Unfortunately I (we) are creatures of habit and form many good and bad ones along the way. Playing guitar is no exception. We tend to spend more time practicing the things that come easiest to us.

I spent a lot of time playing 3-note-per-string scales, and doing so expanded my playing enormously. Along with learning the modes, it unlocked the neck for me.

While playing those patterns I worked in a simple pattern that gave me a turn around note so I could play the scales ascending then turnaround and descend.  I would play the three notes then play one not on the next string and that would be my turnaround note to switch the scale from ascending to descending.
Something like this:

Something like this:

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---------------
---------------
--------5------
-5-7-8----8-7--

Pretty simple.  I worked on this six note pattern and got it down pretty fast. Of course I always use alternate picking.
I always thought that when I went to add more notes to pattern it would come to me really easy because I’m just adding more strings with the same picking pattern. But, I went to play this pattern:


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--------------5-----------
--------5-7-8---8-7-5-----
-5-7-8----------------8-7-

The problem is that now the turnaround note falls on a down-stroke, as opposed to an up-stroke like in the previous pattern. This is not a problem at a moderate speed, but when I try to play it at my top speed, it is much harder to play cleanly. This is obviously a right-hand issue. The way the pick has to hit the string then cross back over the string to get back to the string above without hitting the lower string. It can be tricky.

Again, if you are using more of a bouncing picking technique you can do this without a problem, and get it pretty fast, but not shred… if you know what I mean.

- Troy Thibodeaux