Music
Guitar Lesson 4: Frippril (Fracture, Pt. 2)
Please note: This lesson can be damaging to your mental and physical health. And, no, I’m not kidding. If you don’t have proper picking technique, you can easily injure yourself by trying out what’s provided in this lesson. Furthermore, if you do try to play it and realize how hard the song is, you might drive yourself (and those around you) nuts. If you read last month’s lesson and felt challenged, brace yourself for this month.
Last month, I wrote a lesson about Robert Fripp and called it “Frippruary.” It contained a small chunk of the first big chunk of Suite No. 1 and the first big chunk of a chunk in the middle of a song called Fracture, from the Starless and Bible Black album. It contained some difficult music, but nothing too severe. Surprisingly enough, Robert Fripp found out about it and decided to comment. If you missed last month’s lesson, I suggest that you go through it, then read what Mr. Fripp had to say. I will discuss some of his pointers in this month’s lesson.
First, we’re going to cover some more of Suite No. 1 because it’s a good warmup piece and then we’ll work our way up to Fracture.
Exercise 1 – Suite No. 1, Mov. 1, section B
The “sections” of this song are arbitrarily suggested by me, not by Fripp. When I say Mov. 1, section B, I mean it’s the next section of stuff that happens after what ended in last month’s guitar lesson.
This section of the song is no more challenging than what you might have picked up last month. Just more alternate picking with some interesting fingering positions and stretches. The hard part is playing is playing it so every note is heard and there’s not a whole lot of extraneous pick noise. The best way to do this is to pick with no angle between the pick and the string. Try to keep your pick parallel to the string. Of course, these are all “do as I say, not as I do” suggestions as I make plenty of mistakes and noises due to my improper picking technique.
The tab below is the same as last month’s, but with the new tab included at the bottom of the exercise.
FULL TEMPO: ~138 BPM
u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d
3 2 1 2 4 2 1 2 3 2 1 2 4 2 1 2
|----------------------------------------------|---
|-10--------------------10---------13----------|---
4 |----10-9-10-12-10-9-10----10-9-10----10-9-10--|---
4 |----------------------------------------------|---
|----------------------------------------------|---
|----------------------------------------------|---
3 2 1 2 4 2 1 2 3 2 1 2 4 2 1 2
|-----------------------------------|---
|-9----------------9-------12-------|---
|---9-8-9-10-9-8-9---9-8-9----9-8-9-|---
|-----------------------------------|---
|-----------------------------------|---
|-----------------------------------|---
3 2 1 2 4 2 1 2 3 2 1 2 4 2 1 2
|---------------------------------------------|---
|-10--------------------10---------13---------|---
|----10-9-10-12-10-9-10----10-9-10----10-9-10-|---
|---------------------------------------------|---
|---------------------------------------------|---
|---------------------------------------------|---
3 2 1 2 3 2 1 2 3 2 1 2 3 4 1 2
|-------------------------------------|---
|-9-------------------------------8-9-|---
|---9-8-9-10-9-8-9-10-9-8-9-10-11-----|---
|-------------------------------------|---
|-------------------------------------|---
|-------------------------------------|---
3 1 3 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 4 1 2 3 4 1
|------------------------------------|---
|-10-8-------------------------------|---
|------9-7-------------------------6-|---
|----------8-7-8-7-8-7----7-8-9-10---|---
|----------------------11------------|---
|------------------------------------|---
2 1 2 4 3 1 3 2 3 2 3 3 1 2 1 4
|--------------------------------------|---
|----------------8---------10-8---8-11-|---
|-7-6-7-10-9-6-9---10-9-10------9------|---
|--------------------------------------|---
|--------------------------------------|---
|--------------------------------------|---
FIRST ENDING
3 2 3 1 4 1 4 3 2 3 2 3 2 4 3 2
|---------8---------10-8-10-8-10-8---------|
|-10-9-10---11-8-11----------------11-10-8-|
|------------------------------------------| BACK TO BEGINNING
|------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------|
Okay, so that’s where we left off last month. Below are two videos of the first half of what’s coming up. The first video being the slow version and the right video being the fast version.
SECOND ENDING
3 4 3 4 3 2 1 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 1 2
|--------------------------------------|---
|-10-11-10-11-10-----------------------|---
|----------------9-6-------------------|---
|--------------------7-8-7-8-7-8-7-6-7-|---
|--------------------------------------|---
|--------------------------------------|---
Then, two more videos of the next part.
