Alternate Picking?
# 1
To be able to pick smoothly between strings. It has it's own sound too if you will. It has a different charicteristic than just straight down picking or sweeping. I guess thats my idea of it.
Magicninja
Guitar Tricks Moderator
"If it feels right, play it. If it feels wrong, play it faster” - Magicninja
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Guitar Tricks Moderator
"If it feels right, play it. If it feels wrong, play it faster” - Magicninja
www.GuitarTricks.com - Home of Online Guitar Lessons
# 2
the purpose of alternate picking is to be able to pick at a faster or smoother and easier way than just down picking. it is very necessary.
Originally Posted by: schmangeugly fat chicks
# 3
You will find it hard to play fast lead guitar if you only use downpicking, unless you play legato or something.
Miracle Blade 4: Gibs on touch.
# 4
i do not think alternate picking is necessary for a fast lead.
you can do tapping, legato, and sweeping without alternate picking.
the crazy train solo does not require alternate picking and its pretty fast.
but alternate picking makes things easy.
you can do tapping, legato, and sweeping without alternate picking.
the crazy train solo does not require alternate picking and its pretty fast.
but alternate picking makes things easy.
Originally Posted by: schmangeugly fat chicks
# 5
Alternate picking give that raspy, vulgar sound that shred guitar may need. If you listen to John Petrucci, you can kinda of hear a very small and fast clicking sound from his solos. It sounds the pick, but its actually the strings being hit in such a way. That click makes such a powerfull effect when you end the last bar with an accending alternate picking run.
Its hard to substitute things for other things. You can replace tapping arps with sweeping. And picking tapping sounds very different than finger tapping. And Legato and alternate picking are two worlds are their own.
Its hard to substitute things for other things. You can replace tapping arps with sweeping. And picking tapping sounds very different than finger tapping. And Legato and alternate picking are two worlds are their own.
# 6
Originally Posted by: AkiraIt does???
makes things easy for me anyway.
i don't see whats so hard about alternate picking. you're just moving your wrist up and down. i'd say learn it sitting down because it does get harder standing up. and if it helps rest your palm on the strings you're not playing or use a finger as a stand, like an old man uses a cane.
ok its official. as soon as i buy a webcam i'm making a detailed alternate picking lesson because i always thought it was the easiest thing in the world.
Originally Posted by: schmangeugly fat chicks
# 7
Originally Posted by: pure
but alternate picking makes things easy.
thats the reason for my question, i think it makes it tougher, and more confusing for a sound that sounds the same to me.
# 8
Originally Posted by: puremakes things easy for me anyway.
i don't see whats so hard about alternate picking. you're just moving your wrist up and down. i'd say learn it sitting down because it does get harder standing up. and if it helps rest your palm on the strings you're not playing or use a finger as a stand, like an old man uses a cane.
ok its official. as soon as i buy a webcam i'm making a detailed alternate picking lesson because i always thought it was the easiest thing in the world.
Tremolo picking and alt picking aren't the same thing...in case you were mistaking. If you do think you were alt picking try it while skipping strings at speed. It is NOT easy at all. It is quite learnable with loads of practice.
Magicninja
Guitar Tricks Moderator
"If it feels right, play it. If it feels wrong, play it faster” - Magicninja
www.GuitarTricks.com - Home of Online Guitar Lessons
Guitar Tricks Moderator
"If it feels right, play it. If it feels wrong, play it faster” - Magicninja
www.GuitarTricks.com - Home of Online Guitar Lessons
# 9
Originally Posted by: magicninjaTremolo picking and alt picking aren't the same thing...in case you were mistaking. If you do think you were alt picking try it while skipping strings at speed. It is NOT easy at all. It is quite learnable with loads of practice.
nope, i was definitely alternate picking. i can string skip almost just as fast as i can alternate pick on the same string. (thats cause i tend to tremolo pick when im on one string)
and, in a way, alternate picking and tremolo picking are interchangable.
Originally Posted by: schmangeugly fat chicks
# 10
Originally Posted by: purenope, i was definitely alternate picking. i can string skip almost just as fast as i can alternate pick on the same string. (thats cause i tend to tremolo pick when im on one string)
and, in a way, alternate picking and tremolo picking are interchangable.
Tremolo picking is not the same as alt picking!! alt picking is picking one note a time where as Tremolo picking is picking the same note a number of times in quick succession!!
Akira says;
"i was expecting some 3476 string string skipping with some 23489172343 octave sweeps and some alt picking runs at 345734237623572bpm in 234872364781246164516th notes across your 2384723648724627348623478264 fret guitar"
"i was expecting some 3476 string string skipping with some 23489172343 octave sweeps and some alt picking runs at 345734237623572bpm in 234872364781246164516th notes across your 2384723648724627348623478264 fret guitar"
# 11
I find alternate picking (the real kind) harder than sweeping. If you listen to Van Halen's Eruption. The middle bit where its the fastest is Tremolo picking, a form of alternate picking. Once people can tremolo pick, they try to do it on alternating strings (what we are talking about). If you crank up the gain reverb, everyting sounds perfect cause you dont need to pick the notes, just touch them. Look at Kerry King, lol. But play on clean and dry up your sound and you will find its a whole mess when actually playing it.
