Need help with Paul Gilbert lick...

Hi, ive been downloading a couple guitar teaching clips off of kazaa, and now that my speed is up to par in some areas, id really like to start practicing these fast licks a lot. Well, the trouble with this lick is, im not sure exactly what i should do with my picking hand. I can kinda make up my own pattern, or try different ones, but i havent found anything that really works well. Any suggestions would be great...

here is the tab:

E----------------
B----------------
G--------------5-----
D--7p5-----5h7---------
A------7-----------
E--------------------

its just that repeated over and over, but doing it on each set of strings to produce a fast lick.

Thanks

I know the clip you're talking about... this is done by alternate picking, start with an upstroke.

ok, So its up, down, up, down? meaning a total of only 4 strokes? Cause he says to do 1 pull off, 7p5 then 5, then one hammer on at 5h7, so those two steps you wouldnt pick....is that right? cause i am having a really hard time picking each note starting with an upstroke. Now if i start with a downstroke on 7, then i can play it fairly fast....

thanks

I'd play this as follows : down - pull off - up - down - hammer on

When doing this, I find myself starting with an upstroke... before I made my first post here I checked out the video, Gilbert himself starts with an upstroke at each section.

I don't know wether it's wrong or right, but I don't like to stick with rules , the only rule I believe is that you should do every thing with the least amount of effort, so that you don't get tired if you speed up.

The easiest way of picking may differ from a person to another due to a lot of physical reasons .

Anyway,you should try this at slow tempo , find the easiest way of picking that suits you then develope your speed gradualy.

Thanks to all who replied, but i still think your missing the point im trying to make. First, he does not pick every note, Because there are 2 pull offs. So there should only be a total of 4 strokes instead of 6. So, with that information, now how is the sequence. Is is up on 7p5, down on 7, up on 5h7, down on 5? That is how i think it is done, but i just wanted to make sure before i strain with the wrong techniqe..

Again thanks, im not saying your wrong, but to my understanding, there is confusion somewhere..

The reason that made me start with an upstroke is to be closer to the above string , so that I can easily pick it with a downstroke.

I counted them.. as you said, there are 4 pick strokes instead of 6 bec of the legatos. I play them like this [up-pull-down-up-hammer-down]

you can make the last one an upstroke too if you want, but in order to return to the beginning of the picking pattern with an upstroke, you'll have to use economy picking, which is like sweeping (picking in one direction) ..


Hope this one helps.

Yeah, see that sounds like what i just said, so thats probably the best way (not that i am an authority, heh). THanks for the help..

I know the lick as well...(I own the video) He's palm muting that pentatonic lick(well kind of anyways). The best way I have practiced that is to play the whole pattern up and down the neck. Also try practicing it without the muting. After awhile of practcing it you can't help but come up with different variations yourself. The most important thing to do is to apply what you have learned in your own solos.

I'm currently in the process of making an instructional video for my students wich uses a varaiation of that lick in 1 part of that video.

I also hope to get signed by shrapnel (I live in Rohnert Park (next to cotati)). My guitar tech knows Mike Varney personally (Of course this does not guarentee anything)

Heh Sly...the way I play it is starting with a downstroke :-) The lick is sorta a form of sweeping.
I've had this video (Intense Rock II) for years and still love it.

So, Mike p. How do you pikc it? can you give a detailed description of how exactly you sweep pick it. Im still having trouble with my method of up pull off, down, up hammer on, down.

Hey Mike :0) I sometimes sweep it too, only when I'm doing one section only and repeating.. but when I do the whole thing on the 6 strings, I do it with alternate picking.

There ain't specific rules for this, cuz every body can do some variations to fit into a particular solo.

Anyway, I like to start this with an upstroke.

If you want to try sweeping with this "Shreddy Kruger" , here's how I like to do it, when I'm repeating one section only.

up-pull-down-down-up (return to begining with an upstroke , so that you sweep up)

That lick is cool and yet simple and basic. That´s what I like with Paul. He doesn´t have much strange licks like Vai. He keeps ´em pretty standard and than throws into 5th gear and goes 200 miles p/hour. Ratatatatatatata...that´s he´s famous Racer X style. One of the best in shred guitar.

Have anyone tried the drill trick. I did and it´s surley amazing. But kids, don´t try that stuff at home hahaha.