Intermediate/Advanced Hybrid Picking

Greetings fellow guitarists! This is Ioannis Anastassakis with a brand new article featuring the very exciting technique of:

Hybrid Picking

Hybrid picking has been around for a long time as far as country guitar stylings are concerned; however, it is only during the last few years that it has gained popularity with rock/metal guitar players, mostly through the very melodic work of rock/fusion Australian guitarist Brett Garsed.

The main advantage of hybrid picking is that by using a combination of the pick plus multiple fingers on the picking hand, the player can skip strings very easily, therefore playing intervals much larger than the ones usually associated with electric rock guitar!

So, for this installment, I have decided to write down and present to you the introduction from the title track to my latest instrumental rock/fusion CD "Suspension of Disbelief". The introduction is played using hybrid picking, specifically with the pick, middle and ring fingers.

Instead of a humble MP3 file, here's the promotional video clip for the track "Suspension of Disbelief", directed by Bob Katsionis.

Performance tip: try to minimize noise and follow the picking directions to the letter! Do not forget to use a metronome!

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For a printable PDF version of the music, please click for Page 1.

Suggested Listening

1. Brett Garsed "Big Sky"
2. Garsed/Helmerich "Quid Pro Quo"
3. Ioannis Anastassakis "Suspension of Disbelief"

Well, that's all for this month. Make sure you work on the example slowly at first before trying to play them fast - a little patience will pay off very soon! Watch the video carefully to get a clear idea of what each phrase is supposed to sound like. If you have any comments on my articles, suggestions for future columns or any kind of relevant questions, feel free to email me.

Ioannis Anastassakis is a guitarist from Greece who has produced recordings in a variety of moods and styles, including flamenco and fusion.

His CD is entitled "Suspension Of Disbelief", his long-awaited rock/fusion instrumental album.

Ioannis Anastassakis