Melodic
Guitar exercises

Guitar exercises that adapt to you

Training is Melodic’s technique gym: 16 drills, from picking the right string to bends, sweeps and tapping. Pick one and start playing. Melodic listens to every note, finds your level quickly and moves it after every rep, so the exercise is always just hard enough. Come back after a break and it warms you up first. And there’s no top level: the drills keep getting faster for as long as you keep getting better.

How a session works
How the level moves
Warm-ups
No top level
What it listens for
The 16 drills
Progress and badges
Questions

How a session works

Pick a technique. Start playing.

Open Training from the main menu and you’ll see every drill with your level on each one, and a suggestion for today: the drill you’ve left the longest, or one you haven’t tried. Point at a drill and it shows itself moving on a little highway at your level, with how to play it and every stage it goes through. Press Train, and after a count-in on the drumsticks the reps start coming.

A rep is a short exercise, five to fifteen seconds of music, with a breath before the next one. Reps are written fresh as you play, so you practise the move itself rather than memorising a few bars. They keep coming until you stop, and each one is judged the moment it ends.

Your coach on screen. As you start, and each time you reach a new stage, Mags says exactly what to do: which finger, which fret, which way to move.
A band to play with. Every drill has a groove of its own, from a ballad to funk, shuffle and metal, and a band (drums, bass and often a second guitar) playing chords your notes are written to fit, so practice sounds like music. There’s a metronome too, on M.
Chord boxes when you need them. In the chord, strumming and arpeggio drills the shape to play is drawn above the neck before it arrives.
Stop whenever you like. Every rep is saved as it ends, so closing the tab halfway loses nothing.
No guitar to hand? With note detection off the drill plays itself so you can watch and follow along. Nothing is scored and your level stays put.

Melodic’s Training screen: every drill with your level on it, and the Bends drill picked

The start card of the Bends drill: a warm-up from level 18 back to level 24, and what to do in this rep

How the level moves

Always just hard enough

After every rep, the level moves by how well you played it. Hit 85% or more of the notes and it climbs a little: a third of a level for a clean rep, so you play each tempo a few times before the next. Hit fewer and it eases off straight away, further for a real struggle. So the level settles where you hit around 90% of the notes, and follows you as you improve.

Why 85%? Practice teaches the most when it’s neither so easy that there’s nothing new, nor so hard that nothing sticks. Research on how people and machines learn puts that sweet spot at getting about 85% right (the “Eighty Five Percent Rule”, Wilson and colleagues, 2019).

It finds you fast. The first time you play a drill it starts at level 1 and climbs a step at a time while every rep is clean, so you hear everything new at least once, and each new stage starts at its slowest. Already past the basics? Pick any stage to start from.
Every drill keeps its own level. Being great at chords says little about your bends, so no drill gets a head start from another.
Something new every couple of levels. Each stage is a lesson plan: a new chord pair, pattern, feel or tune comes in at the tempo you’ve reached, then plays a notch faster, and the ones before it come back now and then so they stick. A new stage starts slower again.
You’re in charge. Press − or + to set the level by hand, R for a fresh rep, Space to pause.

The end of a training session in Melodic: Arpeggios up from level 11 to 18, a new best, the reps as a chart, XP and a new badge

Warm-ups

Back after a break? Warm up first.

Skills are always a little rusty after time away; coaches call it the warm-up decrement. So when you come back to a drill, it doesn’t throw you straight in at your best. It starts a few levels lower and climbs back to your level over the first few reps. The longer you’ve been away, the lower it starts and the longer it takes. Here’s how it works out for a player at level 30:

The warm-up after time away, for a player at level 30
Time away	The warm-up starts at	Back to level 30 over
Under 15 minutes	No warm-up: straight back in at level 30	—
Up to 4 hours	Level 26 (13% down)	3 reps
Up to 3 days	Level 22 (27% down)	6 reps
Up to 3 weeks	Level 20 (33% down)	8 reps
Longer than that	Level 18 (40% down)	8 reps

Already warm? If you played another drill in the last half hour, the warm-up is half as deep and half as long.
Rustier than it thought? A warm-up rep you struggle with holds it back, or steps the warm-up down, and your level with it.
It never costs you. Warm-up reps count toward your time but not your level, and stopping during a warm-up keeps the level you had.

A warm-up in Melodic’s Bends drill: warm-up level 18, building back to 24, with the coach’s tip

No top level

For your first week and your tenth year

Every drill is a ladder of 4–11 stages, each a lesson plan of steps the way a teacher would bring them in: something new every couple of levels, first at an easy tempo, then a notch faster. Past the last stage there’s no top: its steps come round mixed and the tempo keeps rising 3% a level, for as long as you can keep up. Beginners start on open strings at 60 beats a minute; advanced players can push sextuplets and sweeps as fast as their hands will go.

16Drills
4–11Stages each
502Steps to learn
5–10sA rep
∞Levels

What it listens for

It hears the technique, not just the note

Melodic’s note detection listens to every pick, as it does in songs: which notes you played and exactly when. The drills listen for more than that, because a technique can be right or wrong even when the note is.

Bends have to get there. A bend only counts when the string reaches its pitch, and the higher the level, the closer it has to get. Fall short and you’ll see Bend higher.
Vibrato has to wobble. The pitch has to swing up and back while the note rings: a small wobble at first, a wider one later. Hold it still and you’ll see Wobble it.
No pick needed where there isn’t one. Hammer-ons, pull-offs and taps are heard as the notes they make, and a slide is judged by the note it lands on.
Chords note by note, so a strum that misses a string or catches the wrong one is caught.
You hear a miss as it happens, as a fumbled note, and your guitar plays through the drill’s own amp, from clean to crunch to distortion, or a tone of your own.

The Vibrato drill in Melodic: long notes with wavy tails on the Dive Bar stage

The drills

16 drills, every part of your playing

Each drill isolates one skill, the way a teacher would set an exercise. Here’s every one: what it builds, how it looks on the note highway, how to play it and the mistake to watch for. Open a drill’s ladder to see every stage and exactly what it asks of you. The pictures are from the game, each with Mags saying what to do.

Foundations

Where every player starts

0Picking Accuracy ♫Melodies 1234Finger Gym EmChord Changes

Foundations · 4 stages · 21 steps · levels 1–42, then no top

Picking Accuracy

The right string, right on the beat.

Finding the string a note is on and picking just that one, in time, over a band. Open strings first, two at a time and slowly, then all six in turn, in any order and in eighths; then your fretting hand joins in first position, a few strings at a time; last, melodies in other places up the neck, and ones that move all over it.

On the highway

Each note flies down the highway at the height of its string, in that string’s colour. A bar stretched across the lanes is an open string: press nothing. A gem with a number is a fretted note: the number is the fret.

How to play it

Find the string first: a note’s colour and its height on the highway match its string on the neck below.
For a numbered gem, press a fingertip just behind that fret; for a bar across the lanes, press nothing.
Pick that one string with a short stroke from the wrist, just as the note reaches the strings, then get ready for the next.

