Fun with various scales this week, using more advanced picking techniques. What is an advanced picking technique? I believe that if you think of any technique as being 'advanced', it could well hold you up in your development. Focus on the notes you are playing and listen to the sound you are producing and the technique will take care of itself.

OK, so that last statement sounded a bit Zen and makes it sound like some mystical method of practising your guitar. So what am I talking about?

I often find that my students will focus on the micro elements of developing technique and forget the big picture; does what you are playing actually sound good?

Although thinking about the most efficient hand movements to execute various 'advanced' picking techniques is important, listening to the notes and how they sound often gets overlooked. By listening to the sound of each note - if the tone is good, if the notes are ringing for the correct length, the volume at which each note is being played, etc., the technique will usually improve on its own.

Give it a try. The next time you are working on some intricate and difficult musical passage, try practising with your ears rather than your brain and let the sound dictate what changes your body needs to make to achieve the targeted goal.