SHREDDING GUITAR WORKOUT2

CONTENTS

About the Author .....................................................3Acknowledgments ...............................................3

Introduction .............................................................4

Alternate-Picking Workout ......................................5Warm-Ups ..........................................................5Chromatic Melodic Patterns ...............................7Two-String Pentatonic Shapes ..........................10Five Positions of the A Minor Pentatonic Scale ...12Pentatonic Melodic Patterns..............................13Pentatonic Patterns Using Intervals ...................16Two-String 7th Arpeggios .................................17Three-Octave Two-Note-per-String Arpeggios ...19Arpeggiated Melodic Patterns ............................22Single-String Shapes of the Major Scale .............25Hexatonic Two-String Shapes ...........................27Three-Note-per-String Scales ............................31Major Scale Melodic Patterns ............................32Major Scale Patterns Using Intervals .................35Major Scale Patterns Using Arpeggios ...............46Three-Note-per-String Fingerings for the Seven-String Guitar ............................50Speed Development ..........................................51

Rhythm Pyramid ..........................................55

Sweep Picking .......................................................56Two-String Sweeping ........................................58Three-String Sweeping ......................................66Five-String Sweeping .........................................69Arpeggio Shapes for the Seven-String Guitar .....75

Legato Technique ..................................................77Legato Warm-Ups .............................................77One- and Two-String Legato Patterns ................79Legato Phrases Across the Fretboard ..................82

Tapping .................................................................86Tapping Scales and Arpeggios ...........................89Tapping Triad Arpeggios ..................................92Tapping 7th Arpeggios ......................................94

Conclusion ............................................................96

A Note About the VideoThe DVD video corresponds to lessons in the book and the two are intended to be used together. The DVD contains MP3s to make it more fun and easier to learn. To access the MP3s, go to the DVD menu and select DVD-ROM, where you will fi nd audio tracks that correspond with specifi c lessons.

There is a video lesson for every example marked with this icon: . Every example is numbered, whether it is demonstrated on the video or not. Some examples are subdivided and labeled with letters. The letters that are demonstrated on the video are circled.

Have fun!

Shredding guitar Workout 3

German Schauss is a guitarist, composer, author, and educator who teaches at Berklee College

of Music and other international music schools. He performs and tours as the leader of his own

band and with other internationally known artists. German writes music for commercials, TV,

and video games, and has been named one of the 50 fastest guitarists of all time by Guitar World

magazine. The author of Shredding Bach (#34922), Shredding Paganini (#37468), Shredding the

Composers (#39378), and The Total Shred Guitarist (#36573), German also writes the popular

monthly column “Instant Shredding” for Germany’s biggest guitar magazine, Gitarre & Bass.

German uses and proudly endorses: Schecter Guitars, Bogner Amps, Kemper Amps,

Rocktron, PreSonus, Native Instruments, Maxon, Morley, Dunlop, Voodoo Labs, Pigtronix

Pedals, DiMarzio, Zoom, Tremol-No, D’Addario Strings, Planet Waves, MakeMusic, and

Pedaltrain products.

For more about German Schauss and his music, please visit: www.germanschauss.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Acknowledgments

Thank you to my family, friends, and fans around the world for their support, positive

thoughts, and love—you are all an inspiration to me! Additionally, thanks to Nat Gunod, Link

Harnsberger, and the entire team at Alfred Music.

PHO

TO

BY

JI

YE

ON

SO

NG

SHREDDING GUITAR WORKOUT 5

ALTERNATE-PICKINGWORKOUT

Ex. 1

Ex. 2

&

TAB

44 3

œ

≥

œ#

≤

œ

≥3

œb≤

œn≥

ϲ 3

œb≥œn œ

3

œb œn œb

1 2 31 2 3

1 2 31 2 3

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

etc.

3

œ œb œn3

œ œ# œ3

œ œ œb

3

œb œn œb

1 2 31 2 3 2 3 4

2 3 4

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

3

œ œb œn 3

œ œ œ#3

œ œ œb3

œ# œ œb

2 3 42 3 4

2 3 42 3 4

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

&

TAB

3

œ œb œn3

œ œb œn3

œ œ# œ3

œb œn œ

3 4 53 4 5

3 4 53 4 5

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

3

œ œb œn3

œ œb œn3

œb œn œb

3

œb œn œ

3 4 53 4 5 4 5 6

4 5 6

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

&

TAB

44œ≥ œ# ≤ œ≥ œb ≤ œ≥ œb ≤ œn ≥ œb ≤ œb

≥œn œb œn œb œn œ œ#

1 2 3 41 2 3 4

1 2 3 41 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

etc.

