Dr. Dick’s String Mayhem (Finger Murder with Pick Madness)

Review

String Mayhem is the Finger Murder Part 3 exercise taken to extreme. First, review that exercise.

Play patterns on alternating strings (“12” = ① on second string then ② on first string).

                                    !  !     !                 !  !     !

finger 11 22 33 44 12 34 23 24 13 34 12 14 14 43 21 32 31 42 21 43 41 41

e-------5--6--7--8--6--8--7--8--7--9--7--8--9--7--5--6--5--6--4--7--5--4

b------5--6--7--8--5--7--6--6--5--7--5--5--5--8--6--7--7--8--6--9--8--8

Then, reverse strings. (“12” = ① on first string then ② on second string).                         

                                   !  !     !                 !  !     !

finger 11 22 33 44 12 34 23 24 13 34 12 14 14 43 21 32 31 42 21 43 41 41

e------5--6--7--8--5--7--6--6--5--7--5--5--5--8--6--7--7--8--6--9--8--8

b-------5--6--7--8--6--8--7--8--7--9--7--8--9--7--5--6--5--6--4--7--6--4

Repeat for all two-string combinations, including multiple string skips, in all positions. Strings:

1^st2^nd|1^st3 ^rd|1^st4^th|1^st5 ^th|1^st6^th|2^nd3^rd|2^nd4^th|2^nd5^th|2^nd6^th|3^rd4 ^th|3^rd5^th|3^rd 6^th|4^th5^th|4^th6^th|5^th6^th

Play Part 1 patterns on alternating strings (“12” = ① on second string then ② on first string).

                                    !  !     !                 !  !     !

finger 11 22 33 44 12 34 23 24 13 34 12 14 14 43 21 32 31 42 21 43 41 41

e-------5--6--7--8--6--8--7--8--7--9--7--8--9--7--5--6--5--6--4--7--5--4

b------5--6--7--8--5--7--6--6--5--7--5--5--5--8--6--7--7--8--6--9--8--8

Then, reverse strings. (“12” = ① on first string then ② on second string).                         

                                   !  !     !                 !  !     !

finger 11 22 33 44 12 34 23 24 13 34 12 14 14 43 21 32 31 42 21 43 41 41

e------5--6--7--8--5--7--6--6--5--7--5--5--5--8--6--7--7--8--6--9--8--8

b-------5--6--7--8--6--8--7--8--7--9--7--8--9--7--5--6--5--6--4--7--6--4

Repeat for all two-string combinations, including multiple string skips, in all positions. Strings:

1^st2^nd|1^st3 ^rd|1^st4^th|1^st5 ^th|1^st6^th|2^nd3^rd|2^nd4^th|2^nd5^th|2^nd6^th|3^rd4 ^th|3^rd5^th|3^rd 6^th|4^th5^th|4^th6^th|5^th6^th

Part 1. Revisit Finger Murder Part 1

This preparatory section is a reordering of Finger Murder Part 1 with some additions.

Circled numbers indicate finger numbers, not fret numbers

“!” indicates a stretch-skip a fret.

Starting in 5^th position, play with fingers in the circles on the following frets:

!① 4^th fret              ① 5^th fret              ② 6^th fret               !② 7^th  fret             ③ 7^th fret               ④ 8^th fret               !④ 9^th fret

   ①① ①!① ①② ①!② ①③ ①④ ①!④ !①① !①!① !①② !①!② !①③ !①④ !①!④②① ②!① ②② ②!② ②③ ②④ ②!④

e-5-5-5-4--5-6--5-7-5-7--5-8-5-9--4-5--4-4---4-6--4-7--4-7--4-8--4-9-6-5--6-4--6-6—6-7--6-7-6-8--6-9

   ③① ③!① ③② ③!② ③③ ③④ ③!④ ④① ④!① ④② ④!② ④③ ④④ ④!④ !④① !④!① !④② !④!② !④③ !④④ !④!④

e-7-5-7-4--7-6--7-7-7-7--7-8-7-9--8-5--8-4-8-6--8-7--8-7-8-8-8-9---9-5--9-4--9-6--9-7--9-7--9-8--9-9

The ③!② combination puts the second and third fingers on the same fret.

Some patterns such as ①!①  put the same finger twice in a row on different frets.

Begin with a | down, up | picking pattern.

Then, switch to | up, down | down, down | up, up |.

Use a metronome and start very slowly.

Slide the pattern around to every possible position on the guitar.                                                                                                                                                                                                

Part 2. Use the preparatory pattern for two strings.

Revisit Finger Murder Part 3 using this new pattern.

