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Metallica's "One"
According to
The Principles Of Correct Practice For Guitar

by Jamie Andreas

Click on the button to listen to the MIDI file

Practice Tips For Principled Players:

General: Observe all picking. Use alternate picking throughout, except where marked in last measure. Here, we use downpicks for emphasis on this part. Also, observe all left hand fingering.

Bar 1-2: Place fingers 1 & 3 down together. Have the heavy arm. Look at the little finger to make sure it is relaxed, separated and out and away from the 3rd finger. If it is "squeezing" on the 3rd finger, you need more left hand development, as in the Walking Foundation Exercises.

When going into Bar 2, hold the 1st finger down from Bar 1 until 2 is placed on its note. When playing Bar 2, keep 1 in light contact with its note, as you will be going back to it in the next measure. Don't let 1 fly away from the string!

Bar 4: Notice the consecutive up picks. Make sure you do them. The second up-pick is there because the note falls on the up-beat, and usually, it is best to do up-picks on up-beats, unless certain other factors over-ride this consideration, such as the need for strong emphasis, or speed as in sweep picking.

Bar 8: Observe the left hand fingering. Keep 1 ready as 2 plays second fret. Drop 1 over both notes on 2nd fret, and keep the middle joint of the finger arched high to leverage arm weight through the finger. Make sure the other fingers don't squeeze onto the 1st finger.

Click here for part 2 of this lesson

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Copyright 2002 by Jamie Andreas. All Rights Reserved.

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