This week we’re breaking minor vamp triad pairs into melodic vocabulary, using Cm and Bb as our core shapes. Starting with warmups and moving through arpeggios, rhythmic groupings, pentatonic integrations, and non-adjacent fingerings, we learn to weave these triads fluidly into real lines—no shifting, no guesswork, just pure fretboard fluency.
This week we revisit the diminished scale with two practical contexts: a dominant-to-IV blues resolution using A diminished over A7, and a funky G vamp that blends G blues with spicy diminished colors. With licks that emphasize phrasing, rhythm, and strong harmonic resolution, this is a practice-focused week—less writing, more internalizing.
This week we’re blending D minor pentatonic with the half-whole diminished scale—a pairing that creates rich tension over a Dm7 vamp. The exercise walks through all five positions, revealing how these two frameworks overlap and stretch the way we think about symmetry on the fretboard.
This week’s routine targets alternate picking stamina using one sequence mapped across all five D Mixolydian positions—ascending and descending—for a total of 10 exercises that challenge your endurance as much as your accuracy.
This week continues the alternate picking stamina routine at a slightly slower 80bpm, now shifting to D Dorian to emphasize the ♭3 and reinforce long-term fretboard fluency through repetition and control.
This week kicks off our melodic minor focus, using a 4-note picking sequence across five keys in one position to train fretboard fluency, ear–hand connection, and real-time recall—no tab, no prep, just play.
This week’s all about building speed and consistency with ascending dominant 7 arpeggios—A7, D7, E7—played at 60, 75, and 90 bpm to train stamina, control, and smooth alternate picking across tempos.
This session explores colorful arpeggio fragments within A13 harmony—starting from each chord tone of A7—to create melodic movement and expand beyond basic shapes. We’ll connect these fragments in three positions and finish with a musical line to lock in the concept.
We’re tackling the iconic intro arpeggios from Eugene’s Trick Bag—but with strict alternate picking to build precision, consistency, and motion control. Over a six-chord progression (Am–E7–A7–Dm–Bdim7–Am), we’ll explore different fingerings and picking pathways to help internalize both the harmony and the technique.
We’re diving deeper into Eugene’s Trick Bag, focusing on the remaining arpeggios—especially the tricky Dm shape. The goal is to alternate pick everything, no matter how awkward it feels. This is strength training for your picking hand, so resist the urge to sweep. Watch the fingerings, choose what works for you, and keep it consistent. We’re almost there—next week, we tie it all together.