Watch out A big, deep pick stroke is slow to come back. Keep it small, with the pick only just passing the string.

The ladder: 4 stages and 21 steps, from 70 BPM at level 1

1–8
Open strings, slowly 70–96 BPM
Open strings only, a note every two beats, two on each string: press nothing, find the string and pick it as the note arrives.
The low E and A strings · The D and G strings · The B and high E strings · All six, up and back down
9–18
Open strings 56–84 BPM
Open strings, a note on every beat now. Keep your eyes on the highway and your picking hand loose.
All six, a note a beat · Any order, next-door strings · Any order, up to three strings apart · Any string at all · Two strings in eighths
19–30
First position 56–86 BPM
Melodies on frets 1 to 3 near the headstock, with open strings: index finger for fret 1, middle for 2, ring for 3. The notes on the beat belong to the band’s chord.
The B and high E strings · The top three strings · The low strings: E, A and D · All six strings · With eighths · In A minor
31–42
Up the neck 60–92 BPM
Melodies further up the neck, one finger a fret: the lit lanes show the four frets your hand covers. Read the fret numbers and keep your hand in place until it has to move.
A minor at the 5th fret · G major at the 2nd fret · E minor at the 7th fret · A new place every bar · Bigger moves · All over the neck with eighths
43+
No top level 3% faster every level
Past the last stage its steps come round mixed, and it keeps getting faster, level after level, for as long as you can keep up.

Foundations · 7 stages · 33 steps · levels 1–66, then no top

Melodies

Tunes everybody knows, one note at a time.

Reading the highway and playing notes in time, with tunes you already know, so you can hear when it’s right. A new tune every couple of levels: on one string first, then three, then in first position and up the neck, in waltz time, faster, and with slides and hammer-ons, always with a band playing the chords. Tunes you’ve learned come back now and then.

On the highway

Single notes at the height and colour of their string, the fret number on each gem. A bar across the lanes is an open string. The tune’s name is at the top.

How to play it

Hum the tune in your head as it comes: you know how it goes, so you’ll hear a wrong note straight away.
Keep your hand in the lit lanes and use one finger per fret, so each note has a finger ready.
Let each note ring for as long as its tail, then move to the next one.

Watch out Rushing the long notes is the usual slip. Count the beats a held note lasts before you move.

The ladder: 7 stages and 33 steps, from 58 BPM at level 1

1–10
Tunes on one string 58–84 BPM
Every note is on the high E string: slide your hand up and down it to the fret on each gem. The open string is the tune’s home note.
Hot Cross Buns · Mary Had a Little Lamb · Lightly Row · London Bridge · Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
11–20
Tunes on three strings 60–88 BPM
The G, B and high E strings, frets 0 to 3 (and 5): index on 1, middle on 2, ring on 3. Watch the colour to know which string.
Mary Had a Little Lamb · Au Clair de la Lune · Frère Jacques · Ode to Joy · London Bridge
21–30
Tunes in first position 60–88 BPM
Tunes across four or five strings near the headstock, open strings included. One finger per fret, from fret 1 to 4.
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star · Au Clair de la Lune · Frère Jacques · Ode to Joy · Drunken Sailor
31–38
Tunes in three 60–90 BPM
Waltzes and ballads, three beats a bar: the first beat of each bar is the strong one. First position, open strings included.
Amazing Grace · Greensleeves · Minuet in G · Für Elise
39–48
Tunes up the neck 60–88 BPM
The same kind of tunes between frets 4 and 8, on all six strings: your hand stays in the lit lanes and the strings change instead.
Ode to Joy · Frère Jacques · Canon in D · Drunken Sailor · In the Hall of the Mountain King
49–56
Faster tunes 66–96 BPM
Tunes with runs of quicker notes: pick down on the beat and up in between, and keep the long notes long.
Frère Jacques · Ode to Joy · Drunken Sailor · In the Hall of the Mountain King
57–66
Tunes with slides and hammer-ons 60–92 BPM
Quick notes on one string are hammered on (H) or pulled off (P), and some long notes are slid into: pick only the notes without a mark.
Frère Jacques · Ode to Joy · Canon in D · Drunken Sailor · In the Hall of the Mountain King
67+
No top level 3% faster every level
Past the last stage its steps come round mixed, and it keeps getting faster, level after level, for as long as you can keep up.

Foundations · 6 stages · 26 steps · levels 1–52, then no top

Finger Gym

Every finger, every fret: strength and independence.

One finger for each fret: the classic “spider”, with the band’s bass following your hand. It starts on one string, then crosses all six, low by the headstock where the frets are widest, and in eighths; then melodies one finger a fret in other keys, the fingers landing in new orders (the permutations teachers use for independence), in sixteenths, diagonals, and wide stretches that creep down the neck.

On the highway

Four notes on one string, one fret apart, then the same on the next string. The lit lanes show the four frets your hand covers; after each trip across the strings the block moves a fret along the neck.

How to play it

Put your index finger on the first lit fret and give each of the next three frets its own finger: middle, ring, little.
Play the four notes on one string, then the same four on the next string. Leave each finger down until the next one has landed.
Pick every note (down, up, down, up) and press with the fingertips, just behind the fret wire.

Watch out Fingers that fly away from the strings waste time. Keep the ones you’re not using a few millimetres above the strings.

The ladder: 6 stages and 26 steps, from 52 BPM at level 1

1–8
One finger a fret 52–80 BPM
Index, middle, ring, little: one note each, a fret apart. Coming back it’s little, ring, middle, index, and each time round the hand moves a fret along.
On the low E string · Across all six strings · Down by the 1st fret · Across the strings in eighths
9–16
Melodies one finger a fret 50–84 BPM
Melodies in one hand position: each fret has its own finger, whatever string the note is on, and your hand never moves.
A minor at the 5th fret · A minor in eighths · G major at the 2nd fret · D major at the 9th fret
17–28
Finger swaps 44–72 BPM
The four fingers land in a new order. Each finger still has its own fret, so the fret numbers tell you which finger: index on the lowest.
1-3-2-4 · 1-2-4-3 · 2-1-3-4 · 1-4-2-3 · 2-4-1-3 · A new order every rep
29–36
Swaps in sixteenths 40–64 BPM
Four notes a beat. Slow and even beats fast and messy.
1-2-3-4 · 1-3-2-4 · 1-2-4-3 · A new order every rep
37–42
Diagonals 40–64 BPM
One finger a string, each on its own fret: the hand crosses four strings and four frets at once, then comes back.
Index low, little finger high, in eighths · The other way: little finger low · In sixteenths
43–52
Wide stretches 40–64 BPM
Three notes a string, two frets apart: index, middle (or ring) and little finger. Stretch from the knuckles and keep your thumb low behind the neck. The stretch gets wider as the hand comes down the neck.
From the 9th fret · From the 7th fret · From the 5th fret · From the 3rd fret · From the 2nd fret
53+
No top level 3% faster every level
Past the last stage its steps come round mixed, and it keeps getting faster, level after level, for as long as you can keep up.

