Everybody gets to a stage when they feel their playing has hit a dead end and no matter how much they practice they just don't seem to be getting any better. The best way of curing that is to simply shock that brain and those fingers of yours. New shapes that make no sense make your brain work harder and contort your fingers into positions they haven't explored before. This little etude uses a lot of shapes most people have not played before and should give you some great new ideas on how to expand on your arpeggio repetoire. The very first Em shape for example comes from the Japanese scale: A minor scale with the 4th omitted.

When you come across a new arpeggio or scale it's always best to explore every possible fingering. You might come upon an even easier and better sounding way to play it. The difference in sound playing an arp or scale with legato compared to alternate picking/slides etc. is amazing. Invent your own arpeggio shapes and your own licks...endless possibilites. Warm up before playing this piece and keep it slow. If you play it too fast you can't appreciate the intervallic sweetness of some of these shapes.

Get Shocking........

Alan Lennon is 24 years old, from Bagenalstown, Ireland, and has been playing guitar for 8 years. His main influences are Greg Howe, Shawn Lane, Jeff Beck, Marty Friedman, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Jason Becker.

He is currently recording his first album "Heavens Call" which he hopes to have finished by the end of summer 2002.

He was featured in the "Guitar9 Undiscovered" in February 2001. Be sure to visit Alan's website @ www.altheripper.moonfruit.com.