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2008-12-23, 20:59
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Picking techique
I've been playing guitar for around five years now...and I don't really sound like it. I've had a lot of trouble building up speed. I've learned to be a lot more relaxed when playing and that has helped me a lot, but I still am not satisfied. I think it may have something to do with my picking technique. I've been reading a lot on alternate picking but can't really seem to do it, I've been economy picking my whole life.
so basically my question is, if my economy picking is good (which it is) should I bother learning to alternate pick just as well?
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Originally Posted by Paddy
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2008-12-23, 23:26
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New Blood
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i have the same problem, i can't break the habit of economy picking
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2008-12-24, 00:11
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Throbbing Member
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Actually, economy picking is the method that will give you the fastest picking speed possible. It 'economizes" the movement of your hand to waste as little effort as possible so it really isn't a bad habit, its a very good one! It would behoove you, however, to learn how to alternate pick also because it's often handy or necessary.
You guys don't have to learn alternate picking to begin building up your speed. With you two already on track with economy picking, you can do only ONE thing to develop speed: playing scales with a metronome. Start out slow and work your way up. Cleanliness is godliness.
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2008-12-24, 00:28
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by 7-string warlord
should I bother learning to alternate pick just as well?
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yesyesyesyeeeeeeeess for chrissake yes. Play these riffs from Racer X with economy picking until you've remembered them. Then try them alternate picking style. You'll notice (I sure hope you'll notice) moving from the a to d string and b to e string etc. will happen now without "hiccups" like they do with econocrap picking, because the picking is consistent now.
Code:
All notes have a triplet feel
Start this with and upstroke
|---------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------|-------------------------------------------------------11-14-11-|
|---------------------|-------------------11----------------11-12-14-11-12-14----------|
|---------------------|-11-12-14-11-12-14----14-12-11-12-14----------------------------|
|------------10-12-14-|----------------------------------------------------------------|
Start this one with a downstroke
|----------14----------------14----------------14-15-17-19-17-15----------|
|-14-15-17----17-15-14-15-17----17-15-14-15-17-------------------19-17-15-|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
It will feel awkward at first but after you practice it a while it should make playing many things much easier 
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Originally Posted by Amadeus
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2008-12-24, 00:32
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Darko
Actually, economy picking is the method that will give you the fastest picking speed possible.
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Hmmm. I'm sorry but I really don't agree with this statement. It really depends on what you're doing.
http://metaltabs.com/forum/search.php?searchid=892060
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Originally Posted by Amadeus
"Ja mein little poodle, I will hang you by your nipples in my garage,
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2008-12-24, 00:50
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Post-whore
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well, I see the validity in both of your responses, I understand that economy picking is super badass, like Darko has said...but I have also experienced MTM's "hiccups" this shit is just gettin' annoying, but i guess I can go back and mess with alternate picking...
EDIT: Does it really matter if I start with and up or down stroke? Cause I'm pretty good at starting with up-strokes...
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Originally Posted by Paddy
Man oh man I'm in the mood for some meat right about now, so much so that I don't even care how implicitly gay this sentence is.
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2008-12-24, 01:12
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Death to all but metal!
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by 7-string warlord
EDIT: Does it really matter if I start with and up or down stroke? Cause I'm pretty good at starting with up-strokes...
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Yeah it does. Notice on that top lick, every time you progress to a higher string, it happens to be a downstroke. Just makes it bit easier. Playing those licks the other way around would feel wrong to me, but that's just my opinion and how it feels when I play it.
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Originally Posted by Amadeus
"Ja mein little poodle, I will hang you by your nipples in my garage,
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2008-12-24, 01:19
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by MetalThrashingMad
Yeah it does. Notice on that top lick, every time you progress to a higher string, it happens to be a downstroke. Just makes it bit easier. Playing those licks the other way around would feel wrong to me, but that's just my opinion and how it feels when I play it.
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I get what you mean...I think a lot of times I'm going to need to sit down and think about what would make it easier to play.
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Originally Posted by Paddy
Man oh man I'm in the mood for some meat right about now, so much so that I don't even care how implicitly gay this sentence is.
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2008-12-24, 01:21
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Darko
you can do only ONE thing to develop speed: playing scales with a metronome. Start out slow and work your way up. Cleanliness is godliness.
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I know this will sound dumb..but I haven't done this a lot...how would you suggest I do this?
right now I'm just playing the major scale in two octaves, and bumping the tempo up every once in a while...but then I start sucking...I guess I need to take it slower for now...
but anything else I should do?
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Originally Posted by Paddy
Man oh man I'm in the mood for some meat right about now, so much so that I don't even care how implicitly gay this sentence is.
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2008-12-24, 01:54
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Throbbing Member
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by MetalThrashingMad
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You're right, the riff usually dictates what is best. There are some instances where it is better/faster, like running straight through a mode, and there are other instances where alternative picking is the most convenient way to pick like in your prime example.
Personally, I almost always alternate pick because thats how I learned and the method I'm most comfortable with. I'm at a point where I could gain some speed with certain things if I changed to economy picking, but I'm too stubborn to. However, I do seem to economy pick when going down a mode.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by 7-string warlord
I know this will sound dumb..but I haven't done this a lot...how would you suggest I do this?
right now I'm just playing the major scale in two octaves, and bumping the tempo up every once in a while...but then I start sucking...I guess I need to take it slower for now...
but anything else I should do?
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Go into the Scales and Sweep sticky and get familiar with all the modes. Get yourself a metronome or find one on the net (I believe wholenote.com has one, but if you have any recording software that will work as well). Start at a nice and steady speed doing either 8th or 16th notes, whatever is most comfortable for you. Did that help? I could possibly upload an audio clip of how to do it tomorrow if you need me to.
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Last edited by Darko : 2008-12-24 at 17:10.
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2008-12-24, 03:58
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yeah that helps...nah you don't need to uplaod anything. I'm good with 8th and 16th notes. I play marching bass drum at school. Ok, well I'm going to work on my alternate picking just in case I might need it...but I'm still going to stick with economy picking for the most part because I like it.
Now I just gotta start taking this metronome jazz seriously....it's a bit boring...but nevertheless, I am in dire need of improvement.
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Originally Posted by Paddy
Man oh man I'm in the mood for some meat right about now, so much so that I don't even care how implicitly gay this sentence is.
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2008-12-24, 07:53
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Schrodinger's Cat
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Economy picking is, as Dylan has already explained, the most efficient way of playing any given riff, lead, etc. Once economy picking is mastered, it is physically impossible to play the same riff, lead, etc quicker by alternate picking it. This is a question of fact arising out of simple geometry. Please note that alternate picking is different to tremelo picking.
Where it falls down is that many guitarists give up on economy picking before they master it and return to what they know, i.e. alternate picking, because the desired speed is often gained quicker via that method. If you want to take your speed and accuracy to the next level I'd retain economy picking.
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2008-12-24, 19:54
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by johnmansley
Where it falls down is that many guitarists give up on economy picking before they master it and return to what they know
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I'm doin' that shit backwards....I'm just about to give up on that alternate bullshit. Because once I start descending I just go back to economy picking.
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Paddy
Man oh man I'm in the mood for some meat right about now, so much so that I don't even care how implicitly gay this sentence is.
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