Playing 3 notes per string exercises is something I do on a regular basis.

I use
them to warm up, to become a faster guitar player and to spice up my improvisat
ion.
3 notes per string licks and scales are generally used for speed picking. Whenev
er you hear a guitar player playing these really fast terrifying licks, it s proba
bly a 3 notes per string lick. Paul Gilbert of Mr.Big is one of many great exper
ts in this field.
If you practice these exercises properly and often enough you will increase your
speed. Because of the 3 notes per string technique it will create a particular
cool sound once you will start playing faster.
The 3 notes per string exercises are played using the alternate picking techniqu
e. There are other techniques as well like sweep picking but alternate picking i
s the most common one. Alternative picking means you hold the pick between your
thumb and index finger with the pointed end facing toward the strings. You stric
tly use alternating down and up strokes. The first note you play is downstroke,
the second an upstroke, the third one a downstroke, the fourth one an upstroke a
nd so on.
Once you get the hang of it, it can become quite addictive, but be careful thoug
h. Don t overdo it when you are soloing or improvising in front of an audience. It
can become boring after a while. Use it now and then and you will sound great.
For speed practice and improving your alternative picking technique use the 3 no
tes per string exercises as much as you can.
The one and only reason why these monster guitar players become so incredibly fa
st is that they practice long hours for days, weeks, months and years. And why d
o you want to do that? Because it s fun and because you ll get better and the better
a guitar player you ll become the more you want to practice.
If you are ready for the challenge practice these 21 cool 3 notes per string lic
ks, scales, exercises and feel the rush!
Practice slow first and then gradually build up speed.
Have fun!
EXERCISE #1 (E minor pattern)
e:-----------------------------------------0-10-12-------|
B:---------------------------------0-8-10----------------|
G:-------------------------0-7-9-------------------------|
D:-----------------0-5-7---------------------------------|
A:---------0-5-7-----------------------------------------|
E:--0-3-5------------------------------------------------|
and back
e:--12-10-0----------------------------------------------|
B:-----------10-8-0--------------------------------------|
G:-------------------9-7-0-------------------------------|
D:---------------------------7-5-0-----------------------|
A:-----------------------------------7-5-0---------------|
E:-------------------------------------------5-3-0-------|
EXERCISE #2
e:-------------------------------------------------------|
B:-------------------------------------------------------|
G:-------------------------------------------------------|
D:-------------------------------------------------------|
A:-------1-2-4-------2-4-5-------3-4-6-------4-6-7-------|

E:-1-2-4-------2-4-5-------3-4-6-------4-6-7-------etc.--|
Play exercise #2 also on the A and D strings
and then on D and G strings etc, etc.
EXERCISE #3
e:-------------------------------1-3-4--4-3-1------------|
B:-------------------------1-2-4--------------4-2-1------|
G:-------------------1-3-4--------------------------etc.-|
D:-------------1-2-4-------------------------------------|
A:-------1-3-4-------------------------------------------|
E:-1-2-4-------------------------------------------------|
Repeat the exercise moving up one fret at a time.
E.g.: The next step would be 2-3-5 on the E-string
and 2-4-5 on the A-string.
EXERCISE #4
e:-------------------------------1-2-4--4-2-1------------|
B:-------------------------1-2-4--------------4-2-1------|
G:-------------------1-2-4--------------------------etc.-|
D:-------------1-2-4-------------------------------------|
A:-------1-2-4-------------------------------------------|
E:-1-2-4-------------------------------------------------|
Repeat the exercise moving up one fret at a time.
E.g.: The next step would be 2-3-5, etc.
EXERCISE #5
e:-------------------------------1-3-4--4-3-1------------|
B:-------------------------1-3-4--------------4-3-1------|
G:-------------------1-3-4--------------------------etc.-|
D:-------------1-3-4-------------------------------------|
A:-------1-3-4-------------------------------------------|
E:-1-3-4-------------------------------------------------|
Repeat the exercise moving up one fret at a time.
E.g.: The next step would be 2-4-5, etc.
EXERCISE #6 (in the key of G major or E minor)
e:------------------------------------7-8-10--and-back---|
B:----------------------------7-8-10---------------------|
G:---------------------4-5-7-----------------------------|
D:--------------4-5-7------------------------------------|
A:-------2-3-5-------------------------------------------|
E:-2-3-5-------------------------------------------------|
EXERCISE #7 (in the key of G major or E minor)
e:---------------------------------------------5-7-8-----|
B:--------------------------------------5-7-8------------|
G:-------------------2-4-5-------4-5-7-------------------|
D:-------------2-4-5-------4-5-7-------------------------|
A:-------2-3-5-------------------------------------------|
E:-2-3-5-------------------------------------------------|
EXERCISE #8 (diminished scale)
e:--------------------------------10-7-10--and-back------|
B:--------------------------6-9-6------------------------|
G:-------------------7-4-7-------------------------------|
D:-------------3-6-3-------------------------------------|
A:-------5-2-5-------------------------------------------|
E:-1-4-1-------------------------------------------------|
EXERCISE #9 (diminished scale)

