Help with Alternate Picking!

[Hydrofly]

if you want to play REALLY fast try going with economy picking, helps you adapt to sweep picking too.

 

[fenderrules]

i thought e. picking IS sweep picking?

 

[Hydrofly]

nope, when you play on one string only, its obviously not sweep picking right? Economy picking is a combination of sweep and alt picking, the sweep picking element comes when you're changing strings.

 

[EugeneSmasher]

In my opinion, technique wise, you gotta adjust the way you grip your pick such that you can alt-pick more smoothly without those interruptions. Personally, I grip my pick between my thumb and the middle of my curved second finger. It gives a more stable grip and prevents the pick from moving, and exposes as little of the pick to hit the strings. I'm not quite sure why but it helps.

And of course, practice a lot. Smooth alt-picking takes a while, but once you master alt-picking, it really becomes terrific fun. If there's one thing about metal guitar that I love, its gotta be alt-picking.

 

[pianomankris]

Problems with alternate picking are usually caused by inside/outside picking (or lack of awareness of what this is!).

I'll give some info on it if anyone wants to know about it.

Being aware of it can really improve picking speed/accuracy etc etc

RE economy picking - originally this was associated with jazz, as jazz lines tend to merge melodies with arpeggios - on the guitar, this translates as single-note lines into sweeps. Hence the 'economy' picking.

Economy picking came into the fore on the electric guitar scene through guitarists who were well versed in jazz i.e. Al Di Meola. It is an integral part of the 'fusion' style.

But your alternate picking should be good first before trying economy picking.

 

[Godspeed64]

Or you can own so much in your alternate picking and be another Petrucci..
The dood doesn't use economy picking!

 

[Hydrofly]

I use economy picking to play speed metal, because i find it easier

 

[Likui]

when you chiong your fingers and wrist must relax u relax then can chiong damn fast u tense cannot chiong fast then tired some more

 

[AEnimic]

The day I nailed MOP, it changed my whole perspective on doing riffs. Downstrokes help alot in getting that thick chug for fast open E string riffs.

You need to get your arm muscle on though, I don't know how built you are. But check that damned James Hetfield, he's a giant.

So yep, practice well too, time it slowly, then slowly speed up. You'll get there, it's a cool technique to possess. Nothing too flashy but helps alot at the same time.

 

[Hydrofly]

downpicking fast riffs on one string is not that bad. Try fast downpicking power chords, like tornado of souls. I only managed to get those riffs VERY recently.

 

[wayneward]

i do economy picking cuz i cant do strict alternate picking. >.<"

its just too difficult to do alt picking on every single not, up and down the fretboard.

 

[Hydrofly]

economy picking should not be done because you can't alt pick, it should be an extension of a style the incorporates heavy sweep picking. At least thats what I feel.

 

[Ized]

well i would be really impressed with anyone who nails MOP.....with only upstrokes!!!! :lol:

 

[lucadia]

For me, its going through paul gilbert excercises again and again.. initially i anchor with my pinky.. but i find that its looks kinda ugly.. so i anchor my palm on the bridge like Gilbert, Gambale, Buckethead, Vai and richie kotzen

 

[fenderrules]

yeah i do that too..

i still remember alt. picking with my strat. i would wrap my pinky around the bridge pickup as support lol. it was a damn weird experience haha...

 

[[vogue]angel]

just curious, how to stop unwanted noise when u pick fast or slow? say when u switch from 1 string to another? i'm having prob wif this, always cannot play cleanly

 

[fenderrules]

try palming the unwanted string i guess. i do that most of the time. when i pick the corresponding string i sorta like position my palm "over" it to stop the unwanted noise from belting out.

theres also some left hand technique to doing it as well i guess. not sure how.

 

[fenderrules]

try palming the unwanted string i guess. i do that most of the time. when i pick the corresponding string i sorta like position my palm "over" it to stop the unwanted noise from belting out.

theres also some left hand technique to doing it as well i guess. not sure how.

 

[EugeneSmasher]

+1 to what Fenderrules says. Even when doing simple soloing and arpeggios, noise is reduced by palm-muting the strings you aren't playing. It cleans up your playing a lot. Its a bit difficult to get used to initially but it really helps reduce string noise when playing arpeggios, changing strings, soloing, shredding, etc.