3 2 1 2 3 2 1 2 3 2 1 2 1 2 1 2
|---------------------------------|---
|-------------------------6-------|---
|-7---------------7---------------|---
|---7-6-7-8-7-6-7---7-6-7---7-6-7-|---
|---------------------------------|---
|---------------------------------|---
4 2 1 2 3 2 1 2 4 2 1 2 3 2 1 2
|---------------------------------|---
|-------------------------8-------|---
|-9---------------9---------------|---
|---7-6-7-8-7-6-7---7-6-7---7-6-7-|---
|---------------------------------|---
|---------------------------------|---
3 2 1 2 3 2 1 2 3 2 1 2 1 2 1 2
|---------------------------------|---
|-------------------------6-------|---
|-7---------------7---------------|---
|---7-6-7-8-7-6-7---7-6-7---7-6-7-|---
|---------------------------------|---
|---------------------------------|---
4 2 1 2 3 2 1 2 4 2 1 2 3 2 1 2
|---------------------------------|---
|-------------------------8-------|---
|-9---------------9---------------|---
|---7-6-7-8-7-6-7---7-6-7---7-6-7-|---
|---------------------------------|---
|---------------------------------|---
3 2 1 2 3 2 1 2 3 2 1 2 3 4 4 1
|----------------------------------|---
|----------------------------------|---
|-7------------------------------6-|---
|---7-6-7-8-7-6-7-8-7-6-7-8-9-10---|---
|----------------------------------|---
|----------------------------------|---
2 1 2 4 3 1 3 2 3 2 3 3 1 2 1 4
|--------------------------------------|--- FIRST TIME: BACK TO
|----------------8---------10-8---8-11-|--- SECOND ENDING
|-7-6-7-10-9-6-9---10-9-10------9------|---
|--------------------------------------|---
|--------------------------------------|--- SECOND TIME: GO TO
|--------------------------------------|--- NEXT MEASURES
3 2 3 1 4 1 4 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3
|---------8---------10-8-10-8-10-8-10-8-10-|---
|-10-9-10---11-8-11------------------------|---
|------------------------------------------|---
|------------------------------------------|---
|------------------------------------------|---
|------------------------------------------|---
2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 4 3 1
|-8-10-8-10-8-10-8-10-8-10-8-10-8----------|
|---------------------------------11-10-8--|
|------------------------------------------| BACK TO
|------------------------------------------| BEGINNING
|------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------|
THIRD ENDING... NEXT MONTH!
And now, two more videos of all the new stuff together.
Remember, play with a metronome and stay relaxed. Keep good posture and pick from your wrist. Minimize the use of your shoulder while picking and keep your left-hand fingers relaxed. Try to hold down the note only as long as you need to… but don’t short-change your 16th notes! They’re not 32nd notes followed by a 32nd note rest!
Exercise 2 – Fracture, Moto Perpetuo – section B
For the past few weeks, I’ve been doing everything I can to play this part of the piece correctly and cleanly. I can play it… but sloppily, at best. There are days when I can play along with the CD recording, and there are days where I’m blown away. The only way I’ve been able to get as far as I have is to take it slow for about half an hour (which my wife just LOVES to listen to… CLICK. CLICK. CLICK. CLICK. with tritonal sixteenth notes for ridiculous periods of time). Eventually, I can get up to speed, but still stumble.
These diminished/whole-tone descending/ascending segues are really difficult to play up to speed in such a way that they blend musically and physically (with respect to finger positions) into the rest of the music. After Mr. Fripp commented on my lesson, I had a better understanding of how he plays it:
I would recommend beginning with a down stroke, and adopting this as default picking. In time, when the alternate picking is established, to begin with an up stroke is another exercise, with another aim.
The words down and up strokes are misleading. The actual quality of motion is of release and return. I have worked at close quarters on this with perhaps 2,000 hands and very few of those hands have a sense of what the words mean.
Think about it and I’ll try to interpret what he says as we go along. First, I would just like to say that I start this piece with an upward pickstroke because it’s easier to play that way. Try it yourself. Unfortunately, it violates the “release and return” motion Mr. Fripp describes.
