In my first article on fretboard exercises, I spoke about the benefits of fretboard exercises. In this second article article I will present additional exercises that will build upon the first article.
As I stated in my first article, I highly recommend that you use a metronome when you go through these exercises. This will help you to synchronize the timing between your left and right hands. This is very important. Start with a slow tempo, like say 100bpm, and then gradually increase it as you master each exercise.
Exercise Five — Simple Warm Up (Variation A)
This exercise is a variation of the “simple warm up” exercise from my first article. The only difference is that each of the four left hand notes are played on a different string.
1 2 3
e|-----------------|-------4-1-------|-----------------|
B|---------------4-|-----3-----2-----|-1---------------|
G|-------4-----3---|---2---------3---|---2-----1-------|
D|-----3-----2-----|-1-------------4-|-----3-----2-----|
A|---2-----1-------|-----------------|-------4-----3---|
E|-1---------------|-----------------|---------------4-|
∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V
I M R L I M R L I M R L I M R L I M R L I M R L
.
Repeat the same pattern, this time starting at fret 2.
4 5 6
e|-----------------|-------5-2-------|-----------------|
B|---------------5-|-----4-----3-----|-2---------------|
G|-------5-----4---|---3---------4---|---3-----2-------|
D|-----4-----3-----|-2-------------5-|-----4-----3-----|
A|---3-----2-------|-----------------|-------5-----4---|
E|-2---------------|-----------------|---------------5-|
∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V
I M R L I M R L I M R L I M R L I M R L I M R L
.
Again, repeat the same pattern, but this time start at the third fret. Continue this all the way up the fretboard.
Exercise Six — Simple Warm Up (Variation B)
This is another warm up on the “simple warm up” exercise. Bars 4-6 are where it gets interesting. The downward movement and string changes will help improve your muscle memory of the fretboard.
1 2 3
e|-----------------|-------6-4-------|-----------------|
B|---------------5-|-----5-----5-----|-5---------------|
G|-------4-----4---|---4---------6---|---6-----6-------|
D|-----3-----3-----|-3-------------7-|-----7-----7-----|
A|---2-----2-------|-----------------|-------8-----8---|
E|-1---------------|-----------------|---------------9-|
∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V
I M R L I M R L I M R L I M R L I M R L I M R L
4 5 6
e|-----------------|-------4-6-------|-----------------|
B|---------------5-|-----5-----5-----|-5---------------|
G|-------6-----6---|---6---------4---|---4-----4-------|
D|-----7-----7-----|-7-------------3-|-----3-----3-----|
A|---8-----8-------|-----------------|-------2-----2---|
E|-9---------------|-----------------|---------------1-|
∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V
L R M I L R M I L R M I L R M I L R M I L R M I
Exercise Seven — String Skipping
This exercise will help with string skipping. You could also use this to practice your economy picking by ignoring the picking notation.
1 2 3 4
e|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
B|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
G|-----------4-|-----------4-|-----------4-|-4---4---4---|
D|-------3-----|-------3-----|-3---3---3---|-----------3-|
A|---2---------|-2---2---2---|-------2-----|-------2-----|
E|-1---1---1---|---1---------|---1---------|---1---------|
∩ V ∩ V ∩ V V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩
I M I R I L M I M R M L R I R M R L L I L M L R
.
In bars 5-8 you start to move up one string.
5 6 7 8
e|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
B|-----------4-|-----------4-|-----------4-|-4---4---4---|
G|-------3-----|-------3-----|-3---3---3---|-----------3-|
D|---2---------|-2---2---2---|-------2-----|-------2-----|
A|-1---1---1---|---1---------|---1---------|---1---------|
E|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
∩ V ∩ V ∩ V V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩
I M I R I L M I M R M L R I R M R L L I L M L R
.
Again, in bars 9-12 you move up another string.
9 10 11 12
e|-----------4-|-----------4-|-----------4-|-4---4---4---|
B|-------3-----|-------3-----|-3---3---3---|-----------3-|
G|---2---------|-2---2---2---|-------2-----|-------2-----|
D|-1---1---1---|---1---------|---1---------|---1---------|
A|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
E|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
∩ V ∩ V ∩ V V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩
I M I R I L M I M R M L R I R M R L L I L M L R
.
Bars 13-24 are an inverse version of bars 1-12.
13 14 15 16
e|-1---1---1---|---1---------|---1---------|---1---------|
B|---2---------|-2---2---2---|-------2-----|-------2-----|
G|-------3-----|-------3-----|-3---3---3---|-----------3-|
D|-----------4-|-----------4-|-----------4-|-4---4---4---|
A|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
E|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩
I M I R I L M I M R M L R I R M R L L I L M L R
17 18 19 20
e|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
B|-1---1---1---|---1---------|---1---------|---1---------|
G|---2---------|-2---2---2---|-------2-----|-------2-----|
D|-------3-----|-------3-----|-3---3---3---|-----------3-|
A|-----------4-|-----------4-|-----------4-|-4---4---4---|
E|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩
I M I R I L M I M R M L R I R M R L L I L M L R
21 22 23 24
e|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
B|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
G|-1---1---1---|---1---------|---1---------|---1---------|
D|---2---------|-2---2---2---|-------2-----|-------2-----|
A|-------3-----|-------3-----|-3---3---3---|-----------3-|
E|-----------4-|-----------4-|-----------4-|-4---4---4---|
V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩ V ∩
I M I R I L M I M R M L R I R M R L L I L M L R
.
After bar 24, repeat the entire exercise starting one fret higher. Continue this all the way up the fretboard.
Tab Legend
Pick Strokes:
∩ = downstroke
V = upstroke
*
Left Hand Fingerings:
I = index
M = middle
R = ring
L = little
