GUITAR
Dan Gillies is a freelance musician , performer , producer , clinician , and music instructor who makes his home in Fort McMurray , AB . He released his debut Instrumental Record – Dan Gillies – in the fall 2014 and continues to “ live the dream ” journeying with his guitar .
You can contact Dan and find out more on his website : www . dangilliesmusic . com .
By Dan Gillies
Choosing a Hybrid
Ever wonder how country pickers lay out those blazing runs ? You know , the ones that sound like there are two guitars dueling ? Or how players like Tommy Emmanuel or Chet Atkins created their multi-voice fingerstyle masterpieces ? Then there are those killer jazz players – Scofield , Breau , Hall … How do they play such comprehensive phrases , effortlessly jumping between chords and lines ? The answer : hybrid picking .
Hybrid picking isn ’ t just a country thing – just ask shredder Eric Johnson . By incorporating a little of it into your everyday playing , you will further develop your tone , your approach , and gain access to styles
and phrases that can only be achieved with hybrid picking .
Basically , hybrid picking is using your pick and fingers simultaneously to play what you ’ re already playing on the guitar . You ’ re just combining fingerstyle technique with your pick technique . You could start using a thumb pick to free up that index finger , but that ’ s only a preference some players have .
The following exercises will get you playing hybrid in a few different styles . Feel free to play with the tempo and move them around your fretboard . ( Note : the picking hand fingers are labeled with the standard “ pimac ” terms .)
Ex . 1
Ex . 1 is based on the G Major scale descending in thirds with a pedal tone on the G string . Play this with lots of distortion and you ’ ll be on your way to Eric Johnson ’ s “ Cliffs of Dover .”
Ex . 2
Ex . 2 is a seventh chord scale run in the key of C . It ’ s a great exercise to open up your picking hand and get that pinky working .
Ex . 3
Ex . 3 involves the A blues scale and is a great example of “ chicken pickin .’” Flip on your bridge pickup , your compressor , and let it rip !
What ’ s next ? Try re-learning some of your existing repertoire with this hybrid technique . Take a legendary lick or guitar solo and play it hybrid . Try learning phrases from pickers you know are using hybrid . Or , grab a country lick book and start picking away ! Keep on believing !
Check out Dan ’ s video version of this lesson at : www . dangilliesmusic . com / index . php / lessons /
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