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Cover of Right Hand Patterns for Guitar

By Mike James

Right Hand Patterns for Guitar

A complete right hand method book for guitar: strumming, finger picking, flat picking and hybrid picking.

36 lessons275 right-hand patterns9 parts

Start at the beginning Get the printed book

Before you begin Getting started

Holding the pick, the strumming motion, and how every pattern in the book is labeled.

  1. Holding the Pick Tip or shoulder, and choosing a pick. p. 1
  2. Strumming Technique A fixed pendulum, the pick's break angle, and pattern labels. p. 2

Part 1 Basic Strumming

Down and up strums in quarter, eighth and sixteenth notes, in 4/4, 3/4, 6/8 and 12/8.

  1. Basic 4/4 & 3/4 Patterns Down strums on the beat. p. 3
  2. Basic 4/4 8th Note Patterns Down on the beat, up on the “&”. p. 4
  3. Basic 3/4 8th Note Patterns Eighth notes in three. p. 5
  4. 6/8 & 12/8 Patterns Counting in six and in 1 & a. p. 6
  5. Basic 4/4 16th Note Patterns 1 e & a. p. 7
  6. Basic 3/4 16th Note Patterns Sixteenth notes in three. p. 8

Part 2 Split Range & Bass Note Strumming

Strum the bass strings and the treble strings separately, then pick out the chord's root and 5th.

  1. Split Range Strumming and Single Bass Notes Bass strings like a pianist's left hand; the root and the 5th. p. 9
  2. Single Bass Note Diagrams The root and 5th of the six common chord forms. p. 10
  3. Split Range 4/4 Patterns Bass, treble and full-range strums on the beat. p. 11
  4. Split Range 4/4 8th Note Patterns Treble up strums between the beats. p. 12
  5. Split Range 3/4 Patterns Quarter and eighth notes in three. p. 13
  6. Split Range 6/8 & 12/8 Patterns Bass on the big beats. p. 14

Part 3 Syncopated Strumming

Leave out a strum on the beat and the next up strum pushes the rhythm.

  1. Syncopated 4/4 Patterns Missing a down strum, keeping the hand moving. p. 15
  2. Syncopated 3/4 & 6/8 Patterns Syncopation in three and in six. p. 16
  3. Syncopated 4/4 16th Note Patterns Up strums on the “a”. p. 17
  4. Syncopated 3/4 16th Note Patterns Sixteenth-note syncopation in three. p. 18
  5. Syncopated 4/4 Split Range Patterns Bass on 1, syncopated treble strums. p. 19
  6. Syncopated 3/4 Split Range Patterns The same in three. p. 20

Part 4 Muted Strumming

Relax the fretting hand on a strum for a percussive “chk”.

  1. Muted Strumming Muted 4/4 and 3/4 patterns, and the jazz swing strum. p. 21-22

Part 5 Finger Picking

P-I-M-A: the thumb on the bass strings, three fingers on the treble strings.

  1. Finger Picking Digit Assignments P-I-M-A, and the thumb's bass notes. p. 23
  2. Finger Picking 4/4 Patterns (1 of 2) Arpeggios with the thumb on 1 and 3. p. 24
  3. Finger Picking 4/4 Patterns (2 of 2) Pinches, block chords and sixteenth-note rolls. p. 25
  4. Finger Picking 3/4 Patterns Arpeggios and pinches in three. p. 26
  5. Finger Picking 6/8 Patterns Arpeggios in six. p. 27
  6. Finger Picking 12/8 Patterns Rolling in 1 & a. p. 28

Part 6 Flat Picking

Single notes with the pick: picking in rhythm, then sweep picking a scale.

  1. Flat Picking Technique Rhythmic picking, and the rules of sweep picking. p. 29
  2. Sweep Picking Exercises The A major scale with one, two and three attacks per note. p. 30-31

Part 7 Hybrid Picking (Accompaniment Patterns)

The pick plays the bass while the middle, ring and pinky fingers pluck the chord.

  1. Hybrid Picking Digit Assignments P-M-A-E: pick, middle, ring, pinky. p. 32
  2. Hybrid Picking Basic 4/4 Patterns Bass and chord, then both together. p. 33
  3. Hybrid Picking Basic 3/4 & 6/8 Patterns Waltz and 6/8 accompaniment. p. 34
  4. Hybrid Picking 12/8 & Syncopated 4/4 Patterns Shuffle feel, and chords off the beat. p. 35
  5. Hybrid Picking With Strumming Pluck the bass and chord, then strum with the pick. p. 36

Part 8 Hybrid Picking (Single Note Patterns)

Rolling single notes between the pick and the fingers.

  1. Hybrid Picking Patterns (1 of 2) Pick, middle, ring: up and back down the strings. p. 37
  2. Hybrid Picking Patterns (2 of 2) Pairs and pinches with the pick. p. 38

Part 9 Practice

The book's own practice plan: the most common patterns, each at a set tempo.

  1. Strumming Pattern Curriculum 123 patterns, each with a metronome tempo, to check off as you go. p. 39