I searched for this question a little bit before asking, but maybe somebody knows a link to a helpfull thread or some advice. ive been playing a little over a year, now and have grown really comfortable at picking every single note, when playing scales. Alot of people tell me that this is the right way to do it but suggest that hitting about three notes per pick (dont know the term for it) will be alot faster...probably so...but i'm getting faster at it anyway with practice and my newly bought korg metronome, lol. Still though, I think that i'm putting limitations on the notes by rappidly picking on to the next one (follow me?), as well my sound doesn't really flow. Should I keep at it, and the flow will improve or am i just developing a bad habit??? ie. im currently playing 3rd notes on minor scale @ 110 tempo..sounds like a machine gun lol. Thanks in advance!
picking every note
greetings from the dark world,
I searched for this question a little bit before asking, but maybe somebody knows a link to a helpfull thread or some advice. ive been playing a little over a year, now and have grown really comfortable at picking every single note, when playing scales. Alot of people tell me that this is the right way to do it but suggest that hitting about three notes per pick (dont know the term for it) will be alot faster...probably so...but i'm getting faster at it anyway with practice and my newly bought korg metronome, lol. Still though, I think that i'm putting limitations on the notes by rappidly picking on to the next one (follow me?), as well my sound doesn't really flow. Should I keep at it, and the flow will improve or am i just developing a bad habit??? ie. im currently playing 3rd notes on minor scale @ 110 tempo..sounds like a machine gun lol. Thanks in advance!
I searched for this question a little bit before asking, but maybe somebody knows a link to a helpfull thread or some advice. ive been playing a little over a year, now and have grown really comfortable at picking every single note, when playing scales. Alot of people tell me that this is the right way to do it but suggest that hitting about three notes per pick (dont know the term for it) will be alot faster...probably so...but i'm getting faster at it anyway with practice and my newly bought korg metronome, lol. Still though, I think that i'm putting limitations on the notes by rappidly picking on to the next one (follow me?), as well my sound doesn't really flow. Should I keep at it, and the flow will improve or am i just developing a bad habit??? ie. im currently playing 3rd notes on minor scale @ 110 tempo..sounds like a machine gun lol. Thanks in advance!
# 1
It sound like you're usin legato (hammer-ons and pull-offs), and there's nothing wrong with that being your style.
For life is quite absurd and death's the final word, You must always face the curtain with a bow
Forget about your sin - give the audience a grin
Enjoy it - it's your last chance anyhow.
METOOB
Forget about your sin - give the audience a grin
Enjoy it - it's your last chance anyhow.
METOOB
# 2
metronome = very good call :)
In the first years it's all about making your hands work in a different way that they are usually working. All the muscles in your hand have to learn to work together. Some needs to contract while others need to stretch. This is a very long process.
So, what you probably face right now is your muscles slowly working together but they are still not there yet (I suppose from your post). Let me know if I got what your were trying to explain. When you play, is it possible that the first note you play "dies" before you strike your second note, making some small silences between notes thus not sounding fluid? That's what I understand from your post. If that is the case, dude you're just normal lol
The thing is that your muscle anticipate the next note but are not yet working all together. So they sometimes release too fast (adding small silences) or contracting too fast (you end up playing your second note too fast and not in tempo). Instead of trying to get faster, reduce the speed a few notchs and concentrate on trying to keep your finger (thus letting the note ring) as long as possible before the next beat comes. What you want to acheive is making those little silences as short as possible because once they are very small, your scale will sound fluid.
One good exercise, play a scale 3 notes per string but on every other string, strike the note on every other beat. So first string play on each beat, on second string play on every other beat, then on the 3rd string play on every beat again. That my friend will mess up with your hand lol You are basically trying to work off that anticipation, it's less repetitive and forces your hand to adapt. Just a small exercise :)
Lost of guitar player try to get faster and faster but don't take the time to really make each note sound fluid. So with time, you endup with a very fast run but all the notes sound muffled For me it's better to be slower and more precise than faster and muffled.
Hope that helps.
In the first years it's all about making your hands work in a different way that they are usually working. All the muscles in your hand have to learn to work together. Some needs to contract while others need to stretch. This is a very long process.
So, what you probably face right now is your muscles slowly working together but they are still not there yet (I suppose from your post). Let me know if I got what your were trying to explain. When you play, is it possible that the first note you play "dies" before you strike your second note, making some small silences between notes thus not sounding fluid? That's what I understand from your post. If that is the case, dude you're just normal lol
The thing is that your muscle anticipate the next note but are not yet working all together. So they sometimes release too fast (adding small silences) or contracting too fast (you end up playing your second note too fast and not in tempo). Instead of trying to get faster, reduce the speed a few notchs and concentrate on trying to keep your finger (thus letting the note ring) as long as possible before the next beat comes. What you want to acheive is making those little silences as short as possible because once they are very small, your scale will sound fluid.
One good exercise, play a scale 3 notes per string but on every other string, strike the note on every other beat. So first string play on each beat, on second string play on every other beat, then on the 3rd string play on every beat again. That my friend will mess up with your hand lol You are basically trying to work off that anticipation, it's less repetitive and forces your hand to adapt. Just a small exercise :)
Lost of guitar player try to get faster and faster but don't take the time to really make each note sound fluid. So with time, you endup with a very fast run but all the notes sound muffled For me it's better to be slower and more precise than faster and muffled.
Hope that helps.
# 3
FIrst off, THANKS! yea, u've got it dude, mainly dying notes on the first two strings (especially when im switching to the next string)...i'm just rappidly jumping to the next note and not giving the previous notes time to sound, it seems..which you're right on the money. Part of it is trying to keep up with every beat the metronome makes, but timing is not about making a note on every beat, eh? The excercise will definately help..and i've definately got to slow down the tempo for this.
