String Skipping

Here's a lesson on string skipping, the bane of many a guitarist's life. String skipping can be quite difficult to do, but if you master it you can create hi-tech sounding licks that can help your solos really stand out. If you want to hear some cool string skipping, listen to Paul Gilbert and/or buy his videos Intense Rock, Intense Rock II, and Terrifying Guitar Trip. Lets start with simple repetitive patterns:

Fig 1:
v = upstroke
^ = downstroke

       v  ^  v  ^  v  ^  v  ^ etc.
e|-12-13-15-------------------------------|
B|-------------------12-14-15-------------|
G|----------12-13-15----------------------|
D|----------------------------12-14-15----|
A|----------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------|

e|----------------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------------|
G|-12-13-15-------------------------------|
D|-------------------12-13-15-------------|
A|----------12-14-15----------------------|
E|----------------------------12-13-15-12~|

That one was in E diminished (half-whole). One thing you may have noticed about that lick was that it consists entirely of mini phrases of three notes each. So, initially, you'll want to set your metronome to triplets (what, you don't have a metronome? Buy one! ). But, if you want to make things sound even more complex, set it to semiquavers. (More on this in the lesson on phrasing, also on this site). Also, if you followed the picking arrows correctly, you might have seen that you were using 'outside' picking, meaning that with each string skip, the pick first travels over and past the string in the direction of the last pick stroke, changes direction and hits the string on the 'outside'. The alternative to this is of course called inside picking. To execute Fig 1 using inside picking, simply switch the pick stroke directions. I personally prefer outside picking because I find it cleaner and easier, although physically it is slightly less efficient than inside picking. String skipping is often used to play scalar passages like Fig 2. Nuno Bettencourt, formerly of Extreme, often played lines like these:

Fig 2:
                                    repeat
e|-8---------------8----------------------|
B|----------------------------------------|
G|---12-10-9-10-12---12-10-9-10-12--------|
D|----------------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------|

Here's a Paul Gilbert lick off of the Intense Rock II video that involves string skipping to play arpeggios:

Fig 3: (D major)
                                  repeat
e|-10----------------10----------------10-|
B|----------------------------------------|
G|----14-11----11-14----11-14----11-14----|
D|----------12----------------12----------|
A|----------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------|

If you're really brave, use string skipping in conjuction with sweeping, legato and tapping to create really wild licks!

Fig 4: (E phrygian dominant, one of my fav. modes)

( ) = r/h tap.

e|-------------------12h13h16h(17)/(19)---|
B|----------------12----------------------|
G|-------------13-------------------------|
D|----------14----------------------------|
A|----------------------------------------|
E|-12h13h16-------------------------------|

Fig 5: (A whole tone)

e|-------------16/18h20h(21)b(23)~--------|
B|----------------------------------------|
G|-------14/18----------------------------|
D|----13----------------------------------|
A|-12-------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------|

E-mail me if you have any questions about this stuff or anything else guitar related.

Comments

[SLASH SNAKEPIT]

what is string skipping???

[SLASH SNAKEPIT]

can some body help me???

[canadium]

good article =)

[masterofmuppets]

nice article
im loving the extreme and gilbert licks

[the fendernator]

i dont like this. you cant reach higher than the 15th fret on my acoustic.

[masterofmuppets]

^^^solos, dumbass , solos
its a great technique

[josephde]

15th fret???!!! Holy SHIT! I couldnt stand that! I have a 7-string 24-fret washburn, and i use it all.

[jetman_james]

if you only have 15 frets then A:buy a new guitar; B:move the exercises that start at the 12th fret down to the nut and start with open strings in place of the 12th fret. they're the same notes a full octave down.

[slashsnakepit15]

"This is bollocks. When would you ever need to use this?
String skipping, you don't know what your chattin' about"

dude u have no clue do you its like masterofmuppets said "solos" and some great intros **cough** Sweet child o' mine **cough** maybe you should post after you actually play a guitar

[BloodForVictory]

yeah...right on...i think..

[SkaterD2002]

i'm lost

[Glass_Prison]

Wow, This lesson is great.

[Glass_Prison]

Wow, this lesson is great. I reccomend it to everyone.

[Glass_Prison]

Whoops, sorry about that.

[fatsmcfatterson]

good lesson, really helpful

[7th]

Good technique, good examples, good job. I hate solos but I love this stuff.

[14GreenDay]

how can you hate solos?

[stinkykuch]

great lesson, and good examples 4.5 stars!

[PunkYou112]

what the is everyone talking about?
|--2-|
|----| ..

[shred-it]

If you're into string skipping and the diminished scale try this in straight eighth notes
E |--15--12--9---..|
B |---..|
G |*---..15--12--9---..|
D |---..|
A |*---..16--13-|
E |---..|

E |---..9--12---|
B |---..|
G |---..9--12--15---..*-|
D |---..|
A |-10--13--16---..*-|
E |---..|

[Disturbinator]

well, this is a nice post.... but a little basic...
just do chromatic where u skip 2 string or 3 strings and then this lesson is easy...

another thing.... someone was talking about 15 frets.....its an acoustic guitar for heavens sake, dont worry mate... use the guitar as much as u can... transpose anything that is higher than 15.
most acoustic guitars dont go higher than 15 without a cutaway...

just use ur lower frets and then when u get an electric u can practise on the higher frets...

[TeenBite]

Well, this lesson shows you examples of string skipping, but doesn't show you HOW to string skip...

[stewth]

string skipping is a cool exersise. this is ok but could be better.

[SGwieldingman]

DEFINITELY want to listen to Paul Gilbert for string skipping. Also try some Eric Johnson.

[AmIEvil?]

sweet article man

[guitarguru4]

Someone mentioned Sweet Child O' Mine..That's an excellent example of string skipping, I recommend it if your bore of modes and shit.

[angus_young01]

That didn't give any theory... I was hoping to see ways of playing various scales, modes etc in a string skipping format, I would have foudn that more beneficial. But not bad, if you can though please put that into it, it'd be awesome then.

[master of music]

maybe some examples of how you could incorparate that into your own playing and how to do it in different modes ETC.

[janamere69]

b4 i had no idea. since takin this lesson, i understand. CHEERS!

[leadg]

ok...it does explain string skipping and it shows solos where you should use it, but it doesnt really help teach how to string skip. If i read this right its not any different than economy picking