Technique · Advanced · 6 min
String Skipping in Octaves
Jump over a string on every move: root, octave, third, octave through C, Am, F and G.
How to play it
- For each chord play the root, jump one string to its octave, then the third and its octave.
- Mute the skipped string with the side of your fretting finger so a stray hit does not ring.
- Use strict alternate picking. The scorer hears pitch only, so a missed string shows up as a wrong note.
What the coach checks: Pitch of each note in order.
Tab player
Hear the line
Tap any number to hear it. Four clicks count you in.
Your practice room
Find each note
Single-note pitch feedback. Practice waits for each note; Play checks the sequence at your chosen tempo. This does not assess chord quality or fret buzz.
This checkpoint needs 100 BPM or faster and the required accuracy. Slower Play attempts still produce practice scores.
Exercise map · 16 targets
- 1. C3Bar 1 · beat 1 · string 5 · fret 3
- 2. C4Bar 1 · beat 1.5 · string 3 · fret 5
- 3. E3Bar 1 · beat 2 · string 4 · fret 2
- 4. E4Bar 1 · beat 2.5 · string 2 · fret 5
- 5. A2Bar 1 · beat 3 · string 6 · fret 5
- 6. A3Bar 1 · beat 3.5 · string 4 · fret 7
- 7. C3Bar 1 · beat 4 · string 5 · fret 3
- 8. C4Bar 1 · beat 4.5 · string 3 · fret 5
- 9. F2Bar 2 · beat 1 · string 6 · fret 1
- 10. F3Bar 2 · beat 1.5 · string 4 · fret 3
- 11. C3Bar 2 · beat 2 · string 5 · fret 3
- 12. C4Bar 2 · beat 2.5 · string 3 · fret 5
- 13. G2Bar 2 · beat 3 · string 6 · fret 3
- 14. G3Bar 2 · beat 3.5 · string 4 · fret 5
- 15. B2Bar 2 · beat 4 · string 5 · fret 2
- 16. B3Bar 2 · beat 4.5 · string 3 · fret 4
Chord names and stroke directions are visual guidance. Rhythm scoring measures attack timing.
Play one note at a time.
Tune first. Audio stays on this device.
Why this drill
Skipping strings is where picking accuracy falls apart, because the pick has to clear a string it is not playing. Octave shapes make the jumps predictable so the right hand can learn them.