e:-----------------------------------7-8-10-and-back-----|
B:----------------------------6-8-9----------------------|
G:---------------------4-5-7-----------------------------|
D:--------------3-5-6------------------------------------|
A:-------2-3-5-------------------------------------------|
E:-1-3-4-------------------------------------------------|
EXERCISE #10
e:-------------------------------------------------------|
B:-------------------------------------------------------|
G:-------------------------------------------------------|
D:-------------------------------------------------------|
A:-------------------------------------------------------|
E:-1-2-3-4---2-3-4-5---3-4-5-6---4-5-6-7---5-6-7-8--etc.-|
Repeat the exercise moving up one string at a time.
EXERCISE #11 (F Lydian mode - 3 notes per string)
e:-----------------------------------3-5-7--and-back-----|
B:----------------------------3-5-6----------------------|
G:---------------------2-4-5-----------------------------|
D:--------------2-3-5------------------------------------|
A:-------2-3-5-------------------------------------------|
E:-1-3-5-------------------------------------------------|
EXERCISE #12 (G Mixolydian mode - 3 notes per string)
e:-----------------------------------5-7-8--and-back-----|
B:----------------------------5-6-8----------------------|
G:---------------------4-5-7-----------------------------|
D:--------------3-5-7------------------------------------|
A:-------3-5-7-------------------------------------------|
E:-3-5-7-------------------------------------------------|
EXERCISE #13 (A Aeolian mode - 3 notes per string)
e:---------------------------------7-8-10--and-back------|
B:--------------------------6-8-10-----------------------|
G:-------------------5-7-9-------------------------------|
D:-------------5-7-9-------------------------------------|
A:-------5-7-8-------------------------------------------|
E:-5-7-8-------------------------------------------------|
EXERCISE #14 (B Locrian mode - 3 notes per string)
e:-------------------------------------8-10-12-and-back--|
B:-----------------------------8-10-12-------------------|
G:----------------------7-9-10---------------------------|
D:---------------7-9-10----------------------------------|
A:--------7-8-10-----------------------------------------|
E:-7-8-10------------------------------------------------|
EXERCISE #15 (C Ionian mode - 3 notes per string)
e:------------------------------------------10-12-13-----|
B:---------------------------------10-12-13--------------|
G:-------------------------9-10-12-----------------------|
D:-----------------9-10-12-------------------------------|
A:---------8-10-12---------------------------------------|
E:-8-10-12-----------------------------------------------|
EXERCISE #16 (D Dorian mode - 3 notes per string)
e:----------------------------------------------12-13-15-|
B:-------------------------------------12-13-15----------|
G:----------------------------10-12-14-------------------|

D:-------------------10-12-14----------------------------|
A:----------10-12-14-------------------------------------|
E:-10-12-13----------------------------------------------|
EXERCISE #17 (E Phrygian mode - 3 notes per string)
e:----------------------------------------------13-15-17-|
B:-------------------------------------13-15-17----------|
G:----------------------------12-14-16-------------------|
D:-------------------12-14-15----------------------------|
A:----------12-14-15-------------------------------------|
E:-12-13-15----------------------------------------------|
EXERCISE #18 (stretch exercise)
e:---------------------------------1-3-5--and-back-------|
B:---------------------------1-3-5-----------------------|
G:--------------------1-3-5------------------------------|
D:--------------1-3-5------------------------------------|
A:-------1-3-5-------------------------------------------|
E:-1-3-5-------------------------------------------------|
Repeat the exercise moving up one fret at a time.
E.g.: The next step would be 2-4-6, 2-4-6, 2-4-6, etc.
EXERCISE #19
e:----------------------------------5-7-8----------------|
B:----------------------------5-7-8----------------------|
G:---------------------2-4-5--------------7-9-10---------|
D:--------------2-4-5-----------------------------7-9-10-|
A:-------5-7-8-------------------------------------------|
E:-5-7-8-------------------------------------------------|
Repeat the same exercise over and over again. Go in circles.
EXERCISE #20 (string skipping)
e:----------------------------------------------3-5-7----|
B:---------------------------------3-5-7-----------------|
G:--------------------3-5-7--------------3-5-7-----------|
D:-------3-5-7--------------3-5-7------------------------|
A:--------------3-5-7------------------------------------|
E:-3-5-7-------------------------------------------------|
EXERCISE #21 ( A pentatonic )
e:---------------------------------------11-12-15--------|
B:------------------------------10-13-15-----------------|
G:-----------------------8-9-12--------------------------|
D:---------------7-10-12---------------------------------|
A:--------6-7-10-----------------------------------------|
E:-5-8-10------------------------------------------------|