how do i improve downpicking/picking?

[Hydesg]

ive been practising this riff for the past few hours
seems like the notes dont have an impact
is it the fingering or the picking
or the muting?
and the tone i set doesnt sound right also


haha how do i improve on the attack, etc?

still a newbie
so pardon my sloppy playing

http://www.furoff.com/miscimages/222.mp3

[/url]

 

[vespa]

i tot james hetfield was downpicking all the wae?

 

[pooo]

Just keep practicing man, when you get better at it you'll naturally reach the speed as well as make improvements to your playing. But it'll really help if you have videos of Metallica playing the song. Just pay close attention to the way they play it whenever the camera features them playing up close.

 

[vernplum]

ive been practising this riff for the past few hours
seems like the notes dont have an impact
is it the fingering or the picking
or the muting?
and the tone i set doesnt sound right also


haha how do i improve on the attack, etc?

still a newbie
so pardon my sloppy playing

http://www.furoff.com/miscimages/222.mp3

[/url]

Fingering sounds ok.
To get more 'chunk' on the low E notes (or F, F#s) set your amp tone controls to Bass 10, Middle 0, Treble 10. You also need to palm mute the low E much harder than you are right now as those "thrash' notes are ringing out too much. The side of your hand wants to rest as heavily on the string next to the bridge as possible while not bending your tremolo upwards in pitch and still allowing you to downpick fast.

Some of the notes are missing at the riff near the end (or I can't hear them)

should be:

A--5--4-----5-4--
E--3--2--0--3-2-0

 

[vernplum]

i tot james hetfield was downpicking all the wae?

Not so.

Many of his very fast riffs can only be played with alternate picking.

The downpicked riffs are typically much heavier sounding though.

 

[Hydesg]

hmmm

does he palm mute all the way?
as in palm near the bridge?

what i did was to pick with the hand flying all around

guess it was wrong then

elbow, shoulder and wrist were used though
after that my shoulder was tired
hahaha

 

[Hydesg]

if im not wrong
what i see in the video is
that he downpicks all the way with his bottom wrist planted on the guitar body or bridge
and downpicked in a circular method?

 

[dhalif]

doesnt matter how u play it la bro.. got sound can already!!!! hahaa..in other words.. just whack!!!!!!!!! ....

 

[vernplum]

if im not wrong
what i see in the video is
that he downpicks all the way with his bottom wrist planted on the guitar body or bridge
and downpicked in a circular method?

Depends what tracks. Some tracks he can do only downpicking.

Consider the 'galloping' riff in "Battery"

D-------------------------------8--8--7--|-------------------------------5--5--4
A-------------------------------8--8--7--|-------------------------------7--7--6
E-0-----0--0--0-----0--0--0--6--6--5--|--0-----0--0--0-----0--0--0---------
...d......d...u..d......d...u..d...................d.......d..u..d.......d..u...d

You hear that the 'dud' triplets (down up down) are very very fast. It simply can't be played with downpicking only. This triplet galloping on the low string is very common in thrash and relies on a kind of 'whiplash' movement where the wrist is flicked down, up and down in one continuous motion rather than deliberately picking three notes. Kinda hard to explain, but that might be what you see as his 'circular' motion.

Other examples of very fast alternate picked Metallica riffs (there are dozens, but a couple of my favourites):

Disposable Heroes
One
Fight Fire with Fire

 

[Viruz]

Consider to play MASTER OF PUPPETS riff.Play with all downstrokes.That can help u also.Creeping death is also good for downstrokes exercise.Or practice with the open strings with downstrokes across all 6-strings. :wink: