  a
e|-15-15-15-15-15-15-12-12-12-12-12-12-13-13-13-13-13-13-12-12-12-12-12-12-|
B|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|

   1  e  a  +  e  a  2  e  a  +  e  a  3  e  a  +  e  a  4  e  a  +  e  a
e|-14-14-14-14-14-14-12-12-12-12-12-12-14-14-14-14-14-14-12-12-12-12-12-12-|
B|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|

   1  e  a  +  e  a  2  e  a  +  e  a  3  e  a  +  e  a  4  e  a  +  e  a
e|-14-14-14-14-14-14-11-11-11-11-11-11-12-12-12-12-12-12-11-11-11-11-11-11-|
B|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|-(etc.)-|
|--------|
|--------|
|--------|
|--------|
|--------|

If you can't play all of these up to speed, then slow it down and work your way up. This will take quite some time, so don't expect to shred the first day. Over a few months, you should be able to work up your speed slowly. Don't try to take big jumps or you will suffer in accuracy and technique.

The Shape 3 Major Scale is an alternate moveable root-6 (meaning that the 6th string contains the root of the scale) major scale. This example is illustrated in A major and should be practiced in all available positions.

Scale Fingerings

Scale Tones

Arpeggio Fingerings

Arpeggio Tones

The Shape 2 Major Scale is a moveable root-5 (meaning that the 5th string contains the root of the scale) major scale. This example is illustrated in C major and should be practiced in all available positions.

Scale Fingerings

Scale Tones

Arpeggio Fingerings

Arpeggio Tones

The Shape 1 Major Scale is a moveable root-6 (meaning that the 6th string contains the root of the scale) major scale. This example is illustrated in G major and should be practiced in all available positions.

Scale Fingerings

Scale Tones

Arpeggio Fingerings

Arpeggio Tones

Here are a few more patterns to practice for warming up.

Linear Patterns

Legato Ascending Pattern

I learned this pattern from some video I saw with Joe Satriani where he was talking about working on legato technique. This is good both for legato lines and for working on the extension between your index and middle fingers on your left had as you should play each triplet with fingerings 1-2-4. Pick only the first note and then hammer on the next two until you change strings, then pick again.

e|-------------------------|--------------------1h3h5-|
B|-------------------------|--------------1h3h5-------|
G|-------------------1h3h5-|-------1h3h5--------------|
D|-------------1h3h5-------|-1h3h5--------------------|
A|-------1h3h5-------------|--------------------------|
E|-1h3h5-------------------|--------------------------|

e|-2h4h6-------------------|--------------------------|-(etc.)-|
B|-------2h4h6-------------|--------------------------|--------|
G|-------------2h4h6-------|-2h4h6--------------------|--------|
D|-------------------2h4h6-|-------2h4h6--------------|--------|
A|-------------------------|-------------2h4h6--------|--------|
E|-------------------------|-------------------2h4h6--|--------|

After you complete this 4 bar pattern, move up to the next fret, which will actually be 2 frets above where you started, and repeat the pattern. Try to be as smooth and even as possible.

Perfect Fourth Stretch Pattern

As long as we are stretching out the left hand with that legato run, let's add another stretcher. This one is meant strictly for stretching between the fingers of your left hand and it also improves independent movement among the fingers. As with the other linear patterns, you start up the neck and work your way down. However, in this case, since the frets are closer together up the neck and further apart near the nut, it actually aids in the stretch.

Play the pattern below and then move down a fret until you've reached the nut, then go the B string, G string, D string, and even the A and low E strings, if you can, as it gets much more difficult on the lower (heavier) strings. Make sure that you leave your fingers down as you play the notes. That is, your fingers shouldn't leave the frets until after you've played the fourth note in the pattern, then release your grip and start over a fret down. This will ensure a proper stretch.

e|-12-14-16-17-|-(etc.)-|
B|-------------|--------|
G|-------------|--------|
D|-------------|--------|
A|-------------|--------|
E|-------------|--------|

Again, you should be fretting each bar with fingers 1-2-3-4, skipping a fret between the 1st and 2nd, 2nd and 3rd fingers. If you can't leave your fingers down all the way keep practicing and move your thumb behind the neck, pushing your wrist and elbow forward. Lift the neck upward as though you were playing an upright bass if you need the extra help.

Linear Leap Frog Pattern

This next pattern helps develop independent left hand finger movement as well as synchronization between both hands. Play the pattern, then slide down a fret and repeat until you get to the first fret, then start over on the B string, and so on with the G, D, A, and low E strings.

e|-15-13-14-12-|-12-14-13-15-|-(etc.)-|
B|-------------|-------------|--------|
G|-------------|-------------|--------|
D|-------------|-------------|--------|
A|-------------|-------------|--------|
E|-------------|-------------|--------|

Try playing the Linear Leap Frog with staccato articulation and stay as cleans as possible.