Foundations · 8 stages · 53 steps · levels 1–106, then no top

Chord Changes

Switch chord shapes without stopping the beat.

Moving your whole hand from one chord to the next in time, the skill behind every song, with the bass player following your chords. The chords come in the order teachers bring them in, a pair at a time: A, D and E first, then the minor chords, G and C, the small F and then barre chords, first with plenty of time to change, then a strum on every beat, two chords a bar, a chord a beat, and the progressions songs are made of.

On the highway

A chord is a frame around several gems with its name on top; the shape is drawn in the chord box above the neck. Play every gem in the frame together, in one strum.

How to play it

Before a chord arrives, look at its shape in the chord box above the neck and picture your fingers on it.
Lift all your fingers off the old chord together and put them down on the new one together, not one at a time.
Strum down through every string in the frame on the beat, even if the shape isn’t perfect yet.

Watch out Keep strumming in time even if you’re late getting to the chord. A finger that stays on the same fret in both chords can stay down.

The ladder: 8 stages and 53 steps, from 56 BPM at level 1

1–12
First changes 56–72 BPM
Two chords back and forth, two slow strums each, a bar a chord. Change on the empty beat after the second strum.
A and D · A and E · D and E · E minor and A minor · A minor and E · E minor and D
13–26
A strum every beat 52–76 BPM
Four strums a chord and a new chord every bar. Start moving to the next chord straight after the fourth strum.
A, D and E · D minor and A minor · A minor and C · C and E minor · G and C · G and D · C and D
27–44
Chord progressions 56–84 BPM
Progressions songs are made of, a chord a bar. The chord box shows the next shape: read one chord ahead.
G, C and D · G, D, E minor and C · D, G and A · E, A and B7 · A minor, D minor and E · C, A minor, D minor and G · The anchor chords: E minor 7, G, Dsus4 and A7sus4 · A walking bass: G, D/F♯, E minor and C · Twelve-bar blues in A
45–56
Two chords a bar 50–76 BPM
A new chord every two beats: less time to change, so move the moment the second strum is done.
A and D · G and C · C and G, A minor and G · G, C and D · E minor, C, G and D · D, A, E minor and G
57–68
Fmaj7 and F 50–72 BPM
F is the first chord with one finger on two strings. Fmaj7 comes first: C’s shape moved over, with the high E open.
C and Fmaj7 · Fmaj7 and G · The small F and C · F and G · C, G, A minor and F · Two beats each: F, A minor, C and G
69–82
Barre chords 52–72 BPM
Your index finger lies flat across every string (the frame has no open strings) and the other fingers make the shape. Squeeze with your thumb behind the neck. They start up the neck, where barres are easier to press.
A as a barre, with an open D · A minor as a barre, with an open G · Moving the E shape: G, A and B · The A shape: D at the 5th fret, with A · B minor among open chords · F♯ minor and B minor · F and B♭ at the 1st fret
83–94
Barre progressions 52–80 BPM
Progressions with barre chords, a strum every beat. To change, loosen the barre and slide it to the new fret rather than lifting it off.
B minor, G, D and A · F♯ minor, D, A and E · F, D minor, B♭ and C · C♯ minor, A, E and B · A, F♯ minor, D and E · G minor, E♭, B♭ and F
95–106
Quick changes 56–84 BPM
A chord every two beats, then every beat. Plan the next shape while you strum this one.
Every two beats: B minor, G, D and A · Every two beats: F♯ minor, D, A and E · Every two beats: C, A minor, F and G · A chord a beat: A, D, E and D · A chord a beat: G, C, D and C · A chord a beat: E minor, C, G and D
107+
No top level 3% faster every level
Past the last stage its steps come round mixed, and it keeps getting faster, level after level, for as long as you can keep up.

Rhythm

Chords, strums and riffs in the pocket

↓↑Strumming 5Power Chords & Chugs ERiffs

Rhythm · 8 stages · 55 steps · levels 1–110, then no top

Strumming

Strumming patterns, feels and grooves.

Keeping your strumming hand moving like a pendulum, down on the beat and up in between, and only touching the strings when the pattern says so, locked in with the bass and drums. Downstrokes and down-ups first, then the patterns songs use, built a strum at a time, muted “chks”, reggae, the swing of the blues, bass notes between strums, sixteenth-note funk and pushes, each over chords that change.

On the highway

Each strum is a chord frame with an arrow: ↓ strum down (from the low strings), ↑ strum up (from the high ones). A grey frame with crosses is a muted strum, a scratchy “chk” with no notes. A single gem between strums is a bass note: pick that string alone. Where there’s a gap, your hand swings past without touching the strings.

How to play it

Keep your arm swinging all the time, like a pendulum: down on the beats, up in between.
Only let the pick hit the strings where there’s a frame; on a gap the hand keeps moving but misses the strings.
For a muted strum, relax your fretting fingers so they touch the strings without pressing them down, then strum.

Watch out Stopping your hand for a gap throws the rhythm off. The swing never stops; it just misses the strings.

The ladder: 8 stages and 55 steps, from 60 BPM at level 1

1–18
Down strums 60–84 BPM
One downstroke a beat, from the low strings to the high. Keep every strum the same strength and right on the beat, and keep going even when a change is late.
Muted strings, a strum a beat · E minor, a strum a beat · A and D, a strum a bar · A and D, a strum a beat · A, D and E · Beats 1 and 3, the arm still swinging · Strum three, change on four · Down strums in three · G, D, E minor and C
19–32
Down and up 52–84 BPM
Down on the beat, up on the “and” in between: the hand swings down and up all the time. An upstroke only needs the top three or four strings.
E minor, down and up · A and D, down and up · Down, down-up, down, down · Down, down-up, down-up, down · Down, down-up, down, down-up · Down-up in three · All downstrokes, rock style
33–50
Strumming patterns 64–96 BPM
Patterns with gaps: your hand keeps swinging down and up, and only hits the strings where there’s a frame.
“Old Faithful” on muted strings · “Old Faithful” with chords · With an up at the end · Down, down, down-up, down · Down-up, up, up-down-up · Down, up, down, down · Two patterns, a bar each · A change in the middle of the pattern · Sus chords inside the pattern
51–60
Muted strums 66–100 BPM
The grey frames are muted strums: loosen your fretting hand so the strings go dead for that strum (a “chk”), then press the chord again for the next.
A chk on 2 and 4 · Down-ups with a chk on 2 and 4 · Down, chk-up, down, chk-up · Reggae: chops on the off-beat · Funk chks
61–72
Swing and shuffle 72–104 BPM
Swung eighths: the down strum is long and the up strum short, long-short, long-short, like a heartbeat.
The shuffle feel on muted strings · Swung down-ups on E7 · E7 and A7 · Twelve-bar blues in E · A swung pattern: down, down-up, up-down-up · Twelve-bar blues in A, with chks
73–82
Bass and strum 64–92 BPM
Pick the chord’s bass note on its own (the single gem), then strum the strings above it: the “boom-chick” of country and folk. Your fretting hand holds the whole chord all the time.
Bass on 1 and 3, strum on 2 and 4 · Alternating bass · Boom-chick through G, C and D · Bass, strum, strum in three · Bass, then down-up strums
83–96
Sixteenth-note strumming 56–84 BPM
Four swings a beat now: down-up-down-up, small and loose from the wrist. Hit the strings only where the frames are.
Eighths, the hand moving in sixteenths · An up on the “e” of 2 and 4 · An up on the “a” of 2 and 4 · And on the “e” of 3 · Steady sixteenths · Funk with chks on 2 and 4 · Sixteenth-note funk
97–110
Pushes and syncopation 60–92 BPM
Some chords arrive just before the beat (a push): the strum on the last half-beat of a bar already belongs to the next chord. Let it ring over the bar line.
Push into the next chord · Pushes through four chords · Pushes after more off-beats · Three, three, two · Sixteenth-note pushes · Syncopated sixteenths · Pushes with chks
111+
No top level 3% faster every level
Past the last stage its steps come round mixed, and it keeps getting faster, level after level, for as long as you can keep up.