Is there more advantage in learning to hit multiple notes in one pick motion? Like I said, it seems more natural to me to pick every note with non economy up and down picking per note. The multiple notes style seems like it would only work better for economy pickers. :confused:
eric-thanks...i think i need to work at pulling off though...right now im just hammering away like a carpenter
Is there more advantage in learning to hit multiple notes in one pick motion? Like I said, it seems more natural to me to pick every note with non economy up and down picking per note. The multiple notes style seems like it would only work better for economy pickers. :confused:
eric-thanks...i think i need to work at pulling off though...right now im just hammering away like a carpenter
# 4
Actually, you should be able to play runs with equal speed either picked or by hammering on. Economy of movement is whats important when it comes to picking and being able to play smoothly on 1,2,3 and 4 note per string runs. The main difference between picking every third or fourth note is the sound. A picked note has a very definite "picking" sound which should clearly separate each note in the run whereas a run comprising hammer-ons sound more fluid. Each has their place in any piece of lead, learning to play both properly will add a lot more flavour and dynamic to your playing though. Also, if you can play a long impressive run using hammer onsand then follow it up with an even more technical lick that picks every note, you will find it easier to grab the listeners attention.
# 5
Personnaly, the way I pick is simple in a 3 notes per string scale.
Let's say I am going from the Low E string to high E string. I will start with a downstroke then upstroke then downstroke, now since I wanna go to the next string which is right below and that I already have my pick going down from the downstroke I will continu the mouvement into a downstroke on the next string.
so it's D - U - D (let the pick motion go down on the next string) D - U - D .... and so on.
Same thing if I go from high E to Low E string but then I would start with an Upstroke. So U - D - U (keep the motion of the pick going upward) U - D - U.
There's probably a very cool technical term for that but I don't know it honestly. lol
Let's say I am going from the Low E string to high E string. I will start with a downstroke then upstroke then downstroke, now since I wanna go to the next string which is right below and that I already have my pick going down from the downstroke I will continu the mouvement into a downstroke on the next string.
so it's D - U - D (let the pick motion go down on the next string) D - U - D .... and so on.
Same thing if I go from high E to Low E string but then I would start with an Upstroke. So U - D - U (keep the motion of the pick going upward) U - D - U.
There's probably a very cool technical term for that but I don't know it honestly. lol
# 6
I think that technique is called "Economy picking" could be wrong, i wud do it like this personally (3 note per string, low to high E) D-U-D-U-D-U-...etc etc but thats me (influenced from Gilbert/Petrucci, strict alternate pickers lol) :)
# 7
It's actually alternate picking;-) You should try playing four notes per string, it's very difficult when you start because of the shapes and banana finger syndrome but you will be amazed at how fast you can play . Also, 4 notes per string is even more economical DUDU DUDU DUDU, as opposed to DUD UDU DUD or more correctly (but more difficult) DUD DUD DUD. Give it a go for the practise excercise 1234, 1234, 1234, 1234 first to see the speed and economy of picking. Once you get the hang of it then try working out the positions for scales. All the really fast shredders use this technique as you can fit a lot more notes in over a six string run in about the same amount of time as three notes per string. Problem is the runs work diagonally up the fretboard, this adds to the difficulty of the shapes. Great practice though!
# 8
# 9
Another important thing. With this you can't find a way that suits you best and stick with it. You should be able to play alternate, economy and legato (pull-offs and hammer-ons). Different situations require different technique.
For example, I was showing the fast part of "Zorba the Greek" to a friend, who insisted on playing it economy picked, because he's mainly jazzy and used to it. The part, however, clearly calls for strict alternate picking because it's all 16ths, so its always more accurate than economy picking. I also believe that the original is played on bozouki with alternate. This is how I choose what to use.
For example, I was showing the fast part of "Zorba the Greek" to a friend, who insisted on playing it economy picked, because he's mainly jazzy and used to it. The part, however, clearly calls for strict alternate picking because it's all 16ths, so its always more accurate than economy picking. I also believe that the original is played on bozouki with alternate. This is how I choose what to use.
Impendance is fruitfull
while the buttons are circled.:eek:
while the buttons are circled.:eek:
# 10
You should pick the notes for a while, thats how I got good. Its my advice
"When you want to rock hard children, lean of F#."
# 11
So I gather from what u guys are saying is that economy picking ends each string in the motion your going, up or down...and alternate picking is basicaly up and down repeatedly in no particular order? like this:
economy (low to high)
------------------------u-d-u-------------------------
------------------u-d-u-------------------------------
------------u-d-u-------------------------------------
------u-d-u-------------------------------------------
alternate (low to high)
------------------------u-d-u-----------------------
------------------d-u-d-------------------------------
------------u-d-u-------------------------------------
------d-u-d-------------------------------------------
and hammering on is hitting a number of notes w/o picking them (well the first obviously).
Also if u guys don't mind, im going to try to add u. I'm going to buy a new setup in about two months and maybe another guitar for alternate tuning and want alot of opinions before i start buying...if its cool :D
economy (low to high)
------------------------u-d-u-------------------------
------------------u-d-u-------------------------------
------------u-d-u-------------------------------------
------u-d-u-------------------------------------------
alternate (low to high)
------------------------u-d-u-----------------------
------------------d-u-d-------------------------------
------------u-d-u-------------------------------------
------d-u-d-------------------------------------------
and hammering on is hitting a number of notes w/o picking them (well the first obviously).
Also if u guys don't mind, im going to try to add u. I'm going to buy a new setup in about two months and maybe another guitar for alternate tuning and want alot of opinions before i start buying...if its cool :D
# 12
oooops, ur right, my tab was wrong...Cuz ur going down to the next note/string. I get the idea...cool. Thanks. All of yuz..hell yea.
# 13