Sub-Exercise 1
For now, and in preparation of what’s to come, here’s a sub-exercise to begin with. Start slow, maybe 100-110 bpm, then move your way up to 120, 125, and 130. You might even want to go up to 135.
SUB-EXERCISE 1 - ALL 16TH NOTES
Let all notes ring
|-----------------------------------------|
|-r---6---6---r---6---6---r---6---r---6---|
4 |-e-6---6---6-e-6---6---6-e-6---6-e-6---6-| REPEAT
4 |-s-----------s-----------s-------s-------| AD INFINITUM
|-t-----------t-----------t-------t-------|
|-----------------------------------------|
And the related videos…
Diminished Descending Run 1
Okay, now we’ll take the “one piece at a time” approach. I believe it’s called the “ain’t-no-way-I-be-learnin’-all-this-at-one-time” approach. The first chunk takes off right where we stopped last month. Follow the same build-up time with a metronome as I mentioned for Sub-Exercise 1.
fingr: 4 1 3 2 4 3 1 3 4 3 1 3 4 2 3 2
|-13-10-------------10--------5-----------|---
|-------11-------11----11---6---6-----6---|---
|----------11-----------------------6---6-|---
|-------------12----------7---------------|---
|---------------------------------8-------|---
|-----------------------------------------|---
1 4 3 4 0 3 2 3 0 3 2 3 2 1 1 1
|---------------------------------|
|-----------------------------2---|
|-----6-------2-------2-----2---2-|
|---7---7---3---3---3---3---------|
|-4-------0-------0-------4-------|
|---------------------------------|
And the videos…
Death Picking 1
This section is called “death picking” because you will want to put something to death out of frustration after the first few times you attempt to play it… especially at full-speed when you’re not ready yet. This, I believe, is the part Fripp was talking about when he said, “Release and Return.” All the notes must ring for as long as possible. At this point, you might develop a hatred for a) the guitar, b) yourself, c) Robert Fripp, or d) all of the above. I’ve hit the d point a few times.
Keep in mind that Fripp doesn’t hit EVERY note perfectly, especially the last 16th note just before left-hand position change. Nevertheless, this part is challenging. For me, the hardest part is not falling behind the tempo. It seems that the string-skipping aspect causes me to not play within the beat. That’s something I’ve got to work on.
2 4 4 4 4 4 1 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 3 4 4 4
|-----------------------------------------|---
|-----6---6-------6---6-------6-------6---|---
5 |---6---6---6---6---6---6---6---6---6---6-|---
4 |-------------3-----------5-------6-------|---
|-4---------------------------------------|---
|-----------------------------------------|---
3 4 4 4 4 4 1 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 3 4 4 4
|-----------------------------------------|---
|-----6---6-------6---6-------6-------6---|---
|---6---6---6---6---6---6---6---6---6---6-|---
|-5-----------3-----------5-------6-------|---
|-----------------------------------------|---
|-----------------------------------------|---
2 4 4 4 4 4 1 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 3 4 4 4
|----------------------------------------------------------|---
|------10----10---------10----10---------10----------10----|---
|---10----10----10---10----10----10---10----10----10----10-|---
|------------------7----------------9----------10----------|---
|-8--------------------------------------------------------|---
|----------------------------------------------------------|---
3 4 4 4 4 4 1 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 3 4 4 4
|----------------------------------------------------------|---
|------10----10---------10----10---------10----------10----|---
|---10----10----10---10----10----10---10----10----10----10-|---
|-9----------------7----------------9----------10----------|---
|----------------------------------------------------------|---
|----------------------------------------------------------|---
2 4 4 4 1 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 3 4 4 4
|-------------------------------------------------------|---
|-------14----------14----14----------14----------14----|---
|----14----14----14----14----14----14----14----14----14-|---
|-------------11----------------13----------14----------|---
|-12----------------------------------------------------|---
|-------------------------------------------------------|---
3 4 4 4 4 4 1 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 3 4 4 4
|-------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------14----14----------14----14----------14----------14----|
|----14----14----14----14----14----14----14----14----14----14-|
|-13----------------11----------------13----------14----------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------|
Below are two videos, the video on the left being the above exercise played slowly and the video on the right being the above exercise being played at a higher-but-not-as-fast-as-the-recording speed.
Diminished Descending Run 2
Nothing new to add commentary-wise. Just keep practicing.
