Guitar: Crosspicking Lesson 4

by Mickey Cochran

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 ©2000-2009 Mystic West Products

Lesson 4: Crosspicking Guitar "Back to the Basics"

In this lesson, we're going to concentrate on improving our timing and accuracy by incorporating the forward/reverse roll. In Lesson I, we concentrated on the Forward Roll along with the Backward Roll. In this lesson, we are essentially incorporating both into a single roll. Be sure to refresh your memory by making sure you have reviewed Lesson I.

Forward/Reverse Roll Pattern #1

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

  Starting on G String               Starting on D String
=====================================================================
E|----------0---------------0------|---------------------------------]
B|------0-------0-------0-------0--|----------0---------------0------]
G|--0---------------0--------------|------0-------0-------0-------0--]
D|---------------------------------|--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

We will now apply the Forward/Reverse Rolls to a G Progression. Be sure to have the pattern down comfortably before moving on to this progression. You should be able to play the roll almost without thinking about it.

G Scale Progression with the Forward/Reverse Roll #1 applied:

    G                                 C 
=====================================================================
E|---------------------------------|---------------------------------]
B|----------0---------------0------|----------1---------------1------]
G|------0-------0-------0-------0--|------0-------0-------0-------0--]
D|--0---------------0--------------|--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


    D                                 G
=====================================================================
E|---------------------------------|---------------------------------]
B|----------3---------------3------|----------0---------------0------]
G|------2-------2-------2-------2--|------0-------0-------0-------0--]
D|--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











Variation:

    G                                C
=====================================================================
E|----------3---------------3------|----------3---------------3------]
B|------3-------3-------3-------3--|------5-------5-------5-------5--]
G|--4---------------4--------------|--5---------------5--------------]
D|---------------------------------|---------------------------------]
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                                C
=====================================================================
E|----------5---------------5------|----------3---------------3------]]
B|------7-------7-------7-------7--|------3-------3-------3-------3--]]
G|--7---------------7--------------|--4---------------4--------------]]
D|---------------------------------|---------------------------------]]
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

Home Sweet Home Arranged by ®Mickey Cochran

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

Note: Pay careful attention to the Down/Up strokes since they vary from the
standard Forward/Reverse Rolls we completed in the previous exercise.

Part A:

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


    C				      F
=====================================================================
E|---------------------------------|---------------------------------]
B|--------------1-----------1------|--------------1---------------6--]
G|--0-------0-------0-----------0--|--2-------2-------5-------5------]
D|------2---------------2----------|------3---------------7----------]
A|---------------------------------|---------------------------------]
E|---------------------------------|---------------------------------]
    1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
    D   U   D   U   U   D   U   U     D   U   D   U   D   U   D   U


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


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

First Time Through Play These Two Measures (Omit Second Time Through)
    C                         First Time Through Start Back at Part A
=====================================================================
E|---------------------------------|----------0---0------------------]
B|----------1-----------1----------|----------1---1------------------]
G|------0-----------0-----------0--|----------0---0------------------]
D|--2-----------2-----------0------|----------2---2-------2-------3--]
A|---------------------------------|--3---------------3-------5------]
E|---------------------------------|---------------------------------]
    1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
    D   U   D   U   D   U   D   U     D       D   U   D   U   D   U

Second Time Through Start Here:
    C
=====================================================================
E|---------------------------------|----------0---0------------------]
B|---------------------------------|----------1---1-----------0------]
G|----------0-----------0-------0--|----------0---0---0-H-2----------]
D|------2-------0-H-2-------2------|----------2---2------------------]
A|--3------------------------------|--3------------------------------]
E|---------------------------------|---------------------------------]
    1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
    D   U   D   U       U   D   U     D   U   D   U   D       D

Part B:

    F
=====================================================================
E|---------------------------------|---------------------------------]
B|--------------6-----------6------|--------------6---------------1--]
G|--5-------5-------5-----------5--|--4-------4-------2-------2------]
D|------7---------------7----------|------7---------------3----------]
A|---------------------------------|---------------------------------]
E|---------------------------------|---------------------------------]
    1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
    D   U   D   U   U   D   U   U     D   U   D   U   D   U   D   U


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


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


    C                         First Time Through Start Back at Part B
=====================================================================
E|---------------------------------|----------0---0------------------]
B|----------1-----------1----------|----------1---1-----------0------]
G|------0-----------0-----------0--|----------0---0---0-H-2----------]
D|--2-----------2-----------0------|----------2---2------------------]
A|---------------------------------|--3------------------------------]
E|---------------------------------|---------------------------------]
    1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
    D   U   D   U   D   U   D   U     D       D   U   D       D

Second Time Through Start and End Here:
    C
=====================================================================
E|---------------------------------|----------0----------------------]]
B|---------------------------------|----------1----------------------]]
G|----------0-----------0-------0--|----------0----------------------]]
D|------2-------0-H-2-------2------|----------2----------------------]]
A|--3------------------------------|--3-------3----------------------]]
E|---------------------------------|---------------------------------]]
    1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
    D   U   D   U       U   D   U     D       D

Be sure to watch for the soon-to-be-published Mel Bay book: Guitar
Crosspicking Technique by Mickey Cochran. If you've got any questions
concerning these lessons, you may contact the author at:  

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