Rhythm · 7 stages · 32 steps · levels 1–64, then no top

Power Chords & Chugs

Rock rhythm: shifting power chords and palm-muted chugs.

The engine room of rock and metal, with the bass locked to your riffs, a new riff every couple of levels. One-finger power chords first, then the two-finger shape moving up and down the neck, riffs across two strings, palm-muted punk eighths, chugs with stabs between them, gallops and sixteenth-note riffs.

On the highway

A power chord is a small frame of two gems on neighbouring strings, named like E5 or G5. PM under a note (or a chord) means palm-muted: a short, chunky chug.

How to play it

Index finger on the lower string’s fret, ring finger two frets up on the next string: that shape never changes.
Pick both strings in one downstroke, with your fretting fingers lying lightly on the other strings to keep them quiet.
For PM notes, rest the edge of your picking hand on the strings right by the bridge and pick through it; lift it off for the open chords.

Watch out Keep the shape locked as you move it along the neck: loosen your grip to move, press again to play.

The ladder: 7 stages and 32 steps, from 64 BPM at level 1

1–8
One-finger power chords 64–92 BPM
E5, A5 and D5: the lower string open and one finger on fret 2 of the next string up. Pick both strings together and let them ring.
E5 and A5 · A5 and D5 · E5, A5 and D5 · Two hits a chord
9–18
Moving the shape 48–80 BPM
The two-finger shape slides up and down the low E string in a riff. The fret on the lower gem is where your index finger goes.
E5, G5 and A5 · Up to B5 and back · Down from B5 · Up to C5 and D5 · Down from D5
19–28
Riffs across two strings 60–96 BPM
Power chords with their lower note on the low E or on the A string, in a riff. Move the whole shape across a string without changing it.
E5, G5, A5 and back · Over to the A string: C5 and D5 · A gap in the rhythm · Off the beat · Down from B5
29–34
Palm-muted power chords 56–96 BPM
Eighth notes on power chords with your palm resting on the strings by the bridge (PM): tight and chunky. Every other bar opens up for its last two hits: lift the palm.
E5, C5, G5 and D5 · A5, F5, C5 and G5 · D5, A5, B5 and G5
35–44
Chugs and stabs 56–92 BPM
Chug the open low E with your palm on the bridge (PM), and lift the palm off to hit the power chords.
Chug, chug, stab · Stabs on the offbeat · A gap before the stab · Two stabs to end the bar · Stab first
45–54
Gallops 60–96 BPM
Gallops on the muted low E: one chug, then two quick ones (da-da-dum), down-up-down. A power chord ends the bar.
Three gallops and a chord · Gallop, chord, gallop, chord · The chord on beat 3 · Reverse gallops · Mixed gallops
55–64
Sixteenth-note riffs 64–110 BPM
Chugs four to a beat, with power chord stabs. Small, fast down-up picking with your palm on the bridge.
Four chugs, then a stab · Chugs with gaps · Stabs held over · Broken sixteenths · Six chugs, then a stab
65+
No top level 3% faster every level
Past the last stage its steps come round mixed, and it keeps getting faster, level after level, for as long as you can keep up.

Rhythm · 6 stages · 23 steps · levels 1–46, then no top

Riffs

Single-note riffs and the blues shuffle.

The hooks rock songs are built on: short single-note riffs on the low strings, played over and over with the bass doubling them, a new riff every couple of levels. Open strings in quarter notes first, then riffs with hammer-ons, syncopated eighths, palm-muted riffs, the twelve-bar blues shuffle in its variations, and riffs up the neck.

On the highway

Single notes on the low strings, mostly open ones (bars across the lanes) and frets 2 and 3. PM under a note means palm-muted; H and P are hammer-ons and pull-offs. In the shuffle, two-note shapes come in pairs: long, short.

How to play it

Rest your fretting fingers lightly over the strings so open notes don’t ring into each other.
Pick down on the beat. Riffs repeat: by the second time round, play it from memory and look ahead.
Dig in: a riff should be as loud and steady as the drums.

Watch out Letting open strings ring on into the next note blurs the riff. Touch the string to stop it once its note is done.

The ladder: 6 stages and 23 steps, from 60 BPM at level 1

1–10
Open-string riffs 60–88 BPM
Riffs on the low E and A strings: open strings and frets 2 and 3, a note a beat. Index finger on 2, middle on 3.
Up the low strings: E, G, A, B · Stomping on the low E · Long notes on E and A · Up to the open D · Leaning on G
11–18
Riffs with hammer-ons 56–84 BPM
Pick the open string, then hammer onto the fret (H), or pull off back to the open string (P): the bluesy rock sound.
Hammer onto G and B · Pull off to the open strings · Hammer and pull across three strings · Hammers from the open A
19–26
Eighth-note riffs 60–92 BPM
Riffs with quicker notes and gaps between them. Keep your picking hand moving down and up all the time, even through the gaps.
Low E with a gap · Bouncing between E and A · Up the low E string · Off the beat
27–32
Palm-muted riffs 60–96 BPM
Chug the open E with your palm resting on the bridge (PM), and lift it for the notes on the A and D strings.
Chugs and the A string · Chugs and the D string · A two-bar chug riff
33–40
Blues shuffle 60–96 BPM
Twelve-bar blues: two strings at a time, the root and a finger on the next string. Each pair goes long-short, with a swing.
Five-six in A · Up to the seventh: 5-6-7-6 · The quick change · Shuffle in E
41–46
Riffs up the neck 60–92 BPM
Riffs in A at the 5th fret: index finger on 5, ring or little finger on 7 and 8. Move them along the neck and they work in any key.
A minor at the 5th fret · From A up to C · Across three strings, with a slide
47+
No top level 3% faster every level
Past the last stage its steps come round mixed, and it keeps getting faster, level after level, for as long as you can keep up.

Fretting hand

Notes your fretting hand makes on its own

H PHammer-ons & Pull-offs ↗Slides ↑Bends ~Vibrato

Fretting hand · 8 stages · 34 steps · levels 1–68, then no top

Hammer-ons & Pull-offs

Notes your fretting hand plays on its own.

