Last Updated on May 15, 2019 by Klaus Crow

Photo by John Hope

A lot of you who are working on “developing technique and increasing speed” have probably put some blood sweat and tears in my 21 Cool 3 Notes-Per-String Exercises .

If you haven’t and you got the nerve be sure to check it out.

But today I present to you 10 smoking 2 notes-per-string licks”.

A technique that feels different from the 3 notes per string and will definitely improve your technique in many ways if you work hard at it. Also the licks are perfect to incorporate into your improvisations.

While there are a lot of great guitar players known for their 3 notes-per-string, don’t underestimate what people like Zakk Wylde, Eric Johnson and John McLaughlin can do with 2 notes per string. They rock!

So let’s get your hands back in the dirt and work on these smoking licks.

Note: Don’t forget to use the alternate picking technique (up,down,up,down,up,down…)

Make yourself proud!

EXERCISE #1 (A minor pentatonic) e--------------------------------------------------------5-8-| B-----------------------------------------5-8-------5-8------| G--------------------------5-7-------5-7-------5-7-----------| D-----------5-7-------5-7-------5-7--------------------------| A------5-7-------5-7-----------------------------------------| E-5-8--------------------------------------------------------| EXERCISE #2 (played over a Gmaj7 chord) e------------------------------------7-10--------------------| B-----------------------------7-8----------------------------| G----------------------4-7-----------------------------------| D---------------4-5------------------------------------------| A--------2-5-------------------------------------------------| E-2-3--------------------------------------------------------| EXERCISE #3 (A minor pentatonic) e----------------------8-10----------------------------------| B-----------------8-10------8-10-----------------------------| G-------------5-7----------------7-9-------------------------| D---------5-7------------------------10-12-------------------| A-----3-5----------------------------------10-12-------10-12-| E-3-5--------------------------------------------10-12-------| EXERCISE #4 (whole tone lick played over G7#5) e-------------------------------------9-11-------------------| B------------------------------8-10--------------------------| G-----------------------6-8----------------------------------| D----------------5-7-----------------------------------------| A---------4-6------------------------------------------------| E-3--5-------------------------------------------------------| EXERCISE #5 (played over a Dmin9 chord) e------------------------12-13-------------------------------| B-----------------10-11---------10-11------------------------| G-----------9-10-----------------------9-10------------------| D------7-8-----------------------------------7-8-------------| A-7-8----------------------------------------------7-8-------| E------------------------------------------------------------| EXERCISE #6 (E minor pentatonic) e--5-3-----7-5-----10-7------12-10-------15-12-------15-12---| B------5-3-----8-5------10-8-------12-10-------15-12---------| G------------------------------------------------------------| D------------------------------------------------------------| A------------------------------------------------------------| E------------------------------------------------------------| EXERCISE #7 (key of Em) e---------------------------------2-3------------------------| B---------------------3-5-----3-5-----3-5--------------------| G---------4-5-----4-5-----4-5--------------4-5---------------| D-----5-7-----5-7-------------------------------5-7----------| A-7-9-----------------------------------------------5-7------| E------------------------------------------------------------| EXERCISE #8 (key of G major or E minor) e------------------------------------------------------------| B------------------------------------------------------------| G------------------------------------------------------------| D---------2-5---------5-7-----------7-9--------------9-12----| A-----2-5---------5-7----------7-10------------10-12---------| E-3-5---------5-7---------7-10-----------10-12---------------| e-------------10-12/15---------------------------------------| B-------10-12------------------------------------------------| G--9-12------------------------------------------------------| D------------------------------------------------------------| A------------------------------------------------------------| E------------------------------------------------------------| EXERCISE #9 (B minor pentatonic) e------------------------------------7-10--------------------| B--------------------------7-10------------------------------| G-----------------7-9-----------7-9--------------------------| D--------7-9----------7-9------------------------------------| A------------7-9---------------------------------------------| E--7-10------------------------------------------------------| e------------------------------------------------------------| B------7-10--------------------------------------------------| G-7-9------------7-9-----------------------------------------| D-----------7-9-----------7-9--------------------------------| A--------------------7-9-------------------------------------| E-----------------------------7-10---------------------------| EXERCISE #10 (played over a Gmaj7 chord) e-------------------------------------------10--14-----------| B-----------------------------------8--12--------------------| G---------------------------7--11----------------------------| D-------------------5--9-------------------------------------| A-----------5--9---------------------------------------------| E---3--7-----------------------------------------------------| Leave a comment anytime you want. I appreciate it.