My Personal Picking Exercise

BY STEVE MORSE

WHILE STUDYING AT THE UNIVERSITY
of Miami, I always made up exercises to try to
keep up with all the great guitarists there. One
of them, Stan Samole, heard me practicing this
one and transcribed it for some of his students.
   This arpeggio-based exercise consists en-
tirely of triplets. I made it into a classical-sound-
ing progression, so it wouldn't be as boring as
playing a plain arpeggio up and down the neck.

I'd been studying a lot of Spanish-style music
with classical guitarist Juan Mercadel. Such
arpeggiating is very difficult; go slowly to get
every note clean. I know if I can flatpick this
one accurately, I'm ready for anything else in
my repertoire.

   The Roman numerals indicate hand posi-
tions. If it's not obvious, pick down, up down,
up--regardless of how unnatural it may feel.