In this lesson from Trevor Gordon Hall’s latest JamPlay course, the Melodic Picking Practice Plan, you will explore hammer-ons and pull-offs and you will learn simple economy picking exercises.

Economy picking is different from alternate picking in that with alternate picking you’re always going down-up-down-up-down-up, whereas with economy picking you’ll stay in the same direction when you cross to the next string.

Trevor will cover some of the challenges you’ll face as you start attempting hammer-ons and pull-offs and he’ll explain how you can find ways to engage both the picking hand as well as the fretting hand to overcome these challenges. Next, you learn a simple lick that can be applied in the final economy picking exercises.

With economy picking, what we’re really talking about is an “economy of motion”. Is there any wasted space as you play? Are you leaving the area of the strings every time, having to reset and find your place in order to start again? See if there are any extra movements you might be able to eliminate.

The Melodic Picking Practice Plan contains 25 lessons along with guitar picking exercises and backing tracks that let you play along. To access the full course, you must become a JamPlay member.