1 1 4 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 1
|-------17------------------------------------|---
|----14----14-------14----------10--------6---|---
4 |-14-------------14----14----10----10---6---6-|---
4 |-------------15----------11----------7-------|---
|---------------------------------------------|---
|---------------------------------------------|---
3 1 1 1 1 4 3 4 1 4 3 4 4 3 2 3
|---------------------------------|
|-----6-----------------------6---|
|---6---6-----6-------6-----6---6-|
|-----------7---7---7---7-7-------|
|-8-------4-------4---------------|
|---------------------------------|
Videos…
Death Pick Part 2
This Death Pick part is harder than the last due to the last couple of measures where you’re much better off with a 21- or 22-fret neck than a 24-fret. You’re going to want the extra finger room for your left hand.
2 4 4 4 4 4 1 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 3 4 4 4
|----------------------------------------------------------|---
|------10----10---------10----10---------10----------10----|---
5 |---10----10----10---10----10----10---10----10----10----10-|---
4 |------------------7----------------9----------10----------|---
|-8--------------------------------------------------------|---
|----------------------------------------------------------|---
3 4 4 4 4 4 1 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 3 4 4 4
|----------------------------------------------------------|---
|------10----10---------10----10---------10----------10----|---
|---10----10----10---10----10----10---10----10----10----10-|---
|-9----------------7----------------9----------10----------|---
|----------------------------------------------------------|---
|----------------------------------------------------------|---
3 4 4 4 4 4 1 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 3 4 4 4
|----------------------------------------------------------|---
|------10----10---------10----10---------10----------10----|---
|---10----10----10---10----10----10---10----10----10----10-|---
|-9----------------7----------------9----------10----------|---
|----------------------------------------------------------|---
|----------------------------------------------------------|---
2 4 4 4 4 4 1 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 3 4 4 4
|-------------------------------------------------------------|---
|-------14----14----------14----14----------14----------14----|---
|----14----14----14----14----14----14----14----14----14----14-|---
|-------------------11----------------13----------14----------|---
|-12----------------------------------------------------------|---
|-------------------------------------------------------------|---
3 4 4 4 4 4 1 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 3 4 4 4
|-------------------------------------------------------------|---
|-------14----14----------14----14----------14----------14----|---
|----14----14----14----14----14----14----14----14----14----14-|---
|-13----------------11----------------13----------14----------|---
|-------------------------------------------------------------|---
|-------------------------------------------------------------|---
3 4 4 4 4 4 1 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 3 4 4 4
|-------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------14----14----------14----14----------14----------14----|
|----14----14----14----14----14----14----14----14----14----14-|
|-13----------------11----------------13----------14----------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------|
Videos…
Diminished Descending Run 3
Keep it up! You can do it!
2 2 4 2 3 2 1 2 4 3 2 3 4 3 2 2
|-------17----------13----------------------------|---
|----14----14----14----14-------14----------10-10-|---
4 |-14----------14-------------14----14----10-------|---
4 |-------------------------15----------11----------|---
|-------------------------------------------------|---
|-------------------------------------------------|---
3 2 1 2 4 3 2 3 4 3 2 1 4 3 2 3
|-------9----------------------5---------|
|----10---10-------10--------6-------6---|
|-10------------10----10---6-------6---6-|
|------------11----------7---------------|
|--------------------------------8-------|
|----------------------------------------|
Videos…
Home Sweet Home?
Now we’re back to the pattern that we learned last lesson that’s MUCH easier to deal with than what we just went through. Seriously, this part is at least PLAYABLE, by most guitarists’ standards. Plus, it’s a lot of fun. The build-up is awesome, especially when we get to the part where it ascends to the 12th fret.
