help! alternate picking or economy picking? or random?

[xingyu92]

hi to all, i know whats alternate picking and economy picking, but im deciding on which to stay on. apparently, i dont follow strictly either one of them, i just do which i feel comfortable. like 3 notes per string ill use economy, then 2 notes ill use alternate. Is it bad that im constantly switching between the two, using either one that i feel comfortable? Im not even focusing on one type, im just using either one that my hand automatically feels better with for a particular portion of song. or is it good that im practicing both?

or should i focus on one? the problem is not which to choose, but whether i should stick to one type or not?

 

[subversion]

when i watch the pros play, i see them as very disciplined players when it comes to picking techniques. so in my formative episodes as a newbie, i tried to pick up 1 picking technique to focus on which i didn't see through because it crippled my playing instead of improving it. i feel that i am accustomed to a fusion of picking styles so i kept it that way- whichever technique works for the idea i wish to deliver, i'll stick to that.

 

[Likui]

choose the method that will make your sound best, because down and up pick gives diff tone so see what u want.

 

[Godspeed64]

Whatever comes naturally dude. I don't even need to think but sometimes I do economy, sometimes alternate without noticing it.

 

[paradox.]

+1 to whatever comes naturally! its always about the feel.

 

[xingyu92]

thanks for the replies! im just worried because i heard some people say that if you dont focus on one technique then thats messy and not good in the long run... especially if you are on the way to becoming a professional guitarist... like john petrucci if im not wrong strictly alternate picks... so im wondering is it good to focus on one technique...

 

[CrazyCactusJack]

It's good that when you are starting to learn to play, explore all the different techniques and method out there. Then once you got your basic rights then eventually you find that there's a certain technique or style that you prefer compared to the others.

 

[subversion]

im just worried because i heard some people say that if you dont focus on one technique...

if you focus on what works for you, it's still a focus

 

[bf0502tr]

Despite wht ppl including my teacher advice me I still use only economy picking cos I'm too lazy to go over the string only to go back to where I was. Another thing is I ike the tone of economy picking. And yes I've tried both styles even mixing both alternate and economy picking. But somehow I just dun like alternate picking...unless of cos doing certain riffs or very slow lines haha. But that's just me

 

[firdaus]

friend i think you should master alternate picking first then go on to economy picking ,hybrid picking and those kind of things bcos to me alternate picking is the core of basic economy picking.If u start of wth economy picking then chances r high that u will have a week upstroke anyway more important is to practice with a metronome gd luck

 

[bf0502tr]

alternate picking is the core of basic economy picking.If u start of wth economy picking then chances r high that u will have a week upstroke

i beg to differ...if u practice economy picking from the start with a metronome then i see no reason for u to have a weak upstroke. i find no problems with either strokes even though i never really seriously learnt alternate picking. the only thing abt economy picking is to find out how to make ur scale runs sound more like even notes than triplets.

 

[Likui]

economy picking sound more smooth, alternate not so smooth especially at the string crossing, alternate gives more punch to everynote evenly.

 

[xingyu92]

@ firdaus i get what u mean. but the thing is, when doing string crossing, if i practice alternate picking first, then economy, would that confuse my brain even further. because for example for alternate picking i would start on another string with a downstroke, for economy an upstroke, wouldnt that confuse my hands? i definitely can get alternate picking down, the problem is i cant control strictly which to use. it just comes automatically to my hands whichever technique i use. so in this thread im just asking whether i should just let it be automatic or focus on one technique, and if the latter is the preferred then i would have to put in some effort...

 

[Likui]

no don't focus on 1 technique u must be able to do alternate and economy picking, because if the tone calls for alternate picking then u have to use that if the tone calls for economy picking then u have to use that.

 

[firdaus]

friend i think what you should do is to check out what your guitar idol is doing ,listen to paul gilbert his very gd with alternate picking if you like the stacatto sound than it should be alternate picking then listen to players like steve vai or joe satriani if you like the smooth or legato sound than that would be economy picking but ideally you should be good with both but more important is to be able to play in time...gd luck

 

[bf0502tr]

^ vai or satriani use economy picking?? who u trying to kid dood?? they use alternate picking combined with legato.

 

[Likui]

yes they do use economy picking.

 

[bf0502tr]

huh which song?? the only time i see them use anything similar to economy is when they sweep

 

[xingyu92]

thanks guys... i kinda get it already. was watching this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yCxA4g-pDY could tell that economy picking is more fluid and smooth, while alternate picking is more percussive and choppy. well ill brush up on my alternate picking first, then later go on to economy picking, hope my hand doesnt get confused.

 

[bf0502tr]

thanks guys... i kinda get it already. was watching this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yCxA4g-pDY could tell that economy picking is more fluid and smooth, while alternate picking is more percussive and choppy. well ill brush up on my alternate picking first, then later go on to economy picking, hope my hand doesnt get confused.

ur hands will definitely get confused. both ur picking and ur fretting hands. so start slow if u wanna change picking style.