Complex Patterns

Reverse Cascade Pattern

This pattern is like the Cascade Pattern from Part 1, except it's flipped and backwards…and inverted and also it goes the other way. After you play the 6 bar pattern, slide down a fret and repeat until you get to the nut.

e|-15----------|-------------|-------------|
B|----14-------|-15----------|-------------|
G|-------13----|----14-------|-15----------|
D|----------12-|-------13----|----14-------|
A|-------------|----------12-|-------13----|
E|-------------|-------------|----------12-|

e|-------------|-------------|----------12-|-(etc.)-|
B|-------------|----------12-|-------13----|--------|
G|----------12-|-------13----|----14-------|--------|
D|-------13----|----14-------|-15----------|--------|
A|----14-------|-15----------|-------------|--------|
E|-15----------|-------------|-------------|--------|

Just as with the Cascade Pattern, the Reverse Cascade Pattern should be articulated in different ways, such as alternate and sweet picking.

Root 6 Major 7 Arpeggio

Running scales and patterns is a good way to warm up, but they are often very linear and your fingers don't skip around much. One way to beat the linear rut and still sound musical is to practice arpeggios. This is was the first arpeggio I learned and I still use it to this day. This time you are going to start on the 3rd fret in the key of G and move up a fret after each pattern until you clear the 12th fret.

e|---------------2-|-3-2-------------|-------|-(etc.)-|
B|-------------3---|-----3-----------|-------|--------|
G|-----------4-----|-------4---------|-------|--------|
D|-------4-5-------|---------5-4-----|-------|--------|
A|---2-5-----------|-------------5-2-|-------|--------|
E|-3---------------|-----------------|-3-2-3-|--------|

Make sure you use alternate picking regardless of which strings you are skipping to. Even though you may be skipping to the next string down, if the next pick is up, you should pick up. Try it slowly and exaggerate your right hand picking to help stay with a consistent pattern if you are having trouble maintaining the alternate picking technique.

That should keep you busy with more patterns for warming up. Look for more tips and techniques to come, maybe even "Warm Up Exercises Part 3"!

Stretching

Just like any athlete, you shouldn't attempt an exercise without first loosening up your muscles and joints. This may seem silly, but there are many guitarists who swear by this, including John Petrucci, and I've found that it really does make a difference. Here are a few stretches that you can use to loosen up BOTH HANDS:

• Forearm: bend your hand at the wrist as far forward as it will go until you feel a stretch in your forearm; similarly, do this the opposite way bending your hand backwards until you feel a stretch across the inside of your wrist and forearm.
• Wrist: make a fist and rotate your fist, bending at the wrist, clockwise and then counterclockwise.
• Fingers: use your opposite hand to spread your fingers far apart until you feel a stretch; do this between each set of fingers on each hand and do it in all directions (v-finger/Spock stretch, YellowPages walking fingers position and reverse).

Linear Patterns

After stretching, I like to begin with some linear patterns that stay focused on one string and adjacent frets.

1-2-3-4

The 1-2-3-4 pattern is really simple. You start on the 12th fret, play ascending chromatic notes until you land on your fourth finger, then you slide down a fret and do it again. Repeat this until you get to the 1st fret, then come back up the neck with the same pattern except sliding up one fret after each series of 4 notes.

e|-12-13-14-15-|-11-12-13-14-|-(etc.)-|
B|-------------|-------------|--------|
G|-------------|-------------|--------|
D|-------------|-------------|--------|
A|-------------|-------------|--------|
E|-------------|-------------|--------|

4-3-2-1

The 4-3-2-1 pattern is just the reverse of the 1-2-3-4 pattern. You start on the 15th fret, which positions your first finger on the 12th fret, and play descending chromatic notes until you land on your first finger, then you slide down a fret and do it again. Repeat this until you get to the 1st fret, then come back up the neck with the same pattern except sliding up one fret after each series of 4 notes.

e|-15-14-13-12-|-14-13-12-11-|-(etc.)-|
B|-------------|-------------|--------|
G|-------------|-------------|--------|
D|-------------|-------------|--------|
A|-------------|-------------|--------|
E|-------------|-------------|--------|

With both the 1-2-3-4 and the 4-3-2-1 exercises, make sure you articulate (pick) each note in order to work on your right/left hand synchronization. Use this exercise to work on even timing with down and up strokes with the pick.

Complex Patterns

These patterns cross strings with more complex patters that are good for warming up, but you should do these after the Linear Patterns.

Cascade Pattern

The Cascade Pattern is similar to the 1-2-3-4 pattern except that you go to next adjacent string on each note. The pattern cascades from the 1st string to the 6th string and then from the 6th string back to the 1st string. After you complete the patter across the strings and back, move down a fret and repeat, just like with the other exercises.

e|-12----------|-------------|-------------|
B|----13-------|-12----------|-------------|
G|-------14----|----13-------|-12----------|
D|----------15-|-------14----|----13-------|
A|-------------|----------15-|-------14----|
E|-------------|-------------|----------15-|

e|-------------|-------------|----------15-|-(etc.)-|
B|-------------|----------15-|-------14----|--------|
G|----------15-|-------14----|----13-------|--------|
D|-------14----|----13-------|-12----------|--------|
A|----13-------|-12----------|-------------|--------|
E|-12----------|-------------|-------------|--------|

Try this exercise two different ways: try it with alternating up and down strokes and also try it with a sweep-picking technique where you rake the pick across the strings in the direction that you are fretting (i.e. the first 3 bars will be swept with an up stroke, the last 3 bars will be swept with a down stroke).