Legato: one pick, several notes. Hammer-ons and pull-offs from open strings first, a few strings at a time, then between fretted notes a fret, two and three apart (index to middle, ring and little finger), trills, three-note rolls up and down the strings, whole scale runs, and the legato licks rock solos are made of, in more than one key.

On the highway

H over a gem is a hammer-on and P a pull-off: those notes aren’t picked. Only the note before them is.

How to play it

Pick the first note only. The H and P notes are played by your fretting hand.
For H, bring a finger down hard and fast just behind the new fret: the impact makes the note sound.
For P, pull the finger off sideways (toward the floor) so it flicks the string as it leaves, and the lower note, fretted or open, sounds.

Watch out Every note should be as loud as the picked one. A lazy hammer, or a finger lifted straight up, fades away.

The ladder: 8 stages and 34 steps, from 60 BPM at level 1

1–10
Hammer-ons from open strings 60–90 BPM
Pick the open string, then hammer a finger onto the fret shown, on the same string (H). Two notes, one pick, then a breath.
The D and G strings, onto fret 2 · The B and high E strings, onto fret 3 · The low strings · Any string · A hammer-on every beat
11–20
Hammer on, pull off 56–86 BPM
Pick the open string, hammer onto the fret (H), then pull that finger off (P) so the open string sounds again.
On the G string · The D and G strings · The B and high E strings · Any string · Rolling triplets
21–28
Fretted hammer-ons 56–88 BPM
Pick the lower fret, then hammer another finger onto the higher one (H), and pick the note after it. Your index holds the lower fret.
A fret apart: index to middle · Two frets apart: index to ring · Three frets apart: index to little · Any of them
29–36
Fretted pull-offs 56–88 BPM
Put both fingers down first. Pick the higher fret, then pull that finger off (P) so the index finger’s note sounds.
A fret apart: middle to index · Two frets apart: ring to index · Three frets apart: little to index · Any of them
37–44
Trills 48–76 BPM
Pick once, then hammer and pull between the two frets as fast as the notes come (H, P, H, P). The index stays down the whole time.
A fret apart · Two frets apart · Three frets apart: the little finger · Longer trills
45–50
Three-note legato 52–84 BPM
Three notes on a string for each pick, in triplets: going up, pick then hammer twice; coming down, pick then pull off twice.
Going up: pick, hammer, hammer · Coming down: pick, pull, pull · Up and back down
51–56
Legato runs 40–66 BPM
A scale with three notes on each string, six notes a beat: pick only the first note on each string, and hammer (going up) or pull off (coming down) the other two.
Up the scale · Down the scale · Up and down
57–68
Legato licks 56–92 BPM
Licks from the pentatonic box with hammer-ons, pull-offs and trills, the way rock solos use them. Pick only the notes without an H or P. Once it’s learned, a lick moves to other keys: the shape stays the same.
Hammer-ons up the box · Pull-offs to the root · Pull-offs down the box in triplets · Up the high strings and back · A trill, then down · Rolling down the strings
69+
No top level 3% faster every level
Past the last stage its steps come round mixed, and it keeps getting faster, level after level, for as long as you can keep up.

Fretting hand · 6 stages · 22 steps · levels 1–44, then no top

Slides

Glide to the right fret and land on it.

Slides move your hand around the neck without a gap in the sound. You pick once and glide to the target fret, landing on the band’s chord: two frets up on one string first, then down, then longer slides, slides that shift your hand into a new position, slide licks that carry you between boxes of the scale, and quick slides in a run.

On the highway

A slide is a gem whose tail bends across the lanes to the fret it lands on, and that landing note comes as a gem of its own. Only the first gem is picked; the second one is where your finger stops.

How to play it

Pick the first note and keep pressing the string down.
Glide the same finger along the string, following the tail, and stop just behind the fret of the landing gem.
Don’t pick again when you land: the note keeps ringing all the way there, and you hold it.

Watch out Easing off the pressure halfway kills the note. Keep the finger pressed down the whole way.

The ladder: 6 stages and 22 steps, from 60 BPM at level 1

1–8
Slide up two frets 60–90 BPM
Pick, then slide the same finger two frets up the string and hold the note you land on.
On the G string · On the B string · On the D string · Any string
9–14
Up and back down 60–90 BPM
Slides back down the neck too. Follow the tail to the fret it points to.
Two frets down · Two frets, up or down · Three frets, up or down
15–20
Longer slides 60–90 BPM
Longer slides: aim for the landing fret, not just a direction, and slow the finger as you get there.
Four frets · Five frets · Three to five frets, any string
21–26
Slide into position 44–76 BPM
Slide to move your whole hand to a new spot, then play two notes on the next string from where you landed.
Up into the next position · Down into the one below · Up or down
27–38
Slide licks 52–88 BPM
Blues and rock licks where a slide carries you from one box of the scale to the next. Pick, slide, and play on from where you land. Once it’s learned, a lick moves to other keys.
Up the G string to the next box · A slow slide on the G string · Back down the D string to the root · Up the high E and back · Up the A string to the 10th fret · Up the B string to the 13th
39–44
Quick slides 48–84 BPM
A short slide on every beat, landing half a beat later. Quick and snappy, but keep the pressure on.
To the next note along · Up to two notes along · Changing strings
45+
No top level 3% faster every level
Past the last stage its steps come round mixed, and it keeps getting faster, level after level, for as long as you can keep up.

Fretting hand · 8 stages · 30 steps · levels 1–60, then no top

Bends

Bend the string until it’s right in tune.

Bending is where a guitar sings, but only in tune. Each bend has to reach its note (Melodic listens to the pitch), and the higher the level, the closer it has to get; the note it reaches is always one of the band’s chord. Each new bend is learned the way teachers teach it: first hear the note you’re aiming for, fretted, then bend up to match it, on one string at a time, then without the guide. Then bends that come back down, bigger bends, bends with vibrato on top, licks, singing lead phrases and quick bends.

On the highway

An arrow over a gem is a bend, labelled with how far to push: ½ (one fret higher), full (two frets) or 1½ (three). A down arrow after it means let it back down while it rings; a wavy tail means add vibrato.

How to play it

Fret the note with your ring finger, with your middle and index fingers on the same string behind it to help push.
Pick, then push the string across the neck (toward the ceiling on the G, B and high E strings), turning from the wrist rather than pushing with the fingers.
Listen and stop when the note sounds like its target (full = the note two frets higher), then hold it there until the tail ends.

Watch out Most bends fall short: push until it sounds right, not until it feels far enough. Melodic only counts a bend that gets there.

