legato clarification

[yoshandgosh]

Hi just wanna ask you all a question that bothers me to play metal guitar! If i want to play legato (shred notes fast), 3 notes in one string like C, D, E note for example, which technique is the right one:

1) pick the string one time and use the fretting hand to tap the fretboard for sound, or

2) Alternate pick the notes as i fret the notes?

Coz i have been trying to play some fast metal stuffs but i really cant do it for months! can somebody help me on clearing this doubt?

 

[imkeith]

i don't quite get the example one... but anw if it sounds good or right to you.. thn yea its fine
sometimes alot of stuff is based on preference sake

 

[vernplum]

Legato does not mean to shred notes fast. It means to make notes run together smoothly. In the guitar idiom this usually means using a lot of hammer-ons and pull-offs with minimal picking.

So you're not really asking about legato per se, you're asking about techniques to play fast licks. Legato is one way (usually pick the first note on the string to get it ringing then hammer and pull on the same string) and picking is another way (alternate picking, economy picking, sweep picking etc.). Many players mix both.

 

[yoshandgosh]

Thanks for clarifiying that. But for those scale runs, is it faster to use legato or alternate picking? Or which technique is more commonly use?

 

[haikelzambri]

depends on what u like/ur style/the tone u wanna acheive really, but i use legato cause its more fluid and i use alternates when i cant do any legatos XP...

heres a breakdown on legato
example

e] (14)-13p10---------------------------------------------------------------------|
B] -----------(14)-12p-10--------------------------------------------------------|
G] ---------------------------(13)-11p-10----------------------------------------|
D] -----------------------------------------(12)-11p-9---------------------------|
A] -------------------------------------------------------(12)-11p-9slide(8~)---|
E] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

(14),(13),(12) = pick
13p,12p,11p = pull offs
(8~) = sustain

 

[CrazyCactusJack]

But for those scale runs, is it faster to use legato or alternate picking? Or which technique is more commonly use?

There's no rule to it whether you should use legato or alternate picking. Like the others have said, it's more of a preference. You'll get those Zakk kinda playing using alternate pick, n you sound more like Yngwie-ish with fast legatos. Petrucci kinda mix them both. Generally though, legato will kinda sound and feel a lil faster. However, it all goes down to what you want your phrasing to sound like.

** fast or no-fast, most important tool -> metronome! Click here!

Enjoy!

 

[bf0502tr]

hmmm i dun remember malmsteen using much legato. i know he uses economy picking for most of his stuff, splatter some sweeps here and there, and has this signature almost tone wide vibrato. for legato i think the best person to listen to would be randy rhoads.

anyway back to topic, whatever suits the song or ur playing style would be good. but speed doesnt come in just a few months. takes years literally, unless u practice with the good ol' metronome from a gay slow speed and adjust upwards very slowly. even then u need to put in countless hours everyday just to get fast.