-
Step 1
Do a "walk-up" or "walk-down" intro or between chords. For this trick, find a harmonic note to start on (a fifth or sixth in the chromatic scale) and find that note high up on the fret board. Then strike it and go the rest of the way down the chromatic scale down to your root chord, picking creatively. You'll hear a "walk-down" sound that can spice up a chord progression.
-
Step 2
Insert extra notes to chords. For experienced guitar players, these notes can form "augmented" or "diminished" chords, but for beginners, it's just looked at like this: adding or subtracting a half or whole step from an open chord by dropping a finger or moving a finger up a fret can make chords sound a little more "colorful." Do these finger moves while holding your basic chord structure and again, picking creatively.
-
Step 3
Use a double-half step to walk a whole step. Let's say you want to play D to E, from the open D string to the second fret. Instead of playing the D and the E, go twice as fast and play D-D#-E. These note combos can sound good in a chord progression or a solo.
-
Step 4
Add a high note to bar chords. Try throwing a finger onto a higher fret on one of the high strings while you hold your bar chord. See if it sounds good, not dissonant. Practice holding the bar chord and throwing your finger on and off the extra fret; you'll hear your chord changing tones. Get fast at this and it can be part of your "colorful" chord picking.
-
Step 5
Find good picking alternatives like alternating strings or going between two strings quickly. You'll be surprised how many different sounds you can get with fast picking, without really using too many notes. You can add "color" to your style just by getting a percussive sound going with your notes. Add some drums and rhythm and you'll soon have the crowd dancing.