The ladder: 8 stages and 30 steps, from 60 BPM at level 1

1–6
Half-step bends 60–80 BPM
Push the note up by one fret’s worth. When the target note comes first, fretted, sing it in your head and bend up until you match it.
Hear it first: on the B string · Hear it first: on the G string · Without the guide note
7–14
Whole-step bends 60–84 BPM
Full bends, two frets’ worth: more push, from the wrist, with two fingers behind the one bending.
Hear it first: on the G string · Hear it first: on the B string · Hear it first: on the high E · Without the guide note
15–20
Bend and release 60–84 BPM
Bend up a whole step, hold it, then let the string back down slowly without picking again. Then pick the unbent note once more: it should match where you came back to.
On the G string · On the B string · Any string
21–26
Half, whole and step-and-a-half 60–90 BPM
The arrow says how far: ½, full or 1½. The bigger the bend, the more fingers you need behind it.
Half and whole · Step and a half: hear it first · All three
27–32
Bend and vibrato 60–84 BPM
Bend up a whole step, then wobble it at the top: let the bend down a little and push it back up, again and again, until the wavy tail ends.
On the G string · On the B string · Any string
33–44
Bends in licks 46–76 BPM
Real licks from the pentatonic box: the bent notes have to reach their pitch in the flow of the phrase. Once it’s learned, a lick moves to other keys.
Two bends: the B string, then the G · From the high E down the box · Bend, down the box, bend and release · A quick bend, then a long one · A whole step and a half step · Up at the 10th fret
45–54
Singing phrases 60–84 BPM
Slow lead phrases over a ballad: bend to the note, then let the long notes sing with vibrato. Every bend lands on a note of the chord under it.
Over A minor and F · Over A minor and G · Over C and G · Over D minor and A minor · Over F and E
55–60
Quick bends 46–80 BPM
A fast bend on every beat, then a picked note. Push up quickly and land in tune.
Whole steps · Half and whole steps · Half, whole and more
61+
No top level 3% faster every level
Past the last stage its steps come round mixed, and it keeps getting faster, level after level, for as long as you can keep up.

Fretting hand · 6 stages · 22 steps · levels 1–44, then no top

Vibrato

Make a held note wobble and sing.

Vibrato is the wobble that makes a long note sing instead of just sitting there. Melodic listens for it: the pitch has to swing up and back while the note rings. Slow wobbles on long notes first, one string at a time, then the high and low strings (where you pull instead of push), slow melodies that sing, shorter notes, vibrato on top of a bend, and vibrato in licks.

On the highway

A wavy tail on a gem means vibrato: keep the note ringing and wobble it for as long as the tail lasts.

How to play it

Fret the note (the ring finger is easiest, with the other fingers on the string behind it) and pick it.
Push the string a little way across the neck and let it back, again and again, like a small bend and release. Move from the wrist, not the fingertip.
Keep it going until the tail ends: slow and even at first, then quicker as the notes get shorter.

Watch out The pitch should rise and come back to the note, not creep sharp and stay there. An even wobble sounds best.

The ladder: 6 stages and 22 steps, from 60 BPM at level 1

1–8
Slow vibrato on long notes 60–84 BPM
One long note every two beats. Pick it, then wobble it slowly (push up a little, let back down) until its wavy tail ends.
On the B string · On the G string · On the D string · B, G and D
9–16
Vibrato on every string 60–90 BPM
Long notes on the outer strings too. On the low strings pull the string down toward the floor instead of pushing it up.
On the high E · On the A string: pull down · On the low E · Any string
17–22
Melodies that sing 56–84 BPM
Slow melodies over a ballad: every long note gets vibrato. Start the wobble once the note has settled, and keep it going to the end of its tail.
Half notes in the box · Long and short notes · Higher up the neck
23–28
Shorter notes 52–88 BPM
A note with vibrato on every beat. Start the wobble straight after the pick: there’s less time, so it has to be quicker.
On the B string · On the G and D strings · Any of the top four
29–34
Bend and vibrato 60–84 BPM
Bend up a whole step, then add vibrato at the top: let it down a little and push it back up, staying in tune.
On the G string · On the B string · Any string
35–44
Vibrato in licks 46–76 BPM
Pentatonic licks where the long notes (and the bends) end with vibrato, as in a solo. Once it’s learned, a lick moves to other keys.
Down the box to a long note · Down from the high E · Up the box to a long C · Vibrato, then a bend with vibrato · A bend that sings, then the root
45+
No top level 3% faster every level
Past the last stage its steps come round mixed, and it keeps getting faster, level after level, for as long as you can keep up.

Picking hand

Speed, accuracy and string changes

⊓VAlternate Picking ⤸String Skipping

Picking hand · 8 stages · 30 steps · levels 1–60, then no top

Alternate Picking

Down-up picking, faster and cleaner.

Strict down-up picking is how fast single-note lines are played. Quarters and eighths on one string first, then steady eighths in little patterns, crossing strings through the pentatonic box in three keys, picked melodies, sixteenths, scale runs straight and in groups of four, speed bursts (short runs at your top speed between slower notes) and sextuplets.

On the highway

Plain gems one after another, often several on the same string. Every note is picked: down, up, down, up.

How to play it

Down on the beat, up in between: never two picks the same way in a row, even when you change string.
Keep the movement small, from the wrist, with the tip of the pick only just passing the string.
Relax your grip: hold the pick just firmly enough not to drop it.

Watch out Speed comes from staying relaxed. If your arm tenses up, the level is too high today: it will ease off.

The ladder: 8 stages and 30 steps, from 52 BPM at level 1

1–8
Down, and down-up 52–84 BPM
One string a bar: notes on the beat are picked down; a pair of quicker ones goes down-up. Down on the beat, up in between, strictly.
Down on every beat · One down-up pair a bar · Two pairs a bar · Pairs anywhere
9–18
Eighths on one string 52–86 BPM
Two notes a beat on one string, a new string every bar. Down, up, down, up, strictly.
Two notes, back and forth · Each note twice · Up three notes and back · Down three notes and back · A new pattern every bar
19–24
Crossing strings 52–86 BPM
Up and down the pentatonic box, two notes on each string: the pick has to hop to the next string at just the right moment, without breaking the down-up.
The box at the 5th fret (A minor) · At the 8th fret (C minor) · At the 3rd fret (G minor)
25–30
Picked melodies 56–92 BPM
Melodies in eighths in one hand position, every note picked. Keep the down-up going across the strings.
A minor at the 5th fret · E minor at the 7th fret · D minor at the 10th fret
31–40
Sixteenths on one string 40–66 BPM
Four notes a beat on one string, in a little pattern that repeats. Down-up-down-up, from the wrist.
Tremolo: one note, four picks a beat · Up and back: 1-2-3-2 · Down and back: 3-2-1-2 · Out and in: 1-2-1-3 · A new pattern every bar
41–48
Scale runs in sixteenths 44–72 BPM
A scale with three notes on each string, four notes a beat, strictly alternating: three notes a string means the pick changes string on an upstroke, then a downstroke, in turn.
A minor, up and down · In groups of four · G minor, lower down · D minor in fours, higher up
49–54
Speed bursts 60–96 BPM
Steady eighths, then a burst of four quick notes on one string where the bar says. Stay loose through the burst and land back in time.
A burst on beat 3 · Bursts on beats 2 and 3 · Bursts on beats 1 and 3
55–60
Sextuplets 40–66 BPM
Six notes a beat through the three-notes-a-string scale. Lean on the first note of each six to keep your place.
Up and down the scale · In groups of three · In groups of six
61+
No top level 3% faster every level
Past the last stage its steps come round mixed, and it keeps getting faster, level after level, for as long as you can keep up.

