Alternating thumb practice - standard tuning
by Anthony Greenwood
antgreenwood@gmail.com 


If you are new to fingerstyle guitar playing, or if you would just like a bit 
of a warm up before jumping in at the KJP deep end, then these exercises might 
be of some use to you.



Play this first one for a while to get used to the thumb doing the work.
In fact you should probably play this for hours to really cement it in 
your muscle memory. Feel free to use another chord, any will do really.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2----------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
--0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0--------------


Then move on to this one. I use only my index and middle fingers for the 
melody motes, but feel free to use your ring finger if you like.

--0-------------------------------2---------------3----------------------
------------------0------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2----------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
--0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0--------------


--0-------------------------------3---------------2----------------------
------------------0------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2----------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
--0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0--------------


Then try more melody notes.

--0----------------0---------------2---------------3---------------------
----------0----------------0---------------0---------------0-------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2----------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
--0-------0--------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------------



--0----------------0---------------3---------------2---------------------
----------0----------------0---------------0---------------0-------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2----------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
--0-------0--------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------------


Try the same melody on the other beat.

------0---------------0---------------2---------------3------------------
--------------0---------------0---------------0---------------0----------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2----------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
--0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0--------------



------0---------------0---------------3---------------2------------------
--------------0---------------0---------------0---------------0----------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2----------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
--0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0--------------


Then try notes in between the thumb notes.

--------0-----------0-------------------2-----------3--------------------
------------0-----------0-------------------0-----------0----------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2----------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
--0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0--------------



--------0-----------0-------------------3-----------2--------------------
------------0-----------0-------------------0-----------0----------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2----------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
--0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0--------------



Then try a combination of both.

--0---------0-----0---------------2---------2-----3-------2--------------
--------0---------------0---------------0--------------------------------
----------------------------0--------------------------------------------
------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2----------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
--0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0--------------



--0---------0-----0---------------3---------3-----2-------2--------------
--------0---------------0---------------0--------------------------------
----------------------------0--------------------------------------------
------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2----------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
--0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0--------------


Try your own combinations and keep practising until you are comfortable 
putting melody notes anywhere you like without even thinking about what 
your thumb is doing.


Then move on to some busier melody picking.

----------------------------------------------------------------0--------
--------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0----------------
----0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0------------
------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2----------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
--0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0--------------



----------------0---------------0---------------0---------------0--------
----0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0------------
--------0---------------0---------------0---------------0----------------
------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2----------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
--0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0--------------