Guitar 4: Sequences · Music Nudge

Threes up

Why

Up and down is a ladder. Sequences are steps on the ladder: three notes up, go back one, three notes up again. This is how real solos move.

4.1Threes up

Three notes per click. Count 1 and a, 2 and a. Keep strict down, up picking.

e|-------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------5-----5--7--|
A|-------5-----5--7--5--7-----7--------|
E|-5--8-----8--------------------------|
   1  &  a  2  &  a  3  &  a  4  &  a

e|-------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------5-----5--8--|
G|-------5-----5--7--5--7-----7--------|
D|-5--7-----7--------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------|
   1  &  a  2  &  a  3  &  a  4  &  a

e|-------5-----5--8--|
B|-5--8-----8--------|
G|-------------------|
D|-------------------|
A|-------------------|
E|-------------------|
   1  &  a  2  &  a

BPM

Pass: you play it from memory, no stops between groups.

Threes down

4.2Threes down

Same idea from the top. Three notes down, back one, three down again. Ends on low A.

e|-8--5-----5--------------------------|
B|-------8-----8--5--8--5-----5--------|
G|-------------------------7-----7--5--|
D|-------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------|
   1  &  a  2  &  a  3  &  a  4  &  a

e|-------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------|
G|-7--5-----5--------------------------|
D|-------7-----7--5--7--5-----5--------|
A|-------------------------7-----7--5--|
E|-------------------------------------|
   1  &  a  2  &  a  3  &  a  4  &  a

e|-------------------|
B|-------------------|
G|-------------------|
D|-------------------|
A|-7--5-----5--------|
E|-------8-----8--5--|
   1  &  a  2  &  a

BPM

Pass: you play it from memory and land on low A.

Make it harder

Play the first note of every group louder.
Play 4.1 and 4.2 back to back as one long line.
Start with an up stroke instead of a down stroke.

Fours up

4.3Fours up

Four notes up, go back to the second one, four up again. Two notes per click.

e|-------------------------|-------------------------|
B|-------------------------|-------------------------|
G|-------------------------|----------------------5--|
D|----------------------5--|-------5--7-----5--7-----|
A|-------5--7-----5--7-----|-5--7--------7-----------|
E|-5--8--------8-----------|-------------------------|
   1  &  2  &  3  &  4  &    1  &  2  &  3  &  4  &

e|-------------------------|----------------------5--|
B|----------------------5--|-------5--8-----5--8-----|
G|-------5--7-----5--7-----|-5--7--------7-----------|
D|-5--7--------7-----------|-------------------------|
A|-------------------------|-------------------------|
E|-------------------------|-------------------------|
   1  &  2  &  3  &  4  &    1  &  2  &  3  &  4  &

e|-------5--8--|
B|-5--8--------|
G|-------------|
D|-------------|
A|-------------|
E|-------------|
   1  &  2  &

Pass: from memory, even eighth notes.

Tip

Each group starts one note higher than the last one. If you get lost, say the first note of each group out loud: A, C, D, E, G.

Fours down

4.4Fours down

From the top. Four notes down, back to the second one, four down again.

e|-8--5--------5-----------|-------------------------|
B|-------8--5-----8--5-----|-8--5--------5-----------|
G|----------------------7--|-------7--5-----7--5-----|
D|-------------------------|----------------------7--|
A|-------------------------|-------------------------|
E|-------------------------|-------------------------|
   1  &  2  &  3  &  4  &    1  &  2  &  3  &  4  &

e|-------------------------|-------------------------|
B|-------------------------|-------------------------|
G|-7--5--------5-----------|-------------------------|
D|-------7--5-----7--5-----|-7--5--------5-----------|
A|----------------------7--|-------7--5-----7--5-----|
E|-------------------------|----------------------8--|
   1  &  2  &  3  &  4  &    1  &  2  &  3  &  4  &

e|-------------|
B|-------------|
G|-------------|
D|-------------|
A|-7--5--------|
E|-------8--5--|
   1  &  2  &

Pass: from memory, even eighth notes.

4.5Mix

Threes up, then fours down, no break. Then fours up and threes down.

BPM

Pass: both mixes clean at the same tempo.