Pattern-Based Drilling
Begin with this basic graphical pattern:
e---------
B------o--
G----o----
D--o------
A---------
E---------
Play the pattern repeatedly, increasing by one half-step each time.
e---------------------------
B------5-----6-----7-----8--
G----4-----5-----6-----7----
D--3-----4-----5-----6------
A---------------------------
E---------------------------
Once you are able to play it all over the fretboard, start concentrating on picking technique.
Focus on using alternate picking for every note, so that the pattern of picking alternates for each group, like this:
e-------- ------- ------- --------
B------5- -----6- -----7- -----8--
G----4--- ---5--- ---6--- ---7----
D--3----- -4----- -5----- -6------
A-------- ------- ------- --------
E-------- ------- ------- --------
^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v
Next play that same pattern followed by the mirror image of the original pattern, like:
e---------
B------o--
G----o---- <----------- flip
D--o------
A---------
E---------
e---------
B--o------
G----o---- <----------- flip
D------o--
A---------
E---------
If played from the third fret D string, the pattern would be:
e---------------
B------5-3------
G----4-----4----
D--3---------5--
A---------------
E---------------
This too should be played up and down the fretboard:
e---------------------------------------
B------5-3---------6-4---------7-5------
G----4-----4-----5-----5-----6-----6----
D--3---------5-4---------6-5---------7--
A---------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------
Again, your picking technique will be:
e---------------
B------5-3------
G----4-----4----
D--3---------5--
A---------------
E---------------
^ v ^ v ^ v
You can easily make other simple permutations to these patterns. Here's what the result would be if you took the previous cell and played it in reverse, in a descending pattern.
e---------------------------------------
B------5-7---------4-6---------3-5------
G----6-----6-----5-----5-----4-----4----
D--7---------5-6---------4-5---------3--
A---------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------
These patterns can be used in improvisation pretty easily too, particularly as a device for building tension before a release. For example, there's an altered form of this pattern in the minor pentatonic scale.
Here's an example in A minor:
e--------------------------
B------*10*-----11-----12--
G----*9*----*10*----11-----
D-*7*------8-----*9*-------
A--------------------------
E--------------------------
The marked notes are the tonic and dominant notes in the A minor pentatonic scale, but the last two notes are the 3rd and 9th in the A dorian, which is a nice flavor switch when soloing in a pentatonic.
However, that last B is only a passing tone in the dorian mode, so to resolve it (the "release" after the suspense of the passing tones), just raise it up to the thirteenth fret.
Here it is with a walk across the tonic and down the dorian scale:
e----------------------------------------------------
B-------10------11-----12-12/13-12-10----10----------
G-----9------10-----11----------------12----12-10-9--
D--7-------8------9----------------------------------
A----------------------------------------------------
E----------------------------------------------------
When practicing technique-oriented material, it can be helpful to drop your theoretical guard and focus on the visual aspects of playing. This comes naturally to many guitarists, but it's easy to get distracted or bored with the repetition of drilling.
Finding arbitrary permutations of sample patterns is a good way to feel constructive in your practicing, as many of these patterns can find their way into your regular improvisation.