œb œn œ œb œ œ# œ œb œ œ œ œn œ œ œ œn

1 2 3 41 2 3 4 2 3 4 5

2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

&

TAB

œ œ œ# œ œ œb œn œ œb œn œb œn œ# œ œb œn

2 3 4 52 3 4 5

2 3 4 52 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

&

TAB

44œ≥ œ# ≤ œ≥ œb ≤ œ≥ œb ≤ œn ≥ œb ≤ œb

≥œn œb œn œb œn œ œ#

1 2 3 41 2 3 4

1 2 3 41 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

etc.

œb œn œ œb œ œ# œ œb œ œ œ œn œ œ œ œn

1 2 3 41 2 3 4 2 3 4 5

2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

&

TAB

œ œ œ# œ œ œb œn œ œb œn œb œn œ# œ œb œn

2 3 4 52 3 4 5

2 3 4 52 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Continue to the 12th fret and then play in reverse (3–2–1) back to the 1st fret.

Continue to the 12th fret and then play in reverse (4–3–2–1) back to the 1st fret.

After each run through these exercises, increase the tempo on your metronome by 8 to 10 beats

per minute. Keep a journal, or log of your tempos, so that there is a record of your progress.

Warm-Ups

Warming up and getting your hands synchronized is extremely important and will take a lot

of practice and patience. The examples below illustrate simple chromatic (half step) runs across

all six strings, fi rst with a triplet feel and then with a sixteenth-note feel. Practice these exercises

with a metronome and begin slowly. Using alternate picking, alternating up and down picking

strokes continuously.

&

TAB

44 3

œ

≥

œ#

≤

œ

≥3

œb≤

œn≥

ϲ 3

œb≥œn œ

3

œb œn œb

1 2 31 2 3

1 2 31 2 3

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

etc.

3

œ œb œn3

œ œ# œ3

œ œ œb

3

œb œn œb

1 2 31 2 3 2 3 4

2 3 4

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

3

œ œb œn 3

œ œ œ#3

œ œ œb3

œ# œ œb

2 3 42 3 4

2 3 42 3 4

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

&

TAB

3

œ œb œn3

œ œb œn3

œ œ# œ3

œb œn œ

3 4 53 4 5

3 4 53 4 5

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

3

œ œb œn3

œ œb œn3

œb œn œb

3

œb œn œ

3 4 53 4 5 4 5 6

4 5 6

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

SHREDDING GUITAR WORKOUT16

Pentatonic Patterns Using Intervals

Scales can also be played using interval-based sequences. The following examples are patterns

based on 4ths and 5ths. Of course, there are many more possibilities, and we encourage you to

fi nd and practice them. Begin by practicing these examples slowly, while striving for accuracy

and fl uency.

&

TAB

44 44 44 44ϳϲ

œ≥œ≤œ œ œ œ

55

87 5

57

7

1 1 4 3 1 1 3 3

q = 90

œ≥ œ≤ œ≥ œ≤œ œ œ œ

88

55

78

55

4 4 1 1 3 4 1 1

ϳ

ϲϳ

œ≤œ œ œ œ

55

78

55

77

1 1 3 4 1 1 3 3

œ≥ œ≤ œ≥ œ≤ œ œ œ œ

88

55 8

75

5

4 4 1 1 4 3 1 1

&

TAB

44 44 44 44ϳϲϳ

œ≤œ œ œ œ

55 7

85

5 77

1 1 3 4 1 1 3 3

œ≥ œ≤ œ≥ œ≤ œ œ œ œ

88 5

57

8 55

4 4 1 1 3 4 1 1

ϳ

ϲ

œ≥œ≤œ œ œ œ

55 8

75

5 77

1 1 4 3 1 1 3 3

œ≥ œ≤ œ≥ œ≤ œ œ œ œ

88 5

58

7 55

4 4 1 1 4 3 1 1

&

TAB

44 44 44 44ϳϲ

ϳϲ

œ œ œœ

57

85

57

75

1 3 4 1 1 3 3 1

œ≥ œ≤œ≥ œ≤œ œ œ œ

58

75

58

75

1 4 3 1 1 4 3 1

ϳ

ϲϳ

œ≤œ œœ œ

75

58

75

57

3 1 1 4 3 1 1 3

œ≥ œ≤ œ≥œ≤ œ œ œ œ

85

57

85

57

4 1 1 3 4 1 1 3

&

TAB

44 44 44 44ϳϲϳ

ϲ

œ œœ œ

57

58

57

57

1 3 1 4 1 3 1 3

œ≥ œ≤ œ≥ œ≤ œ œ œ œ

58 5

7 58 5

7

1 4 1 3 1 4 1 3

ϳ

ϲ

œ≥œ≤œ œ œ

œ

75 8

5 75 7

5

3 1 4 1 3 1 3 1

œ≥ œ≤ œ≥ œ≤ œ œ œ œ

85

75

85

75

4 1 3 1 4 1 3 1

A B C D

E F G H

I J K L

M N O P

Ex. 15