electric-guitar.co.uk Lesson: Dexterity

Previous Lesson: Harmonic Minor

This lesson was written by snadman/dfs

Here are a selection of licks that will:

Build dexterity in your hand
These licks will improve the accuracy of your playing, and strengthen your fingers.
Improve your timing
If you set a tempo with a metronome and try to stick to the beat, your timing will improve.

THE EXERCISES
Start playing these slowly, and gradually increase the tempo. Use alternate picking (downstroke/upstroke etc) to make these licks easier to play. The exercises increase in difficulty as you go further down the page.

LICK |------2345------------------------------------6789-------|
|-----------3456--------------------------6789------------|
|----------------4567----------------6789-----------------|
|---------------------5678------6789----------------------|
|--------------------------6789---------------------------|

|---------------------------------------------------4321--|
|-8765-----------------------------------------4321-------|
|------7654-------------------------------4321------------|
|-----------6543---------------------4321-----------------|
|----------------5432-----------4321----------------------|
|---------------------4321-4321---------------------------|

LICK Continue this lick following the same pattern.

|-----------------------------------------1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-|
|---------------------------------1-2-3-4-----------------|
|-------------------------1-2-3-4-------------------------|
|-----------------1-2-3-4---------------------------------|
|---------1-2-3-4-----------------------------------------|
|-1-2-3-4-------------------------------------------------|

|---------------------------------------------------------|
|-5-4-3-2-------------------------------------------------|
|---------5-4-3-2-----------------------------------------|
|-----------------5-4-3-2---------------------------------|
|-------------------------5-4-3-2-----------------3-4-5-6-|
|---------------------------------5-4-3-2-3-4-5-6---------|

LICK Continue this lick following the same pattern.

|----------------------------------------1-2-3-4----------|
|--------------------------------1-2-3-4------------------|
|------------------------1-2-3-4--------------------------|
|----------------1-2-3-4----------------------------------|
|--------1-2-3-4------------------------------------------|
|1-2-3-4--------------------------------------------------|

|---------------------------------------------------------|
|-2-3-4-5-------------------------------------------------|
|---------2-3-4-5-----------------------------------------|
|-----------------2-3-4-5---------------------------------|
|-------------------------2-3-4-5---------3-4-5-6---------|
|---------------------------------2-3-4-5-----------------|

LICK Same as lick

|-----------------------------------------4-3-2-1---------...-----------------|
|---------------------------------4-3-2-1---------5-4-3-2-...-----------------|
|-------------------------4-3-2-1-------------------------...-----------------|
|-----------------4-3-2-1---------------------------------...-----------------|
|---------4-3-2-1-----------------------------------------...---------6-5-4-3-|
|-4-3-2-1-------------------------------------------------...-5-4-3-2---------|

LICK

|---------------------------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------1-2-3-4---------|
|-------------------------1-2-3-4-----------------1-2-3-4-|
|---------1-2-3-4-----------------1-2-3-4-----------------|
|-----------------1-2-3-4---------------------------------|
|-1-2-3-4-------------------------------------------------|

|-1-2-3-4---------------------------------------------------------|
|-----------------2-3-4-5-----------------------------------------|
|---------2-3-4-5-----------------2-3-4-5-------------------------|
|-------------------------2-3-4-5-----------------2-3-4-5---------|
|-----------------------------------------2-3-4-5-----------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------3-4-5-6-|

LICK
|-----------------------------------------1-3-2-4---------|
|---------------------------------1-3-2-4---------2-4-3-5-|
|-------------------------1-3-2-4-------------------------|
|-----------------1-3-2-4---------------------------------|
|---------1-3-2-4-----------------------------------------|
|-1-3-2-4-------------------------------------------------|

|-----------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------|
|-2-4-3-5---------------------------------|
|---------2-4-3-5-------------------------|
|-----------------2-4-3-5---------3-5-4-6-|
|-------------------------2-4-3-5---------|

LICK
|-----------------------------------2---4-------------------------|
|---------------------------2---4-1---3-----3---5-----------------|
|-------------------2---4-1---3-----------2---4-----3---5---------|
|-----------2---4-1---3---------------------------2---4-----3---5-|
|---2---4-1---3-------------------------------------------2---4---|
|-1---3-----------------------------------------------------------|

|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|
|-------------------4---6-|
|-----------4---6-3---5---|
|---3---5-3---5-----------|
|-2---4-------------------|

LICK
|-----------------------4-------------------------------6-|
|---------------4---2-----------5---------------6---4-----|
|-------4---2---------3-----3-----------5---4---------5---|
|---2---------3---1-----------4-----3---------5---3-------|
|-----3---1---------------2-----------4---3---------------|
|-1-------------------------------2-----------------------|

LICK
|-----------------------4-------------------------|
|---------------4-----3---------5---------------6-|
|-------4-----3-----2---------4---------5-----5---|
|-----3-----2-----1---------3---------4-----4-----|
|---2-----1---------------2---------3-----3-------|
|-1-------------------------------2---------------|

LICK
|-1-------------------------------2---------------|
|---2-----1---------------2---------3-----3-------|
|-----3-----2-----1---------3---------4-----4-----|
|-------4-----3-----2---------4---------5-----5---|
|---------------4-----3---------5---------------6-|
|-----------------------4-------------------------|

CREDITS: Thanks to snadman for licks 2-10, and dfs for lick 1.

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