Saving the Best for (almost) Last

Playing the lick on the second half of a measure

So far, we've learned this lick at the start of a measure. As stated previously, Earl was just as likely to put this lick at the end of a measure as he was to put it at the start. This exercise demonstrates that nicely. It starts with the forward roll on open strings, then the lick follows. This really helps us connect the dots and see that the picking hand is playing the same pattern, the only thing that is changing is what we do with the fretting hand. Loop this and play it 100x, then do it some more.

PLAY WITHIN YOUR LIMITS! If you feel a lot of muscle tension when playing, you are going too fast for your current level. Playing with excessive tension for long periods can lead to injury. Better to play slow, and relaxed. Put in the reps. Over time, your speed will increase, and you'll have more control over your tone and dynamics than if you tense up and try to go as fast as you can too soon.

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Up next, a finger-busting exercise!