Hybrid picking is simply using a flatpick and finger(s) together to pick notes. It's a common thing with country/bluegrass rhythm (and lead). Here, we're concerned with how it can be applied in single note soloing. The purpose of the technique here is to enable wide cross-string jumps without having to cover big distances as you would alternate picking with a regular pick. I typically use my middle (dirty) finger but you could use another finger. Though it can seem akward at first, it actually isn't that hard to do.

Licks that use a pedal point (constant note) can be a good starting point as there isn't too much left hand movement so it really allows you to concentrate on what your picking hand is doing. Here's a lick that's similar to what Eric Johnson did in the intro section to Cliffs of Dover (I don't remember the lick exactly).



http://ericglassmusic.com/Lessons/HybridLickA.mp3


downstroke = ^
upstroke = v
middle finger = m

I attempted to line up the fingering line and line that shows picking but it doesn't seem possible in this format without sticking periods (.....) in between the spaces so sorry for the funky, braille-like look. Any questions on it email me eric@ericglassmusic.com

......m...... ^...m..^..m..^...m.^...m..^...m.^..m.^...m..^..m
E -s15---|----15----15----15----15----15---15----15----15-
B -------|-19----------------------------------------17-----
G -------|-------19----------------------------17-----------
D -------|-------------19----------------17----------------
A -------|-------------------17----19----------------------
E -------|-------------------------------------------------

.....^..m..^..m..^..m..^...m.^...m.^..m.^...m..^.. .m.^...m..^
E ----15----15----15----15----15---15----15----15----15----
B -19----------------------------------------17----19-------
G -------19---------------------------17-----------------19-
D -------------19----------------17------------------------
A -------------------17----19------------------------------
E ---------------------------------------------------------

....m..^..m..^..m..^..m..^...m.^...m..^..m..^...^. .m........^..^
E -15---15----15----15----15----15----15-15----15h17-19-15
B ---------17----19-----------------17----------------------
G ---17----------------19----17--------------19-------------
D ---------------------------------------------------------
A ---------------------------------------------------------
E ---------------------------------------------------------

...^..^...^..^..^..^.^..^..^...^..m..^...m.^..m..^ ..m..^
E 17-22-17-15----------------------------------------------
B ------------------15-12----------------------------------
G ------------19-16-------------17----16-------------------
D ------------------------14-12----14-------19----17-------
A ---------------------------------------17----15----------
E ---------------------------------------------------19s-15



This next lick moves around a bit more and fingering becomes important as it's easy to get tangled up. The line underneath the tab indicates my fingering though, feel free to finger the way you like. There is a little bit of "sweep hybrid" picking on the second staff of tab where the first 2 notes of each triplet are sweep picked and the 3rd is picked by finger.



http://ericglassmusic.com/Lessons/HybridLickB.mp3


.....^..m..^..m..^..m..^..m..^..m..^..m..^..m..^.. .m..^..m
E ----19----14--------------------------------------------
B ----------------15----19----15----------20----15----17--
G -------16-------------------------16--------------------
D -14----------17----------16----------------17-----------
A -------------------14----------17----15----------19-----
E --------------------------------------------------------
.....1..4...2...1...4..2...1...4...2...1..3..2...1 ...4...2...1..4...2


....^...^..m..^..^..m..^..^..m..^..^..m..^...^.m.. .^..^..m
E -------12-------14--------------------------------------
B -------------------------14-------16-------12-------14s-
G ----14-------14-----------------------------------------
D -11-------12----------16-------16-------14-------14-----
A -------------------13-------14-------11-------12--------
E --------------------------------------------------------
.....1...4...2...1..3...4..1...4..2...1...3..4...1 ....4..2..1....3...4

....................................^..m.^.m.^.m.. ^..m..^..m..^...m
E --------------------------------------------------------
B -12s---------------------------8---10----13----12----15-
G --------------------------11----------------------------
D --------------------------------------------------------
A -----------------------------7---9----12----10----14----
E -----------------------10-------------------------------
....................................3..4..1.2..3.. 4..3...4...1...2..3...4

.....^..m..^..m..^..m...m.^...m..^..m..^..^...m..^ ..m..^..m
E --------------------------------------------------------
B ----20----15----17-19----17-------------20----15----17-
G ----------------------16-------19-----------------------
D -------17----19-------------17-------------17----19-----
A -15-------------------------------15-15-----------------
E --------------------------------------------------------
.....1..4...2...1...4...2..4...1...3...2..4..1...1 ...4...2...1...4...2


.....m..^..m..^..m..^..^..m..^...m..^..m..m..^...m .^..m..^
E --------------------------------------------------------
B -19----17-------------17----12----14-15----14-----------
G ----16-------19-------------------------12-------16-----
D ----------17-------------14-------------------14--------
A ----------------15-12----------17-------------------11--
E --------------------------------------------------------
.....4...1...3..2...4...1..1...4...2...1..4...1... 4..1...3..2...4..1



...^..m..^...m..^..m..m..^...m.^..m..^
E -------------------------------------
B ---17----12----14-15----14-----------
G ---------------------12-------16-----
D ------14-------------------14--------
A 12----------17-------------------11--
E -------------------------------------
....1..4...2...1...4...1..4..1...3...2..4...1



...^...v..^...v..^..v...^...v.^..v...^...v.^..v... ^..v..m..^..m
E ------------------------------------12-15-14-17-19----17
B ----------------------------------------------------15---
G ------------------------14-16-18-19---------------------
D ------------14-19-17-16---------------------------------
A 12-14-16-17---------------------------------------------
E --------------------------------------------------------
....1...2...3...4..1..4...3...2..1...2...3...4..1. .3...2...4...4..1...2


.....^..m..^..m..^..m..^...m.^...m.........^
E -------------------------------------17-----------------
B ----19----17----15--------------------------------------
G -16----16----14-------18----16b18-----------------------
D -------------------16----14-----------------------------
A --------------------------------------------------------
E --------------------------------------------------------
.....3..4....1..4...1...2..3...4...1...3.........4

Thanks Eric :) very cool. Im gonna give it a shot.

Nice 1 man ya put a good bit of effort into this 1 n it looks real cool! Gonna give it a bang now! Thanks man:thumb:

whoops there's an alt picked sequence in there that I had as all down strokes that is now fixed sorry!

No probs man i pulled it off with downstrokes. Cough!

Just joned up as you told me too Eric:)
havnt got time at the moment to have a butchers at everything here but i can tell those Hyrbrid lessons here will make me smile and my fingers curse me!

will xome back later
j

This is wonderful Eric stuff - I can't play it but I love how it sounds.

Grrrrr! ok, ok, as I already told ya, where are my gerovital kinda lessons? j/k. Ok. I´ll check it out tomorrow, no, wait a sec, next week, awe damn, gonna miss that wedding! :P. Naah, seriously, thanks a bunch for it man, the more guitar talking the better!

SOOOOO GOOD :)

-Mitchell