Rotate Inner/Outer Pattern (John Petrucci Exercise From Rock Discipline)

I learned this exercise pattern from the John Petrucci video Rock Discipline. I like to use this exercise to maintain and build independent movement among my fingers for quick changes between chords. The pattern focuses solely on the left hand, so you can just strum the chord shapes straight. The important part is to try to only move the necessary fingers to get to the next shape and move them in time (all at once so they hit the chord on time). This one doesn't sound quite so pretty.

e|-15-15-12-12-|-(etc.)-|
B|-14-13-13-14-|--------|
G|-13-14-14-13-|--------|
D|-12-12-15-15-|--------|
A|-------------|--------|
E|-------------|--------|

As I said, focus only on moving the fingers necessary to get to the next shape; leave the others down. From the first shape to the second, you only need to move your 2nd and 3rd fingers. From the second shape to the third, you only need to move your 1st and 4th fingers. From the third to the fourth shape, you only need to move your 2nd and 3rd fingers again. Now slide down a fret, reset your fingers and repeat this all the way down the neck.

After you've reached the first fret, now repeat this same pattern on the A, D, G, and B strings. That is, do the exact same thing, just do it on the middle 4 strings.

e|-------------|-(etc.)-|
B|-15-15-12-12-|--------|
G|-14-13-13-14-|--------|
D|-13-14-14-13-|--------|
A|-12-12-15-15-|--------|
E|-------------|--------|

Now do it one more time on the E, A, D, and G strings (upper 4 strings).

e|-------------|-(etc.)-|
B|-------------|--------|
G|-15-15-12-12-|--------|
D|-14-13-13-14-|--------|
A|-13-14-14-13-|--------|
E|-12-12-15-15-|--------|

Chromatic Scale

There's no replacing the good ol' chromatic scale. You can cover all the notes in a pattern that you typically wouldn't play. I like to start in A (because that's as low as you can go with this pattern without hitting the nut) and run the scale up and down and then move up a fret and repeat until I'm somewhere above the 12th fret. Try this with a variety of picking techniques to keep it from getting monotonous and to exercise the right hand as well.

e|---------------------------------|---------1-2-3-4-5-|
B|---------------------------------|-2-3-4-5-----------|
G|-------------------------2-3-4-5-|-------------------|
D|-----------------3-4-5-6---------|-------------------|
A|---------4-5-6-7-----------------|-------------------|
E|-5-6-7-8-------------------------|-------------------|

e|-5-4-3-2-1-----------------------|-------------------|-(etc.)-|
B|-----------5-4-3-2---------------|-------------------|--------|
G|-------------------5-4-3-2-------|-------------------|--------|
D|---------------------------6-5-4-|-3-----------------|--------|
A|---------------------------------|---7-6-5-4---------|--------|
E|---------------------------------|-----------8-7-6-5-|--------|

There, now you should be warmed up and ready to begin playing or practicing. I think you'll be surprised to see how much more smoothly you can run scales after warming up properly.

First, let's look at the A section (the head) of Line For Lyons by Gerry Mulligan:

|    G6    G7(b9)    |    Cm7    F7    |    Bm7    E7    |    Am7    D7   |

|    GΔ7    E7       |    Am7    D7    |    G6     E7    |    Am7    D7   |

If you aren't familiar with jazz notation, Δ means "major".

We can reduce some of these chords down to their base forms:

|    G               |    Cm     F     |    Bm     E     |    Am     D    |

|    G      E        |    Am     D     |    G      E     |    Am     D    |

Knowing that ii-V is the most common chordal movement in jazz, that's one of the first things we can look for and identify what keys those ii-V movements occur in and then use that key as the scale:

| - - - - G - - - - -| - - - Bb - - - -| - - - A - - - - | - - - G - - - -|

                          ii     V          ii     V          ii     V

|    G               |    Cm     F     |    Bm     E     |    Am     D    |



| - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - G - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |

     I      VI            ii     V          I      VI         ii     V

|    G      E        |    Am     D     |    G      E     |    Am     D    |

Normally, in the key of GΔ, the vi chord is minor, but there are a various number of ways to include a major VI, such as modulation via common tones (other than the 3rd) or it could be the VI of the G minor scale. At any rate, don't lose any sleep over this anomaly, just throw in G# passing tone when you hit this chord and focus on E and B.

We've reduced 8 bars of 2-beat changes to 8 bars of GΔ with 2 measures of descending major scales (the Bb and A section). Now you only have to worry about those two bars and then just play over GΔ for the rest.

There are, of course, many other ways to reduce this. This is just one way. If you can think of another way to reduce this sample, I'd love to hear your suggestions. Use your ear and throw in more chord-specific tones in your soloing as you improve.