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Lesson 2 of 4

String changes in triplets

This is box 1 of A minor pentatonic at the 5th fret, played three notes per click. Two notes on each string, six strings, then back down.

Fingering: index on fret 5, ring on 7, pinky on 8. Every string has one note at fret 5 and one at 7 or 8.

The second exercise loops triplets over two strings at a time. The third is the same run in open E minor pentatonic: middle finger on fret 2, ring on 3.

Pick strictly down-up. Because there are three notes per beat, the pick lands on a downstroke on beat one, an upstroke on beat two, and so on. That's the point: you learn to start a beat with either stroke, which is exactly the skill you need for fast lead lines. Count "1-trip-let, 2-trip-let".

It should sound like a smooth, even wave rolling up and down the neck. The most common mistake is letting the notes clump into pairs, because there are two notes per string. Accent the first note of each click (marked >) to keep the triplet feel.

Start at 60 and work up to 90 for box 1 and 100 for the other two. Advance only after three clean takes in a row.

Exercises

Box 1 up and down

60 → 90 bpm
  1. Bar 1
    1. low E string, fret 5, accented
    2. low E string, fret 8
    3. A string, fret 5
    4. A string, fret 7, accented
    5. D string, fret 5
    6. D string, fret 7
    7. G string, fret 5, accented
    8. G string, fret 7
    9. B string, fret 5
    10. B string, fret 8, accented
    11. high E string, fret 5
    12. high E string, fret 8
  2. Bar 2
    1. high E string, fret 8, accented
    2. high E string, fret 5
    3. B string, fret 8
    4. B string, fret 5, accented
    5. G string, fret 7
    6. G string, fret 5
    7. D string, fret 7, accented
    8. D string, fret 5
    9. A string, fret 7
    10. A string, fret 5, accented
    11. low E string, fret 8
    12. low E string, fret 5

Clean 3 times in a row? Raise the tempo by 5 bpm.

Triplets on two strings

60 → 100 bpm
  1. Bar 1
    1. G string, fret 5, accented
    2. G string, fret 7
    3. B string, fret 5
    4. B string, fret 8, accented
    5. B string, fret 5
    6. G string, fret 7
    7. G string, fret 5, accented
    8. G string, fret 7
    9. B string, fret 5
    10. B string, fret 8, accented
    11. B string, fret 5
    12. G string, fret 7
  2. Bar 2
    1. B string, fret 5, accented
    2. B string, fret 8
    3. high E string, fret 5
    4. high E string, fret 8, accented
    5. high E string, fret 5
    6. B string, fret 8
    7. B string, fret 5, accented
    8. B string, fret 8
    9. high E string, fret 5
    10. high E string, fret 8, accented
    11. high E string, fret 5
    12. B string, fret 8

Clean 3 times in a row? Raise the tempo by 5 bpm.

Open E minor pentatonic in triplets

60 → 100 bpm
  1. Bar 1
    1. low E string, open, accented
    2. low E string, fret 3
    3. A string, open
    4. A string, fret 2, accented
    5. D string, open
    6. D string, fret 2
    7. G string, open, accented
    8. G string, fret 2
    9. B string, open
    10. B string, fret 3, accented
    11. high E string, open
    12. high E string, fret 3
  2. Bar 2
    1. high E string, fret 3, accented
    2. high E string, open
    3. B string, fret 3
    4. B string, open, accented
    5. G string, fret 2
    6. G string, open
    7. D string, fret 2, accented
    8. D string, open
    9. A string, fret 2
    10. A string, open, accented
    11. low E string, fret 3
    12. low E string, open

Clean 3 times in a row? Raise the tempo by 5 bpm.

Checkpoint

Move on when you can do all of these.

  • Box 1 clean in triplets at 90 bpm
  • Two-string and open E minor triplets clean at 100 bpm
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