   ①① ①!① ①② ①!② ①③ ①④ ①!④ !①① !①!① !①② !①!② !①③ !①④ !①!④②① ②!① ②② ②!② ②③ ②④ ②!④

e-5---5----5----5---5----5---5----4----4-----4----4----4----4----4---6----6----6--—6----6---6----6--

b---5---4----6----7---7----8---9----5----4-----6----7----7----8----9---5----4----6—--7----7---8----9

   ③① ③!① ③② ③!② ③③ ③④ ③!④ ④① ④!① ④② ④!② ④③ ④④ ④!④ !④① !④!① !④② !④!② !④③ !④④ !④!④

e-7---7----7----7---7----7---7----8----8---8----8----8---8---8-----9----9----9----9----9----9----9--

e---5---4----6----7---7----8---9----5----4---6----7----7---8---9-----5----4----6----7----7----8----9

Then, switch strings

   ①① ①!① ①② ①!② ①③ ①④ ①!④ !①① !①!① !①② !①!② !①③ !①④ !①!④②① ②!① ②② ②!② ②③ ②④ ②!④

e-5---5----5----5---5----5---5----4----4-----4----4----4----4----4---6----6----6--—6----6---6----6--

b---5---4----6----7---7----8---9----5----4-----6----7----7----8----9---5----4----6—--7----7---8----9

   ③① ③!① ③② ③!② ③③ ③④ ③!④ ④① ④!① ④② ④!② ④③ ④④ ④!④ !④① !④!① !④② !④!② !④③ !④④ !④!④

e-7---7----7----7---7----7---7----8----8---8----8----8---8---8-----9----9----9----9----9----9----9--

b---5---4----6----7---7----8---9----5----4---6----7----7---8---9-----5----4----6----7----7----8----9

Explore picking patterns | down up | up down | down down | up up |.

Repeat for all string combinations, including multiple string skips, in all positions. Strings:

1^st2^nd|1^st3 ^rd|1^st4^th|1^st5 ^th|1^st6^th|2^nd3^rd|2^nd4^th|2^nd5^th|2^nd6^th|3^rd4 ^th|3^rd5^th|3^rd 6^th|4^th5^th|4^th6^th|5^th6^th

Slide the patterns around to every possible position on the guitar.

Part 3. Practice the three-string finger pattern on a single string.

This exercise uses the long pattern found at the beginning of the file.

As a warm-up to become familiar with the pattern, play the exercise on a single string.

Tablature below is the first few notes start of line 3 of pattern starting on the

1^st string, 5^th  fret, finger with finger numbers above.

e-------5-6-8---5-6-9-----5-7-8----5-7-9------5-7-5--5-7-4------5-7-6---5-7-7 -(Continue pattern from top of page)

Leave the left hand in fifth position for  “!” stretches and stretch fingers.

Performing the exercise on one string can seem inefficient and awkward at first because the exercise is designed for multiple strings.

Many of the combinations would never be used in actual music, but do not substitute more efficient patterns because the point of the

exercise is to explore all possible patterns  of the position so that the player can play literally any combination.

Line 1 of the pattern is difficult to grasp because of all the first and second-string stretches, so try starting on line 3 and wrapping around.

Part 4. Apply to a three-string pattern.

Once the basic picking pattern is comfortable, apply the technique to a three-string pattern.

e-------5-------5---------5--------5----------5------5----------5-------5----      (Continue pattern from top of page.)

b---------6-------6---------7--------7----------7------7----------7-------7--

g-----------8-------9---------8--------9----------5------4----------6-------7

Slide around to every possible position on guitar and use a metronome. Start very slowly.

Part 5. Change the string order.

Then, explore the pattern using different string orders. Possible orders for strings 1-3 are:

123 (shown above)            132         213         231         312         321

Tablature for the “132” order would include:

Finger

e-------5-------5---------5--------5----------5------5----------5-------5----

b-----------8-------9---------8--------9----------5------4----------6-------7 (Continue pattern from top of page.)

g---------6-------6---------7--------7----------7------7----------7-------7--

Slide around to every possible position on guitar. Use a metronome.

Part 6. Apply to other string combinations.

Then, explore the pattern using different string combinations. Possible combinations are:

|1st 2nd 4th|1st 2nd 5th|1st 2nd 6th|1st 3rd 4th|1st 3rd 5th|1st 3rd 6th|

|1st 4th 5th|1st 4th 6th|1st 5th 6th|2nd 3rd 4th|2nd 3rd 5th|2nd 3rd 6th|

|2nd 4th 5th|2nd 4th 6th|2nd 5th 6th|3rd 4th 5th|3rd 4th 6th|3rd 5th 6th|4th 5th 6th|                

So, |1st 2nd 4th| includes:

e-------5-------5---------5--------5----------5------5----------5-------5----

b---------6-------6---------7--------7----------7------7----------7-------7-- (Continue pattern from top of page.)

g----------------------------------------------------------------------------

d-----------8-------9---------8--------9----------5------4----------6-------7

Make sure to explore differing string orders in these combinations.                                                                  

Part 7. Apply different picking patterns.

Then, explore the exercise using different picking patterns. Possible picking patterns include:

ddd, ddu, dud, duu, udd, udu, uud, uuu

(d-downstroke u-upstroke)

The “uud” pattern would include:

Pick    u u d    u u d    u u d    u u d     u u d   u u d      u u d   u u d

e-------5-------5---------5--------5----------5------5----------5-------5----

b---------6-------6---------7--------7----------7------7----------7-------7-- (Continue pattern from top of page.)

g-----------8-------9---------8--------9----------5------4----------6-------7

Part 8. Explore More Multiple String Note Patterns

Tables for similar exercises on four strings, five strings, and six strings.

With 9,572,472 patterns available, a comprehensive performance of all combinations is probably humanly impossible.

Choose patterns from the tables and apply the techniques gleaned from the three note patterns to work four, five, and six note patterns.

Explore sting combinations, string orders, and picking patterns, also included in the files.

Work out other patterns that have repeated strings and notes. The permutations with repeated strings and notes are funtionally infinite.