Playing Sixteenth Note Rhythms – Part 1
In this course we’ll be taking the picking techniques that were covered in the Beginner course and applying them to sixteenth notes. Being able to comfortably play sixteenth note rhythms with the pick will open up a lot of possibilities in your playing and enable you to play most lines that you might otherwise play with your fingers.
In this opening part of the Intermediate course we’ll be playing lines based on continuous sixteenth notes and examining the string crossing and string skipping difficulties that they present.
Don't forget to hit the Download Resources button above to receive the PDF that accompanies these lessons! (available to subscribers only) This course contains the following videos, each of which can be selected from the video player above:
1. An Introduction to Sixteenth Notes
In this video we’ll look at the basic principle behind playing sixteenth notes with the pick. We’ll then put the technique to use to play a simple scale-based exercise.
2. String Crossing
In this video we’ll be working on a series of exercises which will help you learn to cross strings whilst playing sixteenth notes.
3. Exercise #6
In this exercise (and the three that follow), we’ll be using the chord tones from a G major chord as the basis for a string crossing and string skipping exercise using sixteenth notes. We’ll be playing a continuous sixteenth note sequence based on the low G but adding in a different chord tone at the beginning of each beat.
4. Exercise #7
This exercise is similar to the previous one, but the different chord tone notes are now played on the second sixteenth note of each beat.
5. Exercise #8
In this exercise, the different chord tones are played on the third sixteenth note of each beat.
6. Exercise #9
In this exercise, the different chord tones are played on the fourth sixteenth note of each beat.
7. Exercise #10
This exercise builds on the previous four exercises, but this time each different chord tone is played twice. In this exercise, the two chord tone notes are played in the first and second sixteenth note subdivisions.
8. Exercise #11
In this exercise the different chord tones have moved to the second and third sixteenth note subdivisions. The string crossing/skipping required here makes this a particularly tough exercise, so be sure to work on it slowly to begin with.
9. Exercise #12
The different chord tone notes are now moved to the third and fourth sixteenth note subdivisions of the beat. You should find this exercise significantly easier than the previous one.
10. Exercise #13
In this exercise the two moving notes are played on the first and fourth subdivisions of the beat.
11. Exercise #14
In this exercise, the different chord tones are played three times, with the root note occurring just once. In this example the low root note is played at the beginning of each beat.
12. Exercise #15
In this example, the root note is played in the second sixteenth note subdivision of the beat.
13. Exercise #16
In this example, the root note is played in the third sixteenth note subdivision of the beat.
14. Exercise #17
In this example, the root note is played in the fourth sixteenth note subdivision of the beat.
15. Exercise #18
This exercise is a simple continuous sixteenth note line in the key of C major. For the most part, the bass remains on one note in each bar, with the last beat of each containing a simple fill that eases the transition to the next note.
16. Exercise #19
This exercise is in the key of G minor and features a bassline that descends through the minor pentatonic scale. Throughout the course of playing this part of the line - which continues into the second bar - you’ll be picking on all four strings of the bass.
17. Exercise #20
This exercise is in the key of F minor. Note that the line begins with an anacrusis - in this case two sixteenth notes that are played on the ‘and’ of the fourth beat of the bar before the main line begins.
18. Exercise #21
This exercise is a funk groove that features a lot of string skipping. There are also a few ghost notes - remember that these are merely pitchless notes that are played in exactly the same way as any other note.
19. Exercise #22
This exercise is a hard-hitting rock bassline that features a lot of awkward string crossing. Many of the sixteenth note string crossing permutations that were covered in the previous video course are put to use here.
20. Exercise #23
This exercise is a rock bassline that has a descending upper line on the D-string played as quarter notes. Make sure you add plenty of vibrato to these notes, as indicated.
21. Exercise #24
This exercise is root-fifth bassline that uses a continuous sixteenth note rhythm. The fifth is played on every third subdivision meaning that each time it occurs on a different part of the beat. This makes this exercise a great line for getting to grips with string crossing on different beats. Octaves are used as well as fifths in the second half of the exercise.
22. Exercise #25
This exercise features a challenging phrase in the first two bars, one that requires good control of the plectrum in order to accurately execute the string crossing.
23. Exercise #26
This exercise uses a two-bar sequence that features a busy sixteenth note pattern in E minor followed by a simpler eighth note rhythm. The last sixteenth note of the first bar is tied into the first eighth note of the second, meaning that you don’t play until the eighth note on the upbeat of beat one.
24. Exercise #27
This exercise features a lot more space but has some tricky sixteenth note patterns for you to negotiate as well.
25. Exercise #28
This exercise is a busy sixteenth note groove that also uses ghost notes.
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