Picking hand · 6 stages · 22 steps · levels 1–44, then no top

String Skipping

Jump over strings without hitting them.

Landing on a string that isn’t next to the last one. Open strings two apart first, a pair at a time, then octave lines that follow the band’s chords, fretted patterns on each pair of strings, arpeggios spread across the neck, wider skips over two strings, and the arpeggios again in sixteenths.

On the highway

Notes that jump over a string (or two). Watch the colours: the string in between isn’t played.

How to play it

Aim the pick at the target string and move in a small arc over the strings in between.
Keep the skipped strings quiet: your fretting fingers lie lightly across them.
Look ahead: start the jump before the note arrives, not when it does.

Watch out Hitting the string in between is the usual slip. Make the arc over it a little bigger, then smaller as it gets easy.

The ladder: 6 stages and 22 steps, from 56 BPM at level 1

1–10
Skip one string 56–88 BPM
Two strings with one between them, a note a beat, back and forth. Leave the middle string alone.
Low E and D · A and G · D and B, G and high E · Any pair · With fretted notes
11–16
Octaves 44–76 BPM
The chord’s note on the low E or A string, then the same note two strings up and two frets higher. Let your index finger rest on the string between to keep it quiet.
From the low E string · From the A string · Whichever is nearer
17–24
Skipping patterns 50–82 BPM
Two strings with one between, in one hand position, bouncing between them in eighths.
Low E and D · A and G · D and B, G and high E · Any pair
25–30
Skipping arpeggios 56–92 BPM
The band’s chord spread over three strings two apart: low, middle, high, middle, two notes a beat.
Low E, D and B strings · A, G and high E strings · Either set
31–38
Wider skips 46–78 BPM
Now two strings in between: bigger jumps, still with a small arc.
Low E and G · A and B · D and high E · Any of them
39–44
Skipping arpeggios in sixteenths 42–70 BPM
Chord notes spread over three strings two apart: low, middle, high, middle, four notes a beat.
Low E, D and B strings · A, G and high E strings · Either set
45+
No top level 3% faster every level
Past the last stage its steps come round mixed, and it keeps getting faster, level after level, for as long as you can keep up.

Lead

Scales, arpeggios and flash

♪Scale Runs ⋰Arpeggios TTapping

Lead · 11 stages · 42 steps · levels 1–84, then no top

Scale Runs

The five pentatonic boxes and beyond, up to speed.

The shapes every solo is built from, played over the band. The minor pentatonic with open strings and then at the 5th fret, half a box at a time, in eighths, from the top and in skips; then the other four boxes, one at a time and joined up; melodies through them, the box in other keys (the shape stays, the fret changes), the major scale, sequences of three and four, the three-notes-per-string minor scale and runs that travel across the neck.

On the highway

Runs of notes through a scale shape. The lit lanes show the box your hand stays in.

How to play it

One finger per fret in the box: index on the lowest lit fret, little finger (or ring) on the highest.
Alternate your picking all the way through: down, up, down, up.
Learn the shape as you go: say the pattern to yourself as you play it.

Watch out Uneven notes are the tell of rushing. Every note should be the same length and loudness.

The ladder: 11 stages and 42 steps, from 56 BPM at level 1

1–10
Pentatonic box, up and down 56–88 BPM
The minor pentatonic box, two notes on each string, a note a beat: first with open strings, then at the 5th fret, where it stays.
E minor with open strings · At the 5th fret: the low strings · At the 5th fret: the high strings · All six strings · From the top down
11–16
Pentatonic in eighths 44–72 BPM
The same box at the 5th fret, two notes a beat.
Up and down · From the top down · In skips: 1-3, 2-4, 3-5
17–26
The other boxes 44–72 BPM
The same notes in the four other places on the neck, each a box of its own: together they cover the whole fretboard. The lit lanes show where each one sits.
Box 2, from the 7th fret · Box 3, from the 9th fret · Box 4, from the 12th fret · Box 5, from the 2nd fret · Boxes 1 and 2 as one
27–34
Melodies in the boxes 52–86 BPM
Melodies made from the box’s notes, the way a solo uses them: on the beat they land on the band’s chord.
In box 1 · In box 2 · Phrases with space between · Across boxes 1 and 2
35–42
The box in other keys 50–82 BPM
Box 1 up and down in eighths in a new key: the shape stays the same, only its fret changes.
C minor at the 8th fret · G minor at the 3rd fret · D minor at the 10th fret · B minor at the 7th fret
43–50
The major scale 44–72 BPM
The major scale in one hand position, one finger a fret: learned a few strings at a time, then all six, in eighths. It’s the scale melodies are made of.
G major at the 2nd fret: the low strings · G major: the high strings · G major: all six strings · C major at the 7th fret
51–58
Sequences of three 44–72 BPM
Groups of three through the box (notes 1-2-3, then 2-3-4, 3-4-5...), a group a beat.
Up the box · Down the box · Up and down box 2 · Threes in eighths, across the beat
59–64
Sequences of four 42–70 BPM
Groups of four through the box, four notes a beat.
Up the box · Down the box · Up and down in C minor
65–72
Three notes a string 42–70 BPM
The minor scale with three notes on every string, up and down in sixteenths. Your hand shifts up a fret or so as you climb.
A minor from the 5th fret · G minor from the 3rd fret · D minor from the 10th fret · E minor from the 12th fret
73–78
Across the neck 44–72 BPM
Two octaves of pentatonic that travel up the neck: shift your hand where the notes move to a new position.
A minor · G minor, lower down · C minor, higher up
79–84
Melodies in eighths 52–88 BPM
Faster melodies through the boxes, mostly eighths, landing on the chord’s notes on the beat.
In box 1 · In box 2 · Across boxes 1 and 2
85+
No top level 3% faster every level
Past the last stage its steps come round mixed, and it keeps getting faster, level after level, for as long as you can keep up.

Lead · 8 stages · 37 steps · levels 1–74, then no top

Arpeggios

Chords one note at a time, up to sweeps.

Picking a chord’s notes one after another, the sound of countless ballads. Open chords picked slowly string by string first, each held for two bars, then eighths, the picking patterns folk and pop use, Travis picking’s steady bass, ballads in 3/4, the long progressions of the Canon and its cousins, three-string triads that follow the band, and five-string sweeps.

On the highway

Single gems that climb and fall across the strings: a chord shape played one string at a time. The chord box above the neck shows the shape to hold.

How to play it

Hold the whole chord shape down before it starts (the chord box shows it), then pick its strings one at a time in the order the gems come.
For open chords, let the notes ring into each other.
For sweeps, push the pick through the strings in one smooth motion, one note per string, instead of separate strokes.

Watch out In a fast sweep, two notes ringing together smear: ease each finger off slightly once its note has sounded.

