Picking hand-technique...

Hi everyone.

I'm all self-learned in playing on a guitar, so people may often think I'm using strange ways of playing. For example:

When play, I use to play like this.

D - Downstroke
U - Uppstroke

D U D U U D U U D U
e|--------------------------------------------|
B|---9---10---9---7---------------------------|
G|--------------------9---7---6---------------|
D|--------------------------------9---7---6---|
A|--------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------|
(I hope you see what I mean, sometimes all of the tab just become a mess)

Now, people use to tell me that I should rather play like this. (Loke at the strokes)

D U D U D U D U D U
e|--------------------------------------------|
B|---9---10---9---7---------------------------|
G|--------------------9---7---6---------------|
D|--------------------------------9---7---6---|
A|--------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------|

Well, I don't get it. First of all it's hard for me just to change my playing-technique, and why change it when my style is like 25 % faster?

Thanks guys!

(If you're interseted of helping me even more, check the tablature-discussion forum for my other questions =)

dont change, for two reasons. one the way you do it is already more efficient. economy picking is like miniature sweeps, they obviously make it easier to play. plus, dont just change your way of playing cause peopel tell you otherwise. unless they serve valid points, then dont change. but... when you say that you lay 25% faster, are you still arrucate at all. are you more accurate if you do your way, or the strict alternate picking. because although speed is mega cool, it doesnt do justice to actually making the notes sound right, with clarity and voicing. sometimes, alternate picking makes it easier to control completely, but if you can master the economy styles, like what you do now, then you are problem free, for now that is.

jesse sutton

I have heard that you should first master alternative picking and then go to economy. I used to play the same way -- I played everything using economy picking and I when I was practicing speed exercises I could not go above 140 bpm. Then I started practicing alternative picking and now I can play about 200 bpm.
I'm not sayin that economy is wrong but from my personal experience and from what i have heard from others it is best first to learn to play alternative and then economy

Economy picking is great , so is alternate picking.

Don't change your technique , but learning alternate picking is is realy important , cuz without alternate picking you'll find problems with some lines can't be played economicaly as you do.