String Skipping on Guitar: Build Speed and Interval Vocabulary

Most guitar scale practice stays on adjacent strings - you run up and down a pattern, string by string, position by position. It is clean, it is musical, and it works. But the moment you start skipping strings, everything changes. Suddenly you are jumping over intervals you could not reach before, your phrasing sounds more angular and surprising, and the fretboard starts to feel like a much larger instrument.

String skipping is exactly what it sounds like: deliberately playing notes on non-adjacent strings, skipping one or more strings between picked notes. It is used by players from Guthrie Govan to Eric Johnson to Paul Gilbert, and it unlocks a whole vocabulary of wider-interval lines that would be physically impossible to play staying on adjacent strings.

Why String Skipping Matters

When you play on adjacent strings, your intervals are limited by the physical distance between those strings. Most two-note combinations across adjacent strings give you intervals of a 2nd, 3rd, or 4th. These sound smooth and connected - which is great, but it can also feel predictable.

By skipping a string, you immediately jump to intervals of a 5th, 6th, 7th, or even an octave. These wider intervals create a more open, spacious sound. They make melodic lines feel more unexpected and sophisticated.

String skipping also forces your pick hand and fret hand to coordinate in a new way. It is a fantastic technique for developing overall precision and control.

The Basic Mechanics

The challenge with string skipping is accuracy - specifically, avoiding accidentally hitting the string you are skipping over. There are two main approaches:

Muting the skipped string: Rest your pick-hand palm or a spare finger lightly on the string being skipped. This prevents it from ringing accidentally.

Precision picking: Develop enough pick accuracy to arc over the skipped string cleanly. This takes more time but gives you greater freedom.

Start slowly with a metronome. The goal is clean, buzz-free notes on both the played strings, with the skipped string completely silent.

Your First String Skipping Pattern

Start with a simple two-note shape on strings 1 and 3 (skipping string 2):

Position: 5th fret area in A minor

e --5--8-----
---
B ---------- (skip)
G --5--7-----
---
D -----------
---
A -----------
---
E -----------
---

Pick string 3, then string 1. This skips the B string entirely. Practice ascending and descending this shape before adding more notes.

Once that feels natural, try the same idea across strings 2 and 4 (skipping string 3):

e -----------
---
B --5--8-----
---
G ---------- (skip)
D --5--7-----
---
A -----------
---
E -----------
---

Expanding to Three-String Skips

Now try combining three notes in a skip pattern. Here is a classic string-skipping arpeggio shape for an Am chord:

e --5--------
---
B ---------- (skip)
G --5--------
---
D ---------- (skip)
A --7--------
---
E -----------
---

Play A (string 5), E (string 3), A (string 1). This outlines an octave and a 5th - the shell of the Am chord. The two string skips make this sound open and transparent.

Practice this ascending and descending. Start at 50 BPM and build up gradually. Accuracy matters far more than speed at this stage.

String Skipping Scale Runs

You can apply string skipping to familiar scale patterns to create fresh-sounding runs. Here is a string-skipping pentatonic run in Am:

e --5--8--5--8--
B ---------- (skip these descending)
G --5--7-----
---
D --5--7-----
---
A --7---------
---
E -----------
---

Rather than running the pentatonic scale in the conventional pattern, this version skips strings and creates a wider-ranging line. The result sounds like something between a scale run and an arpeggio.

Another effective approach is the “two-on, skip, two-on” pattern - play two notes on one string, skip the next, play two notes on the string after that:

G major, 3rd position:

e --7--9--
B -------- (skip)
G --4--6--
D --4--5--
A -------- (skip)
E --3--5--

This creates a sequence that covers more of the neck and sounds less like a conventional scale run.

String Skipping Lick in E Minor

Here is a practical musical lick you can use immediately:

e -------12--15----
---
B ------------ (skip)
G ----12--14--------
---
D --12--------------
---

Play: D string 12, G string 12-14, E string 12-15. The wide jump from G string to high E string creates a dramatic interval stretch that sounds expressive and sophisticated. Bend the final note on the high E for extra impact.

Integrating String Skipping Into Your Solos

The best use of string skipping is as a color rather than a constant technique. Use it to:

• Open up a solo after a dense run on adjacent strings - the contrast is striking
• Outline chord tones across wider distances - skipping strings naturally produces arpeggiated chord shapes
• Create a climax - wide intervals feel bigger and more dramatic than adjacent-string runs
• Break predictability - if your phrasing has fallen into a rut, adding a string-skip phrase immediately freshens things up

Mix string skipping with legato (hammer-ons and pull-offs) for an interesting texture. Play two notes on a string using hammer-ons, skip to the next string, play two more with hammer-ons. This creates a smooth, flowing line that still has the wide-interval character of string skipping.

Common Mistakes

Hitting the skipped string. By far the most common issue. Slow down and focus on muting the skipped string until accuracy is consistent.

Tensing up the pick hand. String skipping requires a relaxed arc of the pick across strings. Tension creates missed notes and fatigue. Keep the wrist loose.

Only practicing on one string pair. Work all combinations: 1-3, 2-4, 3-5, 4-6, 1-4, 2-5, 1-5. Each pair has its own challenges and musical applications.

Neglecting the fret hand. Often players focus only on pick accuracy. But the fret hand needs to be in position cleanly too. If you are stretching to unusual combinations, work on fret hand accuracy separately.

Practice Routine

Days 1-3: Practice the basic two-note skip pattern (strings 1 and 3) at 50 BPM. Focus exclusively on accuracy.

Days 4-6: Add the three-string arpeggio pattern. Still no speed increases.

Week 2: Apply string skipping to a pentatonic scale you already know. Move at a comfortable tempo.

Week 3: Learn the Em lick above and one additional lick of your own creation.

Week 4: Improvise over a backing track and consciously insert one string-skipping phrase per 8 bars.

Try This in Guitar Wiz

String skipping is most musical when it outlines the chord you are playing over. Guitar Wiz’s chord library is a great tool for discovering which chord tones to target with string-skip shapes.

Look up the chord you are playing over - say, Am7 - and study the chord diagram. Note which frets on which strings contain the chord tones (A, C, E, G). Now experiment with string-skipping lines that land on those notes at key moments. The app shows you all positions of the chord across the neck, so you can plan skip shapes around chord shapes at any position.

Use Song Maker to build a simple chord progression (Am7 - Dm7 - G7 - Cmaj7, for example) and then practice improvising over it using at least one string-skip phrase per chord. The visual layout of the chords helps you see the chord tone targets before you play.

String skipping is one of those techniques that feels awkward at first and then suddenly clicks. Once your hands understand the motion, you will find wide-interval lines popping up naturally in your playing without having to think about them.

Conclusion

String skipping unlocks a wider interval vocabulary than standard adjacent-string playing allows. It takes precision to execute cleanly, but the payoff is a more spacious, unexpected quality in your melodies and solos. Start small - two strings, one skip, clean notes - and gradually build up to full string-skipping phrases and licks. Your playing will sound more open and original almost immediately.

FAQ

Is string skipping used in rhythm guitar as well as lead? Yes. Spread triad voicings and open chord shapes are essentially string-skipping applied to rhythm playing. The principle of non-adjacent string usage applies in both contexts.

What pick angle works best for string skipping? Most players use a slight angle (not flat) so the pick can glide over the skipped string more easily. Experiment with your pick angle and grip to find what allows the cleanest skip.

How long does it take to develop string skipping? With daily focused practice (10-15 minutes), most guitarists see meaningful improvement within 3-4 weeks. Full fluency takes longer, but usable string-skip phrases are achievable quickly.