fingr: 2 3 1 3 4 3 1 3 2 3 4 3 2 3 4 3
|---------------------------------|---
|---------------------------------|---
4 |-6-------8-------6---8---6---8---|---
4 |---7-5-7---7-5-7---7---7---7---7-|---
|---------------------------------|---
|---------------------------------|---
2 3 1 3 4 3 1 3 2 3 1 3 1 3 1 3
|---------------------------------|---
|---------------------------------|---
|-6-------8-------6---------------|---
|---7-5-7---7-5-7---7-5-------5-7-|---
|-----------------------6-4-6-----|---
|---------------------------------|---
2 3 1 3 4 3 1 3 2 3 4 3 2 3 4 3
|---------------------------------|---
|---------------------------------|---
|-6-------8-------6---8---6---8---|---
|---7-5-7---7-5-7---7---7---7---7-|---
|---------------------------------|---
|---------------------------------|---
2 3 1 3 4 3 1 3 2 3 1 2 1 3 2 3
|---------------------------------|---
|---------------------------------|---
|-6-------8-------6-----------6---|---
|---7-5-7---7-5-7---7-5---5-7---7-|---
|-----------------------6---------|---
|---------------------------------|---
2 3 1 3 4 3 1 3 2 3 4 3 2 3 4 3
|------------------------------------|---
|------------------------------------|---
|-8-------10-------8---10---8---10---|---
|---9-7-9----9-7-9---9----9---9----9-|---
|------------------------------------|---
|------------------------------------|---
2 3 1 3 4 3 1 3 2 3 1 3 1 3 1 3
|----------------------------------|---
|----------------------------------|---
|-8-------10-------8---------------|---
|---9-7-9----9-7-9---9-7-------7-9-|---
|------------------------8-6-8-----|---
|----------------------------------|---
2 3 1 3 4 3 1 3 2 3 4 3 2 3 4 3
|---------------------------------|---
|---------------------------------|---
|-6-------8-------6---8---6---8---|---
|---7-5-7---7-5-7---7---7---7---7-|---
|---------------------------------|---
|---------------------------------|---
1 1 2 3 1 3 2 3 1 3 2 3 1 3 1 3
|---------------------------------------|---
|-6-------------------------------------|---
|---6-----------------------------------|---
|-----7-------7--------9----------11-13-|---
|-------8-6-8---8-8-10---10-10-12-------|---
|---------------------------------------|---
Quick break for videos…
2 3 1 3 4 3 1 3 2 3 4 3 2 3 4 3
|-------------------------------------------------|---
|-------------------------------------------------|---
|-12----------14----------12----14----12----14----|---
|----13-11-13----13-11-13----13----13----13----13-|---
|-------------------------------------------------|---
|-------------------------------------------------|---
2 3 1 3 4 3 1 3 2 3 1 3 1 3 1 3
|-------------------------------------------------|---
|-------------------------------------------------|---
|-12----------14----------12----------------------|---
|----13-11-13----13-11-13----13-11----------11-13-|---
|----------------------------------12-10-12-------|---
|-------------------------------------------------|---
2 3 1 3 4 3 1 3 2 3 4 3 2 3 4 3
|-------------------------------------------------|---
|-------------------------------------------------|---
|-12----------14----------12----14----12----14----|---
|----13-11-13----13-11-13----13----13----13----13-|---
|-------------------------------------------------|---
|-------------------------------------------------|---
2 3 1 3 4 3 1 3 2 3 1 2 1 3 2 3
|-------------------------------------------------|---
|-------------------------------------------------|---
|-12----------14----------12----------------12----|---
|----13-11-13----13-11-13----13-11----11-13----13-|---
|----------------------------------12-------------|---
|-------------------------------------------------|---
2 3 1 3 4 3 1 3 2 3 4 3 2 3 4 3
|-------------------------------------------------|---
|-------------------------------------------------|---
|-14----------16----------14----16----14----16----|---
|----15-13-15----15-13-15----15----15----15----15-|---
|-------------------------------------------------|---
|-------------------------------------------------|---
2 3 1 3 4 3 1 3 2 3 1 2 1 3 1 3
|-------------------------------------------------|---
|-------------------------------------------------|---
|-14----------16----------14----------------14-16-|---
|----15-13-15----15-13-15----15-13----13-15-------|---
|----------------------------------14-------------|---
|-------------------------------------------------|---
2 3 1 3 4 3 1 3 2 3 4 3 2 3 4 3
|-------------------------------------------------|---
|-------------------------------------------------|---
|-16----------18----------16----18----16----18----|---
|----17-15-17----17-15-17----17----17----17----17-|---
|-------------------------------------------------|---
|-------------------------------------------------|---
1
|-13-|
|----|
|----|
|----|
|----|
|----|
Video:
That’s it for this month. There’s not much more to say other than to think about what Mr. Fripp said regarding the return and release stuff. This is a meaty lesson, for sure.