Guitar: Crosspicking Lesson 3

Crosspicking Guitar Technique: Published by Mel Bay Publications (the following is an excerpt). Click here to go to a an overview of this book.

Copyright ©2000-2010 Mystic West Media

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In keeping with last month's Crosspicking Lesson 2, we are going to focus on the forward roll.

In the following version of "John Hardy", emphasize all of the bottom notes of each forward roll (the bottom note visually on the staff; the lower note in pitch). This will establish the melody and assist you in learning the most critical factor when crosspicking: accents. By learning how to accent the melody note, the listener will be better able to decipher which tune you're playing. You can also add a lot of variety by experimenting with accent placement. We'll explore this in future lessons.

Following is the first variation of John Hardy. Stay tuned for Crosspicking lesson 4; the second John Hardy variation will concentrate on up-the-neck patterns while still retaining the forward roll.

John Hardy

Pay attention to the following symbols:
    Down Stroke = D
    Up Stroke = U
    Hammer-On = H
    Slide   = S

Part A:

Lead-in            
====================================
E|---------------------------------]
B|---------------------------------]
G|--------------0-------0-------0--]
D|---------------------------------]
A|------------------0-------2------]
E|----------3----------------------]
    1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
            D   U   D   U   D   U  


    C                                 F           C

=====================================================================
E|---------------------------------|---------------------------------]
B|---------------------------------|----------1-----------1----------]
G|----------0-----------0-------0--|------2-----------0--------------]
D|------2-------0-H-2-------2------|--3-----------2-----------2------]
A|--3------------------------------|---------------------------------]
E|---------------------------------|---------------------------------]
    1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
    D   U   D   U       U   D   U     D   U   D   U   D   U   D  


    G                                
=====================================================================
E|---------------------------------|---------------------------------]
B|---------------------------------|---------------------------------]
G|----------0-----------0----------|--------------0-------0-------0--]
D|------0-----------0-----------0--|---------------------------------]
A|--2-S-5-------5-----------2------|------------------0-------2------]
E|---------------------------------|--3-------3----------------------]
    1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
    D   U   D   U   D   U   D   U     D       D   U   D   U   D   U


    C                                 F           C
=====================================================================
E|---------------------------------|---------------------------------]
B|---------------------------------|----------1-----------1----------]
G|----------0-----------0-------0--|------2-----------0--------------]
D|------2-------0-H-2-------2------|--3-----------2-----------2------]
A|--3------------------------------|---------------------------------]
E|---------------------------------|---------------------------------]
    1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
    D   U   D   U       U   D   U     D   U   D   U   D   U   D  


    G                                
=====================================================================
E|---------------------------------|---------------------------------]
B|----------0-----------0----------|---------------------------------]
G|------0-----------0-----------0--|--------------0-------0-------0--]
D|--2-S-5-------5-----------5------|--5------------------------------]
A|---------------------------------|------------------0-------2------]
E|---------------------------------|----------3----------------------]
    1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
    D   U   D   U   D   U   D   U     D       D   U   D   U   D   U


    C                                 F           C
=====================================================================
E|---------------------------------|---------------------------------]
B|---------------------------------|----------1-----------1----------]
G|----------0-----------0-------0--|------2-----------0--------------]
D|------2-------0-H-2-------2------|--3-----------2-----------2------]
A|--3------------------------------|---------------------------------]
E|---------------------------------|---------------------------------]
    1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
    D   U   D   U       U   D   U     D   U   D   U   D   U   D


    G                                
=====================================================================
E|---------------------------------|---------------------------------]
B|---------------------------------|---------------------------------]
G|----------0-----------0----------|---------------------------------]
D|------0-----------0-----------0--|--------------0-------0-------0--]
A|--2-S-5-------5-----------2------|---------------------------------]
E|---------------------------------|--3-------3-------2-------3------]
    1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
    D   U   D   U   D   U   D   U     D       D   U   D   U   D   U  


    D                                 D7
=====================================================================
E|----------------------0----------|----------------------0----------]
B|----------3----------------------|----------1----------------------]
G|------2-----------2-----------2--|------2-----------2-----------2--]
D|--0-----------0-----------0------|--0-----------0-----------0------]
A|---------------------------------|---------------------------------]
E|---------------------------------|---------------------------------]
    1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
    D   U   D   U   D   U   D   U     D   U   D   U   D   U   D   U


    D                                 D7
=====================================================================
E|----------------------0----------|----------------------0----------]
B|----------3----------------------|----------1----------------------]
G|------2-----------2-----------2--|------2-----------2-----------2--]
D|--0-----------0-----------0------|--0-----------0-----------0------]
A|---------------------------------|---------------------------------]
E|---------------------------------|---------------------------------]
    1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
    D   U   D   U   D   U   D   U     D   U   D   U   D   U   D   U


    D               C                 Bm          Am
=====================================================================
E|---------------------------------|---------------------------------]
B|----------7-----------5----------|----------3-----------1----------]
G|------7-----------5-----------5--|------4-----------2-----------2--]
D|--7-----------5-----------5------|--4-----------2-----------2------]
A|---------------------------------|---------------------------------]
E|---------------------------------|---------------------------------]
    1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
    D   U   D   U   D   U   D   U     D   U   D   U   D   U   D   U


    G                                
=====================================================================
E|---------------------------------|----------3----------------------]
B|----------0----------------------|----------0----------------------]
G|----------------------0----------|----------0----------------------]
D|--4-H-5-------4-H-5-------0------|----------0----------------------]
A|------------------------------2--|----------2----------------------]
E|---------------------------------|--3-------3----------------------]
    1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
    D       D   U       U   D   U     D       D

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