When it comes to playing wide intervals on guitar, string skipping technique is one of the most important ways that we have as guitar players to achieve this sound. This lesson builds a solid foundation for performing wide interval jumps across string groups…
Q: Would you be able to do a video on string skipping like the sweep picking video, (which I found incredibly helpful). I know there are other people with string skipping videos on you tube but the way you do your lessons, they always come across really well.
Kind regards – Mark in U.K.
A: When it comes to wide interval technique I think of it in two different ways.
STRING CROSSING:
String Crossing Technique, relates to going between two adjacent guitar strings, while performing melodic lines.
STRING SKIPPING:
String Skipping Technique, relates to skipping over a string entirely to reach at another string. This would be like playing a note on the 4th string, then skipping to the 1st string.
To develop these techniques a guitarist will have to spend a great deal of time working on left and right hand co-ordination. There are several pieces of music that I would recommend, including but not limited to;
– Cliffs of Dover / Eric Johnson
– Sweet Child of Mine / Guns & Roses
Mastering the Technique:
Guitar players like Paul Gilbert and Nuno Bettencourt have mastered this technique so spending time on their songs and riffs would be of benefit.
Another way that string skipping is used would be to play through scale passages known as Pedal Point riffs. Guitarists such as Yngwie Malmsteen have these concepts down to a science.
String skipping and crossing can be quite difficult to master, but once you nail down the skill you can create brilliant sounding licks and runs that will help your songs and solos stand out from the crowd!
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