The ladder: 8 stages and 37 steps, from 56 BPM at level 1

1–8
Open chords, string by string 56–84 BPM
Hold the chord in the chord box and pick its lowest string, then three strings going up, a note a beat. Each chord lasts two bars.
Bass, then up three strings · Over C, G, A minor and F · Bass, then the top three strings · Bass, then strings 4, 2 and 3
9–16
Open chords in eighths 44–72 BPM
From the chord’s lowest string to the top and back down, two notes a beat. Each chord lasts two bars.
A minor, C, G and E minor · C, G, A minor and F · A minor, D minor and E · D, A, E minor and G
17–26
Picking patterns 50–84 BPM
The chord’s lowest note, then a pattern on the higher strings, like fingerpicking with a pick. A new chord every bar.
Bass, 3 2 3 1 3 2 3 · Bass, 2 3 1 3 2 3 1 · Bass, 4 3 2 3 4 2 3 · Back to the bass between notes · Two patterns, a chord each
27–36
Travis picking 50–80 BPM
Fingerpicking’s steady bass: your thumb alternates between the chord’s bass note and another low string on every beat, while your fingers (or the pick) add notes on the top strings in between. Hold the whole chord all the time.
The thumb alone: bass, then the other bass · A treble note after beats 2 and 4 · A treble note on every “and” · Changing chords: C, A minor, D minor and G · In three
37–46
Ballads in three 50–82 BPM
Three beats a bar: the chord’s lowest note, then up and back down the top strings, two notes a beat. Let every note ring.
A minor, C, D and F · E minor, C, G and D · Down from A minor to E · C, A minor, F and G · A minor, F, C and E
47–56
Arpeggio progressions 52–88 BPM
Longer progressions, some with barre chords, picked in patterns that change with the chord: have the next shape ready.
The Canon in D · The Canon in C · Down from A minor to E · E minor, C, G and D · The Canon in G
57–64
Three-string triads 44–72 BPM
Small chord shapes on the G, B and high E strings that follow the band’s chords: pick up through the three strings, then back down, three notes a beat.
C, A minor, F and G · G, E minor, C and D · A minor, D minor and E · Further up and down the neck
65–74
Five-string sweeps 44–72 BPM
Chord shapes from the A string up to the high E and back: one sweeping motion of the pick in each direction.
A minor at the 12th fret · C major at the 3rd fret · A minor and F · A minor, F, C and G · D minor, E minor and A minor
75+
No top level 3% faster every level
Past the last stage its steps come round mixed, and it keeps getting faster, level after level, for as long as you can keep up.

Lead · 6 stages · 20 steps · levels 1–40, then no top

Tapping

Your picking hand on the fretboard.

Tapping plays a note with a finger of your picking hand, for runs no fretting hand can reach. Tap and pull off first, one string at a time, then in eighths, the classic tap, pull-off, hammer-on triplet, taps that move to make new chords, patterns across two strings, and tapped arpeggios that follow the band.

On the highway

T over a gem: tap that fret with a finger of your picking hand. P on the next gem: that note is already being held by your fretting hand, and pulling the tapping finger off makes it sound. H: hammer a fretting-hand finger down. Nothing slides.

How to play it

Before you start, put your fretting hand’s index finger on the lowest fret of the pattern (the P note’s fret) and keep it pressed there the whole time.
Tap (T): hammer the higher fret hard with the middle or index finger of your picking hand, just behind the fret wire.
Pull-off (P): flick the tapping finger off the string sideways, toward the floor, so it plucks the string and your held note sounds. For an H, hammer a fretting-hand finger onto its fret.

Watch out Neither hand moves along the neck between the tap and the pull-off. Rest the edge of your fretting hand on the other strings to keep them quiet.

The ladder: 6 stages and 20 steps, from 60 BPM at level 1

1–8
Tap and pull off 60–90 BPM
Hold fret 5 with your index. Tap fret 12 with your picking hand (T), then flick that finger off (P) so fret 5 sounds. Your fretting hand never moves.
Pull off to the open B string · On the B string · On the G string · On the high E
9–14
Tap and pull off in eighths 46–72 BPM
The same tap and pull-off, two notes a beat.
On the B string · On the G string · A new string every rep
15–22
Tap, pull off, hammer on 44–72 BPM
Index on the lower fret and little finger ready three frets up. Tap the high fret (T), pull off to your index (P), hammer the little finger down (H): three notes a beat.
With the open string: 12, 0, 7 · On the B string: 12, 5, 8 · On the G string: 14, 7, 10 · B and G in turn
23–28
Moving the tap 44–72 BPM
The same triplet, but the tapped fret moves while your fretting hand stays put. Each new tap is a new chord.
12 and 13 on the B string · 12, 13 and 15 · On the G string
29–34
Across two strings 44–72 BPM
The tap-pull-hammer triplet on one string, then on the next, two beats each. Move both hands across to the new string together.
B and G · High E and B · G and D
35–40
Tapped arpeggios 48–80 BPM
Tap-pull-hammer triplets on the B string whose three notes are the band’s chord: both hands move to the next chord’s frets as it changes.
E minor, C, G and D · A minor, F, C and G · Through E minor’s progressions
41+
No top level 3% faster every level
Past the last stage its steps come round mixed, and it keeps getting faster, level after level, for as long as you can keep up.

Progress

Every rep counts

Your level on every drill is saved after every rep, along with your best level, time trained and how many notes you hit. Training earns XP toward your career level too: for the notes you hit, every level you climb, every new best and every minute you put in.

And there are badges to collect: three for each drill’s ladder (into its second stage, halfway up, and past its top) and twenty more for training itself, from your first rep to warming up after a break, five clean reps in a row, seven days in a row, 2,000 reps and level 30 in every drill.

62 training badges, with names to match: Sure Shot, Dead Eye and Laser Guided for picking; Wobble, Shimmer and Heartstrings for vibrato.
A chart of your session at the end: every rep’s level and how it went.
On any screen. Training works on computers, tablets and phones, listening through a cable, an audio interface or the microphone.

Melodic’s badges: the Drill ladders page, three for each drill

Questions

About the drills

Which drill should I start with?

If you’re new to guitar, Picking Accuracy, Finger Gym and Chord Changes are the foundations. Otherwise start with whatever you want to get better at: every drill finds your level by itself within a few reps. The Training screen also suggests one.

How long should I practise?

As long as you like. A rep takes five to ten seconds and everything is saved as you go, so five minutes on one drill is worth it. Short, regular sessions beat one long one, and a badge rewards seven days in a row.

Do the drills work with the Tour?

Yes. Almost every technique the Tour teaches has a drill (all but the two kinds of harmonics), and when one technique costs you a gig, the gig report offers its drill. See how each technique is played and the Tour.

Can I use the drills on bass?

The drills are written for six-string guitar in standard tuning. Bass players get their own parts in every song.

What if a level is too hard or too easy?

Just keep playing: the level moves after every rep. To jump there straight away, press − or + on the start card or while you play, and the drill remembers it.

Pick a drill. Your level is waiting.

16 technique drills that listen to your guitar and adapt after every rep · free in your browser

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