Chicken picking: country lead guitar in 16ths
Each note twice in 16ths: first picked with the string muted, a dull click, then snapped with the middle finger so it pops. Through A, D and E major pentatonic licks, ending each half on a double stop. That cluck-and-pop is chicken picking, the sound of country lead guitar on a Telecaster, and it trains the pick and a finger to work in turn.
Opens in the player looped and counted in, with drums playing along, and speeds up 5 % every 2 loops to 90 bpm. No account or microphone needed.
- Goal tempo
- 90 bpm
- Starts at
- 54 bpm
- Length
- 4 bars, looped
- Tuning
- E standard
- Time
- 4/4
- Level
- Advanced
- Plays with
- Drums
How to play it
For the snap, hook the string with the middle finger and let it slap back against the frets; the muted note is the fretting hand barely touching.
Every note is played twice in a row, as 16ths: the first, marked x, is picked while the fretting finger touches the string without pressing; the second, marked m, is pressed down and snapped with the middle finger. That makes the cluck-and-pop.
Bar 1 is an A major pentatonic lick down from F sharp on the B string's 7th fret to F sharp on the D string and back up to B; bar 2 runs C sharp, E, A and back down to B, and holds A and C sharp together. Bar 3 is the same idea over D, from B on the high E's 7th fret down to B on the D string and back up to F sharp. Bar 4 is over E and ends on E and G sharp, leading back to A.
The snap comes from pulling the string slightly away from the guitar and letting it slap back against the frets. Don't overdo it: a little goes a long way through a clean amp.
Mistakes to watch for
- Muted notes that sound as notes, because the fretting finger presses too soon.
- Snapped notes that are too loud compared with the rest; aim for a pop, not a crack.
- The two 16ths of each note uneven: the mute and the snap are equal in time.
- Moving the fretting hand between the muted note and the snapped one; both are on the same fret.
A speed plan
The player starts at 60 % of the goal and plays each tempo twice before stepping up:
- 54
- 59
- 63
- 68
- 72
- 77
- 81
- 86
- 90
That's 16 loops and about 4 minutes before you're playing at 90 bpm. If it stops being clean on the way, stop the ramp there and loop that tempo until it is. With a microphone or an audio interface you can record while you play instead: Demiurg checks every loop and steps up only after two clean ones in a row, and back down after a poor one.
Questions
How fast should I play Chicken picking?
The goal is 90 bpm in 16th notes, which is 6 notes a second. Start wherever every note is clean: the player begins at 54 bpm. Signed in, you can set a goal of your own, slower or faster, on the Exercises page.
Why is it called chicken picking?
Because the mix of muted clicks and snapped notes sounds like a clucking hen. It's the signature sound of country lead guitar, especially on a Telecaster with a bright, clean tone.
Do I need a Telecaster for chicken picking?
No: any electric with a bright, clean sound works, and the bridge pickup helps. The technique is in the hands; the guitar only changes how much it twangs.
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