But you never know. To me, alternating picking was the hardest, but maybe your just naturally good at that.
But you never know. To me, alternating picking was the hardest, but maybe your just naturally good at that.
# 12
Originally Posted by: silentmusicTremolo picking is not the same as alt picking!! alt picking is picking one note a time where as Tremolo picking is picking the same note a number of times in quick succession!![/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=alucard0941]Tremolo picking, a form of alternate picking
thats what i meant. tremolo picking is like alternate picking when comparing it to just down picking, as the thread starter was asking. i know the difference between tremolo picking and alternate picking im not stupid.
Originally Posted by: schmangeugly fat chicks
# 13
Originally Posted by: AkiraSo you wanna show us the secret to your alternate picking?
i need to buy a webcam.
Originally Posted by: schmangeugly fat chicks
# 14
Yeah, I also find alternate picking rather easy...I just never did it any other way, so it just grew...
a few years back I could only alternate pick...which is a great place to start from, because once you can alt pick, you can do economy picking and such by choice (sweeping is still getting the better of me...but I'm fifally nailing it now).
I find alt picking to be the most valuable technique a lead guitarist can develop, whilst not essential, I would certainly recommend to anyone that they learn how to do it
a few years back I could only alternate pick...which is a great place to start from, because once you can alt pick, you can do economy picking and such by choice (sweeping is still getting the better of me...but I'm fifally nailing it now).
I find alt picking to be the most valuable technique a lead guitarist can develop, whilst not essential, I would certainly recommend to anyone that they learn how to do it
[FONT=Century Gothic]Hope is when we feel the pain that makes us try again[/FONT]
# 15
Originally Posted by: Andrew SaYeah, I also find alternate picking rather easy...I just never did it any other way, so it just grew...
a few years back I could only alternate pick...which is a great place to start from, because once you can alt pick, you can do economy picking and such by choice (sweeping is still getting the better of me...but I'm fifally nailing it now).
I find alt picking to be the most valuable technique a lead guitarist can develop, whilst not essential, I would certainly recommend to anyone that they learn how to do it
yea alternate picking came natural for me.. in fact i leaned that before i learned bending and hammers and pulls and chords(which i later forgot). its about the only thing i can do other than 1 finger tapping and some boring legato/bends/slides.
i can not sweep fast at all. so i decided to alternate pick my sweeps.
but i don't stick to just up down up down, i do whatever takes less effort to play the next note. so often i end up economy picking more than alternate picking.. so i consider alternate picking a type of economy picking. and i also consider tremolo picking as a type of alternate picking.
Originally Posted by: schmangeugly fat chicks
# 16
i found alternate picking came naturally and so did tremelo picking cant sweep for the life of me though, i think its a very nesessary tecnique as alot of simple solos remain mostly with in 3 strings and alt picking is easy to move about between 3 fast
humans aren't imortal
but rock and roll will never die
:cool:
my soundclick page nothing very impressive though
but rock and roll will never die
:cool:
my soundclick page nothing very impressive though
# 17
hey man,
I wouoldnt go right out and say its necesary cause for a lot of stuf its not....but it is a skill you should have especially if you wanna play lead riffs and solo...plus it builds speed and technique...practise it youll be glad you did believe me....everything will come easier
I wouoldnt go right out and say its necesary cause for a lot of stuf its not....but it is a skill you should have especially if you wanna play lead riffs and solo...plus it builds speed and technique...practise it youll be glad you did believe me....everything will come easier
# 18
yay i can pick and my guitar can sing!
but yehi agree alternate picking is a must! skipping strings becomes a breeze! so get your alternate picking started today!
but yehi agree alternate picking is a must! skipping strings becomes a breeze! so get your alternate picking started today!
[FONT=Impact]grooviest tunes ever [/FONT]
# 19
Must you complicate things Akira? :rolleyes:
hey i might have solved your alternate picking problem akira. with legato you have to have your fingers there right on time, no sooner. but with alternate picking, your fingers must be on the fret ahead of time ready to be picked.
i just figured that right now while trying to legato and i noticed my fingers were going on the frets too soon.
hey i might have solved your alternate picking problem akira. with legato you have to have your fingers there right on time, no sooner. but with alternate picking, your fingers must be on the fret ahead of time ready to be picked.
i just figured that right now while trying to legato and i noticed my fingers were going on the frets too soon.
Originally Posted by: schmangeugly fat chicks
# 20